coolsebz, I felt the same way when I was in college. A year and a half in I dropped out. Like you I also programmed for fun at a young age and loved the pleasure it gave me. The ability to create something on my own from virtually nothing was incredibly exciting. Once I found out I could also make money I was hooked.
When I dropped out I started a company that failed horribly in the first year. However, in that year I networked with other small business owners and entrepreneurs in the area. From these connections I was able to work my way from one startup to the next. Six years later I now working with a more traditional "corporate" company and live comfortably.
Like any journey in life it came with a great set of experiences that I learned from that formed who I am today. However, I wouldn't say that dropping out of college was the best idea I ever had. Had I attempted to apply for the corporate job that I am in now when I dropped out I would have never got it. It took a backlog of personal opensource projects, a positive track record at previous companies, and a good deal of networking. Having a degree wouldn't have been a guarantee at getting in either -- but it would have gotten me past HR faster.
Life is a crazy journey, and I understand wanting to run as fast as possible. If I was you, I would use college as an opportunity to work on your own ideas and projects, learn, network, explore yourself, and have fun. Even if it doesn't seem like it, you have a lot of time ahead of you. This time in your live is an amazing opportunity to live and explore without boundaries.
When I dropped out I started a company that failed horribly in the first year. However, in that year I networked with other small business owners and entrepreneurs in the area. From these connections I was able to work my way from one startup to the next. Six years later I now working with a more traditional "corporate" company and live comfortably.
Like any journey in life it came with a great set of experiences that I learned from that formed who I am today. However, I wouldn't say that dropping out of college was the best idea I ever had. Had I attempted to apply for the corporate job that I am in now when I dropped out I would have never got it. It took a backlog of personal opensource projects, a positive track record at previous companies, and a good deal of networking. Having a degree wouldn't have been a guarantee at getting in either -- but it would have gotten me past HR faster.
Life is a crazy journey, and I understand wanting to run as fast as possible. If I was you, I would use college as an opportunity to work on your own ideas and projects, learn, network, explore yourself, and have fun. Even if it doesn't seem like it, you have a lot of time ahead of you. This time in your live is an amazing opportunity to live and explore without boundaries.