Thanks for the additional information. I'll try out what you say and hopefully be on my way towards a new career.
I'm actually only in high school, so your information regarding college does not yet apply. Any ideas on what courses to take? I signed up for Computer and BASIC programming, trigonometry and discrete math for my senior year. Sadly, that's all my school really offers in the computer science spectrum.
Once I obtain the certificate, do you have any other suggestions on where to go from there? By the way, I really appreciate all that you can give me. Getting ready for a career that I'm going to do my whole life is a bit confusing.
Also, what exactly does the certificate show? For example, if I showed someone my card, as you said, what would I be shown as an "expert" in? What exactly is the certificate showing that I'm well-equipped in?
Lastly, it seems like there's more than one type of the exam? Should I go for the Essentials one?