I just told my parents I’m dropping out of college at 18 and I’m terrified, but I think I need to do this

I’m 18 and I just told my parents that I’m dropping out of college. Honestly, saying that out loud was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’m only about a month into college, and I already knew deep down that I hated it. I kept trying to convince myself that I just needed more time, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was forcing myself down a path that I never actually chose. The truth is, college was mostly my mom’s idea. She wanted me to go because she wants the best for me and I understood that and I didn’t want to disappoint her so I went along with it.
But eventually I realized something
I’m the one who has to live my life**.**
Ever since I was little, I’ve loved business. I’ve always wanted to build something of my own, own a business, and eventually become an entrepreneur. That feeling never really went away. Even when I decided to go to college, I still had this feeling in the back of my mind that I was supposed to be doing something different. And now I’m asking myself: why am I spending years doing something I already know I don’t want to do?
I know dropping out isn’t automatically some heroic entrepreneurial decision. It could absolutely end up being a mistake. I could fail. I could change my mind. I could look back at 18 and think I was completely wrong. But I also don’t want to spend years living a life that I chose because I was afraid of disappointing someone else.
I want to give myself a chance to see what I’m capable of. I want to work. I want to build businesses. I want to create things. I want to learn about things I’m genuinely interested in. And most importantly, I want to take responsibility for whatever happens next. I’m not expecting to become rich overnight. I’m not expecting everything to work. And I’m definitely not saying college is useless or that everyone should drop out. I’m just saying that college doesn’t feel like my path.
Maybe I’m making the biggest mistake of my life. Maybe I’m making one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I genuinely don’t know yet. But for the first time, I feel like I’m actually choosing my own life instead of following a path because I was scared of disappointing my mom. And honestly, that’s probably the scariest part. I love my mom. I know she only wanted college for me because she wants me to have a good future. I’m not angry at her for that.
I just realized that I can’t live the future she imagined for me. I have to figure out what my own future looks like.
So I guess I’m asking
If you were 18 and had this same feeling that college wasn’t your path and you desperately wanted to build something of your own what would you do?
Would you take the risk and give yourself a set amount of time to prove yourself?
Would you stay in college while building something on the side?
Or would you take the leap and see where it goes?
I’d genuinely like to hear from people who have actually lived through this not just people telling me “college is necessary” or “college is useless.”
I know I’m taking a risk.
I just want to know if taking that risk is worth it.