Golden notes for high school graduation exam candidates before G-hour

Don't learn by rote, or you'll get sidetracked.

With many early admission methods of universities today (considering high school transcript scores, ability assessment test scores, priority admission, etc.), many 12th graders have met the requirements to be admitted to university. Therefore, for many students, the goal of the 2024 High School Graduation Exam is to achieve good results, graduate from high school to be officially admitted to university.

Mr. Huynh Thanh Phu - Principal of Bui Thi Xuan High School (HCMC) said that with the little time left, 12th grade students absolutely should not put pressure on themselves by cramming more knowledge.

“Instead of studying, reading, solving problems, or trying to memorize a lesson, spend time listening to music, playing light sports, or eating out with your family to relax your mind. Remember, if you are not stressed, the accumulated knowledge will “return” to your brain more,” Mr. Phu advised.

Before the exam, you need to be calm, don't memorize, "memorizing" the right lesson but "going off track" is also a waste, is the advice that teacher Vo Minh Nghia - Nguyen Du High School (HCMC) noted.

Mr. Nghia said that students should refer to the exam questions in the 2023 High School Graduation Exam to gain experience; practice reading the questions carefully. "Do not create a no-go zone for yourself and then worry and feel insecure; after the exam, you should be calm, do not worry, do not rush to look at the answers from unofficial sources, leading to creating a feeling of anxiety, affecting the psychology of the following subjects," said Mr. Nghia.

For Literature, careful presentation is an important criterion. Psychologically, teachers read a lot and grade a lot, so a clean, beautiful, clear, easy-to-read, easy-to-understand presentation is the best way to score. According to Mr. Nghia, for the reading comprehension section, if the question does not require writing in paragraphs, candidates should make bullet points to answer. Candidates should write short paragraphs, pay attention to the form of the paragraph, and not break the line to avoid incorrect format and requirements.

In the writing of a literary argumentative essay, it is necessary to clearly present the introduction, body, and conclusion. The body needs to be divided into paragraphs according to the thesis, and the first line should be indented differently from the introduction and conclusion. If the handwriting is not beautiful, it should at least be easy to see and read. When candidates cross out, avoid blackening or making a fence, which will ruin the essay. Just cross out one diagonal line. Candidates should not use a water-based pen when writing the essay.

Regarding the content, it is necessary to identify the main point of the discussion, not to write ramblingly or to give a piece of evidence and then analyze it all the way through, which is against the requirements. “Candidates who want to get high scores need to refer to the additional requirements for each lesson. Teachers in class have instructed candidates on these additional questions. The test will always have additional questions after the analysis. Therefore, candidates should not ignore them but need to invest in doing well the additional questions to get a good score,” noted Mr. Nghia.

Mental health stability

MSc. Ly Duc Thanh, a school counselor at Vo Van Kiet High School (HCMC), said that to achieve the best results in the exam, students need to have a regular diet, study and rest regimen.

According to MSc. Thanh, candidates need to maintain stable health and the best spirit; eat nutritious food, drink enough water, and can supplement vitamin B from bananas and nuts. Candidates should not stay up too late, not wake up too early, and need to ensure they get enough sleep.

“You should not exercise too much or eat too much. In particular, do not stay up too late because it is not good for your health and spirit, you can easily oversleep and be late for the exam,” said MSc. Thanh.

In addition, Mr. Thanh advised candidates to absolutely not fast, eat cooked food and have a light snack 30 minutes before the exam to replenish energy. At noon, they should take a nap of 15-20 minutes to regain energy, help them stay alert and do better in the afternoon. Candidates should avoid eating strange foods that are difficult to digest or can easily cause diarrhea or poisoning.

“Anxiety and forced studying will definitely not yield good results. Candidates need to keep a relaxed mind, read carefully, and analyze the questions before starting the test to help their brains systematize their knowledge best. Self-confidence is the key to helping candidates win 50%. The rest depends on each candidate's efforts,” said MSc. Thanh.

Regarding the mental health of students before the 2024 high school exam, Dr. Vo Thanh Dong, Director of Central Psychiatric Hospital 2 (Dong Nai province) said that many parents are currently putting too much pressure on their children regarding studying and taking exams, leading to mental health being affected. As a result, students often fall into a state of anxiety, restlessness, and stress.

Dr. Dong believes that during this time, parents should talk and share more with their children to create a comfortable mindset. They should remind their children to go to bed early, wake them up before the exam time, and avoid putting pressure on them to study until close to the exam time.

“If your child shows signs of psychological instability, not eating or sleeping, only focusing on studying and not paying attention to the surroundings, parents need to stay calm and find a solution. Parents absolutely must not be subjective and think that forgetting to eat or sleep while studying is normal. This can easily lead to a situation that is not beneficial for the children,” Dr. Dong emphasized.