Didn't you make a similar post a couple of months ago?
Anyway, for what its worth, here are my answers to your questions.
1) The job is what you make of it. I know of people who hate it but it pays the bills, there are also chaps like me who get a real thrill out of doing the job well. Sure it can be stressful, but on balance I think that is a necessary part of doing the job, much the same as adrenalin keeps a stuntman going. The hardest part is being able to switch on whenever the traffic demands, it is a real-time environment so you can't put things off. The bonus of this is that as an ATCO there is no chance of taking your work home with you. Could I ever do anything else? Nah.
2) There are no barriers in recruitment, you can either do it or you can't. There is a lot of studying to be done, but straight from full time education, that should not be a problem for you. As long as you succeed in the theory part, you need to prove you have that undefineable "x-factor" which makes a controller. It can't be taught, just encouraged to develop. Only determination to do the job will really help.
3) Pay? You mean people get paid to do this? So where did I go wrong? Check the thread entitled "are controllers underpaid for such a stressful job" in this forum, but ignore the 95000 pound comments, that, I'm afraid, is fantasy. I believe as an ab initio with NATS you get about 17000 squid p/a plus a housing allowance of 800 per month. Don't quote me on this though.
Just out of interest, did you just apply to NATS or did you ponder the Eurocontrol option?
Hope my opinions are helpful/encourging/useful, and I wish you all the best with your application.