Education -
Real life - Thoughts from a home schooled student
The
defining element in
my experience as a home
schooler has been a consciousness of differences. Home schoolers are a far
more diverse group than those who attended the schools I went to. I have
been exposed to people with a tremendous range of beliefs and values, and
have been given the opportunity to examine and benefit from the different
points of view these represent.
My father is
fond of recounting how, in his childhood, he thought the world was made up
of more or less affluent people, who were probably Catholic or Anglican.
This mirrored the community in which he lived as a child. He then
contrasts these experiences with real life and the home schoolers we meet,
presenting a radically different picture. This has given me an awareness
of alternatives in life which I otherwise may not have had.
The knowledge
that there are educational alternatives more numerous than the private
school/public school dichotomy has led me to the conclusion that in other
areas of life there may be more than one or two possibilities to consider.
Additionally, home schooling has given me the time to explore my interests
and the confidence to consider them important and worthwhile. This,
combined with my discovery that life is full of alternatives, has enabled
me to examine options in my life and aim for what I want to do, rather
than what is usually done.
An example of
this is in my university studies. I am studying for a Bachelor of Arts
majoring in History and Politics. People always seem surprised to discover
that I am studying through external study. The standard next question is
"What made you choose external studies?" I consider a good reply
would be "What would make me choose on-campus studies?" In my
opinion both questions are equally valid, as each mode of study would suit
different people, and for different reasons. I find external study is
almost perfect for me, as I can arrange my studies around my life, rather
than my life around my studies. This also enables me to hold two part-time
jobs while studying. Had I not been awakened to alternatives by being home
schooled, I would perhaps have been denied the opportunity to consider
this alternative.
If given the chance to change my life, would I home
school again? The answer, for me, is an emphatic yes!
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