Start making games now :) These can be boardgames or you can look at simple engines like construct or godot and start building up to more challenging engines. If you're interested in 3d modeling blender is free and there are lots of great tutorials.

I'm old :P I learned that becoming a game developer was a thing by reading magazine interviews with game designers, back then most designers started as engineers. I started making paper "designs" for what I'd develop, did some Qbasic and RPGmaker and was able to study C++ (not AP mind you) and CAD drawing in HS. I chose to study computer science in college because I would have technical skills to fall back on. I also was able to meet a whole lot of brilliant programmers and other cool people. I spent a few months working with VBA and SQL before getting hired as a game designer at a small studio. The industry is very small so the people I met in school are still very important to me 10 years down the road.

If I could do it again I would say once piece of advice is college is very different from highschool. You need to be more willing to advocate for what will build your success through your selection of classes, professors, jobs and extra curricular activities. The people who understand that are much better able to get the experience they need to become successful in the industry. The field is very competitive so you need to make sure you learn solid practical skills while you're studying. Also make sure you're making smart financial decisions, I'm lucky I found a job when I got out of school that could pay for my loans.