Students across Bendigo breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday, after completing their all-important VCE English exam.
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One of those relaxing just a little ahead of the rest of the exam period was Bendigo Senior Secondary College student Megan Kane Griffin, who said she was relatively happy with how she went.
“I could have done better obviously but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be,” she said.
“I think you stress about it more than what it actually is if that makes sense.”
Next up is her psychology exam, which the 17-year-old admitted would be “tricky”, but she said for now she was glad English was out of the way.
“That’s the one that all the teachers say you’ve got to do well in so that was kind of the pressure one and that’s the one I need the most for uni,” she said.
Assistant principal Meredith Fettling said while exams were always a stressful time for students, there were a few simple steps they could take to help reduce the burden.
“Making sure they’re not sleep deprived, staying hydrated, because that actually helps to keep the thinking in perspective, and good nutrition are always some pretty basic things that will help students to manage some of those stressful episodes,” she said.
For Megan, the key was just trying to stay calm.
“As much as they say it’s that important, it is important, but the more you stress about it the more you put yourself in jeopardy,” she said.
“It’s better to just do as much study as you can and just be prepared rather than stress about it too much.”
Once exams are done and dusted, Megan plans to study nursing at La Trobe University in Bendigo, but she said even if she did not get the score she wanted it would not be the end of the world.
“There’s always options,” she said.
Ms Fettling agreed, saying there was plenty of supports in place to ensure students ended up on the right path toward a rewarding career.
“If when results come out students are disappointed, we know there’s lots of support here and there are lots of different ways to access pathways and get to where you want to go and VCE’s always just a stepping stone to get to where you want to go,” she said.
“There is life after exams and we just wish our students the best of luck.”