I was motivated to learn. It is difficult to catch and hold the attention of students sitting 100 rows away when there is no interaction. Contemporary life is complex and ever-changing. You can only build upon the foundation that is put into place during the first 20 to 25 years of life. The stronger and broader the foundation, the easier the job will be.
Diverse knowledge is helpful.
You see more relationships and contrast. Combining different sources leads to new ways of thinking about things, and often to useful new ideas and solutions to problems. But the most important benefit, the real payoff from my Beloit education, is that it has made life much more interesting. Many of my colleagues from purely technical backgrounds do not see anything interesting at all outside their chosen fields. I think they miss a lot.