Children's struggle with exam stress

In Turkey, it is never possible to discuss just one issue in any given field. Take our education system, for example...

There are, of course, many reasons why fundamental problems in the country are often grouped under the headings of "education and health." Not only has the situation in neither health nor education improved, but it is also becoming increasingly dire.

Although the Ministry of National Education's newly announced Maarif Model Draft has been under discussion in recent days, issues regarding the education system in Turkey are always on the agenda. Every new problem added to this system—which is based on challenging exams, is constantly changing, has become a "trial-and-error" mess as the cliché goes, and leaves both students and parents bewildered—creates a new area of conflict.

As we approach the end of an academic year, the public agenda is occupied by the LGS exam to be held this weekend, along with the chaos the Maarif Model will bring and the anxiety caused by steps taken against the secular republic. Naturally, in addition to this, parents are also focused on the fees set by private schools for the coming year.

As is well known, the high school entrance exam is the most difficult hurdle students face as they transition from childhood to youth. This exam, which they take during adolescence—their most critical period—often represents a burden too heavy for children to bear. So much so that examples provided by experts at a meeting held last week regarding the psychological state of millions of children and young people show that the majority of children are struggling not only with exams but also with "exam stress."

The end result of exam stress: anxiety, depression, and panic attacks

At a press conference held last week at Üsküdar University NPİSTANBUL Hospital, exam anxiety and adolescent psychology were evaluated in all their aspects with only a few days left until the LGS and YKS exams. According to information provided by experts, a significant portion of the increasing problems and psychiatric disorders in adolescents is caused by exam anxiety.

Exam anxiety can now be seen in all age groups. According to the observations of experts, it has even descended to the primary school and even kindergarten level.

Stating that exam anxiety sometimes becomes uncontrollable, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University, believes that the attitude of families is very important for this reason. Noting that manageable stress is necessary but that it distracts and increases anxiety if it cannot be controlled, Prof. Dr. Tarhan says, "You have to say, 'There is stress, but no panic.'"

There is an unfair exam system in education

Prof. Dr. Tarhan summarized the problems in the education system in a couple of sentences: "Our current education system ties a person's life success to an exam at the end of high school. This is a system that exceeds us all and is unfair. A decision about a person's life is made by evaluating their entire years of accumulation within a single year."

The competition in the exam system is not fair, it increases anxiety

Explaining that this problem has been solved in the world and that there is therefore no exam anxiety in children, Tarhan continued his words as follows:

"It is impossible for a child to be anxiety-free when focusing on a 2-3 hour exam. Ideally, there should be a system suitable for mental health. Even though this is known, there is a status quo in our education system. That status quo is resisting significantly. Then there won't be much need for private tutoring centers (dershanes). There won't be much need to hire private tutors either. The competition in the current exam system is not a fair competition; it is something that increases anxiety."

Parents should be a pilot, not the captain of the child's life

According to Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, some families can unintentionally cause harm in an effort to motivate their children preparing for exams. Emphasizing that highly motivated children experience stress with the "you can do it anyway" approach and can make more mistakes, Prof. Dr. Tarhan summarized: "As a result, physical complaints first appear in the child; they feel nauseous, they start biting their nails. They think, 'I won't be able to succeed.' Especially comparing them to others increases anxiety in the child even more. The role of the mother and father is not to be the captain of the child's life, but to be the pilot."

Success is targeted with drugs and supplements

Prof. Dr. Tarhan also mentioned a trend that has become widespread in recent years at the meeting. He touched upon the fact that families whose own anxiety sometimes outweighs that of their child give their children performance-enhancing drugs or supplements before the exam, and issued the following warnings:

"If parents give their child performance-enhancing drugs without a doctor's recommendation, that child will be prone to pill use in the future. After these children enter university, they cannot study without taking pills. There are children brought to us later who have been raised this way. Because those drugs no longer have an effect, they take drugs like methamphetamine to be successful. The child later becomes someone who cannot focus on lessons or work without using substances. Success should never come before health."

Raising a child is like a dance with difficult choreography...

Dr. Lecturer Semra Baripoğlu, a Psychiatry Specialist and General Coordinator of Psychiatric Services at NPİSTANBUL Hospital, also compared raising a child to a "dance with difficult choreography," reminding parents that they are responsible for their child's mental health. Dr. Baripoğlu emphasized the importance of parents saying to their children, "The country's conditions are like this; we wouldn't want you to have to take this exam, but these are the conditions, and our priority is your mental health."

Physical symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are experienced

Stating that "an increase in psychiatric disorders has been observed in the adolescent period recently," Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist Dr. Lecturer Melek Gözde Luş provided the information: "Exam stress can cause the emergence of anxiety disorders, depression, panic attacks, and even school phobia in adolescents. Physical symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are experienced. Various support and treatment methods are recommended for adolescents and their families to cope with exam anxiety."

The consequences of stress experienced during the exam period

Elvin Akı Konuk, a Child and Adolescent Specialist Clinical Psychologist at Üsküdar University NPİSTANBUL Hospital, stated that anxiety can manifest itself in various forms during exam periods and listed these symptoms as follows:

"In addition to physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, headache, and nutritional or sleep irregularities, emotional symptoms such as tension, nervousness, pessimism, anxiety, and restlessness can also be seen. Children who feel these symptoms may frequently exhibit behaviors such as stopping studying, leaving the exam halfway or not taking the exam, procrastinating on studying, or behaviors in the form of hyperactivity or, conversely, freezing up."

They may forget answers and make mistakes for fear of being humiliated

Expert Clinical Psychologist Konuk suggested that families observe their children based on these criteria with little time left before the exam, with the findings: "Children experiencing exam stress may exhibit mental symptoms such as thinking they have forgotten everything they know, thinking they will not be successful or that everything will end if they do not pass the exam, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and the belief that they will be humiliated. This situation prevents the use of existing academic performance. Due to negative thoughts, they cannot understand the questions they read in the exam and cannot focus their attention on the questions and solutions at that moment. They may make small mistakes or forget answers even in questions they know very well. This situation negatively affects both the child's academic performance and their self-confidence."

Focus on the process, not the result

The final message given by the experts before important exams was this:

Families look at exams with a result-oriented perspective. However, the correct approach is to focus on the process. No matter what, under all circumstances, hope for the future should be instilled in young people.