Going back to school.

I'm 20 and I've been out of high school since I was 18. I made the mistake of going to trade school (not to say going to trade school is a mistake in general, just speaking for myself) instead of going to college. I feel I've got plenty of time to make up for my time/money lost there. Anyway, I've always wanted to return to the "normal" school setting and pursue a degree, and recently landed a job that pays well enough that I can support myself minus whatever cost I add by simply living in my mother's home. My only concern is how long I've been away from academic subjects. I'm afraid of being intimidated by the material and will have difficulty picking up on new things because I won't have the same foundation to build on as the kids who recently graduated high school. Any suggestions/advices for someone in my position? Is my time out of school a real cause for concern?

Remember A=pi*r^2

It depends on what degree you're going to pursue. If you're going to applied sciences it may be difficult to pick it up again if you've completly forgotten everything you learned in math class or whatever; but I still think some of the fundamental skills you learn during highschool will stick with you, say just general literacy, writing and time managment skills. I didn't take a single highschool class that was directly relevant to the degree I pursued but it turned out fine.

as a person still in school... do your homework, respect the teacher and no eating in class

I finished my compulsory schooling here in the UK at 16, and didn't go back to do my A levels (higher education usually taken at at 16-18 ) at college til I was nearly 19. It was a bit nerve-wrecking going back into education after being out of it, but I found I enjoyed it infinitely more due to the 'break' I'd taken, and since I enjoyed it thoroughly I also got way more out of it than I would have at 16/17.

I totally recommend returning to education if you feel somehow that you want to.