I need a little life advice right now.

[DonT77]

Play poker. Make boatloads. But, do this while staying in at least one class per semester - because it is tough to get back into 'the mode' after being completely out of it.

This from a guy who got his BS in his late 30s after dropping out of college to pursue $ and good times in his early 20s.

[NHFunkii]

I think there's a few really important questions you should answer first: how would doing this change your relationship with your friends, how would doing this change your relationship with your family, and how would doing this change your 'relationship with yourself', or basically your psychological state. Having talked to you quite a bit, I think it's very possible that none of the three would be too damaged by doing this, in which case I see no reason not to.

On the other hand, it might be hard to gauge that. I mean personally, I know I could be making extremely good money if I dropped out of school right now, but instead I have played almost no poker whatsoever in the past month, because of the answers to those three questions for me. I also strongly agree with APLUS - if you want to slide through this and next semester, you could probably do it without very much work at all and still play literally as much poker as you would have otherwise if you just skimp on something else. I mean you're not going to be playing 80 hours a week regardless of what you're doing.

anywho, good luck with your decision

[Ansky]

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you lied, you made up your mind long before this thread.


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no ur wrong, i really really didn't and i am reading every post in this thread w/ an open mind. At this point the most likely thing is that I will drop like 2 classes and make better hours for myself.

[Prime Time]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
you lied, you made up your mind long before this thread.


[/ QUOTE ]

no ur wrong, i really really didn't and i am reading every post in this thread w/ an open mind. At this point the most likely thing is that I will drop like 2 classes and make better hours for myself.

[/ QUOTE ]


This sounds reasonable.

[Ansky]

On a side note, I have almost completely lost the will to study and do work. Every day in class I pay attention for about 2 minutes, then before I know it my mind has drifted off on to some random [censored] and 15 minutes has passed, and my stupid prof is talking about neuro transmitters and action potentials, and I am scratching my balls all the while. I have no focus in school, I have no motivation or drive. wtf cmon.

[gobboboy]

You probably know what I'm going to say already, but here goes.

Take a semester off. The poker knowledge you have is worth countless millions and if you don't take advantage of it, it would be one of the dumbest things you'd do in your entire life. One semester will not kill you. Hell, you're already way ahead of the curve. Unless you think by the end of the semester when you have half a million dollars you feel like you won't want to go back to school, then by all means go for it.

You won't regret it man. And by what I'm reading, it sounds as if you really want it too.

Ansky--

I would normally vote for the money, if I truly knew you would return to school within one or two semesters. The problem is, this isn't a guarantee, even if you think it is. I worry for you that you might fall in love with the idea of making $400-600/hr and continue to do so even if this figure drops to $200-400/hr simply because it's easier than going to school (and then interviewing, etc.).

For this reason, I vote staying in school right now, and playing on the side. Once you get your degree, then I'd feel more comfortable with "taking time off," because the fact is, you have a degree at that point. I just wouldn't do anything right now that presents even the slightest risk of jeopardizing that, and taking a break, IMO does.

edit: Exhibit A

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I have almost completely lost the will to study and do work.

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This does not get easier, dude.

[woodguy]

I was running a business my last 5 semesters of school, so I took the minimum to be a full time student (and enjoy the tax benefits therein).

The minimum at the time was 3 classes. I took 2 classes that had classroom time from 11:00am - 2:00pm Tuesday & Thursdays, plus a night class once a week. The times varied from semester to semester, but I was usually able to manage something like what I wrote here.

I still managed to get reasonable grades and run my business, but I did feel run ragged all the time.

The return rate for people I know who quit school to make $$$ is less than 30%. Once you quit and get a nice income, its tough to give it up to go back, especially if you get a mortgage or other debt.

All this being said, I think that you would make enough that you wouldn't bring debt upon yourself, nor would you purchases a house.

I would do the minimum amount of work that would still have me graduate on time (If McGill has a max # of years you can work towards an undergrad degreee), and play my ass off, make large $$$, and try to bed every single hottie on campus, which you could.

Regards,
Woodguy

[Ansky]

Here is the way it stands now.

I am a foreign student, in Canada. Hard to beleive I know, but Canadians do in fact consider themselves a different contry entirely. I talked to an advisor this morning, and basically I can't just drop out for a semester, and stay in montreal without a valid reason. I did not ask, but I do not think the government of Canada would extend my student visa 6 months for the sake of online poker. This means I either have to 1) stay and go to school (w/ a reduced load if I want) or 2) leave, but go back to nyc and live w/ my parents.

2) is not an option. I need some social release in my life, and all my college social life is here in montreal. I also don't want to live w/ my parents.

So if I stay here I either have to figure out some [censored] reason/way to stay in canada legally so that I can renew my visa in 2007, or just sack up and go to classes and try to fit in some hours. It looks more and more like i have no choice thoughy and i will just have to endure the utter PAIN that is psychology classes.

I really, really want to go pro for at least a little bit, but as it stands now I just don't see it being possible. TY for all the replies, beleive it or not when I argue with you people, it doesnt mean I have made up my mind, it just means I am trying to get into a dialogue about the subject.

If I don't play 50k hands at the minimum this month though, I am a huge failure and an idiot.

Anyway, I'm still open to ideas and [censored], so keep it coming.

[NoahSD]

You probably know better than I do, but I doubt you're ever gonna have trouble making money playing poker.

I mean.. if you feel like taking a semester off, take a semester off--but don't do it just because you feel pressured to put a ton of money away for the future.