REVIEW FROM THE BEGINNING OF GRADE 8
Students are actively preparing for the 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City, scheduled to be held in early June, to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.
On parent-student forums in Ho Chi Minh City, posts frequently appear with content such as: "Does anyone have experience or know of any reputable and high-quality exam preparation classes? I need to start speeding up now."
Students after class at a tutoring center for the 10th grade entrance exam.
Although her daughter has good academic performance and a strong self-discipline in studying, Ms. Nguyen Hoang Mai, a parent of a student at Khanh Binh Secondary School (District 8), set goals and planned her daughter's preparation for the 10th grade entrance exam nearly two years ago. That means, since the beginning of 8th grade, her daughter has been attending extra classes at a center three times a week for three subjects: math, literature, and English, following the center's 10th grade exam preparation curriculum. Currently, her daughter's extra classes have doubled to consolidate her knowledge and hone her test-taking skills.
Ms. Banh Thi Huyen Trang, a parent of a student at a prestigious secondary school in Thu Duc City, after hearing about the experience of preparing her child for the 10th grade specialized English exam, enrolled her child in an extra tutoring class in District 5. "Twice a week, my daughter and I travel nearly 30 km round trip for the classes. She has a talent for English, so we've invested in her and want her to try her best. Honestly, both of us are constantly busy with the extra tutoring schedule. Besides the specialized English class, she also studies at home with a tutor to prepare for the three compulsory subjects. Some days, she stays up until 1 AM doing both her schoolwork and extra tutoring," Ms. Huyen Trang confided.
STUDENTS ALSO CREATE PRESSURE FOR THEMSELVES
Not only parents but also students put pressure on themselves. ND, a 9th-grade student at a junior high school in District 1, shared: "I'm not worried about failing the 10th-grade entrance exam, but I'm worried about not getting into the school I love." Because of this pressure and the fact that many of her friends are attending tutoring centers with various teachers, ND texted her mother about her desired high school and whispered, "Mom, find me an extra tutoring class," because she felt her tutoring wasn't "enough."
With many years of experience as a homeroom teacher for 9th graders, Mr. Vo Kim Bao, a teacher at Nguyen Du Secondary School (District 1), said that the second semester is when 9th-grade students begin to accelerate their preparation for the entrance exam to public high schools. Parents often base their decisions on the end-of-semester 1 academic results, "weighing" which subjects their children are weak in to increase the amount of extra tutoring time. Mr. Bao said it is not uncommon for parents to send their children to tutoring with up to 6 or 7 teachers because they see their children struggling academically or because they have high expectations for their children. "In the subject of Literature alone, some students are sent to tutoring with up to 3 teachers. One teacher teaches literary essay writing, another teaches social commentary, and the third teaches literary analysis," shared the head of the Literature department at Nguyen Du Secondary School.
DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN PREPARE FOR EXAMS "INNOCENTLY"
Teacher Vo Kim Bao believes that a scientific learning method is necessary to conquer the exam, rather than just studying a lot, cramming, or rote memorization.
Teacher Bao stated that each teacher has a different teaching method. Attending too many extra classes with the same teacher can confuse students, making it difficult to determine the correct writing method, and even leading to a lack of confidence in exams. Furthermore, too many extra classes leave students with no time for revision, rendering the extra learning ineffective.
Based on this reality, Mr. Bao advises: "Parents should discuss with the teachers in class to be sure of their child's academic ability. They should also consult with their children to find out which teachers they want to learn from, and which best suit their learning style. Most importantly, they need to know where their child is weak so they can provide appropriate support, set school preferences that match their child's abilities, and avoid putting too much pressure on them."
After many years of participating in grading 10th-grade entrance exams, a teacher from Ha Huy Tap Secondary School (Binh Thanh District) said that students often "fail" on practical math problems due to a lack of skills in reading and understanding the questions, and a lack of practical knowledge to understand the issues presented in the exam. The mistakes in this exam sometimes stem from students focusing only on rote learning, memorizing specific problem types without understanding the essence of the problem. Therefore, at this time, students need to review and systematize their subject knowledge, identify areas where they are weak, and dedicate more time to supplementing that knowledge. Instead of attending too many unscientific extra classes, they should spend time systematizing their knowledge and solving different types of problems independently, thoroughly grasping the basic concepts.
For parents, this teacher advises against excessive worry that leads to over-cramming for exams. What parents need most is to relieve psychological pressure on their children, spend time encouraging and closely monitoring them to develop self-study skills. Don't send your children to too many classes, as this will only add to their stress...
Meanwhile, Master Tran Dinh Nguyen Lu, an English specialist at the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, warned: "Many parents often believe that if their children are doing poorly in school, sending them to many extra classes will be effective. Extra classes are only effective when they are scientifically structured, ensure good health, and most importantly, when students can assess their understanding of the material in these classes. Conversely, if students only attend extra classes for the purpose of cramming, it is very harmful."
Therefore, experts from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training advise that, to effectively prepare for the 10th grade entrance exam, students must know how to create a scientific and reasonable study schedule for the three entrance exam subjects. Specifically for English, when studying on social media, students should choose reputable and reliable channels and websites.
Advice from a psychologist
The entrance exam for 10th grade is a major exam not only for students but also for parents. To best cope with the stress and pressure of the entrance exam, from a psychological perspective, students and parents should do the following:
First and foremost, we need to recognize that anxiety, stress, and pressure related to studying and exams at this time are inevitable and unavoidable. We shouldn't be afraid of them, but rather view these fears, anxieties, stress, and pressures as companions that urge us to strive to study every day for our life goals.
Next, it's essential to allocate time throughout the day for studying, playing, and other activities. Students shouldn't study frantically out of anxiety; instead, they should normalize their learning. For example, they can divide their time using a formula: study for one hour, rest or relax for 15-20 minutes, then return to studying. When they feel unwell and don't want to study anymore, they should pause and do a chore, play a game, sing a song, etc., before returning to studying.
Finally, cherish sleep and happy moments with friends, teachers, and parents, as these are immense resources that help students always be energetic, willing, and ready to face any challenges and difficulties in life.
Always remember that you are not alone on your admissions journey; you have parents, friends, and relatives who are always there to support you.
Dr. GIANG THIEN VU (Lecturer, Faculty of Psychology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education)
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