To Homeschool or not to Homeschool? The Bensons’ Perspectives on Schooling Options

Sophomore Julia Benson, senior Luke Benson, and sophomore Riley Benson taking a picture outside their house for WHS Homecoming 2025. Photo Credits: Julia Benson

Jillian Studebaker, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

In Watauga County, there are many options for schooling to fit each student and family’s needs. One popular choice in the county is homeschooling. Watauga has a large number of students who are homeschooled or are in the process of switching to homeschool. This is due to some students feeling like they do better with a slower-paced learning style. However, some families are doing the opposite, and there is also a community of students who swapped from homeschool to public school. The Benson family is one of many who went down this path.

“I felt like when I was homeschooled I didn’t have that many friends,” said sophomore Julia Benson. “And the friends I did have, I didn’t get to hang out with them that often.”

Homeschooling is a good option for anyone who feels like they would do better with school work from home rather than going into school everyday. Homeschool often lacks the social aspect that public school offers and can feel secluded at times. Students might feel isolated and alone. For people who like to have a strong social life, it could be a more frustrating form of schooling.

“I got tired of being at home all the time,” said senior Luke Benson. “I just wanted to meet some new people and connect with more people.”

The social aspect of school is an important aspect for young people in high school. Though, above all else, education is the most important. In many ways, education in public schools differs from homeschooling. In public school, there is a set schedule and a certain amount of classes you are required to take. Public school also provides students with extracurricular activities that can help students figure out what they want to do after high school. In homeschool, students choose when they want to do certain classes which allows for more freedom, but oftentimes homeschool has fewer extracurricular opportunities.

“I feel like homeschool is a lot more laid-back than public school,” said sophomore, Riley Benson. “But we also had set times to do each subject everyday.”

There are more differences than just class schedules, however. Subjects often have more varied curriculums than public schools offer. Students can opt for more religious-based curriculums and some families even choose to homeschool for non-religion-based reasons. Students can do a normal public school curriculum but at home and can even take school at their own pace as long as they eventually get their homeschool diploma.

“I feel like math was a lot harder when I got here and also science,” said Riley Benson. “As a homeschooler, my parents weren’t very big on science and they didn’t know much about science.”

For many former homeschoolers, there is often a gap in the schooling they had received compared to what public schools offer. That makes it harder for some of them to keep up with their classmates, especially for teenagers who have been homeschooled most of their life.

“The thing that hit me the hardest after the first day is that I’m going to have to come back every single day instead of once a week, like a co-op,” said Luke Benson. “That was probably the weirdest thing for me.”

Overall, homeschool is a good option for anyone who would like to take school at their own pace. For students who need longer for certain concepts to stick with them, homeschool would give students the time they need to figure it out. Public school offers the chance to socialize and meet people and learn how to work in an environment full of people. Either option is a way to foster education.

“I didn't think I was going to have many friends when going into high school,” said Julia Benson. “But during the summer, I did cross country workouts and I had classes with a lot of those girls. So, it wasn’t as bad as I thought and I’m definitely happier going to Watauga, though I do miss some aspects of homeschooling.”