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By Eileen Thacker
For any new college student, the transition to college classes, schedules, and expectations is challenging. For me, one of the first of many questions I get from people I meet here is if this transition has been particularly difficult coming from a homeschool background. This usually comes along with questions of whether I liked being homeschooled (yes), whether I’ve ever had a social life before (also yes), and if I used to do homework in my pajamas all day (no, but that seems to be a popular choice for many here at UofL). I honestly find these types of questions rather amusing, it’s fun to mess with the stereotypes so many people have about homeschooling in their heads, but I’ve also found their questions to be thought-provoking. Has the transition to college been harder for me than most since I was a homeschooler? I don’t think so, in fact I think I’m stronger in many skills that college requires due to my unique education. However, there have been several college experiences that stand out in contrast to my homeschool experiences.
Some of these contrasts can feel frustrating. Undignified little classroom desks, ugly academic buildings, unproductive coursework, and cafeteria meals are all more or less new to me. Another, more social, aspect of the college experience I didn’t expect was how much the habits and attitudes of my classmates would affect me. Previously, I did a lot of independent learning. As a result, I’ve developed a lot of internal motivations to do my schoolwork well, and I think a true passion for learning. I never thought that would change just because I happen to be around a lot more students. However, I’ve found that if everyone else in my classroom is quiet, or doesn’t do the reading, or skips class, it’s harder for me to stay engaged. I didn’t realize how demoralizing it would be for me to be around unmotivated students, since I’ve always been so independent in my education. This experience in particular has made me even more grateful for my place in the McConnell Scholars program. There’s rarely a dull or quiet seminar at the McConnell Center! Spending time with the other caring, passionate scholars always reminds me why I love learning, and they help me bring more energy to everything I do, something I’ve noticed my professors and classmates respond to positively.
Even if some of my classmates aren’t very motivated, I love the incredible benefits of being part of such a large academic community at college. I love having a professor who can answer my questions in new subject matter, since I used to have several subjects that were just between me and my textbook. The camaraderie that comes with being around so many students sharing similar experiences is a lot of fun too. Something I miss, though, is being around students who aren’t all so close to my age. College kids are definitely interesting, but their company comes with a lot more of me comparing myself to my peers. Growing up, my family was very involved with a large homeschooling community. Homeschoolers don’t show up by grade though, we show up in family units. For example, once a week we would meet up with other homeschool families for a chaotic day of classes and extracurriculars, and I loved every moment of it. I would have class with all four grades of high school, then choir with second grade and up, and then at lunchtime I could be keeping an eye on a toddler or meeting with adults and youth alike to plan a community event. Those once-weekly “school” days were so much more than sitting in a classroom with other bored 12th graders, and I think being around so many different kids and adults in a day helped me to get out of my own head a lot. Being around children isn’t something emphasized much for teens and young adults in our society, and I think that’s a shame. Talking and playing with children always gave me a time when I wasn’t comparing myself to my peers or worrying about schoolwork. Ultimately, time spent with such a variety of students gave me a lot more confidence in myself. These experiences inspired me to seek out opportunities to serve and work with youth in the Louisville area this semester, something I’ve loved doing.
To conclude, I’m not homesick for homeschool. In my transition to college, however, I’ve been able to apply a lot that I learned from my experiences homeschooling to my life here. I think that my homeschool education really gave me the tools and the space to grow, explore my passions, and consider what is most important to me in this next phase of my life. I am so, so eternally grateful for all the unique opportunities homeschooling gave me (this means THANK YOU to my parents and my community back home). I’m also so, so eternally grateful for the opportunity to be here at UofL and a part of the McConnell Center. As my first semester begins to wind down, I can genuinely say that I am so excited for everything still to come in my college experience.
Eileen is a McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville in the class of 2029. She is studying French and political science.