A few months to go and the season of taking entrance exams to science high schools starts once again. If you are planning to have your kids take the exams, I’m giving you some tips which I practically used for my daughters who have successfully passed the rigorous exams.
1 Ask your child first if he or she really wants to study in a Science High School. Not all kids desire to study there, despite the advantages parents would like them to realize. No matter how you prepare your child, if he or she is not up to it, you’ll both just end up with a broken heart. I’ve heard students in review centers actually said “Kaya lang naman ako nagre-review dahil sa gusto ng parents ko.” As expected, those children did not pass.
2 Visit the school prior to the exams or even before applying to take the exams so both of you can have the feel of the school where the child will potentially go to if ever he or she passed. It will give you a bird’s eye view of the school or give you hints on what you might need to prepare (transportation, facilities of the school, etcetera).
3 Enroll your child in a review school. Even if you think your child is intelligent already, if you’ve got the budget, enroll your child into a review center. The center will prepare your child emotionally and mentally for the exams and stocked knowledge is very important in entrance exams. My daughters told me that as they remember there were questions about advanced subjects, while there were some that were taught to them years before.
4 Encourage your child to have interest in reading which can enhance his/her vocabulary. There are kids who really don’t like reading books with too much texts so find books or publications which have stories or graphics with subjects you can both talk about. Reading comprehension and verbal ability questions are most often part of entrance exams.
5 You can find affordable workbooks or worksheets in National Bookstore or other bookstores that your child can practice on. I also found some websites like Help Teaching.com where you can generate worksheets for free.
6 Philippine Science High School sell reviewers inside the school. You can maybe borrow one from a previous PhilSci examinee or buy one or two volumes if you have the budget. The questions may or may not appear on the exams but they will definitely give you a hint on how difficult or how the questions on the exams will most probably be like.
7 There are schools like Quezon City Science High School that gives a pre-examination orientation. Take note of the schedule and attend it as much as you can because they give instructions which are crucial for your child to be able to take the exams on the examination day without hassle. Entrance exams start on time which means you need to assess all the activities you need to do before the time of exam to avoid being late ( location of the exam, time, parking, date of exam e.g. consider if it will be a weekday or weekend, ID’s needed, pencils and snacks allowed).
8 Prepare everything you need the day before the exam, and this includes the clothing and baon of the child. There are exam rooms that are air-conditioned and your child should feel comfortable while taking the exams. Don’t forget the snacks and water.
9 Be with your children on the day they will take the exams, as much as possible. Take a vacation leave or just give your full support to your child. Have breakfast together and create a calm atmosphere before the exams. Avoid the “sermon” muna and talk about something happy. This will lessen the pressure on both of you and your child will be able to fully concentrate while taking the exams.
10. Teach or tell your child to pray before the exams, while you on the other hand, can pray while your child is in there taking the exams. This is the part when you have done your part and God will do the rest. Not all students or parents who wish to get in a certain Science High School can make it but if you seek guidance and blessing from the Higher Power, you will be sure that whatever the outcome, it will be the perfect one for you and your child.
To you parent and student who will be taking the exams, we’ve been there, felt all the pressures. The challenges will not be definitely over after the exam but for now, just do your best in reviewing, take the exams well, and prepare for the best results. Good luck and hope to hear from you after you take the exams.
