There was a feeling of relief as Emmanuel College’s 150 VCE students completed their first exam on Wednesday.
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They were some of 85,000 Victorians who will sit VCE exams from now until November 16.
Year 12 co-ordinator and English teacher Rob Lee said while there was some nerves going in, the students were upbeat, and seemed happy upon completing the exam.
Mr Lee said the exam paper was good and questions asked were similar to those students had studied in practice exams.
Phoebe Grant, 18, from Port Fairy, said the practice exams were good preparation.
“I’m so glad we did a trial one,” Phoebe said. “I’m glad it’s over. I feel pretty happy.”
Nicola McKenzie, 18, from Mailors Flat, said English was one of her strong points so she wasn’t too worried.
“I knew I could handle this without having to stress too much about it,” Nicola said.
“I think I was almost surprised by the simpleness of the questions. The ones we did in class you had to think about in a complex manner, but the exam was quite straightforward. It definitely felt accessible,” Nicola said.
Jacob Lewis, 18, from Kirkstall, said there weren’t any surprises in the exam and it was good to get it out of the way.
“The analysis was probably the easiest part,” Jacob said.
“This is the longest (exam). The others are pretty cruisy from here I think, hopefully,” he laughed.
Nicola and Phoebe will sit biology and English literature respectively on Friday and Jacob will wait until Monday to complete his algorithmics exam.
Headspace regional manager Anne Waters said while exams were a busy and stressful time for young people, it was important they looked after themselves.
She said preparation was the key and having the necessary equipment for each study session helped students feel more confident and organised.
Ms Waters recommended students switch their phone and email off to stop distractions.
“Don't study more than 40 to 60 minutes without a short break,” she said. “Even a five minute break will help.”
She encouraged students to do something physical or fun when they had a break, such as going for a short walk, run or play with a pet and to relax and unwind before bed to slow brain activity.