Almost nobody seem to see college as a place where people can develop the skills to learn itself? Did it get that bad?

It doesn't matter that I didn't remember how to do real analysis, but I had that class, and I learned it at some point, the process itself is exactly what happens in work - we'll learn new things, use it for some time, and then almost forget it to learn the next thing.

It doesn't have to be college, but there are a lot less opportunity, freedom and guidance to do so elsewhere.