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We deliberated long and hard before choosing to homeschool our kids. When we decided, and actually all along in the process, well meaning people expressed their skepticism that we could meet the academic needs of our children. They would ask, “Don’t you want them to go to college?” and clearly saw homeschooling as a handicap. We saw it as an adventure full of fascinating stuff to explore, bursting with a world of opportunities larger than we could ever utilize.
I write this now, remembering those nay sayers, since we’ve just heard some wonderful news. Our youngest got her grades back from her first semester in college and got all A’s with a 4.0 grade point average. But more amazingly, since she had 17 credits (of hard courses –she’s a Math/Physics double major) this translates to mean that she is actually now ranked in first place in her whole freshman class!
I would just like to say here that it seems like homeschooling prepared her just fine to handle the academic challenge of college. And yes, this is a proud mama moment, but I am most pleased that she worked so very hard and is enthusiastically interested in what she is doing. Those two things are way more important to me than either grades or rankings. She was never taught to the test, and she’s not learning just for them either.
This was no cake walk, but she’s had a triumph, won through persistent effort, the old fashioned way. And what a great lesson that is! I am so glad she saw that consistently showing up and regularly meeting requirements pays wonderful dividends. Here she is in these photos looking utterly exhausted but satisfied.
So if you are a homeschooler out there, keep the faith. And if you are not, I hope you can take this one tiny example of many to realize that there are lots of possible paths to a good result. Homeschooling is a supportable option when you hear of someone earnestly deciding to do it. For oh so many reasons, I am very glad we did.
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6 Comments
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Congratulations to Laura and her chief homeschooler! Incidentally, my experience as a Dartmouth interviewer has been home-schooled positive.
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So glad to hear!
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I am looking forward to writing a letter like this of my own! I have been so lucky to have you as a homeschooling mentor, and even luckier that you are my forever friend!
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Love back to you! I am confident your kids will do as well with this gift that has been given them.
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Wonderful news!! why am I not surprised. :)
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Awesome! Well done Laura!
