The VCE assessment period starts Wednesday morning when 40,000 Victorian students complete the three-hour-long English paper.

Headspace Bendigo program manager Jenny Singe, whose organisation cares for the mental health of the city’s youth, said the next month was a difficult time for teenagers.  

“There's so much pressure placed on these young people so they can achieve their goal of going to university,” she said.

“My biggest fear is they’ll be disappointed when they get their results, that they’ll finish their exams and think, ‘I've really stuffed it’.” 

But Ms Singe reminded students and their families a high ATAR score was not the only path to university, nor was tertiary education well-suited to everybody.

Young people should also find time to relax, sleep and do exercise, she said.

Catholic College Bendigo student Teal Annett-McClellan has battled bouts of ill-health during the past year which she attributes to VCE stress. 

She said more emphasis should be placed on student behaviour than exam results, and believed the community looked down upon those who opted for TAFE or the workforce instead of university. 

“I think if that stigma wasn't there, a lot of people wouldn’t be as stressed,” Ms Annett-McClellan said.

But the year 12 student conceded most of her VCE anxiety was self-inflicted; she wanted to achieve the best result she could. 

Fortunately, La Trobe University has already offered her a provisional place in its Occupational Therapy course, meaning she now needs a score of just 25 out of 50 in English to secure her spot.

Classmate Leon Polychronopoulos has prepared for his exams by taking leave from his casual job and volunteer work.

Still, he said finding balance between school and other parts of his life remained a priority. 

“I can't really imagine getting through this year without something on the weekends to reward myself with,” the Catholic College student said. 

But the pressure of VCE did not come as a shock to Mr Polychronopoulos who said there was a gradual increase in workload and teacher expectation throughout years 10 and 11. 

Mr Polychronopoulos had several tips for other young people preparing for exams:

Girton Grammar headmaster Matthew Maruff said it was a school role to equip its students with cognitive and emotional skills, including stress management. 

“Students who can manage their stress levels by recognising what triggers their stress and by being able to express their feelings and regulate them, generally perform well in examinations without the stress becoming counter-productive,” he said.

His school consulted adolescent mental health experts, including Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, as part of their program.