Class time in high school vs college and capability of student

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DO NOT QUOTE pls

One thing I really hate about homeschooling is that I don't really have anything to compare my dd to.  My older son was just a very different kid so can't use him.

My dd, junior year in high school, is doing 28 hours of homework and studying per week, not including class time.  But this 28 hours is pretty much her max as far as what she can handle emotionally.  She spends about two hours per day reading and cooking lunch, during the week, and about an hour watching TV.  She also spends time on her art, that I have not counted here because sometimes she's pushing through to finish a project and sometimes it's more just her drawing on her ipad because she wants to, which is different than completing an assigned art project.  So she spends about three hours per day having leisure time, and has most of her Saturday totally off though she does often do homework on Sundays.  She doesn't really do a lot of EC's except one art class and one Student Government club.

She feels this is her max, but I worry that if she is going to go to college she needs to learn to push harder and longer.  If she takes 12 credits she can at **least** expect 30 hours per week of study and homework time.  Not to mention meeting with advisors, sometimes having to go to office hours, etc. and joining clubs to make friends.

She is one of the best students at every co-op class, and scored well above average (85th percentile) on her SAT's.  She has no problem learning or focusing or getting things done, but as the academics pile up she will appear tired and say she's tired.  We do give her a lot of vitamins for focus issues and she sleeps a LOT, like 10-11 hours per night and wakes up happy 🙂

I know other kids that get up at 7, go straight from school, to swim practice to Play or Band practice or choir or whatever and keep on going until 9pm till all their homework and studying is done.  Obviously the hurried and rushed lifestyle isn't for everyone and not necessary, but my concern is that my dd has it too easy and won't be prepared for life.  Should I push her a little more next semester? (aka maybe add one more elective or class?)

After discussing we think maybe she can add the Khan 20 minute SAT practice and do more of the art that she has been putting off (still lifes) 🙂

Thoughts?  How have you ensured that your kids are doing enough, just as far as being busy enough, and learning to manage time and workloads?

Edited November 6, 2019 by Calming Tea

[MerryAtHope]

Honestly, I think it sounds like she's doing pretty well. With regard to college, the general rule of thumb is 2-3 hours outside of class for ever credit hour--so for 12 credits, that would be 24-36 hours a week. She really may do just fine.

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Thanks for your thoughts.  🙂

[Arch at Home]

She sounds like she is doing fine. The work load will naturally get heavier as she gets closer to college. Test prep in the Spring, followed by college essays and apps in the fall of Senior year and scholarship essays and apps in the spring has had my daughters ready for their college work load. 

[Momto6inIN]

28 hours a week on top of class time?That sounds somewhat ambitious to me, not at all like it's not enough. I have kept my 3 high schoolers to about 6 hours of assigned school work per day 5 days a week (class time and homework combined). Sometimes that gets bumped up to 7, but if it ever gets above 8 we stop and re-evaluate because they get stressed out. They do have some time intensive ECs that they spend several hours more per week on (speech/debate club and drama).

[lewelma]

My younger son does 20 hours of solid work per week in academics (schoolwork/homework/ all of it). He cannot do more. If I push him at all, he just gets less efficient.  The work he does is good stuff -- for example, he just wrote a research paper comparing the impact of leadership on economic and social development in the DR Congo vs Botswana.  High end stuff, but he still just doesn't put in the hours.  I've considering suggesting that he only take 3 course (instead of the standard 4) in his first semester at college.  My older boy's university doesn't count grades in the first semester, so having my younger take a 25% fewer courses is my way of giving him the chance to succeed in college. For him, socializing is a very important part of his life (just read my siggy), and he is using it to hone his leadership skills. Sometimes I think that we as a society only count/value what we can measure, and we can't measure what he is gaining by doing non-academic work. And he is gaining a LOT. 

Edited November 7, 2019 by lewelma

[MamaSprout]

Even though she's busy, if she is saying she's tired all the time, it would be worth having a blood work up. Checking thyroid wouldn't hurt since she's already taking vitamins.

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6 hours ago, MamaSprout said:

Even though she's busy, if she is saying she's tired all the time, it would be worth having a blood work up. Checking thyroid wouldn't hurt since she's already taking vitamins.

That's a good idea.  She has her annual coming up and I will ask for some tests to be ordered.

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10 hours ago, lewelma said:

My younger son does 20 hours of solid work per week in academics (schoolwork/homework/ all of it). He cannot do more. If I push him at all, he just gets less efficient.  The work he does is good stuff -- for example, he just wrote a research paper comparing the impact of leadership on economic and social development in the DR Congo vs Botswana.  High end stuff, but he still just doesn't put in the hours.  I've considering suggesting that he only take 3 course (instead of the standard 4) in his first semester at college.  My older boy's university doesn't count grades in the first semester, so having my younger take a 25% fewer courses is my way of giving him the chance to succeed in college. For him, socializing is a very important part of his life (just read my siggy), and he is using it to hone his leadership skills. Sometimes I think that we as a society only count/value what we can measure, and we can't measure what he is gaining by doing non-academic work. And he is gaining a LOT. 

 

I think our kids are rather different.  But still, you have a good point. I know at the U that she is currently most interested in, the number of credits does not affect housing. AND we are full pay, so does not affect payments/loans.  That is an interesting idea, to just take 3 classes first semester to ease into things.  

Edited November 7, 2019 by Calming Tea

[lewelma]

Even my older boy who is at MIT only did 30 hours of seat work each week 10-4 each day junior year including "classes" and "homework". He simply could not do more, and if I pushed, he rebelled. But he did read a LOT at night as in 3 hours, and I created courses out of his self-directed reading for his transcript. Now in university, he has had no trouble ramping it up and doing 60 hours per week. I'm not convinced this will be true for my younger as he doesn't work as hard and his night time reading is not at the same level, but it does give me hope that older kids can handle more. 

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9 minutes ago, lewelma said:

Even my older boy who is at MIT only did 30 hours of seat work each week 10-4 each day junior year including "classes" and "homework". He simply could not do more, and if I pushed, he rebelled. But he did read a LOT at night as in 3 hours, and I created courses out of his self-directed reading for his transcript. Now in university, he has had no trouble ramping it up and doing 60 hours per week. I'm not convinced this will be true for my younger as he doesn't work as hard and his night time reading is not at the same level, but it does give me hope that older kids can handle more. 

 

True, it's important for me to remember that the cognitive function and brain development of a 15 year old really is different than from that of a 17 or 18 year old....they do change and grow and get used to things....