How many hours per day for college-bound high schoolers?

[Mary in GA]

One thing to remember is that you can apply your kids' interests toward those hours. If I added in everything my kids did, then our time would be 6 - 8 hours a day, too, but many of those hours are spent programming for one ds and writing novels for another ds. I just add those hours to the appropriate classes.

 

 

We did this as well. All of ds's electives were computer programming courses that we defined for his transcripts as he taught himself pursuing his interest. Factoring that in he did spend 6-7 hours most days on school work. Some days a little less b/c he also worked a part-time job.

 

Mary

[kpupg]

Wow, 94 responses -- thank you all so much! I see that the big bulge is between 6 and 8 hours average, some including extras, some not. This will be a big help for our family in judging whether what we're doing is reasonable.

:001_smile: :cool:

Karen

[Brindee]

Wow, 94 responses -- thank you all so much! I see that the big bulge is between 6 and 8 hours average, some including extras, some not. This will be a big help for our family in judging whether what we're doing is reasonable.

:001_smile: :cool:

Karen

How does that response compare with your expectations and your son's expectations?

[asta]

One of our main reasons for homeschooling is to allow for a "non-schoolish" experience, to a certain degree.

 

High school for us has so far meant a stepping up of academics (I'm quite relaxed in early years), and a time of implementing outside influences, as well (co-op classes for math and science, and an online university course for Spanish this year, with community college classes folded in next year, Lord willin' the crick don't rise :001_smile:).

 

But we still purposefully keep it under a certain time frame.

 

Five or six hours a day for high schoolers, here. We allow about an hour for each subject, streamline and combine several, and don't do every subject every day. (We also only do hot and heavy school four days a week, only catching up on discussions and scheduling for the next week on Friday, if possible.)

 

This is our second year of high school, and it's worked thus far.

 

When my kids go to college, they likely won't be taking a full course load right off the bat. Unless they win some heavy-duty scholarships, they'll be working, as well as attending school. One of the reasons we keep this pace is because they've got a long road ahead (paying for it all yourself or with minimal help from parents can mean five years, instead of four), and this is a marathon. So while one of my reasons for doing it this way is philosophical...one is also practical; they're going to have to have a day divided between academics and "real life" (working, etc.) when they reach college, so why not have them get used to that, now?

 

Even more than that...I want learning to be a lifestyle, really. Not every child is going to get burnt out by a heavy course load for the entirety of their academic career, but I don't want to take the chance that mine will. We move at a slower pace than many here, from the very beginning, but it's also a very steady pace. (We also school year 'round).

 

Many of their individual pursuits are pretty impressive...but I don't know how inclined my particular children would be to dabble in intellectually demanding things if they weren't allowed time to just *be* and recuperate from the intellectually demanding things that I'm *requiring* of them. (Note that I'm saying my children; this is not a commentary on children in general and isn’t meant to argue against the experience of others here, should it differ from mine).

 

So...that's a priority for us. Because I like for them to take the initiative and pursue things on their own, and this is working to that end, so far.

 

Also, "College Prep" for our house probably looks different from what many mean when they say that. I'm preparing my kids to attend college...but I'm not attempting to get high achievement out of them in every area. They test well, they have a good academic work ethic, and I'm happy with what we're accomplishing, but I'm also not focused on high achievement in every subject. Each of my students has strengths, and we're focusing on stacking the achievement in those areas, while shoring up weaknesses. That helps keep the workload lighter.

 

I completely agree with this post.

 

I also think that the hours put in depend on what you're (global you) striving for out of High School. I want my kid in High School, not college. I want him to have a childhood. He has the rest of his life after he leaves here to do adult things, go to uni (if he wants to), and deal with the "big world".

 

Kid is capable of college level coursework (I've given him bits and pieces since 6th grade), but I see no reason to push him into it. He pushes himself quite well in many other areas.

 

Another reason I really don't feel comfortable with the "must have X AP courses, CC courses, X number SAT tests, etc." is because, frankly, even the colleges are giving up on them; they are seeing that they are big money makers for College Board and some CCs, but that the majority of kids who are applying for Uni only know how to study for a test, not think at a university level. And this isn't even tiny colleges that no one has ever heard of: Wake Forest U in NC has stopped requiring the SAT. Texas Tech doesn't accept AP English, and they have a VERY good English program, many universities won't even accept CC courses for credit unless they have a reciprocity agreement. (I'm sure there are other examples, I just haven't really looked, to tell you the truth).

 

One thing important is that where my ds is "in school" for the same amount of time as his public/private school counterparts - he doesn't have the homework load on week nights and week ends. I am thinking that public/ private school kids have over 1 hour or more of homework per night plus weekends? This is a guess? Anyway, ds sometimes puts in time at night (not long and not common) - but not most nights and rarely on weekends (probably never). So, it is less time IMO then going to public/private hs. So, I may say 6-7 hours this is still less then public school counterpart.

 

I completely disagree with this post.

 

All of my nieces and nephews are in public school - and in advanced classes. Every one of them says that, for the most part, their class time is a complete waste as far as "learning" is concerned. Sometimes they get some good discussions going on, but for the most part, they say that it is all about rushing through whatever will be on the state tests (memorize, regurgitate, dump) and not on comprehension. They don't feel as if they're learning, they feel like it is a ticket punch. If they want to actually learn a subject, they must spend their time on homework (learning) in addition to memorizing for their tests. There is simply no time during school to do this.

 

Everyone else's mileage may vary, but this has been my observation.

 

 

a

[Jane in NC]

 

Another reason I really don't feel comfortable with the "must have X AP courses, CC courses, X number SAT tests, etc." is because, frankly, even the colleges are giving up on them; they are seeing that they are big money makers for College Board and some CCs, but that the majority of kids who are applying for Uni only know how to study for a test, not think at a university level. And this isn't even tiny colleges that no one has ever heard of: Wake Forest U in NC has stopped requiring the SAT. Texas Tech doesn't accept AP English, and they have a VERY good English program, many universities won't even accept CC courses for credit unless they have a reciprocity agreement. (I'm sure there are other examples, I just haven't really looked, to tell you the truth).

 

 

Again, I feel compelled to return to the mantra of "check with the college".

 

When my son was in 8th and 9th, I thought that I saw the hand writing on the wall with regard to AP. What followed was not a complete write off of AP by many of the high schools and colleges, but a trend by the latter to give credit for 4's or 5's (not 3's), to give credit only for certain tests or to limit the number of credits given for AP courses (maximum of three, for example). On the high school front, I believe that the number of students taking AP may be rising--at least that is true in my state. Students are using AP not only for credit but as a demonstration that they can do challenging work. (I am not asserting that this is the only way one demonstrates that capability--but it is one way.)

 

Also, a number of colleges no longer require the SAT or ACT for admission; however, one cannot apply for financial or merit aid without a standardized exam.

 

If my son leaves NC for college, I doubt if his CC credits will transfer. His purpose in taking CC courses was not to expedite his degree. He is doing better chemistry labs than I could provide at home. He needed someone other than me to assist him with his writing. Now has a transcript with grades other than those provided by his Mom.

 

Frankly I would encourage students to take an Internet course so that they become familiar with the tools that are used by educational institutions, things like Blackboard software or Wimba. But that is really getting off topic.

 

I think the key thing with all of this is to examine what works for our kids. My son, for example, is taking an AP Vergil course this year. This is what he has been working toward with his Latin studies, it ties in with his desire to be a classical archaeologist, and, for us, there are no post-secondary Latin courses within driving distance, no other "upper" Latin courses at our disposal. Some people have amazing homeschool cooperatives in their cities, others do not. Some have excellent CCs, others do not. This makes finding the right mix of fulfilling our students academic desires a bit more challenging (living on edge of nowhere as I do).

 

Again, no one formula works for every kid.

 

Back to that original question: A young lady I know wants to be pastry chef. Homeschooling gives her the flexibility to work with a bakery owner daily on honing her craft. When calculating the number of hours spent on "school", would one include the hours of kitchen chemistry that she is learning?

 

A life spent indoors with text books is not a life that I want to live. But I would rather that my son spend his school days working on school and his other projects (4-H, Shorebird/Raptor Rehabilitation Center, just taking walks and bike rides) then spending many hours on an outside job. He has had paid summer work since he was fifteen and does the occasional yard work job for neighbors. This really brings up another issue--should high school students have jobs during the school year? Again, the answer is that it probably depends on the teen, his goals, and his family situation (since I know some teens must work to contribute to family expenses.) Should I start another thread?

 

Jane

[Colleen in NS]

Frankly I would encourage students to take an Internet course so that they become familiar with the tools that are used by educational institutions, things like Blackboard software or Wimba. But that is really getting off topic.

 

then spending many hours on an outside job. He has had paid summer work since he was fifteen and does the occasional yard work job for neighbors. This really brings up another issue--should high school students have jobs during the school year? Again, the answer is that it probably depends on the teen, his goals, and his family situation (since I know some teens must work to contribute to family expenses.) Should I start another thread?

Jane

 

Yes, please! I'd like to hear more about the two topics in this quote!

[Nan in Mass]

My son did competative gymnastics. And some of his learning was done in a non-academic style (like extensive travel). And he isn't a quick worker. The upshot? Except for a little down time here and there (often in the car) and family time, he was pretty much working the rest of his waking hours. My youngest is faster at academics, but also is going to have quite a bit of his education in a non-academic way - travel and strategy games and making things and sailing. And he does gymnastics. He, too, will probably spend almost all the rest of his time on the academics. I'm hoping he will have to do a little less in the summer, but even in the summer, mine do a bunch of reading, not reading for escape and entertainment but reading for education. Before CC gets involved, if you don't count non-academic learning, during the school year our academics day runs from 7 to 2 with a few extra hours in the evening to do the foreign language and math excersizes and sometimes extra reading or questions in history or science, plus extra reading and writing weekends. We found that there were certain subjects that needed to be seen twice a day to stick. Once CC begins, that schedule gets muddled. Some of the academic day is pleasant, though. It isn't all dry, solitary, hard work. I agree with Jane. We simply told our children that everyone has to work most of the day most of their lives, and their job when they are young is to learn, and that tends to be one of the most time-consuming jobs. We play hard, too, though. Sometimes the learning looks like playing.

-Nan

Edited August 30, 2009 by Nan in Mass

[Guest Barb B]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barb B

One thing important is that where my ds is "in school" for the same amount of time as his public/private school counterparts - he doesn't have the homework load on week nights and week ends. I am thinking that public/ private school kids have over 1 hour or more of homework per night plus weekends? This is a guess? Anyway, ds sometimes puts in time at night (not long and not common) - but not most nights and rarely on weekends (probably never). So, it is less time IMO then going to public/private hs. So, I may say 6-7 hours this is still less then public school counterpart.

 

I completely disagree with this post.

 

All of my nieces and nephews are in public school - and in advanced classes. Every one of them says that, for the most part, their class time is a complete waste as far as "learning" is concerned. Sometimes they get some good discussions going on, but for the most part, they say that it is all about rushing through whatever will be on the state tests (memorize, regurgitate, dump) and not on comprehension. They don't feel as if they're learning, they feel like it is a ticket punch. If they want to actually learn a subject, they must spend their time on homework (learning) in addition to memorizing for their tests. There is simply no time during school to do this.

 

Everyone else's mileage may vary, but this has been my observation. - Asta

Asta, I actually agree with you! Thats why we homeschool - so much of what goes on in the high school down the street is a waste of time. I was just comparing the times. It is the old adage "quantity vs qaulity". Homeschool is so much more Quality and because of this they don't have the "in class" time during the day with homework at night and on weekends. The quality of the education during the day is greater so the extre evening/weekend time doesn't always occur.

 

Barb

[Guest Barb B]

I want my kid in High School, not college - Quote by Asta

 

I agree too. For us - high school is high school - college is college. We don't plan to take any AP tests or community college here. Although some understandable do this to save tuition money (a very valid reason), we just decided that even if DS did do well on an ap test or CC course - he probably should have the class in college anyway! Really, I read that one remembers about 30% of what you learn - So by the time ds gets into college he needs to take the subject again (no matter what the grade was in high school!

 

Barb

[jibaker103]

I want my kid in High School, not college - Quote by Asta

 

I agree too. For us - high school is high school - college is college. We don't plan to take any AP tests or community college here. Although some understandable do this to save tuition money (a very valid reason), we just decided that even if DS did do well on an ap test or CC course - he probably should have the class in college anyway! Really, I read that one remembers about 30% of what you learn - So by the time ds gets into college he needs to take the subject again (no matter what the grade was in high school!

 

Barb

I agree to this too but unfortunately I'm a single mother so I have to be realistic!!! In this case it means dual enrollment, CLEP tests, and community college and/or state university. He will probably have to work as well unless he got some major scholarships/grants. This is all due to monetary reasons not a desire to push him or recreate college. I want his high school years to be fun, enjoyable, and a great learning experience!

[asta]

OK, kid and I finally settled on a schedule. We decided not to go off of "hours" but rather "here are the subjects you need to do daily, weekly, bi-weekly, etc." with the first column being the minimum amount of material that needs accomplishing, the second column being how long he'll have to do that amount, and the last column being how often he'll have to do the subject in order to accomplish the previous goal. (too bad I can't accomplish columns on this forum...)

 

When he finishes each day will depend on when he gets up and gets operational.

 

 

German 1 hour Daily Daily

 

English 4 Chapters Weekly Daily

 

History 1 Unit Weekly Daily

 

Geometry/Alg 2 1 Lesson Daily Daily

 

Chemistry 4 Lessons Weekly Daily

 

Music Performance 1 hour Daily Daily

 

P.E. 1 hour Daily Daily

 

Analytical Grammar 1 Exercise Weekly 1 Day

 

Word Roots 4 Pages Weekly

 

Theology 1 Chapter Weekly 2 days

 

Logic 1 Chapter Bi-Weekly

 

Music Theory 1 Lesson Weekly 1 Day

 

Art History 1 Lesson Weekly 1 Day

[Melissa in Australia]

excellent! that way he can go his own speed.

that is basically what I do with my children.

[jibaker103]

OK, kid and I finally settled on a schedule. We decided not to go off of "hours" but rather "here are the subjects you need to do daily, weekly, bi-weekly, etc." with the first column being the minimum amount of material that needs accomplishing, the second column being how long he'll have to do that amount, and the last column being how often he'll have to do the subject in order to accomplish the previous goal. (too bad I can't accomplish columns on this forum...)

 

When he finishes each day will depend on when he gets up and gets operational.

 

 

German 1 hour Daily Daily

 

English 4 Chapters Weekly Daily

 

History 1 Unit Weekly Daily

 

Geometry/Alg 2 1 Lesson Daily Daily

 

Chemistry 4 Lessons Weekly Daily

 

Music Performance 1 hour Daily Daily

 

P.E. 1 hour Daily Daily

 

Analytical Grammar 1 Exercise Weekly 1 Day

 

Word Roots 4 Pages Weekly

 

Theology 1 Chapter Weekly 2 days

 

Logic 1 Chapter Bi-Weekly

 

Music Theory 1 Lesson Weekly 1 Day

 

Art History 1 Lesson Weekly 1 Day

It must be me because I understand what you said but totally confused by the chart!!! :lol: So let me see if I get this... He must finish 1 chapter of logic every 2 weeks? He is to complete 1 lesson of Music Theory 1 day during the week? I think I may be hung up on History and English does he have to do it daily or can he choose to work on it over 1 or 2 days and be done?

[Laura in OH]

we school year-round. ;)

[asta]

It must be me because I understand what you said but totally confused by the chart!!! :lol: So let me see if I get this... He must finish 1 chapter of logic every 2 weeks? He is to complete 1 lesson of Music Theory 1 day during the week? I think I may be hung up on History and English does he have to do it daily or can he choose to work on it over 1 or 2 days and be done?

 

He must finish 1 chapter of Logic within 2 weeks (it is Kreeft's Socratic Logic & is rather heavy).

 

He must do 1 lesson of music theory a week. He should only have to work on it one day a week to accomplish that.

 

As far as English and History, there is, no question, an entire week's worth of work for each section. If he wanted to power through on 1 or 2 days, he is welcome to it, but I don't see that happening; he is taking college level Chemistry and a difficult Theology program which both require a great deal of reading and/or discussion, and there is simply too much data going in to sit and do them for 4 hours straight. The grammar is also very nit-noid involved (it isn't a LONG lesson, it is a very detailed one).

 

I hope that answers your question.

 

ETA - Kid is taking "high school" chemistry, but is using a combo of a high school text, a college text, and the Teaching Company Chem lectures - so I'm not exactly sure where that falls out...)

Edited September 1, 2009 by asta

[Gwen in VA]

I want my kid in High School, not college - Quote by Asta

 

I agree too. For us - high school is high school - college is college. We don't plan to take any AP tests or community college here.

 

Despite my kids having done a lot of AP work, I agree. High school is high school and college is college.

 

BUT -- AP coursework is a nice way to challenge high schoolers while they are in high school. My kids were ready for that "next step" and for them, AP courses provided that next step.

 

My ds2, a rising sophomore, has a top choice college that accepts NO transfer credits or AP credits from anywhere. Period. So why on earth is he taking an AP course this year, and why will he take three next year? Because those AP courses are rigorous courses that he can easily take in high school. We want to provide him with the best education we can, and part of that education is rigorous classes -- which include some AP work.

 

At least for us, AP courses are not actually about receiving college credit! (Though that can be a nice side-benefit.)

[asta]

Despite my kids having done a lot of AP work, I agree. High school is high school and college is college.

 

BUT -- AP coursework is a nice way to challenge high schoolers while they are in high school. My kids were ready for that "next step" and for them, AP courses provided that next step.

 

My ds2, a rising sophomore, has a top choice college that accepts NO transfer credits or AP credits from anywhere. Period. So why on earth is he taking an AP course this year, and why will he take three next year? Because those AP courses are rigorous courses that he can easily take in high school. We want to provide him with the best education we can, and part of that education is rigorous classes -- which include some AP work.

 

At least for us, AP courses are not actually about receiving college credit! (Though that can be a nice side-benefit.)

 

See, now THAT I agree with.

 

I don't have access to AP classes, but that would be the only reason he would be doing them.

 

 

a

[Guest Barb B]

Gwen, where does your son take his AP classes? We have no access to them here, but I sure would have ds take them if I could. We at least us some of AP texts around here.

Barb

[Gwen in VA]

My kids have done all of their AP classes online --

 

Scholars Online

Pennsylvania Homeschoolers (open to non-PA residents -- not state-affiliated)

Regina Coeli Academy

[danielle]

There are some AP courses available free at www.courserepository.org, My dd did their US Government with great results on AP. My dd, too, is looking at colleges that will give little to no credit for AP, but they do serve to prove the "mommy" grades quite well.

Danielle