diff --git a/examples/showcase/bachelors_degrees_by_gender.py b/examples/showcase/bachelors_degrees_by_gender.py
index 737c37dd8f5..fb5132cc422 100644
--- a/examples/showcase/bachelors_degrees_by_gender.py
+++ b/examples/showcase/bachelors_degrees_by_gender.py
@@ -30,22 +30,20 @@
 fig.subplots_adjust(left=.06, right=.75, bottom=.02, top=.94)
 # Limit the range of the plot to only where the data is.
 # Avoid unnecessary whitespace.
-ax.set_xlim(1968.5, 2011.1)
+ax.set_xlim(1969.5, 2011.1)
 ax.set_ylim(-0.25, 90)
-ax.get_xaxis().get_major_formatter().set_useOffset(False)
 
 # Make sure your axis ticks are large enough to be easily read.
 # You don't want your viewers squinting to read your plot.
 plt.xticks(range(1970, 2011, 10), fontsize=14)
-plt.yticks(range(0, 91, 10), ['{0}%'.format(x)
-                              for x in range(0, 91, 10)], fontsize=14)
+plt.yticks(range(0, 91, 10), fontsize=14)
+ax.xaxis.set_major_formatter(plt.FuncFormatter('{:.0f}'.format))
+ax.yaxis.set_major_formatter(plt.FuncFormatter('{:.0f}%'.format))
 
 # Provide tick lines across the plot to help your viewers trace along
 # the axis ticks. Make sure that the lines are light and small so they
 # don't obscure the primary data lines.
-for y in range(10, 91, 10):
-    plt.plot(range(1969, 2012), [y] * len(range(1969, 2012)), '--',
-             lw=0.5, color='black', alpha=0.3)
+plt.grid(True, 'major', 'y', ls='--', lw=.5, c='k', alpha=.3)
 
 # Remove the tick marks; they are unnecessary with the tick lines we just
 # plotted.
@@ -100,3 +98,4 @@
 # You can also save it as a PDF, JPEG, etc.
 # Just change the file extension in this call.
 # plt.savefig('percent-bachelors-degrees-women-usa.png', bbox_inches='tight')
+plt.show()