I find the whole trend of online studying quite disturbing. From what I've seen, it defines studying as sitting in awe and trying to soak up the knowledge flowi

I find the whole trend of online studying quite disturbing. From what I've seen, it defines studying as sitting in awe and trying to soak up the knowledge flowing from professors, and strives to replace it with possibly more efficient channels and call it the next best thing. All the while completely ignoring the second, in my opinion equally important, part of studying - peer to peer socialization. For me, the people I got to know during studies, and cemented the relationship during various activities not directly related to my field of studies, have proved to be of more value than the lectures attended. Aside from few basic courses that lay the groundwork, my CS studies have been repeated exercise in rapidly getting to know a field enough not to appear incompetent and pass the tests. Granted, this has helped me to the point where I can quickly find solid ground to stand on when thrown in a new technological field, but still, in the last year of my studies, I am working with technologies that have been at best mentioned in couple slides in somewhat related lectures, following methodology that has had been only passingly referenced. The field moves so fast, that by the time someone has developed a good course material on something, it's already yesterdays news. Technologies come and go, but the dude you that woke you the next day after a wild party because a test would be starting in half hour, he will last. And you can't replace that experience with Facebook or Second Life.