By Anders Furze
Students can find years 11 and 12 a stressful time, as they face pressures such as doing well in assessments, plotting out their futures beyond school and navigating intense, often changing relationships.
The lack of motivation can particularly strike at this time of year, says psychologist Andrew Fuller, at the tail-end of Victoria’s long winter.
The Class of 2024: students at St Albans Secondary College.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
“We know that term 3 is when your get up and go has gotten up and gone,” he says. “Lots of kids run out of puff and can feel bad about themselves. But if students can get their act together, their biggest gains in terms of outcomes for the year can occur now.”
A key part of feeling good about tackling the VCE is having a structured system for studying, Fuller says. The approach works because students then have a blueprint to follow regardless of how motivated they are feeling.
“The more competent and in control we feel, the happier we are,″ he says. ″While a bit of chaos is not necessarily a bad thing, total chaos is usually pretty bad.
″If you don’t have a system, you’re basically waiting to feel like you want to study. And, of course, you could be waiting for the rest of the year to feel that way.”
Take time to embrace the sun: students at St Albans Secondary College. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
Fuller says students should be trying to maximise the production of dopamine, the neurochemical responsible for motivation.
For many families, that involves making sure students are sticking to their structured system, getting good sleep, eating well and actively seeking opportunities to embrace the sun – when it decides to come out. Downtime is also important, and reflecting on progress made can help students feel prepared to tackle what lies ahead.
“One of the bizarre things in neuroscience is that challenges increase your motivation,″ Fuller says. ″A checklist of what you need to do is good, but can also be enormous and seem like the great wall of China. So, it’s important to also look at what’s already been accomplished, which at this time of the year is generally a lot.”
While it’s normal to feel some stress before exams and assessments, if students aren’t coping or there are other things in their lives affecting them, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) suggests students contact their school’s student wellbeing coordinator or VCE coordinator.
There are also helpful resources for young people online, including the Beyond Blue website and Headspace’s eheadspace online counselling chat.
Headspace also has online resources for adults wanting to support young people in the areas of wellbeing, work and study, and more. While organisation, preparation and a structured approach can all help students feel good while studying the VCE, Fuller also says that parents and students alike should keep things in perspective.
“It’s important for parents to reinforce that they believe in, and love, their child whatever the outcome will be,” he says.
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Lifeline: 13 11 14
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