Convince me this is a terrible idea.

[RJT]

I think most people would agree that it is harder to go back to school once you quit (assuming you didn't make it in poker)than it is to stick it out now. Many people do take a break from school for whatever reason and do get back if they need/want to. But in general, once you quit; the odds are less of going back and finishing, than finishing now which (stated in percentages rather than odds) would be 100% once you finish.

[jimdmcevoy]

I am in a similar position to you, I am about 2 weeks away from finishing my 4 year physics degree, and I have stopped enjoying it about 6 months ago. I used to really enjoy theoreticall physics until then, and then it all just seemed so trivial.

And it also seemed at that point (and still does) that any other job in the 'real world' seems trivial. I thought about trying to become a pro poker player, but I figure I can do that on the side kind of like a hobby and finish up my last 6 months of my degree. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do next year, I've thought about becoming a high school teacher.

I'm not sure this helps you at all, but my advice is if you really really really abhore what your doing now and if taking a 1 year break will not ruin your chances of getting back into it, then go for it. If you can stand to finish out your degree, then finish it up.

Let me know how it turns out for you please, I am interested.

[octop]

When I read the first paragrpah of the post it was like I was reading my own writing. The only differences are that Im 22, graduated in May with a BBA in marketing and havent done [censored] with it since. I was always an excellent math student, especially in statistic but I never studied for it. I think in four years I probably studied for a total of 10 hours and five of them were for one final 3 years ago. Basically whenever teachers threatedned me for missing classes or whatever i would think they were just bullshitting unless I had reason to belive otherwise, and I was always right. Infact most of my A's were in classes where the majority of the class failed, but I always got B's when there was an easy teach gave out A's like water because I refused to do anything.Up until about a two years the only thing in my life that I always gave a full effort to was baseball. Then I geadually learned how to count cards in blackjack which I can now do in my sleep.I quit my job, played baseball for school and counted cards while still living with my parents but paying part of the rent. I dont have the bankroll to make 50,000 a year counting cards but I've made enough while I was in school and I now have a degree and no debt at all. A few of my friends told me that I should start playing poker and after a while I decided to learn the game because the same idiots who are clueless at the blackjack table are clueless at the poker table. I started at .10/.20 and now play 2/4 or 3/6 as well as 1/2 100 dollar buy in NL online and occasionally I play live. The online bonuses are great and really help went you hit a losing streak and tremendously pad your winnings. Anyway I knew that eventually I could and would hit a terrbile blackjack streak since varience is an unforgiving whore. Well right when I paid of my credit cards and loans that streak came and I decided I would find a job. But i deposited 500 dollars online and through the use of bonuses and playing Ive made close to 10 grand in 3 months- probably half from bonuses and the rest from poker and my return to the blackjack tables. I am not trying to make a living like this but I know for right now I have anough money saved up and get enough online bonuses where i am fine for a while. Tomorrow morning I am taking the GMAT to get into business school- but the main reaosn I am doing this is so I can play baseball since I have one year of eligility left. All winter I will be working on my poker game and getting my velicity up ( Im left handed we have a great pitching coach and I love baseball) Once the semester is over if I like the classes I will stay in and get an MBA, if not I will get a job in marketing.
Basically what I am saying is I know where you are coming from and I am very lazy if its not something that I like doing. Being you only have a year left in school you might as well just finsih now since youll always have the degree. Play poker at the same time. I know that in my situation Im not banking on playing poker proefessionally or going to the major leagues, but if I can get my velocity up some and get a single a or independent league contract i will pursue baseball or maybe 6 months from now my poker game will be solid enough for me to 4 table 5/10. If not Ill finally do something that I dread a get a real job, using poker and blackjack to suppliment my income.

[XChamp]

It's really weird how similar some of us are. I too will have my BS in physics completed in a few weeks.

As of right now I have made about 16g this year playing very sparingly (I don't have much free time). I made about 12k in one 2 week span because I placed high in 3 NL multi-table tournaments. I then proceeded to lose about 3g of that playing 20-40 games that I had no clue about (stud and limit) and then lost another 3g to three bad beats when I decided I wanted to jump up from NL $100 to NL$1,000. I also lost a lot more when I decided it would be smart to play in a bunch of those $500 and $640 NL tournaments on-line. SO, now I'm sitting here with a decimated bankroll and a few lessons learned.

I have thought about going pro for about a year now. The reason for this is that right now there is really no job that I can think of that I have an intense desire to do. I want the freedom of setting my own hours, not having a boss, and still making enough money so that I can give away a tenth of my income to charity. I also want a steady income and respect of my profession from family and society. Obviously I can't have both. In a better world a job would exist for me that I really love and want to work hard at that is NOT poker. Sometimes I think that is teaching.

SO, my plan right now is to finish my BS degree, then spend the spring and next fall getting certified to teach high school physics. This spring I have some easy classes lined up so I think I can put in 20 hours a week of poker. This summer I wont get a job, I will just play poker while living in my parents house. I will then student-teach in the fall.

After that is all done (in about one year exactly) I will have real experience teaching high school physics and will have played about 150-200K hands of NL texas hold'em (I play about 300+ hands/hr). If I really love teaching then I will do that while playing poker on the side. If I hate teaching AND find that I make $40+/hr then how can I not go pro? I can always fall back on teaching if things don't go well. Of course, this plan will probably change drastically if I start a significant relationship with a girl.


Basically, my opinion is that you should finish school. I know it sucks, I know it's more fun playing poker, I know you think it's worthless, but I honestly think that having that degree will make you a better player because it will greatly reduce the stress of playing poker for a living. If you have a college degree you will always know that you can get a job to pay the bills if you ever hit a really bad streak or go on tilt and lose everything (or make a stupid decision about moving up in stakes, outplay the table, and still lose your shirt, like me.)

[jimdmcevoy]

Quite right you are, we both are finishing our degree in a few weeks (are you finishing half way through the year or do you go to University in the Southern Hemishpere? I'm in Sydney) and are planning to do a teaching degree next year while playing poker on the side to test our abilities.

All that stands between me and my degree is my bloody thesis that is due in 9 days, and I have barely started... (This thesis counts for half of this semesters total grade)

And on top of that, it is on astrophysics, interstellar dust....

I hate astronomy/astrophysics.

astro-ology I say.

[XChamp]

I finish the Physics department requirements for my BS degree in 3 weeks but I still have to come back in the spring to take a mickey mouse class to satisfy University requirements for my degree (the class is Culture and Politics of the 1960's...ha!). I'll use that extra semester to take education courses, pick up a math minor and play poker.

I'm going to school in the US but one of my professors is from Sydney.

Actually, the only reason why I'm on here at 4:15am is because I have an exam in my mechanics course tomorrow on non-inertial reference frames and I'm taking a break. Fortunately I don't have to write a thesis to graduate. That would be awful.

[tubbyspencer]

Anyone else find it amusing that Dr. Physic posted this on Monday, and JoshuaD posted this thread on Teusday?

[JoshuaD]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else find it amusing that Dr. Physic posted this on Monday, and JoshuaD posted this thread on Teusday?

[/ QUOTE ]


[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I deserve more credit than that though, I knew it was a bad idea from the getgo. Sometimes I just need to be convinced, and no one I know in real life knows enough about poker, so I turned here.

I mean, it's the perfect pipe dream. School sucks, jobs look worse, and I'm showing a profit at poker. If I practice alot, I can go pro, quit school, never get a job, and play poker for a living, why the hell not?

Thanks for the advice guys, here's hoping I have the smarts I said I did earlier, and actually finish my degree.

[Dick in Phoenix]

I have had a 35-year career in computer science (my BS was in math and it was plenty to get me my first job). I have been a hiring manager as well.

Computer Science is one of those fields, like engineering, education, and nursing, where a BS degree basically can get you a job.

Take it from me, a BSCS is plenty to get you a GOOD job. I liked school and considered getting a PhD, and decided that it was not enough of a boost to my career unless I specifically wanted to teach. (I HAVE had research assignments in my career, even without a PhD.)

Finish your BS now while you have the opportunity. Curricula can change, you can lose your study habits, your family / financial status can change ... get that degree.

I suggest that you will have plenty of time part-time while finishing that you can go ahead and move up in poker limits just like you were planning to do full time.

Dick

[mistrpug]

[ QUOTE ]
Computer Science is one of those fields, like engineering, education, and nursing, where a BS degree basically can get you a job.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow. You don't know any Comp Sci or Engineering majors that graduated the last 2-3 years, do you?