Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, offered advice on exam anxiety and stress management to university candidates before YKS, a crucial turning point in young people's lives.
The university entrance exams will be held this weekend. The pandemic process, which has affected the whole world for approximately 1.5 years, also greatly impacted young people's exam motivation. Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan offered important advice on coping with exam anxiety during this period. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that zero stress, or indifference, would cause a person to lose, and said, 'Moderate stress increases attention and learning ability and positively affects our motivation.'
How Did the Pandemic Process Affect Young People's Motivation for Exam Preparation?
The pandemic process, ongoing for approximately 1.5 years, negatively affected everyone from young to old. Young people preparing for exams during this period were also heavily affected by the situation. Students receiving remote education at home while simultaneously preparing for exams created a significant environment of anxiety.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continues his words by saying, 'There is stress, no panic':
Moderate stress increases attention and learning ability and positively affects our motivation. Zero stress, or indifference, leads a person to loss and destruction. Stress should not be seen as an enemy. When it comes to stress, instead of saying 'overcome stress', the phrase 'stress management' should be used. Stress is not something to be defeated, but something to be utilized. If you manage it, that stress will lead you to your goal. If you cannot manage it, it will lead you to ruin.
It is against human nature to be stress-free. It is something that makes people lazy and traps them in pleasure. One of the reasons for the increase in addiction is hedonism and avoidance of stress. Our genetic makeup includes setting a goal and working towards it. Human genetic makeup is coded accordingly. When we don't do this, the short-term goals in between only distract us.
According to Nevzat Tarhan, stress should be seen as a tool to be managed
Stress should be managed with a resource management logic. First, a goal should be set. Otherwise, it will be an unplanned journey. Let's think of it this way: you have a map, you know where you're going, but if you don't know where you are, knowing where you're going makes no sense. Similarly, managing one's own stress is very important for life plans. It enables a person to make healthy decisions. We should see stress not as a threat, but as a tool to be managed.
High motivation is also dangerous
High motivation is as dangerous as low motivation. Anxiety usually increases in young people with high motivation. While providing motivation, a sense of responsibility also needs to be developed in the child. The fear of failure puts young people under stress. In such situations, reminding young people of their past successes and empowering them is beneficial.
Nevzat Tarhan: “Focus on the process, not the outcome”
You recommend focusing on the process to prevent exam anxiety. During this period leading up to the exam, young people need to focus on the process itself, not on the exam result. Focusing on the exam result is something a person cannot control. When focusing on something beyond one's control, anxiety increases. However, at points they can control, such as reviewing what they know until the exam, solving 100-200 or 300 questions, is important.
Nevzat Tarhan draws attention to success in mock exams
Setting very ambitious goals in such exams, for instance aiming to be in the top 10,000, also stems from outcome-oriented thinking. The pressure of 'I will enter the top 10,000' is outcome-oriented thinking. Here, the young person starts to say, 'What if I don't get into the top 10,000?' They can set a goal for themselves like, 'I will do my best, this is my duty, but I don't know which rank I will achieve. Hopefully, I'll be in the top 10,000 or 50,000...' But if the student constantly thinks about the result from morning till night, they panic during the exam. Here, the young person needs to look at their successes in mock exams. If they think, 'Considering my past successful mock exams, there's no reason for me not to succeed,' their anxiety will decrease.