If you learnt to fly at a private flying school, most likely a lot of the training would be one on one, and most certainly the study would be on your own, perhaps with a little assistance from your instructor and or CFI(i'm not talking about flight briefings). I know some schools have a good social enviroment and try to organise things from time to time (although i think this is a dying breed). One of the best things i got out of going to Uni was being in an enviroment with like minded people. Not only were they a great bunch of guys/gals, but we all helped motivate each other, and now as a result we have contacts not just in Australia but all over the world. When i started (94) we also had some great lecturers/instructors with an absolute wealth of knowledge. Ex RAF, RAAF, BOAC, CASA, British Aerospace engineers. I feel priveleged to have been taught by some of these guys, especially as later on i became an instructor, and realised how difficult at times it could be. UNi is not for everyone, and true if i hadn't gone to uni i might've been finished a year earlier.....but when your 20/21 whats a year make? My 2 cents.