Pok Rui's Story
Eighteen-year-old Pok Rui is homeschooling in Bahrain and began studying for his A levels with Wolsey Hall Oxford in 2021. Here he discusses the transition to home learning and how he achieved 4 A’s in his AS Levels, setting him on track for some fantastic A Level results.
Making the change
“It was a transition that was certainly not easy. I found myself almost always late for my assignments. The workload felt much greater than in school (although the jump from GCSE to A Levels must be accounted for too). However, after getting into the ‘flow’ of it, I’ve learnt to take my own initiative in learning. For example, I learn that I didn’t need to machine-like do all of the activities provided by the resources in its entirety when I felt they were unnecessary as long as I learn the topic. Personally, I find making notes to sometimes be ineffective for my learning as I put more attention to my notes than my understanding of the subject. It uses up a lot of time which causes further pressure to rush. At the end of the day, it’s what you truly learn and the ability to tackle those exams that matter more. I also found that reading the textbook really helps me to consolidate and understand — especially during revision (where I sometimes felt like I learnt new things which I don’t remember working through much before).”
“I didn’t like science much before joining Wolsey Hall. However, learning at home has helped change my viewpoint of the subjects — beyond those impressions made by a certain teacher. If the teachers in school make you loathe the subject you are studying, this won’t happen in homeschooling (unless you really don’t like the subject). I was free to explore the subjects as they are — in the wider world and its effects on society. It was much more rewarding.”
“I am currently in Year 13 and I have received all grade As for my AS subjects:
- Maths with Mechanics (I love mechanics)
- History (I really enjoyed learning US History for the first time – it broadened my knowledge of politics, culture and history itself).
- Physics (very cool and interesting)
- Chemistry (lots of content to learn but also nice)
I am now doing A level Maths with Statistics, Physics, History and Chemistry.”
Moving forwards
“I am looking forward to perhaps studying Aerospace Engineering in 2023. May the Lord guide. I have no fixed path. Maybe entrepreneurship in making UAVs or to join a company working as an Aerospace Engineer (or related). I may continue further study into scientific/engineering research to discover something new or even something completely different to Engineering.”
“My advice to other homeschoolers is not to take learning as homework. Enjoy learning!”
