The idea of waking up at 8 a.m. instead of 5:30 a.m. every morning, working mainly on the computer opposed to pen and penil, owning your own textbooks instead of checking out the heavy books from the library, working at one’s own pace, open book tests and all the advanced classes you could want in high school, intrigues some Northwood students.
“I always thought homeschooling would be a great alternative to coming to school,” senior Alex McLauren said. “I think you would do a lot better in your studies because you wouldn’t have any distractions.”
McLauren isn’t the only student to have a positive outlook on homeschooling; sophomore Natalie Martin has similar feelings.
“I think the work load and the time it takes to get your work done would be a lot easier than regular school,” Martin said.
According to the Journal of College Admissions, the average day of a homeschooled student is waking up at around 8-9 a.m. and doing online work or working with a private teacher for about five to eight hours, varying on the time it takes for the student to absorb information. The student can be taught by their parents or by an online teacher via webcam. The middle ground most homeschooled students use is online schooling with the occasional help of a teacher, which doesn’t require parental help.
There is a program called k12, which is a more public form of homeschooling that only has around five students in a class and is virtual.
“I chose homeschooling for a couple of reasons: first, there were courses offered through my online school that weren’t available at Northwood; second, I can work at my own pace and possibly finish high school early; and third, I have a flexible schedule that allows me to take tons of dance classes,” sophomore Hannah Lang, a former Northwood student said.
Even though Lang chose homeschooling over public schooling, she still has some regrets.
“[Homeschooling] takes a lot of work to manage your time and get everything done,” Lang said.
k12 is an environment like a virtual classroom, (where school is on a more personal and advanced level). Lang says k12 is working out for her and is “excited” about finishing the classes that she is taking, but feels homeschooling was a difficult thing to just start out of the blue.
k12 has a program called Keystone, a private kind of homeschooling that focuses on an independent learning style. Maddie Clark, a student who attends dance at The International Ballet Academy, has switched into the program midway through her sophomore year to take more advanced classes that will allow her to graduate at the end of her junior year.
“I like Keystone because I can choose when I want to graduate or when I want to complete a class. The program gives me a day-to-day plan that shows me what I need to get done in one week,” Clark said. “Everything is organized for me and easier to follow than regular public school ever was.”
While there are positive outcomes to the homeschooling programs, there are negative aspets as well.
“You need social interaction with other people that will help you develop as a person, giving you a chance of a [better future],” sophomore Gabriel Webb said. “I just always see [homeschooled kids] as awkward and smart.”
Sophomore Henry London, who was homeschooled through eighth grade, says homeschooling was not “sufficient enough,” and that more kids, recently, are going to high school after middle school, if they are homeschooled.
“I didn’t know that many people and I wanted to meet more. I thought I might get a better education at a school with more advanced classes, but it’s about the same [level of education],” London said. “I [passed] Algebra 1, Geometry and World History in 8th grade, so I didn’t have to take those classes my freshman year,” London said.
According to a study on homeschooled students by The Journal College of Admissions, homeschooled students graduated from college at a higher rate (66.7%) than their peers (57.5%).
Northwood counselor Telisa Hunter feels differently toward homeschooling.
“I have found out over the years that colleges scrutinize homeschooled kids more, due to the fact that it is harder to gather evidence of graduation or grades of a homeschooled student,” Hunter said.
Because of all the different problems or situations and people, sophomore Hunter Koch has been exposed to and dealt with, she agrees.
“I guess I could see how [homeschooling] would be okay for some people,” Koch said. “But I really think the lack of social activities, life-skills, communication and wisdom from elders is not a good way to prepare for your future.”
– By Savannah Raynor