rebbetzin- “Sem. is nice and why not learn when you can, but I don’t think it really is preparation for real life.”
I don’t think this is a blanket statement for everyone and every sem. Maybe your sem when you went wasn’t but I beg to differ that I really gained a lot from sem and specifically since it was in Eretz Yisroel. Therefore I don’t think it is fair to say this. You can speak to my mother and ask her, she will tell you that she sent a different person than she got back. The one she got back is now ready to face what you call “real life”