Photography career help?

Okay will be a college freshman fall of 2009 and keep going back and forth between ideas of what I want to do. So you know the people you see in the rain forests and 3rd world countries...national geographic, etc. that would be amazing but I need to know the ins and out of such a career and I having a bit of trouble finding such information so any help would great. But perhaps the most important question is does that sort of photographer go by certain title and how do get there? thanks.