You're looking in the right direction re: coding.
I'll give you my quick synopsis and impressions.
Graduated in 1985 with a Journalism/Communications Bachelor's.
Pretty much flailed around for a decade in low-paying sales and customer service jobs. Finally, I went to work with a major appliance manufacturer, and got 4 promotions in 3 years to become a Manufacturer's Rep. Good job, but I pissed off the wrong people and was shown the door.
A friend of a friend worked one of those "1st level support helpdesk" jobs, with EDS on a Toshiba account. It was a good entree into the field, and before I knew it, I had progressed into a position with .gov contractors, and was learning a great deal, to include System and Exchange (email) Admin.
I currently am making more than I've ever made, having left .gov and moved south to a tiny town where I fix hardware, software and do installs and re-formats of a 1800 user campus with 17 buildings. The company is huge, and has acquired a NUMBER of companies in the last few years; but they are a 105 year old textile manufacturer, and retain some very antiquated ways of doing business...the IT leadership is TOTALLY Good Ol' Boy network, and is more concerned about their tee times and being voted president of the TinyTown Chamber of Commerce than they are with leading an IT division effectively.
If I had to do it over, I would think of college NOT as a "classical education" where I can learn languages, literature etc.; but TOTALLY as a vocational training, to become a Cert Reg Nurse Anesthetist, a Sys Admin, a Programmer, an Engineer, or the like.
Currently, I need to fortify my 8 years experience in the field with some IT Certs, since I have none, and desperately need them to really take a further career step.
Hope this helps,
Fig
P.S. I also fix computers on the side, usually a couple per month just cleaning up spyware/virus issues and so on. Provides a nice sideline of spending money for guns & stuff!