In the course of my teaching practice I had the opportunity to observe the everyday life of 7th and 8th graders in Budapest and in a small town in the county of Nógrád. I immediately discovered enormous differences between the two groups in their motivation levels and ambitions for the future. Children that live near the Nógrád county seat almost all opted for rather dull, traditionally 'gender-appropriate' professions, and intended to study their future trades in high schools near their home. I suspect that my observation is not an isolated incident, and gender stereotypes have a definite influence on children's career choices. For students from disadvantaged social backgrounds there is a significantly stronger pressure to conform to traditional gender roles. These observations have inspired me to examine these assumptions in depth for my thesis.