| It's a simple choice as long as you stay rational. People bullshit and fear as they don't see the picture themselves. Entrepreneurship is not for everybody, if you go down that path, don't expect great council at every corner. In your lifetime, you will meet very few people who truly think like you. Everybody pushes you to college because in their mind it's the only way. And that's ok, most people are weak. Now the rational bit. If you want a 9 to 5 job, a wife and 2 kids and a ride into the sunset, go to college, internship, job, better job, retirement. There is nothing wrong with that, but some people want different things. If you know programming good enough to make a living, take the job. College is great if you don't really know anything and you have to show a diploma or if your industry needs one(e.g. doctor), but otherwise almost worthless. Instead of a giant student loan, you can have capital for your first business. If you want to be an entrepreneur and still go to college, do it but not for programming. Go to your exams, don't waste your time with classes. Instead work. Take a job, try and fail and you will learn more than anywhere else. Your goal is to create a network and reputation, to learn about people. Keep the PR work with your family and friends, they don't have to know about this. Ace your exams, don't expect 100%, and keep everybody happy. As an entrepreneur this will be 50% of your job, keeping everybody else happy. If you work, never, absolutely never let anybody underpay you because of your age. Never be taken for granted. Respect is earned by getting things done, just keep proving you have professional maturity well beyond the years in your birth certificate and you will earn respect. But never tolerate jokes or even hints about it. Never display ego, but never go the other way. There is a place for people like you, it's entrepreneurship. If this is what you want, then man up, think rationally, manage everybody's expectations, but go with your gut. And remember, no one will every do anything for you and for your career. You have to get it done yourself. I've been down the same road and I don't regret one bit. 15 hours of work a day are normal, but there's nothing else I'd rather be doing. |