You’re walking out of your one-hour-and-15-minute [insert general core course here] wondering how it’s possible that you’re spending so much money for something only to eventually find out, as our friend Will from "Good Will Hunting" puts it, “That you dropped $150,000 on an education you could’ve gotten for $1.50 in late charges at the local public library.”

You’re bored in classes, not because you don’t like learning — in fact, you love learning — but it just seems like there are so many collegiate organizational constraints and banal tasks that get in the way of comfortable education. Not only that, the fire inside you that propels you to try new things is flickering, on the brink of exsanguination by drab textbook overload and pointless papers and presentations and projects.

This train of thought? This is where I live. It’s a nice home; spacious, comfortable, warm at night. I’m still renovating, but it’ll do for now.

If you’ve ever felt like this, you’ve almost certainly entertained the thought of dropping out of college, only to belittle yourself for having such a thought. Understand that there is nothing wrong with dropping out of college. If you’ve ever thought about dropping out or have at least weighed the hypothetical pros and cons that would accompany you as you turned your back on the education system, I welcome you to my world. Take it from someone who’s changed their major one too many times and has dropped out and re-enrolled twice now: dropping out can be enlightening and liberating, but only if you’ve put some serious thought into what you’re going to do once you’ve dropped out.

I remember when I dropped out for the first time. I didn’t do it with the intention of ever coming back — I was done. Cooked. Exhausted. And I remember everyone I confided in before I dropped out was wonderful and supportive, but they all asked me the same question: “What are you going to do if you’re not going to be in school?” I never had an answer for them; when I finally came up with something, I usually said something along the lines of, “Oh, I think I’ll just take it easy and work for a while,” or, “Spend more time with my dog.” I didn’t think I needed to have a plan. Wasn’t dropping out of school a big enough plan?

Nope. Not even close. And here’s why.

I was 100 percent convinced that I didn’t want to be in school. That was a fact. As for what I wanted to do as an alternative, I hadn’t the slightest idea, and as a result, I ended up trying to force myself to do something that would act as an appropriate replacement for the big, bad, university life. So I registered for an EMT class and convinced myself that since I wouldn’t need a college degree to save people’s lives (believe me, I did my “research” on this), this would be perfect. How could anyone be mad at me if I was helping people?

Problem is, you can research a life path for days and days and think you’ve got it all figured out, but until you start walking down the path you’re not going to know how you feel. You’re not going to be able to navigate the subtle curves or the sharp changes in the path if you spend all your time mapping it out in the safety of your home. You have to take a walk. I think what I’m trying to say is that dropping out without a plan and then trying to research a plan in a week as a way to avoid the inevitable uncertainty and judgment from family and peers is equivalent to hopping on a train headed for an unfinished bridge. If you’re thinking about dropping out and you know that you don’t want to have a plan, and you just want to go experience things you haven’t been able to, fine. Go ahead. But be warned: not having a plan still requires planning.

There’s nothing wrong with not getting (or not wanting) a college degree. Most people, regardless of how they personally feel about a college education, are finally opening themselves up to the reality that college isn’t for everyone, despite the prevalent stigma that still surrounds those individuals who bravely choose a path outside of the traditional education system. Nevertheless, students who entertain this idea of dropping out are bombarded with mental and physical hurdles that aren’t any easier to leap over with the unnecessary (and often uninformed) judgmental lectures from parents and close family. So hear this: it’s perfectly fine if you’re thinking about dropping out of college or have already done so; what’s important is that you really give it some thought before you do so. Not having a plan is still a plan. Take some time to think about it.