Here's something to keep in mind. Learning at the university level is not always about obtaining information or hard skills, per se. As one's schooling progresses, there is often a focus on the tangibles, but certainly not at first. For example, I have a doctorate in physical therapy, and I had to take general chemistry during my first year of college to get into graduate school four years later. I never used general chemistry to get my professional license or to treat patients. Naturally, I "used" the specific skills I learned in PT school. But, chemistry, along with philosophy, literature, etc., helped me and countless others professionally because they can be vehicles to success in ANY field, including REI, regardless of the strict utilization of concepts on the undergraduate syllabus. For example, we're all subject to various cognitive biases, or the systematic errors of our thinking process, such as confirmation bias, and learning for learning's sake is a great way to promote meta-cognition and think about our thinking. And we can always improve our vocabulary and writing skills. These things could be the difference between minor and major success, or any success at all, in REI or anything we do. One may see "Intro to Music History" and "Philosophical Ethics" as a waste of time- "when will I EVER use this? This is BS." And that is understandable, because it's true, somewhat. But it's not the whole story. If one honestly, truly puts in the effort to learn how to learn and recognize strengths and weaknesses and improving one's thought processes, the benefits will manifest itself in one's personal and professional life. There is absolutely no debate over this- so long as there is openminded-ness. Note that I'm not saying: "Without this life path, you are doomed for failure." I'm saying that there is no doubt as to the benefits of this path, AKA chances of success are increased, though absolutely not guaranteed.
It comes down to this: we don't know what we don't know. It's the "unknown unknown", as it were. The more we are exposed to foreign concepts, the more we avoid the hubris issue. We're less likely to make emotional decisions- which is ESSENTIAL in REI. At a foreclosure auction, it's probably pretty easy to over-bid when you're essentially in a "competition" with someone, for example. Higher education will not, unfortunately, bestow immunity to the deficiencies of the human brain. But even two years at a junior college could be the difference in your business- and, most likely, you'll never even recognize the myriad ways in which this is true.
Having said all that, college these days is mostly a rip-off, in terms of tuition, etc. It's sort of criminal, actually: I did go to a private college, which was insanely expensive, and I know my education didn't justify the cost. I then went to a large, public, in-state university for PT school, and I later worked with folks to went to Columbia, which represented itself as producing therapists that were somehow "superior" to other schools. We all passed the same exam. We had the same salaries. They have enormous debt. I do not. If someone with an Ivy League degree is a better clinician, it's probably not a result of their education- most likely, it's because they were intelligent enough to be admitted in the first place.
The trick is do figure out how to get the most out of your money, and to understand that it's about personal growth- it's not worth it to just "go through the motions." It's just like any other investment, but in this case, you're simply investing in yourself.
