<p>I ended up in architecture because I was good at math and art, but didn’t really have the confidence or creativity to be a fine artist. (If I had it to do again, I might look into illustration.) To be a good architect you should also have reasonably good people skills. You or someone in your firm will have to talk to clients to get and keep jobs, you have to deal with contractors. I like the combination of desk work and field work. As a sole practitioner, I like having many different hats.</p>
<p>Today I’m going to mock up some photomontages of a proposed awning, finish up working drawings of a kitchen addition, drive to the local building department to file some plans of a retaining wall, meet with a contractor who is trying to get a couple of job proposals together and I’ll probably avoid doing my estimated taxes for another day. Sound like fun?</p>
<p>As a high school student what you should do is:
Take 4 years of math (preferably to Calculus), 4 years of English, 3 years of social studies, at least 3 years of language, at least 3 years of science and perhaps AP Physics, do some visual arts electives. Keep up with the music, you may yet prefer to go in that direction. Don’t burn any bridges now. Take the most advanced courses you can comfortably handle.</p>