Stress can lead to drugs
Blanche Clark
October 03, 2006 12:00am
A SCHOOL counsellor has warned VCE students will turn to drugs if parents put too much pressure on them before their end-of-year exams.
Careers guidance counsellor and author Erin Shale said she had seen VCE students burn out and have panic attacks because parental expectations were too high.
VCE written exams start on October 27.
"If kids don't have anyone they can talk to and they are feeling stressed, this can be a time when they think, 'oh, well, why not try some ecstasy or ice, because this is a big time of my life and I need something'," she said.
Ms Shale, who works at Balwyn High School, said students and parents needed to get exams in perspective.
"I'm amazed at how many students are panicking because they think their whole future hinges on how well they do in those final exams, and it really doesn't," she said.
"VCE students need to know there are multiple pathways they can follow, so that if they don't ace the exams, if they don't get 80 or 90, there are other courses they can get into in the 70s."
She said VCE students should not study for more than 40 minutes at a time, have a big break after three hours and not study past midnight.
"Most parents are overzealous. Parents need to say to them, 'come on, isn't it time you had a day off?', or 'you've been in your room for three hours, that's not good'."
She also said students needed to get eight to nine hours sleep a night.
"I think it's dangerous when kids think they can perform well with four or five hours sleep," she said.
"The burnout doesn't hit them until just before the exam."
She said parents had to know when their teenager was not coping.
"Students need to know there is nothing wrong with seeking help. It's not nerdy or a weakness; it's smart."
Ms Shale said surveys showed the two big nightmares for students were: letting their families down, and running out of time in exams.
The Welfare Teachers' Association of Victoria said there was an increase in stress for students, parents and teachers at this time of year.
