Sibel Durak, Coordinator of Bahçeşehir College Psychological Counseling and Guidance Department, made valuable suggestions to students and their parents who will take the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS).
The Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) will take place on 17-18 June. With only a few days left before the exam, the excitement of the students increases. Saying that excitement is beneficial when properly managed, Bahçeşehir College Psychological Counseling and Guidance (PDR) Department Coordinator Sibel Durak gives important tips to students. Durak advises students to finish their learning preparations a few days before the exam. However, Durak stated that if the student will feel better by studying, he can study, “Instead of trying to learn something new, it would be more appropriate to take retests or practice exams on the subjects you have learned. Go over your missing topics. Do topic repetitions. Go over important notes, formulas, dates that you took in your previous work,” she said.
Pointing out that the night before the exam should be kept as ordinary as possible, Durak continued: “Do not plan activities other than what you normally do. Physically tiring activities suggested by those around you to distract your mind before the exam or eating different foods that may upset your stomach will negatively affect your exam performance the next day.”
Bahçeşehir College PDR Coordinator Sibel Durak listed the things to be done on the morning of the exam as follows:
“Check your exam documents one last time before you leave home. Do not take with you items that are forbidden to have with you. Choose a simple outfit without accessories that you will feel comfortable in. Make sure to have a balanced breakfast. Make sure that this breakfast consists of the foods you usually prefer to eat. Do not allow those around you to feed you unfamiliar foods, thinking that it is "helpful". Remember that foods you are not used to can touch you. You have to be at the exam venue 1 hour before. Act so that it is not too late, considering all possibilities. Make sure you meet your physiological needs, like going to the bathroom, before the exam starts.”
Apply the circling technique to avoid wasting time
Durak advised the students to define a strategy and take the exam. Durak said, "It is necessary to take the exam by deciding which test to start with, how to behave when time is running out, and which test to return to the questions left blank when all the questions are finished."
Durak explained the touring technique as follows:
“If you get stuck on a question, you may not be using the time well. The one who asks a lot of questions wins, not the one who asks hard questions. For this reason, instead of spending too much time on unsolved questions, you can use the tour technique. Do the easy questions that you can do right away in the first round. Then put a plus sign next to the questions that will take your time, but that you think you can do, and return to these questions first after you finish the easy questions in the first round. Put a different sign next to the questions you think are too difficult. Return to these questions after you've finished the second round of questions. Do not be intimidated by questions that seem long and complicated. Especially in paragraph questions, read the root of the question first. In this way, you will know from which point of view you should evaluate the paragraph and you will be able to easily find the right answer.”
“When reading the questions, be careful to understand the root of the question”
Stating that a little excitement before and during the exam is normal and even beneficial, Durak said, "This shows that he wants to succeed and that he cares about the exam."
Durak suggested the following for students to control their excitement and focus their attention during the exam:
“Think of a positive person who makes you feel happy and peaceful. It can be someone you know, or a leader, thinker or artist who influences you and takes you as a model. Imagine that this person is supporting you, giving you advice that will dampen your excitement. Repeat the affirmative sentence that this person has told you several times. Breathing exercise helps you manage your excitement. Take a deep breath through your nose. Hold your breath for 1-2 seconds and slowly exhale through your mouth for about twice the amount of time you take in. Do as many breathing exercises as you can at different times of the day. The more you exercise, the quicker your body will adjust and adapt. Focus on the people around you instead of the excitement you feel in your body. This brief moment of conscious focus shift will help you recover. “How do I hold my pen? What question am I on?" You can use questions like:
Don't forget; Whether you can't do a question in the exam due to carelessness or you can't do it because you don't know, your exam result will be affected at the same rate. The price of distraction is not small. Therefore, while reading, be careful to understand the root of the question and notice the important points in the question. When you feel your mind getting tired, close your eyes for 5-10 seconds and gently massage your forehead to collect yourself. Try to get enough sleep. Be careful not to go to bed earlier or later than you normally sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, a hot shower, warm milk or herbal tea may help. If you are worried about not being able to sleep, you can wake up early the day before the exam and sleep the night before the exam.”
Save your critiques for after the exam
Sibel Durak, Coordinator of Bahçeşehir College Psychological Counseling and Guidance Department, advised parents to avoid critical sentences a few days before the exam. Underlining that if parents have criticisms about their children's attitudes during the exam preparation process, they should postpone it until after the exam, Durak continued as follows:
“We all know that all people get excited when they undertake a task that is important to them. So you should know that it is normal to be excited about the exam. A certain level of excitement both enables us to focus and closes our minds to stimuli coming from the environment. The goal should not be to completely eliminate anxiety, but to keep it at a certain level. For this, it is important to listen to them first, to give them the opportunity to express their anxious thoughts and to make hopeful sentences. Phrases such as "Don't be excited!", "There is nothing to be excited about" may cause the child to be excited instead of comforting. For this reason, positive conversations about the exam such as “I believe your efforts will pay off” increase self-confidence and reduce anxiety.”