“Offering scores” during high school graduation exam season: Faith encapsulates students’ worries

(Dan Tri) - From burning incense at pagodas to wearing lucky charms and eating "lucky" foods... many students and their families are choosing ways to pray for luck before the high school graduation exam.

Exam season… at the temple steps

These days, the number of students visiting spiritual places to burn incense and pray for luck is increasing. In the crowd, it is not difficult to see students holding exam papers and related items, accompanied by their parents quietly offering prayers.

Ms. Ngoc Lan, parent of a 12th grade student, shared: "I think that worshiping is sacred, abstaining is good, this is also an important exam for my child, so burning incense and praying is understandable, it helps my child feel secure."

Many parents take their children to the Temple of Literature to pray for luck before exams. (Photo: Tuyet Mai).

Not only do they burn incense, many young people also bring along “passing” charms, feng shui bracelets, and lucky foods. In some student forums, lists of “the most sacred temples to pray for passing exams” and “tips” such as eating balut before exams or sleeping with your head facing in which direction… are widely circulated and discussed.

Nguyen Minh Trang, a student in Cau Giay district ( Hanoi ), shared that she and her parents went to the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam to burn incense and pray for luck before the exam.

“I know that academic results depend on a long process, but going to the temple makes me feel calmer. When standing in front of the altar, I silently promise to try my best and not let down my parents and teachers,” Trang said.

The female student also said that she gently stroked the head of the stone turtle with the doctoral stele and bought a keychain with the word “Do” printed on it to hang on her school bag. “For me, that is like a way to gain strength. I believe in luck, but I believe even more that this belief helps me enter the exam room with a more confident mindset,” Trang expressed.

For many students, praying sincerely helps them feel more secure and steadfast. (Photo: Tuyet Mai).

Nguyen Tien Dat, a 12th grader in Bac Ninh , said that he and three friends rented a car to go to Hanoi to burn incense and pray for good luck at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam. This was a “special trip” that the group of friends had planned more than a month in advance as a ritual to mark an important turning point in their student lives.

“We brought our exam notices, old exam papers, and our highest scores throughout the year to place on the altar. Some of us even printed out a handwritten CV, clearly stating our first choice of school and major, as a way of “presenting our application” to Confucius,” Tien Dat said with a laugh.

Not only did they burn incense, the group also prepared a separate “wish book”, in which each person wrote down three commitments if they passed the exam. After praying, the group walked around the doctoral stele three times, each time reciting their commitments as a self-created ritual.

“It's definitely still mostly psychological, but I find it more fun and spirited. It's like a way to gather together to cheer each other on before entering the battle,” Dat shared.

On social networks, many types of lucky charms printed with university names are appearing more and more, attracting the attention of students hoping to get into their dream school. (Screenshot).

Right belief, enough action

During many years as a homeroom teacher of a senior class, Ms. Tran Thi Minh (homeroom teacher of grade 12, Hanoi) said she was familiar with the image of students going to pagodas to pray for luck, ask for lucky charms or even bring feng shui items during exams.

“I see religious activities appearing more and more frequently in schools, especially during major exams.

From a teacher's perspective, I understand this is a blend of cultural traditions and the students' need to find spiritual peace of mind," Ms. Minh shared.

According to Ms. Minh, many students admit that they “go to the temple for peace of mind”, praying before each exam is a way to reduce anxiety. This is a natural reaction when they have to face a lot of pressure from expectations and scores.

Sharing the same view, Ms. Trinh Phuong Dung, a literature teacher in Nghe An , believes that students going to temples or lucky charms is a manifestation of an understandable psychological reaction.

Ms. Phuong Dung emphasized: “The problem is not whether you believe or not, but the level of dependence. If that belief helps you stay calm and study more seriously, then it is okay. But if you think that just praying will help you pass the exam, then that is a problem.”

According to Ms. Dung, the fact that students share “prayer for high scores”, feng shui tips to help them do well in exams or learn about fortune telling on social media reflects the fact that many students are looking for ways to comfort themselves during stressful times.

On the TikTok platform, graduation exam prayers attract many searches, including videos that have received a lot of views and likes. (Screenshot).

According to Ms. Minh, lighting an incense stick, writing a wish or wearing a “lucky” bracelet is not a negative thing.

However, when that belief gradually replaces initiative and effort, schools and families need to take responsibility for reorientation.

“If you only advise your child to go to the temple to get good luck without accompanying him in his studies, that is a big mistake.

Instead, parents can support their children by helping them set up a reasonable study schedule, create a healthy living environment, eat nutritious food, sleep on time, and talk regularly to share pressure with their children," Ms. Minh frankly said.

On the school side, Ms. Minh believes that the role of school psychological counseling needs to be strengthened, especially during exam season - a time when students are prone to anxiety and imbalance.

“Counseling sessions or small group activities will help students realize that their emotions are normal and can be controlled with the right methods. That is a way to help them be mentally strong, instead of looking for short-term relief with lucky charms or prayers,” she said.

“I always tell my students: the greatest miracle does not lie in a charm, but in their own perseverance, sense of responsibility and will to study. When they understand and believe in their true value, they do not need any charm to pass the exam with dignity,” she shared.

Snow Plum

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/cung-diem-mua-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-niem-tin-goi-ghem-noi-lo-cua-si-tu-20250625130318166.htm