For a year now my mother constantly pressured me into becoming a doctor. I know that it's not a good thing and I shouldn't let her decide where I want to take my life, and I will almost be guaranteed to hate my life for being something I didn't want to be, but it's really hard to disregard her wishes. I don't know why, but it's like she has an anchor attached to me.

I don't want to be a doctor. I want to be an astronomer. I love learning about extraterrestrial topics and I am constantly fascinated with the sky, even though my parents refuse (and can't afford) to get me a telescope. The thing is that I don't mind that. Even just subscribing to a newsletter that talks about planets, comets, and black holes makes me happy.

I told my mother this and she almost had a heart attack. She said no and her argument was that doctors get paid more than astronomers.

My step-father likes the idea of being a doctor, but he is a bit more supportive of my choices. In fact, he was the one who suggested a science field. However, he isn't that easy to get in contact with.

I'm terrified to let my mom down AND be in total debt in both finances from med school and my desire to be something else, so what do you think I should do?

Additional details: I am 15 years old (10th grade), I am home-schooled, I live in Florida, and I am an introverted female.

I know it's tempting at 15 to argue with your mother about your future. About anything!
The fact is that it doesn't matter at this stage what career path you have in mind, because all academic roads lead to the same academic places. In other words, just keep doing well in school, and enjoying astronomy, and keeping quiet around your mother. There are lots of sites I enjoy on Facebook, starting with NASA and Space X, and going to 'compilation' pages like From Quarks to Quasars. Medicine and Astronomy both require a broad base of the sciences, so for the next 4 years or so, you won't be able to tell the difference. You will be out from under your mother's thumb when it comes time to start studying outer space vs inner space. Have fun! Lots of excitement out there in space!

By next summer you might want to be finding out which schools have good astronomy departments, and how many scholarships they have. Money IS a huge factor in where you will go. Discussing such things with your parents will show that you think responsibly.

Astronomy jobs these days consist of analyzing data that comes in digitally, whether from a telescope on land or one in space. Any direct viewing you do will be for fun, off the job. So aside from the fun and excitement of seeing digital turned into pictures, it's going to be all computerized number crunching. You'll need strong math and programming skills for the later college years.

Slow down Hon, there are people who graduate from college who aren't really sure that they have gone the right direction. That is where a second degree comes in. Branch off when the time is right, if you still feel as you do today when the time comes.

I completely agree with Joy on this. Simply don't argue with your mother, and keep your grades up, while you enjoy your love of astronomy. The first few years of college are just a foundation that opens up other options and opportunities so that gives you a 3-6 year window to make a final decision.

No need to hassle over opinions at this point in time with your mom. Does your mom even know how much astronomers make?

Physicists and Astronomers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Originally Posted by joypulv

I know it's tempting at 15 to argue with your mother about your future. About anything!
The fact is that it doesn't matter at this stage what career path you have in mind, because all academic roads lead to the same academic places. In other words, just keep doing well in school, and enjoying astronomy, and keeping quiet around your mother. There are lots of sites I enjoy on Facebook, starting with NASA and Space X, and going to 'compilation' pages like From Quarks to Quasars. Medicine and Astronomy both require a broad base of the sciences, so for the next 4 years or so, you won't be able to tell the difference. You will be out from under your mother's thumb when it comes time to start studying outer space vs inner space. Have fun! Lots of excitement out there in space!

By next summer you might want to be finding out which schools have good astronomy departments, and how many scholarships they have. Money IS a huge factor in where you will go. Discussing such things with your parents will show that you think responsibly.

Astronomy jobs these days consist of analyzing data that comes in digitally, whether from a telescope on land or one in space. Any direct viewing you do will be for fun, off the job. So aside from the fun and excitement of seeing digital turned into pictures, it's going to be all computerized number crunching. You'll need strong math and programming skills for the later college years.

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Thank you very much for your response! I appreciate your detail and helpful input, and I will certainly take your advice at hand! :)

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Originally Posted by catonsville

Slow down Hon, there are people who graduate from college who aren't really sure that they have gone the right direction. That is where a second degree comes in. Branch off when the time is right, if you still feel as you do today when the time comes.

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Very true. Thank you for taking your time to respond. I'm only halfway out of high school, so I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.

I'll try not to stress too much on it for now. :)

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Originally Posted by talaniman

I completely agree with Joy on this. Simply don't argue with your mother, and keep your grades up, while you enjoy your love of astronomy. The first few years of college are just a foundation that opens up other options and opportunities so that gives you a 3-6 year window to make a final decision.

No need to hassle over opinions at this point in time with your mom. Does your mom even know how much astronomers make?

Physicists and Astronomers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Thank you for responding. Yeah, I guess jumping to conclusions right now is definitely not productive.

And I guess? I think she just took words from someone else or something. She still has that mentality of doctors being the most happiest and well paid people in the world. :/

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Originally Posted by JustJoshingYa

Thank you very much for your response! I appreciate your detail and helpful input, and I will certainly take your advice at hand! :)





Very true. Thank you for taking your time to respond. I'm only halfway out of high school, so I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.

I'll try not to stress too much on it for now. :)





Thank you for responding. Yeah, I guess jumping to conclusions right now is definitely not productive.

And I guess? I think she just took words from someone else or something. She still has that mentality of doctors being the most happiest and well paid people in the world. :/

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From your responses, I think you are a very smart young lady and when the time comes for you to make your decision it will be the best one that will bring you the most happiness. Good Luck

At 15 you say Ok mom and just don't worry about it. You will have no idea what you will really do. I will agree, you seem to have no idea about real astronomy, and see it more as a romantic job spending hours looking at the stars, while as noted before, you will spend hours at a desk, looking at papers and numbers comparing radio signals or other electronic data. And doing and looking at complex equations to determine differences for various areas of study.

With that said, also there are few jobs in that field, and you may end up teaching it, not really working since many of the jobs are research jobs associated with major universities.

Also really even the first two years of university is just basics, so no need to even get concerned till about your Jr year in college as to what you really want.