I got bits and pieces of your stories and that’s wonderful.
It appears that for some, college is an experience and not necessarily a preparation for a career. For some, it is just gaining more knowledge without a concrete understanding of its practical use. For some, it is preparation for a career they thought they liked which turned out to be just a stepping stone for another career they found and liked. For some, it is a preparation for higher learning, for research opportunities, or for Ph. D. For others, it’s the right choice at the first time and they put it into practical use.
The bottom-line is that every body put their degree to a good use. It’s not a waste of time or money, whether one eventually changed major, or career, or not.
A college degree, in itself, is the planning tool for a future career. It is where and when one will discover what he or she wants to be.
Unfortunately for some, even after graduation, they were still at a lost. It is when they found out that the career is not for them so they studied again and found their true love.
On a side note, if my son suddenly asked a $1000 loan from me and said he wants to start a business in our garage, and that he doesn’t want to study anymore, I will not have a future “Bill Gates” because I will flat-out say “No”. Unfortunately, I am that kind of “dad”.