Should a 12 Year Old Have an Idea About His Future?

[Brainguy]

Quick question, adults often ask me what I want to do when I grow up, and then seem a bit dissapointed when I say I don't know. Should a 12 year old boy have an idea about what he wants to do with his life? What I don't tell people, is that I kinda want to be an engineer. What do you think about that?

 

[D H]

Expecting 18 year olds to know what they want to do when they grow up is expecting too much. That's why most colleges in the US defer selection of a major until the sophomore year.

Expecting 12 year old kids to know what they want to do when they grow up is downright ridiculous.

 

[Choppy]

Often that's just something that adults like to ask kids. Most adults are fairly well aware that your interests will change as you mature, so it's not like they can really hold you to an answer.

You might want to try turning the question around. "What did you want to be when you were twelve? What do you do now? Do you like what you do? If you could do things over again, what would you do differently?"

As for being an engineer - great! There are all sorts of directions you can go with that. For the present just concentrate on doing well in school and making the most of opportunities that come your way.