No bell, No uniform, Just me.

I’m Simran, and I’ve been open learning (also called open schooling) since 9th grade.

I made the decision to be homeschooled after a year or two of knowing about it and honestly, being scared of “sitting at home” for a couple of years away from all my friends and “killing my social life.” But as I struggled to fit in, not just with my friends, but even with myself and my own schedule, I realised I was growing in ways I never could have if I had stayed in conventional schooling.

Yes, I missed the trips, the drama, the socialising, and even my farewell party. But I also missed out on things I should have missed sooner, like endless unnecessary assignments, constant comparisons, the pressure to be good at things I did not even like, and the feeling of being trapped inside a box built of deadlines, standards, rumours, toxic relationships, and everything else that kept me from just being me.

I did not realise how much school was draining me until I left, mainly to get more time to practice my sport. I did not hate conventional schooling at the start. In fact, when I first heard about homeschooling, I was not on board. I had heard the usual list of “pros” and “cons,” but I have never liked putting things in those boxes. The “pros” are advantages you might not get in a regular school, but I do not think the “cons” are deal-breakers. They are simply challenges you learn to overcome. So let’s dive into some of those very ‘pros’ and ‘cons’.

1. Choosing Your Subjects

One of the most attractive things about homeschooling, especially when you are shifting from conventional school, is that you can choose only the subjects you love, and in many cases, change the ones you do not.

This was a huge reason I made the switch. I hated Mathematics with all my heart, and every teacher kept telling me it was slowing me down. That just made me hate it more. In my first year of homeschooling (10th grade), I dropped Maths and took Psychology instead!  My other subjects were Hindustani music, Dress making, Indian culture and heritage, Science and English. For the first time, I was studying what I loved without being forced to learn everything and I was completely stress free.

2. Time Management

Having a lot of time to do what you want is both a blessing and a curse.

If you do not have a strong inner drive for something, your mind will keep telling you to “do it later.” On the flip side, you might take on too many things at once and burn yourself out.

The trick is to make a flexible, comfortable schedule that keeps you moving forward without overwhelming yourself.

For a couple months when I started homeschooling, I had no idea what to do all day and on most days, I ended up doom scrolling or staring at a wall with a book in my hands and doing nothing. I felt lazy and lost for quite a while and I even regretted my decision to homeschool at times. Then I realized that I'm not going to magically find places to go to or things to do without getting out there by myself. 

I went to a learning centre one day and asked if I could volunteer there. I hadn't thought about what skills I could offer or what I could volunteer for but I just went so I could get a kick start. And slowly I started travelling alone and meeting new people and I would hardly stay at home. My schedule was making a different schedule every chance I got.

I applied for an electric guitar course, learned about horse therapy, did a little bit of research on different things everyday, started sketching, writing, got into film making and editing and more. It does take time to get the hang of how to utilize your time but once you do, you'll be living life at such a young age like you never thought you would!

3. The Social Side (It Is Not as Bad as People Think)

Homeschooling does not mean sitting at home all day and studying. It gives you time to actually live.

Life is not just about exams. It is about meeting people you connect with, walking barefoot on the grass, baking a cake, listening to music for hours, and simply doing activities that make you happy.

Making friends as a homeschooler is definitely a task, but not an impossible one. In school, I was very popular, which came with its own pros and cons. After shifting to homeschooling, I found new ways to meet people such as pottery classes, dance workshops, art clubs, and even events where I purposely went alone so I could make new friends. When you connect with someone over shared interests, it is easy to build real friendships.

My social life actually improved after I left school because I started meeting people from all walks of life, people who think differently, live differently, and inspire me in ways school never did. These people who I just met for a couple months, weeks or days at various places, be it a volunteering space, workshop, class or party, have made an impact on me in a lot of ways. I don't think I could've ever gotten to meet such diverse mindsets through school.

4. Finding the Right Opportunities

One challenge of homeschooling is figuring out where to start. In school, information and opportunities are handed to you through books, teachers, notes, and competitions. In homeschooling, you need to look for them yourself.

The big advantage is that you actually have the time to do this. When your day is not packed with rigid classes and endless assignments, you have space to explore and that time naturally opens doors to opportunities. You can join workshops, take up internships, volunteer for causes you care about, or dive deep into subjects you are passionate about.

When I decided I wanted to pursue Psychology, I had no idea where to begin. But because I had time, I could experiment, reach out to people, and slowly find my way. I started connecting with professionals, signing up for online courses, and seeking out places to volunteer. That is when I realised most of the information about homeschooling is still unfamiliar to people, but it is out there. You just have to look.

The internet became my biggest resource for books, courses, institutes, and volunteering opportunities. It is convenient, but it can also be overwhelming if you are not mindful. You have to keep your physical and mental balance while navigating this online world.

The truth is, homeschooling gives you not just freedom but a sea of opportunities that could change your life. You can explore multiple fields, build an incredible portfolio, and gain experiences that will make you not just a well qualified professional, but maybe even one of the wisest 80 year olds someday.

This is how I, a 16 year old from Pune, have grown into the person I am today - because I was able to take the decision to take a ‘risk’ and sacrifice my farewell party so I could experience the journey to finding myself by actually spending more time with ME than assignments and exams. If I had to sum it up, homeschooling is not for everyone, but for me, it has been a chance to grow into the person I want to be, not the one I am told to be.

Written by Simran

I am Simran, just a teen who wants to get out of this fat rat chase and ever since I decided to try to do that ( leave school 😝) I have been learning electric guitar, dance, film making and editing, teaching kids gymnastics, horse therapy, writing (This is my first article, thank you VND!). This article is a view on my ideals and a little about my journey. Have a great read!