Psychologist Alev Kurt Başer advises Turkish students on exam anxiety

Clinical psychologist Alev Kurt Başer, working with Menarini Turkey and the Community Volunteers Foundation (TOG) on the "Kaygını Yönet, Potansiyelini Keşfet" project, offered practical guidance to high‑school students and their parents ahead of the university entrance exam (YKS). The programme, which has reached over 3,000 students, uses a peer‑support model: university students attend a three‑day training camp and then share techniques with 10th‑ and 11th‑grade pupils. Başer emphasized that anxiety is a natural response and recommended simple actions such as drinking water, touching the face, gentle shoulder rolls, and activating the vagus nerve with cool water on the face or slow breathing. She warned parents not to project their own worries onto children, noting that thoughts like “What if I fail?” are “yet‑unrealised scenarios.” The advice aims to help students stay present, manage physical symptoms, and build confidence during exam periods.