Ask HN: Help a fellow hacker - drop out and get a job or get the CS degree?

Hi people at HN,

Here's my situation: I'm currently in college, studying CS. While I do like the subject, I find that my motivation is lacking for the following reasons:

1.) Getting grades. I get why they exist, of course, but it completely demotivates me to know that most of my efforts go into trying to get a passing grade by trying to show exactly what a specific teacher wants me to show, instead of trying to actually understand a thing.

2.) While I like most courses, I don't feel I'm actually learning anything practical I can use at a job later.

3.) I may or may not have bipolar disorder. The jury's still out on this one.

4.) I'm racking up debt because of my student loans.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. There are also some serious reasons why dropping out of college might not be such a good idea. To name the ones that've been bothering me the most:

1.) Obviously, I wouldn't have a degree, and while I've been programming since I was little, I'm not so certain about my career prospects. What would happen if I'm, say, 40, and lose my job: how would I find a new one? Would I even be able to find a job without a degree in the first place?

2.) I would prefer having my own house to living in a small apartment all my life, barely able to pay the rent. This is amplified by the fact that everyone in my family has a well-paying career. Also, getting an actual enjoyable career is probably easier with a degree in CS.

3.) Possible bipolar again. You can't drop out for a few weeks sometimes knowing that you'll make up for it before the final tests come around. Staying in college gives me a certain 'buffer' for when I feel blah. Not to mention that working 40 hours/week is much more than I'm used to.

If anyone has any advice, it would be much appreciated. :)

(I'm in the Netherlands, should people's advice apply to specific regions.)

tl;dr: I'm thinking of dropping out but am uncertain whether it's wise. Please help.