I hope things start rolling in your life, what do you mean specifically about the preps for collage work? Like buying expensive books and reading? I have this random tip for you, like get something that you can talk about on first week from the internet, you can pick from the latest of 'hacks', if you haven't joined those forums, you prolly should by now. I believe they don't use Backtrack anymore, it doesn't matter, you simply install hacker OS and attach/hide wifi antenna somewhere, make sure it's sticking out of your backpack, and idk, slip some white lies like you like to visit DEF CON, you'll make friends in no time! Keep the motivation up, it's right that you applied and have been accepted and you were handling many other things in life on the side, what if I can't hack it? You'll engineer it through your way, your command lines with the trajectory of your life.