[stjo]

I somewhat disagree with the other comments. I believe practising, even in your free, time is a dramatically important if your goal is to be one of the best. Look at the titans of our industry. Do you think John Carmack or George Hotz “thinker” less than 40 hours a week? Constant practise and love of your craft is easily the most important factor in becoming great at anything.

With that being said, maybe your son is not interested in becoming the next Bill Gates. It is ok to not be the best. Average developers make a fair living. And even if he has high hopes but no chance of succeeding - maybe let him learn that lesson on his own? Learning to make decisions about one’s own future is much more valuable than anything they teach in college. Let him give up or succeed on his own.