Whether it is LYS, YGS, or KPSS, every type of exam creates stress for both the person taking the exam and those around them. As we all know today, exam stress is one of the most important reasons for failures in exams. Even a person who has studied regularly for a long time and scored high in practice exams can experience failure due to the excitement or the worries and questions that come to mind when they actually take the exam. To prevent such negative situations, it is essential to be informed not only about exam strategies and relaxation methods but also about what should not be done before the exam. The most affected by exam stress are students who will take high school and university entrance exams. Candidates taking KPSS or ALES also experience stress, but since these individuals are mature adults who have stepped into adulthood, their mechanisms for coping with stress are more developed. Students who have just entered adolescence or have not yet exited this period are much more inexperienced in coping methods for exam stress. Recommendations regarding what should and should not be done before exam periods can be evaluated under two headings: one for parents and one for students; a) Recommendations for Parents Before the Exam: The behaviors of parents and other relatives close to the student during the exam period are quite effective in overcoming exam stress in either a positive or negative way. Among the things that should not be done before the exam for these individuals, the first point to mention is that the young person taking the exam should not be subjected to excessive pressure and emotional manipulation. A student who feels that they will lose their family's love and support or be ostracized if they do not pass the exam will, contrary to what is assumed, be unable to concentrate on their studies and will go through a period filled with fear. Additionally, especially when there is limited time left before the exam, it is necessary to talk as little as possible about the exam and its results during family activities such as dinner. Such times should be used to relax and ease the student rather than to stress them out. The excitement and tension that may be experienced during the exam week and on the exam day should also be reflected as little as possible to the student, and a relaxed atmosphere should be maintained. b) Recommendations for Students Before the Exam: Among the things that should not be done before the exam for students, the most important is not to succumb to excitement and stress, especially as the exam date approaches. If there is no serious deficiency among the topics to be studied, a few days before the exam, studying should be relaxed and limited to reviewing only a few critical topics. One of the biggest secrets to capturing the comfort and success shown in practice exams during the actual exam is to maintain the daily routine, especially eating and drinking habits and sleep hours, without changing them as the exam approaches.
Child Development and Education
