Homeschool: An experience I would never trade

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Homeschooling Achievers on 15 Mar 2012.

Homeschooler Petrina Phua was 17 years old when she stepped into a learning centre to prepare for her IGCSE O Level examinations. Last year this talented ex-homeschooler and concert pianist scored straight As in all 8 subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, Ad Math, Accounts, English (1st language) and Bahasa Malaysia (A-Star). Petrina writes about her homeschooling experience and what it was like to transition to an examination year student.

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VERY OFTEN, I WOULD HAVE PEOPLE COMING UP TO ME and ask “What’s homeschooling like? Do you feel as if you’ve been deprived of a normal schooling life?” Looking back at my 8 years of homeschooling experience, I can confidently say that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Homeschooling really broke down the walls of structure that schools have. It gave me the liberty and time to explore and learn many different things at my own pace.

For instance, I was able to pick up many instruments, go for art classes, play different kinds of sports and study at the same time. Through homeschooling, I was able to explore all these things and pick up the skills that I had interest in. And so, I felt that as a child I was given a vast exposure to discover myself.

MY CLASSROOM FOLLOWED ME

I remember that there were days when I would do nothing but music. There were times when I would draw a lot and also, times when my brothers and I played a lot. I don’t remember my homeschooling being wholly academic. In fact, there were instances when my mom would take us to the KL Library and we would spend the day poring over books. We had excursions to the zoo and to bread-making factories with other homeschooling families. There was no physical classroom for me. I felt that everywhere I went, my classroom followed me! I would never ever trade my homeschooling experience for anything else.

Having said all these, I was really excited when I discovered that I was going to be enrolled in an O-Levels center. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a group of friends I could call my classmates, a group I could identify with and see every day, not just once a month. I felt that after being homeschooled for so long, it was time to move on to something different. I felt really thrilled to be able to enter a classroom setting.

A DIFFERENT PHASE

In Frontier Learning Centre, I met many new friends and finally had a physical classroom! I even had different teachers who taught me and the opportunity to learn new subjects that were very alien to me. Among these subjects were Physics, Economics, Accounts, Additional Mathematics and Chemistry. And for the first time in my life, I had a chance to see where I stood when my work was graded by teachers in an actual classroom setting. It was quite intimidating at first as learning in a group was definitely a different experience for me.

My 18 months in FLC was equally as enjoyable as my years of homeschooling. FLC has given me friends and great memories. It opened up new doors for me which took learning to a new level. I felt that studying in the center has helped me get accustomed to what it would be like when I moved on to college. I was able to do projects with my classmates and even science experiments in a lab. These were things that I couldn’t do while I was homeschooling and so, it was very fulfilling.

IT’S THE JOURNEY, NOT THE RESULTS

Preparing for the O-Levels exam was another different experience. I wouldn’t say it was a good experience, but neither will I call it bad – it was altogether a whole new phase! Mainly it was because it would be the first major exam my classmates and I had ever prepared for. The reality of it all was quite daunting because it appeared that our future literally depended on how well we performed in the forthcoming exams. Well, at least that was what went on at the back of my mind.

However, after sitting for my O-Levels I learnt that the end results didn’t really matter that much. Once the moment was over, and as time passed, my results didn’t really play as sweetly in my ears as they did the first time I obtained them. The thing that really left a great impact on me was the process. The journey that I took to get there was more meaningful to me than the exam results themselves. Indeed, I really owe everything that I’ve gained to FLC and I thank my dedicated and loving teachers for all they have done.

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Pix: Petrina who is presently sitting for her A Levels, poses with her parents Alan and Katherine Phua. Not in the picture are her 2 brothers – Philip (19), & Phileon (14). The Phua Family worships at Full Gospel Assembly in KL.

Related posts on homeschoolers who have moved on to O Levels and beyond:
Brian
Cherish
Ethan
Rachel
Jian Eu
Jianwen
Balakrishna
From homeschool to O Levels
Yao-ban

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