BG, I am with you that college is not for everybody. A big part of the problem is that we have so many people going to college that don’t belong there and will do massive amounts of credits that are not necessary or even applicable to their own betterment or that of society. And the cost for that is too high in many ways.

I believe all kids are born with a good work ethic. However their work ethics are not equally applicable to anything we might choose or expect for them. Some have more of an academic work ethic and others more of a physical work ethic and there is usually a blend.

I have one kid very on the academic side and two that have a heavier blend of physical. They are smart too, doing well with language acquisition and are above average. Could very well be college material, but you won’t see me trying to fit square pegs in round holes! It’s tough because no parent wants their child to be dependent on physical work to make a living. Some middle ground can be sought. I know lots of people think that this thinking is “low brow” …oh well.

I think a lot of parental snobbery kills work ethic. This may be the case with some of the people who end up living in their parents basements, like UCgal mentioned.