Seton Magazine Catholic Homeschool Articles, Advice & Resources
When I was deep in the trenches of junior year and studying for hours upon hours, I have to admit that gratitude was not on the top of the list of emotions that I felt toward Seton’s curriculum.
I felt as if I were writing papers and studying Latin constantly, and while I found most of it interesting, I got burned out on occasion.
If you are a current Seton high schooler, I’m sure that you can relate. Seton’s high school program is challenging, but it is so, so worth it, and I would like to offer you some reassurance that all your hard work will pay off in a big way.
In my first semester as a homeschooler in college, I have reflected upon the following ways that I am thankful for Seton.
1. Seton taught me how to write.
Most of my writing assignments do not take me very long, and I do pretty well on them. Other Seton graduates at my school have had the same experience.
It is pretty impossible to go through Seton and not improve your writing significantly. Whether it’s filling out English for Young Catholics worksheets year after year or writing book analysis after book analysis, completing Seton’s writing curriculum is excellent training in writing.
I am very thankful that I had the opportunity for such thorough training in high school, so that I can use it to my advantage in my higher education.
However, don’t think that, because you are obtaining a science degree, Seton’s liberal-arts-heavy curriculum won’t help you. The advantages provided by Seton’s rigorous writing training extend to all fields of study.
As a nursing major, I will not only have to take two composition classes, but will write care plans for patients, as well as essays for many of my classes.
Knowing how to write well is an invaluable life skill, and thanks to Seton, I was able to learn how to do so before starting my college career.
2. The Baltimore Catechism has left an indelible mark on my mind.
If you attend a Catholic college, you will recognize much of your theology material from the Baltimore Catechism and other Seton religion classes. Believe me when I say that reviewing the essentials of Catholic doctrine every year will prove to be such a big advantage.
Another very significant advantage to Seton’s religion curriculum is that you will be able to understand and defend your Faith. Even if you attend a Catholic school, there will be non-Catholic students, and being well-informed is essential to respectful, fruitful dialogue.
3. Being homeschooled taught me how to read a textbook.
As all former and current Seton high schoolers can attest, Seton’s history and science courses require a lot of independent textbook reading. I remember being in ninth grade and thinking how strange it was that the lesson plans assigned very small reading assignments each day. Soon, I began to see the wisdom in that.
Seton’s history and science courses taught me the necessity of reading dense material in small increments. Without a teacher to give daily lectures, it was absolutely essential for me to comprehend the textbook.
Now that I do learn from lectures on a daily basis, I can see how easy it would be to become dependent on verbal instruction, when in reality, lectures are just one way of learning the necessary material.
Because of my high school experience, reading my college textbooks has come a lot more easily to me than I expected.
4. Seton exposed me to great literature.
Good news, Seton high schoolers: there will come a day when you will be grateful for English 11!
Last week, I signed up for my Spring semester classes. One of the classes I will be taking is English Composition II. Looking at the required books, I discovered that I had already read and analyzed two out of the three plays that are read in that class!
Certainly, having already analyzed the material will be a huge advantage. However, the benefits of Seton’s literature classes go beyond that. A lot of college and/or scholarship applications require an essay, often about a piece of literature of the applicant’s choice.
Those were the easiest types of application essays for me to write, and the ones about which I felt most confident.
I hope that, by writing this post, I am providing some hope for those who might feel overwhelmed by Seton’s high school program. Any quality college-prep high school is going to be a challenge, and Seton is no exception.
One day, though, when you upload that final test and pack your bags for college, perhaps you will, like me, be thankful for the advantages that being a Seton graduate has to offer.
About Anna Eileen
Anna Eileen is a member of the Seton Home Study School Class of 2014. She is currently a freshman nursing major at Aquinas College in Nashville, TN. When she is not studying, you can usually find her cycling, listening to music, or spending time with family and friends.
