I agree, you can't beat experience. As for the graphic design side of things, i found that degrees wasn't neceserally what employers were after. I mean, i would rather employ someone with no degree who had been working hard at a company for a few years and met the deadlines required etc.... rather than somone who's got a degree and thinks they are all that but can't do a full weeks work in the real world to save their life!

I do think though that a degree is a great thing to fall back on and doing it straight after college is probably the best way because i certainly know i wouldn't want to be doing one when i'm 30 0r 40years old