Optimistic, open and positive, they were a reminder of one of the joys of youth: the sense of endless possibilities.

Some know which course they'll be studying at which university this year, while others have plans to take a year off and experience a bit of life before they go on to the next stage of study.

The days when it was assumed that every student would automatically move from school straight to university have long passed and that's not a bad thing.

For some, going straight to uni is the right decision. For others, though, this is a small window in which they don't have to be tied to study or work, they don't have to have a timetable or a set routine, and there is an opportunity for adventure.

Those of an older generation who grumble about gap years might not necessarily be censorious, they might just be jealous.

It was also nice, in the stories gathered by the Advocate's journalists, to read our city's principals pay tribute to their students for meeting the various challenges of a COVID-affected year 11 and year 12.

The class of 2021 aren't the first to face setbacks, but they have had a bit thrown at them over the past 24 months and there's nothing wrong with acknowledging that.

"A parent made the comment that the students and staff should be really proud for hanging in there throughout such a difficult time, and I feel that'll be the message highlighted by all secondary schools," Kelso High's Mick Sloan said.

That's probably a good beginning point in looking over the HSC results for this most recent cohort of students and the staff that helped get them to the finish line.

They met the challenge. They've closed a chapter. It will stand them in good stead in the future.