As the new school year starts, some people are coming to high school for the first time. You may think I’m talking about freshmen, but there’s another small percentage of people who are here now, that aren’t freshmen either. Meet Kaydence Escalante. Kaydence is a current junior and stands out from the rest of her class. What stands out about her? She was homeschooled…until now.
I asked Kaydence a couple of questions about her life now, compared to when she was homeschooled. Here’s what she had to say.
- What subjects are different here at Santiago compared to when you were homeschooled?
“Being homeschooled… There were Beauty Classes. There was this makeup class that they had… And they basically taught you how to do makeup. I don’t know if that’s a class here, but I don’t think so.” “I didn’t have to do P.E., so like, I got out of P.E. for my freshman and sophomore year.”
- What did a day of being homeschooled look like?
“Okay…I would wake up, get on my computer, and get on my Zoom. I would usually
take a nap after and then do my homework. Then I ate and then went to bed.”
“So your day was pretty relaxed??”
“Honestly, yeah, but it got lonely at some times.”
- How was your social life being homeschooled?
“Oh my god, it was terrible. People I met during freshman year…I stopped talking to them. I felt like I lost all my friends.” “While I was homeschooled, though, I hung out with my friend Autum, and my other friend that I made in one of my classes, Shelby.”
In a study from the Universities of Oklahoma and Alabama, 31 out of 140 adults described homeschooling could be considered a state of social isolation. Although it is common, being lonely when homeschooled might be a misconception. It might just depend on the person and family.
Kaydence Escalante (11)
- What did you have to learn about public school once you came here?
“I had to learn I have actually to be on top of my academics, and I can’t just sit there and wait until the due date.” “When I was homeschooled, I could literally just forget about it, and my grades wouldn’t drop as much as they would here.”
- Is there anything you miss about homeschooling?
“Not. Just being home all day, honestly, but other than that, no.”
Many parents put their children through homeschooling for specific reasons. Most of the time, it seems to be related to a concern with the public school environment. Other times, it is because kids have a busy life, and homeschooling is more flexible. It all varies per household and the child’s life.
- What advice would you give to someone going to public high school for the first time after being homeschooled?
“You’re about to make a lot of new friends. It is hard at first, but you’ll be fine.”
Kaydence Escalante (11)
