This Game Stopped Me From Dropping Out Of College

Summary

The narrator recalls reaching a breaking point in their third year of college. Although they had a scholarship, rent and other expenses weighed heavily on their single mother. The narrator felt isolated from classmates, disliked the competitive culture, and regretted choosing urban planning. They seriously considered dropping out.

During vacation, they tried Night in the Woods, drawn to its story-focused style. They praise the writing, saying the characters and relationships feel real even without voice acting. Players take the role of Mae, a college dropout who returns to her hometown and discovers that her old friends have moved on to adult responsibilities.

One of the game’s most painful scenes is Mae’s confrontation with Bea. Bea resents Mae for leaving college—an opportunity Bea never had. Her mother’s cancer treatment and funeral left the family in financial ruin, forcing Bea to work and support her father. Mae’s suggestion that Bea simply quit her job only makes things worse. They eventually reconcile after Mae explains how serious her own mental-health struggles were.

Another moment that hits hard is Mae’s conversation with her mother. Mae’s parents sacrificed enormously to send her to college, even taking on a mortgage that now threatens their home.

The narrator jokes that much of Mae’s life is “peak unemployment behavior”: wandering around town, getting into shenanigans, and playing in a band that is more hobby than career. But Mae’s story made the narrator reconsider how much they had taken their own education for granted. Thinking of their mother’s sacrifices, they persevered, earned an urban-planning degree, and received an A-minus on their thesis. They conclude that finishing college gave them a better chance of leaving their country.

At the end, the narrator thanks viewers—especially Finnish viewers—for helping their video about Finland reach 11,000 views.

Personalities Featured

• The narrator: Shares their college struggles and explains how the game changed their perspective.
• Mae Borowski: A college dropout trying to reconnect with her hometown and friends.
• Bea: Mae’s friend, whose family circumstances forced her to give up her college plans.
• Greg: Mae’s other close friend, mentioned as someone she can spend time with.
• Mae’s mother: Disappointed and worried about the sacrifices the family made for Mae’s education.