The final month has begun for the 2024 Higher Education Institutions Exam. Üsküdar University Director of Educational Institutions and Guidance Services Ertuğrul Tut offered recommendations to students on how to utilize the last month and what to pay attention to.
Ertuğrul Tut said, “The most effective study to do one month before YKS is to solve plenty of practice exams and rapidly review topics based on the solutions to questions that could not be answered in the practice exams. These practice exams could also involve solving past exam questions starting from the most recent dates. In a practice exam, the questions that could not be answered are much more important than those that could.” he stated.
Üsküdar University Director of Educational Institutions and Guidance Services Ertuğrul Tut offered advice to students who will take the 2024 Higher Education Institutions Exam, which will be held in three sessions on June 8-9 and is expected to be attended by over 3 million candidates, a month before the exam.
Guidance Services Director Ertuğrul Tut reminded that within the scope of YKS, the Basic Proficiency Test (TYT) will be held first on Saturday, June 8, the Field Proficiency Tests (AYT) on Sunday morning, June 9, and the Foreign Language Test (YDT) in the afternoon session.
Topics Removed Due to Earthquake Re-included in Curriculum This Year
Pointing to current developments regarding the 2024 exam for students preparing for YKS, Ertuğrul Tut said, “Last year, some topics from the 12th-grade second-semester curriculum were removed from YKS due to the earthquake. This year, these topics have been re-included in the YKS curriculum. Apart from this, we cannot speak of any innovation that would affect students.”
Not the Questions You Can Answer, But the Questions You Can't Are Much More Important!
Ertuğrul Tut also provided the following information on how to create an effective study program for candidates preparing for YKS with one month left:
“The most effective study to do one month before YKS is to solve plenty of practice exams and rapidly review topics based on the solutions to questions that could not be answered in the practice exams. These practice exams could also involve solving past exam questions starting from the most recent dates. In a practice exam, the questions that could not be answered are much more important than those that could. Identifying topic deficiencies and developing solutions for different question types can be achieved by grasping the solution logic of the unanswered questions.”
Candidates Who Manage Time Are More Likely to Succeed
Stating that it cannot be said 'This tactic will yield a very positive result' for success in the YKS exam, Ertuğrul Tut said the following:
“However, some important nuances can enable candidates to get ahead in this race. As is known, YKS is a ranking exam, even though certain departments have set ranking thresholds. Candidates who prepare very well throughout the term can be disappointed by small mistakes during the exam. The most important thing to pay attention to is for candidates to develop the most suitable tactic for themselves. They can determine which subject to start with through the practice exams they solve. It should not be forgotten that the exam is timed. Along with this, time planning during the exam is also very important.
In recent years, the most significant characteristic of ÖSYM (Student Selection and Placement Center) is that the questions prepared cause candidates to lose time. In fact, ÖSYM is also measuring the candidate's time management skills here. For this reason, candidates who can manage their time have a higher chance of success. Another importance of practice exams also emerges here: time control and strategy determination.”
Abdominal Pain, Sweaty Hands During Exam Affect Exam Success
Regarding whether merely studying is sufficient for success in YKS and the importance of mental and physical health, Ertuğrul Tut noted the following:
“Both processes are complementary elements. Very intensive study can create the feeling that one will enter the exam perfectly prepared. However, the candidate's motivation and concentration before the exam also determine the course of the exam. An excessive rise in anxiety levels also brings along some physical problems. The most prominent characteristics such as loss of motivation, lack of concentration, excessive sweating in the hands and different parts of the body, headaches, abdominal pain, and nausea during the exam also affect exam success.”
Career Choice Without Self-Knowledge Leads to Unhappiness!
Providing information on what to pay attention to when making choices in YKS, Ertuğrul Tut, Director of Educational Institutions and Guidance Services, said, “The preference process is perhaps the final stage of exhaustion, but we can call it the most important step. This final stage of the process is also where the most mistakes are made. Candidates, thinking that the process ends after the exam, along with their exhaustion, make university and career choices too quickly, without much thought or self-reflection. The most important thing I recommend here is for the candidate to confide in themselves, to know what they want by understanding themselves, and to dream about the profession they will choose. They should not forget that what is popular can go out of fashion. Unfortunately, our social structure and education curriculum do not give students much opportunity to know themselves. Choosing a profession without knowing oneself means an unhappy educational life and an unhappy professional life.”
Parents Should Not Impose Their Own Dreams on the Candidate!
Expressing that families have a lot to do during the preference period, Tut concluded his words by saying, “It is very important for families to assist the candidate in career selection, but this assistance should not turn into pressure. They need to enable the candidate to get to know various professions. While parents provide well-intentioned guidance, they should not impose their own dreams on the candidate but rather allow those who are the subject of the process to live their own dreams. Visiting universities and departments (within possibilities) to get detailed information can provide insight. Additionally, by looking at the undergraduate courses of the department to be studied, one can decide whether the department is within their area of interest. Career Tests can contribute to narrowing down the list. Seeking an expert opinion can enable these processes to function healthily.”