What career /job did your family threaten with if you didn't have a high school or higher degree in?

I never got that. What I received was constant pressure to do well so I could earn a scholarship. I cried for hours in 9th grade after I got my first C+.

And then I married a man who constantly pressured me to do more, be better, be the best….go figure. By that point, I quit trying so I could never disappoint anyone.

Never threatened, ‘cuz I was always a good student. When I was bullied by other kids though (which was often), I’d sometimes be upset and say I didn’t want to go to school. My father would respond and say, “Well sure, if you want to end up flipping burgers” or “…pumping gas”.

They did not care enough about that to threaten me with something like that.
Though they did threaten me with sending me to an orphanage a lot.

Never was told anything like that, but they did expect and push me to get a college degree.

My Dad told me that if I didn’t find a job, he would get me one working for his friend, who was an undertaker.

My family expected me to marry a college graduate with a good job, and provided an education that would attract him. It worked. I was a stay-at-home mother, and now (in our 70’s and 80’s)our net worth is over one million.

That sort of conversation didn’t happen in my family, because they weren’t part of that branch of asshole culture.

I may have been threatened with being a street sweeper at some point, I can’t remember. Generally, I was encouraged to do well at school for its own sake. Having studied for many years at the “University of Life” I can now see the good that a street sweeper brings to society and the importance of the man over the job.

My family did give a rat’s butt about whether or not I finished high school or college.

I do remember that my 4th grade teacher once said that if I didn’t do well in school that I’d wind up as a ditch digger.

Also my 7th grade history teacher told me that all I’ll be when I grow up is a “Santa Claus”.

Generally in our family there was no pressure on education after hs. We were expected to get a job, move out and be self-sufficient.
Sometimes we joked about being gravediggers, as they make great money.

Most of the jobs that people were “threatened with” make more than jobs college grads get today. Ditch diggers can easily top six figures, especially if they own their own equipment. Same goes for sanitation workers, plumbers etc…

Honestly, getting a worthless degree in “something” Is the loser thing to do if you don’t have an employment plan or prospects and took out loans to get it with.

School is not what it once was and degrees are so watered down now that the old adage that a college education is always worth it just is not true anymore. Some of you who have not gotten a degree in the last 10–15 years won’t understand. Let me put it this way, it’s like the huge candy bar you used to get for 50 cents, it’s now $5 and a quarter of the size.

Garbage pickup. But it was never a real threat; we kids knew we were going to college and get grad degrees; it was an expectation from the start.

Never got threatened. Parents were initially supportive of whatever I wanted to do. Later Dad had a breakdown and mom was too busy keeping a roof over our head and worrying about dad to worry about what I was studying. I always got good grades and assumed it was my responsibility to get the grades I needed.

That is not my family.

Ditch digger

^^My father used to say, “I don’t care if you grow up to be a ditch digger. Just dig the best damn’ ditch you can!”

^^ Excellent!

Thanks @all