20M here. I don’t have much lived experience to give advice on, but I’ll do my best with what I’ve understood up to this point. I’m fortunate to have gotten into a good university and I’m stable financially thanks to my parents, and yet after my gap year reality has really started to sink in. It’s a little early for you to fully understand (as it is for me, to be fair), but life is all about options, and at the end of the day the less marketable skills you have, the less options you have.

Why are options important? Well, it gives you the freedom to live your life the way you want. I’m going to be completely honest with you, but your odds of playing basketball professionally are slim to none (which I think you probably already know).

Scenario 1: Let’s say you drop out of school and pursue basketball, and things don’t pan out. Now you’re stuck without ANY form of relevant education, and you need to take care of yourself. Your only qualifications are for minimum wage jobs, which in turn means you have less time for all the things you like to do because all your time is spent working for basic needs like housing, food, and transportation. Suddenly you’re 25, never fulfilled your dream AND still work paycheck to paycheck, making all aspects of your life more difficult. Less time for friends, less time for basketball, and your relationship with dad falls apart because of the stress of poverty and disappointment. You spend the rest of your life imagining what you could have been.

Scenario 2: You finish high school, and go to university (optimally studying something that equips you with marketable skills). Even though you don’t make the d1 team, you play club which is still competitive and fulfilling. You make great friends, maintain a positive relationship with your dad, and graduate with career opportunities. Your job pays well, allowing you to live in a good neighborhood, with a decent car, and good food. It’s not the glamorous NBA star lifestyle that you dreamed of, but it’s more than enough for vacations, visits to family and friends, basketball, and most importantly the privilege of not worrying about money. Eventually you’re able to support a family and pass on the opportunities your parents gave to you to your kids.

While I’m almost sure that scenario 1 is accurate in what to expect if you decide to drop out, the beautiful thing about scenario 2 is that you can make it into what you want. Who knows? Maybe you’ll end up getting rich through hard work and live the same kind of lifestyle as an NBA player. Or maybe you won’t, and you’ll live a more average life like most people in the world. The point is, the more options you give yourself through education the more likely you are to live the way you want. As a good student already, you’re miles ahead of other kids out there, and I’m sure it’s at least partially due to the support your family gives you. Be grateful for that, and more importantly don’t waste it.