How to get a college degree
How I did it: I took a college class or two strait out of high school, then got bored and dropped out. Four years later I started again, 3000 miles away at a new school, and completed my Associate's. Then I transferred to a four year institution (University of South Florida, also known as U Stay Forever) and got my Bachelor's.
Lessons & tips: College is almost never a 4 year experience. People who get their degrees in 4 years are almost mythical. Even when I began going full time it took me basically 5 years to finish, and that was taking classes almost every summer. Don't worry if you aren't going to finish in four years flat. Try to enjoy the whole experience and savor what you learn, whether that may be the best place on campus to get coffee, or the deeper meaning of 16th century British poetry.
Resources: Having supportive friends and family who support you and are proud of you helps a lot. Also, learn your degree requirements right and left. Your academic catalog should be your bible if you don't want to rely on indifferent or occasionally incompetent advisers. If you do happen to get a good adviser, go see them every single semester, and possibly more than once. If your adviser is crappy, go see them once a semester anyway, but be sure to ask lots of questions and don't take their word as law.
