Homeschool advice please!?

Question

OK I'm a 13 year old girl that is home schooled and has plans to graduate when i'm 16 and go to school until I'm 18 take a year off and go back until I'm 21 and then take another year off ,i plan to be a vet so that's 4 years of college and then more college its either 2 or 4 more.....my parents plan to unschool me and then when i turn 16 i can go to GA and get my G.E.D and then go to college but can i get a scholarship if I'm unschooled?and i need some ideas and what to do for unschool work and anything else anyone would like to add would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Answer 1

I was home schooled and take it from me.... that was probably the worst decision I've ever done. Yeah, I thought I was gonna finish faster and it would be cool not going to school and waking up early everyday, but boy was I wrong... I actually finished 3 months later, had no friends, had a really bad sleeping habit, was very lonely, and didn't really learn much. You miss out on a lot...e.g prom, walking up in front of everyone getting your diploma...some of the best times of your life.Take it from me...I would say don't get home schooled. Trust me, you will regret it.  

Answer 2

There's a book called "And What About College?  How homeschooling leads to admissions to the best colleges and universities" by Cafi Cohen.  It has a lot of helpful information on how to document your highschool years (yes, even for unschoolers).  You don't need to get a GED; your parents can issue you a diploma and transcript and such.  Anyway, the book is a great reference that discusses a number of such issues, goes into the pros and cons of things like getting a GED or not, writing your own diploma or not, etc.  I'd recommend getting a copy and reading it.

For the people who said that they missed out on things, I feel sorry for them, but can tell you that I missed the prom, too, even though I went to a public high school.  And a good friend didn't get to walk down the aisle and get his diploma, just got it mailed to him, even though he went to a public school--so missing those isn't unique to homeschoolers.  

On the other hand, the homeschoolers in my area have arranged their own prom and graduation ceremony and so much more, so if you really want those things, you might just have to take the trouble to organize it or find someone else who is organizing it.

As for things to study, you'd have to think about what you are interested in.  If you really want to be a vet, I'd think about what you need to learn to achieve that goal.  I'd definitely recommend learning as much math and science as you can.  Maybe try to volunteer at an animal hospital or animal rescue organization or pet store or something related to your career goal.  Or get involved in 4-H or other organizations.  Learning Latin could be a great help with all of the medical terminology.  General biology and then Anatomy and physiology would be essential areas of study.  A lot of vets end up running their own businesses, so courses that would help an entrepeneur such as writing, Business math, economics, etc. would probably be of great value, too.

Good luck.

Answer 3

You don't need your GED--your parents can most likely issue you a diploma. Besides, a GED or a diploma don't really mean much in terms of getting into college--it's the SAT or ACT scores that do (assuming you are in the US).

If you are going to unschool, I strongly urge you to get a copy of The Teenage Liberation Handbook. She goes into detail all the things you can study in different subject areas and some ideas on how to go about it. It'd also recommend reading A Thomas Jefferson Education. Lots of great ideas on how to get a good education.

I'm afraid I don't know much in the scholarship area.

Answer 4

dont think that far and that much, u are 13 , u have to focus on what ur doing now rather then thinking about 10 years forward.

Answer 5

I'm in the same boat as yahoo. Homeschooling was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. The only good thing that came out of it was meeting my best friend. Other than that I completely regret it. I graduated a YEAR late because my mother stopped educating me and focused on her own education and career. Between the ages of 13-17 I didn't do any schooling. I finally realized how completely screwed I was and took everything into my own hands, got my diploma a year late and got my life together as well as I could.

Now that yahoo mentions it my sleeping habits were disgusting as well. I would stay up until 4am sometimes then sleep until 3:00 in the afternoon. Ugh, it makes me tired just think about it.

And unschooling.....Good lord, do not let yourself be unschooled. I knew an unschooling family and the boy that was the same age as me at 14 could hardly read or do addition.

And don't make TOO many plans right now, a LOT will change between now and then. Just focus on what you would like to do, don't plan things out too much. Just take things as they come. You may change your mind and decide to do something else.

Good luck, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I hope your education goes better than mine did.  

Answer 6

im homeschooled too. you should email me sometime (=

yeah I think you can get your g.e.d

im 14 and plan to graduate when im 16 too :)

good luck!