A year away from the exams for me.
Yeah, freelance is next to impossible, and like art, you have to be good to make it in computers, a degree in computer engineering will be more than enough. I get kind of an edge applying wise because that's what my mom does, college admissions. A fail safe job is welding, you get a welding degree from a tech college, you got a job. There is no surplus of welders anytime soon.