I distinctly remember my first college-level chemistry course as a newly graduated homeschool student. It was fast-paced, complicated, and required a lot more math than I realized! Many of the concepts were familiar to me, but memorizing the various charts, formulas, etc., proved to be a challenge for me. Fortunately, my mom had done a great job of preparing me for these college-level science courses, and I was able to successfully complete each class taken.
As you aim to prepare your homeschooler for college-level science courses, here are a few tried and true ways to get started!
Don’t Skip the Science Basics
Biology, chemistry, physics – don’t skip these courses in your high schooler’s education! The foundations established in these topics will help your student to be better prepared for diving deeper into college-level courses. If I had not taken high school chemistry, I am confident that I would have failed college-level chemistry. Even the most basic chemistry concepts I learned in high school helped me tremendously as I worked my way through chemistry in college.
Math Matters!
Science, technology, engineering, and math – commonly known as STEM – often go hand in hand. To learn one subject, it’s important to have some knowledge of the others. This is especially applicable to science and math! College-level science courses will certainly utilize algebra, statistics, and sometimes even calculus.
This is why it’s important to take math seriously in high school. Even knowledge of basic algebra will get your student a lot farther in college-level science courses than they would be without it.
Encourage Routine and Structure in Everyday Learning
We’ve written more about this in another post, How to Prepare Your Homeschooled High Schooler for College and Beyond, but it should be reiterated even more when it comes to science! As I learned, college-level science courses move quickly, with plenty of fast deadlines for homework and exams. In addition, many of these courses will be accompanied by a lab class, which comes with more homework and testing.
Homeschooling offers a lot of flexibility with learning, which we love and encourage! However, if you’re able, try to stick to your science lesson plans and due dates. Offering routine and structure in science will give your homeschooled student the time management tools needed to succeed when they really need structure in college science classes.
Push Your Student to Get Out of Their Comfort Zone
High school is basically a training course for more challenging learning (college!). If high school seems to be a breeze for your homeschooled student, you may need to push them a little harder!
How can you do this? Start by choosing a curriculum that covers all the bases: reading, teaching, labs, testing, and real-life applications. If there’s a specific topic your student is struggling to grasp, supplement with videos and experiments. Ask difficult questions that may require research and/or critical thinking to answer. Ask them to “teach” science concepts to you as a deeper form of comprehension and retention. Challenging the mind is a necessary part of growth, and even more so as you get ready to send your homeschooled student off to college-level classes.
Look for Opportunities for Peer Collaboration
College students stand together in the trenches! College-level science courses will often require long hours of reading, studying, and lab work. If your student only knows how to work by themselves, they may be at a disadvantage when they reach college. Independence is an excellent trait to have, but it’s also beneficial to know how to work with peers. I have vivid memories of 2 a.m. study groups at the library with my peers, where we hashed out biology concepts and reviewed chemistry flashcards. These groups were so helpful, especially when it came to prepping for quizzes and exams.
If your student doesn’t currently have a way to learn science with his peers (no siblings close in age doing the same classes, or no co-op options for science classes), you as the parent and teacher can fill in. Review flashcards together, ask tough questions, and jump in on a lab or two!
Start Preparing Now with High-Quality Homeschool Science
If you haven’t checked out the online high school science courses at Journey Homeschool Academy, now’s the time! These courses have been created not only to help your high schooler learn science in a thorough and engaging way but also to prepare them for the independence they will need for college-level science courses. The forefront of our high school curriculum is college-preparedness, and we encourage your students to use critical thinking skills as they learn.
College-level science courses can easily seem intimidating for your blossoming high school graduate. But when equipped with the right tools and structures in high school, your homeschooler will be better set up for success!