This is a very important post for me...

[Apathy]

Well you already know what you want to hear considering who you are asking for advice...

I am doing it now and it is going great so far but I wouldnt recommend it to anyone unless I knew more about their situation.

[Chillout]

Dammit.. I had written a lengthy reply when Internet Explorer crashed... Grr

Short version:
Do it. It seems like you've given this a lot of thought and you've played poker for long enough to know what it's about. You won't be happy going around listening to your parents the rest of your life. As for "your life going in the right direction"... Well you have plenty of time to change direction whenever you want to. I don't think you'll be content playing poker for the rest of your life, but a year or two in NY won't ruin your opportunities. On the contrary I think they'll broaden your horizon and give you a good experience however the outcome is.

[chesspain]

Based upon everything you've written--especially the reasons why you want to be in New York--you sound somewhat homesick and bored with your social life at your school, versus being overly dissatisfied with school itself.

Consequently, have you considered simply transfering to a school in the NYC area?

[RydenStoompala]

[ QUOTE ]
THIS IS NOT DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL. I WANT A DEGREE AND I AM GOING TO GET ONE

[/ QUOTE ]

In journalism terminology, you buried the lead. Sounds like a foray into poker is a strong draw for you, but you still have your foot firmly jammed in the college door (your GPA is good)...so as long as you stick to your pledge to not miss out on a degree, what's the problem?

And what's with the engineering girls? At my school there was just one really hot one and she was playing for the other team...sheesh.

[mhlandry]

How many hands of poker have you played at the limit you plan on playing once you make the move?

I haven't read the rest of the posts, but I say DO IT! College will always be there, no need to hurry to get out.

Let me tell you my story (not poker).

I joined the Army National Guard when I was 17. I started college in the spring (a semester behind). Then in 2003, I was activated and sent to Kosovo. I missed 3 semesters. Just recently, this past May, my high school graduating class started graduating from college. I still have 2 years to go.

This Fall 05, I started, and 3 days into the semester, I got activated and sent to Louisiana after the Hurricanes. I had to withdraw from the semester. Now I'm 4 semesters behind.

My biggest dream in my life was always to become a police officer. It's just been one of those things that I have had the biggest passion for. Being down in Louisiana, seeing all of the police and the lights and all of that, it made me realize that I want to make my dream come true.

I applied to take a municipal police officer training course (Act 120), and got accepted. Now I am taking the spring semester off of school, and getting further behind. (5 semesters). At first I was going to wait, but now I feel that I have to do it and college can wait. I'm in no hurry.

I'm the same way you are, I don't feel like I'm getting anything out of college although, I WILL GET MY DEGREE, eventually. I'm not going to drop out.

So my advice, DO IT, don't regret it. College will be there.

IMO, get your degree and play poker as a lucrative hobby.

[ QUOTE ]
So I am 18 years old, freshman at a Big 10 school.

[/ QUOTE ]

Transfer to Penn State, it's the best of the Big 10.

[thehotspur]

You sound like an intelligent guy and asking for advice from others demonstrates that (although asking poker players is somewhat more dodgy [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]).
Chesspain makes a good point (what else would you expect from someone with a Freud avatar)about your mixed motivations for leaving your college. You are not enjoying your lifestyle there and you love playing poker, but there is no real reason why you should put these 2 things in opposition as a choice.
If location and friends is the issue then transfering to a NY college seems like an answer to that.
College vrs playing poker is a different question and you might make a mistake if you continue to think of it in terms of loneliness living somewhere you don't like vrs playing poker for a living. In fact it may even be an error to think of it in terms of college vrs poker - they are very compatible, why full time?

However on the whole poker vrs college choice I don't think there is any harm in giving poker a try if you really really want to do it, think you can, and have the funds. That is assuming that returning to college if it doesn't work out is an easy thing to do.
Also full time online poker during the day isn't the healthiest thing for a young man to do.
Whatever you decide I wish you luck, and I hope it works out for you.

[smoore]

Maybe you can mollify your family a little by taking a class or two towards your major during your "semester off".