Your first thought after reading this title might have been: but . . . it’s summer break. I know, I know! But today this idea popped in my head, and it was so good that I couldn’t hold off on it.

I have been homeschooled for a total of 5 1/2 years. I attended in-person public school from Pre-K to 3rd grade, and then I transitioned to virtual public school. Although this topic wasn’t something that I paid much attention to before I became a homeschooler, I have come to discover that because being homeschooled can be rare (especially pre-COVID) many people have stereotypes about what it’s like to attend school at home, mostly due to a lack of knowledge or friends who are homeschooled.

Therefore, today I will be addressing some of the most common misconceptions about fellow homeschoolers and explaining why they are either true or false. Enough chitter-chatter. Let’s get into it!

1. Homeschoolers are anti-social

From my personal experiences interacting with my peers, the truth is the exact opposite of this statement. In fact, many of the homeschooled kids that I have talked with are more on the extraverted side. Most of us want to interact with each other more, and when we get the chance to meet in person, lots of chatter fills the room as we talk and get to know each other. Homeschooling doesn’t dictate what type of personality you have, so whether or not you are anti-social depends on the individual alone.

2. In-person schooling is harder than homeschooling

In-person and virtual education both have a list of pros and cons. Though I would have to say that academically, virtual school is harder. The reason is because when you’re at home, there are so many possible distractions from your schoolwork, whether that be your siblings, birds chirping outside your window, or the fact that you are close to your bed–increasing the temptation to sleep in. We also have deadlines for assignments, just like those who go to school in-person.

On the other hand, in-person schooling is harder socially, since you can’t control who else attends your school and those you have to be around on a daily basis. The risk of bullying, peer pressure, and the effects of them are at a higher risk, in my opinion.

3. We go to school in our pajamas

One hundred percent, this is true! And I’m so glad about it! This is honestly one of my favorite perks of being homeschooled. While I usually get dressed up for live classes (so I can interact with other students and teachers with my webcam on), I tend to stay in my pajamas for a majority of the day. And I have heard many other homeschoolers say that they do the same.

4. All homeschoolers are academically gifted

Homeschoolers are somewhat represented by the media as nerdy and timid geniuses who are above average in all of their classes. But in reality, the grades that we get don’t differ much from those who attend in-person school. Some students take all AP or Honors courses. Those like me get straight As, with Honors courses sprinkled in. Others get Bs and Cs on average. In my school, we get to check our current grade in each course at all times during the school year, which is a perk of virtual learning. Grades really all depend on the student, their work ethic, whether or not they have learning/mental challenges, etc.

5. We don’t participate in extracurricular activities

For this one, I will use myself as an example. While I take my school very seriously, I also do paintings and other arts and crafts several times a month. I also like to read novels, write on my blog almost daily, and I even joined Creative Writing, ASL, and Book Club for 8th grade, all of which I loved. About three years ago, I was even in the praise dance team for my local church. Like most kids, we homeschoolers have hobbies and friends. In other words, we have lives outside of our education.

6. All parents who homeschool their kids do it for religious reasons

As most of you likely know, I am a Christian, raised by a Christian family. However, I have always attended secular schools, and my current education does not cater to a specific religion. Although I do not know the beliefs of each of my past classmates, there are students who are homeschooled that have religious beliefs that are not Christian, and some who don’t share any religion, at all. In fact, the amount of secular families who have homeschooled their kids are increasing in number.

7. Being homeschooled means you get to do whatever you want without doing any schoolwork

Although this stereotype is one of the most common, it’s also one of the most false. Before this summer, I did an approximate amount of 8 hours of schoolwork a day, including a one hour lunch break. And when I first began adjusting to virtual schooling, it could take me up to 12 hours a day to get my work done every week. If anything, I would say that we homeschoolers have more work than in-person students; and we have to do that work without a teacher at our side 24/7. While a good schedule still allows us time for our extracurricular activities, we still do lots of work throughout the week. Just as any other student would.

8. Homeschoolers aren’t prepared for the real world

This statement could not be any farther from the truth. Even though we stay at home while we do our school work, a majority of homeschoolers still have access to the news, social media, the Internet, and other resources as such. Besides, we still go out of the house and interact with other people on a regular basis. I think how we do our school work makes us more independent and give us the skill of leadership. Fun fact: many colleges actually seek out homeschoolers to give scholarships to. We have just as many opportunities to learn about what is going on in the world as other students, and therefore we are just as prepared.

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Hopefully this was a huge help for anyone who had any questions about what it’s like to be homeschooled. In case you have held any of these stereotypes before, I would like to reiterate that a person’s personality, hobbies, and academic intelligence all have to do with the individual. We are all beautiful and unique in our own way, and that doesn’t change according to what type of school we attend; even if it’s your own home.

LET’S CHAT~Are you homeschooled? If not, do you know anyone who is?

I pray that you have an excellent rest of your day or night. May God bless you all! See you soon! ✨