College is the means to an end for many professions.
If one aspires to be a doctor, lawyer, architect, engineer, etc., it is the only viable method of achieving that goal.
College can be valuable to talented people who aren't quite sure what they want to do with their talents. It provides an opportunity to explore areas of study that the individual may not have been aware of.
That said, college is not for everybody, nor is it at all necessary in order to have a rewarding career. Most of the trades require no college education. Most of the trades are jobs that cannot be "off-shored".
But, nearly all careers, whether they be "white collar" or "blue collar" require at least some education beyond that which one obtains in high school.
If you have some intelligence, but aren't sure what to do with it, the US military offers some options worth considering. You can learn a trade that will serve you well upon discharge (electronics, computer work, mechanics of all kinds, nuclear science, electrical skills, welding, on and on) and if you play your cards right you might get to see some of the more interesting parts of the world as well.
I am NOT a military recruiter.
If one can afford to kick around the country and experience life until he/she figures out what to do, that certainly is an option.
I am not saying any one of these options is better than the other for you. Only YOU can decide what direction you want to take.
I do think it unwise to categorically say that college is a waste of time and money. It certainly is for directionless people that go to college on someone else's dime and thus have no personal investment, but for folks with specific goals, going to college is a critical step to attaining those goals.
I am way too old to be considered "the next generation", but I do stick my nose in here once in a while to see if I can contribute.
No offense meant by my providing my $.02.