(I strongly suggest just reading the TL;DR OP. I spent an hour writing this big story and I just ended up having too much to say; so I'd compare this post to a bowl of sphagetti. Where is the ending?)
I feel like this post will give you some important perspective, so please try and understand as much of this as you can.
You can already see the issue of expectation here. Since you were born, your dad would have no doubt thought long and hard about what you would end up doing. Sadly, this idea of expectation can have some negative impact on your own life. Any parent would no doubt wish the best for their children, but the line between how involved in matters they should be is blurred for some.
(This is a very complex story with many loose strings, so please understand that there is a lot of missing detail in the background.)
To give you a personal example, I'd describe myself quite lucky to have the parents that I do. I've had a long enough life to see the situations of others, and without a doubt I am grateful for my current living situation today considering their struggle to get here. However, my mother is quite old-school in regards to the values she enforces, and in certain areas of my life I could see the difference in perspective we both had.
Since I study in the UK, most students are often 18 when they complete their A-levels or College course. Recently, I failed my college years. Whenever this is discussed, I always stress that I went to my classes and learned. I love learning, yet it was difficult for me to approach my coursework/assignments with ease; often missing my deadlines. GCSE Exams? Gosh I loved them, give me an exam over a deadline anyday.
Now I've had long enough to reflect on why I felt this way in class. I went through a pretty rough breakup three months into the first year, but before that doing the coursework was easy. (I don't wish to detail this for long, but it's relevant) We were together for nearly four years, and during that time we helped each other study for secondary school exams and whatnot. To paint a picture, I was that smart-ass asian dude in classes, and I had this shy sweet-ass girl by my side. Since we sat next to each other in classes like English and Maths, I re-explained concepts she had trouble understanding (Science, Maths), whilst she encouraged me to knuckle down and do my coursework (IT, English, Science). Result season came around, and we both were pleased to see we got the grades we needed. Studying wasn't such a big deal since we encouraged each other to get through the tough times, and this was the case during my first few months at college.
Had my parents (mother especially) didn't make us split during college, I most likely would have attended University by now. I wanted what was best for our future together, and if that meant a career to put bread on the table, to support our kids, then that's what I was aiming for. Where I believe my mother fails in her expectations is that it's not simply a case of 'go school, get good grades, go college, go uni'. There is a ton of variables and events that can affect the end result; they just expect you to meet the criteria. Not everybody is made of stone, and some of us do lack the support we need to hit our goals. I had difficulty in telling my family that I failed, which led to me beginning a (short-lived) backpacking trip to France. Man I met some awesome people on my journey.
TL;DR - Damn I rambled too much. Main points to take away here: * Identify that there is an element of expectation from your dad. You'll often find that support and encouragement are easily overlooked by people who have expectations; they just expect you to get it done. Growing up ain't as easy as that. * It's okay to explore thoughts about what would make you happy. I had a brief backpacking trip, and it was a wild ride man. There was a quote on reddit I read once, "Every man is happy until happiness is suddenly a goal.". You'll have an easier time in your studies if you're happy, what will make you happy, and what you got to do to have that happiness.
TL;DR ps. - I suck at writing posts, and I suck at TL;DRs. I told you I had trouble writing stories in English :) First post in a long while!