My outlook on life changed tremendously in the past 24 months.

--
random, maybe useless or obvious advice:
-see a shrink, having someone to talk to is priceless. if the shrink sucks or you see no improvement after 2-6 months, ditch the shrink and look for a new one. but you need to know what your problems are (depression? indifference? motivation? panic attacks? anxiety?)
-meds are okay, but if you want your improvements to last, take medication AND see a shrink. medication without change in your head more often than not will only provide temporary relief/improvement. my social anxiety is not inborn (I wasn't always like this), so I choose not to take meds.
-I also recommend reading. self-help books, novels, non-fiction. while I love scifi & fantasy, I do not recommend them if you want more than enjoyment out of books.
-consider musical and physical activity yadayada :)

--
my story:

I dropped out of college not only once, but four times (2003,2004,2005,2006). I reapplied every year. I was granted scholarship, so I didn't have to worry about tuition and living expenses. I'm 25 now. My problem was, and to a much lesser extent, still is social anxiety.

I didn't apply in 2007, nor did I in 2008, because scholarship was denied and I don't have job. And I knew it wouldn't make any sense because I'd just drop out again due to lack of social integration/interaction. I knew I would have to get rid of my social anxiety before taking another shot at college again.
Since then I've been working on my anxiety and confidence issues , I have come a long way already (but still with lots of room for improvement), maybe I'll reapply this year or 2009.

I hope this post didn't turn out to be condescending, it's late here and I'm tired. :)