This is a fun thread. Take a look at it money-wise.
If you went offshore right out of high school and went to Nicholls on your days home, how much money would you make in 4 years? I have no clue what a roustabout makes, but I am going to guess about $50k for offshore work. So lets say $200k over 4 years. This is assuming you that program is set up to allow you to finish the degree in 4 years.
http://www.nicholls.edu/doas/degree-...leum-services/
The degree you end up with is Petroleum Services. I guess that will work if you want to be an operator.
On the other hand, if you went to UL, for example, in pretty much any engineering discipline, but especially Petroleum, Mechanical, Chemical, or Electrical, you would have a great shot at getting on with a service company as a MWD Field Engineer. So in 4 years you could have an engineering degree, and a job with 1st year earnings of $80k+ and second year of $100k+. You can stay in M/LWD and make $150k+ working about 250 days a year. Or you could become a DD making say $200k+ but working even more days. HOWEVER the real deal is parlaying that field experience and your engineering degree into an office job making $150k+ working normal hours in your A/C office in town.
Bottom line is your potential earnings as an engineer far outpace the earnings of an operator, plus you don't have to put in the OT that the operators have to put in just to make that money.
btw I was an LWD hand for 5 years, now working in the office. I have a B.S. in History but now I am going back to school for engineering. Still can't decide between Mechanical or Petroleum. It's what I should have done when I was your age!