[bill_joy_fanboy]

I've noticed the same thing with regards to actually attending college. People still go; they just complain about it more.

The only change is that there is a much more cynical feeling about the experience. School spirit is out. People see it as "a ripoff I must endure to get a decent job and be taken seriously."

I graduated years ago. When my college (major state uni) called asking for a donation, I laughed the guy off the phone. The idea of "school spirit" seems like a joke to me, as it does for many students these days.

The new cope is to see if you can't do it as cheaply as possible, lop off a year, get scholarships, do a bunch of AP courses prior, etc.

Basically, a lot of students see the process as a box to check as if they were standing in line at the DMV to get their diploma.