I was quite apathetic about college at first, and I resented it for many reasons. Studies showing that college students end up not working in the field their degree is in, degree inflation, the financial costs, etc. But my thoughts changed a bit once I actually got there.

I mean, sure, whatever I learn in the classroom I could with little to moderate difficulty learn on my own. The internet and libraries are a great source to learn new information. But beyond that if you have a good teacher, chances are most of what you'll learn comes from class discussions and whatnot. Two of my favorite classes so far have been my science classes and my psychology class. In both cases I had phenomenal teachers who would incorporate all sorts of things into their lectures, in addition to sharing their own experience and wisdom with us.

It's really whatever you make of it. I want to be a writer, first and foremost, so I see college not so much as going to classes and getting a degree so much as gaining experience to help with my writing. Make friends, ask atypical questions, indulge yourself in various experiences, and so on and so forth. To give an example, my Oceanography professor and I once discussed the hypotheticals of an alien race using gravitational beams to steal all saltwater that was found in the oceans and what the consequences would be (after class, of course! ) It was an interesting question to think about, on both ends.

I'm doing two years at a local college, living at home, before finishing up my final two years at another school. I just finished my first year and by this time next year I'll either be at or preparing to move into my dorm. I've not had any issues with grades (barring this math course I failed because I'm horrible at math), and I socialize as much as I'd like to. Personally, I think the whole "college life" thing is over glorified and presented wrongly in movies and such.