My Homeschooling Journey by Arsh Ali Year 10 student

When I was in Year 7, I started the adventure of homeschooling. Before that, I attended a formal school from kindergarten until Year 6. Back then, I had to wake up every morning at 5:30 a.m. to the sound of my father saying, “Wake up, Arsh! It’s time for school!” and I would reply, “Just a minute, Dad…” Within a few minutes, my dad would trick me by saying, “Arsh! It’s 7:15 a.m. You’ve missed the school bus!” After hearing that, I would jump out of bed and rush to check the clock. Most of the time, I was successfully tricked by my father. While studying in formal school, I often wondered how it would feel to have school at home. 

After all that playful mischief, I would get ready, wear my school uniform, and have breakfast. Then I would rush to school and would not return until half-past two in the afternoon. This was my daily routine. 

When Year 6 was coming to an end, the school announced that Year 7 would be conducted from home, in other words through an online platform, due to COVID. 

After the announcement, many students said they would miss school. I do not know why, but some students were actually happy. 

That was my first step into an online school. 

After a restful and peaceful summer holiday, all my classmates were excited for the first online class. 

This time, my father could not trick me. I woke up early, and school started at 9 a.m. I felt relaxed because there was no rush to leave the house, no rushing through breakfast, and no coming home exhausted. 

In my first online class, I felt a bit strange. It did not feel like real school, even though I knew it was. I was not the only one. My friends and classmates felt the same way. However, everyone agreed that it was relaxing and much easier to access information and materials. In physical school, we often forgot important books or homework and only realised once we arrived. Then we would start talking to ourselves, saying things like, “Oh no, I forgot my homework! What should I do? How will I submit it? I will get punished!” and so on. 

With homeschooling, there was no rush or tension about forgetting homework because we were already at home. Our books were right in front of us, so it was rare to forget anything. We also received notifications when new work was assigned. 

As the days passed, I became familiar with this new style of schooling. There were some funny moments too. I still remember when my friend told me that during class, when the teacher asked a question, he physically raised his hand instead of clicking the small “raise hand” button. He kept his hand raised for a while before realising he was not in a physical classroom. 

In Year 9, I had to move to another country. Since I was homeschooling, I did not have to worry about finding a new school. However, the biggest challenge was time because I moved to a different country and the time zone changed. I had to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to join my classes. This continued until the end of Year 9. 

After Year 9, I joined a new online school called Asra Hub. It was the best homeschooling provider I had experienced. I liked their teaching style because it made us feel as if we were in a real classroom. It did not feel as awkward as my previous school, where the teachers were still adjusting to the online environment. 

I noticed many advantages of homeschooling. For example, if I needed to travel, I did not have to take leave or worry about missing notes. As long as I had an internet connection, I could join classes from anywhere. Even if I had to miss a lesson, I could watch the recording and catch up on incomplete classwork, which was something I did not have in formal school. 

My homeschooling experience also helped me develop strong technological skills. I learned how to use different meeting platforms and educational websites effectively. 

Another advantage was that I avoided some of the common negative experiences of physical school. For example, I often hear about students being bullied. I feel sorry for those who go through that, but fortunately, I did not face such problems. 

Of course, homeschooling has its challenges. It can be difficult to maintain discipline and stay active. Being at home sometimes makes you feel lazy or tempted to procrastinate, especially when you are sitting in front of a screen for many hours. 

However, there are simple solutions. Staying physically active is important. Since we spend a lot of time on screens, we should play sports, exercise regularly, and spend quality time with family instead of using break times to scroll on our phones or watch videos. 

Overall, I found homeschooling to be a fulfilling and valuable experience. I learned many new things and studied under teachers who understood my strengths and weaknesses. My journey was different, but it prepared me well for my future. 

Thank you. 

 
Arsh Ali Year 10 Student, 

 Asra Hub  

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo