I have to say I agree. In high population density areas I've never had trouble find groups of intelligent people working on issues and sharing ideas - active po

I have to say I agree. In high population density areas I've never had trouble find groups of intelligent people working on issues and sharing ideas - active political groups, political philosophy Meetup groups, programming groups, etc. Usually these groups are more interesting than their college counterparts, since they have a greater diversity of individuals, avoid things like the inherent student/professor divisions one finds in college, and often are more in touch with real world problems and experiences. Nor is there a shortage of cultural and intellectual events - there are often free talks from famous authors, different cultural festivals, art exhibits, etc. Or sports, for that matter. I remember reading on a financial site that bundled products are often a disadvantage for the consumer, since they force you to buy products you don't need. This is how I feel about college. I appreciate that there are many people who don't take advantage of cultural and intellectual events unless pushed, or people who don't want to live in a population dense area outside of a dormitory setting. But there is often a lack of understanding that many of us do take advantage of these things outside of a college area, that the world isn't necessarily an intellectual wasteland outside of the university setting. But when we want the necessary credentials for a career provided by a university (and the somewhat poor training that accompanies it), we're forced to pay for many things we simply don't want or need from the university.