I never took a shop class in High School. I took all the science and math classes that were offered. Being from a family that had very little wealth, and even less education, I wanted to learn what was missing at home. On graduation, the first civilian job I took was as a laborer. However, within a month, they discovered I could diagnose and repair mechanical problems. So I also stated night school at a community college, welding first, the blueprint reading, and finally industrial math. In the math, I not only excelled, but enjoyed it. So took further classes up to and including calculus. I was always a rock hound, so then I took a geology class. It was a 105 class, but I was credited with a 205 class on the basis of going out and personally exploring the formations we studied.
I did never had to money to go full time, and was not going to go into debt, so I never got a degree. Highest class was a 470/570 Eng. Geo. class. Besides, as I worked, I eventually became a journey level industrial millwright, making rather good money. However, the critical thinking skills I learned in college classes aided me immensely in diagnosing problems. I wish I had had the opportunity to take an apprentice course early on, but do not regret the time and money I spent of college courses. As I regard my career, I am satisfied with my life. The job of a millwright in heavy industry is challenging physically and mentally. And never boring. Sometime frightening, but never boring.
