Most people have an idea of what “back to school” means for kids attending brick-and-mortar schools: shopping for school clothes, loading up on supplies, running to meet the school bus in the early morning chill.

But have you ever wondered what it’s like for the growing population of homeschoolers? What might be the same or different, if you’re learning at home? Manor Ink talked with a few local homeschooled teens to hear their thoughts on this topic.

Facing unique challenges

When the summer ends and it’s time to head back to school, there are some challenges specific to homeschoolers. Oliver M. told the Ink, “That’s one of the hardest things about homeschooling. Because you’re at home, it’s easy to get distracted, especially when you’re just getting into school work again. It typically takes me a week or two to get back into it and fully focus on work.” Asked if he gets the summer off, he explained, “Yes and no. I finished most of the work I needed to do before summer break, but I had two courses that I was a bit slower with, so those weren’t finished. Unfortunately, that leads to a lot of summer time being spent on school work. However, now that I’ve finished those, I’m on a break for at least a month. This is, I suppose, the blessing and curse of homeschooling. I’m able to take weeks off at any point in time, but it can result in getting less of a break later on.”

Getting back to the routine can be a balance, but homeschoolers tend to create time to socialize as much or as little as they want. “On one hand, I enjoy learning and having something consistent to work on,” said Oliver M. “On the other hand, I like having more free time to do my hobbies and hang out with friends. During the school semester, not much changes with my social life. It becomes a little bit harder to find time to talk to people, but because I’m homeschooled, it’s pretty easy to take a break and hang out with friends for a while.”

Classes for homeschoolers

Many people wonder what resources homeschooling high schoolers use to complete their classes. Much of the time, the students follow curricula online and take scheduled classes via the education platform Outschool, online college courses and textbooks.

Megan R. talked about getting back into school mode after summer winds down. “I have the summer off, and then my parents prepare our new curriculum for the school year,” she said. “Some classes I look forward to, some less so. I mostly have to get used to waking up a little earlier again. I participate in more homeschooler programs during the school year, so I have more chances to see friends.”

When talking about the pros and cons of homeschooling, Adriana S. said, “There are so many advantages of homeschooling, such as being able to move forward in your studies, follow your interests and hobbies and be able to join up in many activities in the community. Something I want everyone to know about homeschooling that most people don’t know is how active homeschoolers are. Most of the homeschoolers I meet are always busy with activities, including sports, clubs, art and music classes and volunteering.” Adriana then described how she prepares for the school year ahead.

“Often, we go shopping to take advantage of the ‘Back to School’ sales to get the school and art supplies that I need. I haven’t encountered many disadvantages as a homeschooled student, but where you live can be a big factor in the number of local homeschoolers and homeschooling activities available to you.”

If you are considering homeschooling, visit these Facebook groups: New York State Homeschooling Q & A at facebook.com/groups/newyorkstatehomeschoolingqanda and Sullivan County Homeschooling Group at facebook.com/groups/sullivancountyhomeeducators.