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Hello,

I know this is really kind of off topic, but I am really in a pickle. By next week (due to a special program I am enrolled in my University and my particular circumstance), I have to choose what I want to do when I "grow up." I was wondering if anyone could give me professional insight about what the field of Landscape Architecture is like, the pros and cons, or perhaps any advice needed to be successful. I was very interested in interior design/architecture, but my parents weren't okay with the whole "instability thing." Any help would be appreciated. I am very creative, good at problem solving, cool tempered, and can "see potential" in things.

Thanks,
-Overwhelmed College Freshman

A friend of mine from church is one. He's a partner at a local architectural firm that has planned airports around the country, office campuses, college campuses and other public buildings. They don't do much with K-12 schools.

He loves his work, wanted to be an architect but his math wasn't that great. A school guidance counselor suggested Landscape Architecture instead because the math load was much lighter.

At his level he doesn't do anything residential.

My niece studied landscaping at Penn State.

(The school has both landscape architecture and landscape contracting. And clearly there's a difference between the two.)

I believe she started out majoring in L. arch, but for her I think it was a bit challenging and she switched to l contracting with a concentration in design. She had an internship in school and after graduation got a job with a major commercial design, build, maintenance company. She did design, was expected to also bring in business if she could, and she oversaw ground maintenance of clients. When the economy went bad, she was let go about years ago. She's now, at 30, going to school for something else. She did enjoy the landscaping field. But wasn't married to it.

As for career prospects who can predict the future? Obviously, there are fields people think will continue to grow (that's the consensus anyway) healthcare and so-called energy jobs, just to name two. IF, IF you end up picking a field that has a bit more insecurity inherent it in, just maybe have as much skill and experience in as many aspects of that field as possible.....or a second unrelated back-up field, so you have more options.

Pick something you'll be happy doing...or at least as I like to say....IF I have to work, this is what I want to do.
Now, if I win the lottery I'm outta here, see ya boss....but short of that, this is what I enjoy doing.

Also until you die -- there's not much that can't change , be undone, or rerouted. IF you pick something and don't like it -- pick something else. I'm not saying stay in school until your 30 wasting tuition and 'figuring out what you want to do," but changing course ONCE early on is not the end of the world.

Good Luck