> (a) They can become a receptionist or barista once they've definitively proved to themselves that they can't get a degree and do something more fulfilling, in

> (a) They can become a receptionist or barista once they've definitively proved to themselves that they can't get a degree and do something more fulfilling, intellectually stimulating and ultimately likely to lead them to lives with more freedom and time to devote to their own projects. It's entirely possible to be intellectually capable of passing a degree, and even to force one's self to do it, but be utterly unsuited for the sort of work that it equips you for. More to the point, it's reasonable to expect people to know that about themselves before they go, school work is not that dissimilar to university work. If you're struggling to get through a degree, having to really force yourself to do the work, I question whether you're likely to find what it enables you to do more fulfilling or intellectually stimulating. What possible reason would you have to believe that continuing to do something that makes you miserable will make you happy if you end up in a job where those skills are relevant? It is possible to be smart but uninspired. And the down side of people telling you not to give up, that this roll of the dice will pay off even if the others didn't, is the gambler at the table as morning rolls in, holding his last five dollars in the world. This has never worked out before, but now... College isn't for everyone, and many will know long before they go whether they enjoy the sort of work they're likely to do there. They can go later, when and if they discover a passion it would have value to. In the absence of such, their going is a waste of time and money whether or not they pass.