"It teaches kids social interaction, and gives them lifetime friends."
I guess I did it wrong. The only friends I have from college are the same ones I had before college. I have a few facebook acquaintances too, but it would be a stretch to call them friends.
One of the benefits of going to an elite school in an area you don't directly live in is that you are forced to make friends with the people around you. I'm confident that after I graduate I made some serious friends (and connections) here not only because I had the experience of being forced to socialize with a new group of people, but also that I know everyone else was in the same position.
I'd almost say that the network itself is worth the price I paid for college. Just looking at the people I know, I can probably connect myself to someone in any of the top 20 US schools in one or two degrees of separation. I assume this is how things like banking and executive networks are built, although that's not my field.
I possibly did. I worked 3 jobs while mostly putting myself through school. My parents helped a bit in the first and second year, I took a semester out, and ended up taking out a student loan the last year (and still had some credit card debt as well).
I had friends in classes, and we'd hang out sometimes, but this notion of 'lifelong friends made in college' just doesn't seem to feel very real. It also doesn't seem to be the case for many of the people I know. Yes, they made friends in college, but for the most part those friendships have about the same impact as high school friends - typically, not much after you leave the shared space.
I had friends in classes, and we'd hang out sometimes, but this notion of 'lifelong friends made in college' just doesn't seem to feel very real
Same boat here. I worked year-round to put myself through state school, and lived at home (20 miles off campus). I had few peers in my CS program, most others had only casual interest. My friends who went to Berkeley made life-long friends by living in dorms and playing sports with fellow nerds.
I guess I did it wrong. The only friends I have from college are the same ones I had before college. I have a few facebook acquaintances too, but it would be a stretch to call them friends.