Approximately 1 million students are eagerly waiting for the High School Entrance Exam (LGS) to be held on Sunday, June 6, 2021. Pointing out the importance of stress control in children and young people who are preparing to take the exam, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan draws attention to the fact that the focus should be on the process, not the result, with only a few days before the exam.
Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan evaluated the students who will take the exam to pass from secondary education institutions to high school and their families about coping with exam stress.
Parental anxiety is contagious
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that there are only a few days left for LGS and pointed out the importance of mother and father attitudes in this period. Noting that the mother and father should guide the child correctly, Tarhan said: “The anxiety of the parents is contagious. Does the child have a high sense of responsibility or a low sense of responsibility? A child with a high sense of responsibility is approached differently, and a child with a low sense of responsibility is also different, but generally most of the children feel responsibility. To a child with high responsibilities, 'My son/daughter, it is okay if you don't study. When you say 'You are the important thing, your health', children get very depressed. The child already has anxiety about the exam, he has expectations, he has fear. In such situations, you run away from a person who is afraid. The child said, 'Oh, that means I can't take the exam, so my mother and father are talking like that.'”
Focus on the process, not the result
“However, you recommend focusing on the process in order to prevent the child's test anxiety. In this period until the exam, he should focus on the process here, not the exam result. Focusing on the exam result is something one cannot control. When he focuses on something he cannot control, anxiety rises, but at the point he can control, for example, it is important to repeat what he knows until the exam and to solve 100-200 or 300 questions.
Success in practice exams should be looked at
Stating that setting very big goals in such exams, for example, the goal of getting 10, is due to result-oriented thinking, Tarhan said, “The pressure to enter the first 10 thousand is result-oriented thinking. Here, the young 'What will happen if I do not enter the top 10 thousand?' starts to say. 'I will do my best, this is my duty, but I do not know how many thousand I can enter. He can set himself a goal like 'I hope I can get in 10 thousand or I will get in 50 thousand', but if he constantly thinks about the result from morning to evening, that student panics in the exam. Here, the child or young person needs to look at their success in the practice exam. 'I can enter the first 10 thousand in the trial tests. I got this score in the practice test before, I can do that too. If he thinks that there is no reason for me to be successful, his anxiety will decrease, that is, the anxiety of the person who is prepared will decrease in such cases.
Underlining that staying cool under stress is a skill that can be learned, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “This is not innate. It's like preparing a ship for a storm. "Smart captains are the ones who take precautions to avoid being caught in the storm," he said.
Stating that a plan should be made for every day before the exam, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that sometimes too much meaning is attributed to the exam and said, "However, the exam is one of the success steps in life."
It is important to live brain-friendly in coping with exam stress.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan listed his recommendations for coping with exam stress as follows: “Sleep, nutrition and exercise contribute greatly to coping with exam stress. Sleep is the brain's greatest friend. Brain-friendly people are more comfortable in the exam. What is involved in brain-friendly living? Diet is very important here. The stomach should not be overfilled. When the stomach is overfilled before the exam, it becomes difficult to focus. That's why it's very important to eat something light before the exam. When you eat carbohydrates and very sugary things before studying, blood sugar suddenly rises, so that tendency to sleep, weakness, weakness that can not move your arms and legs occur. Mediterranean cuisine is very important. We also call it a colored plate. It is a nutrition model that includes protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits, and foods of all colors. Eating this way is a brain-friendly diet.
Sleep must be regulated in coping with stress.
Pointing out the importance of quality sleep in coping with stress, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Coffee should be avoided before going to bed. Make sure to go to bed early and wake up early. Let them leave their tablets and phones before sleep. This reduces the quality of sleep," he said.
Stating that they can drink two cups of coffee a day, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “There is no problem in consuming coffee from morning until noon. “Coffee naturally attracts attention.”
The parent relationship affects the academic success of the child.
Stating that the child takes the relationship of his parents as an example, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “If there is a peaceful and warm atmosphere at home, it means that the parents have already prepared the atmosphere for the child's education. If the child comes home with pleasure, is happy at home, and likes his furniture and room, then 50 percent of it is done. It is also necessary to teach the child the balance of freedom-responsibility. Each age has its own responsibility. A 5-6 year old child is not given the responsibility of a 12-13 year old child," he said.
It should be felt that the home is the safest place
"This period is also adolescence period," said Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “This is the period of searching for and finding your own identity. It is important for them to feel that their mother and father are with them during this period. The child's safest place is home. This should be felt by the child,” he said.
The child should be given the opportunity to speak.
Noting that it is also important to spend time with the child, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Lessons should not be the only subject when spending time together. Life events, day-to-day events can be talked about, but not just mom or dad. Generally, in our culture, the mother and father speak, the child listens. The best learning method that makes the child ask questions is the socratic questioning method. For example, an approach such as 'What do you think about this issue' can be useful instead of saying 'I say this about this and that'. Instead of acting imperious to the child, it is necessary to set an example and offer options.”
We say there is stress, no panic
Stating that stress is normal and should be before the exam, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “We say there is stress, there is no panic. It is normal for a child to be stressed before the exam. Do not be afraid of it. There is stress, there is no panic, because panic breaks the person. It's not stress. Just being with her mom and dad is enough. Do not say anything to the child. Let them take it to the door. In a cold-blooded way, they should not speak at all. If the child wants to ask them, "he advised.
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