I see this trope oft-repeated on HN and I just don't think it's true. I certainly hope that that wasn't your college experience. My experience was incredible, b

I see this trope oft-repeated on HN and I just don't think it's true. I certainly hope that that wasn't your college experience. My experience was incredible, both academically and socially, and it truly changed the way I think. The level of abstraction with which I approach the world now is way higher than when I entered college, and I credit that to the math classes I took.This abstract thinking makes me a better problem solver in every part of my life. I also walked away with a handful of friends that will be my best friends until the day I die. College was the crucible that forged those friendships, and I haven't found a substitute for that since. To you point about "career training", I don't see college as a vocational school. The best point of college in my opinion is to learn not only a lot of facts and specialize in an area of study, but more importantly, to learn how to think and solve problems. If you learn a lot of facts and rely solely on the facts that you've learned, then obviously you won't adapt well to the real world where most of the problems you encounter are situations with imperfect information and no clear best solutions. However, if you choose your college degree wisely and learn how to learn, then you'll be able to tackle most challenges that come your way later on in life, both in your job and outside.