← All public decisions

Should I quit college?

Don't quit college to chase financial stability you haven't defined; quitting won't make that clearer.

You're using 'wasting time' as an excuse to leave because you don't know what you want. Quitting won't make that clearer, it'll just swap one uncertainty for another.

  1. What's the thing you actually care about working in?

    I don't know yet

  2. If you quit and still didn't know in six months, what would that mean?

    I'd have wasted more time

Anonymous11 RoundsSchool

The whole Grilling

should i quit college

  1. Round 1

    A lot of people say that. Fewer mean it the way you think you do.

    What part of college is pushing you to quit?

    • The work is too hard
    • I'm not sure what I'm studying fortheir answer
    • It's costing me more than it's giving
    • Something else entirely

  2. Round 2

    That's honest. But it might not be the whole story.

    If you knew exactly what you were studying for, would you still want to quit?

    • No, I'd stay
    • Maybe, depends on what it is
    • Yes, something else is wrongtheir answer

  3. Round 3

    So it's not about the degree. Then what is it?

    You said something else is wrong. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about staying in college?

    • I'm wasting my timetheir answer
    • I don't like being there
    • I feel stuck
    • It's not who I am

  4. Round 4

    Wasting time doing what? That's a big claim.

    If you quit today, what would you be doing instead that isn't wasting your time?

    • Working in something I actually care abouttheir answer
    • Figuring out what I want
    • Something completely different
    • I don't know yet

  5. Round 5

    And what would that be? You haven't said.

    What's the thing you actually care about working in?

    • I know, but it's not this degree
    • I have a general idea
    • I don't know yettheir answer
    • It keeps changing

  6. Round 6

    So you're quitting college because you don't know what you want to do instead. That's a plan.

    If you quit and still didn't know what you wanted in six months, what would that mean?

    • I'd be fine, I'm exploring
    • I'd regret it
    • I'd have wasted more timetheir answer
    • I'd figure it out then

  7. Round 7

    You're already counting time as wasted. That's a heavy thing to carry around.

    What makes you think the time you've spent in college is wasted, rather than just not what you want anymore?

    • I learned nothing useful
    • It's not leading where I wanttheir answer
    • I'm behind everyone else
    • It feels like a mistake

  8. Round 8

    But where do you want it to lead? You said you don't know.

    If you could fast-forward five years and see yourself happy, what would that look like?

    • A job I care about
    • Financial stabilitytheir answer
    • Having figured myself out
    • Something else entirely

  9. Round 9

    So it's not about passion. It's about money. That's a different question than you started with.

    If financial stability was the goal, why is college the thing you want to quit?

    • It's too expensive
    • It's not getting me there fast enoughtheir answer
    • I could make money now instead
    • Something else

  10. Round 10

    So you want money, and college feels too slow. But you don't know what would be faster.

    What's the fastest path to financial stability that you can actually see yourself taking?

    • Finishing this degree and working
    • Quitting and finding a job nowtheir answer
    • Something completely different
    • I don't know

  11. Round 11

    So you'd quit college, find a job, and somehow that gets you financial stability faster than finishing your degree. Without knowing what job. Without knowing if it pays more. That's not a plan, that's hope.

    What makes you think quitting will actually get you to financial stability faster than staying?

    • I could start earning immediatelytheir answer
    • This degree won't lead to good money
    • I'm better off without the debt
    • I don't know, I just feel like it

Shared Understanding

Don't quit college to chase financial stability you haven't defined; you're using "wasting time" as an excuse to leave because you don't know what you want, and quitting won't make that clearer.

The Question

Should I quit college?

What you actually want

To stop feeling stuck without having a real plan for what comes next.

What you decided

  • You're not sure what you're studying for
  • Something else is wrong beyond the major
  • You feel like you're wasting your time
  • If you quit, you'd work in something you care about—but you don't know what that is yet
  • You want financial stability in five years
  • College isn't getting you there fast enough
  • Quitting and finding a job now seems faster

What you're assuming

  • Quitting will actually lead to financial stability
  • You could start earning immediately after quitting
  • The time spent in college is wasted rather than just not aligned with your current direction
  • You'll figure out what you want outside of college

What you're avoiding

  • Naming what you actually care about working in
  • Acknowledging that quitting might mean more uncertainty, not less
  • Considering whether "fast enough" is a real problem or just impatience

Next step

Before making any decision about quitting, spend two weeks writing down what financial stability means to you and what jobs would get you there—then compare those against your current degree path.

All School decisions

  1. three years into a PhD and I can't tell if I'm almost done or just stuck

    You're stuck, not almost done. Talk to your advisor this week.

    1. When did you last tell your advisor what you actually think your contribution is?

      I've never told anyone; I just keep working hoping it becomes clear.

    2. What's stopping you from scheduling that conversation this week?

      There's nothing stopping me; I just haven't done it yet.

    Anonymous11 RoundsSchool

  2. Should I drop out of college to save money?

    No, do not drop out to save money; you are trying to escape a degree you have already decided is wrong for you.

    1. If living costs were covered, would you still be thinking about dropping out?

      I think so? The lectures feel like a waste of time, even if they were free.

    2. What do you want to be doing instead of those lectures?

      I don't have a plan. I just want to stop sitting in a room listening to people talk about things that don't matter.

    Anonymous10 RoundsSchool

  3. Should I go back to school?

    You're not behind and don't need school; you need a project with a real goal.

    1. What's the difference between not knowing after one free course and right now?

      One is at least trying, the other is just sitting here.

    2. When was the last time you felt genuinely excited about something?

      Planning a trip with my roommate. It gave me a goal that wasn't just surviving the week.