Memories – Millenial Influx

Millenial Influx

News, commentary, opinion, and analysis from the Millennial generation

Sophie Holt: Life Outside the Bubble

On November 21, 2016November 23, 2016 By jonathangonzalez

The Beginnings Saturated in a small environment: in a small town, in the cold, in the Midwest, in the bible […]

I came out of the closet because I didn’t find Jesus there

On October 31, 2016December 4, 2016 By jonathangonzalez

I heard the word faggot for the first time in fifth grade at the tetherball arena. The Pratt twins were […]

Four Senses: My Experience with Blindness Opened My Eyes

On January 29, 2016March 31, 2016 By kristenspeelman

Humans have five senses: touch, smell, taste, hearing, and vision. For most people vision is the most important of the […]

Turkey Trot Trouble

On December 1, 2015December 1, 2015 By katiepark

There we were, sloshing through mud, helping each other across streams and calling out warnings of hidden puddles. Looking at […]

The Girl with Wings: Maryam Bighash

On November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 By katiepark

At the age of 13, Maryam Bighash was the youngest female to pass the pilot’s licensing exam in France. Excelling […]

A Glimpse of God’s love: The Figure Skating Story

On December 29, 2013December 29, 2013 By oskarcadena

One of the most difficult things that can happen to someone is not being able to do the thing they […]

‘Tis the Season for Diversity: Christmas Traditions Around the World

On December 13, 2013 By sarahkaczka

by Sarah Kaczka, William Byrd, and Anna Krcek Trends in the Pacific Northwestern United States: Christmas Tree Farms: In the […]

Friends in Unexpected Places: My Day at the Nursing Home

On December 3, 2013 By sarahmiller

While many of my peers were spending the last Saturday of their Thanksgiving breaks with friends or family, or even […]

Helping the City of Lights Shine a Little Brighter

On December 2, 2013December 2, 2013 By nickpulgine

Aurora, Illinois is home to 199,932 residents, making it the second largest city in Illinois behind Chicago. In 1908, Aurora […]

17 Seconds: Why all of America needs to embrace hockey

On November 19, 2013 By samsmith

If you live in the south or western United States, chances are you have given hockey very little consideration. Maybe […]

Emma Folts, a sophomore at Wheaton College, shares her experience about her transition into college and how homeschool has both helped and hindered her.
How has your homeschool experience benefitted you, especially in your transition into college?
I think the one thing that homeschooling did that was really helpful as I entered college was that it taught me time management. As a homeschooler I had the same freedom as a college student has to put things off during the day and go see a friend instead. Since I had that experience, I knew the cost of that.
Also, personal responsibility and accountability with assignments. I feel like a lot of the other students had more expectations for gentler grading and that the professor would give them retakes or extensions, but that wasn’t something that ever happened to me in school. That learning curve wasn’t added because I never had it the other way. I think another thing was that because I was homeschooled, I was familiar with the format of teaching and then studying on my own.
Did you see any issues with your transition socially?
I think that homeschooling had two ramifications for me socially. One was helpful, one was hurtful.
It was really helpful because as a homeschooler, I had spent a lot of time realizing and developing who I was as a person and learning to recognize people who were being themselves, and those were the people I sought out as friends. Friendship as a homeschooler takes a lot more investment. I knew I was choosier with my friends which made me a lot less anxious and a lot more content.
The only real negative impact of the social bit was that I was really used to getting to choose the time I got to spend with people. As a homeschooler I spent a lot of time with people, but that time was controlled by me. As a college student, I found that you can’t really control the time you spend with people and alone time is not really available. Learning to deal with that was a lot harder than anticipated.
Any last comments on homeschool and how it has affected your college experience?
I think homeschooling is really helpful, however it does take a slightly increased amount of advocacy with your peers when you’re entering into college. I think a lot of people come in with certain assumptions about homeschool, especially students. You’re going to get a lot of, ‘oh my gosh, you don’t seem like a homeschooled person!’ [You can’t] take that too personally and explain your experience so that friends can understand it’s an important piece of you, though it might not look like the homeschooling that they’ve seen.
My encouragement to anyone who is a homeschooler transitioning into college is to realize the benefit that you have having been homeschooled, and to realize that the bit of advocacy and explaining that you need to do with your peers is totally normal and that it’s not a big deal. Once they understand your experience, it’s not something I’ve experienced being looked down on for.