Exam stress

Exam time = stress time. Whether you’re at school battling your HSC, VCE, QCS, NTCE, SACE, WACE or TCE (phew!), or you’re at TAFE or university, exam stress or general Year 12 stress can be really tough.

Some signs of stress include feeling moody or overwhelmed, difficulties with decision making, a lack of motivation, muscle tension, headaches, and fidgeting. People experience exam stress for a variety of reasons, from worrying they might fail or wanting to do really well, to dealing with pressure from family members or teachers or struggling to understand the things they’re studying. Everyone experiences stress differently, and everyone has different reasons for being stressed in the lead up to exams. 

Whatever your symptoms, and whatever your reasons for feeling stressed are, this exam stress guide has got your back. We’ve done the homework on HSC stress and we’ve got everything from in-depth help on coping with anxiety, to tips on how to make stress work for you (yes, this is a thing), to how to study effectively with the most genius tricks and hacks, some of which will definitely brighten your day.

Whether you’ve already sussed out a study timetable or you’re all a bit last-minute, here’s how to feel better and study smarter at exam time.

Related topics

• School and study
• Stress
• Coping