/lit/ - Literature

I am currently torn between pursuing a graduate degree program in the humanities that I logically know is a huge opportunity cost with no monetary benefit and no future job or investing in an actual profitable career. I know that academia is in decline and full of “woke” mediocrities working for minimum wage but I can’t shake the image of the possibility of some great life of the mind. I really want a deep understanding of ancient history and want the skills and status of being a highly educated man. However, I also would like to have you know a house or a family. So is it possible for a person to learn such things on their own or do you really need to bounce ideas of colleagues and professors in academia in order to get a true grasp on the material. Can’t I read the primary and secondary sources and talk to people online about such things to get a respectable understanding of the topic? What do you say /lit/ is going to grade school still essential for mastery of a subject?

Alright /lit/, since you are so smart, tell me what books I read.