Well, maybe this does not help you but I had a similar experience; only difference is that I got kicked out of school (Medicine).
Let’s start with people. People always respected me. Not after going to the faculty but before. When I got kicked and went back to my hometown, I saw people’s changed attitude. People who called me “Sir” were treating me like I’m shit. People who asked for my opinion on something were giving me advice about what to do next. And their advice was humiliating.
I lost self-respect. How could they maintain it huh?
Anyway, this situation at hand, I found a job in a music market. Stayed there for a while, taught guitar to a couple of people… Then one day a guy came to me for a short translation. I was doing it just to please the guy (He did not treat me like shit), but then he offered money. I wouldn’t take it so he gave me his advice; “If you are free, work as a freelance translator. But go back to your faculty first”. I always thought I had to have some degree to be able to work as a translator. That’s why I did not do it before.
I made some good money on that job. Being familiar with medicine and medical terms, I am still a wanted person around here. Back then, I could estimate if I worked like this for a while, I could stand on my own feet and need no one. After all, that’s why we go to school, right? To be independent (Sort of, except for your future boss).
I worked like that for 3-4 months. Then one day it struck me. What if this thing goes down? What if I stay behind the advancements? I couldn’t work for a translation agency, because I did not have a certificate. I had nothing more than a couple of bucks on my hands.
So I studied and made my way to the faculty again. I was lucky and I could start from where I dropped.
Now I am working as a freelance translator (also have flexible contracts with 2 agencies) and I continue to the school.
This year at school was a little tough for me. Because you know, I could make money! I knew I had to treat either school or translation job as a side-project. But I couldn’t make that decision. That led to inefficient time management, sleepless nights and days etc.
But… Although it is pretty late for this, I managed to make that decision and the primary thing will be my school now. I am the 10th or so oldest in my class, in normal conditions I should have graduated… There are many troubling facts about this, but that’s my choice.
If I had to give you an advice, I’d advise you to do the same. Continue to what you are doing and continue to the school. Pick one of them as your primary objective and the other as your side project. This will provide you some alternatives, and some advantages. For instance, I probably will be the go-to guy when there’s some foreign patient or some English document.
I know, I know, many geniuses who are richer than most of the countries dropped the school… And we tend to see only these people. Because the ones who dropped school and failed with their plans have no means to contact us, do they? One million people dropped school in 2000, 3 of them became successful and we hear about them. The 999.997 people are now living a life they hate.
That’s my opinion