Overheard a guy at a coffee shop say dropping out was 'the easy way out' and it got me thinking

I was grabbing a latte last Tuesday and these two older dudes were talking about a nephew who left college. One said it was just laziness, that he quit because he couldn't handle the work. I almost jumped in but kept my mouth shut. For me, dropping out was harder than staying. I had to explain to my parents why I was leaving, figure out rent with no degree, and watch friends graduate while I was cleaning gutters for cash. Is leaving really the easy path, or is sticking with something that doesn't fit you the real cop-out? What's your take?

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1 Comment

miab161h ago

Oh man, that's such a frustrating thing to overhear! For me, leaving school actually taught me way more about hustling than staying ever did. I dropped out of my graphic design program after the first year because I just couldn't sit through lectures anymore, it felt like I was wasting time and money. So I started taking tiny freelance gigs on the side, like designing logos for a friend's dog-walking business or making flyers for a local pizza place. I had to call up everyone I knew to find those first few clients, and I still remember the panic of my first slow month where I barely made rent. It was scary and lonely, but I learned how to sell my own work and talk to strangers, which no classroom ever taught me. Staying in a place that didn't fit you, just to avoid the hard stuff, that sounds like the real cop-out to me.