Smoothly Transitioning from Home Education
to Post-Secondary Education

Transitioning from high school via home education to out of the home post-secondary is a time of change for all family members: the graduate, parents, and siblings. Luckily, following home education in Canada, there are many options for post-secondary available. To help make the transition smoother, here are a few suggestions I would like to share with homeschool graduates and their families."

Continue with Prayer and Conversation

Praying about future plans is important so continue to include prayer as a part of the transition from homeschool to post-secondary. This is the start of a new season and asking for wisdom and guidance from the Lord during this time is key.

In addition to prayer, make sure to keep talking with your child about their plans for post-secondary and beyond. Having parents provide their perspective, feedback, and ideas can be helpful to students as they decide which academic program, career, or job to pursue. Children appreciate being able to talk with their parents throughout their high school and post-secondary years about their interests and how those cantranslate into a career.

Take a Year (Or More) Off

Sometimes, the transition from homeschool to post-secondary might mean taking a year (or more) off before going to university, college, or trade school. The time off can be used instead for working and saving for post-secondary or other pursuits, pursuing and further developing interests and skills, traveling, mission trips, or starting a business.

If you are thinking about this possibility, check with each post-secondary school you are interested in about whether there is the option of deferred acceptance, meaning delaying attendance for one semester or one year. Each school may have different guidelines around this option so that is why it is essential to check with each individual school.

High school graduates may also want to consider applying to post-secondary as mature students. If this is something you are thinking about, make sure to reach out to a student recruiter or admissions advisor at the school you want to attend to understand what the application requirements are.

Continue to Read Books

After graduating from high school, I began reading more books that were of interest to me. I credit my home education with giving me the desire, interest, and enjoyment of lifelong learning. This means that when there has been a subject or topic—whether at work, school, or issues in the public square—that I wanted to learn more about or had questions about, I took the initiative to do the necessary research.

Continuing to read books throughout post-secondary can enrich your life and provide you with many opportunities to learn. Not only will it increase your knowledge within your field of study, but it also increases your familiarity and knowledge of other areas such as history, political background of current issues, hobbies you have, or beginning and growing a business.

Show Initiative

As another benefit of my home education, I developed initiative. I have shown initiative by bringing up ideas and suggestions at work, beginning and completing projects such as writing, publishing and marketing a book, and having a willingness to try new things. 

Initiative is a vital skill to already possess and continue to use during the transition from homeschool to post-secondary. Areas where initiative is beneficial during this time include staying on top of school applications, learning more about and applying to available part-time jobs or scholarships to help pay for post-secondary, or taking steps to start a home-based or online business.

Maintain and Develop Friendships

Because I interacted with people of all ages throughout my home education, my circle of friends and acquaintances after homeschooling continued to include a variety of ages. I am comfortable and confident talking, asking questions, and getting to know others of different ages, particularly with members of older generations. This was a great skill to have during the transition to and throughout post-secondary so that I was able to develop friendships with others.

The transition from homeschool to post-secondary will also show that it is important to be able to both maintain friendships from childhood and relationships with family as well as be able to make new friendships.

Have Knowledge of Finances and Budgeting

A solid grasp of math used for everyday life has proven invaluable for life after high school and in post-secondary. It is needed for understanding interest rates on loans, personal and business budgeting, investing, and other areas of life. Learning about money and finances from a Biblical perspective will help in seeking guidance and being wise in this area of life after high school and while in post-secondary. 

The transition from home education to post-secondary is a time that is filled with lots of excitement and many possibilities. As your child and family go through this together, I hope that the above suggestions are encouraging and help to support your family during this time of change and transition.

Written by Barbori Garnet

A homeschool graduate based in Alberta, Barbori Garnet is a writer, artist, musician, gardener, and author of Home at the Office: Working Remotely as a Way of Life. She has a BFA in Painting and Drawing and an MA Communications in Public Relations. Barbori began working on staff at The Old Schoolhouse® and The Canadian Schoolhouse in January 2021. Her other interests include reading, tennis, and enjoying cups of tea with family and friends. Her website is BarboriGarnet.com.