High school vs Home school

I’m awake at 3am again, this time in a different bed in a different house in a different province about 750km’s from where I last blogged from. No, it hasn’t been one of "those" nights like on Hangover (I checked the bathroom and it was stunningly tiger-less). Yes, I am staying with my Ouma for a few weeks to get my head straight. Apparently when your head is on skew, your Ouma kan fix that in 6 weeks. I really do love my Ouma!

*For those yuppies who don’t understand South African as a language, "Ouma" is the Afrikaans (but widely accepted alternative) word for "grandmother."

But the idea I actually have in mind to write about is stated in my title. What are the differences, pros and cons if you will, of attending high school as opposed to doing home schooling by yourself? I can only speak from my personal experience with my own high school(s) that I attended and now the home schooling programme that I am doing which is all computer-based and individual learning. Much like UNISA, but from Grade 1 to 12 and tutors are optional (and you can find your own tutors). I work completely by myself, so from that point of view I write about home schooling.

First that’s the obvious difference. Home scholars are by themselves for a large chunk of the day, week, month, and YEAR; whilst high school kids get to spend socialising with friends, acquaintances and teachers. I’m not saying home scholars have NO friends, I’m saying they will lose the opportunity to have made many new friends and might just simply lose touch with some old friends. We all know how easy it is to lose touch with someone when you’re used to seeing them daily but then suddenly only see them once in a while and hardly ever talk to them anymore and eventually you don’t talk to them at all.

Academically though your results really only depend on YOU – whether you are in public school or home schooled. But high school is considered a "cakewalk" ("piece of cake" and "walk in the park") compared to the insane discipline necessary for home schooling yourself. I thought I could easily handle the work by myself, with nobody pushing me to "Read pages 32-40 and answer the questions asked." I fell so far behind with my school work because it was so easy to say "I’ll do it next week, Glee is on and I haven’t seen this episode before, Mom!" Home schooling is TOUGH! It’s like trying to get a professional rugby player’s body without a dietician, supplements or a personal trainer to yell at you and make you feel insignificant on the gym floor! Only few can push through. It is yet to be determined whether I can push through the pain…

I dropped out of public school because I was tired of bullies, bitches and friends who weren’t really friends. The whole system was a lie. I have "special needs" and by that I mean I need to see a school counsellor often, which every public school promises is available to any student as and when they need him/her. LIES! I experienced firsthand how principals are involved in the PR of a school and then 2 weeks later when you are a student in their school they have no time for you. Between the bullies and the bullshit I just couldn’t take it anymore – and I thought it was the specific school, so I tried 4 different kinds of public high schools (Christian school and Arts school included) and they are all the same. BULLSHIT AND BULLIES.

So moving from high school to home school lead to some rumours being spread about me (I was pregnant, on drugs, and in rehab all in the same week without my knowledge!) I lost almost all my friends because it’s hard to stay in contact – the older we become the busier we become (and most of them started and/or spread the rumours – with friends like that who needs enemies?) and I’m kind of "the weirdo" now. But I still get my education and that is what is important. It’s a little more difficult finding ways to make new friends but at the end of the day I know my true friends still hang around So in my opinion public high school can SUCK IT! It just scarred me emotionally, home schooling is the way of the future for us nerds :P