I didn’t go to college.
I grew up in the U.K. with unemployed parents - very little money, but a decent high school level education and got accepted to a mid level uni.
To earn some money to pay for tuition I took a gap year (in 1997). Decided not to go to uni as I liked having some money in my pocket.
I found myself working in call centers - good at communicating and working under pressure. After a couple of years I moved to a bigger tech support contact center. Within 6 months there I became a trainer, and a couple of years later got head hunted to a big U.K. company (based on connections I had made) and built a successful career in training over a decade. I ended up in a software dev company. After helping them fix training issues (about 6 years ago) I then got asked to move into Sales Engineering. I now work for a top software company in the SFBay Area as a senior sales engineer. I make a good six figure income, and have recruiters contacting me weekly.
The main things I’ve seen for anyone - if you do go to college, don’t or drop out...
Finding a niche you are good at and enjoy (or can at least stomach): the quicker you find it the better, and sticking with it and building a career is what can pay off - even when it gets tough. After my decade long stint in training I could command a good wage. The experience and examples of successful projects, etc, really make a difference.
Recognize opportunity, plan for it and seize it when you see it: When building a career you need to have a plan and goals. Initially (many years ago) it was earning my age in £’s and moving up in org roles minimum every 3 years (and I had eyes on those roles after 6 months where I was - though always kept an eye for other opportunities).
Help grow others careers and support your network: Helping peers find other opportunities and grow their careers, and staying in touch with those I’ve worked with in various organizations has helped grow my career immensely.
Work hard, take on new challenges. When asked to do something new or take on new responsibilities don’t be scared to say yes. Take it as a learning opportunity. If it’s something outside your day to day responsibilities have an end date/outcome agreed - or a planned point to talk about what it means for your role going forward.
Have fun, even when it gets stressful. You have to be able to laugh about the crazy and crappy times as well as the good ones. Pick roles and organizations based on your personality fit as well as skills fit. Who you work with can make a big difference.