According to experts, the advantages include less competition and pressure, as well as more time to adapt to the new reality
Entrance to university education It doesn’t just have to be at the beginning of the year. Many Brazilian institutions, both private and public, make mid-year selections so that new classes start classes from August onwards.
After a five-year suspension, the mid-year entrance exam resumes Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) in 2024. There will be 160 places for Agricultural, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering courses on the Ilha Solteira campus. The first phase of testing will take place on May 26th, the second on June 23rd and 24th.
To talk about the benefits of betting on June selections and starting college before the end of the year, the Estadao he heard Marco Antonio Bazanicoordinator of the mid-year entrance exam at the Ilha Solteira campus of UNESP, and Herbert Alexandre João, pedagogical coordinator of Vem Saber, a program of the University of São Paulo (USP) that promotes access to higher education among public school students.
1. Less competition
Since high school ends in December in Brazil, most students interested in pursuing higher education tend to participate in selection processes at the end of the year and enter university at the beginning of the following year. Therefore, competition for mid-year selections tends to be milder, both from the point of view of the ratio of candidates per vacancy and from the point of view of the cut-off score, which tends to be lower.
2. Alternative to changing course
Imagine someone starting a course in their first semester and soon realizing that that career seemed like, but really wasn’t, what they wanted. Instead of waiting until the end of the year to try a new course, the winter entrance exam allows you to make the change sooner. Or it may be that the student has chosen an educational institution, but after knowing its structure and teaching staff, he has decided on another. For this audience, mid-year exams are very appropriate, as they can adapt their study path without wasting time.
3. Advance ticket
“Instead of waiting 12 months to enter university, the student only takes six,” summarizes Márcio Bazani. For the Unesp coordinator, the mid-year entrance exam is like a new opportunity for the candidate to obtain the long-awaited entrance to university with a semester’s head start. “Sometimes it ends up being a strategy for the student to prepare for another six months to enter. I believe it is an entrance exam highly sought after by students with a good level and generally with experience of having taken other entrance exams, such as USP, Unicamp and Unesp,” he says.
4. Fresher contents in memory
Those who finished high school last year, when they take the tests now, have the advantage of having the “freshest” contents in their memory. However, educators point out that the entrance exam marathon requires more than just mastery of content. Since this is a long sequence of events, emotional and physical preparation is required.
5. Lower pressure
Mid-year entrance exams have another significant advantage: they can serve as additional training for students who wish to enter higher education and can serve as an additional test. “There is a psychological factor, especially in students who take a course, they feel more pressure. When they take the mid-year exams they feel more at ease, which positively affects the result. It is very common for students to say that they perform only to take the exam and end up passing it,” explains Herbert, recalling that many Brazilian public institutions offer semester selections and offer places for competitive courses such as Engineering and Medicine.
6. Time to settle down
Students who enter university in July and don’t wait for entrance exams in November and December gain more time to be confident in their academic choices. Even for those who were approved and enrolled in degrees that were second choice. “If an inconvenience occurs, you can change course. It often happens that students have difficulty making an assertive choice regarding their life plan. But this is not always an obstacle, because there is the possibility of moving or even taking a new entrance exam. The problem would be that the student would abandon his studies or continue studying something that makes no sense for his life”, says Professor Herbert.
7. University reception and support
As the number of “new college students” is lower than mid-year, teams offering pedagogical support at institutions tend to be less in demand and more willing to help new students. It is also a less turbulent period for searching and defining new addresses, when moving house is necessary due to the new university routine.
8. Federal Grants and Programs
Since demand is lower, private universities tend to improve financial conditions, offering more scholarships and discounts to applicants who pass the entrance exam. It is worth mentioning that the Ministry of Education (MEC) also opens a mid-year selection for ProUni, offering 50% and 100% scholarships in higher education institutions. Another option is Fies, the federally subsidized student loan, which opens places mid-year. The MEC has not yet released the details of the selection processes.
9. Entry into the world of work
One semester can make a lot of difference for someone who is in a hurry to start an internship and work in the field they have chosen to pursue. Many internship and internship programs offer opportunities at the beginning of the year, allowing students who have already completed their first subjects to be able to compete for a place.
10. Keep an eye on the dream
“Entering university at any time is always valuable, it means realizing a dream and pursuing the construction of your life plan. The only advantage is looking for a place halfway through the year”, says Professor Herbert. “At worst, it served as preparation for the end of the year and the student gained experience.” The educator points out that at USP the classes made up of students approved in the mid-year selections begin lessons together, with a simple shift compared to the calendar, which begins in January or February. In other words, these new students will not be entering a class whose course is already in progress. Another myth clarified by Herbert concerns academic performance, which tends to stabilize after the first year of graduation. «When the student learns to have autonomy in studying, understands programming, student performance ends up leveling off at the end of the first year of the degree. It is common to see leveling off, with close grade averages, even among students from public and private schools.”
Fatecs has open enrollment and 92 course options for technologists
In the case of technologists, the main entry point into São Paulo is through the university entrance exam. Faculty of Technology (Fatec). Registration can be done until the 7th, at 3pm, exclusively via place. The units offer free courses in higher technology. The test will be administered on June 30th. The fare is R$90.
The Paula Souza Center (CPS), the authority managing Fatecs, will offer 14,406 vacancies for this selection process. Another 5,109 vacancies are reserved for Provão Paulista candidates. In total there are 19,515 vacancies. Applicants can choose between in-person and distance learning (EaD) programs. There are 92 options.
Source: Terra
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