Exams and final assessment tasks are important in the life of a young person, but they're not the only thing. Keeping this perspective will help students and those around them manage stress in the build-up to exams and assessment deadlines in the coming weeks. Health experts recommend simple, commonsense approaches to keeping cool under exam pressure.

Here are some useful tips to help you stay cool under pressure:

• Develop good study habits, including making, and sticking to, a schedule.
• Set study priorities.
• Preserve a good study space (This helps maintain some control over study demands).
• Take regular breaks.
• Eat and sleep well.
• You could also get together with other students to study or discuss common exam topics.
• Keep communicating - let those around you know how you are going and tell them when you need as much quiet as possible.
• Recognise your own stress signals.

Exam week is a time when awareness of mental and emotional health is very necessary. Do the things that are known to promote good mental health, recognise when there may be cause for concern about stress, and discuss feelings and concerns with friends and family.

Headroom is an excellent web site for people seeking information about mental health issues and is designed for students and their friends and families: www.headroom.net.au

The Reach Out! website has lots of tips about studying, stress management and life in general: www.reachout.com.au

Remember that the SACE is not the be all and end all - it's just one year out of your whole life. Make sure you have a plan B if things don’t turn out as you had hoped.

If you need to speak to someone urgently please contact any of the following crisis counselling services:

• Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800 (24 hour, free call)
• Life Line 13 11 14 (24 hour, local call cost)
• Crisis Care 13 16 11 (4 pm to 9 pm weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and public holidays, local call cost anywhere in South Australia).
• Crisis Line 1800 019 116 (free, 24 hour, Northern Territory).