If you have a passion for the built environment, you probably want to study engineering or design when you've finished school. Whether you're keen to investigate roofing in Toronto or you're interested in exploring foundation repair in France, with a little research and some perseverance, you'll find the right programme to suit your requirements.

A good degree in the right sort of engineering will allow you to work with large structures – bridges, sky scrapers and industrial sites – while a degree in something like architecture will focus your attention on smaller buildings and the principles of design. In order to discover which kind of course would suit you the best, it's important to get a good idea of what's on offer at various universities in your country.

Get online and browse through a couple of prospectuses. Some of the course descriptions may be difficult for you to understand at this stage, but persevere; you should grasp the gist of what it's possible to study at each institution.

Next, it's important to weigh up your school marks against the entrance requirements. You will find that different universities have different admissions criteria; some want you to have more points than others. While you should try to get into the best college you can, you shouldn't berate yourself too badly if it looks like you won't be able to go to the most prestigious institution on your list.

It's always a good idea to get your application in early. Send yours as soon as you can and, in the mean time, work at pushing your school marks up even higher. This way, when it comes to the final application, you can relax and feel confident you'll be accepted.