What if Unschoolers Don’t Know How to Write Essays?

What if unschoolers don’t know how to write essays? Will they be at a disadvantage if they want to go to university? This post follows on from How an Unschooler Learns to Write.

My daughter Imogen taught herself to write. After learning the basics, she read widely, observing the example of good authors. She experimented with different styles and techniques. She wrote and wrote and wrote. I wasn’t surprised when Imogen announced she wanted to study writing at tertiary level. She decided to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional Writing and Publishing.

Imogen’s degree course involved writing a number of essays.

“How many essays did you write before you started your university course?” I ask.

“Two and they were terrible!” says Imogen with a grin.

“I can’t even remember those essays,” I say.

“You had a weak moment. You said, ‘You’re going to need to know how to write essays when you go to university so you’d better write some as practice.’”

Do you ever have weak moments when your confidence is threatened? I’ve had a few. I used to look around at what other people were doing or listen to their ideas which were different from mine. What if they were right? Perhaps I should make my unschoolers write a few essays. It wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“So I wrote a couple of essays,” says Imogen, “but they didn’t turn out very well. I didn’t enjoy writing them so we gave up on essay writing.”

We gave up? Or did I just come to my senses?

Imogen continues, “You said, ‘Leave essay writing. You’re a good writer. You’ll pick up essay writing when you need it.’”

So Imogen started her university education with two bad essays under her belt. “Did you feel ill-prepared as you began your degree course?”

“No. One of the first things I learnt at uni was that the high school essay and the university essay are two completely different things. Even if I’d been able to write a perfect high school essay, that’s not what they wanted. Not knowing what I was doing was actually good. I learnt to write an essay the way the university wanted it. Unlike the other students. I didn’t have to relearn this skill.”

Imogen wasn’t expected to know how to write an essay before she started university. She was taught this skill in her very first unit, Tertiary Learning Strategies. But what if this unit hadn’t been available? Imogen could have done a similar preparation module online.

“The best time to learn about essay writing,” says Imogen, “is just before or as you start a university degree.”

“We shouldn’t make kids write an essay every week or so during the high school years to prepare them for uni?”

“No. Let kids write what they want. They’ll soon pick up essay writing when they need it. An essay is just a different framework for your words. The most important thing is knowing what you want to say.”

I have a final question for my daughter. It’s a big one. “Are you passing your university essays?”

Imogen grins and says, “Yes, I can write a good essay. I’m having no problems at all!”

I had this conversation with Imogen several years ago. Since then she finished her degree course with excellent results. Isn’t that good to know?

If unschoolers don’t know how to write essays will they be ill-prepared for university? No, I think they’ll be fine!

This post is based on a conversation I had with Imogen in episode 5 of my podcast: Unschool Writing, Essays, and a Few Panicky Moments!

Photo: My daughters Sophie and Imogen are enjoying a winter’s afternoon picnic at the river.

Today Imogen is launching her first novel, The Crystal Tree, out into the world! Her book is now available on Amazon as a paperback or a Kindle ebook. Why not check it out?

First novel? Oh yes, Imogen has lots of other novels at the editing stage!

How do your kids feel about essay writing? Have they written any university essays? And do you ever have panicky moments? Perhaps we all have them from time to time!