Being proactive in exams brings about a confident mindset.

The annual university entrance exam is often very stressful for candidates and their families. Sometimes the pressure is so great that students cannot achieve results commensurate with their abilities. Regarding exam psychology, Dr. Pham Manh Ha (Department of Psychology) offers helpful advice. Every year, the university entrance exam season witnesses unfortunate incidents involving candidates, sometimes caused by carelessness on the part of the candidates and their families: getting lost, oversleeping and arriving late for the exam, stress, or exhaustion leading to illness at the very beginning of the exam days… Then, when the exam results don't meet expectations, many students become depressed, experience psychological distress, or even contemplate suicide… Such incidents repeat themselves almost every year and have a significant impact on public opinion. In my opinion, this relates to a common weakness of Vietnamese people: working without a plan, waiting until the last minute. When faced with difficulties and risks, we cannot anticipate them all, leading to panic, stress, and erroneous actions. Therefore, one of the first pieces of advice for young people is: create a detailed and comprehensive plan of what you need to do during the university entrance exam, paying particular attention to information about schedules, directions, regulations at the exam site, and contingency plans for various real-life situations. Having this plan will give you peace of mind and significantly reduce stress. In Vietnam, the university entrance exam is often stressful because people consider it a turning point in a person's life, a decisive factor in their future and career. The exam creates significant social upheaval for families. Parents worry, relatives ask questions, make predictions, and compare their children to others… This excessive concern puts pressure on the candidates. In many urban families, passing the university entrance exam is not only a matter for the children but also a matter of family honor, creating immense psychological pressure. If this pressure isn't addressed, families inadvertently cause their children to feel mentally "fail" even before the exam. For candidates, mental stability is only achieved when they believe in themselves, proactively plan their exam preparation, and anticipate potential difficulties. Lack of self-confidence leads to a loss of composure and clarity. Confidence and proactiveness are also demonstrated by having a contingency plan for the "aftermath" of the exam and openly discussing with family the likelihood of passing or failing, including future study or career plans. This reassures parents and provides young people with a sense of security, preventing them from being shocked if the exam results are unsatisfactory. In addition, families and candidates should also pay attention to a reasonable diet, balance studying and resting, and avoid overstudying beyond the body's biological limits, which can cause physical fatigue and impaired mental clarity. As the exam day approaches, students should gradually reduce the intensity of their studying, focusing only on consolidating the most basic foundational knowledge or reviewing the overall content of the knowledge blocks they need to master.