I went because anything beats milking cows. As it turned out, my field of study didn't matter, since I got a low draft number and joined the USAF. That led to a nice airline career---I was very lucky. Surprisingly, the college courses I now value most were a couple of music appreciation electives I took for an easy "A".

Making a living comes first, but I think college offers a lot beyond that. It doesn't have to be a four-year program; maybe an evening course here and there at a community college. Quality of life is the ultimate reason for earning money in the first place.