Knowing if college is right for you is a difficult decision to make. Many people straight up refuse to go to college, thinking that they can make it without school. Others just enroll because they think it's what everyone else does. Both instances are examples of bad reasons to avoid/go to school. Here are some actual reasons why college might be best for you, or not.
When you know exactly what you want to do, and you're 100% sure of it, it becomes a lot easier to pick what to do. If you want to become a doctor, you know you have to go to school and get through medical school to become a doctor. Usually, these types of career choices are those which require a degree. It's pretty rare to find a career choice that people want to do that don't require college.
This might seem like a bad statement; after all, people can succeed without a degree. The thing is, factually, a college degree is still more than worth it. The issue many people run into is picking the wrong degree. Many schools don't provide resources to say what you can do with X degree, and people enter the workforce completely unprepared for the lack of jobs in a field or domain. Those who have a drive to live a better life are usually those who pick strong degrees that have, statistically speaking, the best ROI. Degrees in STEM and business usually lead to the highest long term returns.
Getting a degree for free is basically like getting handed 1.2 million dollars. Yes, that's the lifetime worth of a college degree, and that 1.2 million is literally free. In this example, there is literally no reason not to take the college route.
College can be a great opportunity to grow, meet new people, explore new passions, and, well...do other things. This is a perfectly fine reason to want to go to school as long as you have proper balance.
If you have no idea what you want to do with your life, you shouldn't just go to school with no plan. Now, this isn't saying you shouldn't go to school; rather, you should go to school later. School will always be there. Take a gap year, go explore interests. College is a really expensive endevor, and you don't want to go in, get a degree, and realize you hate the opportunities you have.
There are plenty of other options than college, and if you have options outside of school that you really want to pursue, go for it. In the past, college was seen as a must to get into certain roles, but nowadays with the availability of information getting a job without school is much easier.
Some people need time to go in. Whether it's due to mental health, home challenges, or any other mix of reasons some people simply get to college later, and there's nothing wrong with that.
I get it. You really want to get out into the workforce and do something. It makes sense to want to be hands on as soon as possible. Just make sure you have something lined up here; otherwise you'll struggle a bit to make ends meet.
Ultimately, the decision to go to college isn't necessarily a black and white decision. People often forget that school will always be an option that exists. You can work for a full decade before going to school, or go straight out of HS. The decision is ultimately yours to make.