Homeschooling is an educational choice that many students, parents, and teachers are making in today’s world. In this article, I will be discussing my personal experiences with my newfound homeschooling lifestyle and how it has changed my day-to-day life and my outlook on education.
I will touch upon why I chose to homeschool, the advantages and disadvantages of it, and ultimately how it has enriched my learning experience and overall life.
1. My Home Education Background
Before I chose to homeschool, I was enrolled in a government-funded school in a large city. The school was well-respected and rated highly in academics.
I experienced the traditional school system firsthand; attending classes, taking tests and examinations, participating in extracurricular activities, and so forth. I was well-acquainted with the standard educational model, however, I was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of freedom in customization that the traditional model provided. I was growing to resent the experience of going to school everyday, despite how well I was doing in my classes.
2. Why I Decided to Homeschool
I decided to take the plunge and pursue homeschooling, due to its great potential to provide me with customizable and alternative learning experiences. In traditional schooling, one is exposed to the same classes, the same educational material, the same tests, and so on regarding that said class or subject.
While this does hold great benefits, such as conformity and reliability, I found myself craving for something more personalized, that would not only enrich my educational knowledge, but also give me logical and analytical skills. The idea that I could learn what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted sounded appealing, thus I chose to pursue the option of homeschooling.
3. Advantages & Disadvantages of Homeschooling
The advantages of homeschooling include custom curriculums to fit the student’s learning needs, a more relaxed learning environment, and accelerated learning experiences. A custom-based curriculum allowed for me to access and study a variety of subjects that interested me. This ultimately enriched my understanding of the educational material, and provided me with the opportunity to build analytical habits.
The relaxed learning environment that the homeschooling system provided me was much better than the strict setting of a conventional school. It enabled me to focus on my content instead of worrying about outside pressures from peers or conformability.
Lastly, the accelerated learning experiences that I received while homeschooling enabled me to go beyond the traditional educational systems confines. This allowed me to dig deeper into the content and broaden my knowledge on the same.
The one disadvantage of homeschooling I would have to say is the lack of social experiences. As I was learning from the comfort of my own home, I lacked experiences such as making friends, developing relationships, and attending conventional school functions such as sporting events and field trips.
4. My Homeschooling Experience
My homeschooling experience started off with uncertainty; this was a considerably different lifestyle than the one I was used to. When my parents gave me the green light to pursue the homeschooling system, I was not aware of the immense changes it would bring to my day-to-day life.
The first few weeks of homeschooling were tricky, as I was navigating around my new curriculum and adjusting to my unique schedule. Besides a few hiccups, I swiftly got the hang of the system. Work wise, I realized the importance of developing time management and organization skills.
I quickly understood that completing my work in a timely, efficient and effective manner was crucial to my success.
5. Establishing Habits & Finding Challenging Work
Since I was learning largely independently and at my own pace, I knew that establishing certain habits and practices was critical in succeeding in the homeschooling system. I started tracking my progress on a regular basis to better understand where I was in my educational journey and what I needed to do develop my skills.
Additionally, I sought out and found challenging work that allowed me to get the most out of my education and gain deeper understanding. I read and researched books of varying difficulty, and based on the knowledge that I gathered, I wrote several reports and papers.
6. Aids & Resources for Homeschool Success
There are a variety of resources that aid homeschoolers in their educational journey. One resource I found particularly helpful is online classes and curriculums, which allow me to learn specific subjects from experienced professionals from the comfort of my home. Several websites have also been helping me with finding up-to-date study materials, that come in various formats such as online modules, videos, and books.
Memorizing and revising was also made simpler, thanks to educational apps that helped me store digital flashcards and practice tests.
7. Flexibility & Independence
The biggest advantage to homeschooling is due to its great potential to provide me with more flexibility and independence. Flexibility in terms of I was allowed to decide what I wanted to learn, its pace and its complexity. This helped me to develop my analytical and logical skills, which can be both rewarding and challenging.
The independence I found in the homeschooling model has enabled me to take full control over my learning. I make decisions on which learning materials to focus on and when to take breaks or vacations.
8. Variety & Interests
The wonderful thing about homeschooling is that, on top of the conventional subjects one learns in school, I have the opportunity to explore different interests and hobbies. I can learn about topics I’m passionate about and skills that I might find useful in later life. These hobbies range from anything from painting and sculpting, to graphic design and coding.
As a result, my skills have been able to greatly expand, allowing me to delve deep into whatever interests me. This has allowed me to become a well-rounded student, rather than someone limited to the core educational curriculum.
9. Adaptability & Inclusivity
Adaptability and inclusivity are often two of the biggest aspects that come with homeschooling. Without the rigidity of a conventional school, I have been able to make any adaptation that would best suit my schedule and lifestyle. An example of this includes shifting priorities and rearranging deadlines.
Inclusivity is a well-known benefit of homeschooling, given that it allows students of all abilities and needs to learn in an environment where they will thrive.
10. Reflection & Appreciation
Another aspect of homeschooling that I found both enjoyable and enlightening was the ability to reflect and appreciate the learning which I was doing. This motivates me to work harder on learning new topics in a thorough manner, and results in my enhanced appreciation for the content that I learn.
In comparison to the traditional school model, I do not carried out unanswered questions or unsearched topics, as when I decide to explore something, I can take a long the journey as long and deep as I wish.
11. Harnessing Online Opportunities
Given the current pandemic, one of the biggest advantages of homeschooling is learning to use the internet for resources, such as online tutorials and teaching videos. This has allowed me to discover a wide range of academics and skills that I would not have encountered in a traditional school setting. The internet is a great resource for educational materials, be it articles, videos, podcasts, or apps.
Using these resources, I have been able to develop my technical knowledge on computer science, utilize YouTube videos on how to paint, and join virtual fitness programs to keep myself in shape.
12. Staying Motivated & Developing Goals
Motivation is key to succeeding in any field, especially when something is done independently and without the constraints of a traditional school. I have had to find ways to motivate myself and not get too overwhelmed with the amount of education I am doing and the tasks that I have before me. One of the best ways I found to stay motivated and driven is by setting goals, both short and long term.
This allowed me to have a tangible sense of satisfaction when I achieve my goals, providing me with an extra testament to work harder and better to accomplish my end goals.
13. Results & Reflections
Since I adopted the homeschooling system, the results have been both highly satisfactory, and in some cases, life-altering. I have been able to develop skills that assist me in my academic life, as well as my personal life.
Developing a custom-tailored education setup has allowed me to develop knowledge and skills, ranging from analytical and logical conclusions, to the technical and creative aspects. Many of the things I have created would have not have been possible or accessible if I was still following the traditional school system. All these skills that I have developed have been essential to my overall development and prospect of success.
Conclusion In conclusion, it is inevitable that homeschooling has changed my life. I have experienced a unique educational system, set up precisely and flexibly to fit my personal learning needs. As a result, I have become a more capable and development-oriented student, equipped with the required skills to succeed in life.