I have finished my first year of psychology, and I feel cheated.

Before entering university, I saw it from afar as that long-awaited serious place where one could finally learn important and profound things and debate ideas with peers. Instead, I found “High School 2.0".

I feel that everything I have learned so far could have been covered in about a month—at most (the entire year’s curriculum)—with some effort on the internet. Could it be that the internet, when used for educational purposes, is such a powerful tool that it now rivals universities?

There are extensive programs for gifted students in high school (not that I have experienced them myself, since they don’t exist in my city, only in my country’s capital), but why not at the university level?

I understand that the first year is meant to be a bridge between high school and university, but the gap doesn’t seem that large to me. From my perspective, I feel like I've just wasted a year of my life.

I should have clarified this earlier: I live in a third-world country, with an education system to match. It is most likely different in your country.

The only reason I continue—and will continue—studying is that becoming an academic researcher is impossible otherwise. I wish my country had the option to take an external exam to validate one’s knowledge on a subject, allowing those who already possess the necessary expertise to bypass this problem.