FORUM: A reader asks
I would like to start home schooling in the fall; I'll be starting my junior year. My main question is: Will I have required courses? One of the reasons I would like to try homeschool is to get the benefit of choosing my own classes. I'm aware that I'll have to take the state tests, but is there a requirement on the other courses I have to take?
Most of your questions can be answered here: http://www.ncdnpe.org/hhh114.asp
But this link is a little more “friendly” and also has the information:http://nche.com/how-to/the_law_DNPE_and_…
There are no required courses under NC state law, but common sense would tell you that if you wish to go to college, it would be good to have the standard four years of English, and math with three years of science and social studies and two years of a foreign language, plus some electives to show that you are well-rounded.
Your parents, as home school administrators, determine which subjects you take and what will be required for high school graduation from the home school. So if they approve, you can choose your own class.
It is possible to make up your own classes. We did some of that. For American history we designed our own program from a mix of books and Internet. The material was mainstream enough to count under “history” on the transcript. But we also did an outside-the-box class based on a hobby so we counted that under our “electives.”