Dropping out of High School

I am in grade 9 and I'm struggling with school. I really need advice on this topic.

There's a very high burden of studies in my school and this leaves me with very less free time. I normally do math in free time and this is really upsetting me.

I love programming and math and I've learned a lot more on Brilliant and other resources than in school. School generally covers very basic parts of my favorite topics. I also have to learn a lot of other topics like history and geography, which do not interest me.

I feel like I can do a lot better without school. Do you think I should take a drop? How is it going to affect me? Do I still stand a chance to get into prestigious universities like MIT/Stanford/Harvard?

Thanks a lot $:)$

Easy Math Editor

This discussion board is a place to discuss our Daily Challenges and the math and science related to those challenges. Explanations are more than just a solution — they should explain the steps and thinking strategies that you used to obtain the solution. Comments should further the discussion of math and science.

When posting on Brilliant:

Use the emojis to react to an explanation, whether you're congratulating a job well done , or just really confused .
Ask specific questions about the challenge or the steps in somebody's explanation. Well-posed questions can add a lot to the discussion, but posting "I don't understand!" doesn't help anyone.
Try to contribute something new to the discussion, whether it is an extension, generalization or other idea related to the challenge.
Stay on topic — we're all here to learn more about math and science, not to hear about your favorite get-rich-quick scheme or current world events.

Markdown	Appears as
`italics` or `_italics_`	italics
`bold` or `__bold__`	bold
- bulleted - list	bulleted list
1. numbered 2. list	numbered list
Note: you must add a full line of space before and after lists for them to show up correctly
paragraph 1 paragraph 2	paragraph 1 paragraph 2
`[example link](https://brilliant.org)`	example link
`> This is a quote`	This is a quote
# I indented these lines # 4 spaces, and now they show # up as a code block. print "hello world"	# I indented these lines # 4 spaces, and now they show # up as a code block. print "hello world"

Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `$` ... `$` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$

Comments

See in life you should learn how to manage time. When you'll grow up you'll have to use lots of time management if you want to fulfill your dreams. So you'll need a lot of practice of time management. That you'll get only when you'll be able to manage time in school days. Dropping out of school at this stage is not a good option. You'll become experienced at time management when you go to school. And one more thing, most number of Indians who joined MIT were graduated from school. So that can't be a reason to drop out of school. Take the example of Srinivas Ramanujan. He also went to school and worked as a clerk in Madras Port Trust. Those bad experiences didn't stop him from becoming what he became. So chill and continue going to school. :)

Aditya Kumar - 5 years, 4 months ago

Nice view!

Nihar Mahajan - 5 years, 4 months ago

Thanks a lot for your reply. I do agree with you view and time management is certainly very important (although I find it very hard to actually practice it). One of my complaints with school is the teaching of redundant topics and basics. I guess I need to keep on working hard like Ramanujan :) Thanks a lot once again.

Arulx Z - 5 years, 4 months ago

@Arulx Z you said the thing in my mind! I think of dropping school because it is so boring. I think that it really depends on the state you are in, and your guts. But ask me and it is better to go through high school by bunking classes a lot/ not doing homework/ staying awake in night sleeping in school. This is how i earn free time.

remember your target MIT, you need to have atleast a high school graduation to get there.

Aareyan Manzoor - 5 years, 4 months ago

Thanks a lot for your reply! I think it is better to stay in school. It's unfortunate to see how common this experience is. I hope things will change in future.

Arulx Z - 5 years, 4 months ago

This is a very interesting line of thought. I wish I had enough experience and knowledge to offer advice. Also, you're really interesting compared to other ninth graders

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 5 years, 4 months ago

Thanks. That's really nice to hear :)

Arulx Z - 5 years, 4 months ago

Trouble comes to make us strong. You shouldn't escape from it. Don't try to escape. I have also faced this situation in same standard. But you will become habitual and with proper time management you can manage everything. Finally i got rid of this after 10th standard. Don't be so upset. Rather try to manage everything and always try to make yourself fit for every condition.

Sachin Vishwakarma - 5 years, 4 months ago

Thanks a lot! I definitely try to manage my time. I think this is a better alternative.

Arulx Z - 5 years, 4 months ago

This is a topic I'm also thinking about.

Akshat Sharda - 5 years, 4 months ago

I know exactly where you are coming from. I wanted to drop out, too. Still think about it from time to time. But I must say that you have much more potential than I do or ever will. That being said, I get the frustration of school, but if you just muddle through it, I could see you doing important stuff in the future. It is a kind of irritating obligation, school, but you have got to go through with it. Good luck, man & hang in there.

Drex Beckman - 5 years, 4 months ago

Thanks for your reply. I think it's probably worth to stay in school.

I don't really think I have more potential than what you do. I have seen many of your solutions and your understanding about the topic is wonderful. Understanding is the basis in mathematics and if you can get that right, nothing can turn you down. You are definitely on your way to become a expert problem solver. Keep up the good work! :)

Cheers!

Arulx Z - 5 years, 4 months ago

@Sandeep Bhardwaj

Arulx Z - 5 years, 4 months ago

The more you suffer the more you'll get. :)

Sachin Vishwakarma - 5 years, 4 months ago

Even if you are not interested in certain subjects, I think it is still absolutely crucial for you to learn them since they can equip you with knowledge and skills that can benefit you in the future. For instance, History can help you formulate your own opinions of global issues. Social Stuides can help you analyse trends to help you predict the future and so on.

Julian Poon - 5 years, 4 months ago

Thanks a lot for your reply! I think I should stay in school. My only complain is that 4 years of these topics is enough. 8 years is overkill.

Arulx Z - 5 years, 4 months ago

This is why I took admission in SSC school. :P

Nihar Mahajan - 5 years, 4 months ago

lol..same here

Anuj Shikarkhane - 5 years, 4 months ago

SSC?

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 5 years, 4 months ago

Maharashtra state board.

Nihar Mahajan - 5 years, 4 months ago

State board. Different from central board.

Aditya Kumar - 5 years, 4 months ago

That's so true. IB is actually pretty hard because of the projects.

Arulx Z - 5 years, 4 months ago

I still had to go through high school. I also suffered a lot because I had to study a lot of foreign subjects, which just pissed me off. After school, I took a short break before going to college and just took the courses I needed, which later turned out to be more useful than college.

Eva Potts - 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `\(` ... `\)` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$