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Comment by brianr | Hacker News Reader

What's the argument(s) against just dropping out now and starting something up?

As someone currently on indefinite leave from college to work on my startup... I think you have the order backwards. Get something going first, and when it is going so well that it would be foolish not to work on it full-time, then take the plunge. College is an excellent (and safe) place to throw a bunch of ideas at the wall and see what sticks.

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What if you have no time to throw ideas against the wall because it takes all your effort + time to do college work? It's a safe place, but very, very painful to be in.

I'm in the process of throwing an idea against the wall right now, we'll see if it sticks.

Edit: (I'm not trying to be rude/argumentative btw - I'm sorry if I was. I'm a little confused now, and will go think more.)

The only answer I can give to that is "make time." Take easier classes, don't worry about getting an A on every assignment. I wasn't so much referring to the actual classes you take while at college, but to the environment.

If you're going to play the "startup lottery" then you better damn well have something that is worth more than the time you'd spend towards getting a degree.

I think I'm more idealistic than that - I've spent a lot of effort trying to get a degree, and I just don't see the point in it. When I don't win the lottery, the tentative plan is to hang around and badger startups until they let me do stuff for them.

When that doesn't work, I suppose I could always come back to college, financial aid willing.

Dude, you are in a unique opportunity to hammer out a fantastic work ethic. You do seem to have a drive to get somewhere, that is for certain.

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