note, the person who asked this question is 17 years old.

i think a LOT of things about university. from a network and life skills perspective they are great. from a learning perspective they are OK. from a pricing perspective they are a total scam.

when online courses became "mainstream," say thanks to Udemy and other marketplace aggregators, self-paced education began to pick up steam as a cheap alternative to the Real Thing, In Person Training. soon students in both trenches realized: online learning can be just as effective as in-classroom.

so the next wave of controversy began, and i don't think we'll find our way out of this for several more years: university is a more sought after credential.

it's like saying, "would you rather have a Euro or a US Dollar?" the answer is, it depends. on what you're trying to buy, and the moment in history you're asking.

for lawyers, college is better. for programmers, online courses are probably better. for artists, online courses. for writers, (cough) actually writing vs studies of any kind. and on and on.

there's no denying that college opens up doors in jobs and professional connections. but that's just now, not forever.

as 17 year olds like the one who asked this question take online courses and become managers, they will not look for college credentials, and college will lose its power.