The final stretch has been reached in the LGS and YKS exams, which concern over 4 million students and, together with their families, over 12 million people. Evaluating exam anxiety, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "We say there is stress, no panic. If stress is managed, a person's learning also increases. It stimulates the brain, causes dopamine secretion in the brain, and increases attention. It creates animation, increasing a person's learning speed."
Reminding that there should not be constant exam-focused communication within the home, Tarhan suggested, "The high motivation technique is very problematic for children with a sense of responsibility, but it can be used for those without a sense of responsibility."
The final stretch has been entered in the High School Transition System (LGS) and Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS), which concern over 4 million students and, with their families, over 12 million people.
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, offered advice to candidates on coping with exam stress and anxiety before the LGS to be held on Sunday, June 2nd, and the YKS to be held on June 8-9, 2024.
An Entire Accumulation is Tested with One Exam…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the exam process is a very important turning point for both students and families, stating, "There are two important decisions in a person's life: one is career choice, and the other is marriage. Students taking exams like LGS and YKS is very important for career choice. An entire accumulation of knowledge is tested with one exam. This is a source of stress for students, and it's normal to have anxiety in such situations. We say there is stress, no panic. If stress is managed, a person's learning also increases. It stimulates the brain, causes dopamine secretion in the brain, and increases attention. It creates animation, increasing a person's learning speed. But if managed incorrectly, brain function is negatively affected. Being able to manage it is very important."
Zero Anxiety Means Not Engaging the Mind and Brain…
Emphasizing the importance of process-oriented, not outcome-oriented thinking, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "When you think outcome-oriented, if you have anxieties like 'What will happen, will I win, will I not win, what if I don't win, will it be the end of the world for me?', it will negatively affect you. When a person thinks about something they cannot control, their anxiety increases because they lose control, and this negatively affects their exam. What they can control is the process. If they evaluate the process by thinking 'I will study this many hours a day, I have achieved this much success so far', and focus on the process, anxiety becomes controllable. Zero anxiety means not engaging one's mind or brain at all. Therefore, controllable anxiety is important."
Some Children's Anxiety Increases More with the Thought of 'I Will Disappoint My Mother, My Father'…
Tarhan emphasized that parents, with good intentions, want their children to succeed but unknowingly increase their children's stress. "This is the most common situation we encounter. Parents give their children very high motivation, saying, 'You can do it, you are important, you will succeed, you are a lion, you are a tiger.' In such situations, the child's anxiety increases even more. They even say, 'What will happen if you can't do it, you are important.' In this situation, the child's stress increases even more. Contrary to expectations, their anxiety increases further with the thought, 'If I fail, it will be very bad for me, I will disappoint them.'"
There Should Not Be Constant Exam-Focused Communication at Home!
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that there should not be constant exam-focused communication within the home. "When phrases like 'Did you study? How was it? Don't worry, everything will be fine, you will succeed' are constantly used in the home, it makes the person think outcome-oriented. When thinking this way, the student's anxiety increases when they focus on a subject they cannot control. So, what should parents do in such situations? The high motivation technique is very problematic for children with a sense of responsibility, but it can be used for those without a sense of responsibility."
Children with a High Sense of Responsibility Should Be Reassured
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that instead of trying to motivate a child with a high sense of responsibility, one should consider what can be done to help the child relax. "It is necessary to teach these children to be accepting by saying, 'You are doing what is necessary.' Focusing on issues they cannot manage, control, or have the power to influence is not a motivation technique; it is more of an anxiety-increasing technique that leads to panic, causing them to forget everything they know on exam day. Ideally, if a child has intrinsic motivation, there is no need for external motivation. Building intrinsic motivation is also a long process, related to learning habits, and needs to be started years in advance. If a child has intrinsic motivation, I believe that instead of giving that child motivation, it would be a more rational and logical approach for parents to soothe the child, provide a family environment that supports their healthy work, ensure a peaceful atmosphere at home, and focus on their nutritional needs."
Success Needs to Be Defined…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also touched upon the issue of success, stating, "What we understand by success is important. When success is mentioned, academic success is always thought of. Here, life success should be the umbrella, and academic success should be secondary. But when you focus on academic success, the child becomes a victim of the global, competitive, capitalist system. They enter a competition to be successful. To be both happy, successful, and productive, a person needs to define success within a correct life philosophy."
At the End of Life, Success is a Process, Not a State…
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that at the end of life, success is a process, not a state, and stated that while winning the university exam is a success, true success involves the ability to cope with all of life's challenges, emphasizing the importance of the process when explaining success to children.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also stated that when explaining success to children, it is necessary to tell them that they can be talented in different areas according to the theory of multiple intelligences. "Some children may have musical intelligence; this does not require them to become artists in the field of music, but they can perform better by using music in their learning processes. Other children may have social intelligence, and thanks to these abilities, they can easily gain social praise and success. Those with kinesthetic intelligence can be successful in more active professions. Therefore, when motivating children, it is important to focus on their strengths and encourage them to put effort into these areas. These abilities can be determined with career tests and similar tools. Someone with a purpose progresses on the path to success by overcoming difficulties. It is necessary to teach children that success is not just reaching a goal, but also putting effort and learning on the way to that goal."
Parents Should Be Pilot Guides, Not Captains
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also stated that families should be like 'pilot guides' in their children's lives. "When parents are too affectionate with us, they say 'I'll do it myself even if I'm sad' and don't let the child do it. The child learns laziness, learns to delegate to others. If the family is a pilot guide, the child will say 'My mom is with me, my dad is with me,' and 'If I make a mistake, they will help me.' They won't be afraid at all, and they'll have the courage to do it, to take risks. For the child to be able to take risks, they need to see that adults are supportive, especially when studying, but also be able to make their own decisions. It is necessary to leave the right of choice to them so that their talents develop and they progress in life by learning. That's why we say, 'Parents should be pilot guides, not captains.'"
The Home Should Be a Safe Space for Children
Emphasizing the importance of the home becoming a safe space for children, Prof. Dr. Tarhan continued:
"When the home becomes a safe space, the child becomes more successful. We can say that in a home that is not a safe space, the child is more unsuccessful and unhappy. It shows in every way. They bite their nails, jump if something falls to the floor, and are constantly on edge. Especially as the exam approaches, they experience nausea, dizziness, and frequent trips to the toilet. Parents understand this very well. In such situations, instead of making promises or trying to soothe the child, it is important to make them feel you are by their side, saying, 'You are doing your best, and hopefully, the results will align with your goals and expectations.'"
Parents Are Also Anxious…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also emphasized that as the exam approaches, mothers and fathers are more stressed and anxious than the students. "If parents manage their anxiety, the child can also manage theirs. If the child makes their own decisions and choices, and the parents make them feel supported, the child becomes more secure and can manage their anxiety. It is natural to feel stress before an exam."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also warned families not to make decisions on behalf of their children, stating, "Both love and anger develop in the child towards their parents. The child begins to give passive-aggressive responses. Therefore, decisions should be made together with the child. The most common educational mistakes and attitude mistakes made with young people are comparing them with their peers, saying things like 'That person is successful, why aren't you, you should be, you must succeed, you must do it,' which undermines the child's self-confidence. The child devalues themselves. Let the child set their own goals, and they will progress on the path to success without damaging their self-confidence."