In homeschool lingo, I’m a second generation homeschooler. I completed grades 1 through 12 at home, and I’m now homeschooling my own children. Back in 2002 when I graduated from high school, homeschoolers had limited options, and my choice of secondary education was often viewed with doubt. I’ve never regretted completing high school at home, as it gave me flexibility to write a lot and work as a babysitter (which paid for my university education). Here’s how I successfully finished Grade 12 and started university.
Preparing for High School
Grade 9 seemed like just another year of school, but our school board viewed the next 3 years very differently. I was repeatedly asked how I was going to complete high school. Many people assumed I’d be going to “real” school finally.
After nine years of homeschool, I wasn’t interested in jumping into the local high school. I saw no reason to change my schooling just because I was a few years older, and my parents backed me up. My mom was willing to keep teaching us at home… if we could figure out how.
We ended up switching from our provincial school board to an independent homeschool board. Our provincial board had no idea how to help us, as no one had homeschooled high school before. The independent board was newer, but they were willing to help.
What’s Your Career Plan?
One common question I heard during these years was, “What do you want to do after you graduate?” Like most teenagers, I didn’t have a career plan. I enjoyed reading, writing, and babysitting. My dad encouraged me to attend university, but where? for what?
I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t think there were degrees offered in writing. (I was wrong about that – there are several universities now offering writing degrees, including the University of Victoria, where I got my second degree in writing.) Instead, I looked at journalism (though I wasn’t sure I wanted to write for newspapers) and English degrees. In hindsight, I wish I’d done a bit more research on what programs were offered where, and honed in on my niche.
Most advice for doing high school centered upon finding out what we’d need to do to get into university. For example, some universities require a diploma; others have entrance exams. Once I’d picked the university I wanted to attend, I’d be able to work towards meeting their entrance requirements, whatever those were.
My dad had a different theory. He wanted us to keep all our options open. Plans and interests might change, he said, especially in the next three years. Instead of doing only the required courses for a specific university or degree program, it would be best to do all the courses we could, to keep any door open.
Get the Paperwork
In the end, I challenged the local Grade 12 exams. Every student in Alberta wrote the same exams at the end of Grade 12. In Grade 10, I spent the year studying Biology and wrote the Biology 12 exam at the local high school. In Grade 11, I completed Chemistry. In Grade 12, I wrote the Social Studies, Math and English exams.
Writing those five exams gave me a transcript of marks to present in lieu of a high school diploma. I used that transcript to apply at a local university. I had scored 98% on my English exams, which made up for barely passing my math and science exams, and I was accepted into the Bachelor of Arts program.
I went on to get top marks in my first year at university, which inspired me to study harder in the coming years. My good grades got me scholarships to help pay for tuition each year. I graduated at the top of my class, with a near-perfect grade point average and the Governor General’s Award for highest GPA in my graduating class.
In many ways, my high school years were just like the years of school before that. I did my schoolwork at home and pursued my interests in my spare time. In other ways, those years were stressful, because of the emphasis put upon what I was going to do next. In hindsight, however, our plan for completing high school was both simple and successful.
Other Ways to Homeschool High School
My brothers chose their own paths through high school as homeschoolers. My twin took an extra year to finish high school, as he was working nearly full-time for the farmer down the road, milking cows, driving tractors, and fixing the farm machinery. He went on to apprentice as a heavy duty mechanic, worked for several years for different companies, and is now running his own business. He has also completed his welding ticket. Like me, he doesn’t have a high school diploma, but he’s been incredibly successful in his chosen career.
My younger brother chose to do a couple courses at our local high school. He struggled greatly with math, despite Mom’s attempts to change curriculum and help him study. He also wanted to take German, and second languages are hard to learn as a homeschool student (especially in the days before apps). He enrolled in those two classes at our local high school, where he found an excellent math teacher and was able to complete his math courses. He went on to do a Bachelor of Science degree at our local community college and then joined the Canadian Air Force, where he’s worked for over a decade now.
These days, there are numerous other options available to high school students for completing their education. Many schools are offering online courses. Students can still cross-enroll at some high schools, to complete some courses at home and others in school. Some universities allow students to begin post-secondary coursework in high school. Other universities are actively recruiting homeschool students, with or without a diploma. There are also gap-year programs and other options for students who want to finish homeschooling in a more traditional manner and then pursue post-secondary options.
Sometimes, the options are overwhelming, but it’s worth taking a look at those options and discussing what works best for each student. Consider your student’s personality, abilities, goals and interests, and then look around to see what options fit them best.
For more resources on homeschooling in Canada, check out The Canadian Homeschooler‘s tips and articles.
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