Society is no longer in the era of the stereotypical paper and pencil. New advancements in technology offer a wide variety of options for a student's education. With internet, there are limitless opportunities as far as how and where a student needs to be in order to get a proper education. Home-schooling is a new trend that is gaining more popularity throughout the world each and every day. Other than the people that would be in a school, this system provides the students with all of the necessities that a student would have access to as if they were in a school. Although some may believe home-schooling is a superior alternative, the motivation and socialization that would be present in a classroom would be nonexistent at home.

Motivation is a trait that many young adults need more of, whether it is waking up on time for class, or not procrastinating on a school project. Waking up early is something nearly everyone will have to do in their lifetime, so it is better to get used to it while you're still young. If a student has been home-schooled their whole adolescent life, waking up early will be something that they struggle with as an adult. Procrastination is something that many students have a hard time avoiding during the school year. The root of procrastination is a lack of motivation. Part of a teacher's job is to keep the students on task and make sure that they are completing everything in a timely manner. Home-schooled students do not have the availability of a teacher to motivate them and make sure that they are doing their work. It is all up to them if they want to stay on task or fall behind. If no one is there telling the students what to do, they will struggle to find the motivation within themselves. As well as teachers, peers also help to encourage their fellow classmates to stay focused. This leads into the next topic of socialization.

High school is a period in one's life where they should enjoy their youthfulness while still working hard in school. It is important to balance the two out as they are equally as important. A school is the central point of socialization, whether it is working together to complete an assignment, or just conversing during your lunch break. Many long lasting relationships are established within a school environment. Home-schooled students cannot relate to in-school students in this sense. Not only is it important to form friendships, but it is also important to get comfortable around large crowds of people. Talking to people is an inevitable fate in everyone's life, this might be giving a presentation at work or publicly speaking in college. While it is a burden to most, starting earlier in life will provide more confidence for when you need it later in life.

There are many valid reasons that support the practice of home-schooling. For example, students with social anxiety will be better off in the comforts of home. Students might get anxious around a large crowd for many reasons. For one, self conscious people might get anxious because they think that people are judging them for their appearance. Others might have a hard time building up enough confidence to voice their opinion in front of numerous people. While home-schooling would eliminate the fear of social anxiety, I believe that it is better to face it and get used to it, rather than hide from it. Another reason to argue for home-schooling is because of reduced stress. Some may say that the levels of stress will be greatly reduced in the comfort of home without the constant distraction of other students and the demands placed on students by teachers. While this partially might be true, more stress is caused when a student does not know how to manage their time wisely. Home-schooled students are at a greater risk for this because their are also many distractions at home such as cell phones and social media.

Many things are taught in school other than just math, science, history, and language arts. School teaches many important life values that teens will need for when they are an independent adult. Some of these values are impossible for home-schooled students to learn, simply because it is a different environment. Although the idea of home-schooling sounds like the most beneficial option, many people do not realize that home-schooled students have to face their own type of challenges that they will have to overcome. For these reasons I cannot stand for home-schooling. In this case, I will admit that old school beats new school.