Choose Your Path

Just a midnight note to answer so many questions I heard all the time about my school life. What is homeschooling? Why do you choose homeschooling instead of public / regular school? How do you interact socially? Don’t you miss having a normal social life?

Homeschooling was something quite new in Indonesia’s education program, though it's already pretty common in other countries. It all started 5 years ago when my parents heard about an alternative to not put their kids in usual school, so they did researches of homeschooling and some schools here were starting to support that program. I cannot say if one is better than the other, for everyone have a different potentials, different needs, not every kid could be convenient with homeschooling and vice versa.

My parents thought it was a solid idea, and took an extreme step to get all of their kids, me and my two brothers, homeschooled, and we got quite a weird stare from other people. The path I took to not do the conventional learning methods, like homeschooling or not going to college soon after graduating, is still considered a weird concept to some people, or in my case, tend to be looked down to. When they found out that I don't go to public school or college, some relate it with dropping out, and more conservative circle of people even started to worry that I am 'neglecting my education'. A lot of opinions are thrown and none of it fits mine. I do take it as important, and I do not want to take it merely because of peer pressure, as an obligation or just to have a degree behind my name. Just like what my parents believe that homeschooling requires conscious learning and learning only what you're passionate about (and try to be very good at it), I want to take some time to get to know what really intrigues my passion.

As for my homeschool experience, what does it feel like to be homeschooled? Do I socialize at all? Surprisingly, being homeschooled didn’t alienate me. It forced me to get out of my shy-girl shell. All of those free time at home has changed my personality and made me a more outgoing person. My extra supportive parents took charge of putting me to different communities: they drove me to theatre class, to band rehearsals, to concerts, to have a playdate with other homeschooling kids, took me to sewing class, they contributed a lot to the things I'm into, basically being what cool parents are all about. A year after finishing my unusual school years, I have met new friends, learned a lot of new things. I have a normal, or maybe in even wider and wilder range than if I hadn't chose homeschooling in the first place. That's the path I chose. Without all those times I spent in front of my computer, I might have never tried to blog, or started things I am doing now. I might do something else. Who knows. Whatever happens, it teaches me to have that attitude of enjoying every single decision I took and never regretting it, as I believe the time you enjoy wasting are not wasted. :)

me and my little brother, circa 2009, both homeschooled kiddos. :)

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