Why shouldn't I drop out of school?

[GZA]

I know some people who have dropped out and started working mundane jobs who are very happy to not have to worry about grades any more. On the other hand, apparently in the long term university leads to much better jobs (although it seems this is becoming less true due to academic inflation).

I'm not considering it very seriously but it occasionally crosses my mind. I really dislike school and I question how useful it really is... it seems the value of a university education is declining. I am seriously considering at least taking a break from school for a bit if I can't change my direction altogether. I also find it all very interesting to discuss.

Just for arguments sake, why shouldn't I drop out of school?

And, how has a university education benefitted you?

 

[Arclight]

Because although your core might remain static.. Your values are in a constant state of fluctuation and need consistent inventory to remain up to date.

What you value now is almost certain to change in the future.. So make choices that protect that future.. I am only learning this now.. The hard way..

You might be totally different.. But I would still consider that what you believe now.. might not be what you believe in, in 5 years.

 

[Randomnity]

It depends what you're going to do with your degree, of course. If I'm remembering correctly I think you mentioned before that you don't intend to work in that career in the future, so it might not actually be useful for you.

But most living-wage jobs require college (trade school etc) if not university degrees. My career requires university, so it's essential for me. You could say the value is declining because most people have degrees these days, but this certainly doesn't mean you don't need a degree, it's more the opposite I would think.

Degrees should be chosen carefully of course, some are far more useful/useless than others....

 

[Stigmata]

I know some people who have dropped out and started working mundane jobs who are very happy to not have to worry about grades any more. On the other hand, apparently in the long term university leads to much better jobs (although it seems this is becoming less true due to academic inflation).

I'm not considering it very seriously but it occasionally crosses my mind. I really dislike school and I question how useful it really is... it seems the value of a university education is declining. I am seriously considering at least taking a break from school for a bit if I can't change my direction altogether. I also find it all very interesting to discuss.

Just for arguments sake, why shouldn't I drop out of school?

And, how has a university education benefitted you?

Having a degree of some sort doesn't guarantee anything, but it helps further stack the chips in your favor. Dropping out of school doesn't necessarily mean you're going to either be flipping burgers or working as a fluffer on porn sets, but it severely limits your options. If you plan to enter the corporate world, unless you know someone, by dropping out you're ensuring that your going to have to work twice as hard, twice as long, for half the pay and almost no recognition or job security. Also, does having a degree have to necessarily be thought of as the means? Couldn't attaining it in itself be gratifying, even if it doesn't directly amount to anything tangible other than itself? I see it as a testament to ones ability to focus the mind on striving to achieve a goal, and actually following through with it.

 

[rav3n]

Many employers have drawn the line with minimum requirements of a university degree. Consider your life a game of strategy where each move consolidates your position.

Having said that, with the dearth of white collar degrees being pumped out into the current knowledge based environment, a hole has been left for technically educated workers. If you're interested in being an electrician or plumber, I hear this type of worker is in demand.

 

[entropie]

Many employers have drawn the line with minimum requirements of a university degree. Consider your life a game of strategy where each move consolidates your position.

Considering life with a constant strategy for oneself isnt the thing for everyone. Tho society demands it more and more, I think in the end always those will be more successful who didnt always had a clear path in life, thru that tho developed different abilities in different fields. I'ld never put the pressure on me to play things like that, because it is not what I wanted. Most people are born and dont know who they are, adapting then to strategies shown by other people is a good thing to learn some things, but adapting your whole life to a masterplan somebody else wrote for you does in 99,9% of all cases lead to unhappiness in the long run. You dont need to have an A in every class to become rich in life, on the contrary having an A everywhere rather lets you appear to be a mindless machine. And in the long run every achievement will be insignificant, if you aint happy with yourself. Telling oneself one is having a successful career, wont cure this unhappiness aswell.

Regarding the op's question: the most simplest answer is that you are qualöified to do a wider variety of jobs if you go for University education, but I dont think it's the answer you are looking for. The answer you are looking for can be compared to smoking. It's tempting to not start smoking at young age and then when you do you feel good for a time. After that time tho then, you feel not so good no more and start recognizing you are quite dependant on cigarettes. You maybe have to work 2 jobs at a time to just pay your rent and your cigarettes and you have no hope of it getting any better. And then you ask yourself why you started smoking at all. The answer is simple:

At the moment it was and you gave in to temptation, tho you should have known better. You choosed the easy way, tho you have should known better. And while all your friends are having their graduation party and really feel they have achieved something cause they sticked with the job, you are smoking 2 packages a day having nothing. You'll always recognize the success of your work and be happy with it, long after it has been done. It may not even be your graduation day on which you're proud with you finishing school, it may happen even happen later. But one thing's foir sure, the unhappiness with not finishing will come quicker and will be your friend for the rest of your life.

There's german writer who once said: To become happy in life, means to evade temptations.

 

[chachamaru]

You should drop out.

It's fun.

And cheap.

And you can be rich, too.

Just buy my book. CLICK THE LINK HERE! ONLY $399! SECRETS TO BEING A VAGILLIONAIR!

 

[disregard]

If you dislike it, drop out. I love school and want to stay in it for as long as possible. It's there for you, not the other way around.

 

[Atomic Fiend]

If you have other plans that will net you income in the future and you're not getting what you want from college, then you SHOULD drop out of school.

Otherwise no stick to it.

 

[Randomnity]

If you dislike it, drop out. I love school and want to stay in it for as long as possible. It's there for you, not the other way around.

You should also quit going to work if it's not fun anymore. It's there for you, after all.

 

[disregard]

You should also quit going to work if it's not fun anymore. It's there for you, after all.

You're cool.

 

[GZA]

The reality of it all is that I know staying in school is of long term practical importance for work, even if it does seem like it is becoming less important (in that it used to guarantee a good job, but now it seems it just puts you in a better position to get a job at all, but not necessarily a good one). In this sense Random is absolutely correct; it is more important than ever because it is the new high school diploma, as they say, and without it you are seemingly unfit for work.

I really don't like school, but knowing it is ultimately a wise thing to finish, I am looking in to new programs that suit what I want to get out of my education. I may also take a year off or something just to clear my head so I can go back in to it with renewed focus.

 

[slowriot]

Having a degree of some sort doesn't guarantee anything, but it helps further stack the chips in your favor. Dropping out of school doesn't necessarily mean you're going to either be flipping burgers or working as a fluffer on porn sets, but it severely limits your options. If you plan to enter the corporate world, unless you know someone, by dropping out you're ensuring that your going to have to work twice as hard, twice as long, for half the pay and almost no recognition or job security. Also, does having a degree have to necessarily be thought of as the means? Couldn't attaining it in itself be gratifying, even if it doesn't directly amount to anything tangible other than itself? I see it as a testament to ones ability to focus the mind on striving to achieve a goal, and actually following through with it.

You should also quit going to work if it's not fun anymore. It's there for you, after all.

As someone that only got a semi long education beyond primary school (3½ years), I agree with this. Right now Im thinking of going back to school to better my chances of getting a job. Its so much easier to take an education when you are in your late teens to early twenties than doing so in early 30s.

And eventually a degree in an area of what you are interested in will help you shape your own career path. I would see a degree as a stepping stone in this reagard, not as a jobdescription. And in this age you are far better equiped with a degree than without one to make a succesful career change. The idea that you just have to work harder to climb the ladder with no degree, has become even harder now than ever before.

 

[Lark]

I would say, after attending three different campuses and two different unis that there is a lot more to university than simply the academic accredation, there's a social scene, time to live your life before you settle down, whether you have someone else or not you will find yourself having to adopt a routine which is different, very possibly more structured, with higher expectations and more mundane than school. Uni life is comparatively free and fun by comparison if you can keep up with the work.

The idea that you dont need to worry about your grades is a little short sighted, all through life and particularly work, no matter how mundane your work is, you'll have bosses who will be like teachers and bosses and colleagues who'll have expectations about your performance of the job which could work out fairly similar to you having to worry about your grades.

No matter what you're imagining will be the cooler, easy street alternative you're mistaken.

 

[rav3n]

Considering life with a constant strategy for oneself isnt the thing for everyone. Tho society demands it more and more, I think in the end always those will be more successful who didnt always had a clear path in life, thru that tho developed different abilities in different fields. I'ld never put the pressure on me to play things like that, because it is not what I wanted. Most people are born and dont know who they are, adapting then to strategies shown by other people is a good thing to learn some things, but adapting your whole life to a masterplan somebody else wrote for you does in 99,9% of all cases lead to unhappiness in the long run. You dont need to have an A in every class to become rich in life, on the contrary having an A everywhere rather lets you appear to be a mindless machine. And in the long run every achievement will be insignificant, if you aint happy with yourself. Telling oneself one is having a successful career, wont cure this unhappiness aswell.

I don't disagree that following someone else's masterplan won't make every individual happy. Where I disagree is that each person can create their own masterplan since life is like a gigantic flowchart full of decision points. Make the wrong decision and you're either going to waste more time backpedalling to the initial decision point or continue in the direction that's wrong for you. Everyone needs a long-range goal. Properly plotted will give you the maximum benefit within the shortest possible time.

 

[entropie]

I don't disagree that following someone else's masterplan won't make every individual happy. Where I disagree is that each person can create their own masterplan since life is like a gigantic flowchart full of decision points. Make the wrong decision and you're either going to waste more time backpedalling to the initial decision point or continue in the direction that's wrong for you. Everyone needs a long-range goal. Properly plotted will give you the maximum benefit within the shortest possible time.

Ya, we probably have different things we can do. I envy people who know exactly what they will become later and are working for it concretly. I can imagine doing so many things and my motivations changes so often that it is near impossible for me to decide

 

[Haight]

Just for arguments sake, why shouldn't I drop out of school?

Because I don't want to pay for you while you lay around collecting unemployment several different times during the course of your life.

 

[prplchknz]

all I know is in life I want to make enough money to travel and to live comfortably. It be awesome if I get a job where I get to travel all over the world. But my first step is to graduate college, get an internship which will hopefully lead to an entry level position in the cultural studies field, than work my way up from their

 

[kyuuei]

Figure out what you want out of life.

Figure out what kind of job will get you there, or close to it.

Read up on how to get that job.

Do that.

 

[Haight]

That first item could be tricky.