my boyfriend and i have been together for just over a year (as of last week). we’re both 17 and in secondary school but he’s a year ahead of me in school (5th & 6th year, like junior & senior year in high school)

we’re very different people, for example: different hobbies, different interests, different religious beliefs and most importantly different future ideals and goals. our differences didn’t bother us until recently. i am a very academic person and i thrive off of a school-like setting. i love to learn and plan on going to medical school after school. on the other hand, he hates school and everything about it. he plans to excel in sports and has no intention of completing third level education. i have always been supportive of his plans and dreams but because of it, i have neglected my own. i have caught myself wanting to move to the country he wants to move to after school rather than the country i have always dreamed and planned of going to after school, he plans on returning to our hometown to settle down and i completely do not want that.

i know he’s not doing it intentionally, but he’s holding me back. i’ve brought the topic of our futures up to him before but he kind of brushes it off in a way that makes it sounds like my goals are unattainable.

what should i do? we live in a small town where everyone ultimately knows everyone. we share friends and it’s very easy to bump into each other when out in public. i was originally thinking of leaving the break-up off until the year i graduate so that i could avoid everyone basically hating me for “breaking the good guy’s heart” and start over straight away. i don’t want trouble with anyone, i just want to focus on my future but being a teenager in a small town, it’s hard to ignore everyone’s opinions.