Siya’s story
Twenty-two-year-old Siya from South Africa needed to follow the Cambridge curriculum for his future university and career choices. With no option at a local school, Siya chose online learning in South Africa with Wolsey Hall Oxford.
It is my experience that traditional schooling treats you as one of many in a classroom, rather than as an independent thinker that moves at his or her own pace and may have ideas and thoughts about the world beyond what is contained within the syllabus. With homeschooling you are free to explore in depth any area of a subject at any time and I thoroughly enjoy this freedom.
I began thinking seriously about homeschooling when I was in Grade 10 at a traditional high school. My aim was, and still is, to study engineering at Cambridge University. My innate interest in problem solving and figuring out how things work, meant that I always found Maths and Science invigorating, and generally did very well at them. I was confident I could earn my way into a challenging University.”
Why the Cambridge curriculum is important
“Cambridge University though, requires students to have GCSE and A level qualifications, which were not offered by my high school, so I needed to change schools. No GCSE / A level high school would offer me a place, as I would be changing syllabi quite late in my school career. I was determined to go to Cambridge though, so I started exploring the possibility of studying GCSEs and A levels through homeschooling.
After extensive research, I found the best option for me was to do distance learning. Wolsey Hall offers robust educational support, and my experience has been one of knowledgeable Tutors with thorough feedback. They sincerely care about helping you during your studies.”
Homeschooling considerations
“You need to be clear what your motivation is. In a school setting, there is an educator present to drive you, but on your own at home, you are your own motivator. Have a reason to stay focused on your studies even when things get challenging.
Another important factor is your social life. It may be helpful to take up extra-curricular activities that allow you to be surrounded by people. I took a part-time internship at a web-development company, so I would study for half a day, and work as an intern for the other half. This bolstered my programming skills, but also, importantly, meant that I spent a good amount of time interacting with other people.”
Future plans
“My exams were taken through the British Council South Africa, and the process was generally very organised.
Based on my GCSE Level results (A’s for Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry and A*’s for Computer Science and English) I am now planning to move onto A levels.
Beyond that I’d like to study Engineering at Cambridge University.”
