The Student Room Group

Drop out school before 18 in London

So right now I am 17 and I turn 18 in march 2020, so just under a year from now. I wanted to know if I'm legally allowed to leave education. For what I want to achieve in the future qualifications are not needed. Im aiming to be an entrepreneur/self employed when I'm older. I plan to make money from multiple sources. One of the ways I plan to make money is from trading have already been forex trading for about 8 months now and I have been quiete successful with it, and I personally know people that do it full time and have been consistently making over 6 figure incomes for some years now, I am also going to be getting professionally mentored sometime in the near future. Another source of income is going to be from this thing called dropshipping. And I also plan to make my own business of some sort aswell.

For a bit of detail on my academic background. In secondary school I always knew that I didn't want to go through that path of doing a levels and then getting a degree, then getting a job so I never really revised for anything. But I have always been sort of academically talented and I managed to get a grade 9 in maths without a day of revision, and Grade 8 in all three sciences and I also passed english.

I don't want to waste my time doing a levels or btec or any other form of education/apprenticeship. I just want to be allowed to not have to go school again so I can spend more time focusing on my future and less time wasting it on something that I wont use in the future.
And someone is probally going to reply saying I should just stay at school so I have a back up, but seriously I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I would rather die than settle for a backup plan. And if I was to leave school you might be saying that if I wasnt at school I would become socially akward because I wont get a chance to socialise with people, but I go to the gym 5 days a week and always meet new people there. And on weekends I play basketball and meet new people there and that would also help with my teamwork skills.

So I kind of rambled on for a bit but the point im trying to make is that if I have my financial situation for the future sorted out. How can I fully leave education/traineeship so I am no longer wasting any time.

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If you aren't willing to stick it out through A levels/BTEC, I doubt you'll survive as an entrepreneur
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 2
https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

The website above states above when you can leave education. You're just gonna have to finish what education you've started or just drop out when you are 18 and have nothing but gcses to fall back on. Just know you can fail and be prepared to fail cause there is no straight road to success.
Reply 3
Yeah I was thinking thats what the response would be. So on my 18th birthday can I literally just leave and never come back.

And I'm totally prepared and expecting to not succeed at first but I'm just gonna keep trying until it eventually works out
Original post by Routeri
https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

The website above states above when you can leave education. You're just gonna have to finish what education you've started or just drop out when you are 18 and have nothing but gcses to fall back on. Just know you can fail and be prepared to fail cause there is no straight road to success.
Reply 4
I hear what your saying but its just like I honestly see no point in me doing something if I know that I have no intentions of using it in the future. And for me to drop out would actually be better because in a way, me knowing that I have no backup will be motivation to make sure that I succeed in what I'm doing no matter what.
Original post by That'sGreat
If you aren't willing to stick it out through A levels/BTEC, I doubt you'll survive as an entrepreneur
hi im interested in doing the exact same thing (forex and dropshipping) i am also the same age as you. please send me a dm so we can speak further!
Reply 6
Original post by marz321
I hear what your saying but its just like I honestly see no point in me doing something if I know that I have no intentions of using it in the future. And for me to drop out would actually be better because in a way, me knowing that I have no backup will be motivation to make sure that I succeed in what I'm doing no matter what.

You should be equally motivated with or without a back up. No one is forcing you to go to university but it's best to finish something you've started. You're not old.Time isn't running out. You just have to get through one more year and you can do what you want with your businesses whilst your peers are at uni or doing apprenticeships.
Reply 7
I know I might sound lazy, but I just really hate wasting time. Me finishing a levels would literally just be for the sake of "finishing what I started". Because I know for sure I have no intentions of using it in the future. Think of it like this, the time I would of been spending doing things for a level, I could of used that same time to do something that will directly help me in the future. Sorry, if that came across rude but I just honestly hate wasting time
Original post by Routeri
You should be equally motivated with or without a back up. No one is forcing you to go to university but it's best to finish something you've started. You're not old.Time isn't running out. You just have to get through one more year and you can do what you want with your businesses whilst your peers are at uni or doing apprenticeships.
Original post by marz321
So right now I am 17 and I turn 18 in march 2020, so just under a year from now. I wanted to know if I'm legally allowed to leave education. For what I want to achieve in the future qualifications are not needed. Im aiming to be an entrepreneur/self employed when I'm older. I plan to make money from multiple sources. One of the ways I plan to make money is from trading have already been forex trading for about 8 months now and I have been quiete successful with it, and I personally know people that do it full time and have been consistently making over 6 figure incomes for some years now, I am also going to be getting professionally mentored sometime in the near future. Another source of income is going to be from this thing called dropshipping. And I also plan to make my own business of some sort aswell.

For a bit of detail on my academic background. In secondary school I always knew that I didn't want to go through that path of doing a levels and then getting a degree, then getting a job so I never really revised for anything. But I have always been sort of academically talented and I managed to get a grade 9 in maths without a day of revision, and Grade 8 in all three sciences and I also passed english.

I don't want to waste my time doing a levels or btec or any other form of education/apprenticeship. I just want to be allowed to not have to go school again so I can spend more time focusing on my future and less time wasting it on something that I wont use in the future.
And someone is probally going to reply saying I should just stay at school so I have a back up, but seriously I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I would rather die than settle for a backup plan. And if I was to leave school you might be saying that if I wasnt at school I would become socially akward because I wont get a chance to socialise with people, but I go to the gym 5 days a week and always meet new people there. And on weekends I play basketball and meet new people there and that would also help with my teamwork skills.

So I kind of rambled on for a bit but the point im trying to make is that if I have my financial situation for the future sorted out. How can I fully leave education/traineeship so I am no longer wasting any time.


I think it's allowed but for the sake of twelve weeks and that's including exams it would be a waste I'm not saying give up on your dreams but don't slam any doors if you have the grades you'll be able to go to uni if later on you decide you want to you don't have to but at least keep the option open. I wan to further your plan you could do a degree in entrepreneurship or some other business related course which would help in your future (little extra knowledge or insight always does) I''m not saying don't follow your dream I'm just saying keep your options open it can't hurt even if your just in As what'll another year cost you really.
Reply 9
Original post by marz321
I know I might sound lazy, but I just really hate wasting time. Me finishing a levels would literally just be for the sake of "finishing what I started". Because I know for sure I have no intentions of using it in the future. Think of it like this, the time I would of been spending doing things for a level, I could of used that same time to do something that will directly help me in the future. Sorry, if that came across rude but I just honestly hate wasting time

Legally, you can't leave education completely untill your 18 years old which you said wouldn't be till march 2020 so you'd only really have a few months till you'd do your exams and be done. Nothing is stopping you from doing both. It isn't time wasting. Your future is only just starting and it doesn't seem like your income is stable yet. All A levels are useful to some extent, you may not apply the knowledge to your future businesses but some of the skills you gain from it can be applied. Plans can change, you may end up working for others before you fully become sustainably self employed. Just cause you currently have no intention of using them doesn't mean they aren't a useful thing to have.
You need to change your mindset.. you are stuck in ‘present mode’ always thinking about now..but you genuinely never know what will happen in the future. Your mind can change instantly. It might not be a lucrative as you think, you might meet someone in a different profession and want to explore that field. And you will have to start from the bottom up all over again.

I know someone who did the same thing as you and regrets it. They had to do their a-levels all over again and even though they are happy now, it was a struggle that could have been prevented. I don’t think uni is for you, you seem very stubborn and don’t like classroom environment, but I would recommend a short term apprenticeship. You do earn on the go and get a qualification. Sometimes it’s not about ‘now, now, now’, look out for your future self, you will be grateful. You have loads of time to do both. Delayed gratification is very rewarding.
Reply 11
Im literally only thinking about the future. I literally spend almost every hour I'm awake preparing for my future. This is the only path I want to take in life and if for some reason that changes in the future (I highly doubt it will) I will just do my a levels again then. If I do my a levels and then get a degree I'm just gonna be like any other average person, just living an average life working for a boss. You live one life and I'm gonna make sure that I don't just live an average life, some people people are cool with an average life but I'm not. I'm gonna become an entrepreneur and be my own boss, I don't want to be having that regular 9 to 5 job like everyone else
Original post by watershower
You need to change your mindset.. you are stuck in ‘present mode’ always thinking about now..but you genuinely never know what will happen in the future. Your mind can change instantly. It might not be a lucrative as you think, you might meet someone in a different profession and want to explore that field. And you will have to start from the bottom up all over again.

I know someone who did the same thing as you and regrets it. They had to do their a-levels all over again and even though they are happy now, it was a struggle that could have been prevented. I don’t think uni is for you, you seem very stubborn and don’t like classroom environment, but I would recommend a short term apprenticeship. You do earn on the go and get a qualification. Sometimes it’s not about ‘now, now, now’, look out for your future self, you will be grateful. You have loads of time to do both. Delayed gratification is very rewarding.
Original post by marz321
I hear what your saying but its just like I honestly see no point in me doing something if I know that I have no intentions of using it in the future. And for me to drop out would actually be better because in a way, me knowing that I have no backup will be motivation to make sure that I succeed in what I'm doing no matter what.


The fact you need no back up plan to motivate you suggests you won't make it
Reply 13
I never said thats the only thing motivating me its just like a little 1% boost of motivation
Original post by That'sGreat
The fact you need no back up plan to motivate you suggests you won't make it
Original post by marz321
I never said thats the only thing motivating me its just like a little 1% boost of motivation

A 1% boost in motivation is not worth getting rid of a back up plan. You assume businesses are successful most of the time, when in fact most of them fail. You would likely need a job at some point, whether to fund your business or to make ends meet while building your business/business is failing, and you would struggle without A levels
Reply 15
Your missing the point. I would honestly rather die than have to use a back up. I'm putting 100% into being a successful entrepeneaur. And I'm going to keep trying until I make it. In terms of funding I am already doing trading now and making money, the business is something I plan to do in the future once I have this whole trading/dropshipping thing sorted out. I have no intentions of ever getting a job
Original post by That'sGreat
A 1% boost in motivation is not worth getting rid of a back up plan. You assume businesses are successful most of the time, when in fact most of them fail. You would likely need a job at some point, whether to fund your business or to make ends meet while building your business/business is failing, and you would struggle without A levels
Original post by marz321
Your missing the point. I would honestly rather die than have to use a back up. I'm putting 100% into being a successful entrepeneaur. And I'm going to keep trying until I make it. In terms of funding I am already doing trading now and making money, the business is something I plan to do in the future once I have this whole trading/dropshipping thing sorted out. I have no intentions of ever getting a job

Ok, whatever, it's your life. But I didn't say A levels were a back-up plan, considering they would allow you to get a better job in case you need more money to bootstrap your business.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by That'sGreat
Ok, whatever, it's your life. But I didn't say A levels were a back-up plan, considering they would allow you to get a better job in case you need more money to bootstrap your business.


This 100% we all get that you have plans and do forex and things we get that you want to be your own boss and that is all fine what you need to understand though is that an education is not a backup plan it’s an asset and if your plans fail and you have to get a job you’ll be able to get a better job not to mention that you need to know about profit loss forecasting pest diagrams and bits of law to really kill it in businesses and the easiest way to get that knowledge Is I hate to break it to you a university course in business.
You sound emotionally immature. By burning your bridges and not keeping your options open you are closing the door to so many potential opportunities. Take advantage of your education while it is free. You are clearly bright, but closed minded. You don't need to go to university, but why would you be stupid enough to throw away your back up plan?
Reply 19
Its more like I know what I want and I'm not willing to settle for anything else
Original post by jonathanemptage
This 100% we all get that you have plans and do forex and things we get that you want to be your own boss and that is all fine what you need to understand though is that an education is not a backup plan it’s an asset and if your plans fail and you have to get a job you’ll be able to get a better job not to mention that you need to know about profit loss forecasting pest diagrams and bits of law to really kill it in businesses and the easiest way to get that knowledge Is I hate to break it to you a university course in business.


Original post by Nautilus
You sound emotionally immature. By burning your bridges and not keeping your options open you are closing the door to so many potential opportunities. Take advantage of your education while it is free. You are clearly bright, but closed minded. You don't need to go to university, but why would you be stupid enough to throw away your back up plan?

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