Does Schooling Run in Your Family?

[forHISglory]

I was thinking about college and how the tendency to continue education runs in families. Or does it? So I put together a list of what went on in my family. I found some of the trends interesting.

My grandparents were all born either in the late 1800s or early 1900s, a time when most did not finish school. Yet my grandfather finished college. Why? He wanted to be the very best farmer that he could be. Even my grandparents who did not finish high school read and studied and encouraged their children and family to do the best they could.

My mother never had a desire to go to school, but my father wanted a college degree. The war interfered and he never made his goal. My mother sometimes regrets not going to school, but her heart was in raising her family and being at home for us. But Mom and Dad encouraged all of us kids to further our education.

One sis and I had the more academic bents, and we finished our undergraduate and graduate degrees. The other two were more practically minded, so they went into differing areas of study and work.

I was highly influenced by my aunts and uncles, most of whom finished college. I adored them and wanted to follow in their footsteps. Hubby was highly influenced by his mother and some of his cousins, who went to school for varying amounts of time. But his father's work ethic was also very influential. His father did not finish high school, but was a man of great honor who provided well for his family.

I am so proud of the generation under us. I love watching my nieces and nephews achieve in their studies. I have two nieces who are teachers, and we do a lot of "shop talk". I wish that my son had taken more schooling, but he is happy in his job, and makes some wonderful things.

Here's the breakdown:

Hubby and I both have graduate degrees from college.

Parents: None of our parents went to college, although Hubby's mother went to a one year business school. Hubby's father did not finish high school

Grandparents: Two of my grandparents did not finish high school; one of them did not finish grade school. One grandparent finished college, and one had some college.

Sibs: I have one sis who has a graduate degree, a brother with a two year degree, and a sis with a nursing degree. Hubby's brother had a year of college.

Aunts and Uncles: 6 of them have college degrees and 2 did not go beyond high school.

Nieces and Nephews: I have oodles of them. They range from having advanced law degrees, to doctorates, to graduate degrees, to bachelor's and associates. A couple are in seminary now. Everyone of them went through some type of schooling and all but 4 are finished with the degree.

My Own Child: Went one year to college, then went to a one year trade school.

Teachers in the Family: 16
Pastors in the Family: 6
Farmers in the Family: 6
Practical Arts/Manual Labor: 15
Business: 7
Other Professional Careers (law, medicine, art): 5

Bottom line: I think that families influence the children in seeking more education, as well as influence them in being moral, wise, and hard workers. I have been blessed to be in a family that encouraged us all to do as much as we could, but more than that...... to be a good person. We have been taught that while the advanced education is usually a good idea, that not every one has the inclination or the ability. We've been taught to appreciate all the many abilities in the family.

So how does it go in your family? Have you noticed trends and influences? Do you notice trends to family members going into similar careers or jobs? Why do you think this is so?

[rosey7415]

my parents and aunts and uncles never went to college.none made it to high school. father and uncles went in the service. my father's family had 8 children. they had a farm with chickens. they sold eggs.

as they got older and left home most all of them went to work in the mills. we were near 2 mill towns. so when we were raised we were never encouraged to further our education. as a matter of fact, my father didn't even encourage us to graduate. if you didn't do great in school you might as well get out and get a mill job. there were 5 of us kids. only three of us graduated h.s. we all went to work in the mills or secretarial jobs. only myself and one sister went on to further our education. my brother got a g.e.d.

in our area there were a lot of kids just like us.( i would say 1/2 went to college=rich kids, 1/2 to mills= poor kids.) our parents worked in the mills and got us those jobs. but, many years ago all those jobs dried up and went overseas. we learned too late for ourselves but definitely encourage our children to get their education.

so i have to say that family encouragement had a lot to do with it. my father also told me after i graduated that if i wanted to further my education i was on my own. don't expect him to help pay. i worked since i was 16 in those sweat shops and he took all my money from me. i married to get away from that s.o.b. (i was abused by my father also....long story for another thread)

[madhen]

I am the only one in my immediate and extended family who went to college, much less graduated. My father was an extremely intelligent man, but I'm not sure he even graduated high school. All of my cousins are in "blue collar" jobs, although I think all of them graduated high school. My sister BARELY graduated high school.

I worked full-time and went to college part-time for years, until I finally got my degree. My parents paid for my first year, but it was understood that if I moved out of the house, I would have to pay my own way, which is what happened. It was important to my mother (my father had died before I got my degree), but it was more important to me that I graduated college. Just something I felt I had to accomplish in my life.

[ravenmaniac]

Great post. My father has some college and is a successful business owner. My mother has some college and is successful in the banking industry, I can't remember her title. As a side note they are no longer married but both re-married. I am currently working on my associates degree. My husband has his associates degree. Our daughter is currently attending Stevenson University. She hopes to go onto graduate school after she finishes her BS.

My sister and brother did not attend college. I work as a teacher's aid and love my job. I have two cousins that are teachers.

[forHISglory]

Rosey, my father also told me that I was on my own to pay for college. He was encouraging of me to go, but also honest about his own finances. There were still 3 kids at home, and farming never did pay well. So I was totally on my own to find the grants, loans, obs, scholarships, etc. And you know........ I think it made me a better person.

[beks37]

When I was in high school, my mom and dad said they would pay for any college that we wanted to go to and as long as we wanted to go for. Out of 3 kids, I was the only one to take them up on this offer. I have a Masters of Accountancy degree now.

Dh has an MBA. My dad has an MBA and my mom has an associate's degree. My sister and brother both went to a few years of school, but not enough to have any sort of degree. Dh's parents do not have any advanced schooling, but his sister has an MBA. I don't know much about any extended family's schooling (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, etc).

[thesightofoneself]

my parents said they would pay... but when it came time i was on my own. thankfully i've got a 75% scholarship.
my parents have there ged.

[my4littlebuffaloes]

I went to college, all my siblings did too. My parents finished college and even my grandparents both went to college during the depression. Amazing.

[justpeachy92]

My grandparents did not go to college. My father was one of 8 kids, out of his family 2 of the children went on to college. My mother is one of 5 kids, none of them continued their education after high school. However, my mother went back to school after having 3 kids and is now an RN. I was raised by my father and stepmother. My stepmom didn't go to college. Out of my 2 bio-siblings and 4 step-siblings, only one of my stepbrothers went to college. As we aren't close to each other I have no idea what his degree is in. I am now 34,a mom of 4, and am in my second year of schooling. I am still unsure about what I want to major in, sometimes I think nutrition and other times I think education. My husband didn't go to college, his sister got an associate degree and then became an RN. Neither of his parents went to college or his grandparents.

[AmyBoz]

I am currently finishing my second masters degree and am considering pursuing the doctorate when I finish in May. Getting it in NJ.

My father has a doctorate. Got it in NJ. My mother has a masters degree. Got it in NJ.

My mothers parents both had masters degrees. They grew up in NJ.

My fathers parents both graduated high school. They grew up in Ohio.

I'm the only child of two only children, so I have no siblings or aunt and uncles to report about.

Myself, my mother and her mother were all teachers.

I'm hopeful that my kids all go to college, but I realize that it isn't for everyone, so as we get closer, we'll re-evaluate. Right now, dd LOVES school and is talking about being a teacher when she grows up.

[Ashie06]

My grandparents [on both my mom & dads side] were very poor so they didn't attend college. My mothers parents eventually made their own buisness.

My dad quit in elementary school to help his family [5 brothers] and they could barely afford clothing. No furthur education but hes a really hard working man.

My mom quit in 10th grade to date/marry my dad and have us [i have 2 sisters,1 brother]. She later got her GED.

My older sister quit in 10th grade as well. I believe shes working on her GED.

Myself...high school graduate, no college because $$ issues and the children.

Hubby...was home-schooled. Has high school diploma. No college due to work/children.

Hubby and I did apply for college & he got approved for financial aid but never went and we never received the financial aid. He was working alot then and we had a young baby so it wasn't do-able. That's my story

[MrsMcDowell]

Both of my grandfathers served in the Armed Forces, as did my older brother and I. I married a military man who has a brother in the military and a grandfather that served in Korea. The military thing seems to run in families, as does being a police officer

[frugalbabe]

Interesting. I have my bachelor's degree, my father is an MBA my mother has an Associates degree farther than that their parents did not attend college that I know of, all of my siblings have college degrees. My parents always talked of our future as if college was a given, that it was just a natural next step out of high school.

Now dh is almost done with his masters degree in Engineering management. When he graduated with his bachelor's he was the first person in his entire family (immediate and extended) that had ever gone to college. His parents were not supportive at all while we were in college. There were lots of snide comments at family reunions. Now we are the only ones in the family that is stable and have become something of a lifeboat for everyone else so they have definitely changed their tune regarding higher education!

[heartofmine]

My dad was one of 6 kids. My mom one of 11 kids. None of them made it past 8th grade.

I am 1 of 4 kids and I am the only one that graduated from high school. One brother did get a GED.

Both of my kids are Junior's in college and doing well. I wish I had been able to go to college and I thank God that both of my children can thanks to scholarships and grants. Without them they would not have been able to go. Both have been on the Dean's list every semester. My son is going into Business Administration focusing on Accounting. My dd is doing a double major in Secondary Education focusing on both English and Science.

[warramra]

As far back as we have traced the family tree education has been important, even if self-education has been the only option. We have schoolteachers dating back prior to the Civil War, and other professional positions. As far as I can remember it was never an "if" I went to college, but where. Even in my grandmother's family with 13 children, everyone was going to be educated even if it was only a one year business school.

My husband's family is much the same way. Everyone attended some type of advanced education. DH's dad was the dean of one of the schools at the University I attended.

All that said; dh, myself, my parents and dh's parents have all come to decide that it is more important to have our children's generation learn how to learn, rather than learn with only the objective of getting into college or a certain degree. We want them to do something beyond "school", but if that isn't a four-year college that is okay with us too. Too many people in our family have been 'forced' into careers they would not have chosen only because it was what was expected of them. Too many have put off their love and gift of art, music or technical skills because it was more useful and suitable to become a teacher or accountant, for example. Education isn't only cloistered behind the ivy-covered walls of colleges.