Well first off, I applaud anyone who want to go to college. Probably the best life decision you can make. I myself am a Senior at Vanderbilt, for Physics and Engineering Science. Computers would make a great field to study. It seems like they get more important by the day, and anyone who knows anything about computers is very employable.
My friend and roommate is double majoring in Math and Computer Science, and based on what he's told me a CompSci degree is equal parts learning computers and learning to problem solve. I wouldn't worry about not knowing much about computers to start with, because most degree programs won't just throw you into a shark tank and tell you to have fun; they almost always ease you in with introductory classes before getting in to the more theoretical stuff. As long as you do your homework, you'll know exactly what's expected of you.
As for the hands-on learning part... I don't know how this sort of thing works in CompSci, but for the physical sciences (Physics, Chemistry, most brands of engineering, ect) a lot of the lectures come with weekly labs, where we go in for 3 hours to do a weekly experiment that is (loosely) based around the lecture material. They're tedious at times, but great learning aids. I won't lie though, there is a lot of sitting in a classroom taking notes on a professor's lecture.
The amount of electives/writing classes needed will depend entirely on where you go and what you study. Even at Vandy, the writing and elective requirements vary between majors in the same department. I can't offer any solid advice there.
I'm also afraid I don't know much about online courses or transfer credit. I feel like it would be highly situational (I would hope with some leniency toward armed service members), but that's something that will depend on where you look into going.
Good luck, and I hope any of that helped.
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