Not much more to add that hasn't been said. Don't do something that you can't see doing 40 years from now. If you do go to college, have a specific job in mind that the degree will help you obtain. I know so many people that were pushed to go to college, just to obtain a degree that they had no idea how to apply in the job market. I can say that even in some of the factories around here, if you don't have a degree you will get put in the bottom of the barrel and slim chance of promotion, which is sad, but true.
Like JBrown said, credit cards aren't all bad. Get a low limit card as soon as you are out of school. Put a few hundred dollars on it and pay the minimum amount every month, just keep a low balance on it. This will establish you credit which will come in handy down the road when you go to buy a house or car. My wife found this out the hard way. Even though she had a stash of cash in the savings and never had any debt, it actually hurt her when she went to purchase a vehicle because she had zero credit. If it weren't for mine, she would have been stuck.
Last little piece of advice that has helped me out a lot over the years is don't settle for mediocre. Whether it be work/school/whatever, be the best at it. Make yourself stand out as a student and/or employee and it will pay you back a ton in the future. If you are the best worker on the job, when it comes to lay offs or whatever it may be, you will be in a great position.
Best of luck with whatever you decide bud..
