Try this:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualcsharp/

There are a number of books on using the Express edition tools, and lots of resources on the internet. The express editions of the Visual Studio tools are a good starting place since they are free, and you can do a lot of learning with them while you get your start.

There are a million paths to becoming a programmer. You can get a big head start on school by teaching yourself to program.

One note: College degree programs in Computer topics vary greatly on the amount of focus on programming. Some are more focused on the hardware side of things - others on programming itself.

Woody Z http://www.learntoprogramnow.com