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Originally Posted by Echo34  I want be become a stock trader because it resounds with my values of independence and freedom. However...
Concurrently, I'm mid-way through a college degree that I totally detest [...] I"m still in school, as a backup plan, just in case the stock trading fails. But everyday is a drugedy as I procrestinate and do the minimum just to pass. |
First, I think that if you genuinely want to be a trader, you will find a way to do it no matter what--whether you leave college or not.
But if you're torn, and in doubt, making sudden moves might not be the best way to go about it.
How much time do you have left before graduating? How far into coursework for your major are you? Is it too late to change majors?
Have you considered taking a temporary leave of absence from college--say, for next semester and the summer--and pursuing your true interest? Your choices aren't necessarily limited to staying and suffering vs. dropping out entirely; see if there is an option that allows you to take some time off and still come back if you choose to.
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Interestingly, I trade best on days when I've decided to put in the effort on my school work first. Sometimes, I feel pressured to trade and succeed so that I can just quit school, while in fact, this very attitude affects my performance.
...staying put and performing badly affects my self-confidence and my trading performce. Finally, the workable solution seems to be to study well, so I can trade well.
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It might not be the studying that helps you trade well--it might be that, having studied and fulfilled that obligation, you no longer have it on your mind and can give your full energy to making good trades.
However, if you drop out, simply removing the obligation to study might not help. Instead, you might feel pressured to succeed in order to
justify dropping out, and that could negatively affect your performance.
That's why taking a leave of absence from college might be a better course, for now--you know going back to school by a certain date and finishing your degree is still an option, so you can just relax and focus on trading during that time. And during that time off you will either find a reason to go back, or you won't, and can decide accordingly.