Conversations with other students and faculty are a critical part of a college education. Certainly indispensible for sci-tech. Decades later I'm still remembering valuable tips and tidbits that profs threw at me during out-of-class discussions. If you come to class prepared, you can raise questions that can double the effectiveness of a course.

People just there for a degree might manage with online courses. People who love learning and are absorbing a discipline? Not so much. And thus, maybe, higher education will once again live up to its best potential ... not cranking spare parts on an assembly line.