I am a junior in HS homeschooled for religious reasons by my parents my entire life. AMA!

As someone about to get a PhD in evolutionary biology, I can tell you're going to be fine. In fact, you're probably in better shape than most of your peers. I've taught plenty of undergrads - most coming from pretty conventional primary educations - and they are usually only interested in getting a decent grade. Ironically, your parents probably spurred you to have more curiosity about the world than most people, meaning you're likely to stay self-motivated. Self-motivation by itself will get you far during college and afterwards, but you're also gaining experience teaching yourself new things. If you come out of this with a good sense of how to learn things - which is basically the most important skill you can carry away from high school - you'll be unstoppable. Your areas of ignorance will fade quickly, and you'll have a much deeper understanding of your subjects than your peers when you enter college. If you're not already aware, Khan Academy, Coursera, and MIT opencouseware are all great free resources for teaching yourself these sorts of academic subjects. Just try to restrict yourself to one or two courses at a time - go for depth instead of breadth, and do the exercises.

Also, since you're trying to catch up in biology and thinking about doing CS, here's a full curriculum of free resources for bioinformatics (basically what I do): http://www.ploscompbiol.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pcbi.1002632

Stay curious, aim high, and never stop challenging yourself. Good luck penis!

Thanks! I am definitely going to check out those websites. I am looking for anything that could help me catch up.

Wow that is tough. There are lots of internet schooling programs online, you might want to check out those.

How much do you know about regular stuff like math, world history, English, etc?

I am an atheist, too. My parents would force me to go to this stupid church where I could never fit in. But this... this takes it to a whole new level.

Also, what type of religion are you taught by your parents.

My parents both have their masters in math and thankfully math is the one thing they can't lace with religion so I'm up to date on that subject. Recent history I'm fairly well versed in but all the ancient world history I was "taught" had so much bible interwoven with it I'm not sure what was accurate. The biology textbook I learned from was complete and utter shit. I spent weeks reteaching myself what I could online. Actually most of the science I've been taught was awful. Dinosaurs living with humans etc. My parents are southern babtist christians.

Wow. How about Chemistry or Physics? Would you consider your parents "nice" or "caring"? What's your hobby?

Currently in chemistry. Kind of like math there isn't much you can lace with religion.

My parents are caring people for sure, they just took it way to far.

My hobby? Teaching myself to code online. codeacademy.com is fantastic.

Yea I didn't think your parents would object to chemistry or physics. Biology is the big one that revokes tons of religious controversy.

When are you going to move out and what do you plan to do?

You know, big colleges love stories like this and you might have a better chance of getting into a nice college than what you thought. As long as you cover the basics and take the SAT, you could have a chance.

I'll move out as soon as I finish my parents "requirements" for high school and can get a job.

I'll apply at some state schools, hoping for U of A, and pursue a degree in comp science.

And Thanks :) I'm taking the SAT in a few months.

Have you confronted your parents on the shit job they are doing of preparing you for life and their destruction of your education?

No, when I move out I'll probably get a shit ton off my chest but at the moment if I voiced any of the frustration I'm having or that I was an atheist I would most likely get kicked out.

when I move out I'll probably get a shit ton off my chest

Probably won't be worth it.

Never burn a bridge unless you have no other choice.

Good advice, thanks :) Anger with my parents is something I'm dealing with daily. I'll remember what you said.

Most of that will hopefully go away when you're taking care of yourself. It's won't be easy, but try not to harbor resentment. They probably thought they were doing what was best for you.

Thats what I've been trying to tell myself.

That sucks. Best of luck to you.

thanks.

Holy shit you sound like me. I'm 23 and was in the same boat as you regarding homeschooling, especially the having to teach myself science. I was lucky enough to find friends (get a job, look for the other nonreligious people at church and shit :P) and meet girls (I actually went to both junior and senior prom) but it took a while. Didn't have a graduation back then but I did just last weekend when I graduated college. My best friend and my girlfriend watched me walk across that stage and that meant infinitely more to me than that my parents were there. My social life these days is much more active than a lot of my friends' who went to a regular school and I know so many people that people forget I didn't go to school with them. Once you're done with that bullshit you'll forget you were homeschooled in no time as long as you're keeping busy with work and whatever friends you have. It sucks hella balls but if you work at it it does get easier.

Thanks, looking forward to life after I graduate.

Good Luck. Have you found the Kahn Academy? Lots of great science stuff there.

No, but I'll look into it for sure.

What does the state require of parents to show that they are qualified to educate child?

The state of AZ requires that you teach Math, Social Studies, Science, History, however what you teach in those subjects is up to you. No standardization at all. I was taught bible history up to 7th grade.

You don't have to pass standardized tests? What the hell...

Nope, no kind of standardization at all. The parents could teach you unicorns existed and no one would be able to stop it.

Can you explain to me YOUR religious beliefs? Not what your parents believe, but what you believe.

I've already said this but I pretty much have the polar opposite beliefs from my parents. I am an atheist, believe in evolution, am bisexual, and I resent my parents every day for making the entire first 18 years of my life meaningless.

What do they do to socialize you, other than church?

I had 0 friends growing up. It was me and my siblings home all day. Until I was 10 I only went 2 places all week. Music lessons and church. That has changed a lot in the past few years. I got too depressed being by myself and decided it was time for a change. Got involved in sports, made some friends, and that has helped me a lot.

How did you manage to get the parents to let you socialize with the unwashed secular masses?

Pretty much told it to them straight. I said I was depressed and miserable being alone.

Ever do drugs?

Vicodin... Some swiped bottles of wine got me through my middle school years.

Vicodin?

Not my best moment.

Have you noticed a major deficiency in social skills, and if so how has it affected you and how have you tried to overcome it?

Yeah at first I felt totally awkward in any social situation but I just kept going and eventually got used to it. Some kids are way worse off than I am in that department. Can't even construct a sentence in front of anyone who isn't family.

Are you completely homeschooled or do you get to go to an actual school for a few classes (gym, advanced classes, etc)?

I took a spanish class at a community college last year but other than that. Totally homeschooled.

Do you feel like homeschooling has prepared you for college (if that is what you want to do after graduation)?

Nope. Hasn't prepared me at all. There's a reason my older siblings are either priests or in the military.

What are your plans? I assume you are not going to take up the frock like your siblings.

lol definitely not. I'm hoping to get into a school and earn a degree in comp science.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks!

You might think about bioinformatics, the biology field is really short on people to help us process the mounds of data that are being generated by new technologies.

I'll look into that thanks!

Do your parents let you attend social events?

Its not so much a matter of letting me attend social events as me knowing of a social event to attend. At this point they can't do much to stop me from going somewhere to hang out with someone.

Reddit must be insane for you. The things you see.

The internet is the only reason I'm sane at this point.

Having grown up in the church, but allowed to attend public school, hang out with the "unwashed masses," ect, I think I'm a pretty well-adjusted person, and I've independently formed Christian beliefs of my own.

That being said, I knew lots of kids in my church or scout troop who had an upbringing similar to yours. Many of them are, much like you, very angry and resentful about their upbringing (and rightly so.)

If I were to speak to those parents, in an attempt to loosen their grip on their child, what would you recommend I say?

You likely wouldn't be able to change their mind about anything. My parents have been doing it for 25 years and at this point they're so rooted in the belief that this is what god wants for their kids no one could change their mind.

I'm not trying to talk them out of being Christians, but just convince them to let their kid out. Still hopeless?

Probably. I tried to talk them into letting me go to school last year and the best I got was a Spanish class at a community college.

Are you angry with your parents for doing that to you? How well versed in biology are you? :)

Incredibly pissed. I look forward to the day I can look them in the eyes and say, I'm a bisexual atheist. Just because I've been wanting to say it for so long. My biology is as good as I could teach myself off the internet so I wouldn't say stellar but its alright I suppose.

How do you actually show you had a high school education. Is there a state issued high school diploma or are you forced to take the GED to demonstrate this?

My parents make up a transcript and a diploma. Fill it in the best they can with my grades and thats pretty much it.

do you play minecraft?

Yes?

how did the big bang get taught?

It wasn't taught. I saw it in a book when I was little and when I asked about it I was told it was lies made up by scientists who didn't want to believe in god.

do you at least plan on furthering your education at a real school? or are your parents planning on "home-colleging" you as well?

My high-school education is utterly useless. I've had to reteach myself almost all of it, getting into a good school would be amazing but I don't know if they would accept me seeing as my transcript is bullshit.

I had a teacher that was "un-schooled" her entire life and a community college took her off of her ACT scores. She went from CC to a public university and is now working on her Ph D. Don't worry, you will find a way :)

Thats a relief to hear :)

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Been trying to get a job for a few months now :) thanks for the great advice.

What exactly was it that caused you to stop believing in God? Was it gradual or one big moment that you stopped?

I ask because I have a friend who was raised in a very similar situation (not identical). Ie she was taught YEC, parents are very strict, etc. However, she is still very much a Christian (albeit significantly more on the liberal side).

I finally started looking at my beliefs from a critical point of view. I couldn't rationalize living my life afraid of a murderous dude in the sky. And once I started questioning one thing it all sort of fell to pieces. A lot Christians are literally afraid to question what they're told because its been drilled into them at an early age that if you question it you'll go to hell.

What sect are you? And sorry you're in this predicament. Wish you the best of luck in your future education.

I'm a closet atheist. and thanks!

ahh i figured, sorry, what i meant was, "what sect are your parents?"

They are southern babtist.

You mentioned you had siblings who are older and are priests and in the military. Are you the youngest? How do your other siblings feel about being homeschooled and raised in a very religious household?

I am number 6 out of 8. My other siblings who are priests feel very strongly that it was the best thing for them since it led them to become priests. They plan on doing the same with their kids.

The ones in the military? Not sure, I haven't seen or talked to them in a while but as far as I know they feel the same as the rest of my family.

The 2 younger than me don't know any better. I can only hope that they realize what I did.

Do you mean ministers or pastors? I didn't think Southern Baptists called their clergy "priests".

My brothers converted to Greek Orthodox.

Do your parents include politics in their homeschooling? and if so, any examples?

Yes, my parents are staunch conservatives. They ingrained that in me as best they could but I'm more of a liberal at this point.

I work with a lot of home schoolers, and I was wondering what you least favorite aspect is . . .

Also, will you be preparing for the SAT soon?

Least favorite aspect? No social life.

And yes I'm preparing for the SAT right now.

Are there any social drawbacks to being homeschooled? Also good for you

Too many to count. I haven't ever had a relationship, I'll never have a prom, never have a graduation, I miss the entire high school experience. And prior to high school I was so depressed from being alone I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Meh maybe my parents. Seeing as how they grew up in a normal schooling system.

If it makes you feel any better, high school sucks for just about everyone, any way you cut it. You missed out on a lot of good experiences, but you dodged a ton of bad ones too.

After high school, you're free, and you get to have whatever experiences you want. It's never too late, life is what you make it... blah blah, inspirational quotes etc.

I've heard. Still, if I had a choice I would choose normal school over this shit. The bad experiences I'd take over no experiences. Thanks for the great quotes.

Can't you get into a state college with whatever "transcripts" you have and a good ACT/SAT score? The fact that you have a passion to learn on your own already puts you ahead of most incoming freshman, so if you get accepted I think you'll do well.

I probably could, thats my goal anyway. Gonna take the SAT in a few months and I've been studying my ass off for it.