Home schooled.

I was home schooled up until High School, so I got both experiences. I am still socially awkward, and I have panic attacks (sorta) when I have to talk to strangers. My high school years were the typical teen movie, but without the part where I became popular and learned a lesson in the end (lol) However, I did get the experience in being in Drama Club and Choir, which helped on my college applications. Each situation has its ups and downs, it all depends on which downs you can live with

PinkWeeds suggestion about going to an out of state college is such a great idea.

I went to public school up 'til junior high when my parents decided that my little rebellions were just the tip of a huge iceberg of trouble and pulled me out(because apparently becoming obsessed with rock 'n roll at age 11 is bad news?? lol). Looking back now I realize why they decided to do it - I may not agree with it, but they did have legitimate concerns, especially with our steadily worsening education system. Thankfully after being home-schooled for a few years they let me go back to a public high school. Sure - everyone says high school sucks - mostly because people decide to let it suck, plus you get to deal with fun things like hormones, tons homework, burnt out teachers, peer pressure, college applications etc etc.

Your attitude has everything to do with what you take from any experience. Keep it positive and think forward. Advice I wish I'd taken seriously when I was 17.

I totally get how you feel. It really sucked for me personally, to miss out on important years of becoming "socially graceful" and then blast back into public school making desperate cries for attention and popularity - that only gained me some notoriety, but not because anyone knew my name, I just did a lot of unusual things in big ways and will forever be known as "weird girl" - if I could only turn back time I would. I wish I'd cared less about being noticed, finding a group I'd fit in with, or getting that cutie in history class to talk to me, and more about the experience and the EDUCATION.

I went to a couple local colleges before grabbing the reins and making my life what I wanted - which required moving a few states away to pursue what I really wanted to do, instead of what was expected and had been shoved down my throat for so many years and it was the best decision I ever made. You realize once you're totally out of your comfort zone, where everyone is a stranger, that you have the freedom to absolutely be what you are and become what you want to be without the restrictions laid on you when you stick with the same surroundings and group of people. I made the best friends I will EVER have because we were all on the same page. Similar interests, similar situations, far from home and friends and things just fell into place, over a case of cheap beer and Irish songs of rebellion. Maybe I'm just lucky - but I never thought I'd make a friend that truly got me, and do it without pretending to be anything but what I am, and since then, I've had the good fortune to now have at least a handful of amazing people that I can proudly call friends. I guess I'm trying to say THERE'S HOPE!

Don't be scared to be who you are and chase your bliss. Who cares about the rest of the pack? There are people out there that will truly value you and your friendship - why waste energy and time worrying about the ones that don't? You only live once, so do it right ;)

*getting off the soapbox... sorry for the long response. hooooo*

Thanks very much for this post.^^^ Really spoke to me. That's all I have to say. @_@

Well,I know how you feel.I know I'm only 13,but I got pulled out of private school when I was in 3rd grade.There are some really nice things about homeschooling.No peer pressure,no loooooooooong homework,no bullies,and no being around people that are swearing,putting each other down,and other nasty stuff.(Also you could get your college degree sooner.)I am not socailly akward,and I don't think you are either.I go to church,(I am a Christian)so that helps.Also,where I live there are homeschool groups that me and my family go to every week.There might not be alot of teenagers there,but it's worth a try.It's good being more mature than other teenagers,I am too.People can trust you with more things,and it could get you a better job.All I'm saying is,you don't have to change who you are,for people to like you.If they don't like it,well,it's they're loss.Hope all this blabbering helps,kookiegurl97

Kookiegurl, sounds like someone has been feeding you lines. Sorry but being homeschooled or "more mature" doesn't help you get a better job. More likely to do the opposite for you because employers are looking to hire someone with good social skills and are able to handle being in difficult/uncomfortable situations. And I know a lot of people who have been home schooled, and I don't know one who has completed college. And if you look up any of the statistics online for home schooled students doing better in academically than those in public/private school, you'd see that they are all over 10 years old. Some of those statistics are older than you. And while there is one super old study from 1995 saying that 50% of homeschooled students attend college, they don't show how many actually finish it and that's probably because the numbers are so low.

Any schooling program, whether it be home, public, or private, will forever be what you make of it. There are the ones who take what they're given and do well, and there are the ones who'll struggle. In my opinion all the schooling systems could use EXTREME improvement, but leave Kookiegurl alone honey...please??? she's young, and she's just trying to be helpful.

I would just like to say....

I was home-schooled all the way from kindergarten through high school (never once did I set foot in an actual classroom until college, except to take the SAT...). I went to college (and not a community college, but a full-on, private, 4-year school), got good scholarships, got good grades, and graduated after 4 years with my Bachelors Degree.

I know that a lot of people might home-school their kids for the wrong reasons (and looking back on it, I don't agree with the reasons that my parents chose it-- mainly to "shelter" or "protect" me and my siblings), but there are many home-schooled kids who DO go to college and who DO succeed. Personally, I am an advocate of home-schooling, if it is done in a thoughtful way, conducive to the needs of the child. The best thing about it is that the education can be tailored directly to the individual student.

Don't let anyone belittle you because you were home-schooled. The fact is, there are some home-schooled people who succeed, and others who don't... JUST AS there are some public-schooled people who succeed and some who don't. Life is what you make of it. As long as you've got a good head on your shoulders you'll be fine.

And as for the social awkwardness, everyone feels awkward from time to time-- some people are just better at hiding it. I have struggled with feeling awkward for as long as I can remember, whether it is because of my upbringing, my genes, or a combination of the two. It's something to work on, not something to beat yourself up about. Remember that not all people are bubbly and outgoing-- some are just more naturally inclined to be listeners. The world needs both kinds of people, and though it may be frustrating at times to be an introvert, just know that introverts are generally the best listeners and make very good, trustworthy friends.

It may just be a phase that you're going through, or it may be something that you deal with your whole life, but it tends to be the case that LIFE often evens people out-- introverts become a little more extroverted as they grow, and vice versa.

Know that pretty much everyone feels or has felt the way that you do now. I certainly did, especially when I was your age. I resented being home-schooled because I felt so awkward and out-of-place around other kids my age. You'll be okay, just trust yourself, and know that life is a journey through which we all must travel, and you're not alone.

Also, just as a reply to PinkWeeds:

I totally agree with you that homeschooling can be a very lonely experience, and I think that in your case, it was brutal of your parents to throw you into public school at the junior high level-- I think anyone who was home-schooled up to that point and then suddenly introduced into an entirely new experience would have had a rough time. I know I certainly would have.

The thing is, if done in a smart way, home-schooling can benefit the child instead of traumatizing them. When I have kids, I'd like to homeschool them when they're very young, perhaps up to 2nd or 3rd grade, and then put them into a public or private school. That way, they're young enough where they can still make friends and bond with other kids before the difficult middle-school years where kids are nasty to each other and emotionally unstable. If people want to homeschool their kids, I think it's very important to supplement their programs with plenty of social events with other kids, and to introduce their kids to a "regular" school at an appropriate age-- I think that middle school or even high school might be a bad time for that (depending, of course, on the child).

Not picking on Kookiegurl. I've worked with 13 year olds and despite the general prejudice of adults that 13 is young, it's really much older than you realize. Of course I hear of a 17 year old and I choke at how old I am in comparison. But I’m also not ridiculous enough to believe a 13 year old girl cannot handle the honest truth. Sheltering her at this point in her life is more harmful than helpful. Trust me, I’ve worked in the public school system with both junior high and high school students- she’s probably way behind most of her peers who are already mature enough to handle the reality of the world.

I understand. when I was 13, I was actually very mature, it's just that looking back now, I realize how young I actually was, and I compare her to the little 13 year old whom I mentor. Can't help it. I guess it's just the motherly instinct in meh...

Johanna:You put into words what I couldn't say.You gave a very good explanation.I agree with you all the way.Awesome job!!!
Pinkweeds:I think it is VERY rude and hurtful,and it makes me quite mad that you don't know me from a hole in the wall,and you are saying that I would be "way behind most of my peers".And by the way,homeschooling is probably the best way to school your child.In public school,you have NO control whatsoever about what they are teaching your child.Do you really want them teaching kindergartiners about that it's okay to have two moms?Or two dads?Should they REALLY be teaching that?And teaching them about creationism,and not giving the other side of the story?Oh,it's okay to be a Muslim,but when I bring a Bible I get suspended?Public schools sometimes can be good,but most of the time,they aren't.

Kookiegurl, I wasn't making a personal attack against you. You have to understand, I've worked with urban public school children your age who have been through things you couldn't handle in your wildest dreams. I deal with children your age in gangs, with children your age who have lost their brothers and sisters and parents to violence. Their maturity compared to yours is leaps and bounds ahead of you. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with a person having two mothers or two fathers. Or only one parent or a foster parent or a grandparent raising them. Why is it so wrong for a child to be raised by people who love them?
“Oh,it's okay to be a Muslim,but when I bring a Bible I get suspended?” You literally just said a someone who is Muslim shouldn’t be allowed to go to school in the US. Some of my best friends are Muslim and they are the nicest people, the most kind hearted and giving people I have ever known. I am really sorry for you, because you live your life seeing out of a small hole and you don’t get to see the whole picture. But if you are a Christian like you claim to be, keep in mind that you have no right to judge others based off of their lives or their religion, only God has the right to pass judgment.

Oh and FYI, Creationism is the belief that life on Earth and the Universe is the creation of a Supernatural being. Evolution is the word you were looking for, and the definition of that is the change of the inherited traits of a population of organisms through successive generations. I have blue eyes Kookiegurl, everyone in my immediate family has blue eyes. But my grandparents were Jewish and Native American and they had brown eyes. That’s evolution at work. My boyfriend is 28 years old and he has never gotten his wisdom teeth. That is evolution at work. They teach evolution in schools because it is based off of scientific fact not off of religious beliefs. It’s the parents’ job to teach religious beliefs at home, not the schools.

Separation of Church and State is one of the primary beliefs that our country was founded on. It was founded so that people who think their religion is better than other’s can’t force out people of other religions. Protestants, Quakers, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Catholics all believe in the same God and they all read many of the same texts. They all have the story of Adam and Eve at the front of their religious texts. So don’t hate them, don’t judge them, don’t think you are better than them.

I’m going to assume that you’ve been listening to a lot of close-minded adults talk. And that you probably don’t understand really what they are saying and that everything you just said was based off of what you were told and not what you discovered for yourself. So as upset as I am at what you said, I’m not upset at you. I’m saddened and disheartened for you.

I am 13 yrs. old. I am on this site to post my crafts. I was just trying to be loving and helpful to the other homeschool girl. I am a Christian and proud of it. I hold tight to my love for Christ.I was just defending my beliefs. I am full of JOY and happiness, that my parents and I are Christians. That Jesus Christ died for sinners, and HIS forgiveness is free! To all other Christian girls and boys out there, and if you are homeschooled, be proud! I am not here to argue, but I will not be ashamed of my beliefs. I never once said I hated anyone. I just said if I brought a Bible to school I would probably get suspended. I have many good role models in my life. I will stick with what they are teaching me. Happy to be a Christian, crafty, kookie girl!p.s.No hard feelings.

I am a Christian (RC/protestant mixed family). I work in a state (UK version of US 'public' school-i.e. government funded) school.

There are two lessons, Kookiegurl, which may not be taught to exam, but which I feel it is my duty to teach through my actions and words (not merely when at school, and not connected with my religion- rather out of what my Gran used to call 'common decency'):
1) Do not judge something unless you have experience of it (I pass no comment on home schooling in the USA, because I my experience as a child/teen was regular school in England. I do not use what might happen in the media or 2nd hand gossip as experience: it means walking in someone's shoes).
2) All men/women are to be treated as you would like to be treated; with respect.
...the other is 'always proof-read before you hit send or print', which is more for my sanity when marking assignments, LOL.

With religion, culture... even craft, the way to get a person to share your beliefs is to be an ambassador and role model- not pushy or judgementally saying people are 'wrong'.

My longest standing friend is Muslim. We respectfully discuss the similarities (there are a lot, being 2 of the 3 Abrihamic religions) and differences and I've come to the conclusion that it strengthens faith if you are aware of others' beliefs but still hold your own.

Jesus sat with beggars, 'fallen women' and tax collectors, whilst the rich pharasees locked themselves in their palaces reasoning that it would be unholy to mix with those who didn't think/act the same way as them. I ask you to read back on your post and think about that; it is easy to judge that which is different, and it is easy to refuse to engage with those that challenge us. True strength comes when you step OUT of the congregation (of people who are belief/culture-similar) to 'go in peace' with all people.

As a teacher, I'd like to add a little vocabulary to my post. The verb 'to defend' denotes action taken to protect oneself from active attack. I haven't seen anyone actively attacking the aspect of your education you chose to 'defend' with your examples about Islam and parenting laws. Again, in my humble opinion it works best to be a strong moral role model by doing good, than to 'be on the defensive' and jump in with tabloidesque extreme examples of what might happen, loaded with connotations against those who live differently from ourselves.

I don't want to argue either Kookiegurl. Respecting each other's differences is important and something I hold myself to. I can understand where you are and your point of view because I lived it. It was a very long time ago and a lot has happened to me since then, but I can still place myself in your shoes. I hope we can be friends and that you can at feel comfortable to come to me if you ever want to talk or have any questions. I’m rather good at interpreting the Bible also, I’ve spent a lot of years studying religion so if you ever get confused and want to ask someone who isn't biased by religion you can ask me.