I don't know where you live but I live in Los Angeles and have gone through sort of the same thing, go to a community college first where you're eligible for fee waiver(not based on your grades, just family income) and perhaps even a waiver for your textbooks. I don't think it's a terrible idea to work first and go back to school, as long as the job provides you with a lot of relevant experience such as sales in an electronic or jewelry store and decent income. While in school, take advantage of all the resources the school has to offer, academic counseling and clubs, be involved as well as keep up with your grades and you can transfer to the school you want to get in and get financial aids and scholarships.
It is absolutely necessary that you think through your major, it's much more important than getting into a prestigious school or finishing the degree in four years. With some work experience it's helpful in determining what your strengths and weaknesses are, and look at labor statistic as well as job forums to see if the jobs you are interested in getting with your degree has a high burn out rate and low satisfaction. DO EXTENSIVE research on that.
Don't be too worried about starting a semester or a year late. It is much worse to go through your undergrad and realize there is no desirable jobs at the end of that tunnel after sacrificing that much time and money.
There are grants( money undone have to pay back at all colleges.. A lot students don't know about these bc they don't advertise them.. Sometime you have to meet certan criteria to get them. But often no ones signs up for them so they give them to people who don't qualify or meet criteria. When.
Was in college a prof recommended this to us and said to just go sign up for all of them even if you don't meet criteria there looking for. And it actually workd 2 of the student s in class got a grant that they didn't qualify for.. All bc no one applied for it..keeper head up enjoy your sr yr, community colleges are extremely cheap and a good place to start that's what I did I grad 3 yes ago for a univ I transferred to and I'm making very good money. Good luck..attending .. Community colleges doesn't affect your job search after college.. As long as you have a diploma from anywhere you are put ahead of 99% of others who don't have that piece of paper.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.