Upper secondary school

Finnish upper secondary school (lukio, similar to high school) normally takes three years and ends with the national Matriculation Examination, which gives eligibility for university. School of Mathematics students usually complete it in two.

School of Mathematics students usually complete upper secondary school at Tietotie Upper Secondary School in Valkeakoski. The compulsory courses are taught at Päivölä, following the national distribution of lesson hours. Advanced courses in mathematics and science go well beyond the upper secondary curriculum, and advanced physics, chemistry and mathematics are credited from the School’s own studies.

Advanced courses in all the other subjects that can be taken in the Matriculation Examination can be studied independently. Independently doesn’t mean alone: usually several students take the same course, so they can study together. Taking four or even more of these subject exams is a real possibility.

With twenty students per year and only two years, there is no room for a wide choice of classroom courses or many foreign languages. Instead, the emphasis is on individual needs and individual solutions. Students can also extend their upper secondary studies after the School of Mathematics ends. The year saved by finishing in two years can be used for all kinds of other studies, if something needed later was left out after all. It is also possible to stay at the School for a third year, if that works better for any reason.

Tietotie Upper Secondary School has teachers of Swedish, English, Russian, German and French, so these languages are available in principle. Fitting them into the School of Mathematics’ tight schedule is difficult, though, and in practice usually means a lot of independent study in the evenings.

The Matriculation Examination

Students take the Matriculation Examination through Tietotie Upper Secondary School, as from any other upper secondary school. Most make full use of the option to spread the exams over several sittings. Each student’s exam plan is made individually, so that as far as possible they can take every subject they want. On average our students take more than six subjects (the minimum in Finland is five).

Every student chooses their own exam schedule, but the following order is common at Päivölä and has worked well. In the first spring, most students start with the general-studies subjects whose compulsory courses they completed in the autumn term. In the second autumn they usually take mathematics, Finnish, and chemistry or physics, which leaves the option of improving their result in the spring. In the second spring they usually take foreign languages, physics or chemistry, and any other general-studies exam – and can resit earlier subjects to improve their grades.