As long as you have experience degrees aren't that necessary, in school your really just paying for experience. The problem is without paying for that experience your relying on luck to get the experience you need.
I work harder than I study. I take school as a joke, and do the bare minimum. With work, I can see what I get out of it right away so I guess I go harder for work.
For me it was just being in school that helped me get my job. I never took school seriously and even less once I got my job because I realized how little it was going to help me in the real world. I was only in school for the piece of paper saying I graduated with my BS in IT. Work harder, 100% for me.
I liked College. I just finished in December and am missing it. Classes are easier than work. Happily I only have to work for 8 months before I go back to school for graduate school. I really do think that education makes a huge difference, particularly for people who know what they want to do.