Aurora - I get where you are coming from entirely. When you first start out it does seem daunting and not having the support of your parents can be difficult.
On the other hand as I'm sure you probably worked out for yourself, they probably do support "you" they are just frightened because this isnt something they expected to encounter and they don't quite know how to react yet. People tend to try and ignore or become hostile to things they perceive as a threat to their harmony and they are probably terrified of all the same things you are - which of course because they love you they don't want you to face. Unfortunately because they don't know enough to reassure themeselves their only recourse is to fear withdrawl and hostility, and your only solution is to slowly and gently reassure them that its going to be ok. If you can get them to look at some of the more balanced portrayals of this you may be able to help them slowly break through the fear - but its tough to have to do that when you are grappling with it yourself. So I fully empathise!
As for the rest - well hopefully in two years I will be a doctor and I didn't hide my trans background when applying. Now in fairness I think the UK is a little more accepting of this than parts of America so I can understand that if you are in the USA it may be a bit more tricky - but really I don't think you'll have a problem. Just make sure you do as well as you can in any exams because that will be your best defense. People always want able, intelligent, reliable, and hard working employees, so if you can show those qualities then any other aspects are far less important.
Of course I understand that ideally you want to start everyting as soon as you can. That's a natural desire give how you feel. I wanted to start HRT before puberty but it didn't happen, and in hindsight it hasn't really done me any harm. It's changed who I am for sure, I'm never going to be a delicate hyperfeminine girly type, I'm more of a farmgirl - but realistically it's no big deal, I still get seen as female and I have had no shortage of freinds and lovers of both genders. In reality there is a lot of hype about this early transitioning business. I do think that the later into your twenties you leave things the more difficult it gets, but really the differences between starting at 16 and say 20 are very marginal. So don't fret about what you can't do. Just do tackle what you can.
I think the really important, but arguably difficult, thing to grasp particularly when one is starting out is that the important thing is to aim for authenticity!
I've never tried to "become" female or "appear" this that or the other - I've just concentrated on being authentically myself and left others to decide how to interpret that. In fact I'm constantly suprised that most people seem to find me much more stereotypically female than I think I am.
I think this is genuinely the key to being accepted. If people perceive that you are putting on a big act - a lot of flummary and show for want of a better word, then they start to feel that it is false - and that leads to all the questions. Whereas if you just be yourself then generally people will take you as they find you and you don't get much backlash.
As for finding lovers, the same thing applies. Of course I'm Bi - so I can love men and women, but the important thing to me is that I'm with someone who loves the person I really am - so I've never tried to hide anything, and really my track record speaks for itself - I've had relationships both inside and outside the LGBT community and they have all lasted well and ended on friendly terms.
So fear not - concentrate on finding out who you are - and then learn how best to express that and let the rest take care of itself.
