Dear Random Person In Line Behind Me At H-E-B...

Dear Random Person In Line Behind Me At H-E-B (or whatever),
I know.  When you hear I'm homeschooled, it's pretty intriguing. It's out of the ordinary and I know you've got to be pretty interested in what I do and how that all works.  But you know what? There's kind of a standard set of questions that are asked of high school homeschoolers, and over the years, and I've gotten a little tired of answering them.  So here - I'm going to put those answers out there right now.  Just for you.

Do you go to a one day academy or something?
Yes, I take a few classes, and I go to a book group and AP study group.

So...your mom teaches you?
Not really. She still teaches my brothers, but since I'm older she mostly just assigns me what I need to do before the year starts and I work through it on my own. 

Do you like it?
Yeah, I like it a lot. 

How do you make any friends?
*internal groan* There are lots of homeschoolers in Austin and we do meet ups and clubs and co-ops and things like that.  (But here, you're really thinking: you sit silently in a classroom next to people eight hours a day, and I do homework for five hours and hang out with friends for the rest of the day, and you're assuming that I'm the one that doesn't have a social life?)

So...do you take tests? 
*Tugging on your mom's arm in an attempt to leave* Yeah, I sometimes take standardized tests just to assure myself that I'm at grade level and I know how to take tests. Usually someone just has a bunch of us just come and take it at once as practice.  

How's college going to work out?
*Puppy-dog eyes* *silently begging your mom to answer the question for you* *giving in to the fact that she's pretending not to be there*  It'll work the same way that anyone else's application for college will work. I'll keep taking classes and making a transcript and I'll take the SAT test. I think all colleges accept homeschooler - in fact, some look for them.

What's wrong with public schools?  -OR- Do you learn more at a public school or as a homeschooler?
*prayers for sudden death so I don't have to answer* I personally just homeschool so that I can work at my own pace, going faster through some subjects and being a grade level in other things.

Hope that helps!

Thanks,



P.S. The answers are true to most people I know, but they will really differ person to person. A big part of homeschooling is having the freedom to decide what classes you will take, how many, and where you will take them.