Trading and College

[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 because it stinks of a prep-school for the corporate rat race.In fact, I choose my course because I intitally thought it could teach me about making money from the stock market, but economics turned out to be all math and model building. 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.

Here is the problem..I know that i dont give my best in school because I'm negatively tuned out already. But knowing I have school committments (homework, projects, exams) and not following up on them makes me depressed. As if I'm letting the "heck-it" part of me destroy the "excellence" value that I uphold deeply. Since I decided that college is not for me, but I have choose to stick with it, I feel like I"m destroying myself by living with a conflict of values. Truthfully, I am so disgusted with myself that I decide to put myself through this torture.

I am in a fix as to whether i should burn the bridges (quit school) and focus on trading, or do both concurrently.

So, I'm a stock trader now with some inconsistencies that I'm trying to figure out. 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. I know that I have all the successful ingredients ready and developed, and the last thing required is a sound mind free from worry about my next assignment due (of course, last minute work because of the procrestination), or the spill-over from a bout of self-reproach for the unresolved dilemma regarding college.

As I see it, quiting school puts me in a vulnerable position of having no back up plan. At the same time, 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.

Right? But somethings feels wrong about it and I cannot bring myself to do it. It is saying "do the thing you hate, so that you can do the thing you love".

Is this is valid way to live? Or is there another path that I cannot see?

Thanks for your comments!

[funchy]

Shift your major to something related: business, economics, financial management, etc

Your negative associations with school could be as simple as the school or major not meeting your needs.

It will round out your education relating to trading. It'll be something to fall back on if you decide trading isn't what you want to do any more. And if you decide to work for an employer doing something relating to stock trading, you'll have the education you need to get hired.

[MagicalRealist]

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.

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.

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.

[Echo34]

Thanks Guys.
I"m on the road to getting this mess sorted out.
This is a a good push in the right direction