Ask HN: Graduating at 24 – failing this term. Not sure what to do
3 comments
Taking another year for school is not a big deal. Heck, it is a lot easier to get intern and coop jobs while you are in school, and participate in programs like Google Summer of Code, than it is to get a full time full pay job after. That said, if your side business has traction, ditch school. If you have traction you can get funding pretty much, and work on your own idea.
If possible try to take a 10 / 50 / 1000 year perspective. Can you figure out what would matter to you in those cases? I'd guess it won't be the same things that you're worried about now...
Focus on school. Graduating at 24 doesn't matter. Don't start a company in college. This was discussed in the start up lecture videos that are being posted to HN. Do fewer things well.
I'm in trouble with school. I came back and tried to divide my time up between running a company, going to hackathons, job applications, and taking a 5 course load - this was way too much for me in hindsight. I'm certain to fail one course (professor promised me this), with the possibility of failing another 2... so 3/5 courses failed. I'm in a lot of student loan debt and 22 years old, so already behind the curve of most engineers, but this setback will push my graduation back to 24 years old. I feel lost and alone, especially ever since cofounding the company and losing many friends/ social circles. Coupled with failing this semester, and scared of the ageist connotation our field has, I'm really lost, and well, scared.