President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the topic of psychological preparation for exams.
Anxiety is a sign that you care
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that exam anxiety should not be viewed as an entirely negative situation, saying, “It is a very desirable and expected thing for a person to feel anxiety during an exam. Anxiety shows that one cares about the exam and has made a mental investment. The important thing is to be able to control anxiety.”
Prof. Tarhan stated that when anxiety cannot be controlled, it grows and creates “catastrophe scenarios” in a person’s mind, defining this situation as “catastrophization” in psychology and adding, “A person magnifies the exam so much that they see it as if it were the apocalypse of their life. They think, ‘Either I will succeed or I will fail.’ This black-and-white thinking style increases anxiety.”
Break big goals into small pieces
Prof. Tarhan stated that one of the most common mistakes students make is to exaggerate their goals, saying, “You cannot eat an apple all at once; you eat it piece by piece. Problems also need to be solved by making them smaller. When big goals are divided into small steps, procrastination disappears.”
Emphasizing that the most critical mental transformation during the exam process is “shifting from outcome-orientedness to process-orientedness,” Prof. Tarhan drew attention to the importance of focusing on controllable areas, stating, “The outcome cannot be controlled, but the process can. Instead of thinking ‘Will I win?’, one should think ‘How many questions will I solve today?’. Everyone who focuses on uncontrollable things experiences increased anxiety.”
Perfectionism and comparison are traps
Prof. Tarhan stated that procrastination often stems from perfectionism and the tendency to compare, warning students with these words:
“Some people think ‘all or nothing’. If they can’t do it perfectly, they prefer not to do it at all. However, doing something imperfectly is better than not doing it at all. ‘Better is the enemy of good.’ Don’t compare yourself to others. There are people who say, ‘I didn’t study at all’ and score high on exams. They are struggling with themselves. Comparison reduces motivation.”
If anxiety is managed correctly, it increases performance
Prof. Tarhan stated that physical symptoms experienced before an exam are also natural, saying, “Some hormones secreted before an exam are meant to increase a person’s performance. Controlled stress is like energy; if managed correctly, it leads the person to their goal.”
Success comes with consistency
Addressing the concept of motivation, Prof. Tarhan said, “Motivation sometimes exists, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s there in the morning, gone in the evening. Success is not always being motivated; it is being able to continue on your path despite everything. Sustainable motivation is formed through planned work.”
Prof. Tarhan, also offering an important roadmap to young people, stated that self-awareness is at the core of overcoming the habit of procrastination, adding, “To prevent procrastination, we need to know ourselves, manage our emotions, and clarify our goals. Anyone who moves towards their goal with small but determined steps can achieve success.”
The brain does not like uncertainty
Prof. Tarhan stated that the human mind automatically develops a perception of threat in the face of uncertainty, saying, “The human brain has a trap: it cannot accept uncertainty. When there is uncertainty, the brain loses its sense of control and starts to produce fear because it doesn’t know what will happen. Uncertainty related to exams also increases anxiety.”
Prof. Tarhan, stating that the place of exams in life should be correctly defined, told young people that they need to develop alternative thinking skills and suggested, “This exam is just one step on the path of life. It is not a matter of life or death. One must be able to say, ‘If I can’t pass this step, I have a Plan B, a Plan C.’ What reduces uncertainty is making a plan.”
Semantic framing manages the mind
Prof. Tarhan, drawing attention to the concept defined as “intentional framework” in psychology, stated that the mind’s way of making sense directly affects anxiety, and said, “If you consciously frame a topic, the brain works in a controlled way, not with stress. A person who can do semantic framing can manage their mind. We need to be masters in using our brains.”
Planning reduces uncertainty
Emphasizing that daily, medium, and long-term planning creates psychological security, Prof. Tarhan said, “If a person plans their day and determines their short-term and long-term goals, uncertainty disappears. Trust is formed in environments with rules. Similarly, in societies where the rule of law prevails, there is predictability, and people feel safe.”
Time is the most valuable capital
Prof. Tarhan stated that one of the most critical resources humans possess is time, saying, “Just as we have financial capital, we also have psychological, social, and time capital. Managing time is the most important skill. Look at how people spend their time, and you will understand their lives. Humans are not beings programmed only for eating, drinking, reproducing, and sheltering. Our genetic codes, unlike other living beings, point to a broader search for meaning and purpose. For example, in a dog’s dream world, there is a bone; in a cat’s world, there is a mouse or fish. The roles of other living beings within the ecosystem are genetically determined. Bees are one of the most critical elements of this system. According to models, the disappearance of bees leads to the interruption of the pollination process and, in the long term, serious damage to the ecosystem. This shows that every living being in nature has a specific function.”
Humans are beings that transcend nature
Prof. Tarhan, touching upon the human role in the ecosystem, noted that having consciousness and free will brings responsibility, stating, “Humans are beings capable of both good and evil with their free will. They have the power to dominate nature. That is why they need to succeed in transcending themselves.”
Prof. Tarhan, also referring to the hierarchy of needs in psychology, stated that the highest level of human development is possible through “self-transcendence,” and said, “Self-actualization alone is not enough; one needs to transcend oneself. Helping others, valuing spiritual needs, and developing prosocial emotions mature a person.”
Being intelligent and successful is not enough, one must be benevolent
Prof. Tarhan stated that the concept of success needs to be redefined, saying, “Being intelligent and successful alone is not enough. There are intelligent people who do harmful things. For success, one needs to be intelligent, hardworking, and benevolent.”
Prof. Tarhan called on young people to position exams correctly, emphasizing that there is a gain even in case of failure, and expressed his views by saying, “Every exam develops a person. Even if you fail, you learn something. Exams are arduous, but their fruit is sweet.”
Being able to manage one’s impulses is important
Prof. Tarhan, drawing attention to the importance of inner discipline, said, “Every exam develops a person; this needs to be particularly emphasized. The exam process and preparation phase are arduous and sometimes challenging, but the gains obtained in the end are valuable. Even if you fail, you definitely learn something; which is actually a kind of success. Therefore, one should focus not on the exam itself, but on the satisfaction that achievement brings. When the difficulty of the exam is felt, distracting alternatives often emerge: thoughts like ‘Let’s go to the game,’ ‘Let me distract myself with the computer for a bit,’ or ‘Let me spend time on the phone’… It is precisely at that moment that it is important for a person to ask themselves: ‘Why do I want to study?’ If they can answer this question with a strong ideal and a meaningful goal, the person can say ‘stop’ to their desires and impulses. True freedom is not doing whatever one wants. Real freedom is being able to manage one’s own desires and impulses, to master them. Therefore, an individual who wants to be free must learn to control the tempting and distracting impulses within. This skill plays a decisive role not only for academic success, but also in social relationships, emotional balance, and overall life success.”
Self-interest yields short-term, virtue long-term gains
Prof. Tarhan emphasized that individuals who can strike the right balance between short-term pleasures and long-term meaning stand out in both academic and life success.
Prof. Tarhan, addressing the fundamental motivations that guide human behavior, said, “If we ask whether it is more profitable to be self-interested or virtuous, most people would say that being self-interested is more profitable. That is true; self-interest brings short-term gains. But in the medium and long term, the virtuous one always wins.”
Academic success alone is not enough
Prof. Tarhan pointed out that the understanding of education needs to transform today, saying, “In developed countries, schools no longer look solely at academic success. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs are being implemented. Because academic success alone does not bring life success.”
Prof. Tarhan stated that associating success solely with material gain is a serious mistake, saying, “A child once said, ‘I already have money, why should I study?’ Because the only meaning he attributed to success was money. However, a greater, deeper meaning should be attributed to success.”
Advice to young people: Live a meaning-focused, not pleasure-focused, life
Prof. Tarhan advised young people, “If you want to be someone pointed out in the future, build a meaning-focused, not pleasure-focused, life. Those who can wait, not those who say ‘I want it now,’ win.”
Prof. Tarhan stated that one of the biggest problems for today’s youth is distraction, saying, “When studying, take your phone to another room. Notifications divide attention. Families should also put away phones during meals.”
Adolescence is a natural but risky period
Prof. Tarhan, also referring to adolescence, said, “Making mistakes is natural during adolescence. However, major risks must be avoided. This period is a time of learning and development.”
Prof. Tarhan also gave important warnings to parents, saying, “While parents try to be supportive with good intentions, they can transmit their anxieties to their children. Saying ‘It’s okay if you don’t study’ creates more stress in some children. The most correct approach is: ‘You study, do your best. The outcome doesn’t matter.’”
Young people should make their own plans
Emphasizing the importance of individual responsibility, Prof. Tarhan said, “Young people should make their own plans and clearly communicate this to their families. A young person who can say, ‘I have made my plan’ can manage both their own anxiety and their family’s anxiety.”
Prof. Tarhan stated that exam success is possible not only with knowledge, but also with meaning, patience, self-control, and psychological resilience, and emphasized that young people should focus on long-term goals.
A child is not an extension of their parents
Prof. Tarhan, addressing common mistakes in parents’ approach to their children, said, “As a child gains self-confidence, they should be allowed to remain an ‘I’ within the family and become a ‘we’. Parents should not see their child as an extension of themselves. They are not a being to be managed by saying ‘lie down’ or ‘get up’. They are a separate individual.”
Staying ‘in the moment’ during an exam increases success
Prof. Tarhan also shared practical recommendations for managing anxiety experienced during exams, emphasizing the importance of the “staying in the moment” method.
Prof. Tarhan concluded by saying, “A student who gets stuck on a difficult question during an exam can panic, thinking ‘Oh no, I won’t be able to do it.’ In this situation, the best thing to do is to first solve the well-known questions. Difficult questions should be marked and left for the end. The human brain is an organ of estimation. The first answer that comes to mind is often correct. But it needs to be marked and re-evaluated in the remaining time.”
