A few thoughts for a thinking Gorilla......
* Relax...... You're doing just fine IMNHO.
* "things that seem to be necessary to understand" are often cultural red herrings.
IMNHO...... You have more than sufficient little grey cell ability to adequately sort seeds from chaff.
* Think of getting a "degree" as a rite of passage in our modern society.
Unless learning how to kill something you can eat once again becomes more important......
It's better than almost all of the alternatives.
* Once any man begins realizing "how much I don't really know", AND WILL NEVER KNOW between birth and death......
EGO begins to cease dominating any worthwhile quest.
Cheers.