My grandparents on my dad’s side were from family farms, and it was expected that they would go to school and work on the family farm. School was mainly to learn to read, write, and do basic math. So 8th grade was considered enough education and so they joined the family farms to work full time after that point.
My grandparents on my mother’s side were from the city. They needed to get jobs in the city and the best way to do that was to graduate high school. Although, they lived during the same time period and their education was higher working was the main goal.
My parents were both children of the baby boom. Math and Science were stressed in school, especially high school. Both of my parents came from big families (mom 11 dad 9) and they were older children. Even though one came from a farm and one the city, their parents felt they were doing the best for them and kicked them out of the house at age 18. College was a decision time for my parents to decide what they wanted to do in life. Mom went to college to get a degree and start working or get married whichever came first. Dad knew he was good with his hands and got degrees in electronics and automotive repair before getting a job as a mechanic. Dad currently (and for the past 20 years) works for the City of Fargo where his mechanic knowledge comes in handy. He uses the other half of his college education now working on hobby projects. My dad loves fixing T.V.s and computers in his spare time.
When I was growing up my parents stressed that school was extremely important (a big difference from my grandparents). I worked hard and did well through high school. College was different, I worked hard however anxiety was a big factor for me and I was self-defeating. I left school for a while and eventually figured out my anxiety issues (although some days are still bad). I am now back in college being educated for me. I could work in nearly any job requiring a high school diploma and had a promising job, but I want to teach. I am still undecided as to whether I want to pursue my masters. However, I want to give children the best chance at learning so, although it may not be formal education, I never plan on quitting my education.
