Because there is more to learning than just earning money in life…
Honestly, it’s like asking why study philosophy, literature, history, art, music etc. for many people.
Well… cause we can and cause we only live once. Why can’t we? Money isn’t everything.
And also, because we live only once, experience is something we cherish over time. Don’t you want to try competing against some of the best students in the world and see how you compare against them? Don’t you want to constantly challenge yourself? I rather learn Calculus using Apostol or Courant’s book over a Calculus book using Stewart’s anyday (no offense Stewart) while getting graded out of a curve of the top students.
And for this:
Nice to note.
However, an average 2+2 grad in this case will probably never have experienced as much rigour as you could have faced in a more competitive environment.
You get the same high school diploma whether you graduate last or graduate first. That said, are both types really the same?
I thought the purpose of education is to get people educated, not get people jobs (which btw is very important in real life).