An Interview Regarding the High School Entrance Exam and Exam Anxiety

Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Cemalettin YILDIZ, a faculty member of the Primary School Mathematics Teacher Training program at Giresun University's Department of Mathematics Education, graduate student Gözde DEMİRBAŞ organized a talk titled "LGS Introduction and Exam Anxiety" for 7th-grade students at Bulancak Gazi Middle School on May 2, 2025. In this talk, Gözde DEMİRBAŞ addressed the topics of the "LGS exam," "exam anxiety," and "effective study methods." Demirbaş first explained what the LGS exam is, the content of the exam sessions, how to make school choices after the exam, and how to apply to science high schools, social science high schools, and project-implementing schools. She also discussed the symptoms of exam anxiety and methods for coping with it, sharing her own experiences from her student years. Continuing her talk, Demirbaş discussed effective study methods, emphasizing the importance of organizing the study environment, planning, repetition, control, and practice tests. The event emphasized that success in mathematics, in particular, can be achieved by solving practice tests, working through questions from various publications, and regularly reading textbooks during the LGS exam preparation process. This activity motivated middle school students, especially in preparing for the LGS exam, and helped them realize that exam anxiety can be managed. Furthermore, students understood that their chances of success in the LGS exam increase when they study regularly and with discipline.