Sophie has decided one week out of HSC trials, her subject choice is all wrong. Art/writing/animation has been on her TO DO list for many years. Suddenly she has decided that she should have chosen science and be heading for a degree in science. What the??? It’s a de ja vu moment of ‘who are you and what have you done with my daughter?’ Last week she brought home a HUGE book on astronomy, this week another huge textbook on human biology. Waiting to see what next week’s book will be?!
So what’s behind it? Given my daughter’s and the anorexia pechant for escape from reality (see Japan escape or other escapes) I am wondering if this is perhaps the same – or maybe not. Japan it seems, is absolutely off the list. Since going over there, she has had a big reality check and doesn’t want to go back to live. So black and white -yes Japan is the answer to everything, then I am not going again. I am not sure if I will ever be able to keep up with her thought pattern or the reasoning behind it.
So here I am left thinking of my own reasons as to the science degree based on my knowledge of my daughter and her/our past:
- Get her father’s attention. He always has put down a career in arty type stuff. She has let slip that if she talks about astronomy/science to her dad he might treat her differently. As much as I point out the obvious here, she still has to believe and accept that in her own heart.
- Art won’t give me perfection. Fears that going into an art based career, might not be ‘perfect’ with ‘perfect’ outcome. Better to ‘fail’ now and choose something else.
- Failure is the reality. Picking a science degree might be seen as a definite way to fail, thus living in to her belief that anything she does is bound to fail.
- Science is the new escape plan. This is part fear of failure, part perfectionism, part not having to face the reality that the final decisions need to be made soon. The reality of art might be too much, too real, too now, so lets choose something random.
- Maturity and change. She may well have out-grown her art/Japanese dreams and wants to do something different. She does have the ability having topped science at the end of Year10 and has advanced research writing abilities. Maybe the challenge of science now appeals to her and who she is now.
My only advice to her is to apply for everything. That way if science doesn’t work out at least she has a foot in the door in a university. Leave nothing to chance. As for anything else, I am not buying into it. Time will tell what the motive is behind the science path, as will the university offers. God always has a plan and nothing is ever left to chance. Leaving it in His hands.
