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USE and OGE 2019: how to prepare a child for exams
On the OGE, schoolchildren are summed up by the same reasons.
The responsibility for passing the exams is, of course, on the students themselves. Much depends on their level of knowledge and the seriousness with which they approach the issue. But sometimes it is the wrong actions of the parents that interfere with getting a good result on the OGE or the Unified State Exam. How not to destroy the hopes of your children with your own hands, said Mikhail Lantsman, head of the USE and OGE courses at the Lancman School.
1. We incorrectly assess the level of knowledge
One of the most common parenting mistakes is that they cannot determine the real level of their child. The main reason for misconceptions is the orientation towards school grades. Rejoicing in the fives of their child, for example, in mathematics, satisfied parents are confident that the child will easily receive 90 points on the exam. In reality, the school five corresponds to only 60-65 points, and the coveted 80+ scores only 3 percent of schoolchildren in Russia.
To avoid unpleasant surprises at the end of the school year, you need to focus on preparing for the final tests. There are problems in the exam, the algorithm for solving which a high school student might have already forgotten. And some tasks are not included in the school curriculum at all. For example, the last tasks from the second part in mathematics can only be completed by those who studied the subject in depth.
2. We go to courses at universities
For a long time, when the USE was not a mandatory exam, there was an opinion: if you want to go to a university, go to courses at that university. But since then, the admission system has completely changed. Firstly, attending such classes does not give any guarantee of admission. Secondly, the courses are taught by teachers from the university, and they are specialists in the university curriculum, while the USE is an exam in the school curriculum. The teacher has a different specialization, a different vocabulary, for him the school curriculum is elementary!
In addition, classes are most often held in large groups, which decreases the effectiveness of training. It is undoubtedly cheaper to study in groups of 30-50 people, but you should not save on your child’s knowledge. You can bypass the system of the unified state examination only by entering universities that have the right to conduct their own Olympiad, in which a victory is equivalent to 100 points on the Unified State Exam.
3. Hiring a private tutor
Another popular stereotype is that in order to pass exams well, you need to take individual lessons. Statistics show the opposite: of the high school students we surveyed, 60 percent study with tutors, but only 3 percent of them pass the exam in mathematics for 80+ points. The average score is 48. Disappointing result, right?
The reason is that the work of private teachers, as well as the level of their skill, is not controlled in any way. In most cases, there is no clear control system for work, no reporting, no feedback. The preparation process looks somewhat chaotic, and this becomes a common problem between the teacher and the student. If you do send your child to a tutor, try to personally monitor his progress in the selected subjects.
4. First we pass the exams, then we decide on the specialty
Many people think: “We will pass the exams first, then we will look at the results and decide which university to go to.” This approach to business is a big mistake. Everything should start with setting goals. Moreover, now there are many ways to help graduates decide: career guidance courses, classes with psychologists, open days at universities and colleges.
Only by choosing a university of dreams and a direction, you can choose exams and start preparing for them. And trying to pass more disciplines “just in case” means exhausting the child intellectually, psychologically and physically.
It is necessary to explain to the child that the certificate with high scores is not your whim, but his first adult achievement. The first springboard for a successful career. The student must realize that the path to the profession of his dreams begins precisely with the state exam. In no case should the child be pressured, otherwise he will begin to feel like just a victim of parental ambitions. This is his life, his choice. Only with such an attitude will the student be able to sit down and prepare for the exams from day to day.
Before the exams, a teenager is very strongly pressured psychologically: terrifying stories from the teacher, articles in magazines, TV plots. Your task is to neutralize the source of negativity. For example, to convince teachers to be softer or to forbid a student to watch news from the world of education and science.
The second important point: you need to show the child that failure on the OGE / USE is not the end of the world. You can find a way out of any situation. For example, choose a university with a lower threshold, or take another year to prepare, fill in all the knowledge gaps, and enter the university of your dreams on your second try. Sometimes you have to try more than once to get things done.