Summer Courses

[Make no mistake! ] How to choose a summer course] Mid-June! Many of you may be thinking, "What should I do with the summer course?" There is no doubt that being out of school for more than one month has a significant impact on children's education, for better or worse. I can understand the feelings of parents who said "I want you to have a meaningful summer vacation", and for that reason, I would like you to avoid choosing the wrong summer course, so this time I will explain "Don't make a mistake! Please refer to it. 【1.Clarify the purpose of the summer course】 If you go to cram school on a daily basis until elementary school ~ high school, you will naturally receive an "application form for the summer course" from the cram school. Then, without any worries, they sign and submit the application form as a matter of course, and the summer vacation shifts from commuting to cram school. However, before signing yourself, let's clarify the "purpose of the summer course" at home once again. "What are you participating in the summer course for?" And is the summer course of the cram school really suitable for your purpose? For example, ・If the goal is to spend a regular life (going to bed early and getting up early) during the summer vacation, is it a summer course with "classes from the morning" or not? Look at your calendar and examine it. ・ If you do not know the unit of the first semester and the purpose is to review, is it a summer course that does "thorough review of the first semester" or not? Find out what you'll learn in the summer course. ・ I want to start over my weak subjects from the basics in this one month! If the purpose is to "thoroughly provide individual guidance on weak subjects", is it a summer course of individual guidance? Inquire. ・If the goal is to dig deeper into your strong subjects, acquire applied knowledge, and become a source of points for passing the entrance exam, is it a high-level summer course "taught by a professional instructor" or not? Find out your tutor. ・ If the purpose is to focus on preparing for the school of your choice, is it "guidance by experienced veteran instructors" of the preparatory cram school that can thoroughly prepare for the school of your choice? Check with the cram school carefully. The main premise is that you (the child) clarify the purpose of participating in the summer course and say, "What are you participating in the summer course?" I think there is a tendency in cram schools to say, "It is natural for cram school students to participate in summer courses," but why don't you stop and discuss with your parents and children whether there is really a possibility that you can achieve the purpose you are looking for by participating in this cram school's summer course during this long vacation of more than one month? At this time, it may be a good idea to participate in a summer course that seems to match your purpose at another cram school that you do not attend. If you are not attending a cram school, do not apply easily by looking at DMs and leaflets, but make an objective judgment by clarifying the purpose. I went to a cram school in the hot weather, took classes somehow, and somehow the summer course was over! It is necessary to be careful not to become a "somehow" summer study. Whether or not you can make effective use of this long vacation of more than one month will undoubtedly have a significant impact on your learning from the second semester onwards (or to the entrance examination if you are an examinee). 【2. Check the schedule of the summer course you will participate in before applying】 Even if the purpose of the summer course is clear and you can find a cram school that matches the purpose, avoid "applying immediately". First, check the contents of the summer course and then ask them to show you the schedule of the course. Some summer courses are held all day from 9 am ~ 8 pm (even if there is a break time and lunch time), but this is not recommended. Some parents think that it is better to be detained at a cram school because they will not study even if they stay at home, but the result is almost disappointing and the summer course will end (although there is still a grace period if this is 1~2 times / week). The reason is that "there is no time for calm review at home." In other words, you don't have time to take home and review what you learned in the summer course. I do my best to go to a cram school and take a course, and I am "left to take the course" and I can't learn it at all. Unlike daily cram school studies, summer courses tend to be rushed and study various units. The unit changes from one to the next, so you must review it at home or the learning content will not stick. However, if you take summer courses for a long time every day, you will not have time to review at home, and in the end, you may end up regretting after the summer vacation, thinking, "I went to the summer course that much, but was it meaningful?" The cost is quite high, and be careful not to "disappoint" after a lot of money and a lot of time and effort. It is important to have a calm idea in the back of your mind, such as "the cost of summer courses contributes to the sales of the cram school business." 【3. Check the course materials and instructors】 Next, ask them to show you the materials for the summer course. If you look at the teaching materials, you can see the level and difficulty level of learning in the summer course to some extent. Students (children) themselves look at the teaching materials and say, "Hey ~ I'm going to learn this kind of content! Whether you feel attracted or not. This is the deciding factor in whether or not to take the course. If you get the impression that "it looks easy ~", or conversely, if you think, "I don't understand this at all!", Please think that it is not suitable for your level. Also, is the content of the materials consistent with the purpose of your summer course? is also a factor in your decision. If the purpose of your course is "I want to review the first semester", but the material is pre-study for the second semester, it is completely out of your purpose, so please refrain from it. The biggest point in choosing a summer course is who will teach it. No matter how wonderful the materials are and how well the cram school matches the purpose of your summer course, the compatibility with the instructor will result in a huge difference. Who will teach you in the summer course? It is no exaggeration to say that it is decided by. Be sure to check your instructor before applying. In particular, the summer course has a great impact on the sales of the cram school, so we will recruit as many participants as possible. There tends to be a shortage of instructors, and there are many cases where part-time workers (some part-time students or inexperienced instructors) provide guidance as temporary lecturers. In order not to draw a disastrous "lottery" such as guidance by inexperienced instructors while paying a large amount of money, please be sure to include parents and see through the position of the cram school. [4. Receive a general explanation of the flow of the class] [...]