“I’m optimistic, excited and anxious for teachers and students,” Mr Duran said.

“It is the pinnacle of 13 years of schooling and given the levels of dedication by the students and their preparation, I have every reason to be positive about the results and their futures.

“Many will carve out a pathway via university, TAFE and the workforce,” he said.

“They have all applied themselves well.”

Approximately 26 per cent of Young High School’s Year 12 students have applied for early entry into university with choices ranging from medicine and teaching through to engineering.

Girl school captain Jemma Long is one of the many who have desires on a teaching career post-HSC.

“It’s a little scary but I can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings,” Jemma said.

“I finish at the end of October and hope to get into a teaching degree at university.

“But first I have my exams to complete over the next few weeks.”

For boy captain Hassen Chemiet, he believes he will be okay because he has put in the work.

“I’ve studied enough so it shouldn’t be too bad,” he said.

“I’m still weighing up my options post-HSC as I have a lot to consider.

“I’ll make up my mind after I finish my last exam on October 23.”

Mr Duran believes the students should all do well in their chosen interests and pathways because school is “geared towards students now having a variety of ways to learn and take the next step in their careers”.

“Post school satisfaction is very high,” he said.

“I anticipate strong results - especially in historically strong fields such as visual arts and music.

“Those fields have been traditionally very good in the past at Young High as has mathematics and extension mathematics,” Mr Duran said.

The HSC begins Monday, October 12 with English and finishes Wednesday, November 4 with Greek, food tech, French and visual arts.

“Students sitting the exams with ambitions for tertiary studies and looking to achieve a good ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) have really put in the yards especially during the holiday period recently,” Mr Duran said.

The new principal, who has only been in the role nine months and is overseeing his first HSC as principal said that this crop of students was a strong one.

“They are all trying their best and great kids,” he said.

“That’s all you can ask.”