Should I drop out of college?

Is this a for profit college?

Did you consider the answers given to you on your previous question? I know this a little different but I think you should explore options for finishing your degree.

The big open secret which I only discovered recently is that newly fledged and even many veteran interior designers and architects are scandalously compensated for their work. As with lawyers, there is apparently a surplus of you folks out there for the work available. In addition, you’ve told us in another post that your school has lost its accreditation in your discipline. I don’t see the point to throwing money down a hole.

I keep asking myself the same thing (my school has also dicked us around with scheduling), and the only response I can give myself is that I have to make the past few years worth it. I deeply, deeply regret my college experience, and that’s coming from someone that is hard-pressed to “regret.” I’ll be pushing towards 6 year senior status by the time I’m done. But you have to ask yourself if you can live with throwing away those three years and all the energy and money that went into them. Plus, you’re better off with a degree.

Why are you only looking at schools near your hometown? Do you have an advisor or a trusted professor that you can talk to this about? They might be able to recommend another school that’ll take most of your credits and the cost difference might be minimal. Also, you can still apply for scholarships even at this stage.

Sounds like the sunk cost fallacy.

If you feel that it is all going to collapse, you should cut your losses and quit.
Find a replacement school, if possible.

Although I quit college myself after three moderately successful years (I did not “drop out”), and have had a successful career since then with no formal degree of any kind after my high school diploma (it’s been over 40 years now, so I guess I can claim “it has been a success” since I’m still employed at a technology / construction / engineering company on terms that I’m happy with) – I don’t normally recommend that course of action.

However, I’m tending to agree with @ragingloli here. Don’t look at the sunk costs (in terms of the money and time you have spent so far) as “investment” if they have no intrinsic value to you right now. In other words, if you were starting from scratch at this moment – having never had the college education that you now have – would you opt to begin again at your current institution and just tweak a few things to get to a better place within the same institution? Does your current education have any value to you aside from the time and money that you’ve already invested in it? Is there perceived value in continuing, beyond your belief that “you need a degree to compete”? If the answers to those questions are positive, then there may be value in putting your head down and finishing what you’ve started.

But do keep in mind that hiring managers are pretty well aware of the quality of educational institutions and do use their knowledge of those institutions to place a premium on (or discount the value of) the credentials that they issue. So it’s possible that your continued investment may be for naught if the institution is as worthless as you make it out to be.

Because you still don’t need a degree to compete. Education is essential; I will never deny that – and my three years of university did have value to me. But “credentials” are not as important as you may have been led to believe. I opted to forgo the diploma / credentials, took field work at low levels (no, I did not “start in the mailroom”, but I wasn’t far from it) and worked my way up.

Consider also that when you work for yourself and have your own business that you have absolute control over everyone who qualifies to work for you. And although I don’t know the interior design field – at all – it does seem to be the kind of industry where small contractors can compete for small jobs and make a go of it.

Don’t drop out, you want to get some degree while you are young, can afford it and don’t have entanglements like a full-time job or kids. Sounds like the program you are in is not the best. I’d simply jump ship to something else. I agree with loli don’t let the sunk-cost effect keep you in a bad situation. Know when to cut those losses. Whatever you do consider the pros and cons as well as time/money cost carefully.

I’d stick it out and basically try to self educate yourself in addition to the curriculum being offered. You will still have a degree at the end of it, and that will help your career big time in the long run.

If your really want to be an interior designer, I suggest you stick it out. But good luck to you all the same. I wish you well.

NO! Stick it out! All of the hard work you’re going through will pay off BIG TIME after you graduate!

What’s the name of your school?

“Should I drop Out of College”..
ONLY if you have something better to go to.
Otherwise you will be unemployed and disappointed in quitting.
While a student, consider working part time to offset unemployment.
In Europe students opt to Apprentice at lower wages while learning.
Western Institutions will soon take up this type of training very soon.

Why should you take another 4 years to complete the ID degree if you are in third year? Can’t get the logic of it. What type of college are you studying?