Shania Twain Took a Data Entry Community College Class as a ‘Plan B’

Before becoming the “Queen of Country Pop,” Shania Twain was teaching herself vocal warmups and singing harmonies along with the radio. Still, she took a community college class in case her music career didn’t work out. 

Here’s what we know about this songwriter’s history with school — and her brief experience with community college.

Did Shania Twain attend college? 

She’s still the one. Twain is often open about her alma mater(s), including Timmins High and Vocational School in Ontario. Twain mentioned playing her first “noisy, percussive” instruments in kindergarten, which instilled a passion for music early on. The songwriter actually attended 17 schools before graduating. 

Between playing trumpet in her high school band and working at McDonald’s, Twain pursued her singing career. The “Giddy Up” singer never attended (and graduated from) a 4-year college. However, she did take a community college class as a backup option. 

Shania Twain took a community college course as a ‘Plan B’ 

After graduating high school, Twain moved to Toronto to pursue her singing career. She wrote songs inspired by the Top 40 music chart and eventually moved back home due to money constraints. At 22 years old, even if she knew she was in for an “uphill climb” in the music industry, Twain wanted a “Plan B.” 

“I decided to take an introductory course in data entry at a community college five mornings a week,” she wrote in her memoir From This Moment On. “This was back when computer monitor screens were still black with green characters.”

People in the class didn’t speak English well, the songwriter added, so Twain was often tasked with explaining lessons to the other girls. Through this experience, Twain learned more about different parts of the world. 

“Much as I felt the necessity to have a backup plan by learning functional skills such as computer keyboarding or data entry in case my singing career didn’t pan out,” she continued, “my attention to practicality did not mean that I was giving up my dream at all. I wanted to be able to pay my own way and not depend on anyone to take care of me.”

At what age did Shania Twain release her first album? 

Twain’s self-titled debut album, Shania Twain, was released on April 20, 1993. The collection featured 10 original songs, including “You Lay a Whole Lot of Love on Me,” “Dance With the One that Brought You,” and the single “What Made You Say That.” That means she was about 28 years old at the time. 

Since then, the artist earned her reputation as the “Queen of Country Pop,” enjoying a 2-year long residency in Las Vegas and releasing chart-topping hits like “You’re Still the One” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” 

In February 2023, she released her full-length album Queen of Me. Now, music by Twain is available on most major streaming platforms.