Yeah, to be honest I think I got the better end of the deal actually. Exeter gave me a lot of opportunities academically and the space to get my social abilities together. My friend did like you. There is something strangely inhumane about uni admissions: we over booked accommodation at Exeter by 10% (literally had people sleeping in the common rooms) because the administration said at least 10% would leave before the 6 month mark (homesick mostly). They were not wrong.

It's too much to hope for but... I actually think part of the answer is forcing everyone to wait a year to go to uni. Then they can get themselves together a bit more. They can get being 18 out of their systems. They can apply to what they want, not what mum and dad say. Forcing people to do national service would give people the experience of living away from home before they have to go and fail a degree over it or get a year in and realise they want to be somewhere else doing something else.