The Next Step: Homeschooling To College Transition |
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By: Jack Bailey Posted: 2011-09-12 22:11:56 |
| Most high school seniors find the transition from high school to college as difficult, but also exciting. These feelings are no different for students who attended homeschool. However, the process to get to college may be slightly different for homeschoolers and the transition itself may need a little adjustment. Homeschool students can and have been very successful in college settings, and the key to this is the correct support.First, homeschool students are not always on the same educational track as traditional students. This may mean that they finish high school earlier or later than the traditional age of 18. Realize that your 16-year-old may not be mature enough yet for a college setting, even if he or she has completed all of the homeschool requirements. Consider taking a year to continue education on a personal level first. Check with personal college guidelines for age requirements. Some colleges will not admit younger students, even if they meet intelligence requirements. This is most likely in the best interest of your child, because college creates many adult situations a young impressionable mind may not be ready for.Traditional students begin searching for colleges during their junior year of high school in most cases. Encourage your homeschooled child to do the same. Family visits to many campuses are important, and you may be able to combine these trips with other educational field trips to make the most out of your travel. As with traditional students, home schoolers should make a list of the attributes they like and dislike about each college in order to find the perfect place. Filling out the application itself may be difficult for your child. If you are not a strong writer, your child may benefit from asking another person to look over his or her application and essay.When your child leaves for college, he or she may choose to live at home or to move to the campus. Both options are viable, but living on campus is usually recommended in order to fully experience college. This may be a difficult part of the transition for your child since he or she is used to living and being educated at home. If you foresee problems, speak with the campus residence office about possibilities of single rooms, living off campus, or changing to commuter status. However, do not invade too much upon your child's life. He or she should be mature enough to take care of his or her own problems.Lastly, help your child prepare for the form type of education he or she will be experiencing. Learning in a group setting will be very different from homeschooling, and this is especially seen at larger universities, where your child may be one of 500 in a single class. Your child should be able to take advantage of learning services, such as tutors, to help with questions when the professor cannot. Overall, college is a big change from both traditional and homeschooling, so parents should be willing to help their children through the process while still granting increasing amounts of freedom. |
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