Year 12 final exams, HSC, VCE to begin in most states this month

For NSW students, HSC written examinations begin on Wednesday, while most students in Queensland have until October 24 to prepare.

As it gets to crunch time, students around the country are hitting the books, but what can parents do to help their kids achieve their study goals?

According to viral TikTok study influencer Clarissa Armani, it's all about the study environment.

Clarissa Armani, 21, completed her Year 12 exams in Sydney four years ago, and has been an HSC tutor ever since.

While Ms Armani still conducts tutorial sessions in person, she also reaches thousands of students through her study-themed TikToks, where she shares how she studied to achieve a 98.8 ATAR.

With more than 35,000 followers on TikTok, some of her study tip videos garner upwards of 100,000 views.

Ms Armani said students often feel parents are hindering rather than helping their study efforts, reflected in a student survey she conducted in conjunction with Pilot Pen Australia.

"I've been an HSC tutor for four years and I've seen a lot of parent-student dynamics," Ms Armani said.

"Parents need to be more open to [different] study methods - I often see parents try to force what worked for them onto their kids."

Rather than putting pressure on kids, she said parents should focus on creating a study environment at home, making sure there are healthy snacks and proper stationery.

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Mental Health Service ReachOut Australia CEO Ashley de Silva said that exam periods like HSC can certainly be a stressful time for students, and it's important for parents to check in with their kids without "unintentionally fuelling stress".

Some of the things young people struggle with most with during exam times is getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy diet, and these are spaces where parents can help, Mr Silva said.

"Exams are a really important time, but [parents should be] equally thinking about the ways you could be unintentionally fuelling stress in a young person," he said.

"Keep thinking about what role you might play in supporting young people to keep perspective."

Mr Silva said young people entering exam periods right now have had their education impacted by COVID-19, which created more uncertainty and stress for students.

"The tail of COVID is a long one, even this group of year 12 students have been through disruption," he said.

Despite this, Mr Silva said ReachOut's data from last year shows high numbers of students are seeking help for study stress when they need it.