Regrets, What Ifs, and Appreciation

Do I regret switching to homeschool? No. Not in the least. In fact, since switching, I have found myself saying a certain phrase all too often: "I wish I had switched sooner." This statement is very true for me. Any regrets that I may have are founded in a debate of when I should have switched. 

If I had found this path sooner, I could have taken advantage of the many opportunities that non-traditional schooling provides. I would get more years of the STEM clubs that my traditional school did not offer. I would gain seniority and leadership within these clubs rather than be the senior newcomer. I would be more advanced in math because I would have the resources to do so. I would take the intriguing core at Stanford OHS that I could not take without delaying my graduation by a year. As I finish up high school, I keep looking back at all that I could have done. 

But, I also have to have perspective when examining these What Ifs. If I HAD switched sooner, would I recognize the value of this experience? Without comparison to the teachers and schools I experienced before I switched, would I appreciate how accommodating and caring my teachers are now? Would I appreciate how each of the classmates I've gained is interesting and truly individual? 

Additionally, my years of traditional school did provide experiences that I can no longer have. I got to organize dances, cheer at sports games, perform in the shows, and compete with the school cheer/dance team. Socially, I tend to take for granted that traditional school gave me lasting friends who I can see in person rather than over Skype. The friends who can take me to iHOP at midnight to ring in my 18th birthday. The friends who have known me for years and know me past the computer screen.

In spending half of my high school time in traditional school and half in non-traditional, I can appreciate what both schools have given me and safely graduate with no regrets. I have gotten my advanced academics. I have gotten the "high school experience" and still maintain the in person friendships that I might have lost in switching sooner. Though I sometimes undervalue it, my time in traditional school is just as important as the choice to switch to non-traditional school.

In the words of my not-so-brief childhood obsession: "I get the best of both worlds."