Originally Posted by Val
[Hmm. I went to an elite American college, and I honestly don't see how this idea applies. Getting a degree from a fancy college is great in many ways, but it doesn't provide a ticket out of toxic situations. It also doesn't provide lifelong opportunities as a given. TBH, I think that this idea has been pushed in spite of being untrue. Those lifelong opportunities come either from having connections or from being very good at what you do, including having really good interpersonal skills (the latter attribute being as important as the former (or more important) in many situations).

What Val is saying here is basically true.

The "lifelong value" lasts about 3 or 4 years out of the school.

Your actual skills, particularly interpersonal skills, matter at that point.