I didn't take my studies as seriously or as rigorously as I could have. I stepped back from the "best" and the "brightest" and contented myself with just getting by. Out of shame, I wish I hadn't. But I'm starting to see where I was able to keep my independence through the four years I spent at college. I wasn't beholden to the university, or a professor, or the bottle (drinking is a near-ubiquitous pastime for grad students).
I wonder if the added ardor is the price I paid, that I had to pay, in order to retain my independence of mind. That's gotta be hard to do, trusting so many to aid you in your noble endeavors, that a few malicious compatriots slip through one's defenses and lead you astray. In an effort to stay totally individual, to not be any side's pawn, I shunned a lot of bad and a lot of good influences. Time will tell which outweighed the other.
There is certainly a benefit to be had from exposing yourself to as many viewpoints, people, etc. as you can, but only if you've reached a level of self-confidence and strength of identity where you can do so without losing yourself in the crowd. I think that in their college years, certainly their earlier ones, many people aren't at that point yet, and get too easily influenced by those around them.
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