The reason why students almost always go for the bundle – the degree -- is because so many doors are closed to individuals who don’t have one. A lot of businesses have hiring policies that screen out people without degrees and you can’t get into most graduate and professional schools unless you have a BA. You could have a terrific level of aptitude and vast knowledge from informal study, but none of that counts. The college degree is like turning on a light switch. Until you get it, the rest of the world assumes that you’re in the dark.
