I understand, I too had a similar experience in high school. My comment was largely referring to my context: This semester I'll finish a mathematical engineering degree (in my country engs. are 12 semesters long) and the abstract way is rewarding but without applications can only be endured so far. It does not help that a large fraction of mathematical engineers after they graduate end up doing some software work consisting in statistics, optimization or some other advanced mathetical concept. With a dropout rate of ~80%, not many people are willing to put themselves through rigorous analysis classes on top of the engineering requirements for so many years to get a job doing something you could have learned in a more practical way. But we are very well paid and the unemployment rate is 0% since there are maybe 10 graduates in the whole country each year.