College student hunting season! No bad limit! Get license here!

[Meneldil]

You mean that they are no longer escapists living on their daddy's bill. They actually learn what is important in life and how to handle themselves in the real world, instead of hiding in their little insulated groupy environment because they are too insecure or afraid to join the real world.
Just another way of looking at it I guess.

Right.
Or they just realize their life's going to be boring. *shrug*

Not necessarily. Many people can still have fulfilling and happy lives after college and after they have matured, they're simply more realistic. Usually.

That's arguable I guess. Though I agree that a lot of people a relatively happy with their lives, I think the happiest ones are those who kept a teenager-like mind (ie. I do want I want when I want). Which also implies they have a lot of money.

If I could, I'd stay a teenager for my whole life. Not that I'm a darned liberal hippie that ought to be taxed to dead just like overweighted people, but seriously, that's the best part of one's life.

As for the topic at hand, I found the education level to be pretty poor when I studied in Canada (in Sudbury and Ottawa). People who were in their 5th year would have been trampled to death during a first year in a french law or political sciences university (though I obviously met brilliant students there too, and though France has its -huge- share of morons).
Professors there blamed high school (which is apparently terribad) and the fact that university was pretty much a company, and students consummers: as they pay 6.000$ a year, you could hardly not let them pass, as they'd start looking for another university.
Dunno if it applies to the US though.

Edit : I'm talking about politcal sciences, cause that's pretty much the only thing I did. My fellow french friends (FFF) who studied geology and biology told me class was quite difficult.