Everyone's said this, I'll say it too: Awesome! I fell into programming by accident at about 21, and I remember what it was like, it's much as you described. F

Everyone's said this, I'll say it too: Awesome! I fell into programming by accident at about 21, and I remember what it was like, it's much as you described. Fun times! All the advice here is good, but nobody has recommended you read "The Pragmatic Programmer", which I found to be a bit enlightening. I still go back to it years later to read and ponder. Good luck! You sound like you wont need it. It's a damn good career for those who enjoy it and are willing to put in some effort. EDIT: I never did a CS degree, but considered doing it many times (if work dried up, it never did). I believe though that the people you meet and work with is a major part of doing a degree, so that'd be why I would go. I get to work with good people anyway. This article was posted on HN recently and I think is relevant: http://sheddingbikes.com/posts/1275258018.html http://sheddingbikes.com/posts/1275258018.html I admit there are CS-type stuff I can't do (but I know where and who to ask) because I never did a degree. Saying that though, I have worked with people who have had CS degrees and couldn't code themselves out of a paper bag. If I were to go back in time to when I was your age, I'd do the degree, though.