It was my four year college, I thought it was a joke, and upper division class worse. I once had a accounting teacher sit at the front of the room, and read the text book word for word. He did tell us class participation was not expected.

That said, going to a community college can be depressing.

Something like 90% do not finish their General Education courses, and don't transfer to a four year. They just drop out.

Most countries' universities seem to work like the community college: it's near your high school, you go there and just study, the dorms for people from other cities are just cheap flat in the surrounding area, and you try to make your campus as small and focused on study as possible.

At least that's how it was in France, and my memories or universities are full of technical discoveries, amazing teachers and passionate friends. Not lifestyle changes, but intellectual ones.

The drinking games and parties, they stated at 16 and felt not very different at uni, just normal part of youth.

And so there is an explosion of exploration, and only some of it is intellectual.

No regrets at all and am grateful for the opportunity to rebound from a lousy HS freshmen year and still do well for myself.