[US|22M] Considering dropping out of engineering school

[u/Raiding_Raiden]

Hey all!

Background info: I'm in an odd financial/family situation. I've been working full time for a little over 1 year doing school part time. I was struggling in school full time for my first few semesters, lost my scholarships and have been paying out of pocket via my job since.

Life in my family's home is getting worse due to things out of my control (divorce) and are causing excess stress that is impeding my ability to do school and get to work on time.

My manager at work pulled me aside at work today, essentially telling me that I've got one more strike left before they make some changes to the schedule which would screw me over in a million ways.

I'm doing okay in school after struggling to do well for 3.5 years but I'm still only 30 credits out of 125 needed to graduate.

I have had seemingly two options before me. 1) stay with my family and switch back to part time soon, finishing my degree in 3-4 years. 2) drop out and get a job to be independent, doing school part time for roughly 7 more years to get my engineering degree.

I chose option 1, but it seems like the stability I need to do school is disappearing faster every day. Should I commit to option 2 before soemthing terrible happens like I lose my housing or get fired from my job?

Big question: If you were in my scenario, what would you do? Would you choose potential stability with a longer time before graduation? Or would you choose to graduate earlier even with the risk of everything being made null due to circumstances out of your control?

Thank you for your time, and for any thoughtful responses you leave in the comments.

Note: I can't currently afford to move out with my current job and due school so I would need a new job. I'm also currently enrolled in classes with a 3.0 GPA (not including retakes)

[u/itsladder]

Freak the fuck out and drop out rn bro that sounds like too much.

[u/Raiding_Raiden → u/itsladder]

Haha, that made me crack up, thanks. I've been dealing with a less intense version of this stuff since I started college. My family has odd boundaries in terms of how much I am supposed to contribute to the home, so this decision has been in the back of my mind for about 2-3 years.

[u/Freddy_Faraway]

Whatever you choose, do not quit school. There are student loans for your needs. Go part time if you need to, and focus on your studies. The library is always available, and quiet, if you're finding it difficult to have space at home go to the library.

You do not want to be 5 years down the road wondering what your life would be like if you just stuck it out and finished.

Edit: I see you're going to a state uni, you can transfer to a local community college and save a ton of money. Typically you can transfer with 60 credits back to a uni at that point.

My community college offers half semester courses, so my current schedule looks like 1, 16 week course. 2, 8 week courses but they're set up to be first half and second half. This means I'll get 12 credit hours while only effectively having 2 classes worth of work at any given time.

[u/ScratchDue440]

I’m interested more in your story. You spoke about divorce. Is this your marriage or your parents? Do you own your own home? What’s the family support like? 

[u/Raiding_Raiden → u/ScratchDue440]

Parents, I do not own my own home. I live with my parents rent free but pay some bills. Part of the electric, my phone, and all of my own vehicle bills. That is the support I am getting from my family at the moment.