A little nervous. .?

Question

i am a freshman looking seriously into home schooling now.

but thinking for the future, how will i know if i've covered all the bases? my mom will be here to help me, but this will be largely independent. i mean, is there a list of what every high school graduate should know or something? i want to be prepared.

i won't get a diploma, correct? does anything happen if you don't have a diploma? will i be considered a high school graduate? how will i get into college if i'm not?

during school, i have a few brief conversations and a bit of bantering throughout the day. for some reason, i'm afraid that if i don't go to school and thus lose those few instances, i'll be, like, hidden from the world. but i go to the mall every friday night, i have a "party" of sorts every saturday night with friends, there's usually a small get-together on some other week day, i'm planning on volunteering at the animal shelter and visiting places like the library. that'll make up for no school right?

Answer 1

Hmm "I <3 Me" is a result of a public school education?  That should help you decide right there!

You and your mom can look at your state's board of education site for all the required high school courses.  However, you can do better than that ;-).  You'll also want to look at what college you wish to attend and see what their requirements are for incoming freshmen.

If you use a curriculum, they should have a high school "scope and sequence" available.  If you do all of those courses, you should be fine.  You'll also need to take the ACT or SAT just like any other student.  That will be one of the major requirements for college admission.  You can also take community college classes for dual enrollment (high school and college credits).

As for a diploma, your mom can issue you one.  It's not very important, though, your test scores, transcript (made by mom) and portfolio (made by mom and you) are more important for college admissions and for scholarships.

HS'ing, even in high school, takes way less time than it does in a B&M school.  So you'll have several more hours of free time, won't be bogged down by homework after school, and can see your friends *more*, especially new HS'ing friends you make ;-).  You can also re-arrange your schedule to however you want it.  You don't have to "do school" from 8am-3pm, Mon-Fri.  You can do a long day on Monday, take off on Tuesday, or do schoolwork in the evenings after you do a volunteer job, there are all sorts of ways to work it out.

You shouldn't be "hidden from the world".  We are actually out of the house more than we're in the house as a HS family.  As long as you and your mom connect with other HS'ers and HS'ing groups, you'll be fine.  Also, your volunteer work will not only help you meet loads of people, *from all ages*, but it will look awesome on your college admissions and any scholarship applications.

The library can be your best friend when HS'ing :-).  So can the Internet.

I think you should try it.  If you (or your mom) don't like it, you can always re-enroll in a public school.

Answer 2

yeah im sure its fun to hang out with friends now but when your 24 or something your going to see how important it is to have a education when all your friend are in collage and are not gonna party as much as they use to if home school is the problem al least study to get you G.E.D or something that will allow you to go to collage but if a were you i would stay in school you miss out on alot of cool stuff your only going to see once in your life just what ever you do school is important trust me im a high school drop out and if was not good of me to do that im 21 now working at tony romas yeah i got my high school dipoma now and go to collage but it took me a while to notice how inportant it is if you want to make good money and how a better life in you futre go to school what ever type it never to late and i still have good times with my friends....:) YES high school dipoma is inportant

unless you have parents that are really rich!!!! lol

Answer 3

Depending on what state you live in there are tests you need to take at the end of the year to see if you have progressed..Or you can have someone come to your house and evaluate you. You actually can get a diploma if you register through a school. One of the better known schools to do that is NARHS.com. I have also known of parents who make their own diplomas and transcripts.  Don't worry about the socialization aspect of it, there are MANY things for you to do.

Answer 4

It is absolutely possible to do everything you want to do and still be homeschooled.  Your mom can be your resource to help you find groups of homeschoolers in your area, so that you can get together with others who are going through some of the same issues and not feel like you've dropped off the face of the earth.  Any friends worth spending time with will still have time for you on the weekends and stuff.  

With a group, your mom can get info on homeschooling regulations where you live, etc.  You may want to look into an "umbrella school", which can use your family's notes on your activities and efforts to create a transcript and diploma which actually fits your experiences.

This will be an adventure! Have fun and make the most of it, academically, experience-wise and socially.  Volunteer work is a great idea!  Good luck!

And try not to accept any advice from anyone who doesn't use punctuation, and who misspells "college".

Answer 5

I have a 16 year old.  The way I look at the issue of having "covered all the bases" is this:

Life is full of transitions.  Often, we like to think of these transitions as being abrupt.  One day a child, the next day an adult; one day you are in school, the next day you've learned enough, etc.

The way I see it, transitions are gradual.  Between now and sometime after my son turns 18-ish, he'll begin to feel ready to move on.  When that happens, he'll know he's covered enough bases, for him, and will transition from student to working adult.

Homeschoolers have a variety of ways they handle the diploma.  We will not be making one.  The state we will live in after his 18th birthday is very relaxed about homeschooling; the university there takes a portfolo in lieu of transcripts and diplomas; the community college's admission policy is very open.  He will also probably take the test for a GED.  Were we to move to a state that was not so homeschool friendly, we would pursue the diploma option, or an umbrella school for something more official.

My son, who has homeschooled since he was 8, has a very rich social life.  He puts some effort into it, which all homeschooled kids must do since you are not thrown into situations with kids automatically as you would were you in school.  He goes to a teen center every afternoon for about three hours and hangs out there with kids from a local high school.  He attends a martial arts class twice a week.  He plays online games with friends every night.  He talks to an out of state friend on the phone every night.  And, he goes to the movies each Saturday with a few of his friends from the teen center.

And then there are local homeschool groups, which often organize activities, or at the very least serve as a place for kids to meet and form friendships.  We do not attend one here, but we were a part of a really excellent one for a couple years, plus I formed my own group when we lived in an area without one.

And yes, volunteering is a great way of getting out and staying active!  It's all what you make it and what you are willing to put into it :)

edit:  colleges do *not* view a GED as a cop out, especially if they know you are a homeschooled applicant.  That is just completely untrue. http://www.studyguidezone.com/GEDandcoll...

Most colleges will require you to take an entrance exam anyway (either the SAT or their own exam).  The GED, diploma, transcripts, and/or portfolio alone are not enough to get you in.

As an example, here are some of the admissions policies for the University of Arizona https://admissions.arizona.edu/requireme...

Answer 6

You can make up your own Diploma in the end and your own transcripts. Do not get a GED. This looks like a cop out to the colleges. Just make up an official looking diploma. It will be fine. Most colleges these days and big named ones are thrilled to get homeschooled students. Besides they make you take placement tests to get into college anyways so it doesn't matter.

You will be fine and stop worrying so much. You are at the age where you need to start thinking more about your education than other things. yes you will still see friends and socialize. It looks great on your record to volunteer and work.

Answer 7

Don't be nervous about it. You do get a  high school diploma if you're homeschooled. I graduated from homeschool with a diploma and it was notarized. You'll definitely be able to cover the bases with homeschool textbooks. I graduated and am in college, have a high gpa, in the college honor society, so obvious I didn't miss out on learning anything in high school. But there are certain courses you need to take in homeschool highschool just like public school. I don't think you'll be sheltered if you're homeschooled considering you already are a social person. I was homeschooled most of my life and wasn't very and went to college and have made friends, so I really don't believe I was "damaged" like most people think.