Yes, that's why I'm not a lawyer/doctor/rocket scientist....Not everyone will have the opportunity to be one and that's just a fact of life....

I guess it's hard for me to justify "lack of opportunities" as a viable excuse because I've seen both sides of the coin, I have a friend who started working at Costco before it was even known as Costco as a bagger (that be them people who put your groceries into the bag)...Day in and day out he went to work, made sure he did his job the best that he could and went through the ranks as a supervisor...deli manager...manager..etc...I don't know his financial situation but he demonstrates levels of responsibility (for himself, his wife and his new child) that amaze me and I am sure he is compensated for it appropriately. Oh, and he's finishing his college degree that he started the same time as me....one course a semester.

I have another friend who spends his days doing nothing...He has come up with all the excuses you listed below and every one of them can be overcome by a driven person...Walk to work, bike to work, take a bus to work...Once you have a job, don't waste the money you earn, save it for some sort of a course....Take small steps and you will eventually get there. Sitting on the couch all day watching reruns of Saved By the Bell or Law and Order isn't going to get you a better paying job or get you out of the situation you're in..

Work ethic..and personal drive will get people where they want to go...