> and university is the reason. But not the sole mechanism by which you could have gained that experience. Prior to uni I spent time drifting around youth hos

> and university is the reason. But not the sole mechanism by which you could have gained that experience. Prior to uni I spent time drifting around youth hostels in western Europe. That was affordable even for someone from a Belfast council estate. I bunked with people from literally all around the World and learned more about humanity than I had done in 18/years prior. Within weeks of starting a job I was sent to Illinois for three months and again had an eye-opening in blue-collar American culture. The Simpsons suddenly made sense. In contrast for me uni was boring, partisan and segregated. It even had an International Students' Centre where they could congregate away from the locals, because their parents were paying huge fees whilst we were there on meagre Giro grant cheques. I suppose I learned about capitalism there. I'm keener for my kids to do six years in the military before even thinking of uni.