In the United States, every child is supposed to go to high school. This is the law in most countries.

I decided to break the law. I don’t go to high school. 

 If you’re a parent, check in with your kids and ask them what they think of school. It may be a good conversation starter on their future. It may save you money for not being on the hook for paying for college.

MESSAGING

Here’s my story: 

At 3, my dad’s favorite mantra to me was ‘No free lunch’.

At 8, my parents told me my competition wasn’t the kids in the United States, it was the kids from India and Bangladesh. Why? They are hungry. Both literally and figuratively. 

Now I’m 16. Their messaging is ‘You gotta be self reliant’ and if I face a challenge they say, “It’s your problem”.

No helicopter parenting here.

MY EDUCATION STORY

My parents always wanted me to do engineering. My mom is Asian (a.k.a. a ‘Tiger Mom’) and my dad is an engineer. They always pushed math and science. When I was 9, I wrote an article for IEEE called ‘Geek Girl’. When I was 13, I gave a talk to CASPA (the Chinese American Semiconductor Professionals Association) called ‘BS For College: DIY Education’.

When I was in fifth grade, my parents started homeschooling me. I was getting bored in school. My parents didn’t think I was learning the right things that would help me later in life. So, we decided to try homeschooling for a year to see how it would work. Well, four years later, we’re still at it. 

HOMESCHOOLING

There are lots of great things about homeschooling. My curriculum is personalized. I study at my own pace. I can ask as many questions as I need of my parents. I also get to try new things like learning while traveling and getting ideas at conventions. I make many of my own life decisions with guidance from my parents.

Most importantly, I’m learning to manage myself and make more life decisions on my own. 

I love the freedom of homeschooling. But, with freedom, there is an equivalent exchange. What’s that?

My equivalent exchange is that I have more rigorous subjects. I’m now taking physics (college), math (pre calc), and software (Java) classes. They are a challenge. 

I study longer for each subject, and I work longer hours. I study until I learn the material. I can’t complain much or blame someone else.

MY FUTURE?

My mom and dad would like me to go to CalTech or Berkeley in engineering. But, I have a different vision for myself.

I don’t want to follow the traditional route. So, I’m also working on a start up. This may be the most valuable thing I’m learning.  

I don’t want to go to college. I want to do the start up. My dad is an entrepreneur, so why not learn from him? Entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Reid Hoffman are giving kids $100,000 not to go to college, but to start their own businesses. Why can’t I do that?

I’m learning how to make things happen. I’m working for my dad so I have to learn how to pitch to customers, pay attention to revenue, deliver content, do software, and all the things that make a business successful.

One of the more recent reasons why I continue to homeschool is to learn real world skills, problem solving, and decision making for the startup. I’ve realized that my parents are helping me develop a competitive edge in the extremely competitive hi-tech market.

More and more in this economy, I need to make things happen.  These are my life and work choices.  Maybe I’ll apply to CalTech or Berkeley engineering.  Right now, I’m a co-founder of a work start up.  Let the 60 hours a week begin.  OK.  Maybe 100 hours a week. 

Bio:

Margaux Hutchins is a homeschooler and a co-founder of WorkingIt.com. I can be reached at uniquegeekgirl@gmail.com. I would like to hear your story.