There's no place like home: imagine: no more teachers, no more books, no more students' dirty looks ... and it's September. Wait--could you have hit that snooze button one too many times?

I'm definitely just a normal kid, like everybody else. I have an 18-year-old sister and a close relationship with all of my family. But, unlike other kids, I never go to bed on Sunday night and dread having to go to school the next day. I actually look forward to it! That's because I'm a homeschooler.

Yes, I still "go to school" every day like other kids but, instead of taking the bus, I just walk into my kitchen or den for class. I've been homeschooled since I was 4 and went through kindergarten so fast that I was in first grade by age 5.

I'm sure most kids imagine my homeschooling life is very laid back. You probably think I can get up whenever I want, watch TV and pretty much goof off all day. But it's not like that at all.

A TYPICAL HOME, SCHOOL DAY

Basically, I wake up every weekday at about 8 a.m., shower and get dressed. After breakfast, I do algebra in the kitchen with my mom, then we move on to other subjects. My mom is my main teacher (even though she's not certified), but my dad helps out, too.

At around noon, I eat my lunch. My mom's name is Becky, so she likes to call our lunchroom "Beck's Cafe"--which is very good, by the way, and probably better than cafeteria food.

After lunch, if I have a big load of schoolwork, I study for another hour or two and then have piano lessons. After that, I either play tennis or eat dinner and maybe watch TV or read. I also work out at a gym two or three days a week to be sure I get enough exercise.

My favorite subjects are history and literature, and my least favorite is algebra because it doesn't come easy to me. I'm sure most kids think homeschoolers learn goofy things, like knitting or something, but that's not always true. I study the same stuff most kids learn in public school but at my own pace. And, yes, I do have to take tests and exams like everybody else does.

As a matter of fact, I take standardized tests every year just to see how I'm doing. It's not a state requirement, but we do it so my mom can decide at what level I am. Right now, I'm about a year ahead. That means I'm going to graduate when I'm 16--I don't think I could have done that if I'd gone to public school. That's important to me because graduating early brings me closer to my ultimate goal, which is to become either a pediatrician or a teacher in Africa.

THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER

I would say the greatest thing about homeschooling is that I can study things that apply to what is going on in my life. A couple of months ago, my granddad had to have a heart valve replacement so I studied the anatomy of the heart to better understand what he was going through. That made the whole ordeal so much easier for me to handle.

Plus, since my schedule is flexible, we get to travel and take day trips when we feel like it rather than waiting for summer vacation or field trips.

I do have rules--like, I can't watch TV, talk on the phone or listen to the radio during "class" time. And no chewing gum allowed. But if it's a nice day, we have class out on the porch. Sometimes I wear my PJs to class, if I'm sick or it's a snow day (yep, I still have to go to school when it snows, and that's kind of a bummer). I can even snack in class if I'm a little hungry.

When I was approaching middle-school age, my parents gave me the option to go to public school. I chose to continue with homeschooling, though, because I thought regular school might be too boring for me. And I really enjoy the homeschooling. I think being alone is a good thing because I can totally focus on my work instead of dealing with interruptions in class. I don't have any friends whispering, "Is my crush over there looking at me?"

My older sister was given the same choice, and she decided to go to public school since she really loves being around lots of people. My friends think they'd go crazy being with their parents all the time, but it works for me. Sure, I need time by myself sometimes, but my parents really are my best friends. I think a lot of kids just don't give their parents enough credit. If they spent more time with them, they'd see that they actually can be fairly cool.

WEIGHIHG IN ON HOMESCHOOLING

Even with all the pluses, there are a few downsides. Making new friends can be tricky--of course, it's not so easy to socialize when there are no other kids around. Luckily, I have friends from church and extracurricular activities (most of them go to public school). We stay in touch through IM. I also go to lots of parties and sleepovers. Quality of friends matters more than quantity--and mine are quality.

I do get jealous when I hear friends talking about their school sports. If there were one experience I'd like to have at a public school, it would be to play on the tennis team. I can get really competitive playing against my dad, so it would be fun to get to play matches against complete strangers and find out how good I really am. Or not!

My friends ask if I feel like I'm missing out by not going to dances and school events. Sometimes, I do wish I had stuff to attend. But there is a senior prom for homeschoolers, which I'm looking forward to. I'll even have a graduation ceremony because, in Virginia, which is where I live, about 25,000 kids are homeschooled.

If kids were to think, "Oh, I feel so sorry for Jordyn being stuck at home all day," I'd say to them, "Come and spend the day with me, and you'll see how great my life is." It's busy and fun and never boring. I get an amazing education and get to hang out with my family, which is so awesome.

Contrary to popular belief, home-schoolers are not weirdos or dorks. We're just like you. In fact, one day, I'd like to homeschool my own kids--even with all the work involved--because I know it's definitely worth it.

YOU MEAN, I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL!!

Yep, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states as an alternative to regular schools. But the laws as to how it's done vary from state to state. Some states require supervision by another school; others don't interfere at all with homeschooling curriculum. In most cases, a homeschooler is taught at home by one or both parents--even though they are not required to have a teacher's degree.

Surprisingly, homeschoolers come from all economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds, and they are found throughout the country in cities and rural communities. In fact, it is estimated that over 1.5 million kids are homeschooled in the United States today ... and that number is growing.

Why are so many families deciding to homeschool? There are many reasons, but it is usually because parents want more control over what their children are learning, are concerned about the school environment, don't want their children traveling far, have religious reasons, or the child has special needs that are better served at home.

But, hey, wouldn't it be even better to have no school at all? Not happening. In every state, schooling is mandatory for kids of certain ages. If you think homeschooling sounds like a cakewalk, remember that almost half of all states require testing to assess homeschoolers' progress. Still, wouldn't it be easy to skip classes? Not exactly. Most states have an attendance requirement that must be fulfilled in order to graduate And in case you've forgotten, the teacher--gulp!--lives in your house.

by Jordyn Burton as told to Sandy Fertman Ryan

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAX GLANVILLE