following is a crit from AA (an architecture school).  this is what happens, you probably owe it to yourself to watch it before deciding on pursing this path.

you don't have to know who these 2 guys are in high school, but you'll probably read about them at some point if you go into architecture school

as far as the curriculum goes, mostly we just screw around.  but you're expected to still be screwing around at 3am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQFEaAUrfAk

Only certain schools have the PLTW program to teach CEA w/ Revit.

I feel as if I wouldn't find any sort of critics like Eisenmann at UIC... Also AA is an Art school, so wouldn't critics be more tough and common?

I've been following an architectural career path for sometime now and I do follow architects and their works. Bjarke Ingels being favorite. I have also heard that architects can be the biggest pricks, that they only wear black and white (expect Richard Rogers), and that they only solve "first world problems". 

But I'm am pursuing architecture, because I find it something I can do/ talk about all day. Or so that's what I think off since 8th grade.

I have made some models, but would like to become better at it.

Maybe I can practice screwing around the same way you guys did so I be really good screwing around at college. 

High School is the place to start - if they don't teach Revit?, no problem, get a student license then learn on your own and while you are at it, learn computer programming because by the time you graduate from college architecture, the profession will want architects that can program Revit via dynamo and Rhinoceros via grasshopper - C, C#, C++, python - 

Also hate to say it - physical model making is dead at the actual professional practice level - but necessary in school to learn to think in 3D - otherwise you will make a mess in the 3D programs like sketchup, Maya, Rhino and Revit

Great studio clip- why such disdain for Eisenman in the comments?

dunno xenakis, plenty of offices I've been through have physical models, both internally and for client meetings.  it just seems easier to cut/glue/pin something real on a table with a group sitting around.

UIC because its cheaper than most, and I love cities and use to live in a city (hate the country). I'm a bit skeptical of UIC's architectural program, it doesn't seem very "strong". U of I has a supposedly better program, but its too expensive for me.

Forums after forums, I hear people say take art classes over drafting classes and vice versa. But its seems as if it matters on what type of architectural program they go into... But I'm trying to get hands on both sides.

Maybe in some places physical modeling is dead... like the firm in my town... but I've seen them in most firms I've been in and they have a countless models laying around.

But do you guys have any Ideas on what I should do in my Independent studies for model making?

Do I need a book for it?

i know a few chaps that got their starts in/as the firms model shop and eventually just become autonomous model shops. i can think of two distinct generations of them.

so, cors, what do you want to learn? a range of materials? a solid/void spatial exercise? a 'making models that looks like buildings' exercise? a 3d printing how do i get a nice model out of my computer exercise? complex geometries? bendy plastics? joints? how to make little trees? topography studies?

usually - not everywhere - theres studio where you need to make things and the shop, which teaches you to make things. maybe you should consider the complexity of your current goal and break it down into achievable steps. 

'neat' and subject matter' deserve some thought, but i gotta run . .. .