My experience, many decades ago, taking lower-level Philosophy classes at a "top-ish" American research university:

- The first 2+ courses in Philosophy were great stuff, expanding my worldview & understanding.

- After that...the subject plunged to far-less-than-worthless. Required readings became impenetrable gibberish, seemingly written by intellectual super-snobs, vying with each other for nothing but "Most Incomprehensible Waste of Time" bragging rights.