{"id":4863,"date":"2022-07-12T09:00:49","date_gmt":"2022-07-12T09:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/classicalconversations.com\/?p=4863"},"modified":"2022-07-08T14:02:37","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T14:02:37","slug":"help-im-starting-challenge-ii-without-foundations-or-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalconversations.com\/blog\/help-im-starting-challenge-ii-without-foundations-or-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Help! I\u2019m Starting Challenge II Without Foundations or Challenge! (Updated for 2022)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Though she homeschooled her whole life, Cassidy started her formal high school education with Challenge II<\/a> without any experience in Foundations<\/a> or the earlier Challenge<\/a> levels. We asked her to share her experience of enrolling in Challenge II.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Looking to start Challenge II was honestly a pretty scary prospect for me. I registered for the program rather suddenly, without a lot of time to fully acclimate myself to the idea. There were a lot of unknowns, which made me nervous, especially since one of the unknowns was my own capability. My education leading up to Challenge II was very, um, unstructured, let\u2019s say. Because of that, I had no idea if I would be capable of keeping pace with such a demanding program, especially since most of my classmates had been classically educated since they were little. They seemed to have an arsenal of rhymes and songs and memory work that I didn\u2019t have. I felt at a disadvantage, to say the least. I would never catch up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can You Enroll in Challenge II Without Foundations?<\/h2>\n

If these are thoughts that you (or your student) have or fears you share, then fear no more! I\u2019m here to tell you that it will be okay.<\/span><\/p>\n

The summer leading up to Challenge II, we students were supposed to read Beowulf<\/a>. This was my introduction to Challenge II so \u2014 I admit \u2014 I felt a little daunted even before class had started. I didn\u2019t finish the book, and I felt like a failure. I couldn\u2019t even finish the first assignment?!<\/span><\/p>\n

But when I got to class, my Challenge II Director and classmates were super welcoming and encouraging. I thought that maybe this wouldn\u2019t be so scary after all.<\/span><\/p>\n

We jumped into the material pretty quickly, and I was a wee bit overwhelmed as I looked over the schedule for the semester. How in the world could I accomplish all these things I\u2019d never done before?<\/span><\/p>\n

I asked my Director and classmates so many questions that first semester, which they all answered happily. I slowly got into the swing of things (and figured out I didn\u2019t need to be perfect!), and watched in awe as the quality of my work increased and the anxiety that went into it decreased<\/strong>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Week by week I became more comfortable and contributed more in class. In areas where I struggled, my Director gave me the tools to succeed, not just the answers, which served me so well in the long run. Time management, prioritizing, and making a successful study plan were just a few of the things I learned in Challenge II. The resources in the Challenge guide were really helpful too: \u201cHow to Write a Paper,\u201d \u201cProper MLA Formatting,\u201d \u201cCreating a Bibliography,\u201d and \u201cHow to Cite Your Sources\u201d felt like gifts from God as I wrote my first (ever!) formal essays. The guidelines for debate were perfect for a student who had never debated before.<\/span><\/p>\n

I took each week one assignment at a time, trying to do my best. Each week, it got a little easier. I became more self-assured, less overwhelmed, and more comfortable. It never came \u201ceasy,\u201d but with hard work and perseverance I accomplished so much more than I ever thought myself capable. I realized despite (or maybe because of) my different academic background, I had a lot to bring to the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

Advice to New Challenge II Students<\/h2>\n

Often, I looked back during the semester and was astounded by how far I\u2019d come and how much I\u2019d grown. <\/span>So, from one nervous rising Challenge II-er to another, here\u2019s my best advice:<\/span><\/p>\n