Yes it does sound as though you have you're head screwed on! I wish I did at the START of my course rather then the END!! Still, the best advice I can give you with regards to studying/ getting into design is:
* Network. It doesn't matter if you're still a student. Get out there and get yourself known. One of my friends on my course has run a succesful design/web business during the course, and even managed to secure a monthly magazine
* You may well want to be a 'general', but if you have a specialism so to speak, focus on developing that. Strive to stand out in your 'niche'
* Take absolute advantage of things like 'live briefs' and course exibitions. We took part in a live brief and ended up in local papers. Also, a friend a friend was offered a full-time salaried position of the back of the exibition. Also, make sure you invite the right people!
* Most students tend to p*ss about for the first couple of years, and only get serious at the last minute, when they realise they could end up with a cr*p degree!! Don't make this mistake. Work hard from day one. It'll pay off!!
* Those students who in my experience do better tend to be the ones who push the boundaries, ''break the rules' (within reason of course!), and not the ones who 'kept safe' and had work looking almost identical.
* Thats good that you know already that you want to start your own business. What are you waiting for?! Average students days are about 2/3 days a week, so make the most of your 'free' time. If you start from day one, you may have a reasonably successful, and possibly full-time business to 'walk into' upon graduation.
* Student loan (if you get one)! Make the most of this - I don't mean down the pub!! Yeah of course you're going to socialise, drink etc, and will have things like living costs to consider. But when I say make the most of it, I mean accumalate essentials. You may already own a Mac, the software and so on. But a lot of students and graduates find they don't have the means to get them - and therefore regret not using their student loan wisely!! For example, each instalment, my friend bought one new item. Term one = Mac, term two = software, term three . . . and so on..
It's not meant to sound too much like a lecture, but having recently finished my studies, I hear constantly about people struggling to make it, or even break into the design industry. You know what you want from now and are therefore in a strong position. Just try and make an opportunity out of everything!!
Good luck with uni and apologies for the essay!!
