Ask HN: Did you ever consider dropping out?

You'd have to be crazy to leave at this point. You're only young once. Enjoy your senior year, smooch some ladies and / or dudes, read some books, join a club. You have a lifetime of toil ahead of you.

Also consider this in your decision making: Not having a BS makes it harder to get some visas. You never know when you may feel like changing countries.

I personally regret not dropping out when I had the chance. The extra debt really wasn't worth it.

It might be harder to get a job without a degree though. HR departments for big companies are pretty keen on college degrees.

People that I've seen drop out do it in the first year or even more so in the first quarter/semester. Sounds more like you're burnt out. I say dig deep and push through it.

I was in the same spot. I got a job doing consulting and let my degree lapse for a semester or more for a single history paper. The professor accepted my paper and I was able to graduate, but I regret having done it. I was offered a teaching position on the assumption I had graduated. It was embarrassing to explain that I hadn't graduated over something as small as that.

One other thing to consider: Are you a finisher in general? Do you complete the things you say you will? Is dropping out another example of a sequence of things you didn't complete? Don't let it be that latest evidence that you don't finish things.

I do all the time. I work a nice place, doing nice brand new development, with mostly friends from college.

I have had to try to finish school now for a year and half while working full time at this place. It can be hell sometimes. I've wanted to drop out a lot.

But if you think about it there is no reason for me to truly drop out. They're ok with me taking those courses and finishing (since I do what I need to do for them).

In your case, Finish the degree so you have it. The only con that ___MIGHT___ happen (emp. the unlikelihood) is that jobs and opportunities you could have gotten by dropping out will go to someone else. Reality is that those things only come in to your life via social connections which almost always come from knowing someone in college (as in my life, as in the lives of many a famous start up founder, etc.). Realize you should be using college to build those friendships and connections while you finish those courses.

As someone who works full-time while going to school, I'm painfully aware of what I'm missing out when I don't have the option of staying around and talking to someone for a bit and catching up.

My sister considered dropping out at almost the exact same point you are at. She stuck it through and was really happy that she did. You may not end up in engineering forever, but you'll likely want a college degree for whatever you want to accomplish, since you are this far along, finish up getting it and then think about if you want to put it to use or try something else in life.

I dropped out, then took whatever classes interested me from a variety of different community colleges & online schools.

This felt and feels like I am doing it my way, and I am happy for that.

I also have almost no student debt, and work solid jobs at tech companies. However, I have also had lots of side projects keeping me busy and allowing me to show my skills.

If you don't have side projects, skills or a solid resume to make up for the lack of the degree, then I'd say don't quit on the degree.

I dropped out of my senior year of college. Currently a software engineer at a nice company.

I've only been away from school for about a 1.3 years, so it's too early to see if I'll regret the decision. Perhaps I'll return to school in the future, or end up lying dead on the street because of my lack of a bachelor's degree.

If you stay in school, you don't have to worry about regretting the decision to drop out, nor do you have the difficulties involved in potentially returning later on.

At the end of my junior year I was placed on academic probation, and later kicked out of college. At that point I considered quitting school for good, but ultimately begged my way back into school and completed that degree. Now I work at a reputable company making sweet money. Getting a degree was so worth it. Don't quit, just hang in there.

What are your most important classes? My point is that until I finished my degree I didn't know the importance of each subject.

I stopped classes to continue working on a successful business.

Worst case scenario is I go back and finish my last 2 years if I need to

You should get the college degree. Recruiters and HR people care about it and it facilitates the job search process.

I'd put it to the Leary test.

What turned you on?

What tune is worth dropping out?

Good luck.