[simpits-tech] Kind of off-topic, but...

[Simon Bennett]

Well, when I was home-schooled I lived in Oregon, where the laws on 
homeschooling are fairly lax and as such neither of my parents even bothered 
to keep any kind of records of *anything*. I do remember taking a test every 
few years, which was the only real requirement I remember, and I passed them 
all without any problems. Then we moved to Washington, which has many more 
laws and regulations. Since I was under 18 at the time I was legally forced 
to attend high school, going into what should've been my senior year as a 
sophomore while taking freshman classes. I was lucky to escape with my 
sanity intact.

The problem, I think, was that from the beginning neither of my parents 
actually did any planning whatsoever towards how I would get a high school 
diploma and move on with life. Both of them apparently expected me to be 
content with getting a GED and spending the rest of my life working 
minimum-wage in retail or the like.

I like being where I am now, since, despite the hassles, I can actually get 
my high school diploma taken care of, and a 2-year degree, without having to 
pay anything. My parents didn't bother to set aside any money for higher 
education, either, so the fact that tuition is covered is one of the main 
reasons I'm still here. It's an ATA (Associate of Technical Arts) degree, 
which isn't transferable, and that could be a problem, but at least it's a 
starting point. From there I'll probably go into the military, probably the 
Navy or Air Force. If I can get an MOS in something electronics-related, 
that's experience I can use later on. I plan on going for a career in 
electronic or aeronautical engineering, but that's a long way off.

>From: Matt Bailey <mattb at rtccom.net>
>Reply-To: Simulator Cockpit tech list <simpits-tech at simpits.org>
>To: Simulator Cockpit tech list <simpits-tech at simpits.org>
>Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] Kind of off-topic, but...
>Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 21:16:55 -0500
>
>On Sunday 12 February 2006 15:13, Simon Bennett fired a shotgun at the
>keyboard and the following appeared:
> > Everyone who replied, thank you. I've been sort of dreading this part of
> > the project since the start; I don't want to take up too much of 
>anyone's
> > time.
> >
> > The reason I'm doing this is that I'm attending a community college, and
> > they have a special program for all of the high school dropouts in the 
>area
> > that lets them complete their high school education while simultaneously
> > working for a 2-year degree. And the program pays for all of their 
>tuition.
> > Now, I was homeschooled out of state, so I never had any credit towards 
>a
> > high school diploma, and I'm too old to go back to a "regular" high 
>school
> > (and I wouldn't even if it was a choice) so I grabbed this opportunity 
>the
> > instant I heard about it.
><snip>
>
>	OK, even more off topic, but I thought I should say something here. As I
>understand it, a diploma only requires endorsement and signature from 
>whoever
>conducted your education. In the case of homeschoolers, this is usually 
>your
>mom. I think most colleges are more concerned with transcripts/grades than
>they are a piece of paper. In my case, I was homeschooled for my entire
>education except for 6th grade and part of 5th. My teacher (my mom) kept
>records of what courses and curriculum I took, extra-curricular activities
>(such as field trips and P.E.), and my grades. I also took a standardized
>national test, the "Iowa Achievement" tests, at various points in my
>education, and I took the SAT test. I later attended a local 2-year college
>and got an associate's degree (in "Aviation Flight - Airway Science",
>actually), no special programs or provisions needed. I believe the college
>reviewed only my SAT scores and our transcripts, not the Iowa test scores.
>	For my highschool completion, my mom ordered a diploma blank, filled it 
>out
>with the relevant information, and signed it. But the college never even
>looked at my diploma, all they were concerned with were our aforementioned
>records.
>	My mom is not certified or accredited in any way to teach. She did use
>specific published books from sources such as Bob Jones University Press,
>Saxon Publishers, and A Beka Books. However, the actual structure of the
>courses I took, while influenced by the structure of various publishers'
>series, was ultimately her decision.
>	So anyway.......if you took the SAT test or other standardized tests, you
>might check around some colleges and see just what exactly their enrollment
>requirements are. Do you have written records of your grades, courses, etc?
>Even without that, perhaps presenting test scores from SAT or some
>standardized tests you took would get you out of your current annoying 
>class
>that you don't want to take. :)
>
>	-Matt Bailey
>
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