If you're really 15, all I can say is 'wow'. You're very well spoken and thoughtful, and I'm sure you can make an impact on whatever you do. Trading is something that is very unique. Morons can do great, genius' can suck wind (that's not to say that morons can't suck wind and genius' can't do great as well. ) Myself I didn't graduate high school, and have been successfully daytrading for a living for the last decade. I have a mathematical mind and am very comfortable with numbers but don't even think I could do much algebra anymore. I do a lot of analysis of price movement over time and at the same time I usually have almost no knowledge of any of the companies issues that I trade (last year I traded 850 different stocks simply because of their price action at the time.) You must be analytical and be able to learn from mistakes. Take finance classes to understand industry and economic dynamics, but to learn to trade, watch stock prices move, learn how people use charts, and develop your intuitions gained from doing so. Investing requires the ability to analyze companies, but trading requires the ability to analyze market dynamics and movement over time. Good luck, whatever you do. Usually trading doesn't start out as a career but a hobby, and those who are good at it make it into a career.