Anxiety is a protective reaction such as fear, tension and distress experienced by an individual in his effort to adapt to the external environment. When it goes out of a person's control, it creates problems and disrupts the functionality of life.
Exam anxiety is experienced by people preparing for the exam, such as not being able to plan their studies, not being able to study, not being able to use what they have learned in the exam, distraction, not remembering known topics, nausea, sweating, It is a state of anxiety that has many physiological, behavioral, emotional and mental symptoms such as headache, sleep disturbance, tension, irritability, thoughts of what I can't do.
The concepts of anxiety and fear are different. Fear is a more established form of anxiety. In an environment of fear, there is a realistic physical threat. For example; We are not worried about snakes, we are afraid of them. In contrast, in situations where anxiety is experienced, there is a virtual threat to the self based on interpretations. We are not afraid of the exams where our knowledge is tested or the meeting we have with the human resources specialist after applying for a new job, we are anxious. In addition to all this, we know the source of fear, but the source of anxiety is unclear, we just think we know. Fear is shorter lasting than anxiety. In other words, when the situation or object that causes the feeling of fear disappears, the person feels relieved. However, anxiety is a more general condition and lasts for a long time.
It is intense anxiety that prevents a student from using the knowledge he has accumulated throughout his education life effectively during the exam and causes his success to decrease. The point is that anxiety has a negative impact on performance. Otherwise, everyone who will take the exam experiences anxiety. Anxiety up to a certain level is beneficial, provides alertness, is protective, helps focus attention and increases the student's motivation. anxious It is never beneficial for the score to drop to "0" level, because it destroys alertness and motivation.
Main Causes of Exam Anxiety;
The most common cause of exam anxiety. not being adequately prepared for the exam; Not being able to use time effectively is not being able to catch up on the subjects.
Parental attitudes; Attributing different meanings to the exam, inconsistent and high expectations, rejecting and condescending attitudes, anxious parents transferring these characteristics to the child without realizing it.
Fear of failure, feeling of helplessness and the exam, which are related to the person's emotions, experiences and beliefs. Seeing it as a threat to self-worth causes test anxiety.
If the individual lives in an environment where failures are exaggerated, successes are underestimated, constantly compared with other peers, and success below a certain level is seen as failure, the risk of developing test anxiety is quite high. is excessive.
Failure to meet physiological needs; not eating regularly, not sleeping regularly
To Cope with Exam Anxiety;
In order to minimize exam anxiety and get rid of excessive anxiety, first identify the causes of anxiety specific to the individual. It is necessary to determine it well.
Reducing high tension and stress levels, changing negative disaster thoughts, planning time well, improving unsuitable environmental conditions, reducing the negative effects of previous negative exam experiences, using study and effective learning techniques, paying attention It is necessary to eliminate the deficiencies and to make a real analysis of the exam result.
In dealing with exam anxiety, it is a better method to accept, recognize and control it rather than suppressing it. r.
Attention should be paid to sleeping and eating patterns, and physiological needs should be met in a balanced manner.
Parents should accept that exams do not evaluate personality, that winning and losing are a part of life, and give this awareness to their children.
Parents should not compare their children with others, and emphasis should be placed on positive aspects rather than negative aspects. Since negative perception will increase anxiety, a reassuring environment should be created.
Realistic goals should be set and a feasible study program should be made.
In some cases, exam anxiety may have serious dynamic reasons such as conflict with authority. The individual's sense of self-confidence should be increased, he should see himself as important, successful and valuable, and think that he can easily succeed. If this cannot be achieved with the support of family and social environment, expert support should be sought. With the hypnosis technique that reaches the unconscious, exam anxiety is reduced and relaxing and positive suggestions are given. The person who receives self-confidence support becomes more confident in himself, and his anxious perspective towards the exam changes.
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