I'm going to start Homeschooling?

Question

I moved from Canada to Korea, and being that I need the good grades to enter university when I return back to Canada, I need to start homeschooling. HOWEVER, I'm going to be doing...independent-homeschooling (if such a definition exists). Since my parents can't help me (they're busy with work) I'm on my own with the whole studying stuff. I'm a 17 year old girl.....is it possible to homestudy by studying alone??? I mean, reading about other Homeschoolers, they study together as if they went to school, and they have there parents to help. But me.....

Answer 1

Easy:
What are the subjects that your University will test for. Most require English Language and Math competency Skills. Next on the list is current event, science and social science.

Depending on your choice of "major" try to hone your skills to better prepare yourself.

Now that being said:
English:
Get a very good book on how to write essays, reports and such. Get one on grammar and language use.
Get a "big" dictionary, a thesaurus and a book of quotations.
You have to learn new words and become an eloquent speaker and writer.

Math:
Get appropriate books that will teach you algebra, pre calculus, calculus (beginning), trigonometry and geometry. You must now these very well. Get a study aid if necessary and a book of formulas you like.

Science:
If you are aiming at engineering, do more Physics and Chemistry. If you are aiming at medicine, do more Biology and Chemistry. If you are unsure do at least one year of each!

Literature:
Read, read, read. Try to do a little of everything, read fiction, novels, dramas, plays, poetry, non-fiction, and choose wisely. What you read builds your mind, and inadvertently builds your own writing styles.

PLAN!
Try to lay out an approximate 2 or 3 year plan of what has to be learned. Once that is down, focus on the year at hand: Find the books you will need, the info, the materials, ect. Then, make a schedule for each subject. Do you want to do Math 3 times a week for an hour? If so, write it is. Do you need to write in the time for reading, free time, current events, or Biology? Do this in your schedule.
Now...
Let's pretend your Pre-Calculus Book is 467 pages big, how do you divide this up? Count the chapters and contrast this against your weeks for the year. So, it may be that you have to go thru about 10 pages of work in one week to get the book done. You can of course go faster. In week one, you will fill your planer with the pages to do each week, page 1-4/Monday, page 4-9?Wednesday and page 9-10, review and exercises/Friday.

You do this for all subjects and books. If you do not plan, you will not have control. Goal setting is very important! Allow yourself a free day or a free week for a trip or outing. Allow yourself to read outside or to learn from world events...Tsunamis? Russian Politics? AIDS? G8 Summit?
Be sure to prepare well for achievement tests by buying practice tests or books with sampole questions, months before you schedule for testing. Learn the strategies used by these tests!

You can't go wrong. Good luck ! Hang in there!
(veteran homeschool mom, youngest daughter is in pre-med, and she did independent learning as well!)

Answer 2

YES you can homeschool independently-

I have a 14 yo and a 16 yo and they are self starting and moving on up the high school ladder! We use Bob Jones University Press Curriculum with the assistance of Bob jones University HomeSat. We get the core classes thru a sattelite feed but they also have them on DVD.

I don't know how much the Home School Legal Defense Association could help with you in Korea BUT they do have a Web page filled with links and advice on Homeschooling through high school. I am including the link below.

Enjoy Korea! it sounds like such a neat adventure~

~M

Answer 3

We decided over 25 years ago that we would home-school as a family. The reasons were many: 1. Poor academic value in the local public schools (known first-hand as a student) 2. Horrible social structure within the public system. 3. The teachers in the system were not all very good role-models due to a high level of divorce. 4. The gov't mandates to teach programs (instead of the basic elements of academics) was getting in the way of the good teachers. 5. Peer pressure from other students is too much for many children to handle without being harmed. The damage done by just one test of drugs, sex, or alcohol is often irreversible. There are so many other reasons that we chose to home-school. The most important was that we wanted to keep our family intact and we wanted to offer our children the opportunity to learn to the best of each one's ability without being bombarded by the things that are falsely called knowledge. But... with all of that said.... the reason we continue to home-school has changed. Those things are still a part of the big picture. The truth of the matter in a nutshell is this: Even if everything was GOOD in the public schools and in the private group schools -- everything being top-notch academics and wonderful social values, etc. etc... even IF those things were in place -- we would still choose to homeschool. The reason now is because home-schooling works. It works very well. We have gained many wonderful benefits from being together as a family through all of the learning processes. For me and my house -- the proof is in the results. Home-schooling is great! We've raised 4 children from the cradle to college and the workplace -- I wouldn't trade any day of home-schooling for anything at all.

Answer 4

YES! It is possible. I was homeschooled though high school, and by 9th grade I was almost completely independent. This is the case with many homeschoolers out there. Just make sure you get good books and ask for help when you need it. Good luck!

Answer 5

Look into an organization called the American School. It is a fully acredited high school that is handled through tha mail...a correspondence school. They send you the books and you send back the tests and they grade you and when you finish you have a diploma not a GED
1 son already graduated many freinds and another son in 11th grade another starts this sept.

Good luck and stick with it...lots of help out there!!

Answer 6

If you are dedicated and hard working you should have no problems homeschooling on your own. Perhaps you will find other homeschoolers in the expatriate community, but even if you don't its ok.

Have your parents help you choose a curriculum that will best suit your needs and stick to it.

Good luck!

Answer 7

I notice that there are a LOT of answers here that tell you to spend a bunch of money to have someone else teach you or on the purchase of curriculum. While this is a fine option, I would suggest anyone read "The Teenage Liberation Handbook" by Grace Llewellyn and learn about educating yourself for free using your interests to guide you to a true and complete education.

There are many practice tests available as well for you to use for gauging your progress (GED, SAT, etc) while you are abroad.

It is great to hear that you are so committed to your education, but please don't forget to have fun and explore while you are there. It is the educational and cultural chance of a lifetime.

Answer 8

Hey! Welcome to Homeschooling!

I've been homeschooling since the beginning (except my freshman year in highschool when I unfortunately had to go to a public school.) ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) is a great curriculum for working on your own. My mom is working this year so this will be my first "official" year working on my own. ACE also has a distance learning school- LCA (Lighthouse Christian Academy). Through LCA you can earn credits (it's accredited) and get an actual diploma.

Answer 9

"Forget most other home schoolers, they are usually whacked out religionists who think science is a tool of Satan, or some such rot. It is possible to educate yourself, but it requires a lot of self discipline and self motivation, good luck."

Yes, I am a christian. Yes I believe in science, no I don't believe I evolved from apes. You aren't a Christian, I can tell, so you don't know that we think science is a tool of Satan. You probably know only 2 christians, You're thinking is naive.

Answer 10

Forget most other home schoolers, they are usually whacked out religionists who think science is a tool of Satan, or some such rot. It is possible to educate yourself, but it requires a lot of self discipline and self motivation, good luck.