Literature on student perception is evaluated in relation to the evolution of perception of Geography, Earth and Environmental Science (GEES) through the school years. Four pervasive themes are identified. An "expectation framework" generated by family and social class exerts a dominant influence on student choice, yet rarely is it addressed in studies of degree subject choices. Each student follows a "choice trajectory" through the school years, which warrants further investigation in the context of GEES. "Interest" is often cited as an influencing factor on educational choice, but rarely is it examined at any depth and in relation to GEES disciplines.