As the TEOG and LYS exams approached, my conversations with young people about their exam anxiety began to increase. I wanted to address this issue so that the situation of young people can be better understood.
The basis of test anxiety is our thoughts.
Exam anxiety basically originates from the problems of giving meaning and thinking. . We see something the way we look at it. If we do not question how we look, we will struggle with anxiety without realizing where we made the mistake.
It is necessary to give the correct meaning to the exam...
Exam preparation is essentially acquiring knowledge and using this knowledge. It is the process of returning it within the given time. Therefore, it requires gaining skills in acquiring knowledge and time management. We gain knowledge and skills through our preparations, and we test them with the tests we take.
Our knowledge and skills can be improved…
We improve our knowledge and skills as much as we can until the big exam, on the exam day. We try to reflect what we have acquired on paper. The exam is an opportunity and if we do not use this opportunity well, we will learn lessons for other opportunities. Life is full of opportunities.
If different meanings are attributed to the exam and the preparation process..
Some young people, for various reasons, attach different meanings to the exam, themselves and their environment. They start. Mistakes made in trials reflect personality rather than a message about the way of working. According to this result, they are not as smart as others. Even if they try, they won't be able to do it. The information in the exam is the information that is forgotten even if it is studied. On the exam day, a danger begins to appear. The big exam is like a future test. Failing the exam will turn into disasters in the future.
Thought triggers emotion, emotion triggers behavior and physiological reactions…
Of course, the process does not end with these danger attributions. Our brain does not evaluate whether this is a realistic comment or a thinking error. He presses the trigger of stress reactions. Feelings of anxiety and fear begin. Tensions, insomnia, and appetite changes are added to the picture. Motivation decreases. When trying to study, one cannot focus on the information given due to negative thoughts. Learning slows down. Memory gets corrupted and performance really drops. Mistakes increase in trials. Gradually, negative thoughts began to prove justified.
Negative thoughts have now turned into a vicious circle…
We call this situation a self-fulfilling prophecy. For some young people, the situation gets worse. Depression, hopelessness and suicidal behavior are observed. The process, which starts with a small move like the falling of the first domino, gradually becomes stronger enough to destroy the young person and even the family. In summary, thoughts turned into emotions, emotions turned into behaviors, behaviors turned into our destiny (Gandhi). Please let's listen to our young people who are experiencing exam anxiety and what is going on inside them. Let us guide them to interpret what is happening correctly. Best wishes…
Read: 0
