>>513423383 (OP)>Or is the whole thing just a waste?Yes.
I am an oldfag who went all in on degrees and the White collar office job track.
I have a BA, BSME, and JD all from prestigious top tier US universities. I got into IP and made enough money to early retire at 42.
If I had the ability to do it all over, I would have skipped all of that bullshit and just would have worked in bars and restaurants in some nice resort towns straight out of high school. Aspen in winter, somewhere in Florida during summer. Even with zero experience you can start out as a barback in some second tier place even somewhere like that. Work hard, don't be a whiny faggot bitch, and it won't be long before they let you start working the bar during the dead hours.
Keep doing it and eventually you will bartend during the good shifts and will be making six figures, mostly in untaxed cash tips. Fuck all the cute girls who will throw themselves at you, don't knock any of them up or get addicted to coke.
Keep stacking cash, get promoted to GM by 30. Keep stacking cash, eventually buy in and get some equity as an partner in a restaurant group. Now you are part of the ownership class. Never have to deal with AI or HR or online applications or interviews or student loans or any of that corporate faggotry.