Rhysand and his siblings were put through classes to show manners and other things that would keep them a peg above most of society. They had the wealth of the royals, without the bloodline to propagate it. But that did not matter. Rhysand and his family wanted for nothing, and whenever they got in a pickle, their father would easily bail them out. Because of this, Rhysand learned that money goes a long way. He never had to get a job, and was told he could never get "into the family business", so he didn't. Instead of trying to join the army or find a job, he hung around the family mansion. He was not driven to change his life, until he grew bored and decided to go to school to become a professor. What could be a better profession than to have a room full of eyes all on you?