SUCCESS REQUIRES SELF-KNOWLEDGE

The experts, who stated that the students took their first steps to adulthood with the announcement of university placement results, pointed out that those who were not placed in the programs they desired should not give up on their dreams. Clinical Psychologist Nilgün Köstem, Coordinator of IUE Psychological Development and Counselling Centre, stated that students who were not able to get placed in the university or program they wanted should not feel disappointed and she said, “If success doesn’t come the way we planned, it doesn’t mean a total failure. We need to try couple of more times to reach our goals. Sometimes, ‘failure’ or ‘mistake’ may be more educational and valuable for us.”

Köstem pointed out that during that period, the students needed to find an answer to the question of ‘what might have gone wrong or missing’, and maybe to make a change in studying methods or time management. She said that methods used in the past may have not been suitable for students. Köstem said that exams were tools that measured knowledge and skills on specific subjects. Köstem made the following recommendations:

“The exam does not define who you are, or what kind of a person you are. Knowledge and skills are something to be acquired, developed. As long as we learn from our mistakes, we can make more realistic and efficient plans. Students, who are not placed in their first choices, or placed in their dream university or program maybe experiencing mixed feelings, those should keep in mind that life offers opportunities in many forms. Individuals should focus on self-development; work on becoming sophisticated, try to learn different things. Not being satisfied with what they have will make them distinctive.”

'Do not say goodbye to your dreams'

Getting placed in a university or program that is not desired should not mean saying goodbye to dreams, said Köstem. “May be you will find out that you will be able to transfer to another program or do minor/major program. Or maybe you will study in that program and specialize in different fields in the future and do what you want. This is your life, you are the one to shape it the way you want it,” reported Köstem.  

Becoming a University student...

Köstem also said that prospective university students are considered adult individuals, and that they were responsible for their actions, behaviours, and   outcomes of their behaviours. Köstem said, “There will be no more teachers that check your homework, or school administrators who will call your parents to report about your attendance.  This is a nice freedom but a major responsibility at the same time because you will be directly facing the outcomes of your actions. There will be no one to remind you about your duties, responsibilities. Staff will be available at the university to assist you, share your problems, and establish communication with them.”