When I tell people I was homeschooled for 10 years, they either think I am a genius or I cannot read. The stereotype around people who were homeschooled is that we either spent our free time coding rockets to go into space or that we slacked off and never did work. There are only two very different options.

Growing up, most of my neighborhood friends were extremely jealous of me. In their minds I woke up whenever I wanted and watched TV all day and didn’t have a care in the world. Realistically, I got up early and did my homework first thing and spent my free time playing in the dirt or reading.

Like other students, some people like to be productive in the morning and knock things out early, but some like to procrastinate and do things the day they are due. My younger siblings, who are still homeschooled, love getting things done late at night right before they need to submit them. Just like other traditionally-schooled children, homeschoolers have different habits and learning styles.

Another myth is homeschoolers never socialize. I personally memorized the bus schedule in my neighborhood and would meet my public-schooled friends when they got off so I could walk them home. I spent afternoons and weekends playing with other children. I really enjoyed and valued my time with my peers.

I was also surrounded by groups of homeschoolers called co-ops. A few times a week we would meet and take classes together. Through these programs, I participated in science olympiad, speech and debate, book clubs, economics classes and so many great life experiences with other homeschooled children.

There is one stereotype about home education I found to be true: getting a custom education tailored to my learning by my mother. I was able to learn at my own pace and speed through things that were easy and take my time with what was challenging.

My mother valued my education so much that she would drive my siblings and I to farms to learn how things grew, to the science museum to understand how organs worked, to the zoo to watch animals and so many other field trips. Unlike my public schooled peers, I would go on field trips much more frequently and receive more attention because it was just me and my family in the middle of a school day when no one else was there.

Yet, I did yearn to spend more time with kids my age. For my four years of high school I attended a private school with a graduating class of 25. Being homeschooled from 10 to 13 years old was hard because I was at an age where children value their peers so much. I wanted connection with other people that weekly co-ops couldn’t give me.

Despite my need to be around people every day, I never regretted being homeschooled. To this day I wonder what it would be like to spend 13 years of my childhood cooped up in a classroom, instead of picking flowers in my backyard while my mother read to me.

I cannot imagine how different my life would be, and I wonder if I would act differently now. I wonder if it would be easier for me to make friends and make lasting connections with people. But I also wonder if I wouldn’t have my independence and the ability to teach myself and the other skills that I am so proud of.

Homeschooling is a lot of work. No matter the challenges or setbacks, I will always be grateful to my mother for making the decision to homeschool me. I will never forget the time she dedicated driving me to sports, taking me to field trips and teaching me to learn how the world worked by experiencing it.

Homeschooling isn’t what you think. It’s better.