[VeniceIsSinking]

IMO:
Not only does it delay maturity, it also delays a serious reality-check. Sure college is about having fun and getting a great education in the process, but when students skip right to, I think they miss out on a lot of valuable life lessons. I can't tell you how many of my peers I see on a daily basis taking their higher-education for granted by literally not learning. You can't expect to learn if you don't do any homework and don't show up to class because you're hung-over from that rockin' party you went to. There are millions of teenagers that cannot go to college because they cannot afford it, while these kind of people get to take the spot of someone who truly deserves it. Sure people have their whole lives, but having maturity that is at least equivalent with your age group will make a big impact on your overall quality of life. The more mature you, the better decsions you make, the more confident you appear in interviews etc.

I'm honestly glad that things worked out the way they did for me. Sure I'm a bit older then my freshmen peers, but I value every minute of my education. I worked in the real world for 3 years and saw how a degree will take you so much further in life. So I'm not taking any moment in college for granted.

Which leads me to another point... a lot of college students leave undergrad thinking they will instantly land a $60,000+ job. If you graduate from an extremely prestigous school and have some great resources to utilize, then this may be true. However, most students don't have the previously mentioned advantages and are devestated when they realize they won't get that dream job right off the bat. Spending some time out in the workforce during school or before it shows you that experience goes a looonnng way. Most likely when students leave school they have no experience in their field, meaning they will get paid less. I had to go through this struggle with my husband who is incredibly bright, had an excellent gpa, lots of activities and did some networking. Needless to say he didn't get his dream job and began feeling pretty down. He refused to understand that having a college degree doesn't mean you will be able to skip all of the b.s. You just get to skip out on some of it! Many of his peers he graduated with suffered from the same "Why did I even bother?" syndrome.

This is life, darlings, the things you want aren't just handed to you on a silver platter. You have to be willing to work for it. Plus you can only put off the real world so long. THe sooner you realize what its like out there, the easier it will be to cope. I think that's a lesson that many students coming out of college miss out on...