Wellbeing

Stress and preparing for exams

As we head towards the end of year exam and assessment period, we’d like to share the following article from headspace. It contains lots of practical tips for managing stress and preparing for exams / assessments so that students feel confident, focused and as ready as they can be. 

We’d also like to remind students and families about the following services that support young people who are experiencing stress and other mental health challenges. Students who would like to receive face to face help from a local service are encouraged to speak to the Wellbeing Team who can provide this information.

• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 1800
• Headspace on 1800 650 890
• Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
• Lifeline on 13 11 14
• Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673
• QLife on 1800 184 527
• Wellbeing Team at school 

Take the time to plan

• Prepare a study plan and goals for each day / week. Make sure it's balanced with other important things in your life - that way it will be easier to stick to.
• Talk to your employers early to let them know you need to limit your shifts / hours while studying.
• Create a study space that is comfortable, quiet, well lit, organised, and has no distractions nearby, such as a TV, phone, people talking, etc.
• Make sure you have everything you need for each study session as this helps to feel more confident and organised.

Look after yourself

• Self care is especially important when you have a big demand in your life - that way you have the energy to commit to what you need to accomplish.
• Build activities you enjoy and that bring your stress levels down into your study plan, such as sport, spending time with friends, internet, etc.
• Don't get hungry before or while studying. Grab nutritional snacks that keep you going, such as fruit/nuts/dairy, etc.
• Remember to get some exercise every day as this helps you to keep focused and energetic.

Rest when you need to

• Work out what times of day you have the most energy and plan to study then
• Don’t study more than 40-60 minutes without a short break. Even a 5-minute break will help. A glass of water helps too!
• When you have a break do something physical or fun
• Try to keep your focus on school and exams rather than other stuff happening in your life; you don’t need this extra worry around relationships, friendships etc right now.
• Relaxation is important, especially before bed, to slow the brain activity down. Try some slow, deep breathing, a shower or bath, herbal tea.

Ask for help:

• Stay at school until your last day so you don't miss any important info about exams, or fun events with your peers.
• Practice writing essays and show your teachers for feedback for improvement.
• Ask teachers the best way to study for each subject; they have many years experience they can share with you.
• Teachers are happy to be contacted during the time leading up to the exams- make use of this if you need to.
• Group study sessions with classmates can be a helpful and entertaining way of studying, but keep your focus on what you want to achieve with these sessions.
• Talk about what you are studying with family members and friends as this helps to retain the info more, especially names and dates, etc.

 Be prepared

• Use your trial exam results to focus in on what you need study.
• Use previous exam papers to get a feel for what to expect.
• Ask friends what they are doing that is helping with their study or friends who did it last year.
• Write things in coloured texta that you have trouble remembering (such as names and dates) and blu-tak to your toilet wall/door. Sounds funny, but it really works!

Day of the exam

• Stick to your usual routine, for example, have what you normally eat for breakfast.
• Take some water and a healthy snack (if allowed) to the exam.

And finally...

If the stress is getting to you it will prevent you from studying effectively and confidently - so ask for help from headspace, a counsellor, professional, or helpline like Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).

Headspace (2022) How to reduce stress and prepare for exams https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/prepare-for-exams/

From the Wellbeing Team

Changes in the Doctors in Secondary Schools Program

The Doctors in Secondary Schools program has been running at Lyndale SC since 2018. Dr. Joy Khoo commenced her work with us in 2018 and later in 2021, she shared her job with Dr. Andrew Mau. So it was with some sadness that we had to farewell them this term.

We have been very fortunate to have their support over the years and are very grateful for their excellent service, their dedication to the health of our students and the commitment they provided to the Lyndale Secondary College community. We wish them all the best in their new ventures, I know we will continue to remember them warmly. As we sadly farewell Dr. Joy and Dr. Andrew, we are also very excited to welcome our new GP, Dr. Dannie Dowman to the Lyndale Community, we very much look forward to working with her and Paul Musi (nurse) to continue supporting the health of our students. The Doctors in Secondary Schools Clinic will now run every Monday from 9:00am to 1:30pm thus allowing our VCAL students to also access this service. 

Appointments with Dr Dannie are now available for students to book.

Students or their parents can book an appointment at the Front Office- students do not need to tell anyone why they would like to see the GP when booking. Students may also drop-in to see the GP or nurse at recess or lunchtime every Monday without an appointment.

For families and students new to Lyndale Secondary College, the Doctors in Secondary Schools program (DiSS) funds general practitioners to attend secondary schools to provide medical advice and health care to young people. The program aims to make primary health care more accessible to students; assist young people to identify and address any health problems early and to reduce the pressure on working parents. Appointments with the Secondary Schools GPs are free. 

Please find attached further information about the DiSS program. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please contact the Front Office on (03) 9795 2366.

Consent and confidentiality student information sheet: 

Ana Finlay 

Director of Student Engagement & Wellbeing