Homeschooling was once a fringe activity that was seen as something only the “extremist Christian parents” forced upon their kids, but in recent years, it has become more accepted. The public still doesn’t fully understand the reasons one might homeschool their children, or even themselves.

1. Better education/enhance education later in life

The education you receive is thorough and complete, unlike the education you may have received at public school. Because public schools must maintain a standardized curriculum and move through each subject at a particular pace, you will probably learn too much about some areas and not enough about others. For example, many people graduate high school without having basic financial literacy skills, and are forced to develop them all of a sudden at university. If you feel that your education in a certain area was lacking, you can homeschool yourself to improve your knowledge of this area.

If there are any areas you’ve always been particularly weak at, you can strengthen them on your own without worrying about what others think or having to match their pace. Furthermore, you can explore any interests you have or expand your knowledge of subjects related to your career.

2. Accommodate disabilities, job, learning pace, etc

Many people have some form of disability, either mental or physical, that can hinder their progress at school. This could be anything from a hearing impairment to depression – anything that interferes with your learning can have disastrous consequences if you’re in the public school system. Homeschooling yourself allows you to cut yourself slack when you need it and push yourself when you can.

You can homeschool yourself alongside full-time or part-time work, meaning that if you want to enhance your employability or upgrade your skills without quitting your job, you can do so. Whether you learn quickly or slowly, and whatever learning style suits you best (visual, audio, etc), you can accommodate it by homeschooling yourself.

3. Escape negative public school environment

Many public schools are notorious for propagating violence and creating bad influences on the students. Even if you are a mature student, it can be hard to escape these petty dramas, and you may prefer to avoid them entirely by homeschooling yourself. The environment of a public school can vary dramatically, and some schools have unfriendly or downright hostile environments. This is particularly true if you are a mature student returning to school after some time, so you don’t fit in with everyone else in terms of age and life experience. Homeschooling yourself helps you to avoid all of these problems.

Small, exclusive schools can also make you feel excluded if you aren’t part of any particular dominant majority. By homeschooling, you separate your education and social life much more, allowing you to socialize with those you choose and still receive a great education.

These are just three good reasons to homeschool yourself. There are many more that depend on your individual circumstances, so if you think homeschooling yourself is right for you, feel free to explore the possibility.