If I'm opportuned to go back to that old time, i will gladly go back there, where there is no worries of what to wear, what to eat, payment of bills and many more. Those day back then is awesome and intresting, you are free to do what you like then. But now, you are been monitoR clisely by some activities you concern yourself in or by people you chose intrest in. You just have to do things in order to please some set of people this stage. There are some set of people you wouldn't want to provoke this time. But back then, who cares.
Going to school for purposely for certificate is what is in vogue now in the tertiary institutions, the institutions management nowadays even only cares with making there money nowadays. They dont even care weather student attend class or not, so far you have your money, you will surely get whatever you need to get in the institution even without passing through any stress.