The true value of higher education is the network you take with you. Many classes consist of you being told to purchase a book, when and what to read in that book, and then be tested on what you've read. If you didn't know you could do most of that on your own. The true value is the person sitting next to you who most likely doesn't have the same life circumstances as you but is now connected to you. Your job is to make the most of the people you meet in school. If they want to get better at what they do, criminals get higher education in different circumstances, its called prison.