I liked college. I entered at 18, graduated at 22, and have been working for over a decade in the tech industry since.
College is good just for the experience at that age. Certainly I had points where I thought it was "fake" and isolated -- but guess what, working in tech can make you isolated too!
It's just a different experience, and I totally get that many people cannot afford it. I probably have spoiled peers, but most of them were in some kind of school well into their late 20's, often into their 30's (Ph.D.'s, medical school, general listlessness) Compared to that, 4 years in college seems pretty moderate.
If I had been working for 15 years in tech without even going to college, I would have probably had a crisis by now... not that I haven't had mini-crises, but I think going to college actually does give you some perspective.
FWIW I also still read academic papers, which I don't think I would do if I hadn't gone to college (I never got a Ph.D.). So it did help me learn how to learn.
College is good just for the experience at that age. Certainly I had points where I thought it was "fake" and isolated -- but guess what, working in tech can make you isolated too!
It's just a different experience, and I totally get that many people cannot afford it. I probably have spoiled peers, but most of them were in some kind of school well into their late 20's, often into their 30's (Ph.D.'s, medical school, general listlessness) Compared to that, 4 years in college seems pretty moderate.
If I had been working for 15 years in tech without even going to college, I would have probably had a crisis by now... not that I haven't had mini-crises, but I think going to college actually does give you some perspective.
FWIW I also still read academic papers, which I don't think I would do if I hadn't gone to college (I never got a Ph.D.). So it did help me learn how to learn.