I think a lot depends on how well the student has been prepared for university level work and commitments. We have a slight problem in the UK at the moment with this. The A-level styloe exam used to represent a break point in teaching/learning style, between the more delivered high school material and the more self-reliant, study skills related material of A-level. This meant kids got a bit of a culture shock when they moved from high school to college (pre-uni). Because so many kids entered college ill-prepared for the change in study pattern and found it difficult to adjust, the A-level course was slightly altered to make it less of a change in tone. Consequently, the A-levels now follow on more directly (skills wise) from high school, but in doing so have become less of a preparation for degree style study. Now, the break point and culture shock occurs when the student passes from A-level to degree. Added to that very significant factor are all the factors mentioned elsewhere in this thread, regarding student behaviour, changing focus/ambitions/individual university performance.
Some universities have lower entrance and survival requirements and so they often pick up those students who haven't managed to get into/maintain course requirements in the other universities, so most people who wish to stay in uni usually can do; unless what drove them out is financial burdens or other personal problems.
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Most students don't take advantage of all that is available to them and don't spend nearly enough time doing the work.
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I suspect that's partly to do with not really understanding what's required of them before they begin the course. No matter how many people tell them how much harder the work is at uni, they may be unlikely to actually relate that to themselves, if they have always managed to coast through high school, or laze about for most the year then rescue the situation with a few well chosen weeks of mad catch up.
Also, doing 'enough' work can be problematic for some people. For instance, I am currently doing a full time degree. It requires appoximately 8 hours teaching time and approx. 35 hours of reading and independant study. I usually manage about 25 hours a week of independant reading and independant study during term time. I am juggling with that a job which on a slow month takes up about 12 hours a week and during busy times can reach up to 30. I feel the lack of those additional hours of study. There are many people juggling far more than that. For the younger ones, there are often similar juggling feats, with many of them working in bars until 3 and 4 am a couple of nights a week. Added to that is the additional pliving in halls away from their parents for the ressure if the student is first time. It's not unreasonable to expect that a number of youngsters will get drawn into the extra curricular activities in a big way (indeed are positively encouraged to) and maybe also feel they aught to be involved in the campus nightlife scene. Everywhere I go in my Uni there are people handing out flyers for one club or another, or holding up banners for some campus event, political or party related. I'd have wasted uni if I'd have come here as a kid i know I would.