Senior Year Ideas

[pehp]

My son is an "old" 10th grader this year (he's 16, will be 17 in June).  We've got next year nicely mapped-out, but I'm starting to think about his 12th grade year.  After this year, he will actually have enough credits so that I could "graduate" him--plus, the summer after 11th grade he'll be 18. However, we are not in a rush to matriculate at a college yet--he is still working on life skills (driving, self-management, coping mechanisms when stressed, etc). So I'm thinking of trying to do a lighter senior year after the heavy junior. 

We're in Virginia, FWIW.  Near Roanoke College, and not too far (an hour-ish) from Va Tech and W&L. 

We're not sure what he will study in college, but he's interested in French, philosophy, theology, politics, linguistics, and other languages (he speaks French and Spanish and has done heavy dabbling in Mandarin, German, and others).

What types of things would you do with a 19-year-old 12th grader? A few notes:

*In 11th grade he will have maxed out the French that his online French provider provides. He'll take AP French next year, and we need to find *something* to do senior year that will keep him immersed in learning French, since he'll probably major/double major in it in college, and he loves it.  Our community college doesn't offer French. I'm not sure what to do for French for this year between AP and college, but we do need something. 

*We could look into DE at the local community college. It is about half an hour away from us, and gets mixed reviews from most people I know.  I don't know if online DE with a college/university would be a reasonable option or not.  Frankly, I just haven't wandered down the DE path yet.  We've loved the richness of The Great Conversation courses at WHA, and we decided to focus more on those than on trying out community college classes--which is what most homeschoolers his age around here do. 

*He tends to need external structure and he tends to flounder without it.  He's a curious and interested kid, but as he has gotten into the teen years, he definitely needs more direction/guidance. At the same time, too much and he gets overwhelmed or resentful.  So although some kids could just be told "do whatever you want for 12th grade and we'll make it look cool on the transcript," this would give him paralyzing anxiety.  

*He is lonely, and there's no way to sugarcoat it.  He's an introvert, but even introverts have their limits. 😉 He takes an in-person Spanish class, participates in a weekly choir, takes Tai Chi with the elderly, attends Youth Group once a week, and is heavily involved in community theatre, so he has lots of social exposure and acquaintances (and we are super active in our community in general--small town life!), next year he'll be in a government class with some peers....but he doesn't really have friends at this point, and that has been a point of struggle.  I don't know that we'll be able to easily rectify that, but it's just a point I thought I'd mention. He doesn't do sports and he's not into the things that most teenage boys in our area are into (sports, video games).  I think he'll probably find his tribe at college--that's how it was for me. We are still brainstorming on this front, but pickings are kind of slim around here.  More time with peers would be great.  If it didn't seem completely wacky, I'd consider enrolling him in public school for 12th grade, but I doubt that's a possibility! 

*We could continue with Wilson Hill classes in 12th grade, but he'll have done 3 years of online schooling by that point and I think we're a bit tired of it (although we LOVE WHA, don't get me wrong--overwhelmingly positive experiences with them!).  That may end up being the route we take, but I'm just trying to cast about for fresh ideas since he'll have all his credits and I can tell he's wanting Something Else. 

Brainstorming!  That's all it is--but I would appreciate any thoughts. 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[Lilaclady]

Have you asked him what he will like to do? I find sometimes the young adults are just tired and want to get done with school so might be tricky. Can you look into dual enrollment at a local college so he takes fewer than full time to not be overwhelmed but enough that he can join clubs and get involved on campus. Also something like an alliance Fraince or German Goethe etc if available. They may have activities, classes etc that may be helpful. 

[8filltheheart]

I don't have any suggestions for most of your post, but for French, he doesn't need a formal class.  He can read French literature.  He can read French history in French.  He can watch the French news, TV shows, etc.  He can write essays in French.  You can find an online source to correct the writing or do conversation.  (Check out iTalki.  I have never used it but have read multiple posts on here about it.)

FWIW, my dd self-taught herself French. (I don't know any.)  She read Les Mis in high school.  Before that she read lots of other things like Guy de Maupassant's short stories (and researched and wrote essays in French about them).  She listened to their version of 10 min news (they speak very fast).  You can find global radio stations online and listen to French radio for free.  

IOW, the options are endless.  Continuing a language becomes a focus on broadening vocabulary and ease of just being in the language.  One way I knew that she had really started mastering the language was when she would watch movies and build puzzles at the same time.  When you can multitask and fully comprehend what is going on, that is a major hurdle in language processing.

[Clemsondana]

I would consider either (or both) encouraging him to get a job or volunteer and also consider trying out 1-2 DE classes that aren't related to what he wants to study in college.  All of these suggestions are to get him out and around people.  With the DE, my thinking is that it doesn't matter whether the classes are great if they aren't foundational for what he actually wants to do.  Maybe try a new language, maybe try a psychology class or a non-majors science class.  I'd look for back-to-back classes, or classes with only a short gap between so he only has to drive over once/day.  For my current senior, taking himself to a DE class and staying for a study group, or hanging out with peers after an activity (usually a sports practice, but something similar could happen with a job) has given him a lot of independence.  

[Lori D.]

In case it helps with brainstorming ideas of activities for peer interactions and esp. for hopefully making friends, these are all linked on PAGE 5 of the big pinned thread, "High School Motherlode #2" at the top of this board:

Advice for extracurriculars (lots of ideas in the posts) 
What extracurricular activities for the high school years? 
High school socialization (activity ideas) 
DS is so, so lonely (activity & social suggestions for teens) 
Best recreational level extracurricular opportunities (suggestions for all ages) 

[pehp]

8 hours ago, Lilaclady said:

Have you asked him what he will like to do? I find sometimes the young adults are just tired and want to get done with school so might be tricky. Can you look into dual enrollment at a local college so he takes fewer than full time to not be overwhelmed but enough that he can join clubs and get involved on campus. Also something like an alliance Fraince or German Goethe etc if available. They may have activities, classes etc that may be helpful. 

I SO wish we had an Alliance Francaise here! We’ve been to a meeting at the nearest one, which was awesome for my son (& the others there couldn’t believe he hadn’t been to France), but it’s far away—too far for regular involvement. 
 

He would probably say he wants to live in Belgium. Ha! I should check to see if Roanoke College does DE. He doesn’t seem interested in it as a college choice, but for DE—if they offer it—it could be a really nice in-between. Thank you! 

[pehp]

8 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:

I don't have any suggestions for most of your post, but for French, he doesn't need a formal class.  He can read French literature.  He can read French history in French.  He can watch the French news, TV shows, etc.  He can write essays in French.  You can find an online source to correct the writing or do conversation.  (Check out iTalki.  I have never used it but have read multiple posts on here about it.)

FWIW, my dd self-taught herself French. (I don't know any.)  She read Les Mis in high school.  Before that she read lots of other things like Guy de Maupassant's short stories (and researched and wrote essays in French about them).  She listened to their version of 10 min news (they speak very fast).  You can find global radio stations online and listen to French radio for free.  

IOW, the options are endless.  Continuing a language becomes a focus on broadening vocabulary and ease of just being in the language.  One way I knew that she had really started mastering the language was when she would watch movies and build puzzles at the same time.  When you can multitask and fully comprehend what is going on, that is a major hurdle in language processing.

Thank you! He does a lot of French on his own already (he too is an autodidact, I insisted he start classes when he was 13, he placed into Honors French 2 with no prior formal learning!). He listens to podcasts (One Thing in a French Day has been a perennial favorite!) and the news in French almost daily. So he can definitely always do that and we can call it “a class” but I do think he’d prefer more formal learning in addition to it. He’s studying French literature this year and it has been so fun to see him fall in love with the books!  

Les Miserables would be a good one—he hasn’t read that yet and it’s such a classic story. 

[pehp]

8 hours ago, Clemsondana said:

I would consider either (or both) encouraging him to get a job or volunteer and also consider trying out 1-2 DE classes that aren't related to what he wants to study in college.  All of these suggestions are to get him out and around people.  With the DE, my thinking is that it doesn't matter whether the classes are great if they aren't foundational for what he actually wants to do.  Maybe try a new language, maybe try a psychology class or a non-majors science class.  I'd look for back-to-back classes, or classes with only a short gap between so he only has to drive over once/day.  For my current senior, taking himself to a DE class and staying for a study group, or hanging out with peers after an activity (usually a sports practice, but something similar could happen with a job) has given him a lot of independence.  

These are great tips. He does already have a job (he’s a dining server at the local ritzy retirement home), and he’ll for sure continue that until he’s in college. (Sadly his coworkers are not his tribe, so no post-work hanging out there. I won’t get into it, but I think he’s showing exceedingly good judgment in that regard. 😳) 
 

I like the idea of DE classes that are distinct from his primary interests. I hadn’t really thought of that as a tactic for choosing, but I like it a lot. 

[pehp]

5 hours ago, Lori D. said:

In case it helps with brainstorming ideas of activities for peer interactions and esp. for hopefully making friends, these are all linked on PAGE 5 of the big pinned thread, "High School Motherlode #2" at the top of this board:

Advice for extracurriculars (lots of ideas in the posts) 
What extracurricular activities for the high school years? 
High school socialization (activity ideas) 
DS is so, so lonely (activity & social suggestions for teens) 
Best recreational level extracurricular opportunities (suggestions for all ages) 

Excellent-thank you! 

[8filltheheart]

12 hours ago, pehp said:

Thank you! He does a lot of French on his own already (he too is an autodidact, I insisted he start classes when he was 13, he placed into Honors French 2 with no prior formal learning!). He listens to podcasts (One Thing in a French Day has been a perennial favorite!) and the news in French almost daily. So he can definitely always do that and we can call it “a class” but I do think he’d prefer more formal learning in addition to it. He’s studying French literature this year and it has been so fun to see him fall in love with the books!  

Les Miserables would be a good one—he hasn’t read that yet and it’s such a classic story. 

When you say more formal learning, what is he looking for? My dd majored in Russian and French. She placed out of all grammar/conversational classes. Her remaining classes were focused on regional topics (iirc, she learned a lot about wine regions and food), history, literature, culture, and politics (all in French). I have no idea what level AP French is bc she never took a single "formal" class. She taught herself everything. Her placement in college was determined by the department (we met with them while she was applying and then again after she committed.)

[8filltheheart]

FWIW, she read Les Mis and this French history book L'Histoire de France for her 12th grade French cr.

[Therhavent]

On 3/18/2024 at 7:44 PM, pehp said:

My son is an "old" 10th grader this year (he's 16, will be 17 in June).  We've got next year nicely mapped-out, but I'm starting to think about his 12th grade year.  After this year, he will actually have enough credits so that I could "graduate" him--plus, the summer after 11th grade he'll be 18. However, we are not in a rush to matriculate at a college yet--he is still working on life skills (driving, self-management, coping mechanisms when stressed, etc). So I'm thinking of trying to do a lighter senior year after the heavy junior. 

We're in Virginia, FWIW.  Near Roanoke College, and not too far (an hour-ish) from Va Tech and W&L. 

We're not sure what he will study in college, but he's interested in French, philosophy, theology, politics, linguistics, and other languages (he speaks French and Spanish and has done heavy dabbling in Mandarin, German, and others).

What types of things would you do with a 19-year-old 12th grader? A few notes:

*In 11th grade he will have maxed out the French that his online French provider provides. He'll take AP French next year, and we need to find *something* to do senior year that will keep him immersed in learning French, since he'll probably major/double major in it in college, and he loves it.  Our community college doesn't offer French. I'm not sure what to do for French for this year between AP and college, but we do need something. 

*We could look into DE at the local community college. It is about half an hour away from us, and gets mixed reviews from most people I know.  I don't know if online DE with a college/university would be a reasonable option or not.  Frankly, I just haven't wandered down the DE path yet.  We've loved the richness of The Great Conversation courses at WHA, and we decided to focus more on those than on trying out community college classes--which is what most homeschoolers his age around here do. 

*He tends to need external structure and he tends to flounder without it.  He's a curious and interested kid, but as he has gotten into the teen years, he definitely needs more direction/guidance. At the same time, too much and he gets overwhelmed or resentful.  So although some kids could just be told "do whatever you want for 12th grade and we'll make it look cool on the transcript," this would give him paralyzing anxiety.  

*He is lonely, and there's no way to sugarcoat it.  He's an introvert, but even introverts have their limits. 😉 He takes an in-person Spanish class, participates in a weekly choir, takes Tai Chi with the elderly, attends Youth Group once a week, and is heavily involved in community theatre, so he has lots of social exposure and acquaintances (and we are super active in our community in general--small town life!), next year he'll be in a government class with some peers....but he doesn't really have friends at this point, and that has been a point of struggle.  I don't know that we'll be able to easily rectify that, but it's just a point I thought I'd mention. He doesn't do sports and he's not into the things that most teenage boys in our area are into (sports, video games).  I think he'll probably find his tribe at college--that's how it was for me. We are still brainstorming on this front, but pickings are kind of slim around here.  More time with peers would be great.  If it didn't seem completely wacky, I'd consider enrolling him in public school for 12th grade, but I doubt that's a possibility! 

*We could continue with Wilson Hill classes in 12th grade, but he'll have done 3 years of online schooling by that point and I think we're a bit tired of it (although we LOVE WHA, don't get me wrong--overwhelmingly positive experiences with them!).  That may end up being the route we take, but I'm just trying to cast about for fresh ideas since he'll have all his credits and I can tell he's wanting Something Else. 

By the way, I recently did an analysis on various educational resources and found that Essays.EduBirdie.com was immensely helpful. Pay for essay writing and enjoy quality has been my motto, especially during my student years when I heavily relied on this service. Their assistance not only relieved me of academic burdens but also ensured top-notch quality in my assignments. If you're ever in need of academic support, I highly recommend checking out their services. They've been a lifesaver for me!

Brainstorming!  That's all it is--but I would appreciate any thoughts. 

Thanks!

 Since he's into French, philosophy, and all that good stuff, maybe you could look into immersive language programs abroad for a chunk of his senior year. It'd be a cool way for him to deepen his French skills while exploring new cultures and gaining some independence.

Edited April 30 by Therhavent

[Alice]

Can you graduate him and have him do a gap year? That opens up the possibilities somewhat. Travel...volunteer...there are gap year programs, etc. 

For French have you thought about a tutor? They could perhaps read and discuss French literature together or movies or just discuss other things in French. You could probably find tutors at the colleges nearby or online. We had my oldest use a Math tutor senior year, he didnt' really need one but he'd gotten way beyond me in Math. I did it because it made me feel more comfortable about him self-studying for AP Calculus but in the end I realized the real advantage was that he had someone to talk about Math with every week, which wasn't something the rest of us could do with him.