Preadator X's thread got me thinking. And I don't want to just hijack his thread, so I am starting this one.

Out of those of you that are out of high school....
What level of schooling did you get afterwards.. Or.. Perhaps what I am more curious about is what did you go to school for?

I graduated from a HS class of 19 people in the Ozarks (see also: hillbillies)
The counselor was horrible about letting any students know about grants and scholarships
and no local libraries or the internets as tools to look up this stuff on their own, most students consigned themselves to working on the farm after school,
with very few looking into farm business management or construction/technical institue types of post HS learning.

My family didnt have a farm and definately couldnt afford college. So i did what anyone who wanted to get out of a no horse town would do
I joined the military.
Luckily, I didnt just write in AC/DC type answers on my ASVAB test, and was able to get a good rating, prior to bootcamp.
Went to military school for about a year and a half, every day for about 8 hours a day.
Combined with OJT, I had the equivalent of a BS is electronics.
Decent money. But i am pretty much stuck with working in places that it is pricey to live, because thats where the jobs for my skilllset are.
Sorta double edged.

ok.. so theres my part.

What did you guys do? How did you plan for life after school and how is it working out for you?

I have a degree in Law. As for how it's working out, I'll tell you in a year.

I have a BSc in Molecular Genetics. Today, I'm yanking weeds from the soil in the rain... For research!

Got a degree in English and Sociology.
I had a few ideas for jobs, however the recession hit while I was at Uni...

I would have liked to have continued in education to get my masters, then ideally a doctorate and to have become a uni lecturer, however funding has been cut and it's nearly impossible to get a grant, and I can't afford it myself.
I would have liked to have trained to become a "normal" teacher straight away, but financial responsibilities mean I can't afford to spend more time training, as I need those hours to work (teaching assistants don't get paid much, and I live alone and don't qualify for benefits).
I would have liked to have gone into the business/management side of things - which I did. I only graduated last November, so I'm not exactly high flying, but I'll get there.
Although, if I ever get the opportunity I'll go back to college to get trained as a teacher. It could also make getting a masters easier, as you'll sometimes get funded through your workplace if it means you're qualified to teach more classes (such as in a college). I reckon I'll see about it in 2 years - by then I'll either have advanced to a position where I don't want to teach any more, or I'll qualify for benefits, which will mean I could afford to take a lower paying job while I train up, which wouldn't take too long.

I'm in school to become a teacher. I'm not sure if this is what I want to do anymore though because it's not looking too optimistic around here. I started at a small school and it basically screwed me over. It was part of the same system but transfer credits were completely different so the classes I did take weren't the correct classes. I've been catching up ever since. I'll graduate in about 5 semesters hopefully.

After HS =
failing out of college twice, joining the army, finishing college (matured and finally narrowed down what I wanted to be), getting a masters, then back again for another undergrad.

Jobs were laborer, infantry, and then worked all the way up through outdoor education and then into traditional education.

Married, 2 kids, and a house.

Did I plan? Not really. Did we plan? Not really. There are just way too many factors for any kind of long term planning. A few years ahead...sure, some finincial planning for longer periods, yep.

still working on what I will do since I am 16 years of age at the moment. plans on the other hand:
Take 2 more years of school
become LET4 in army JROTC
go to a decent school and get either an electronics degree of some sort or an aviation/aerospace engineering degree
take USAF ROTC in college and graduate as an MS4
apply for Air Force as Pilot (good luck)
no good? then find someone who needs an IT dude :brokencomputer: or try and fail at getting a job as a commercial pilot.
also, try and get at least 5 years of spanish through high school and college :thumbsup:

Currently attempting a BS in Computer Science and am just about to start my third semester. Still have a long way to go.

Got a Bachelor of Arts in history, working on my MA thesis in Ancient History now. After that's finished (hopefully by October) I'll get my Master of Education. I do not intend to become a high school teacher, but its a government funded piece of paper that'll give me an extra advantage on the job market, for only one extra year of studying.

I'm a sophomoric going to a community/junior college.I plan on transferring after this year to a four year school but I have no idea where.

After High School I attended the local Community College in town. After about a semester, I realized that wasn't the route that I wanted to go, so I quit going to college and started partying (stupid idea, but WTF, I was young and dumb). After a little while of that I chose to attend one of the local vocational schools and took a course in cabinetmaking, which worked out quite well for a while...at least until I moved out of state about 3 or 4 years after voc. school.

Unfortunately I was unable to find a job in my preferred field in my new town, so drifted from job to job just trying to make ends meet until I found my current job (16 years now) it's far from ideal, but hey, I made my bed years ago.

If I had it all to do over again I certainly would do things alot different...Like drinking and the other stuff never would've happened, and I would've finished college.

Sure, I've got regrets... but don't we all?

I'm currently a student, going for a degree in poli sci. (What's D.C. good for if not poli sci?) I'll be starting my sophmore year in august.

Same, but just started my second semester.

Well out of High School I joined the Navy. Wanted to get linguistics, but ended up being shoehorned into Nuclear Engineering thanks to my ASVAB scores. I got trained as an Electrician, but ended up psyching out thanks to military life making me hate myself before I finished the Nuclear program. Now I'm getting separated after a year in and I couldn't be more relieved. I hadn't realized how horrible it is being angry all day every day. No job or pay is worth that.

No offense to military people who actually do something, but I feel bad whenever somebody says "Thank you for your service". I haven't served anybody or done anything, and nobody I've come in contact with in the Navy so far has either. Most of them sit around all day and try their damnedest to do as little work as humanly possible. Who'd have thought I would feel like I was wasting my life away starting at the wall for hours on end in the dead of night because it's my "job". <_<

But I digress.

Got a BS in Chem. Right now I'm helping to cure cancer, by (until this week till end of August) processing and packaging radioactive seeds, and now I'm manufacturing plastic links to connect the seeds together. Once my contract is over this August, I'm going back into the market of looking for more work. Hopefully in the field of chemistry.

Was going to do bio, but I hated it and I had an awesome lab professor convince me chem was the way to go. Much more flexible and applicable of a profession than bio.

Cancer killed my father, so I really would love to see this happen someday.

For all your (and all others involved) hard work i give you a big :thumbsup:

Went straight out of high-school to college and received a B.A in Psychology - then after doing that I'm currently pursuing my Ph.D in Industrial / Organizational Psychology (I will have my Master's completed by January). After getting my Ph.D in that by 2015, I plan on starting a consulting business and/or doing some teaching. And perhaps getting my Ph.D in Clinical Psychology.

Went to work at Walmart, and yes it does svck as bad as everybody says it does. Honestly thinking about going to vocational school and trying to become a paramedic, I'm just worried that I'll dump a bunch of money into it and not be able to find work afterwards.

Well, prostate cancer treatment. Used to stop when there, not prevent. Did feel nice hearing a friend of my brother tell me his dad had his prostate cured, and was able to keep it, thanks to brachytherapy, which is what the plant makes right now.

Then again, going into the sciences was primarily motivated to cure diseases and such.

BA in Geography. Getting my MA in Applied Anthropology once my thesis is done. Interned at a design research consultancy.
Working at a commercial sign shop while I look for work in design research.
The problem is the economy is still bad. Even if you can do the work, there are not many openings.
Many employers do want people with actual work skills, meaning you can do something, and not just think about it.
Trade schools are good right now, because the market is saturated with knowledgable degree holders, but not enough people with trade skills. There are a lot of openings in those fields.
Some employers want to see that you can do a few different things.
Become T-shaped. Meaning you have a core depth, but also some breadth across disciplines.
Learn a new language, and relevant software programs.