I’m all for finding the fit. I love the freedom we have in our culture but it also means that we’re free to run the wrong direction quite easily. As parents we can make it worse by telling our kids to pursue their dreams, even when they’re shit at it.

It’s super hard to find out what we’re good at and then hard work to invest in honing that talent. Many people never figure that out about themselves.

As for exploration, agree wholeheartedly. As someone who did go to college, one of the aspects I valued more than any other was the emphasis on exactly that: exploration. The first two years are all about broadening the individual’s understanding of different areas and giving them a broad base, at least in major universities. They want you to know how to write and communicate clearly, but also to understand how science is performed, and to be able to understand symbolic logic (maths). Then you get to learn about political theory and world cultures, all before pursuing your major. It’s pretty cool. And yes, expensive.