What an interesting thread! We are a talented and diverse group, aren't we? I graduated high school in 1961. I have two younger brothers. It was assumed they would go to college. It was assumed I would either be a teacher or secretary and then get married so a husband would support me. I really only ever wanted to get married and have babies. Some of my friends went to teachers college and talked about tenure and then having babies. I guess I was too timid to try that and my parents didn't stand in my way, just never thought to help me. It wasn't unusual back then where I was from. I was in the college prep track in high school for some reason. Anyway, one of my friends found a medical secretarial school and so I decided to do that. It was relatively inexpensive and my parents could afford it. Better yet, it was a bus ride away, and just from september to June. I think it was just one year. Can't remember. We had to wear white uniforms and shoes. I loved that. Made everything easy. I learned to type and to take shorthand and business etiquette. It really was a ramshackle place but our instructor was good. After I graduated I immediately got a job in a law office. I loved all of that. Typing and shorthand went a lot of places in an office setting back then. I did get married to someone who became a doctor and thought, well, I'll work til I have kids and he is through school. All that happened, and then after 11 years he ran off with the nurse. we were living near a university and my best friend took me to register for first semester freshman classes. I was miserable - it was just a few months after he left. I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. Luckily he paid alimony and child support. I moved out of the house to an apartment and the next door neighbor moved to town to go to social work school at said university. The more she talked about it, the more it appealed to me. So I headed in that direction. After one class of group intervention I realized that wasn't for me and switched to Research/Administration/Policy. Loved it. Got a job with the state and back then the benefits were great. I'm retired on that pension. But, the message I tell young women, is don't depend on a partner/spouse for your permanent support because a lot of things can happen. Divorce, death, illness, etc. In today's world, more women have various educations, whether college, trade, self taught, etc. I was happy in my career all those years. I was only in 3 different agencies over the years and then ended up the last years at the same social work school in the research department. I guess I couldn't have appreciated the education back straight out of high school. I think young kids are being encouraged to "declare a major" in high school and their brains aren't even done developing. Unless someone has a passion or a strong interest, I think it is unfair to try and make them decide so early. But, that is my one opinion. Good thread.