I made the switch from Microsoft Windows to Linux several years ago. I couldn't have been happier as a result. However, the switch was not easy. I attempted it over five times throughout my college career, each time being thwarted and eventually turning back to the siren's call of Windows.

Fortunately, as the years went by, it became progressively easier to use Linux. The state of GUI interfaces improved. Usability became a primary focus of a large group of developers. (Probably most importantly, big companies threw their weight behind the Free and Open Source giant.

Having a degree in computer science doesn't help, either. :)

However, you shouldn't need one to use Linux these days. Here I'll keep notes about Linux that I've found useful during the course of my non-MS experience.