I want to drop out of College. How do I break the news to my parents?

College Confidential Community
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<p>In many ways, being straight up honest I guess you call me that “classic, bright, underachiever”.</p>

<p>“You did good, but you could have done A lot better”</p>

<p>That’s me.</p>

<p>I always did good in school, with a 3.3 cumulative GPA in Highschool after I finished with a 29 ACT(I go to Northern Illinois University if anybody cares), but I never found it necessary to use more effort than there really needed to be.</p>

<p>As the oldest of 3 kids, and coming from a family that has no College graduates, I’ve always felt this heavy burden, to fulfill what everybody else wanted, but kind of ignored what I wanted. As I expected, the first 2 months of College were easy, then slowly it felt like I was wasting my time to the point hat I started skipping all 3 of my Morning classes(I had a morning class everyday at 8 AM).</p>

<p>Then I started feeling like a tool, when I realized that I wasn’t actually attending school by my own free will, so I gained that kind of attitude, where I just started looking at everybody around me as having a sheep mentality.</p>

<p>None, more than my roommate who I couldn’t stand for a variety of reasons.</p>

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<p>Getting back to the point my real passion is Skateboarding, and I’m prepared to devote my life to Skating. I started Skating seriously at about 16, and currently I’m Skating with a local Chicago team. It’s really the only thing I feel very serious about.</p>

<p>The thing about that is, I can just picture them in my head saying “Well what kind of direction in life can Skateboarding lead you? Yeah exactly, now **** and do as I say!”</p>

<p>Ideally I want to get a Night shift job, and then find a small crap apartment to live in, so that I can Skate all day in the day time, and work at night.</p>

<p>I just don’t know how to break this news to them. I don’t know if they will be angry at me, themselves, dissapointed, kick me out of their house or what.</p>

<p>Thanks for reading my story if you did.</p>

<p>Any questions, ask?</p>

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<p>I think you should stay in college. From what I read, I guess you don’t necessarily need a degree to skateboard, but college is more than just some certificate. It’s like a whole another world of opportunities that can teach so many things about life. Well, you would know, because you are already there. But I definitely can understand where you are coming from. It’s cool that you already know what you want to spend your entire life doing, and I agree with you that you should devote yourself entirely to your passion.
But I have plenty of friends like you who don’t necessarily need to go to college in order to spend their whole lives doing something they looooove, but they all go to college anyway. I don’t think you should look at college as some shackle that restrain you from living your dream. Consider it a separate entity; it’s only four years, and it’ll do you only good. Does going to school and taking a couple classes really come in the way of skateboarding?</p>

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<p>Honestly, it kind of is a shackle to me(If I came off as sounding condescending or arrogant when I said that sorry).</p>

<p>Between School and Skating 4-5 hours a day in order to learn faster, I doubt I have enough time. My entire crew is in Chicago which is about two hours away from where I go to school. The founder of our team makes his own Skateboard decks, has a Skate warehouse, has given me free decks and free shoes, and has a manager to come pick us up so we can all Skate and practice.</p>

<p>If I leave, I’m cutting that entirely out.</p>

<p>I dunno man. I’m of the opinion, in that everybody should definitely experience College, but experiencing it is different than clawing your eyes out and doing something that may quickly wear thin on you for 4 years(Speaking from a perspective that doesn’t like College that much). For me, it already has. I played Lacrosse, Baseball, I was in a Bible study group, I was in the foreign movie’s club, I’ve been to the parties, etc… The point being, I’m not just wasting away in my room all day.</p>

<p>The one thing I’m thankful for, I’ve met some really cool people and some nice friends, but friends come and go. If my Board was my only friend, I’d be satisfied.</p>

<p>You know with people saying that a Bachelor is basically equivalent to a High School diploma nowadays extra schooling WILL be necessary. The way I’m looking at it, that’s 7-8 years of schooling. Don’t look now, but I’d be 27 years old by then.</p>

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<p>Why don’t you just take an ultra light degree at your school, so you have more time to do the skateboarding you like? A liberal arts degree, like philosophy or english, would probably be best. That way, when you graduate your job doesn’t have to be so crappy, you get time to skateboard until you graduate, and you don’t have to tell your parents that you want to drop out.</p>

<p>And if you don’t like your roommates, have you considered alternate living arrangements?</p>

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<p>Think about transferring to a school in Chicago too</p>

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<p>You MUST be realistic, Million. </p>

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Is that really what you want from life? I think one day you’ll probably regret missing out on a great opportunity… I don’t know for sure, but are these people influencing you in any way (your skateboard friends)? You really need to sit down and think about where you want to go in your future… are you going to be happy living an extremely humble life, most probably at or around poverty level? It’s just not worth it.</p>

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<p>Ambitious aren’t you!
Dropping out to skate ?
You aspire to live in a crap apartment?
Unless you have an entrepreneurial spirit , have an inheritance in your future or are an amazing skater , you are headed to loserville.</p>

<p>If your parents care about you , they will be crushed.</p>

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<p>Seriously, do you plan to work night shifts and skate all day when you’re in your 60s and can’t retire because you work a night shift and skate all day?
You need to be more realistic about your plans.</p>

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<p>Already in a liberal arts program. It’s boring. Now English, and Philosophy I think I could do. I love to write. If I did this I wouldn’t be Skating with the team full time which is the issue.</p>

<p>As for my roommate, I’ll save the story for a rainy day lol. This guy is something else. Just when I thought, that my cousin was the junkiest, nastiest ever person I’ve ever seen, think again? This guy makes my cousin look a lightweight pack rat, among other thing’s that make me clinch my fist when I think about them. About the only thing we ever bonded on was our love for Baseball. Other than lengthy baseball discussions, we would go days at a time with only 10 minutes talking to each other at best.</p>

<p>I’ve thought about getting a Single.</p>

<p>XSteven:</p>

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<p>You mind explaining some of the great opportunities I’m missing out on(Not trying to sound sarcastic or anything)? I don’t have school spirit, could care less about the parties, the town is about an inch away from being backwater. The only thing I’d miss is my friends and Lacrosse teammates, because they are all straight people.</p>

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<p>No sir. In fact it’s the other way around. Some of them wish they had an opportunity like mine and can’t believe I’d throw it away so casually. One other guy was going to College, but he has loan problems, so for the time being he’s 100% dedicated to skating.</p>

<p>The general opinion around there, is that they would have continued on with Schooling if they could have. Most just didn’t have the smarts, though they were exceptional at Skateboarding.</p>

<p>I on the other hand have the smarts, but care more about Skating.</p>

<p>They’ve said that they tried really hard in school, but it just wasn’t an option for them.</p>

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<p>As long as I have heat, bottled water, Ramen Noodles, a comfortable bed, an internet connection, and a phone I’m alright. It’s not even about living in Poverty or how much money I have. It is possible to be poor and be happy.</p>

<p>Brave Ulysses:</p>

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<p>Yup</p>

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Yup</p>

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<p>Long as I have heat, a nice bed, internet connection, and my board I’m fine.</p>

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<p>Is that written in stone? Most of our team riders started around 11-12 years old. I started at 16, and have already closed the gap.</p>

<p>PlattsburghLoser:</p>

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<p>I’d be out way before it reached that point. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just pick up a trade. Go to school for two years come out and get paid, or go to school for 7 years come out and get paid. </p>

<p>What difference does it make?</p>

<p>I’m aware of the advancement opportunities that at least a Bachelors would give you, but in the end I’ll be working a dead-end job that I probably don’t care about, so how much difference would it make?</p>

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<p>Hopefully your parents have shared this with you…but if they haven’t:</p>

<p>You have every right to pursue your passions…you also have a responsibility for self-sufficiency. Self-sufficiency – not being a dependent on the greater society – is a prerequisite to passion pursuit. </p>

<p>Once you’ve fulfilled you’re minimum responsibility, you might consider contributing towards society in a way that complements your passions.</p>

<p>Good luck to you.</p>

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<p>I think you should drop out and pursue your passion. Demetri Martin was a student at Yale Law and only had one year left but he dropped out and pursued a career in comedy, and now he’s a successful comedian and probably much happier than he would be as a lawyer. If you know school is not the right place for you and skating is the only thing that makes you happy, then you should do it.</p>

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<p>For every Demetri Martin, there are 100 guys delivering newspapers or emptying trash for a living.
Yes , follow your passion , but beware that your when your dream ends you will wake up in that crap apartment.
There are lots of basketballers that were BMOC , but dropped out and end up driving a bus or even worse dealing drugs.
Enjoy your skating , I hope you become rich and famous but odds are not with you.</p>

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<p>Demetri Martin was a student at Yale Law and only had one year left but he dropped out and pursued a career in comedy, and now he’s a successful comedian and probably much happier than he would be as a lawyer.</p>

<p>Actually he went to Yale undergrad, and then the NYU school of Law. Lol, just felt like pointing that out.</p>

<p>And to the OP, you should stay in college. In the long run it shouldn’t really interfere with your skating. Look at all the college athletes who go on to the Olympics and still get their degrees (cough Michael Phelps cough)! If you do things right, you can have the best of both worlds. </p>

<p>And as someone else said, when you’re old, you’re gonna want to retire. You don’t want to be doing a trade for the rest of your life.</p>

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<p>Demetri is a true inspiration…</p>

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<p>Do it. **** the overachievers here who think school is everything. Do what makes you happy. If all else fails, you can always go back to college.</p>

<p>Just because these nerds can’t fathom the fact that someone could be perfectly content in mediocrity doesn’t mean it’s not possible.</p>

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<p>you should stay in college… how many years do you have left. That way you’re happy and your parents are happy as well</p>

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<p>Thanks man. I appreciate that attitude.</p>

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<p>Of Bachelors I probably have about 4 and a half years left. I flunked some classes.</p>

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<p>I could really give a darn about what they think. I just need an easy way to break them the news. The fact of the matter is, I’m not all that happy in College right now, and if I’m not happy I’m not going to jump through loops to impress anybody. That includes my parents.</p>

<p>Of late I’ve been talking to one of my teammates, who I consider like a big brother figure, and he’s like “Do whatever makes you move”. He’s offered some incentive for me to come back. Going to give me one of his acoustic guitars, an amp and show me how to play for free. Music was another passion of mine. In fact before Skateboarding. Tempting, but I’m not bribed that easily.</p>

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<p>^ do whatever makes you happy then because you’ll be stuck 4 and a half years… at a dinner break it to them, they might look at u stupid for a few days but then i guess they’ll get it</p>

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<p>^exactly</p>

<p>OP (million): assuming that college is the main path to a better future is really just bad faith…following the path that your passion takes you should be your ultimate goal (sartre ftw)</p>

<p>don’t be a mindless brick…you have a choice in everything…there are no bad or wrong decisions…the only misguided one is to do what you don’t want to do (again, mauvaise foi)</p>

<p>good luck</p>

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<p>I think you should stay. Does your college allow you to create a major? why not major in something related to skateboarding, physiology, what about some business major so you can start a skateboard shop later on? You could try an art major and design skateboards too! Have you tried looking on campus for skateboarding groups? </p>

<p>Listen, i’m no expert but this is what I think: you may feel like you want to drop out but it can only be for your benefit to graduate with a degree. The chances of succeeding as a skater are slim; you need talent, but most of all you need luck too. what if you break a leg or some other body part that keeps you out for months? Later on are you considering getting married and having kids? You’ll give your kids something to look up to academically. I know you can always return to college later if things don’t work out but you’ll forgo the true college experience, meeting people your age and having fun. It really is up to you, but i suggest you spend a LOT of time thinking about this decision.</p>