Expert Psychological Counselor Özgür Akoğlan, Manager of Üsküdar University Educational Institutions and Guidance Services, provided information on how the 9-day Eid holiday can be transformed into a productive 'exam camp' for students preparing for YKS, through proper planning, psychological resilience, and strategic study.
True success will belong to those who quicken their steps when everyone else pauses!
Expert Psychological Counselor Özgür Akoğlan emphasized that in this critical period, with the countdown to YKS having begun, the Eid al-Adha holiday extended to 9 days is far beyond an ordinary rest phase, truly bearing the characteristic of a 'championship turn'. He stated, “This period, where many candidates will slow down due to the fatigue of the exam marathon, transforms into an opportunity to break away from a mass elimination wave and climb to the top when managed with the right strategy. True success will belong to those who quicken their steps when everyone else pauses.”
Akoğlan conveyed that what determines champions in exam processes is the crisis management shown at junctures where everyone gets tired and pauses, and pointed out that this long holiday, when managed with correct moves, is the shortest and most effective way to open an unclosable gap with competitors.
The formula for turning a long holiday into victory lies in managing time with the right strategies!
“The formula for turning this long holiday into victory lies in managing time with surgical precision and implementing the right strategies,” said Akoğlan, warning that spending all 9 days immersed in study could lead to mental exhaustion, just as leaving it entirely blank could rust months of effort in an instant.
1+8 Psychological Balance Model
Akoğlan shared a balanced plan proposal to be implemented during this period, stating:
“The holiday can be structured with the ‘1+8 Psychological Balance Model’. Dedicating only the first day of Eid to family visits, rest, and recharging motivation will provide the necessary energy for the intensive study pace to be maintained throughout the remaining 8 days. The period beginning after the first day should be positioned almost like a ‘YKS Simulation Center’.
The most effective tactic to perfect the process and turn the Eid atmosphere to your advantage is to sit down at your desk every morning at exactly 10:15 AM and start a continuous TYT or AYT practice exam, in order to synchronize your biological clock with the exam day.”
A mind that manages to focus amidst noise practically giants itself in the silence of the exam hall!
Özgür Akoğlan, expressing that instead of isolating oneself from the world by wearing headphones amidst the pleasant hustle and bustle at home, the clatter of dishes from the kitchen, and guest traffic during Eid days, those background sounds can be turned into an advantage, said, “Consider this domestic activity as a ‘stress and focus simulation’ so that your focus isn't disrupted by the tapping of a pencil from the next candidate or a vehicle noise from outside during the actual exam. A mind that manages to focus amidst noise will practically become gigantic in the silence of the exam hall.”
Surgical Intervention Tactic
Akoğlan, recommending the implementation of the ‘Surgical Intervention Tactic’ instead of getting lost among resources in the afternoons, stated, “If you realize in your post-exam analysis that you missed a question on ‘Problems’ in TYT Mathematics or ‘Electrostatics’ in AYT Physics, don't waste time studying the entire topic from scratch. Just watch the solution video for that question, write the critical rule on a card, and close the gap by solving 5 questions of that specific type.”
9 days is the perfect opportunity to eliminate deferred difficult topics!
At this point, Akoğlan noted that ‘Lost Net Hunting’, which is of great importance in exam strategies, comes into play, and continued:
“While many students cannot leave their comfort zone by constantly studying topics they already know, your main goal in this camp should be to confront your fears. 9 days is the perfect opportunity to completely eliminate the 3-4 most difficult topics that candidates have been postponing for months and shy away from hearing their names. You can declare this period a ‘Fear Wall Demolition Camp’ and dedicate 2 hours every morning when your mind is clearest, solely to high standard deviation topics like Integral in AYT Mathematics or Organic Chemistry in Chemistry.
Old friends strategy…
Another effective move is the ‘Old Friends’ strategy; piling up all the practice exams you've solved since the beginning of the year and re-solving only the starred questions you got wrong or left blank is the most rational way to close the last gaps before the exam. When you feel stifled from being cooped up at home, you can use the ‘Voice Recording and Walking’ combination; especially for rote-learning subjects like Literature, History, or Biology, recording key information in your own voice on your phone and listening to it during evening walks will maximize the retention of information due to the increased blood flow from physical activity.”
Not those who study a lot, but those who manage anxiety well, win the exam!
Özgür Akoğlan, reminding that the biggest challenge to be faced during the 9-day Eid holiday will not be academic but social and psychological, said, “Use the ‘Diplomatic Shield’ tactic against the well-intentioned but pressure-inducing curious questions from your surroundings like ‘So, how are your scores? What's your target?’ Instead of giving long explanations and depleting your mental energy, close the topic by saying, ‘Everything is going as planned, I'm doing my best, I'm awaiting your prayers,’ and maintain your focus.”
Akoğlan concluded his remarks by saying, “As experts also state, the exam is won not only by those who study a lot, but by candidates with ‘high psychological resilience’ who best manage anxiety and peer pressure.”
“This long Eid holiday will be a holiday for those who correctly draw the fine line between resting and giving up, for those who transform the 9 days not into complacency but into a growth camp. Candidates who show the will to sit at that desk in the early morning while everyone else is in holiday mode will receive the reward for this sacrifice at the top when they open the exam booklet on exam day.”
