"I found college useful for a lot of other reasons. It exposed me to a great many influences I wouldn't otherwise have encountered, and gave me a lot of time with some very intelligent people whose thoughts are still with me"

Walter Jon Williams is recommending that college was an important experience for him beyond the scholastic knowledge he gained. He recommends that college exposed him to a variety of influences and ideas that he wouldn't have encountered otherwise. He likewise recommends that he had the ability to spend a lot of time with smart people, and that their ideas and ideas still remain with him. This suggests that college was a developmental experience for him, and that individuals he fulfilled and the ideas he experienced had a lasting effect on him. This quote is a testimony to the power of college to form and influence individuals, and to the long lasting impact that it can have on our lives.