[dschoon]

This article is just filled with gems. The "Crucible" idea is both aptly named and powerfully explanatory.

I do not think college is terribly good at educating. Even so, I'm forced to admit the cliché is probably right: it's a powerfully life-changing, valuable experience. I came out of it with a radically reshaped worldview, tremendous energy, and much knowledge. My rate of progress while in college (in fact, mostly a few specific years) was much higher than any other time I remember.

...But I don't look back and think of important classes taken or works read. I see myself surrounded by brilliant, energetic peers. That's the Crucible Effect he describes. We talk about it when thinking of "startup-friendly" communities, or hacker groups, or even preserving the "character" of these boards. We're trying to keep the Crucible Effect intact.

Interesting.