I chose Civil Service, too.
I have to say it really helped me a lot and I had a more than great trime doing so! We were about 40 "Civics" in this School for retarded children.
It was there I chose to become a teacher, so I found it helpful.
I do not think it is a waste of time. When coming out of school, most of the people do not really know
either what real life is like or what they want to do with it the rest of their life.
Especially in my studies I find it mostly to be the girls, who just have no clue of what's going on in the real woreld. They just came out of School (a well-caredsurrounding) into studies (also not to badly-cared).
I also had a couple of friends where I can just say that military service has put their head right baclk between their shoulders. One of them is doinga brilliant job at a bank now, after school I wouldn't have lent him an Euro.
I think the system is quite good. In my opinion, civil service for both sexes should be compulsory, with the possibility ofr choosing Military Service instead.
The Civil Service should last about a year. It's a good way of getting orientation in life.
And: Especially women should do it, too!
Just met too many female students who are still believing school WAS RL.
They never saw anything else.