Without extra tutoring, will students be afraid of taking the high school graduation exam?

"I study from morning till night every day, only sleeping a few hours, it's so stressful. Even with extra classes, I feel stressed; I don't know what I would do without them," said Lam Phuong, a 12th-grade student who will take the high school graduation exam this June.

This morning, February 15th, the 2025 Exam Season Counseling Program of Thanh Nien Newspaper opened at Dong Nai University with approximately 10,000 high school students from Bien Hoa City and other localities in Dong Nai province in attendance. We recorded the opinions of the students here on a currently pressing issue: tutoring and the pressures of the final year of high school.

12th-grade students seek information about university admissions at booths on the opening day of the 2025 Exam Season Counseling event organized by Thanh Nien Newspaper.

Studying at several places at once.

Nguyen Thi Bao Chau, a student in class 12A9 at Nguyen Trai High School in Bien Hoa City, said she plans to put economic law at the University of Economics and Law (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) as her first choice.

To confidently pass the high school graduation exam and university entrance exam, Bao Chau needs to take extra classes in at least four subjects: mathematics, literature, English, and chemistry. Currently, with Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training regulating extra classes coming into effect, Bao Chau's teachers are no longer allowed to provide paid tutoring to their students outside of school. This means Bao Chau will likely have to find a test preparation center run by other teachers.

According to Bao Chau, the general mindset of graduating high school students is one of pressure. This year, the high school graduation exam, based on the 2018 general education program, has left students feeling more overwhelmed. Tutoring with renowned teachers and at tutoring centers not only helps students feel more confident, but Bao Chau believes it also provides them with valuable study and exam-taking experience.

Planning to apply to the Animal Husbandry major at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry so she can later help manage her family's goat farm, Ha My (a student at Ton Duc Thang High School, Tan Phu District, Dong Nai Province) is focusing more time on studying for her exams in math, physics, and chemistry. Like many of her classmates at this time, Ha My is not only self-studying but also enrolling in extra classes. "Besides helping students systematize their knowledge, I find that the teachers in these extra classes also teach us 'tips' for doing assignments, secrets to getting high scores, and tips for taking multiple-choice exams, which I think are very necessary," Ha My shared.

High school seniors gather information about college admissions at the booths. This is a period when students often face a lot of stress and pressure.

I'm attending extra classes but I'm still worried.

Lam Phuong (Ton Duc Thang High School, Tan Phu District), who loves the English language and wants to become an English teacher in the future, says she is facing a lot of pressure with only a few months left until the high school graduation exam and university entrance exams. She plans to apply to Saigon University or possibly pursue further studies at Da Lat University. Lam Phuong says she rarely has time to sleep these days, instead focusing on studying. She attends regular classes at school, takes extra classes outside of school, and studies on her own at home.

"The English language major usually has high admission scores and many talented students, so I'm very worried. Teachers are also not allowed to give extra lessons at home according to Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training. Starting next week, according to the announcement, we will receive free exam preparation for the high school graduation exam from our teachers at the school," Lam Phuong said.

In the current context of stricter regulations on tutoring, the female student from Dong Nai said she has to work harder, and other graduating students like her also have to try harder. "I study from morning till night every day, only sleeping a few hours a day, it's very stressful. My family encourages me, but I still feel worried. Even with tutoring, I feel pressured; I don't know what I would do without it," Lam Phuong confided.

Choose self-learning for many advantages.

From a different perspective, Tran Ha Nam, a 12th-grade student from Le Hong Phong High School in Bien Hoa City, chose self-study as his primary method. He participated in some online courses taught by well-known exam preparation teachers, but did not attend any extra classes outside of school. Instead, he studied independently and joined a self-study community with top students from all over the country. "In this community, we share exam preparation materials, effective problem-solving methods, and good study techniques," Ha Nam said.

In Ha Nam, male students primarily study on their own and do not attend any extra tutoring classes throughout their high school years.

Ha Nam was once part of the provincial-level gifted student competition team, but later stopped studying due to helping with family work. Previously, he also self-studied to prepare for the 10th grade entrance exam. This year, Ha Nam aims to get into the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of Technology (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City).

Ha Nam also introduced some of his friends in the self-study community who have achieved high results, such as Nguyen Hoang Duy, a student from Nguyen Khuyen High School, An Giang, who won an honorable mention in the national-level chemistry competition for gifted students. Pham Dang Duc Manh (Vinh Loc High School, Thua Thien-Hue), a student who excelled in mathematics and computer science at the provincial level... "When we study more on our own, we can create our own timetables and schedules, and we can also systematize our knowledge to see where we are weak and improve ourselves," the male student said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khong-hoc-them-hoc-sinh-co-so-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-185250215160901497.htm