Flu jabs can help VCE students beat dreaded mid-year slump

Any student, teacher or parent can tell you the mid-year school slump is real. But there’s a few things that can help get the year back on track.

VCE students, who have crawled through to the end of term two, are urged to get a flu jab now as part of a mid-year health reboot to prepare them for the rest of the year.

Ask any student, teacher or parent and they’ll tell you that the mid-year slump is real.

It’s magnified for VCE students, struggling with completing SACS, revision and exams, in what seems an unrelenting slog in a year that they often don’t get the luxury of a winter getaway.

Australian Medical Association Victorian general practice chairwoman Dr Ines Rio said it was not too late to get a flu injection.

“I would suggest if you haven’t had your flu vaccine get it soon,” she said.

“We have had a dreadful flu season. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become protective so people should get it soon,” she said.

While some private schools organised user pay vaccinations in autumn, Dr Ines said it was still advisable as the flu could disrupt the wellness and study of students.

Dr Ines said students, especially those in VCE, needed to consider their nutrition and opt for a range of wholesome foods.

A diet packed with vegetables, fruit and other wholesome foods is recommended for students.

While she said specific supplements were not required unless a deficiency had been identified, it was important that students made sure they had plenty of iron rich foods. This was particularly important for girls.

Many schools have given students a pep talk to help them prepare for the rest of the year.

McKinnon Secondary College principal Pitsa Binnion said students are urged to take their MEDS, which means striving for a balance of Mindfulness, Exercise, Diet and Sleep to promote overall wellbeing.

“While it is important to study for those good marks, it is also important to punctuate the week with activities that recharge the battery,” she said.

“For an extrovert student this might mean taking time out to be social. For those who are introvert it might mean to spend time alone reflecting on things or reading for pleasure or quietly listening to music.”

But, she adds, it is all about balance.

Flu vaccination should be part of a VCE student’s mid-year prep.

Dr Rio said she urged families to sit down and eat a meal together instead of students eating hunched over their desk.

“I think it is really important to make time to chat as a family,” she said.

She said exercise, getting vitamin D in the winter sun and giving eyes a rest from screen was important.

Dr Rio urged students to make time for friends but cautioned against use of alcohol and drugs.

Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary School, in Geelong, has told students to mix it up a bit. Maybe they can move their study space out of the bedroom into another area which means there is a delineation between the study area and the bedroom.

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TIPS TO REBOOT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

EAT nutritious food, cut down on junk food and opt for nuts, yoghurt, dips and carrots for snacks.

ALLwork and no play can be counter-productive. Schedule catch up time with friends.

MAKE exercise a part of the daily schedule. It’s also a good way to catch up with friends.

DRINK plenty of water to stay hydrated.

GET plenty of sleep and try to create a sleep routine.

LEAVE your phones, laptops and other gadgets out of the room so you’re not tempted to check them in the small hours.

TAKE a break from the socials. They will be there when the you have time to get back to them.

CHECKout apps such as Smiling Mind which has self guided sessions designed to bring some calm.

REVIEW your study timetable and routine and work out the best times and duration for your study.

REASSESS your study space and whether it is conducive area to study.

HAVE a clean, organised area in which to study.

SPACE permitting, consider studying away from the bedroom so it remains a place to sleep and relax.

LISTEN to a podcast that relates to one of your subjects to help mix up revision.

ASSESS how you are studying and what appears to be working for you and do more of that.

MAKE posters relating to upcoming assessments and revision and stick them around the house where you will see them.

WORK on some flash cards for subjects where definitions need to remembered.

ORGANISE study catch ups with friends to revise together or join a homework club.

GO OVER earlier assessments and rework incorrect answers.

CALL IN a tutor, if you can afford it, to help with blockages.

PROMISE yourself small short, medium and longer term rewards should you complete various tasks.

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