What now?

I used to keep my hair around half an inch, which I have learned looked bad. Since then I have been growing it for the locks of love program so it is long, but now it's very shaggy and I need to get back to a cleaner cut look. I am just getting out of college so I can do a lot but I have learned my hair is not helpful, while I was growing it looked like the Brady kids, all natural curls, locks now, but it goes everywhere when it is short without the weight to hold it down. Everyone is telling me to take it back to around three inches, but I don't know how I will cut it or how I will keep it down, any ideas on any of it?