What is the point of getting a STEM degree?

I have recently earned an undergraduate degree in engineering, and I've worked for the past two years at a very prestigious Fortune 500 company doing software engineering work. I'm very disappointed in what I got out of my college experience.<br><br>The biggest disappointment is the lack of intellectual freedom I have at work. There's no ability to make decisions for myself, or to explore new areas of technology that interest me. My boss micromanages almost everything I do, and my job consists of doing the same repetitive tasks every day of the week.<br><br>I know a lot of companies have similar cultures, so I'm considering taking a 1-2 year break to work on my own projects and gain some independence. I have been grinding for 6 years now (4 years undergrad + 2 years work experience) so a short break to work on my own things seems justified.<br><br>However, I can imagine that this decision will be very costly. As mentioned, I have been grinding for 6 years now, and other people that I knew from high school are all doing well in their careers. I know this decision will lead to a loss of savings, and I'll be falling behind.<br><br>I'm considering dropping out of tech completely. I'm interested in seeing how people in other careers have these issues (if they do in the first place).