I think the key is curiousity. Without it, if the process is reduced to just checking boxes, you're right. Something is lost. Asking questions is crucial. I

I think the key is curiousity. Without it, if the process is reduced to just checking boxes, you're right. Something is lost. Asking questions is crucial. If you cannot formulate the right questions, you cannot progress in learning. This student sounds like a self-starter. I just think it's uncalled for to question what he did. Even if he thinks of it as "just checking boxes". He might not think of it that way in years to come. He did the work. He kept his GPA up. Hopefully he was intellectually curious and he formulated questions (even if he never got the chance to ask them). If he has aspirations for grad school, "it's not over yet". There's still plenty of time to reconsider viewing his education as "checking off boxes" and to become more curious. Meanwhile he did the work. And that's more than many students do.