How can I make 9 months go by fast?

OK so in 9 months (11 if you count summer holidays in august, and the rest of june and july) I leave school and go to college. What can I do to prepare myself for college? I want to be a new person I HATE the way I am now, I'm just a pushover and I don't want people walking all over me in college. So what can I do to prepare? And also I'll be going to college in Bristol (filton) and I'd need somewhere to stay...so uh how do I prepare for independancy?