wishbone And as far as anyone learning on their own and better than what any university can teach you
This is HIGHLY dependent on the person. Of course, not everyone can do this. Not everyone can go through 4-8-10-12 years of university, either.
A very intelligent individual can learn as much, or MORE, than they ever could at a university with a narrow focus on what they teach.
I've been to university and broadcasting school. I've learned far more on my own than any insitution of higher learning could ever give me. The university is limited. It has only certain programs. Someone going off to be degreed in a particular field will be wanton in other areas because their focus is on one, or two, things.
I'm certainly not an opponent of education. I'm only saying that YOU carry the mail....not the university. It's on you to get out of it what they offer and find all the excess that they're never going to teach you given their scope. You might have a professor who does or doesn't want to teach Freud in psychology class. You may be indoctrinated with Freud one place and not exposed in another. You get to choose is all I'm saying. If I went to a school and they said we're not teaching "x"...I'm picking up "x" and reading all about "x".
IE: I'm a person of faith. Almost went to a couple of different Christian universities. Chose not to do that for several reasons. They weren't going to teach some of the things I wanted to understand and know about. I spent a year of my life holed up as a young man devouring things in a way I never have before or since. It makes my obsession with COVID look minor. I wanted to read all the non-canonical works. I got my hands on every non-canonical resource I could and spent time reading about other religions. I wasn't interested in just what I believed but what others believed and why. I had and still have so many questions. It's an endless pursuit. I would've felt cheated and bored out of my mind at a university teaching me cookie cutter Christianity. Not what I wanted for me. I've educated myself and feel very good about my personal investment into my study and value it more highly than I would've had I gotten a PhD in theology. ---and I know you don't or wouldn't in same spot, and that's fine with me. We all get to choose whose drum we march to.