> It’s even worse when people come up with deferred life plans. They’ll say something like “When I’m forty, I’m going to retire and write a book” or “I’ll do this thing I hate right now so I can make money, then in ten years I’ll do what I really love”.
Seriously? You think that the universe is going to let your life proceed the way you want it to? What guarantee do you have of making it to that age?
This makes me want to quit University RIGHT NOW...
In 2 years what will your perspective on your decision be either way? Assuming all other things are equal...
Drop out: You most likely won't have wild success 2 years from now. Building marketable experience is a long uphill battle and if success were easy, then it wouldn't be considered so valuable.
Or don't drop out: You'll have a better marketable baseline. School and certifications make it easier to cold-apply to places. The more relevant they are, the more they help you avoid relying too much on social networks to move up.
The interviewee is talking about people who make a 10 or 20 year plan and then act surprised when life changes and they look back and feel regret over missed opportunities. They're not saying to forego building safety nets.
If you have concrete opportunities that you are giving up in order to complete school, then that's a different position than simply wanting to be available for opportunities that have not yet been offered.
That's a nice perspective, thank you. And you are right, I expect to graduate within 1.5 years with a Masters degree, which is a vastly superior outlook than just working an average job with no Masters.
But still, it's just a bit depressing having to study for random exams that are for the most part just academic acrobatics as I call them, rather than having a free mind to be able to work on and learn whatever I want.
I do have time for that stuff in-between exam phases but usually that time flies waay too fast because I enjoy it so much, and before I know it it's time to grind for the exams again...
> This makes me want to quit University RIGHT NOW...
I remember that feeling. If I could give advice to my younger self, it'd be: fast track uni as fast as possible. Bachelor + master takes 5 years? Do your best to do it in 3. Try to keep some room for social stuff. Yep, it's going to be a busy 3 years, but when else do you get to try to bring out your A-game? It won't happen during work as an employee, since you won't be rewarded for it. For uni, the payoff is clear: you go faster through the bitter pill that you don't want to swallow, and by going faster it's actually more interesting and therefore less bitter.
> It’s even worse when people come up with deferred life plans. They’ll say something like “When I’m forty, I’m going to retire and write a book” or “I’ll do this thing I hate right now so I can make money, then in ten years I’ll do what I really love”. Seriously? You think that the universe is going to let your life proceed the way you want it to? What guarantee do you have of making it to that age?
This makes me want to quit University RIGHT NOW...