I agree with you but what you've described is a kind of idealized depiction of a college student. In real life, there's a lot of partying that may build certain

I agree with you but what you've described is a kind of idealized depiction of a college student. In real life, there's a lot of partying that may build certain social skills but doesn't really justify the massive cost. The huge amount of substance abuse and generally immature behavior of my fellow 1st and 2nd year peers was ridiculous, as was their inattention to their studies. It was, for many, nothing but a prolonged adolescence as well as a big waste of time and (parents') money. Grad school was more like a scholarly atmosphere as you described; we'd regularly meet after class at the coffee shop and discuss nearly everything. But we all had our own apartments and private lives.