University certainly is not as important as our society today “has made it out to be”. The hyperbole surrounding higher education is part of a broader societal misconception about human happiness. Even the positive psychology movement, a movement built on the objective of promoting the use of psychological methods to enrich lives and increase happiness, has found in their own studies that happiness is 50% genetic. Given that the movement is ideologically biased against such a finding, my guess is that well more than half of your subjective well-being is based on what mom and dad gave you to work with (genetically-speaking). To me, this suggests that there are, in fact, very few decisions that will dramatically alter your day-to-day mood (other than, say, getting addicted to heroin, where you could chemically damage the very parts of your brain that deal with certain pleasures).
So, no, going to University won’t give you all the answers you’re looking for, guarantee a successful adult life, or even ensure you meet the right people to “get ahead”. And, in and of itself, university isn’t going to make you a happier person. However, depending on what you want, attending university can increase the likelihood of certain positive outcomes: financial freedom and a satisfying career (though there is some debate as to whether this is correlation or causation). These outcomes, while not dramatically transforming your experience for the better, can make life somewhat more meaningful, comfortable, and rewarding.
The question for you, is how sure are you that you have “figured it out”? If you really just want to live in an apartment and “enjoy the small things in life” then university would be a waste of your time. However if, for example, you find you want a family then you are going to have to think about how you will support them. Providing well for your family will require money. And university is one way of increasing your chances of having those resources.
