[chiurox]

Two years ago I had to make a similar decision compared to what the OP did. I was about halfway through a top US university degree as an international student but suddenly excrement hit the fan, in the financial sense. I was faced with the choice of finding work in my home country, or spending another year trying to get enrolled at a university in my country that is worth going to (there aren't that many around here). Out of a whim and despite my lack of real world experience in software development, I posted my resume around and got a temporary job. It led to a better job, which led to another better one and another better one.

While my classmates are graduating this semester, I got to do real world software development, most of the stuff had to be learned on the spot. I frankly don't know if the outcome should I have sticked with college would be better than the path I took, but my choice certainly has been worthwhile. In terms of theoretical foundations, I admit that I'm lacking some, but I constantly supplement it with reading (and this recent wave of online courses has been great!) and self-studying on the side, most of which I try to apply immediately at work. I hardly think enrolled college students get to do that and get feedback from real users (instead of professors/TAs).

On the other hand, most prize the concept of college-life, dorm-life etc, which is great. I did have the opportunity to experience some of that. The problem is when people think that getting into significant debt and the uncertainty of not being able to be employed upon graduation is worth more than doing something else just because society dictates everyone should go to college, then something is wrong.