[Advice] Design as Career

[Androme]

I'm looking to pursue my career in the design industry. I've just found out that about 99% of my previous works done on my computer are not going to be good because of the fact they were designed at good resolutions for the web and not necessarily good for the print industry which I would have to follow the rules of (300 DPI, CMYK/Pantone colours etc.) which is probably common knowledge to most. I do have a sketchbook or two to help with my portfolio but I need some pointers to do with a few things.

Anyway, I've bought a book or two in design - not tutorial based, more theory and communication based. The thing is, I'm not quite sure where to start in terms of how to prepare my work in the future for the print industry and various types of mediums such as business cards, CD covers, magazines etc. such as the right dimensions and how to go about making them.

From my basic research I know InDesign & Illustrator are two programs I have very little if any knowledge of but have discovered they are very important in relation to the path I wish to pursue (I'm not interested in Quark Xpress or any other programs for now).

I already wasted a year doing a multimedia engineering course and computer science and found neither of these to be as fulfilling as design. I've already added 2 years of the new £3000 tution fees system including the enormous loans that are added on top so I have some reserve about whether I should apply to a design uni particuarly the University of the Arts London --> London College of Communication (LCC) as they also have the new tution fees system. The courses that have caught my eye is Design for Advertising and Design for Print.

I need guidance on the following:

** Anyone know any good places to start to learn InDesign & Illustrator - particuarly websites, books, magazines etc.? I don't want your bog standard tutorials websites that teaches you the very basics.

** Whether I should apply for one of the graphic media courses at LCC as mentioned earlier or whether I should just teach myself?

** Where I should search aside from Google, for companies that offer design internships for entry (non-degree) level designers.

** Any 'trusted' places that offer business card printing.

** The right dimensions for business cards including bleed dimensions in this country as Wikipedia gives me different dimensions compared to a few other websites I have looked at.

Thanks for any help guys.