Re:Welcome, Freshmen. You Don't Deserve to Be Here
by angersock on Tuesday October 15, 2013 @11:54AM
(#6554021)
I second the .mil route, circuitous though it may be.
One of my best friends went that route, and when we attended college they were really squared away. As much petty bullshit as professors and graders throw at you, it'll be a drop in a bucket compared with whatever you survived in the service.
I did that. Takes forever. Its called join the .mil in the reserves (ideally while not in an eternal war on multiple fronts, may not work so well in 2013), then get an associates degree basically for free with the GI bill, then get a "real" entry level job with tuition reimbursement, then night school the bachelors, etc. Just keep on upgrading till you're sick of it or lifestyle incompatibility.
It helps to have actual experience in computers / electronics / RF before you take the classes. How weird it must be to first use an oscilloscope in a classroom, or first run a compiler as a school assignment, or first solder something after you're old enough to drink. I never got to experience that, which must be stressful / interesting.