Should I plead no contest or guilty?

If you want to have a chance at getting a break in your case, then you should plead not guilty at your first court appearance. The court will then set an appointment for you to have a pre-trail conference with the city prosecutor. Given the fact that the stakes are high for your driver license, I recommend that you retain an attorney, and have the attorney represent you at the pre-trial conference. It is possible, though it may be difficult, to work-out a situation that will save your driver license, or perhaps help you shorten the duration of your driver license suspension. At any rate, whether or not you hire an attorney, at the pre-trial conference either you or your attorney can negotiate with the prosecuting attorney, and try to get a break that will help you not lose your driver license, or shorten the duration of your suspension. Good luck!

You need to be very careful how you approach this case. Any conviction involving underage drinking or drugs will result in a suspension of your driving privilege. In similar cases I have been able to work out a probationary deal where at the completion of a drug and/or alcohol program the client would be eligible to terminate probation and then get their driver's license back. You should consider this, and seeing as your driving privilege is the most important thing make any way to retain it a priority. One other thing you should consider, is that with an attorney you may be able to drag this matter out until there is more convenient time for you to be without a license such as a semester break. I am not saying you absolutely will lose your license but based on the facts you have indicated it appears probable.

Constitutionally you have no obligation to convict yourself. Even though it seems to you that it would be easy to prosecute you, a defense attorney can make that job a long hard task for the court. Therefor hiring a attorney to negotiate a deal for you with the prosecutor can save you both now with your license a suspension time, and down the road with your insurance and driving history.

I agree that you should not simply plead "guilty" or "no contest." Both mean, "Please judge, find me guilty and give me whatever you thing is appropriate as a sentence." Having a lawyer would make keeping your license more probable.