It's been that way for some time now. The amount of formal education a person has no longer holds much impact, and many college students who graduate and enter into the work force are finding that 40 hrs/wk of their lives are meaningless and boring. It's increasingly more difficult for anyone to be satisfied with their professional life...getting to do what you really want to do...your "dream job" etc.

You can't just have a college education anymore. You have to be truly talented in whatever it is that you do (or at least appear talented to other people, aka Dr. Phil), and it needs to be matched with even greater ambition and the willingnesss to sacrifice other parts of your life in order to narrow your focus. People with a college education are not entitled to anything and do not automatically get to have "good things" in their careers.

The relentless pursuit of what you want is everything. Think Daniel Plainview.   He knows how to get things done.

not to mention, most of those in college are there because at some point in their life they had it molded into their minds that in order to be successful, you need a college degree. It's a risk anymore, spend the money to learn a little extra so that in the end there's a chance that you could earn a little extra, or save the money and retain what you already know and find a career that fits your needs. It's a 50/50 chance either way you go nowadays. Degrees really no longer mean anything, it's whether you are more talented than the previous Joe Shmow they interviewed before you, You may have the degree, but if he grabs there attention and seems to really know what hes talking about, he's got the job and your on the streets.

And if you do land a job and join a company, you can't afford to stop developing your skills. You have to keep pushing on. Otherwise you might remain in the same position your entire career. Everyone wants to be on the top of the pyramid, and it requires many skills to get there.

I think many people get too comfortable with where they are at in life, and their ambition declines as they get older. Uh, people need to find ways to maximize their talents, or they will always regret it in the end.