The advantages of college are numerous and can be far, far greater than the award of a degree. For me, college was a fantastic opportunity to develop as a person. Even if I'd fallen out of high school into the job I have now (which I wouldn't have, because a prerequisite is an engineering degree), I wouldn't have had nearly the opportunities to meet people, develop myself, take up hobbies, discover what I enjoy (and don't enjoy) in life - basically, to grow. A 9-5 is very restrictive compared to the freedom of long summers, flexible working hours and impromtu socialising of college.
It's worth saying that not everyone gets the same out of it. I know enough people who sat stoned on their couch for 3 or 4 years to know that every individual extracts a different amount of value from college. Additionally, I live in the UK, where fees were (until last year anyway) $5000 a year. Some of the fees people face at US colleges are outrageous. The experience is simply not worth $50,000/year.
Why should even the ideal version of this "Life Experience" cost anything to anyone? Why does it have to take place at a college?
And so you're telling me that now you have a job, your personal development has ceased? that you don't develop yourself, try to meet people, take up hobbies, or discover what you enjoy?
This is the problem! When you're in massive amounts of debt, you're constantly working. You become a slave to a wage and you are less than a whole person.
Why would you ever work a 9 to 5 for someone else unless you had no choice?
It's worth saying that not everyone gets the same out of it. I know enough people who sat stoned on their couch for 3 or 4 years to know that every individual extracts a different amount of value from college. Additionally, I live in the UK, where fees were (until last year anyway) $5000 a year. Some of the fees people face at US colleges are outrageous. The experience is simply not worth $50,000/year.