Last week before the university exam!

The final week before the 2023 Higher Education Institutions Exam has begun. Preference and Career Counselor Expert Psychological Counselor Ece Tözeniş offered vital advice on how students should utilize the last week and what they need to pay attention to. Reminding that health is paramount above all else, Tözeniş states that students should not study new topics in the final week. Instead, they should focus on completing deficiencies in existing subjects, time management, and determining exam strategies. Tözeniş also emphasizes that definitions of success imposed by others should not be taken as 'success,' reminding students, 'When you get tired, know how to rest, not how to quit the race…' 

Manage your time, determine your exam strategy!

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Preference and Career Counselor Expert Psychological Counselor Ece Tözeniş offered advice to students who will take the 2023 Higher Education Institutions Exam, which will be held in three sessions on June 17-18 and is expected to be attended by over 3 million candidates, just days before the exam.

First and foremost, pay great attention to your health!

Reminding that the Basic Proficiency Test (TYT) will be held on Saturday, June 17, the Field Proficiency Test (AYT) on Sunday morning, June 18, and the Foreign Language Test (YDT) on Sunday afternoon, Expert Psychological Counselor Ece Tözeniş added that the YKS results will be announced on July 20, 2023. 

Tözeniş stated that all candidates have put in great effort to reach the universities and professions they have dreamed of so far, and listed her recommendations on how students should utilize the last week as follows:

Don't break your routine, pay attention to your physical and mental health!

“First and foremost, pay great attention to your health. Establish your sleep routine. Make sure to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every night. The healthier you sleep, the more refreshed you will be during the day. Pay attention to your nutrition. Stay away from excessively fatty foods and junk food during this period. Engaging in physical exercises during the day will benefit both your physical and mental health.  With outdoor walks and light exercises that don't strain your body too much, you can feel better and more motivated.”

Create your own success

Warning students about the concept of success, Tözeniş said, “Do not take definitions of success imposed by others as your own criteria for success. 'Is success getting a high score on an exam, or getting into a university or department that is demanded of you?' Ask yourself this question. Everything that comes from within you, everything you do with your talents, is success. Frequently ask yourself, 'What do I enjoy doing, what am I good at?' This way, you will create your own success.” 

Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones

Tözeniş told students experiencing exam anxiety, “There will be times during this period when you lose motivation and your anxiety increases. Try to replace your negative thoughts, such as 'What if I don't win, what if I don't get the score I want,' with positive ones. Think about your previous achievements. How much effort have you put in so far, and what have you achieved in return for those efforts? Don't forget how valuable you are, and remind yourself of this occasionally.”

Learning new topics can hinder previous learning! 

Expert Psychological Counselor Ece Tözeniş pointed out that trying to learn new topics with little time left before the exam can also hinder previous learning, and said, “Make sure to review subjects. If there are topics you need to complete, choose those you can do best among them and plan your studies based on these topics.”

When you get tired, know how to rest, not how to quit the race!

Tözeniş, recommending that practice exams should be solved every day, concluded her words as follows:
- In these practice exams you will solve in YKS format, use your time well. 
- After the practice exam, always check your correct and incorrect answers. Make sure to review the wrong questions. If your mistake is due to carelessness, solve questions related to that topic. 
- If your mistake is due to a lack of subject knowledge, immediately complete your knowledge gaps related to that subject. 
- Determine your exam strategy. Decide now which test you should start with and which test you should continue with. 
- After establishing this strategy in practice exams, follow the same test order in YKS without making any changes. This will both enable you to use your time efficiently and prevent anxiety because you are accustomed to it from practice exams. 
- When you get tired, know how to rest, not how to quit the race. Remember, life is a choice!”