“Not getting into college this year isn’t a tragedy”: The head of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment urged applicants not to fear a “lost year”

6 July 14:58

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Failure to gain admission to a higher education institution after taking the National Multisubject Test does not mean that an applicant has lost the chance for a successful future. Instead, society should reject the imposed notion of a “lost year,” which only increases the psychological pressure on graduates.

This was stated by Tetyana Vakulenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian"

According to her, many applicants and parents view the admissions process as their only chance to determine their future, although in reality this is not the case.

“I really don’t like the phrase ‘lost year.’ If a person didn’t get into college this year, it doesn’t mean their life has come to a standstill or that they’ve lost their opportunities,” Vakulenko said.

She emphasized that young people can use this time to prepare for reapplying, acquire new skills, work, volunteer, or rethink their career choices.

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The head of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment also urged parents not to put excessive psychological pressure on their children during the admissions process, since the results of the National Multidisciplinary Test do not determine a person’s future.

According to Vakulenko, decisions about future education should be well-considered, rather than dictated by the fear of losing a year or the need to get into college at any cost.