It depends on the individual. At 18, I knew I wasn't really ready to go to college, test scores notwithstanding. I didn't go to college full time until years later. By then, not only was I more mature, I was really ready to concentrate on my school work. Skipping class and getting drunk just didn't hold much interest with me, especially since I was working my way through college.

For too many kids, college is little more than 4 more years of delayed adulthood. They may not be living at home anymore but they're still being supported my mommy and daddy. They have little clue as to what the real world is about.

Not everyone needs a degree to make a good living. My wife is a nurse. She used to work for some oral surgeons. The dental hygenists in her office started at $45 an hour and that's with just 2 years of training. X-ray technicians can make a good living with only 2 years of training, too. There are more jobs like that than most people realize.