I dropped out of high school in my junior year. Predictably, most people remarked that it was a poor decision and that my prospects of employment would be forever decimated.

I skipped ~50% of days in grades 8-10, but somehow passed. I spent those days coding and learning on my own time.

As school got progressively less challenging, I dropped out in grade 11 and decided to stop wasting my time.

Finally, I could pursue my passion in software full-time. That additional time and freedom was instrumental in achieving my dreams. It was almost certainly much more valuable than more wasted years of high school. By the age of 19 I was already earning a very significant sum of money and had years of solid experience.

But who knows? Maybe I missed out on some important friendships or valuable connections. Perhaps my lack of a high school diploma will be an insurmountable barrier in the future.

Although I believe it was the right decision for me (who knows), I don't think it's the right decision for the vast majority of people. You must have discipline and passion. You must be your own boss and have a plan. You should enjoy learning on your own. Treat time as a precious resource.

I am fortunate that my chosen field, software development, generally does not require a diploma or degree. Exceptions exist, but I'm not interested in those jobs. Any other field and my decision could have been disastrous.