Why I'm Leaving College

It's a reversible decision and it's not as risky as it seems

I just made the scariest decision of my life.

I’m leaving college.

For those of you who know me, you might be shocked to hear this. I’m a 4.0 student, and I usually enjoy the grind of academics. I even used to place some self-worth in how well I did in school.

After knee surgery in 2021 and a buffet of injuries, I was naturally drawn to medicine. I figured medicine would be a good fit, seeing that I enjoy science, blood doesn’t gross me out, and I’m a great student. 

I chose to study physiology because it was interesting and overlapped with pre-med requirements. I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of science, but I’ve grown sick of classrooms.

Memorize. Forget. Repeat.

My career goals have also changed. After exposing myself to several viewpoints (see “Further Reading” below), I came to the conclusion that I no longer want to pursue medicine. 

The following insight clarified something I’ve been feeling all along:

“’Who knew how much time it would take up, how little autonomy one would have for endless years of training, and how unbelievably annoying it is to carry a beeper?’"

- From Paul Graham’s Essay, “What You’ll Wish You’d Known”

I value independence and optionality. Something medicine wouldn’t give me. 

So when I realized that my decision to study physiology was riding the momentum of a past decision and ultimately is a gateway to post-grad school, I needed to stop and think. 

If I don’t want to go into medicine¹, what the hell am I gonna do when I graduate? After all, a physiology degree will provide me with zero income-generating skills right out of college.

Decision Frameworks for You

I wanted to share with you some key decision-making frameworks I used to make this decision.

1. Is this reversible? 

Absolutely. Colleges have been around since the 1800s and will always take my money. College is a business, and if I’m looking at it through the lens of developing practical, real-world skills, a physiology degree has almost zero value.²

It’s like hitting pause on a movie. I can always come back to it later.³

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

2. What’s the worst that could happen? 

Not much. In fact, the cost of inaction could be devastating. You never know what could happen on the path not taken.

Jack Moses @jackmoses0

People think going the unconventional path is risky. I disagree. There's actually more competition going the normal path because everyone else is doing it. The only competition in foraging your own path is with yourself. Be bold and trust yourself.

Not trying something is irreversible, so that’s actually the riskier decision.

3. Would my 80-year old self regret not trying this? 

This is Jeff Bezos’ regret minimization framework. Here’s the idea: imagine you’re 80 years old, looking back on your life. The goal is to minimize the regrets you have and to make the most fulfilling choices.

For me, I would rather fail trying something like this than never having tried at all.

4. What problem am I trying to solve? 

I chose pre-med to prepare myself for medical school. But now, I’m solving the problem of finding a career that I’m passionate about, gives me independence, and gives me lifelong, practical skills that help me make a living.

What I’ll Do

So you might be wondering, what’s next for me? What do you want to do?

For now, I’ll be getting a job in Boulder and doing tutoring on the side. As always, I’ll be reading and writing. I’ll also be spending time building an audience on Twitter (if you haven’t followed me yet, come say hi!)

Another theme for 2023 is travel. I’ll be returning to my homeland in Canada, exploring Europe, and trying to stop thinking so much along the way.

As for what I want to do, two words come to mind: writer and entrepreneur. You might laugh, which I understand (but I don’t care).

If there’s anything I’ve learned so far in life, it’s that the best lessons come outside of the classroom. After playing hockey for 14 years, I know that the only way we truly learn is through our own mistakes.

“If you’re not failing, you’re not moving forward.” - Alex Hormozi

I’m certain of one thing: college will never give me the gift of failure.

Whatever happens, it’ll be a great story.

There’s one last thing I wanted to leave you with.

In his 2005 Commencement Address, cancer-ridden Steve Jobs said the following:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”

My inner voice is calling, and I’m listening.

Thanks kindly for reading,

Baxter

P.S. If you read this far, thank you! If you liked this, you might enjoy my Twitter feed, where I share my ideas for feedback.

Further Reading

• Ali Abdaal Quits Medicine | Doctor Dropout Reacts

• Why Doctors Are Quitting Medicine

• Is Passion A Bad Metric for Future Happiness?

• Paul Graham’s Essay, “What You’ll Wish You’d Known”

Acknowledgements

Entrepreneur Alex Hormozi largely influenced my thinking on this decision. He runs a podcast called “The Game,” with the mission to provide the best free business content out there. He’s doing what all of us wish Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk did: document the building of a billion dollar empire.

Thank you Alex and Ali Abdaal. You guys have both changed my life.

1. I will say that I’m still keeping the potential career of Physical Therapy in my back pocket for now. I can always get my degree and go to PT school if this doesn’t work out. 

2. A physiology degree is great for pursuing post-grad school, which eventually gives you the skills to make money. 

But it’s worth pointing out that you can now learn any skill, for free, on the Internet. And probably better and faster than a college student. The fact that Google, tech companies, and other tech startups don’t require college degrees is just one underrated trend to consider.

3. An important note: most colleges allow a leave of absence with no penalty, so I can always come back. CU Boulder offers a full academic year (fall, spring, and summer semester).