My dad is making me take out student loans.

Hahahaha no. Your dad can't kick you out until your 18. Once you graduate high school student loans become available and you can use that money to rent a room with a roommate somewhere. Right now, collect your important personal items and keep them at a friend's house whose parents you trust so that your dad can't sell that shit. Because legally, everything you own, he actually owns, so move that stuff out of his control immediately. Even if he does kick you out and you don't want to go through the hassle of getting him in trouble with the law, I'm sure one of your friend's parents will take you in for the remainder of the school year. This is the hardest point in your life, but also a very short time period so just grin and bear it. In less than a year you will be fully in control of your life, don't let your dad or anyone else pressure you into making bad choices. My cousin tried getting me to take out loans for him and I told him no. Now we don't talk that much, and I couldn't be happier; I don't need those people in my life and neither do you. Oh it's your dad? Well then love him from a far but do not let him walk over you. You don't owe him anything and his main concern as a parent should be getting you set up to take on the world by yourself; starting you off in more debt than you need is just bad parenting.

Listen if you've already been accepted to a university, they will provide housing and food that you'll be able to afford through student loans. Better to be in debt due to your own doing than your father's. About whether or not college is worth it, I can tell you if you are going into a STEM degree you will easily remake that money and then much more, it'll be worth it and you barely have to try (just pass your classes with pretty good grades). But if your getting a degree in business or psychology or some super saturated major, you're going to have to fight to stand out and if you aren't at the top of your game the job market will be tough. And forget film studies. Generally, the harder the work of the field, the easier it is to get a high paying job, because, you know, not everyone can do that. Work towards a career in high demand with a good salary that you don't mind doing and college is totally worth it.

Source: Homeless for a while at 18, worked at meaningless jobs for 2 years, community college for 4 years (while working), transferred to a 4 year UC in physics, grad school in materials science and engineering, soon to start 6 figure job. I have always considered myself horrible in math in science, but I just pushed through barely scraping by, but now all that stuff I learned is not too bad, and I'm teaching new students about it. Totally doable.

/r/personalfinance Thread