Need help pursuing a career in Programming

Hey guys I'm 17 in a month and im in year 12 (final year in Australia) I plan to go to uni and do a 3 year course in Information Technology @ Griffith uni. I have a few questions. Should I begin doing some HTML or even some Java (others ?) throughout the year and before I start Uni? Do I need to/know advanced maths? Is it difficult for the average person? Is it 'fun'? What's the money like? I know money isn't everything but it's still an important factor in choosing a career. What sort of hours would I be looking at for a full time job? I have done some basic HTML which I guess i kind of enjoyed I spent many weekends just building a website design. What other kind of careers are good that are in the field of Information Technology? Any other information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks from Australia!