Should I go into photography?

People tell me (well primarily adults) that I should pursue a career in photography. I recently enter into a competition in the category and was chosen to go to nationals. People at school got to see the work that I entered because my art instructor decided to post them up in the school office. He also thinks that I should go into photography as a profession. My problem is that photography doesn't bring in a lot of money. I'm afraid that if I go to an arts college and major in photography that when I get out of school I will be struggling to make a payment. Thats why I'm skeptical. I know money isn't the most important thing in choosing a career, but I do know that you do need money to survive.

You should do what your heart tells you. If you don't have that much passion with photography, you feel you will be missing something else, then it's probably not for you. Photography is an art, a way of expressing oneself whether if you are a commercial artist, photo journalist, or just a 2 dimensional artist. If photography will feel like work to you, then maybe it's not for you. It can always be a hobby for you, and you'll still be good at it. If you love computer, and it doesn't feel like work, then you career should be in computer. Or cooking, or even accounting... Once you find your niche, you'll know what you would like your life to be all about.
Most of us photographers we work in a darkroom sometimes for more than 12 hours or more (sometimes working on just one image), yet it didn't feel that long, and we will still do it again.
Struggling is part of life, it builds who we are, makes life interesting, a way of knowing what fulfillment means. Just like the characters you watch on TV or movies, you see their struggles and how they overcome it or not - but the process makes the story interesting.

Why not go into photoghaphy?...you have your whole life to change and choose. There are many lines of work in photography so theres always some variety, which is always a plus. Even if you decide not to go into photography you can alway have it as a side job. (for example my art teach teaches and sells and shows his painting in galleries too)

Getting a degree in anything is always a gamble ... It is only the start of any career.

The more you know about photography, how to run a business and the way to control a camera so it becomes second nature the better. ... if you want to become a pro.