In theory that's true, but, in reality, having a criminal record does disqualify you from a great deal of jobs, particularly those that pay a living wage.
That being said: the point clearly isn't that he's not doing enough to improve himself intellectually, it's that he's holding on to a resentment that stops him from functioning. He dropped out and has a record because he's retaliating against people who he perceives as attacking him unjustly.