Often unnoticed but very important part of the traditional education is having the peer group to compare yourself too. The desire to copy and compare each other kicks in and now it's no longer just about getting grades but rather how do you relate to each other in your common path. It would be cool if this was somehow replicated in MOOCs.
Absolutely. One of the things that helped me grow as a software engineer was to talk to and hang out with my peers that you could tell were great at it. We generally had a lot in common since we all loved programming and the related things around it which helped become friends.
Sometimes you'd meet someone who is just leagues beyond the average CS student, and they were often great and humble people. Spending time with those people, talking, studying, and just hanging out with them led to a lot of learning (and not to mention good times).
