High school a whole new world for former home-school student

You all remember that time in your life when there was something that was dramatic or shocking that you had to get used to? For some people it was moving to a new house, others it was getting used to a new baby brother or sister. For me it was high school.

During my schooling years, I had thought I would attend public school from preschool to elementary school, elementary to high school and from high school to college. But during my junior high years, I wasn’t there.

Where was I do you ask?

Home school.

Home schooling is program in which school is taught by your parents within the comfort of your own home. See, before I began middle school, I was pulled out of it for three years due to conventional reasons by my parents and placed in home school.

At first I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea. I wouldn’t be able to join school field trips, ride the bus, and the most horrific thing of all: I wouldn’t be able to see my friends ever again. No more hanging out, talking at lunch or having contact with anyone my own age. I felt horrible, and thought that I would never get used to this.

But luckily, after the reality that I wouldn’t be able to attend school with my friends gradually set in, I soon was brought up to see the good points of this. We wouldn’t have to spend money on school supplies, backpacks, or lunch money, my teachers would be the two people that I trusted the most in my life, and I’d be getting a better education than I ever would in public school.

In home school their would be two teachers working only one-on-one with me, while in public school the classrooms would have 20 to 30 kids in the room and it would be almost impossible for any of the teachers to get to all the kids at once.

So being in home school was an advantage for me. Seeing and understanding this, I felt a lot better and began my home-school program confident and eager to learn. Over the years I exceeded overall averages in all my subjects and completed and passed all tests with flying colors until the time came to move up to the next level in learning — high school.

Yes, the time had come for me to leave home and enroll in public school. Was I nervous? You bet I was! Just think about it. In my three years in home school, every test I had taken, every good grade I had earned, all the late night studying I had endured had prepared me for this very moment. I was leaving behind not only my home that had become my school, but the two greatest teachers I have ever known.

Within that short time period the bond between my parents and I had strengthened even more and in that moment I felt that I could not make the journey on my own.

But as I put on my backpack and coat and looked into their eyes, I felt a sudden surge of strength within me and I knew that it was time for me to go. So with wave of goodbye to my beloved parents I set out for the bus, for school and for my future.

Once in high school I was quickly surrounded with the buzzing noise of rambunctious teenagers and young adults all getting ready for school, just as I was.

At first as I looked across the freshmen I quickly spotted old faces and friends. But as I looked at some of their faces, I saw that they didn’t even remember me. My not being in middle school must have made them forget me entirely!

For a few seconds (that seemed to last a century) I suddenly felt very alone and isolated, invisible to my friends’ gazes and conversations.

But at last a group of my old friends recognized me and greeted me happily. I then knew that I was not forgotten, that I was now a high schooler.

Keeven Macik is a sophomore at Kenai Central High School.