By Lewis
While homeschooling your kids used to be something much rarer, in recent years it has become a lot more popular. The pandemic certainly changed things for a lot of people, but even before schools were shut down or went online there were quite a number of parents teaching their children at home. Every family has a different reason for choosing the “at home” schooling option. Some parents may make the decision because of scheduling, availability or location. Some parents may do it to give their children different opportunities, or they think their children will learn better in that type of atmosphere. No matter what the reason is, however, it’s no secret that homeschooled kids, especially teens, excel in higher education. Here are some reasons why.
Their Time Management Skills
As an adult, one of the biggest beneficial skills to have is time management. You don’t become one of the most successful criminal law attorneys or doctors, or succeed in any career for that matter, without it. Thankfully, being homeschooled gives you just that skill.
Being a homeschooler tends to come along with quite a number of different activities to juggle. That is not to say that private or public schoolers do not also have a lot on their plate, but, because being homeschooled means they are not as confined to rigidly structured time frames throughout the day, homeschoolers learn excellent time management skills early on. If they don’t, they will most likely fail.
They still have the same amount of school to finish every day but, if they wake up earlier and don’t take any breaks, for example, that leaves a lot more time for extracurricular activities. Or, if they have other things going on aside from school, they learn very quickly how to manage their time so everything that needs to get done still gets done. This is a very important skill when it comes to higher education.
They Are Well-Rounded
Closely correlated with their time management skills is their well-roundedness. Because they have learned to be efficient with their time, they have the ability to do more things outside of their sit-down bookwork. They can travel more, have more time to exercise, look after their mental health and become proficient in different hobbies. They have time to learn how to play instruments as well as participate in sports and don’t have to pick just one. All of these things not only make them more appealing to universities upon applying, but helps them succeed and thrive once they are accepted.
They Are Driven
There is a great kind of confidence that comes along with being able to manage your time wisely and knowing you are well-rounded with many desirable traits that people look for. While college will always throw challenges in the direction of every person that attends, having that confidence and know-how will automatically give homeschoolers an advantage when stepping out of high school and into the adult world. Having that type of confidence and drive helps them to stay resilient in the face of adversity and difficulty. It also gives them the type of work ethic and discipline needed to thrive in higher education, and in the workforce beyond.
Final Thoughts
College tends to be a tough experience for every student. There are a lot of new things, in a new environment, that are thrust at a person all at once. While every person is different and there is no right or wrong way to educate children, be it homeschooled, private schooled or public schooled, it is easy to see why homeschooled kids excel upon entering into higher education.