Same. It was unpleasant. It was expensive. It was lonely. It wasn't well supported. Life only started looking up once university finished.
The problem is that no one is learning for the sake of learning when university costs more than a house deposit and then some. Opportunities are gated behind university degrees, so people have to do them. So the marker of success will continue to be how many people find high paying jobs.
Make education affordable. Make education accessible. Make wages reasonable to afford a basic standard of living at least.