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He’s a college student. Like all his peers, he’s currently hard at work, juggling exams, socializing, and keeping his grade averages steady. But unlike his peers, Michael H. has a unique educational history, since he hasn’t always been in the public school system.
That is because Michael H. was homeschooled.
Now, this may cause you to ask some questions:
“How did he go from homeschooling to college?”
“Did doing school at home allow him to be a normal teen? What about socialization?”
“Was it hard to adjust to life after homeschooling?”
Let’s take a look at what Michael H. has to say on the subject:
Q: How did you get your high school diploma and graduate?
A: “I took distance education courses that were Quebec issued and recognized by the School Board. I studied at home, and then took some exams. I also went to Place Cartier for one semester to study English and Chemistry. All of this got me the credits I needed to graduate.”
Q: What did your curriculum look like at home? What does it look like now?
A: “While homeschooling, my curriculum was eclectic, and included many books and videos. I was doing most of my studying independently, with a few exceptions. Everything was homework. Now, I need to sit in a classroom with the same teacher for a certain number of hours, then go home and do homework as well.”
Q: Do you find homeschooling made socializing difficult for you now that you’ve transferred to college?
A: “No. Not at all. If anything, my experience homeschooling has enabled me to socialize more easily; it also afforded me a better balance between my studies, and investing in my social life.”
Q: Overall, can you comment on which environment you prefer?
A: “Definitely the homeschooling environment. It allowed me to learn the way I learn best.”
As you can see, Michael H., who is now a very diligent student at John Abbott College, seemed not only to have no issue transitioning between homeschooling and public education, but he also professes a strong preference for studying at home!
And why not? He had everything a student could possibly want at his disposal: a rich and varied curriculum, the freedom to independently study the subjects which interest him at his own pace, an environment that allowed him to grow in all the best ways, as well as ample opportunities to socialize, and create lasting relationships with other people. And to top it all off, homeschooling provided him with a smooth pathway to higher levels of education, which he has traversed with eagerness and zeal.
But perhaps most importantly, homeschooling never took the joy out of learning for him – a joy that so many public schools struggle to impart and preserve. And because of that, Michael H. continues to excel at everything he applies himself to, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Before and After: the life of a homeschooler
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