I completely agree with you, Bostonian.
Honestly, the problem with college at 18 is that most people cannot really manage themselves as "adults" yet at that age, and that college is a veritable carnival midway of 'adult' temptations to navigate while doing so.
It's the worst Candyland game ever, basically. And the most expensive.
College really ought to start at about 25 for the average student. As a professor, it was nearly always the case that the most mentally/emotionally with-it students were: a) parents who were getting an education so as to provide for their children (often single moms), b) military veterans, c) returning students, mostly >30yo.
Now, they weren't always the brightest students in my classes-- and a fair number of them struggled mightily since their preparatory work was years or even decades old and rusty. But they knew things about prioritizing their time and energy that the 17-19yo cohort did not know, and they knew what mattered to them. They had fully developed executive function, and needed little scaffolding from anyone. (Which, to be clear, colleges are mostly NOT in the habit of providing to any students, in spite of what shiny marketing brochures tell parents who are shelling out big bucks to the registrar).
Honestly, a five year hiatus after secondary would do most students a world of good in terms of what they wind up getting out of an undergraduate degree. National service (as used in other places) is a great solution to this problem if only one could get our culture in N. America on-board with it.
