Making the Dean’s List – A homeschool success

I think most homeschooling moms are a little insecure from time to time about whether their children will have what it takes to succeed in the world after they graduate from their homeschool,

Longtime readers will know that Noah is the first of my students to go to a regular four-year college. His oldest brother went through a hospital EMT and Paramedic program and is now employed as a crew chief for a large city in the South. Two other brothers went directly into the workforce, one working as a cook in a premier natural foods restaurant and the other for an art gallery. I’m proud of my sons and their successes and strong work ethic.

But since Noah was the first one to pursue higher education, I was a little anxious about whether or not he had been prepared enough to handle the rigors of college work.

So far, it appears that he has been.  This week we got a letter letting us know that he had made The Dean’s list for his first semester.

This semester is a little tougher. He is handling algebra, government, latin, logic, and English as well as running on the track team, rehearsing with the college choir and the prestigious chamber choir and working in the kitchen as part of his work-study program.

There are a few things that I think helped prepare him for his first year of college.

1. As we went further along in his high school years, I encouraged Noah to work more independently. By his Senior Year, Noah was doing his assignments on his own and submitting them in a timely manner. 
2. We put a lot of emphasis on math and literature. He had a good understanding of algebraic concepts and calculus so he doesn’t have to spend a lot of time re-learning them this year. He can do the assignments and study for the test, but he really isn’t learning anything new. 
3. Reading a lot of literature gave him exposure to a lot of different authors and styles. 
4. Probably the best investment we made in our homeschool was enrolling him in Bravewriter courses for writing, and Dr. Stobaugh’s AP World History course in his senior year. Both of these courses gave him confidence in his writing ability. I will definitely use them again in the future.