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Not a veteran, recent graduate so take my advice with grain of salt if you will.
Post-secondary education opens many windows of opportunities, but at the end of the day it is up to you to take advantage of it. There are many students who do not take advantage of the many resources available during their academic career, and when they graduate, they complain that their degree is useless in getting them a job.
I agree with what Vege said. University was the biggest turning point for my life. Prior to university, I was just an immature nerdy kid who played a lot of video games. 5 years at SFU taught me a lot about myself and completely changed me.
Personally, I think these are 2 of the greatest benefits in post-secondary:
1. Co-ops, work placements, internships: I think this is one of the greatest benefits of post-secondary education. Where else do you find entry level positions that are in your area of study at some of the largest and best companies in the city? Many of these companies re-hire their co-op students after they graduate for permanent positions, and even if not, the experience is extremely valuable and really helps you land your first job. Every single one of my friends who did a co-op or internship has been able to find a good job within 6 months of graduating.
Also, it gives you the opportunity to try out various career paths easily. A friend of mine studies accounting and has been wanting to be a CA/CPA ever since first year. About a year ago, he learned about MIS and business related positions within technology and decided to do an 8 month co-op in a tech consulting firm. Now, he's decided and on path to do a specialized accounting route that combines technology and accounting. Similarly, I thought I was going to be an accountant ever since high school. I landed an internship in a non-accounting position, fell in love with it and have been here since I've graduated.
2. Networking A former coworker of mine got his job through networking and meeting people at his university's alumni club. He was at a football night for the Vancouver chapter of his alumni group and one of the members found out he was unemployed. That person connected him with one of the hiring managers and within a week he was hired.
Many jobs now require some kind of post secondary education as a bare minimum. Another thing... you're going to hear success and failure stories from both parties. There are hugely successful people who never stepped foot in a college/university, but there are also many failures. Do what is right for you/your situation.
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