Every year, certain freshmen emerge out of their caves, farms, and hobbit holes to come to Cairn University. They are shedding off the old title of “homeschooler” and claiming the new title of “freshman.” As they shed off their old skin, they learn how to finally acclimate to the world around them. It’s their time to show the world that homeschoolers don’t just read and hide in corners. It’s time to shine! As life as they know it changes drastically, the question is: will homeschoolers make it out alive (dun dun dun)?

Shockingly, this is how some people think about homeschoolers. 

As a previously homeschooled student, I have experienced some of the wild stereotypes mentioned above (albeit hobbit holes, unfortunately). For me, the biggest compliment is “I could have never guessed that YOU were homeschooled!” However, many homeschooled students do not at all fit into the categories mentioned above. It’s honestly sad that some people think so lowly of homeschoolers when it comes to the social and communal aspects of life.

As I talked to previously homeschooled students here about their social experiences entering Cairn, many have said it’s been easy. Many are extroverted and love being around people all of the time. For them, the Great Room is their happy place. There is a much greater opportunity here to get to know people, but high school wasn’t that awful in regard to their social life. Those I talked to also mention that they were plugged into their church, or other activities such as sports teams, clubs, and co-ops which helped them experience social circles. Homeschoolers are definitely not as socially inept as people think.

However, homeschooling may fuel some negative tendencies of isolation or loneliness—especially for the introverted. When I first came to Cairn, I was so used to being alone that I felt socially drained almost all the time. Doing homework with people was so difficult! It was definitely a transition and a bit of a culture shock. When I have discussed this with other homeschooled students here, many replied that they are much more comfortable working alone regardless of being an introvert or an extrovert.

Another element me and others here have related to is feeling that you are not “trendy.” I personally have tried to keep up with the trends throughout high school (probably more than I should have), but I still felt “out of the loop” or behind on certain cultural happenings. There might be a little bit of truth behind the stereotype of homeschoolers as culturally unaware to some extent. It’s necessarily a bad thing to be “untrendy,” thought. The very nature of homeschooling is counter-cultural, so feeling a bit “out of the loop” ought to be expected. 

Above all, though, homeschoolers are normal people who deal with college life in many of the same ways to students who come from public schools do. The stereotypes can be a little hurtful, but I feel like a lot of homeschoolers at Cairn actually find the stereotypes very funny. Most students that I know of at Cairn did not live in a hobbit hole. However, a lot of homeschoolers probably wished they had lived in Middle Earth because of the very common addiction that homeschoolers have to Lord of the Rings. (That’s not even a stereotype; it’s just fact.)

As nerdy as some post-homeschooled students may be, they are all unique in their own ways and have a lot to bring to the table at Cairn.