I suspect the kids that are successful in the workplace after graduating college had parents that expected a great deal out of them for the first 18 years of life. I know I had expectations for my children that were heavily influenced by my own experiences growing up. My kids had no problems transitioning to the workplace after graduating.
That’s one thing I like about the program my daughter is in at Drexel University - They go out and work at jobs in their field of study for 6-month stints (in my daughter’s case, Biomedical Engineering). They not only get to figure out whether they like and can be successful in their major, they also get experience applying for a job, getting up out of bed and fulfilling an employer’s expectations.
They are far ahead of their peers walking out with their degree.