High School Sophomore

[ninelives1]

I am currently a sophomore in high school. I've maintained a 4.0 GPA in all PAP and AP classes. My favorite classes have been geometry, and chemistry. I also enjoy learning about all sorts of sciences. I love learning about the universe and the laws that govern it. I enjoy trying to learn about Einstein's Theory of Relativity and I'm fascinated by what little I can grasp of Quantum Physics. All in all I love science. I've been told I have an engineering mind. I spend a lot of time video editing and 3d modeling. I also have a 195 on my PSAT sophomore year. I'm currently having trouble thinking of future careers. I've thought of following my dad into electrical engineering. I still have that desire for something studying the structure of our universe. My mom wants me to be an architect because it balances my desire for science and my artistic side. I feel like it doesn't quite satisfy the science side though. Any advice on types of careers or schools or just what to do would be greatly appreciated. I want a career that i can make money from. My dad as an electrical engineer has made quite a bit of money and I know it has to do with his personal success and what he did with it. I still want something that is able to make a profit at all.

[CleeIB]

ninelives1 - As any unhappy ____ (fill in the blank with highly-paid professional) will tell you, profit is not king. Profit will come to you if you're good at what you do and you can market that skill. But you also have to do something that interests you. Otherwise you will become old and rich but also bitter because you never did what you really wanted to do.

It's pretty futile to choose a career in the abstract. Often careers turn out nothing like what you expected them to be. You should get your hands dirty and get into the very situations you might face in your career. So, talk to electrical engineers (other than your dad) and architects. Ask for insight into both the pros and cons of the professions. See if you can land any internships or studio tours or informational interviews. Start following industry developments. Visit your dad's company, or other EE firms. Go to a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building. Do what it takes to make these careers seem *real* to you. Only you can decide what career is best for you.

Architecture has much science behind it - both the science of aesthetics (golden ratio, etc.) and engineering. The most beautiful building design doesn't mean anything if it won't hold up under real life stress. Artistry of pretty much every stripe (music, visual art, film) can always be broken down into science. These things are not opposites; they work together.

For the time being, work on getting the best grades you can. That will give you options for college. In college, you will learn a lot more about what you want to be.

Good luck!

[peanutbutter]

You're doing a smart thing, you're looking at careers before finding a college or university degree. People who do it the other way around often discover that the jobs they can get with their degree are not what they were expecting. CleelB has given some good advice. Try to see all the jobs you are considering in action. I think Architecture, Electrical engineering, or any number of other science-based careers could fit you well. How would you for example feel about developing new foods or paints? Or why not combine chemistry with engineering and use both skills to find the best way to put a certain chemical in mass production?