General studies student Natalie (she asked that we not use her last name) believes there are two components to education: book work and social interaction. The book work is a given, but social interaction is something that students must cultivate for themselves. A distance education student living in Florida , Natalie does both very well.
Natalie, 17, has always preferred completing her book work through home study. When asked why, she doesn't hesitate to answer. "In one word," she says, "the flexibility. With home study, I can set my own schedule and do volunteer work and travel."
Natalie asked her parents if she could complete high school through home study. In theory, they wanted to say yes, but they didn't feel they could take on the responsibility of teaching Natalie. When Natalie's dad brought home an Indiana University catalog, they knew they had found a solution. Natalie enrolled in the Indiana University High School diploma program. "We liked having real teachers, lesson plans, and feedback," she explains.
The bright and energetic Natalie — who went from sixth grade into high school — graduated from the diploma program at age 15. She began her college career by taking traditional courses on a small campus, but then decided to transfer into Indiana University 's General Studies Degree Program. "My parents and I liked the wide range of courses," says Natalie, "and IU is a respected university. We lived in Indiana for 12 years, so we knew about its reputation."
Natalie prefers to take online courses rather than correspondence courses. Although she likes the written feedback she gets from instructors in correspondence courses, she loves the ability to upload her assignments directly to the Web. Having taken online courses from other universities, Natalie says that IU's courses are superior. "They are set up differently from other online courses," she explains. "Each course has many different components. The instructors create an online framework for you. The courses provide a lot of help, so you're able to digest more and learn better."
Natalie says she has had some excellent instructors. Currently, her favorite instructor is her creative writing teacher. "I love to write," she says. "This instructor gave me a warm welcome to the course. She turns lessons around quickly and offers constructive criticism and personalized feedback by e-mail. I recently submitted a poem for her to review. She liked the poem but said that a different title would really make it 'pop.' I thought about it and realized she was right. I like being challenged to ask myself, 'What can I do to make myself better?'"
As Natalie talks about her instructors, it's clear that she values the interactions she has with them. In fact, it's clear how much she values all social interactions. "Education isn't just the book work," she says. "it's also the social interaction. Students who attend classes on a traditional campus can take advantage of several opportunities for social interaction. With home study, you must create your own extracurricular activities."
And create she does. A recent transplant to Florida , Natalie has wasted no time in identifying volunteer opportunities. She's a tour guide at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida's state art museum. The museum grounds include the Ringling's mansion, Cà d'Zan, where Natalie also leads tours. She's recently volunteered for the Sarasota Film Festival, where she'll assist the events coordinator.
In addition to her volunteer activities, Natalie participates in several other extracurricular activities. In February 2004, for example, she was featured in the ABC Family Channel's program, Switched. The concept behind the show, Natalie says, is to take two teenagers and have them switch lives for four days. Natalie traded places with a younger high school student and had to return to traditional school. "I went to a punk rock concert," she exclaims, "and I'm a classical music person!"
In addition, Natalie bakes, and someday she wants to own her own bakery. She's been exploring Sarasota and introducing herself to the various bakers around town. Last year, she was a finalist in the Johnson and Wales University high school recipe contest. Johnson and Wales, Natalie explains, has a prestigious culinary school. Contestants in the recipe contest, she adds, are high school students from all over the country. After being named a finalist, she traveled to Providence, Rhode Island , to participate in a bake-off. Her recipe, which she created, was a low fat maple-pecan pie. As a result of the contest, she received a $3,500 scholarship to Johnson and Wales.
As Natalie looks to the future, she speculates that she may return to a college campus one day — to take advantage of the social opportunities. For now, she is content to enjoy the flexibility of home study. " Indiana University 's independent study courses," she says, "provide an excellent, quality education. If you work hard and do your work well, you're going to learn a lot."
