Question of Atheist Scruples – how much does it cost to find yourself?

Your son wants to drop out of college for a year “to find himself.” He asks you to subsidize him. Do you?

I think not. If he wants to go and work in some other country or travel the world in search of meaning, it’ll have to be on his own dime. I’d chip in a bit if I could afford it but if any money had been saved for his future prior to this decision, it probably would be locked into an RESP or something rather than a general savings account, thus inaccessible for whimsical ventures and adventures.

I’m well aware that college isn’t for everyone. Taking a year off to try something else isn’t a bad idea, so long as it’s a productive year – be it from a money standpoint or experience. I felt kind of forced into finishing my degree… not by my parents, but my own sense of accomplishment. I’d started with Elementary Education but my grades were poor enough in my courses that I was facing a probation year if I tried to stay with it. I could have quit then but I opted to change my major to Sociology instead with a minor in Philosophy. Great to have the degree, I suppose, but it was also 10 years worth of student loan payments later because I wasn’t smart with saving money and paying it off quickly.

I don’t know what I would have wound up doing had I quit school early.