Of late I've come to realize that I should have done computer science. I didn't, and studied engineering instead: now I find myself in a (good & hard to get) post-university industrial career, but ultimately uninspired and dissatisfied. I by no means hate what I'm doing, but I can feel my inner hacker bursting to get out frequently (e.g. today as I tinkered around with some VBA at work i enjoyed—pathetically—the most satisfying part of the week so far!)

I have a semi-relevant background, in that alongside engineering in university I did a lot of freelance (frontend) web design, and developed a real passion for UX, design, typography, etc. I am also very numerate and have a basic grounding in programming (C, Matlab, Basic). My dream would be to be involved with a web app startup.

The long awaited question is: how best to proceed? Should I learn Python or Ruby and brush up on my front end design again, and attempt a few small projects in my non-work time? Should I quit my job tomorrow and go back to university for computer science? Can the hacker ethic find a home outside computers? Are faraway hills always greener?