AshD84, I have a friend in majoring in Animal Science that I'm guessing is around 30 years old. And he's in the same undergrad year as me (2nd). I'm also majoring in Animal Science, planning on speciallizing in beef, so I think you have a good oportunity to get yourself started, and where you're going.
Here's my two cents: Depending on what college/university you're going to (and the programs you take), sometimes they don't start you on learning-in-the-feild until you're in your second or third year. I'm taking an (introductory) Animal Nutrition class right now, called An Sc 260, and all we do is calculations, and computer formulations, no going into the barn and collecting feed. But that's just beginner stuff. See, when you get into you're third and fourth year, and graduate studies, you really start getting your hands (and feet) dirty, collecting feed, analyzing, and carrying out tests in an ag-specialized lab, and getting involved one-on-one with cattle, bison, elk, sheep, horses, etc., taking rumen samples from the rumen (there's a special way that they do that, can't remember what it's called offhand), things like that.
At the university I'm at (the University of Alberta), I have to gain my bachelor degree in Animal Science before I can REALLY start specializing in a feild that interests me. My plans are that once I finish my undergrad here, I plan on transferring to the Lakeland College in Vermillion, Alberta to gain some more learning, and way more hands on experience with the beef herd (they have a cow-calf herd there and a bull-and heifer-test station, as well as an AI unit) that they have there. So from there, I can actually choose where I want to go.
That's just me, I don't knowabout you, but if you have any questions about this, feel free to PM me anytime.