What kids think is cool...

I would say around 14
 

I think 14 is a very solid age at which most kids know what they would like to become. It might not be believable to us "adults" but it actually is if they turn that passion or love into a proper skill. Our job is to guide them and help them hone that craft. Whatever it may be. Plus times have changed. Now as an example, you can learn all kinds of stuff online and they actually do it better then your regular teachers. StudyPug or Math.com is just a small example. There are tons of these online resources on Science, English and you name it. Clearly proving that you don't need to spend 6 hours a day to learn something that you won't even need. Also at the end, it's not about how 'smart' you are, it's what you remember. Schools are training for being a 9-5 slave in my book.

How old are you, Thomas? What do you do for a living?

I wanted to be a computer programmer at 14. By the end of my bachelor's degree I did not. But I started to specialize at 14 because I was in the UK. so I was pretty screwed.

I wanted to be a chemical engineer at 14. I didn't know shit.