Homeschoolers and college have been an item for quite some time. As soon as the first crop of homeschooled kids burst on the scene in the 1980s, astounding bystanders with their intelligence, diligence and social skills (!), homeschooling parents gained the confidence to expect their children to go to college without a public high school transcript.
And go to college they did, many doing so well that colleges began to (and still do) seek out homeschooled kids. One of ours went to college and graduated with honors, so I guess we’re part of that trend.
But I think homeschooling parents should be aware that it’s not just a matter of sending your child to college and watching him or her thrive. College has changed. There are things going on at colleges and universities today that we parents never would have dreamed could happen. Knowledge of these things is necessary before you and your child make the college decision.
I’ve got three examples of why you must be extremely knowledgeable about colleges:
College and university staff sometimes lies to parents in order to push a certain social agenda.
Colleges and universities are more than happy to take your money in order to prepare your child for a career in which your child probably won’t be able to find employment.
Many college administrators believe that stopping alcohol and drug abuse is the responsibility of the student, not the college.
First off, colleges sometimes lie to parents.
This is so true!
K (17 y.o. dd) just did her first college visit. The schools we will visit are carefully selected small Christian schools. The school she visited this week has a student population comprised of 30% formerly homeschooled students!
Isn’t that sad? I’m looking forward to the other two posts (I read the one about lies and feel disturbed!).
Amy, I’m glad you all are seeing some good colleges. My son did meet other homeschoolers when he was in college; interestingly, they didn’t usually tell others they were homeschooled until they knew them very well.
Tori, it is sad, but as parents, we have to be aware of what’s changed so we can help our teens make smart decisions.
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My daughter recently graduated from a large state University. She did very well, and lived at home while she attended. Some of the experiences of friends in the dorms were quite hair raising- there’s the young Christian man whose room-mates brought back girls and had sex there in his room in front of him and encouraged him to participate (he moved out the next day as friends from church offered him a room). The school newspaper had a weekly column (with stick figure illustrations) of the ‘position of the week.’ I would suggest getting a school paper might be one way to judge the climate of the school.
While many can and do resist temptation while they are there, I know that many parents have no idea what sort of battlefield they are sending their young people into.
And:
Thanks for participating in the Carnival of Homeschooling! The carnival is up at The Common Room
DHM, checking out the student newspaper is an excellent suggestion! As for sex in the dorms, I remember waking up on my top bunk one night to find the whole bed shaking….because my roommate on the bottom bunk had brought home a gentleman caller without my knowledge or consent. We straightened that out real quick. BTW, that was 30 years ago…some things never change, I guess. Parents really have to be knowledgeable about where they’re sending their kids, don’t they?
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