That phrase is a thing because K-12 is structured as just learning what the teacher tells you. In undergraduate degrees, the professors are more like guidepost

That phrase is a thing because K-12 is structured as just learning what the teacher tells you. In undergraduate degrees, the professors are more like guideposts and you can't learn everything in their lectures - you have to figure out and understand the material yourself and most people upon finishing K-12 can't do that. I also wasn't one of them, so I also had no trouble in college, but I knew a lot of people this applied to.