Well, let's see. The data shows that people who go to college make more money and find it easier to find a job in both good times and bad. That people with graduate degrees are more likely to find their work satisfying and interesting. The data show that people in their twenties just don't make much money, but that education makes a big difference in earnings for the majority of adults' working lives.
My own experience as a teenager from the working class and a high school with "Vocational" in the name was that college was a busy, joyful and life-changing experience. Most of my satisfying friendships are from my college years. Education led to many opportunities for a wide range of experiences.
And teaching students without goals is like pushing ropes on a daily basis. I see a thousand little decisions that students make having more of an impact than IQ.
