Just a useless piece of paper.
Discussion
I would never go to a dentist or a medic that doesn't have a degree ahaha. It's kind of a proof of work, for some extent. Off course you could achieve a good level of competence just studying on online content, but the hard skills are usually developed studying in a structured environment, for example a university.
I agree that some universities and some courses are kind of garbage, by the way
Yes it's true for some professions, courses are needed. But in the case of doctors it was proven in the last three years that their piece of paper does not have much value either. In the end there are small number of people that are competent in every field of expertise. University I think is for a very small number of people.
Last 3 years showed the lack of indipendent thought, not the lack of value of the 'piece of paper'. Indeed University should be more 'consevative in keeping difficoultness', meaning that university courses should be less elastic to the lowering of general intelligence in the general population. University must be difficoult, if you are not able to get on with it si fine, it' just not for you.
My two cents