General

Stick it out a bit longer before you consider dropping bro.

@sheritin your brother got lucky those companies didn't fail, like 99% of startups and app creators.

OP you'll find something that interests you. Just take a variety of classes and pursue the ones that are the most fun. I'm undeclared too, but that's because I'm trying to decide between risk and possible reward.

@sheritin So you are basically backing my point, I pretty much said that those who don't have a degree work their ass off in what their goals are, it does not look like your brother was indecisive and complaining how tough life is but actually taking responsibility with his life. Like you said, experience and connections play a major role into obtaining a decent job, but what if you don't? Your brother's scenario is a lucky one, taking advantage of an industry that is booming (I myself work in the same industry) as well as employees taking a chance on his portfolio. To be honest a lot of your story seems flawed and fishy based on my own experience within the industry but hey, to each their own. I am not here to impress anyone with some fab story, because I don't need to, I am already in the workforce with a caliber of experience maybe on par with your brother since I also get job invitations from "Google, Facebook and you name it" and judging by you, you're just retelling your brother's life without any experience of your own whatsoever. Unless you have some amazing story as well then do please tell.

Let me reiterate my point for you, the chance it is to obtain a decent job with a "piece of paper" is much higher than those without it. That's a fact. The paper is what determines your pay grade. I have friends who have dropped out of university, they're are good in what they do, but will never be able to negotiate for the same pay as someone who has a "paper". That's a fact.
All employers will do background checks, whether it is before or during the interview. Unless they are some superstar like your brother, majority of people with little credit to their name will be asked for proof of their degree OR the amount of experience prior to applying for that specific job.
I once learned an invaluable piece of knowledge from one of my employers, the reason the requirement of having the piece of "paper" is not to show that you completed university, but the fact you could withstand all the hardship for the countless years and still continue to pursue that career. What is the point of hiring someone with a chance they will walk out of the job because they couldn't handle when a bit of hardship came their way? Now this may not be for all employers, I can't speak for everyone but that seems like an logical explanation to me.
Freelance is a completely different story, you're your own boss, you can charge whatever you like and of course those clients aren't going to care if you have a "paper" as long as the job is done.
HOWEVER SUPERCAPSLOCK MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS HOWEVER, if you put the effort and are fully focused (which you somehow did not see in my previous reply) then you also can get somewhere.

I'm not saying not having a degree won't get you a job, but you better work damn smart and have a goal set just like your brother Otherwise hello McDonalds

have you joined your fb freshman and dorm group? upperclassmen like me join too but i see posts of lonely freshmen wanting to make friends/hang out pretty often since i believe it's their time to move in around this time (i go to ucd)
imo drugs and alcohol is overrated but then again i can't handle alcohol not even hard lemonade/cider and i think weed smells bad so

[quote=aznunlt]@shammyshakes High five, @drager260 don't understand the real world we live in. The minimum requirement to a majority of entry level positions is those pieces of "paper". Unless you intend to be a cleaner for "Google, Yik Yak, Facebook and many other big companies" then yes you are right. You could become an entrepreneur start your own business, design some million dollar app, but those people probably aren't on some game social media complaining that college isn't for them and they've worked their ass off to get to that position not complain 5 days into college that it doesn't suit their lifestyle. If you can't tough it out in college how will you handle 10 - 15 years down the track, managing bills and living under your own roof? And that's only the cream of the crop! Becoming a chef, learning to become a mechanic also require a piece of "paper" to some extent, so what job do you think holds a bright future that doesn't require a piece of "paper"? Cleaners make big bucks don't get me wrong, but there's a difference between working smart and working hard.[/quote]

This is @drager260 btw since I was logged off for whatever reason and don't have the email to that old account. The "real world" we live in is giving jobs to those with experience and connections. I'm not speaking out of my ass when I say that stuff. Tell my older brother who's 21 that the minimum requirement for working at those big companies requires a degree. He was 19 when he got hired as lead android developer for a company called Ingenious Med. He got hired at Yik Yak at the age of 20 and is constantly getting emails from companies like Facebook, MicrosoftMicrosoft, Dropbox and others asking to hire him. He does several freelance jobs on the side while doing his current job. He just bought a house and got a promotion at his job. He won an award for developing an app for the American Cancer Society. But wait that shouldn't have happened cause he dropped out of school right? Don't give me that bull. I didn't mention any of this stuff in my original post because people would say I'm bragging about my brother or whatever but I had to give a real life example based off your reply. My brother wasn't some genius in high school, he had under a 3.2 GPA. He just found what he enjoyed doing it and taught himself. He made it this far because he works hard and is motivated. Those two things can get you so far in today's society. So please don't tell me I don't understand the real world we live in. Oh and when he got hired for these positions, they tested his skills and knowledge, they didn't once ask about his college degree or why he dropped out. I'm not saying a degree is useless, for some jobs you need it but each and every day we're leaning away from the mentality that you can only land a good career if you go to college. That's an old fashioned way of thinking.

Unfortunately that dumb piece of paper is extremely necessary if you ever want to have yourself a career rather than a job

@shammyshakes High five, @drager260 don't understand the real world we live in. The minimum requirement to a majority of entry level positions is those pieces of "paper". Unless you intend to be a cleaner for "Google, Yik Yak, Facebook and many other big companies" then yes you are right. You could become an entrepreneur start your own business, design some million dollar app, but those people probably aren't on some game social media complaining that college isn't for them and they've worked their ass off to get to that position not complain 5 days into college that it doesn't suit their lifestyle. If you can't tough it out in college how will you handle 10 - 15 years down the track, managing bills and living under your own roof? And that's only the cream of the crop! Becoming a chef, learning to become a mechanic also require a piece of "paper" to some extent, so what job do you think holds a bright future that doesn't require a piece of "paper"? Cleaners make big bucks don't get me wrong, but there's a difference between working smart and working hard.

[quote=drager260]Google, Yik Yak, Facebook and many other big companies are also hiring. What's your point? Unless of course you mean that not going to college means you'll end up working at a fast food place. If that's what you're implying then that statement is quite ignorant. Don't put so much value into these pieces of papers called degrees.[/quote]

lmaooooooooooooooo that's only if you major in Gender Studies. Also, Google/Yak/FB won't hire a 19 year old kid unless you're really really good at programming and/or marketing. Even then, you'll be an intern at best and possibly not even get compensated. Guaranteed they'll take someone with a degree and a 3.0 over some rando. It's a bloodbath out there, don't tread lightly.

[quote=aznunlt]McDonald's is always hiring[/quote]

Google, Yik Yak, Facebook and many other big companies are also hiring. What's your point? Unless of course you mean that not going to college means you'll end up working at a fast food place. If that's what you're implying then that statement is quite ignorant. Don't put so much value into these pieces of papers called degrees.

McDonald's is always hiring

Join the military.

Truthfully, college isn't for everyone. Don't feel bad if you ultimately decide to leave. A degree isn't even that useful anymore (depending on your field).

don't do that
just moved to san diego myself if you wanna grab boba or something