To put it delicately, my parents did not approve of my early life choices. Basically had a falling out and had to clean up my act before they’d agree to help me financially.
By the time I’d proven I was back on track, our financial situation had deteriorated, so that was no longer an option. Fortunately I qualified for financial aid for a few semesters, and have a friend who owned a landscaping company, so I had stable, decent paying work for years before that.
In hindsight I was lucky, and am grateful.
I majored in Geography/GIS back in the ArcInfo days. lol 1993-1996. then somehow chased down a dream and Interned on Mt Washington in NH when considering Grad schools. lol but then I decided I'd drop out of society for awhile in live in a van and follow a band around the country. after that I came back to reality and worked in Mapping/Navigation, then Local Government in SC, then for Apple in CA and now in Software sales.
Congrats!