How does YKS psychology change over the preparation year? Monthly emotional ups and downs, thinking traps and ways for students and families to stay balanced.
In September, newly bought revision books are lined up on the desk, a colourful study plan goes up on the wall and the words "This year everything will be different" are spoken. In November, the net scores refuse to budge. In January, one mock exam brings hope; in March, another flattens it. By May, a student sometimes can't even predict how they will feel when they wake up in the morning. This is exactly what YKS psychology is: not a straight line but a winding road. The YKS is Turkey's national university entrance exam, and in this article we look at the emotional map of the preparation year, the thinking traps that deepen the low points, and what both students and families can do to travel this road with less wear and tear.
YKS Psychology: Why Is the Preparation Year an Emotional Journey?
Preparing for the university entrance exam is not just an academic process. Throughout this year, a 17- or 18-year-old keeps up an intense study pace while also questioning their identity, their future and their self-confidence. In the young person's mind, the exam often represents more than a score: the family's expectations, comparison with friends, the answer to the question "Who am I, and what am I capable of?"
Under this weight, emotional fluctuations are inevitable. What matters is not eliminating these fluctuations but recognising and normalising them. A student saying "Last week I felt great; this week I can't do anything" is not a sign of failure but a natural part of a long process.
Several factors increase the psychological load of the preparation year:
- Length: Preparation lasting almost a year is like running a marathon. Many students who run fast at the start find themselves out of breath halfway.
- Fluctuating feedback: Mock exams do not always show progress in a straight line. Net scores dropping after a week of hard work can shake a student's belief in their own effort.
- A year tied to a single day: The thought that a whole year will be judged by an exam lasting a few hours makes every day feel heavier.
- Social comparison: Classmates' net scores, "I study fourteen hours a day" posts on social media and relatives' questions make it harder for the student to see their own path.
The Emotional Map of the Preparation Year: What Happens Month by Month?
Every student's process is unique; even so, a similar emotional rhythm appears in many students' accounts. Knowing this rhythm helps you see that what you are going through is not "something that only happens to me".
The start: Enthusiasm and high expectations
In the first weeks of the school year, motivation is usually high. The student sets ambitious goals and keeps a heavy study plan. The trap of this period is establishing a pace that cannot be sustained.
The first plateau: "Why am I not making progress?"
Towards the end of autumn, the initial excitement fades. Net scores do not rise at the expected rate, and topics start to pile up. The student may feel tired and disappointed. This period is the first breaking point at which many students start to think "It's not going to happen this year either."
Winter: Recovery or disconnection
For some students, the mid-year break is an opportunity to catch their breath and start again. Others spend the break overloading themselves to "catch up" and begin the second term without having rested. These two different paths have a big influence on how the spring goes.
Spring: Rising anxiety
With months to go before the exam, anxiety rises markedly. In this period sleep problems, worst-case scenarios about the exam itself, physical tension and the thought "I won't be ready in time" are common. Every fluctuation in mock exam results is perceived as bigger than it is.
The home straight: Fatigue and determination together
In the final weeks, the student may experience both a fatigue that seems never-ending and a strange determination that comes with the feeling "Just let it be over." In this period small things can trigger big emotional reactions: a friend's remark, a teacher's comment or even a noise at home.
The purpose of this map is not to say that, in terms of YKS psychology, every student will pass through these stages in the same order; it is to remind you that the low periods are also part of the road.
Thinking Traps That Deepen the Low Points
Emotional low points are inevitable, but certain thinking patterns deepen and prolong them. In Cognitive Behavioural Therapy these patterns are addressed as "thinking errors". The ones commonly seen during the preparation year are:
Catastrophising: "I got a low net score in this mock, so I won't pass the exam, and my life will be ruined." A chain is built from a single result to the entire future.
All-or-nothing thinking: "If I don't get into the course I'm aiming for, I'll count as a failure." All the possibilities in between become invisible.
Comparison: "My friend scores ten nets more than me; I'm not clever enough." Someone else's result becomes the measure of one's own worth.
Tying self-worth to a score: "I'm only worth my score." This thought turns every mock exam result into a judgement on the young person's character. This pattern is often intertwined with perfectionism.
Mind reading: "My family is ashamed of me", "My teacher has given up on me." Unproven assumptions about what others think add to the young person's burden.
Let's say a student gets a lower-than-expected result in maths on a TYT (the first-stage general section of the YKS) mock exam in March. On the way home in the evening, these sentences go round in their head: "I studied all winter for nothing. My friends are much better than me. Mum and Dad will be disappointed when they hear. I'll never pass this exam." Within a few minutes, a single mock exam has triggered four separate thinking traps. Yet a teacher looking at the same result might simply say "You're losing time on the problem questions; let's look at that." The difference lies not in the result itself but in the meaning attached to it.
Noticing these thoughts is the first step towards being able to argue with them. Questions such as "What's the evidence for this thought? What would I say to a friend in the same situation?" can reduce the thought's power.
For Students: Ways of Keeping Your YKS Psychology in Balance
This section is for you, the one preparing for the exam. The suggestions below are not meant to remove the emotional ups and downs but to help you keep going despite them.
Look at mock exam results like a teacher
Rather than labelling a mock exam result "good" or "bad", focus on what you can learn from it. Which topic did you struggle with, on which type of question did you lose time, in which part of the exam did your attention drift? Our article mock exam scores are dropping can also help you read the situation without panicking during periods when your net scores fall.
Keep a record of your feelings
Making a short note a few times a week lets you see your emotional fluctuations: "How did I feel this week? What was hard, and what helped?" When you look back at these notes a few months later, you may see that recovery also came after the bad weeks.
Pay attention to how you talk to yourself
Try talking to yourself as you would to a friend going through a difficult time. Saying "Today was a hard day; I'll try again tomorrow" instead of "You failed again, you're useless" protects your motivation rather than destroying it.
Review your social media feed
Accounts where you constantly see other students' study hours, net scores and rankings can feed the comparison trap. Muting these accounts for a while makes it easier to focus on your own path.
Don't put the rest of life completely on hold
The preparation year is not the whole of your life. A quick coffee with a friend, music you love or an evening meal with your family reminds you that your identity is not just a score.
Take your body into account too
Emotional resilience is not only about the mind. Regular sleep, a walk or some movement during the day however short, not skipping meals and cutting down on caffeinated drinks in the evening can noticeably soften mood swings. When you look back at the days your morale dropped most, you may notice that most of them came after sleepless nights. The care you give your body is reflected in your mind as well.
Remember why you are studying
On hard days, remind yourself why the course or professional field you are aiming for matters to you. This "why" is one of the strongest supports against fatigue.
A bad week in the preparation year does not mean a bad year. However high the wave, calm follows it.
For Families: How Can You Make the Atmosphere at Home Supportive?
The family's attitude directly affects how the student experiences the preparation year. For a supportive home environment, you might keep the following in mind:
- Don't tie every conversation to net scores. Asking "How are you today?" instead of "How many nets did you get today?" makes the young person feel seen not just as a student but as a person.
- Avoid comparisons. Examples of a cousin, a neighbour's child or your own youth create pressure, not motivation.
- Normalise emotional fluctuations. On a day when the young person's spirits are low, saying "You're going through a hard time; that's completely understandable" instead of "What is there to worry about so much?" makes them feel they are not alone.
- Draw a line with relatives. You can answer questions such as "What score will they get, which course are they considering?" asked during bayram (religious holiday) visits or phone calls on the young person's behalf, or gently change the subject.
- Manage your own anxiety. The young person's exam is a source of anxiety for parents too. Sharing this anxiety with your partner, a relative or a specialist rather than projecting it onto the young person lightens the atmosphere at home.
- Talk about after the exam too. Discussing at a calm moment what could be done under different result scenarios can soften the young person's thought "If I don't pass, everything's over." Our article on university preference anxiety can also lay the groundwork for these conversations.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Emotional fluctuations are ordinary in the preparation year. However, getting support from a specialist is helpful in the following situations:
- Anxiety has been disrupting the student's studying, sleep or eating pattern for weeks
- There are panic attacks, the mind going completely blank during exams, or intense physical symptoms
- The student has been hopeless, unmotivated and joyless for a long time and has drifted away from things they love
- They constantly see themselves as worthless, inadequate or a burden on their family
- Tension within the family has turned into rows that keep growing around the subject of the exam
If the student talks about ending their life or harming themselves, take these words seriously, do not leave them alone, and in an emergency call 112 (emergency services) without delay.
Accompanying the YKS Process in Therapy
In the exam year, therapy can be a support not for moving the student away from their academic goals but for helping them walk towards those goals from firmer ground. Within adolescent counselling, the following can be worked on during the YKS process:
Skills for coping with anxiety: Breathing exercises, muscle relaxation exercises and techniques that bring attention back to the present moment help the student regulate anxiety both while studying and during the exam.
Recognising thought patterns: With the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach, the thinking traps described above are identified, and more balanced ways of thinking are developed together with the student.
Schemas and sense of worth: For some students, the meaning loaded onto the exam is fed by deeper beliefs, such as "If I don't succeed, I won't be loved" or "Making mistakes is unacceptable". With a schema-focused perspective, the roots of these beliefs can be understood, and the aim is to make the young person's sense of self-worth independent of their score.
Working with the family: With parents, the conversation covers supportive communication, balancing expectations and a realistic framework for after the exam.
Because time is limited in the exam year, sessions can be planned to fit the student's timetable; where appropriate, online sessions are also an option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal for my mood to change so much during the preparation year?
Yes, emotional fluctuations are very common during a long and intense preparation process. Good and bad weeks following one another is a natural part of the process. However, if bad periods last for weeks and disrupt your daily functioning, getting support is helpful.
Should I give up social media completely in the exam year?
Giving it up completely may not be necessary or sustainable for everyone. Muting accounts that trigger comparison, limiting usage time, and using social media at a set time of day rather than during study breaks can be a more realistic approach.
My family keeps asking about my net scores. How can I explain this to them?
At a calm moment, you can try explaining how these questions affect you: "When you ask about my nets I get more stressed; I'd feel better if you asked how I am." Families often ask these questions to show interest and can change their approach when they hear how the young person feels.
Is making time for therapy in the exam year a waste of time?
A reduction in anxiety and emotional load often has a positive effect on the productivity of studying too. Time spent in therapy can be seen not as time stolen from studying but as an investment in using that time more productively.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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