anyway as i was saying about david being a college drop out. i don’t think it’s ever explicitly stated whether or not he graduates but this is my personal take (:
before any of that i wanna talk about the fact that although his abilities are definitely useful in academic settings, david very actively has always worked to make sure that the things he learned eventually felt grounded in personal effort instead of a mutant ability. he just works backwards in the way he learns things often, but he works hard because it’s important to him that his long term knowledge is based on his own work.
secondly, before david went to xavier’s he was on the fast track for harvard. he had his eyes on the prize and he would have gotten in, with a few other ivy leagues peppered in as back ups. if he had not gone to xavier’s that’s what would have happened ! he would have gone to harvard, he would’ve been top of his class, and honestly he would’ve enjoyed the competitive academic setting. i don’t know if it would’ve been worse or better, but it would’ve been different.
david’s harvard dream came to an abrupt stop when he learned that harvard wouldn’t accept him if he continued on at xavier’s. obviously it sucked, but despite his parents feeling he was hurting his future there he didn’t want to go to a place that would only accept him on the condition that he wasn’t allowed to be openly himself. he’s not ashamed of xavier’s. he’s actually very proud of it, and very proud of the people he met and what he accomplished there.
even in the aftermath of losing his powers david decides he wants to go to college closer to chicago instead. almost immediately after he begins putting serious thoughts into this the institute is attacked, a lot of his friends and fellow students died. safe to say college goes on the back burner.
he does attend sotomayor university, eventually. he’s roommates with america for a brief time. it’s good, it’s fun ! david really genuinely likes learning ! it’s an extra-dimensional institute and for a time it brings him a lot of joy. then school gets attacked ! given the nature of it i don’t think this was as big a surprise, and i feel it’s important to note this isn’t why he didn’t finish his degree here. it wasn’t a thing of bad things keep happening when i try college so maybe it’s not for me because david never gives up. even now if he decided he wanted to give it another shot, he would !
it’s not how he expected to feel about the experience though. he loves learning and he likes the university, but i think it’s more that he thought what would make him feel more fulfilled was a version of his old dreams that worked with his new life. sotomayor was prestigious and challenging, but also didn’t bat an eyelash at him being a (then) former mutant. he just realizes that he’s different and what he wants is different and what’s going to make him happy probably is too. at least right now, he won’t find what he wants at even the best college campus.
and that’s how after two years and only one half of a degree your local genius became a college drop out ! it’s also what leads him to give krakoa and his current occupation a shot !