Thanks for starting this thread.
MrB,
Would love to hear some funny/entertaining stories from your days on the floor.
To those asking about getting into trading, I think it's good to do a bit of initial research to see if it's something you really want to do. Also, try to get an idea of products you think you'd be interested in and what type of trading(though, early on it's hard to be picky). This may change over time but it's best to get started on a path you are really excited about.
In general, I'd advise against an MBA, although MBAs should still be competitive for plain vanilla desks. If you are considering any school post undergrad at all, good choices are math, physics, fineng, comp sci, stats, ee.
Regarding trading room setups, there is a thread on EliteTrader about this topic specifically. Perhaps the most impressive:
Trading Station