Saturday, June 5, 2010

O’Neil: ‘You motivate yourself’

O’Neil: ‘You motivate yourself’

O’Neil: ‘You motivate yourself’

Posted: 30 May 2010 06:41 PM PDT

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After attending elementary school, Chrystal decided she didn't want to continue in the public school system. One of her friends homeschooled.

"It made me aware; I knew I could do that," she said.

Her parents supported her decision.

"I was glad," said her father, William O'Neil. "I thought it was a good idea."

Of her time in public school, Chrystal said, "I would be done with an assignment with 30 minutes to go, and then get bored and start talking and then get in trouble for talking."

She also didn't care for all the "drama" her classmates were beginning to exhibit.

"I wanted to get away from all that."

Chrystal said the homeschooling process has been good. "It's a little hard. You have to motivate yourself."

She does most of her school work through software, often as late as 10 p.m. "That's when I'm awake," she said.

If she finds herself in a certain "mode," she can complete a week's worth of work in one subject in a day and be done with it.

"I have always loved reading and learning," she said. "I'm a big art person."

Chrystal still has a lot of friends who attend public school, but said socializing is an important aspect that homeschooling offers.

"I get to choose who I hang out with," she said.

She participates in a lot of organizations, such as the Beta Club and 4-H. She's joining the Key Club for her senior year.

"People are always surprised when they find out I homeschool," Chrystal said. "Or they say 'oh, that makes sense, you're weird.'"

Chrystal said the stereotype of the quiet, awkward homeschool student hasn't been true of the homeschool students she has met.

"Most homeschoolers I know get into a lot of trouble," she said.

Chrystal and her family have benefited from being freed from the time constraints of the school year. Homeschooling has allowed them to travel to conferences during the school year.

"My favorite time to go the mall is during school hours," she said. "There's nobody there."

One of the next decisions she needs to make is where to attend college. She already knows what she plans to study: psychology and sociology.

"I'm a huge dork," Chrystal admitted. "But a cool dork."


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