General Psychology

Assignment

• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague's posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Validate an idea with your own experience.
• Expand on your colleague's posting.

Student's Post

The primary task of the adolescent stage is to form an individual's unique identity and figure out with what group they belong. This stage typically begins in the teen years and extends into the 20s. An individual in the adolescent stage may be seen trying out different groups, trying to fit it, but also wanting to stand out and be seen for who they are as a person. 

As an adolescent and throughout all of my school years, I was homeschooled. Because of this, at events with other homeschoolers there were "weird homeschoolers" who behaved in an awkward manner and would probably be bullied in public school and "not-so-weird homeschoolers" who frequently attended social gatherings, were very comfortable socially, and had a good group of solid friends who didn't appear to be the negative stereotype homeschooler, but rather would blend right in at a public or private school setting. I was apart of the "not-so-weird homeschool" friend group, but it wasn't my identity. I already knew who I was in Christ, so I never really struggled with my identity. 

I don't feel like I am exploring my permanent sense of personal identity. 

Some students are still in the process of forming their own unique identity and want to have a solidified plan for the future so they feel pressure to figure out their major freshman year. 

My Response

To Feel Good in a Crowd

Do you feel you have more in common with people in Catholic schools, Baptist or other Protestant schools, public schools, or non-religious private schools?

I felt like you starting at a public high school and having gone to Catholic schools most of my life.  Everyone was just so happy together, maybe not as well-behaved as a lot of people, like school was a party or just a job.  I went to a sports school, and there was an intellectual public school and artistic/cool public school, but my region was the sports school.  It was so cozy.  It was like the work wasn't even important.  Everyone looked so comfortable in their clothes and walking around and talking.  They weren't as uptight as people in Catholic schools.  It was like a real school, where you were free.  My best experience was at Loyola University New Orleans taking piano/organ/singing.  My next best was 3 years at the public high school and when I went to the school of the oldest church parish in the US and in the oldest continuing city in the US, from 1565, an old Spanish town, very European and made me who I am today.  It's like an adventure.

I don't know what it's like to be homeschooled or to be in a sheltered environment as much as long.  I didn't go to daycare.  I went to preschool half  day but wanted to stay longer.  I feel I was sheltered socially and culturally, moreso when I was a toddler, and I didn't enjoy that so much.  I think that public schools are attractive and something to be envious of.  They have a sense of family and complete freedom socially.

I took ballet with some homeschooled younger girls, not considered a good dancer and was uncomfortable.  They were a way that also made me feel "not as good."  You know, this college online is easier than being in a classroom.  So, the girls at ballet, I think most also took piano.  The teacher had a daughter and her sister, who also did ballet, had a daughter there.  Maybe, at least 5 of them were homeschooled.  There were probably only up to 10 people there.  They seemed like they wanted to come out, like "out of their shell," as people say.  They were very disconnected to reality, some of them, it felt and hence why they wanted to "get out" and they did change to go to a Catholic high school their 2nd year, at least the daughter and niece.  They did seem very fresh and young.  They were closed up and barely spoke to me, like I was bad because I looked older and tired from busywork and homework at school.  I usually got the highest grades until I was 16.  Something happened to me.

You should probably get out more, like me.  Where I live, Orlando, has a lot of events that are usually overcrowded with unlikely people.  I also got good at  hobbies in my past and doing things now.  I probably will not step foot in the classroom until graduate school if I do that later, possibly.  I'm 32.  I'm also very mad that it's all over and all the empty years.