[edit: word choice]
[edit: word choice]
With that said, I have friends who went directly from high school to university and I have friends who skipped it all together. All of them are doing brilliantly and work with things they are passionate about. Things tend to work themselves out if you have a burning passion for something.
I decided to do this because I didn't feel, at the time, there was a college that was affordable, that had a degree that was relevant enough for what I wanted, and would fit my unique personality and approach to things. It was a gut feeling that college really isn't best for me. And it's definitely not a general rule of thumb for everyone.
I'm a self learner and like doing things with my own style and attitude. As far as the where I want it to take me part, I want to have my own startup one day, solve a problem that users care about, make money, and be happy every step of the way. Happy being relative here. Obviously some days will be bad, but you get the idea.
[Edit] What I described above is probably how the majority of HN feels. Ha.