Good. Not every kid needs a 4-year degree, and I think it's despicable that we shove them into it simply to sacrifice them into debt slavery at the altar of the district wanting to win a ribbon.
I also think it's despicable that we look down on people who want to do jobs that don't require a 4-year degree. I'd love to see some communications major try to wire a house, fix a car, or read a CT. This stuff takes more brain power than your average communications major ever uses in their lives, and none of it requires a 4-year degree. Hell, let's be real, most 4-year degrees don't require a 4-year degree either. We've just arbitrarily decided they're going to be 4 years.
We tell children their happiness is less important than winning superficial social approval by going a more expensive and time-consuming route. If someone is happy being a make-up artist, or a chef, or a welder, why on earth shouldn't they be?
A lot of degrees, especially in the BA category, have simply become status markers with little to no practical application. See: the struggle of every English major post-graduation.
But along those lines, I'm really tired of seeing people berate them for getting these useless degrees and using it as a reason to punish them even more. Look, man. When these kids were 16 years old, their school, academic counselor, and probably their parents, fought tooth and nail and convince them that even a pointless major is better than just going to trade school. That they would be more secure even with a useless degree than they would be with a practical certification. They were kids. They trusted their elders, already living in the real world, to steer them right.
And in some cases I saw, they even told their kids they would kick them out and pull the college fund if they didn't go to a 4-year college. Actually, my mother attempt to coerce me into it as well (not just the schooling, but the school, the timing, and the major, or she'd take my fund -- I couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever even met me, to think that would work on my personality). I held my ground, but most of my peers didn't. I understand why they didn't. I had a rough couple years. I'm just really stubborn.
If you wanna be a lawyer, yeah, go to college.
If you wanna be a mechanic, don't let anyone convince you a useless BA and a mountain of debt you'll never make enough to pay off is a better idea than making yourself happy with a certification that will let you do your dream, for less.