Do you have to go to school to become a monk?

Answer 1

To fully express my answer, firstly i need to give you some facts:

It's very simplificated, but in Christianity there are two types of people, that devote their lives completely to God (beside of them there are also "normal" people):

Priests and monks.

Priest can celebrate Holy Mass, forgive your sins, baptize, assist in wedding and many other things. He Tells people how to live, and (what is most difficult i.e. for me) tries to live himself what he is teaching to others - to pray and follow commandments and teachings of Christ in your everyday life.

Monks (if a woman is a monk, she is called nun) lives in monasteries (convents, priories...) and spend their lives praying, and doing different things according to the type of Order (one of "ways" or "organizations" for monks) like teaching in schools, or preaching in distant countries (missions) and so on.

When you want to be a priest you study in a seminary (it's six years in my country - Poland)

And to the point: If you want to be a monk you also have certain time for preparation, according to the Order you choose. There are many names for that period of formation in different orders

The most complex is that some of the monks are also priests (but nuns can't as women). And if you want to be a monk-priest (as i.e. me) firstly you prepare for your vows in a novitiate, and then study philosophy, theology, and other sciences in a seminary. Usually it's mixed - you prepare to vows and priestly ordination simulationeusly. To distinct monks from monks-priest, often first are called "brothers", and second "fathers". Nuns have also "sisters" and "mothers", but "mothre" is only a nun who is in charge of other nuns. She is not a priestess.

I hope this helps.