In a time when it can be difficult to secure a place in college, more and more people are looking at homeschooling as a viable alternative. With the rise of such a phenomenon, it is natural to wonder if homeschooling is effective in granting someone a successful college career.
The truth is that homeschoolers are more than likely to have a successful career in college due to the various advantages they have over traditional schooling.
What Are The Advantages of Homeschooling?
One might think that the educational standards of homeschooling are somehow inferior to those at a public school, however, many studies have shown that homeschoolers can achieve the same levels of academic success as traditionally schooled students. This is due largely to the individualized attention that homeschooling affords.
Without the need to abide by a set classroom curriculum, homeschoolers can pick and choose the subjects and materials that best fit their needs and goals. Homeschoolers are able to learn in the comfort of their own homes, allowing them to take the time to mastery subjects without the pressure or anxiety of traditional schooling.
Moreover, homeschooling affords students the opportunity to study whatever they want, whether it be through traditional textbooks or by exploring their own projects and interests.
This can result in greater overall understanding and knowledge in the student, resulting in a much higher comfort level and potentially more successful college experience. This is especially true in programs such as STEM where hands-on experience can be hard to come by in traditional schools. That being said, homeschooling may also provide special attractions and opportunities that are not available in traditional schools such as homeschool co-ops, field trips, and guest speakers.
What Does Homeschooling Lack?
As mentioned before, homeschooling can provide a great level of individualization, but it can also lead to learning gaps. If a person decides to self-teach, the chances are they will lack some of the structure and organization of a normal classroom. Furthermore, if the person falls behind they may not have the support they need to catch up.
Homeschooling also lacks the ability to transition someone from being socially and emotionally immature to mature, leaving homeschoolers to eventually face the world without the proper preparation.
Other drawbacks can include the lack of adjusting to diverse populations and people and a lack of exposure to different ideas.
This can result in an almost tunnel-vision view on the world, which could lead to disaster in college. Furthermore, homeschoolers may not have the opportunities to be part of extracurricular activities such as sports and other activities, which can help build relationships, life skills, and leadership.
Homeschooled students also lack the opportunity to gain credits for college or trade school, or even the chance to build references.
The school guidance counselors and administrators in traditional schools tend to be the “gatekeepers” for college admissions, so lacking those credentials can make it harder for homeschoolers to get into college.
How Can Homeschoolers Make Up For It?
Homeschoolers can make up for the missed opportunities and knowledge in a number of ways. Taking classes and attending seminars outside of the home is one way that a homeschooler can remedy these issues. Participating in physical and other extracurricular activities as well as volunteering are other ways that a homeschooler can make up for the weaknesses in their education.
Working a job while homeschooling can also help bridge the gap between the knowledge of traditional schooling and the freedom of homeschooling.
Homeschoolers can also look into internships, cooperative programs, and other hands-on learning opportunities that are offered by some of the larger universities.
With enough effort, tomorrow’s college students can find ways to compensate for the deficiencies of their homeschooling.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can’t be said for certain whether or not homeschoolers are more or less successful in college. That being said, it’s clear that homeschoolers do have certain advantages over those attending traditional schools.
Whether it’s in the flexibility of creating specialized learning plans, jumping into college credit programs, or even creating better time management skills, homeschoolers have proven they can be successful in college. With proper planning and some extra effort, a homeschooler can be better prepared for college than a student from a traditional school.