> I quit at 16 and started doing things I like. Then later I went to University and got a job through there.
This is easier (and more affordable) in some states and countries than others. CA, for instance, has a really affordable (or used to, my numbers may be out of date) community college system. Getting your associates is a great way to start when going back to university later on because it, often, covers your general degree requirements so when you go to university you can focus on your major courses (or major courses + a handful of supporting courses, but no extraneous English, history, or other courses since they're already covered). It also "locks you in", so to speak. If you start college and drop out there's usually a time limit before they discard your course credits (10 years in many places), having an associates means there is no effective time limit for those courses, you have the degree.
And then you have to look at university costs in different states. GA, for instance, is very cheap. I had many classmates at Georgia Tech from PA because the cost for a 4-year degree with out of state tuition sat somewhere between 1 and 2 years of their in-state tuition (present numbers probably different, but I know GA is still inexpensive compared to many other states). If you're patient, go to a state with good and affordable schools, work for a year, then go to college paying in-state tuition.
This is easier (and more affordable) in some states and countries than others. CA, for instance, has a really affordable (or used to, my numbers may be out of date) community college system. Getting your associates is a great way to start when going back to university later on because it, often, covers your general degree requirements so when you go to university you can focus on your major courses (or major courses + a handful of supporting courses, but no extraneous English, history, or other courses since they're already covered). It also "locks you in", so to speak. If you start college and drop out there's usually a time limit before they discard your course credits (10 years in many places), having an associates means there is no effective time limit for those courses, you have the degree.
And then you have to look at university costs in different states. GA, for instance, is very cheap. I had many classmates at Georgia Tech from PA because the cost for a 4-year degree with out of state tuition sat somewhere between 1 and 2 years of their in-state tuition (present numbers probably different, but I know GA is still inexpensive compared to many other states). If you're patient, go to a state with good and affordable schools, work for a year, then go to college paying in-state tuition.