Yesterday, Danyal put behind him a pretty amazing chapter in his life. He finished his A-levels (UK 18+ exams) aged 11.
So, he taught himself Mathematics mainly from YouTube videos, and, of course, last year he did his Physics A-level and got an A.
This morning we went for a run and discussed what he’ll do next with his life. He’s thinking about a combination of:
1. Play football up to 3 hours a day to see if he has a realistic chance of playing in the Premiership one day.
2. Try to get his squash to national-level.
3. Try to break the world record for 5km for an 11-year-old – he’d have to go damn intensive as he’ll turn 12 in 4 months.
4. Become damn good at coding – to start a tech startup.
5. Brush up his 6 languages – some have been very low priority in recent months due to exams.
6. Spend a lot of time loafing around with friends.
Now, all of this was possible because my wife and I just decided to TRY to homeschool our 3 kids 5 years ago. We just gave it a two-week TRIAL after which all of us loved it.
If we hadn’t TRIED he’d still be learning algebra at school.
You gotta try in life. And keep trying. Sure, trying usually gets you nowhere but if you keep at it, embrace it in every aspect of your life, it will eventually pay off in ways you never imagined possible.
The Wonder Years 
Salam Asim,
Mashallah well done on your achievements, really inspiring. A quick question do you think children with different academic abilities all have the potential to succeed in homeschooling?
What if the child is extremely academically able to begin with at mainstream school?
Thanks
Umm
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WS, thanks. I personally think homeschool done well boosts all kids.
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This is the most inspiring blog I have ever read. Came here from Qoura and had to read all the blog posts. Congratulations Asim!!, wish you and your family the best.
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Really appreciate the comment Don.
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Hello Asim,
Please allow me to just say that it’s been quite a journey reading through your small (but well-thought and executed) blog here and I, as with many others, are now inspired to try break away from the social norm and try homeschooling.. for the betterment of our kids.
If you ever find yourself in Indonesia with (or without) business intents, you can reach me on andriosuroyo@gmail.com and I will meet you.
I personally think that Indonesia is a ripe market for education reformation (as your previous search shows for the top countries searching for the keyword “homeschool”). We do now have schools that focus more on morals (google “tzu chi school”) but none yet for accelerated learning like what you have to offer. As you may already know, Indonesia is a country with many riches and while I cannot speak for those above me, I myself can see the many benefits of an accelerated learning program.
Either way, I thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience with the world through this blog and also Quora where I first got to know you. I hope you continue to be an inspiration to us all for many years to come. Best wishes, Andrio.
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Andrio, thanks very much for your kindness. You’re right, Indonesia would be a great place to start. Very near Malaysia too!
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Hi Awesome Asim,
I came here for Quora. Didn’t know that you got a blog.
Everything that you say is very inspiring to me.
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Thanks Raed.
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Good for him! I homeschooled as well and it’s always wonderful to hear about successful homeschoolers. Hats off to the parents too, because they do so much towards fostering a love for learning in the children.
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