I have an 8th grader going to High School soon and I graduated my 16yr old after just 5 months of homeschooling since she was taking college courses. Do you think that taking a class outside the home with other students motivates you more or gives you less time? Is it harder to meet more people when you are homeschooling for high school? My oldest daughter seems a bit misplaced. She doesn't do the same things the kids at the Community College does, but she isn't in typical high school to meet other kids either, do you have this challenge?
First of all, I'm so sorry it took me so long to answer your question! Now, let's get into the actual question. I'm going to answer it a few parts.
First of all, I think that taking classes outside of the home is very motivating. Having the structure and demands of a traditional class setting can be strange to a homeschooler, but it is a good thing to experience, especially if you plan on going to college. As far as time goes, I find that it all depends on what else you are doing. Typically, when I have done classes outside of the home, those are my priority. Two years ago, I took a Brit Lit class, and a Chemistary class, and the homework I got was always the #1 most important thing. It came before my work at home (history, latin, math, logic), and it came before any free time I had. In general, I would not say that doing classes gives me less time to do other school, or to have fun, I think it requires more planning and time management.
Is it harder to meet people when you are homeschooling for high school? This is a varition on the #1 question most homeschoolers get (What about socialization?), and because of that, I have a bit of a knee jerk reaction to it (as many homeschoolers would, I suspect). I think, though, that while most homeschoolers are not going to be forever outcasts of society because they never had any friends, it is still something that homeschoolers struggle with, and not something to ignore.
My simple answer is yes, it is harder to meet people. You don't have the built in friends that come with school, but that does not mean that you have to be all alone. What you need to do is more proactive about seeking out friendships. As a rather shy person, this is often hard for me to do. My suggestion is to find some activities with other people. If there is a homeschool group in your area, maybe connect with them. If you like sports, maybe consider joining a local team. I volunteer at the local library, and I have made several good friends through that.
Don't assume that friendships with come to you, but at the same time, don't force it. I suggest finding activites to do, because that way you will be around people who you have things in common with. Even if they go to school, you both love soccer, or chess, or writing, and that can be the common factor you need. At the same time, not everybody is going to be your best friend, so don't assume they will be.
If you are taking classes at a community college, think about joining some clubs. If you like photography, you might find friends in the photography club, or even on the staff of the college newspaper. So, there is my advice. While homeschoolers are not friendless outcasts because of our educational choices, we do sometimes need to do a little more work to get that social interaction.
I know this post is late coming, and its longer then I anticipated, but hopefully some of you find it helpful.
If you have any more questions on this, or any other topic, leave it in the comments, and I'll answer it, even if it takes me a while. Also, if you would like to contact me privatly about homeschooling, or my blog, leave a comments, and let me know you would like to keep it private. I won't publish it, but if you leave an email address, I'll get back to you.
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