Thoughts on dropping out of college

[Barbara]

I'm 21 and I'm studying law in college. I don't like it and don't want to pursue it.

This is the 4th and last year of college, I only have like 7 months left to finish it. Back in september, when classes started again, I was very confused about the whole thing, lacked a lot of clarity, so I decided to finish this year and meanwhile using all my free time to find my LP. 

But things changed:

I'm now doing the LP course, and I'm generally so excited about life and its possibilities. I wish to learn so many different things in many different areas. I spend my days, thinking about my LP, always paying attention to every opportunity that could arise, that can make me grow and be more prepared for the authentic life. I try to detach as possible from the excitement tho, since I've also experienced some downs that follow it. 
But now, it's December and in January I have exams and it's one of the most intense times for students, which will leave me almost no time to do what I really wanna be doing. 

So it boils down to this: I haven't found my LP yet, but I'm in great creative tension that requires exploration and action, basically, time. Every book, course and skill I want to learn, will happen anyway, but being in college at the same time, will take me longer. At the same time, 7 months will make the difference between being graduated or not, even tho if it's only for the sake of having a meaningless diploma. (I should say tho, that I have the belief that I would be taken more seriously professionally if I had a law degree. Do you agree or I should treat it as a limiting belief and go on?)

So, I would love to hear what you have to say about this. I know that I'm the only one who can make this decision and I'm not really looking for answers, only insights and thoughts of those lovely green and yellow heads of yours 

Thank you so much for taking the time

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Barbara

[OnceMore]

You've already completed 3 years, and you only have a little bit longer to do.

It's your final year, so just finish it! You've worked hard, and you're so close, so don't just put it all in the bin now, especially because... what else are you gonna do? How best to spend these next 7 months? Finishing off your law degree, or doing... what, exactly? 

Only 7 more months, and you'll have a law degree, and you'll never have to do law ever again. 

The LP course and all that will be there regardless. You can do all that later. This forum, that video, that hobby, that whatever - all this will still be there at the end of the 7 months. But you may never get this chance again. So focus, just for 7 months. Get the degree. After that, do whatever. 

Life's possibilities will still be there at the end of these 7 months. (You could also have a law degree by this point also)

You'll have MORE possibilities, actually. 

And the diploma isn't meaningless at all. You worked hard for it, there's some meaning. But it can also be used to do some good in the world, if you want. 

[At the very least, you could just use this as a (very rewarding) exercise in cultivating discipline in your own life. A lot of the times we're gonna be needing to do things that we don't want to do... discipline will help us with that]

Edited December 7, 2020 by OnceMore

[Byun Sean]

You will probably be taken more seriously by employers if you have a law degree.

But whether it's worth it to finish college depends on what your LP is.

Do you want to start your own business?

If so you would much rather be spending your time building skills and acquiring resources and knowledge so that business can flourish. 

College may be a waste of time, money, and energy at that point.

 

7 months can make a huge difference especially if you are taking this LP of yours seriously and you are grinding it every day.

 

In conclusion you gotta be damn sure about what you want to do in life and what your passionate about. Then you'll know exactly how to make these

decisions.

A lot of people go to college just because they don't know what the hell they want to do and so they just sweep the problem of not knowing under the

rug. This is not the way to do it. Find out what you want. Then take action.

 

Also don't be afraid of not having a degree if you decide to dropout. It will motivate you even more because you will

be forced into a position where you have no choice but to develop yourself as a human being so much that

having no degree doesn't matter anymore.

There are also likely classes, workshops, trainings and seminars available for whatever your LP is that your passionate

about that probably have certifications that you can acquire as well.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Byun Sean

[Moon]

Is this 4 years for a bachelor's, or integrated masters or something?

If you quit college now, would you have the funding to work on your life purpose and not have to work a job? If not, it might be worth graduating, getting a grad job (if it means better likelihood of getting a job/better pay) and doing your life purpose stuff on the side of all of this. The whole 7 months won't be exam seasons, so you should still have spare time if you allocate 40/50 hours max a week (like a FT job) on studying for college. 

I had a similar dilemma but I'm deciding to finish my 3 year BEng (in final year now) instead of carrying on for another year and getting an MEng degree. 

 

[Gesundheit]

Just suck it up for the next 7 months. Get your degree. And then do whatever you want. Don't waste nearly two decades of studying for nothing. Treat the "inauthentic" way as if it was plan B. At least that way you will know you have something to return back to in case you change your mind about your LP.

[Barbara]

@OnceMore @Moon thank you very much for your insights guys! 

Moon, I’m portuguese, so I don’t really know what’s the equivalent in usa. But a law degree here, has no master included.

[Barbara]

@Byun Sean I’m very serious about my lp and thinking about opening a small business or something yes. I like business related stuff, like leadership. These 7 months i would acquire so many skills, man.. it gives me the chills only thinking about it. And I’ll acquire some of them anyway, but I’ll have this other thing sucking my precious energy and time.

Law comes in handy for business tho. 

Anyway, thank you very much for your input!

Warm regards 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Barbara

[kbone]

@Barbara

As an ex-professor who doesn't know your entire context and sees that you are well past the half-way point, I would recommend finishing what you started. It may seem like a slog to get there, but nothing like the one it took for you to get here, to this present moment. Plus, the slog is only made harder by your resistance to it. At some point in your life, you worked hard and wished to get into law school, and the universe provided, hehe.

It is also an opportunity for you to be aware of your mind's ways of drawing your attention from the task at hand.... just like any other meditation. I do not know you, but I have seen so many students sabotage perfect opportunities, and in such a large variety of ways. I understand there is something "else" that has caught your attention and started to generate some passion in that Latin heart of yours, but completing your law degree is not going to stop you from pursuing it AND the opportunities that open up to you afterwards. To be clear, there's a greater chance of the regret pursuing you.

But yeah, absolutely, I get it. The 20s were an extremely tumultuous time for me, as well, so I know the allure of such potentials.

[Barbara]

@Gesundheit yes but thats the sunk cost fallacy.

It’s nice to approach it as a plan b tho. Even if it’s only to fool myself to have the will to finish it. 

Must say, I usually like to read your comments here on the forum! You’re such a straightforward and funny guy.

Best wishes to you

[Leo Gura]

@Barbara It's hard to say given that you're so close to a degree. It could be nice to have that degree in your pocket when applying for some jobs.

But then again, if you definitely know that your LP and future career will not have anything to do with law, then it's probably a formality and a waste of time and money. 7 months is a lot of time that you could invest into your LP.

A lack of degree is not going to keep you from success in your LP if you're truly serious and passionate about it. At worst it will be a minor annoyance.

If you're super-limited by finances then maybe go for the degree if you will need it to get your first job and hold you over. But if your finances allow it, I would shoot directly for your LP.

That sunk cost effect is a bitch.

One thing I can tell you for sure, your heart will glow the moment you stop doing law and your passion and motivation will flourish. There's nothing that weight the heart down more than doing projects that you know hold zero meaning for you.

[Barbara]

@kbone yea, more than anything it has been mental challenge to me. But i face it. And that’s the only part I like about being in college  

thank you! 

[Barbara]

@Leo Gura I know for sure that I won’t be doing anything with law, as long as I live authentically, so yea.. 

7 months, with what i have in mind is a heck of a lot of time. But the thing is 7 months that will give me a degree, I’ll never happen later. 7 months to my lp, I’ll be having forever. I guess it’s kinda of an opportunity. 

I have to figure it out myself in the end.

Your course is awesome btw, Leo! Thank you so much

[UDT]

@Barbara Play the long game, do the degree. Work on your side projects now, establish a base etc. 

You have to think in 10 years not in a year, in a 10 year perspective, 7 months are nothing. 

[UDT]

Imaging the sunk costs if you have to work minimum wage for 40hours a week because you didnt finish your degree and need more time to get your business project going (which realistically will take you 3 years to make profit).

Here is a great trick of the mind:
Quitting college is actually easy for you, and you twist it to be a sacrifice for your LP, benefitting your LP. 
Thats false.
Quitting college is the more easy route than doing what you dont like for another year in order to have what you want later. 
Its actually not gonna benefit you. Read the war of art by pressfield

[Kalki Avatar]

@Barbara001  I wish I were you. I will be finishing my law degree as well in a few months. 

I could have graduated long time ago if I had not dabble and followed so much nonsense fairy advice. Im 23 btw.

You are the only one who knows better what to do, because its your specific situation adecuated to your specific persona. Follow your own advice. 

But from my experience, I will only say its better to just finish. Dont confuse imagination with reality. LP is not an easy thing. 

I dont know if having a law degree can give you different jobs opportunities in your country. For ex, I work in a Bank... I would get a job, build a business and invest in the markets and then peacefully do my LP. 

The fact that you are not doing your LP only becomes a problem if you think so. Theres nothing wrong in not doing it. You are the one giving thoughts to all this fiction. What will not fade is, paying your bills. 

The fact that a law degree can give you status and respect can at least motivate you to finish. 

Law is ok for me but its not my passion. Its too much drama and fiction for me. But you can work in a different area. You can also look for an aspect of the essence in law that motivate you to get work done. For me its just sharpening my logic and intellect. 

One of the things I dont like about law aside from the drama, is the seriousness stereotype. But you can easily skip this by ignoring it and not identifying the work with the type of ppl that does it. Be your own and do an art out of it. 

Stay wise. And as I learned from Leo. Be strategic and wait. 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Kalki Avatar

[Gesundheit]

@Barbara

56 minutes ago, Barbara said:

@Gesundheit yes but thats the sunk cost fallacy.

Yeah, but obviously, just because it has a name doesn't mean it's bad.

57 minutes ago, Barbara said:

@Gesundheit 

It’s nice to approach it as a plan b tho. Even if it’s only to fool myself to have the will to finish it.

Unless you're suffering, you can think of it as a challenge and an opportunity to grow. Right now, you're experiencing lack of motivation, and this may occur to you while you're pursuing your LP, so you better be prepared. You may benefit from training now with your dummy degree. You can develop and sculpt your motivation and discipline for 7 whole months. That ought to make you more prepared to face any challenges that may come up later.

1 hour ago, Barbara said:

@Gesundheit 

Must say, I usually like to read your comments here on the forum! You’re such a straightforward and funny guy.

Best wishes to you

Thanks. Best wishes to you too.

[Forestluv]

One option might be to finish the degree, yet substantially pull back and start transitioning to LP. Do just enough to finish the degree in good standing. And investing more time and effort into developing LP. The degree might come in handy some time in the future. 

[Corpus]

@Barbara Perhaps you could explain how diploma vs degree pans out in Portugal in terms of opportunities, utility etc?

 @kbone 's advice seems soundest to me currently. 

[Ananta]

Interesting.... I think since you're soooo close to getting it you should just finish.

I went to cosmetology school in high school got licensed then only did it as a career for 1 1/2 yrs, but I never got rid of the license to this day. I pay my dues and keep it in escrow,  just incase!

Then, when I was getting my associates in nursing I knew after the first year of nursing school I didn't  really want to be a nurse. However, everyone talked me into keeping with the degree. I've been a nurse for 13 years and I still don't like it too much.

 

 

[Barbara]

@UDT Thanks! But you see, quitting college is far from the easier route. I would put myself in a position I've never been before, I would need to prove to myself that quitting was for a good cause, I would have to face peer pressure from my family and friends to do otherwise, etc. Finishing it is so much easier because I would only have to do what I've been doing so far, passing exams. And I'm kinda afraid to choose to stay until the end, because staying would be my comfort zone.