Make no mistake that a degree is primarily an expensive piece of paper that pries open doors. However, you have probably learned a lot more than you think is practically applicable at this time.
Moreover, in today's increasingly competitive job market, I would encourage kids to go for as much education as possible. When I entered the job market, you could get into entry level jobs with no degree and no experience, and an MBA would put you straight into a nice cushy job. Today, we have MBAs all over the place, many of them in entry-level jobs....and even scarier, a lot of these kids are still pursuing PhDs. I give it a generation or two before the new kid in the mail room insists on being called "Doctor".
So yes, not everyone is going to be a rocket scientist, but kids should get an education as a backup plan to whatever dream they want to pursue. But they should still pursue their dream, because there are few things worse than looking back on life and knowing you didn't at least try your best to get what you really wanted.
