The Life of a Student…

You set your alarm for 6 a.m. You get dressed, grab some breakfast, and on your way to school, you squeeze in some last-minute revision for a math test. Six hours later, you’re heading back home. After a quick chat with your family over dinner, it’s time for homework—until it’s late. Then, you set your alarm for 6 a.m. once again. This isn’t just a mundane reality; it’s the routine most students are forced into.

Despite our differences, traditional education often treats us like we are all the same. Like we all have the same goals and plans for life; getting stellar grades, getting admitted into top college, graduating, and getting a stable job. And while it indeed is a dream for many, including myself, it is important to realize that many paths can lead to similar outcomes. We often forget that not only the result but the process itself should be a rewarding experience.

But is there a way to break free from this cycle? Homeschooling offers a solution, allowing students to receive a quality education while nurturing their unique interests and providing space for individuality.

Are schools killing students’ creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson contended that “My contention is, all kids have tremendous talents. And we squander them, pretty ruthlessly.” He further claimed that our education system is broken and “the result is that we are educating people out of their creative capacities”. Furthermore, Eddy Zhong, while talking about his experiences with starting a technology company at 16, stated that “Over just these 5 to 6 years in the education system these creative children have turned into these teenagers that are unwilling to think outside of the box”. He explained that while school can make you academically intelligent, it fails to develop creative intelligence. Whereas, the goal should be to have curiosity as your fuel.

It makes sense when you think about how time-consuming school is; it just feels like investing your precious time into mundane activities every day. While academics have value, focusing on exams and grades can sometimes be a bit all-consuming, and make it difficult to dedicate time to activities that put a smile on your face.

For me, such a thing was writing. Working on a novel is a very long process, so you do not see results immediately. It is not like your book will be published a week after you are done, and the writing takes months. Because of the school approach to grading, I was used to the quick stimuli evoked by this pattern: study, take tests, receive grades, and feel excitement. Each time I would invest some time, energy, and inspiration in something that is not school-related, I would feel guilt. Home education showed me that learning is much more than just reading textbooks and creativity is a muscle that you need to keep working on.

If you care about your creativity, perhaps the idea of homeschooling should cross your mind. This way of education has been around since the 1970s. However, since that time, it has evolved, becoming more inclusive worldwide, and most importantly giving students a vast array of opportunities to explore…

Brief history of homeschooling

“Over 300 million children worldwide are being homeschooled.” (Learnopoly website)

Usually when the word homeschooling enters the chat you are thinking: parents who have become full time teachers for their children. And while it indeed may look something like that for some families, it is good to be aware that home education has many faces:

• Traditional Homeschooling – following standard school curriculum at home; usually with help of textbooks and structured lessons plans
• Unschooling – emphasis put on individual interests and passions without a fixed curriculum; learning through life experiences
• Classical Education – based on grammar, logic, and rhetoric; language-rich curriculum that aims to develop critical thinking and communication skills
• Online or Virtual Schools – enrolling to accredited online school (like ����APP); following structured curriculum that also gives time to explore interests; constant interaction with teachers and peers through online meeting platforms like Zoom or Google Meets
• Project-Based Homeschooling – main goal being using acquired knowledge in practical way by engaging in long-term, meaningful, and in-depth projects that integrates many subjects
• Unit Studies – interdisciplinary approach that integrates multiple subjects around a central theme or topic
• Montessori Homeschooling – inspired by Maria Montessori this approach aims to learn by hands-on activities and fostering independence by respecting each child’s unique timeline of natural development

It is also worth noting how widespread home education is today. Based on statistics from 2024 it is clearly visible that more and more families consider this way of education to be a real and beneficial alternative as opposed to teaching in public schools. According to Learnopoly research “Homeschooling had been growing at a steady rate of 2-8% per year. However, during the pandemic it saw a sharp increase.” Additionally, “Half of parents who weren’t homeschooling before the pandemic view it more favorably now. ”

Nowadays, with rapid growth of technology people worldwide gained access to electronic devices and the Internet. Utilizing that is not just a nice alternative or an addition to public school studies; for those from underprivileged backgrounds, with lack of access to good educational institutions and educators, it’s everything. Homeschooling may be a ticket for a better future and entrance to the dream profession.

The impacts of homeschooling: My homeschooling journey

“Homeschooled children tend to develop more creativity because they have the freedom to learn in a way that suits their styles. They are not bound by standardized curricula, which often stifles creativity in traditional school settings. Instead, they can engage in hands-on projects and real-world experiences that inspire innovative thinking.” – Dr. Peter Gray, a Research Professor of Psychology.

My adventure with home education began in the second year of high school, prior to that I attended public schools. The last three years have been a very enriching experience; I learnt a lot about myself and my passions. I flourished by taking advantage of time flexibility and assuring complex development: body, soul, heart, and brain are equally important.

Passion Project & Extracurricular Activities:

Timeline of striving for more in my education

Firstly, homeschooling has allowed me to dedicate time to exploring my own passion projects, and participating in extracurricular activities.

During sophomore year I signed up for a business project that was advertised by my home-education school institution. Thanks to that I met two amazing friends that I keep in touch with until this day. Together we learnt about the inside world of business by making decisions about investments, hiring employees, purchasing equipment, and expanding the offer while running a digital restaurant.

During junior year I enrolled for an online business program where I was collaborating with students from other parts of the world. I was in a global virtual team consisting of 5 other highly aspiring individuals in order to create a business proposal for a struggling company. I made amazing friends, and learnt how to overcome difficulties such as different time zones and language barriers while further strengthening my knowledge in the business field.

During senior year I finally self published my very first novel in the form of an ebook. I felt so proud and accomplished that I have followed my dreams and creativity hunger.

During summer before senior year I discovered the ����APP and decided to enroll for their summer school program. I was captivated by their vision to empower young people from around the world that wanted something more from their education experience. In my challenge pathway “Future of money” I was able to expand my knowledge in economy, bitcoin, and finances but not solely listening to webinars but also by doing internships, my own research, and presenting my ideas to solve global problems. Moreover, it further introduces me to new opportunities and initiatives – ����APP is a time-lasting community full of inspiring individuals.

Flexibility:

Having time flexibility as a high school student is not only a privilege but also a great responsibility. You want to maximize your potential by following your passions, gaining valid experience for your future career but without taking too much on your plate and burning out. By creating a routine that works for me I manage to obtain a school certificate with the grades I wanted, building a CV that makes me confident to enter university/job market, and taking first steps in the world of literature.

Practical Skills & Real-World Experiences:

Taking initiative makes you a more enterprising person.

By actively reflecting on my education journey I noticed how beneficial and crucial for students’ development engaging in extracurricular projects is. They help with:

• incorporating acquired knowledge with practical skills in a work-like environment = it’s amazing to be able to put business theory into practice by creating business proposals, reports and strategies for existing companies
• building network by meeting like-minded individuals that share your interest = for me enrolling for summer school program at ����APP was such a place as I made so many inspiring students that I keep in touch to this day
• giving you an insight into the reality of your dream job field = participating in business programs assured me that this is indeed the path I want to take
• gaining valuable work experience which later highlighted in the CV make you a better candidate while seeking a dream job = keeping track of all your activities is very important and remember that it is never too early to start building your portfolio
• developing professionalism and learning how to behave in stressful situations = participating in global business projects taught me how to manage the difficulty that comes with being in different time zones and language barriers

Two sides of medal

Homeschooling is a great way to achieve personalized and comprehensive development but you need to make this decision based on your personal needs. While home education solves many problems that are present in normal schools, it definitely comes with its own challenges. However, the main source of the problem is not the challenges themselves, but the fact that transferring to home education from in-person studies feels like stepping into a completely new land. Vey beautiful land, but each land has its own conditions that you have to get used to. For example, many learners may fear: lack of regular socialization or this sudden increased of responsibility (as all of the sudden you are the one making terms and planning your education). But there is a really clear recipe for those issues.

Based on my experience “lack of regular socialization” is not a real struggle when it comes to homeschooling. In fact, socializing as a homeschooler comes with greater benefits as you can opt for community that is the right fit; you can surround yourself with good and healthy environment. Some tips to get started: engage with your local community, organize events or volunteer (for example, libraries are a place where you can make friends with day students from local schools), enroll for online programs, or find a team to work on a passion project together.

Becoming a homeschooler means being responsible for your own education; use that time wisely. Remember that effectively navigating your duties is a great training for adulthood. But it doesn’t have to be a hard journey! Almost the entire knowledge is under your fingerprints. Use the internet’s resources to access learning plans, enroll for courses and educational webinars. The Internet can make your education journey more effective by incorporating the thought “learning with and from others”. It is especially valuable when applied in a global perspective – technology development introduces us to hybrid programs that provide a community for learners. Just think about it: exchange of thoughts and experiences, joint cooperation with people from other parts of the world that are also homeschooled! For me ����APP slack channels serve as great motivation, and inspiration when searching for useful study techniques or projects to invest my time in.

Conclusion

Making this important decision may be daunting, after all education is a crucial component of ones life and future. Don’t feel like you are alone on your journey. Seek support and contact with other homeschoolers to learn more about their experiences; it is also a good idea to ask for some tips so you can assure stepping into this new chapter with confidence. Homeschooling is an enriching journey that will impacts not only your academic life but also shaped you as a person. It is a process of understanding your goals and interests; but most importantly it’s hopefully a time when you will realize what education truly means. You will have a chance to follow your dreams by investing time in activities, such us: internships, passion projects, volunteering, and more. Are you ready to embrace that unique and inspiring experience?

Resources:

• Why schools need to embrace kids’ creativity | Sir Ken Robinson
• How School Makes Kids Less Intelligent | Eddy Zhong | TEDxYouth@BeaconStreet
• Dr. Peter Gray, author of “Free to Learn” and advocate for self-directed education.
• Dr. Laura Markham, founder of Aha! Parenting and author of “Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids.”

The post Embracing Individuality through High School first appeared on ����APP.

Renaissance Man Phenomenon

Do you know what Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Isaac Newton have in common? Well, we obviously value them for being great and accomplished men who impacted the lives of many (then and now); our perspective and knowledge of the world wouldn’t be the same if not for their intellect, curiosity, and findings – such as Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying machine (also known as the “ornithopter”) that inspired construction of modern planes. But the list doesn’t end here.

Apart from knowing them as great inventors of their time, we could assign them another term – The Renaissance man. Maybe you remember from history lessons that this term doesn’t solely mean that someone was born in the artistic period Renaissance; bur rather a Renaissance man means a person who is knowledgeable and accomplished in many fields (particularly, in very diverse fields of STEM and humanities).

To showcase it better, let’s take a closer look at Leonardo da Vinci, the ultimate Renaissance man. He is not only an author of the famous “Mona Lisa” painting but also a recognized painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, discoverer, mathematician, anatomist, inventor, geologist, philosopher, musician, and writer… Yes, the list is quite long even for the sake of describing who the Renaissance man is.

Given the outstanding achievements of the above-mentioned figures, one would expect that the education system would hold them up as role models, consistently encouraging students to explore various fields of knowledge. And while indeed several subjects are required to graduate, there comes a time when you need to choose a side in this ultimate battle: sciences or humanities.

Choosing The Right Answer

“The traditional education system often categorizes students into these distinct streams, which can limit their opportunities to develop a well-rounded skill set that integrates both creativity and logical reasoning.”

→ For example, students may often find those thoughts arising “I’m not creative” or “I don’t have a head for numbers”; the school system, instead of inspiring them to broaden their horizons, will do the exact opposite, further fueling these thoughts and expecting specifications of interests/life plans.

From a very young age students are classified either as humanists or scientists. Teachers and guardians often view this categorization as helpful since in their minds it helps to specify the child’s interests, thanks to which one will achieve greater success in the chosen career path; eliminating other possibilities would make it easier to achieve specialization in one field and prevent too frequent changes of mind. Besides, as humans, we really like to label things and put them in separate boxes.

This education style can have a very negative impact as students feel pressured to make a choice; instead of encouraging them to explore a vast array of subject it limits their potential.

What’s interesting, if we step outside of that academic world, it turns out there is no such a thing as division between humanities and sciences; in real life situations they are combined. We are expected to use a wide range of skills that are developed by engaging in both disciplines. As intellectual beings we should strive for developing all: critical, creative, and analytical thinking.

So maybe, after all, the option is to choose both? I have been constantly referring to people from the past to display the benefits of that interdisciplinary approach, but there are plenty of contemporary individuals who are very successful by combining various fields. Such as, Yoko Shimizu, well-regarded contemporary artist as well as biochemist; in her lab she integrates both art and science. She believes that those two, different it seems, areas of knowledge are very similar as “they are extremely creative fields that explore new ideas and break boundaries”. Her work revolves around visualization approach – she is using art to display scientific principles and natural phenomenon that otherwise could not be seen. This way “we can experience all of these beautiful things as art”. In one of her speeches Yoko Shimizu said that:

My Experience

As early as first class of elementary school, I was a child with deep passion for reading and creating stories. I had that vision of becoming a writer. For years it was the only plan until I started high school and I discovered an unexpected love for mathematics; it may be quite unusual for a high schooler to experience that sudden shift of interests – some view this period as a time of full certainty regarding your future career pathway. Instead I found that my passion for mathematics grew to rival, and sometimes even surpass, my enthusiasm for language-based subjects.

This personal experience exemplifies a common dilemma faced by many young students. My journey shows that our initial assumptions about our strengths and interests can be challenged, and that it’s possible to find joy and excel in seemingly disparate fields.

Through regular engagement with literature and mathematics, I drew some interesting conclusions. We often view reading books as a way to strengthen creativity, while mathematics is seen as a tool to enhance analytical skills. The truth is that both experiences influence each other and develop both skill sets—they just do so in quite different ways. Let’s take literature and mathematics to demonstrate few examples.

Literature

Critical thinking:

1. Interpreting complex narratives
2. Analyzing characters and their motives
3. Reflecting on underlying meanings and engaging with historical context to assure deeper understanding of a book

Creative thinking:

1. Using imagination to immerse oneself in new worlds and characters’ adventures
2. Applying creativity in writing and brainstorming processes

Analytical thinking:

1. Uncovering hidden meanings and themes
2. Identifying and understanding literary devices (e.g., metaphors, symbolism, foreshadowing)
3. Comparing and contrasting works, authors’ styles, and characters – useful when formatting your individual literature taste
4. Evaluating diverse arguments, perspectives, and opinions presented in literature
5. Analyzing contextual elements and connecting texts to broader concepts

Mathematics

Critical thinking:

1. Selecting appropriate approaches to solve problems (e.g., patterns or formulas)

Creative thinking:

1. Developing alternative problem-solving methods (beyond textbook approaches)

Analytical thinking:

1. Applying learned theories to solve complex, multi-stage problems

Obviously, these are just a few benefits; but I strongly believe there is much more to uncover when it comes to interdisciplinary learning.

This approach to education is vividly present in the ����APP’s vision; their curriculum effectively combines various fields of knowledge in order to educate young generation that remains ready for the challenges existing in today’s competitive job market. – “For example, we have seen learners learn geometry through design, improve their emotional intelligence through art, and learn economics by creating a society on Mars.”

Learning From a Great Man

Poe is considered the father of modern detective stories, influencing writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. While he’s mainly praised for his rich imagination, deep psychological insights, and poetic writing style, many people tend to forget about his other great achievements. Poe was an enthusiast of logic, cryptography, and the application of mathematical reasoning. Interestingly, the poet’s interest in puzzles and cryptography was so great that he published articles on these topics and even asked his readers to send him complicated ciphers, which each time he managed to solved successfully. In stories like “The Gold-Bug” and “The Purloined Letter,” his enthusiasm for logical thinking and mathematics is clear.

Let’s not forget that Edgar Allan Poe is among the few figures highly regarded for not only his own literary work but also his insightful literary criticism. If you think about it, excelling at both seems rather exceptional, as one demands creativity while the other depends on pure judgment and analysis. It seems fair to assume that his constant engagement with logical puzzles and mathematical problems could have impacted that.

Psychology Behind Interdisciplinary Learning

Engaging in both humanities and scientific studies can have a significant positive impact on brain development by stimulating both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This dual engagement can lead to:

• Enhanced Creativity and Problem-Solving: The right hemisphere, often associated with creativity, benefits from exposure to the arts and humanities, fostering imaginative thinking. Meanwhile, the left hemisphere, linked to logical reasoning, is stimulated through scientific studies, enhancing analytical skills. This combination encourages innovative problem-solving abilities.
• Improved Critical Thinking: Humanities encourage critical thinking by challenging students to analyze texts, interpret meaning, and understand diverse perspectives. When combined with the logical rigor of sciences, individuals can develop a more comprehensive approach to evaluating information and making decisions.
• Balanced Cognitive Development: By engaging with both fields, individuals can achieve a more balanced cognitive development. This balance can lead to improved memory, increased ability to learn new information, and a better capacity for multitasking.
• Interdisciplinary Perspective: Exposure to diverse fields promotes an interdisciplinary perspective, allowing individuals to connect ideas from different domains, leading to more holistic understanding and innovation.

Overall, integrating humanities and sciences into one’s education can lead to a well-rounded brain development, equipping individuals with versatile skills applicable in various real-world situations.

Further Benefits

“While the sciences teach us how to build things, it is the humanities that teach us what to build and why to build them. And they are equally as important, and they are just as hard.” (Eric Berridge)

In his TED speech entrepreneur Eric Berridge, shares why companies should look beyond STEM graduates when hiring people. According to him, humanists can bring new perspective and creativity to the team; their presence is highly valuable as:

• nowadays we are blessed with a very intuitive technology as it is easy to grasp understand and use it; at the same time, it does limit a need for rigorous education while enhancing importance of soft skills
• when launching new product or finding new solutions we need more “human” approach – we need skills to help us work as a humans, like: communication and the process of inviting together; critical thinking, historical context and a broader perspective are key

When referring to his own journey, bringing to software company a man with philosophical degree to save the situation, he claims that “it is a classic case: the technologist struggling to communicate with the business and the end user, and the business failing to articulate their needs. I see it everyday”. This is when this “human approach” comes in handy.

It is not just one voice out there. Nowadays, we are facing rapid growth of AI and automatization. And while it may seem that computers are slowly replacing us, it is really not the case. One thing is machines’ and softwares’ ability to do mundane activities, and the other is purely human skills; such as capacity for innovative and creative thinking. It is the part that remains our duty.

There is recent trend in education that seems to be an answer to that modern world challenges. And that answer is STEAM; which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics plus an “A” for arts (drama, writing, film, philosophy, etc.).

The power of STEAM lays in comprehensive approach to education and assuring successful self-development. Engaging with broadly understood art gives students a fresh perspective while developing skills such as leadership, communication and collaboration; these are key when one wants to stand out in today’s competitive job market. Soft skills should grow alongside technical expertise in order to assure effectiveness and innovation of ideas.

So the answer is…

In today’s world we need diversity of backgrounds and skills. It is vague to believe that STEMS is the future. The future is to have a team made of people with different degrees. While sciences are structured, humanities are not. Both components are crucial for the process of invention, and creation. We shall not underestimate humanities because without art, music, writing, philosophy… we can’t see prominent future consist of new projects and innovations. Creativity and logic is the best recipe.

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