by Erika, Summer ‘23 Intern
High school is often the time when families shift from homeschool to "real" school (the misnomer commonly used in our house, at least, for brick-and-mortar school). I am very grateful to my parents, though, for giving me the opportunity to be homeschooled from preschool through graduation; and I believe I came out of the four years of high school a better-formed person with more knowledge and skills that will be of use to me the rest of my life than if I had gone to public school. Homeschooling has also offered me more freedom in my education and with my time than I would have otherwise had. As the oldest child in my family, there was certainly a learning curve to homeschool highschool, but it was a blessed journey! Here are some tips I learned along the way that helped me make the most of my four years of high school:
Explore your interests
High school is a perfect time to explore your interests. Take a class, find an internship or job, do something that really interests you. That way you will get a sense of what you would like to pursue further. For example, four years ago, I saw that the Saint Raphael School offered an iconography class, and to me, an opportunity to learn iconography sounded amazing. I enrolled in the class, and have taken the subsequent levels of it every year, as well as interned with a local iconographer. I was able to try a lot of different things in high school, some I loved, some I realized weren’t for me. So, take the opportunities you’re given and try something new that excites you!
Take the initiative in your education
High school is also a great time to begin to take ownership of your own education. This is especially necessary if you are in a big family and have many siblings that also need your mom’s time and attention. Regardless, beginning to take the initiative in your education is a good growing step. Don’t just sit through classes and do your homework because "your mom told you to." Set your own goals and motivate yourself. Say to yourself: I want to study these subjects and perform well in them so that [insert future goals here]. This is not to say that you shouldn’t take the classes your parents tell you to take and put care and effort into them! My point is rather that you should take the beginning steps towards owning your education.
Create a schedule for yourself
Being organized is really key to staying on top of everything. Especially if you are juggling different classes, extracurricular activities, a job or other responsibilities, it is helpful to have it all written out. I have also found it helpful to create a daily schedule to make the most of every day—outlining when you’ll get up, say your prayers, work out, do your math homework. A schedule makes for a more productive day and helps build self-discipline!
Work hard
I cannot understate the importance of hard work. If you want certain results—from classes or from anything in life—the only factor you can control is yourself: how much time and effort you put in. If you want to be good at an instrument, you need to practice, practice, practice. If you want to be good at a sport, you need to practice. If you want to excel at school or whatever else you are pursuing, you need to put in that same kind of focused time and energy; that is, you need to work hard at it! Of course, hard work doesn’t guarantee anything because we can achieve nothing by ourselves: God gives us the strength and grace for our work, and if the results are what we were striving for, glory to God. But if it doesn’t go the way we planned, thank God, His plan is always better.
Do something else
As a homeschooler, it can be easy to not do much outside of school, but a variety of activities helps to create balance in our lives. I have always been better off when I have other things that get me moving and out of the house to balance school. And the harder I work at school, the more I have found this to be true. Whether it be a sport, job, book club, or something else, it is healthy to have balance in your life and to get out from your desk and do something else. Balancing your life means that you give attention and care to all aspects of yourself: mind, body, and soul. If you do nothing but school, you will be giving all your time to your mind, but neglecting the rest of your person!
Take advantage of your flexibility
Take advantage of the flexibility you have as a homeschooler! For me, flexibility was one of the greatest benefits of being homeschooled. I loved being able to take my school and classes with me wherever we went. Our family was so blessed this past October to be able to take a cross-country road trip, something we certainly could not have done if we were not homeschooled. Also this past year, I spent two weeks at an Orthodox brick-and-mortar school, observing and helping out, another opportunity that was only possible because of the flexibility of homeschool. So, however you and your family are able, be creative and take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves as a result of your "non-conventional" schooling!
These are a few things that have helped me succeed in high school as a homeschooler. Many of them are also important life lessons that will continue to help me in whatever I am pursuing in life! I owe a big thank you to my parents for homeschooling me in high school. I hope that you find some of these tips helpful for your own homeschool high school endeavors; thank God if you do!