Actually, your description of college seems to fit most large cities as well, or pretty much any place with a large transient population. So GP's point might s

Actually, your description of college seems to fit most large cities as well, or pretty much any place with a large transient population. So GP's point might still be true, albeit in an unintended way. Cities are sufficiently similar to large universities that people who are familiar with college will often find city life familiar as well.