Quote:
Originally Posted by squid
I just got into astronomy about a year and a half ago, and my parents are worried I'm getting too serious about a career path too soon. Then again, they're both geologists--I got so sick of looking at the earth I decided to look elsewhere. I don't know what my parents did to get me so hooked, but I think it was their interest in science that got me started, and after that it was the magic of me discovering my passion on my own. My parents think that, even in high school, I'm too young to know that I want to be an astronomer if I grow up.
Honestly though, I have to say the biggest science turn-ons for me a few years ago were Bill Nye the Science Guy and I will never forget the incident in fifth grade when a kid in my class clipped his braces into a light bulb circuit (you know the kind with the alligator clips, 9-volt battery, and mini light-bulb?) Little cool things like that that never happened while studying grammar...
Unfortunately though, I've got to say that a lot of it has to be self-discovery. My parents taught me too much about Geology too early, and I haven't been interested in that since I was about six.
|
Here's an irony: I've heard complaints from several astronomers that they can't get their kids into astronomy no matter how hard they try! I'm not an astronomer and don't have kids, so I'm not really qualified to talk about this, but that's never stopped me from expressing an opinion before. Maybe it's just that kids need to find their own paths, especially when their parents are very strongly into one specific field. Personally, I think your parents should be happy you're interested in something intellectually stimulating that will develop the critical thinking and analytical skills that will be useful in any field. Too many kids (and often adults) spend too much time preoccupied with sports "stars" and Hollywood gossip, which doesn't do anything positive in developing thinking skills. No matter what you end up doing as a career--and many adults change careers multiple times--the knowledge, process of self-discovery and thinking skills you get from pursuing an interest in astronomy can only help you in life.