Prof. Tarhan: "Stress is natural before the exam. There should be stress, but no panic."

More than 4 million students and more than 12 million people with their families have got to the last chapter in the LGS and YKS exams. Evaluating exam anxiety, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "We say there should be stress, but there should be no panic. If stress is managed, the person's learning also increases. It stimulates the brain, releases dopamine in the brain and increases attention. It stimulates and increases the learning speed of the person."

Reminding that there should not be a communication that is focused on exam at the house, Tarhan suggested that "The high motivation technique is very inconvenient for children with a sense of responsibility, but it can be used for those who do not have a sense of responsibility."

The High School Transition System (LGS) and Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) exams, which concern more than 4 million students and their families and more than 12 million people, have gotten to the final chapter.

President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan gave advice to candidates on coping with exam stress and anxiety before the LGS to be held on Sunday, June 2 and the YKS to be held on June 8-9, 2024.

A whole accumulation is tested by an exam...

Noting that the exam process is a very important turning point for students and families, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "There are two important decisions in a person's life, one is the choice of profession, and the other is the decision to marry. It is very important for students to take exams such as LGS and YKS in terms of choosing a profession. An entire accumulation is tested by an exam. This is a source of stress for the student, it is normal to have anxiety in such situations. We say there is stress, there is no panic. If stress is managed, the person's learning also increases. It stimulates the brain, releases dopamine in the brain and increases attention. It stimulates and increases the learning speed of the person. However, brain function is adversely affected if it is mismanaged. It is very important to be able to manage."

Zero anxiety means that the mind and brain are not exercised...

Emphasizing the importance of process-oriented thinking, not result-oriented, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "When you think result-oriented, if there are concerns such as 'What will happen, will I win, will I not win, what will happen if I can't win, will it be the end of the world for me', it will be negatively affected. When a person thinks about something that he cannot control, his anxiety increases because he loses control and this negatively affects his exam, what he can control is the process. If he evaluates the process in the style of I will study this much a day, I have achieved this much success right now, and focuses on the process, his anxiety becomes controllable. Zero anxiety means that the person does not exercise his mind at all, does not exercise his brain. That's why controllable anxiety is important."

Some children's anxiety increases with the thought that I will 'embarrass' my parents...

Emphasizing that parents want the success of their children with good intentions and that they unknowingly increase the stress of their children, Tarhan expressed that "This is the most common situation we encounter. Parents give the child very high motivation. In such cases, the child's anxiety increases more because 'you do, you are important, you succeed, you are a lion, you are a tiger'. In fact, they say, 'What if you cannot do it, you are more important.' In this case, the child's stress increases more. Contrary to expectations, they are more worried that 'if I do not succeed, it will be very bad for me, I will embarrass them.'"

“Communication that focuses on exam should not be at home!

Stating that there should not be a constant exam-oriented communication in the house, Prof. Tarhan said that “When it is constantly said in the house, 'Did you study, how did it happen, do not worry, everything will be fine, you will be successful', it makes the person think result-oriented. When one thinks like this, their anxiety increases when the student focuses on something that they cannot control. So, what should parents do it in such cases? The high motivation technique is very inconvenient for children with a sense of responsibility, but it can be used in those who do not have a sense of responsibility."

Children with a high sense of responsibility should be comforted

Stating that instead of trying to motivate the child with a high sense of responsibility, what can be done to relax the child should be considered, Prof. Tarhan said that "It is necessary to teach these children to be accepting by saying, 'You are doing what is necessary'. Focusing on issues that children cannot manage, control or power is not a motivational technique, but rather a technique to increase anxiety, causes panic, and children forgets everything they know on the day of the exam. Ideally, if students have internal motivation, there is no need for external motivation. Gaining internal motivation is also a long process. It is about the habit of learning. Therefore, it is necessary to start years in advance. If there is internal motivation in the child, I think it would be a more rational and logical approach for parents to comfort children, to provide a family environment that will enable them to work healthily, to provide a peaceful environment at home and to focus on the needs of children regarding nutrition, instead of giving motivation to children."

It is necessary to define success...

Referring to the issue of success, Prof. Tarhan expressed that “What we understand by success is important. When it comes to success, academic success is always considered. Life success, which is the umbrella here, academic success should be in the second place, but when you focus on academic success, this time children become a victim of the global system, the competitive system, the capitalist system. They are in competition to be successful. In order for a person to be happy, successful and productive, it is necessary to define success within a correct philosophy of life."

At the end of life, success is not a situation, but a process...

Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan noted that at the end of life, success is not a situation, but a process, and that winning the university exam is a success, but real success includes the ability to cope with all the difficulties of life, and that it is necessary to emphasize the importance of the process when explaining success to children.

Stating that while explaining success to children, it is necessary to explain that they can be talented in different fields according to the theory of multiple intelligences, Prof. Tarhan said that "Some children may have musical intelligence. This does not require them to be artists in the field of music, but they can perform better by using music in their learning process. Other children may have social intelligence and can easily achieve social praise and success thanks to these abilities. Those with kinesthetic intelligence can succeed in more active professions. Therefore, when motivating children, it is important to focus on their strengths and encourage them to work in these areas. These abilities can be determined through career tests and similar tools. Someone with purpose is on the path to success by overcoming challenges. It is necessary to teach children that success is not just about achieving a goal, but about making an effort and learning on the way to that goal."

Parents should be guides, not captains

Stating that families should be like 'Guides in the lives of their children, Prof. Tarhan said that "In our country, when parents are very compassionate, they say I will do it, as long as my child does not feel sad, they do not make them do it. The child learns laziness, learns to refer to someone else. If the family becomes the guide, and the child will say, 'My mother is with me, my father is with me,' and the child will say, 'If I make a mistake, they will help me.' Children will not be afraid at all, and they will have the courage to do it, they will take risks. To take risks, the child needs to see that adults support them, especially while studying, but the child needs to be able to make their own decisions. It is necessary to leave the right to choose so that the child's talents can develop and progress by learning in life. That is why we say, 'Parents should be guides, not captains.'"

Home should be a safe space for children

Emphasizing the importance of making home a safe space for children, Prof. Tarhan continued his remarks as follows:

"When the home becomes a safe space, the child is more successful. We can say that the child is more unsuccessful and unhappy in the house where there is no safe space. It shows all kinds of things. Children can bite their nails, jump if something falls on the ground, they are constantly on the alert. Especially as the exam approaches, they become nauseous, dizzy, and often go to the toilet. Mothers and fathers already understand this very well. In such cases, it is important to make them feel that you are with them, to say 'You are doing your best, I hope the result will be in line with your goals and expectations' and make them feel that you are with them."

Parents are also worried...

Emphasizing that parents are more stressed and more anxious than students because the exam is approaching, Prof. Tarhan said that "If parents manage their anxiety, the child can also manage it. If the child makes their own decisions, makes their own choices, and makes the parents feel that they are with them, the child becomes more secure and can manage their anxiety. It is natural to have stress before the exam."

Warning that families should not make decisions on behalf of the child, Prof. Tarhan stated that "Both love and anger develop in the child towards the parents. The child begins to react passive-aggressively. Therefore, the decision should be made together with the child. The most common educational mistakes made in young people are attitude errors. In particular, comparing with peers in the form of expressing 'This person is successful, why are you not successful, you should be too, you should succeed, you should do it', lowering the child's self-confidence. Children devalues themselves. Let the child set their own goals, they will progress on the path of success without damaging their self-confidence."

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)