YEAR 12 students were racing to their computers Monday morning with only one focus in mind, their Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATAR).

Students finally received their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) results.

Around 65,000 Victorian  students graduated with their VCE or VCAL this year and now will step out of school and onto study, training or work.

This year’s local duces are Portland Secondary College’s Sarah Tunstall, Bayview Colleges Layla Cook, and Heywood and District Secondary College’s Thomas Lyne.

Sarah has already started her plans for the summer, and was yesterday working as casual harvester for GrainCorp in Wycheproof.

Although she still isn’t certain on what’s in store for university, her ATAR of 94.75 allows her guaranteed entry into Melbourne University, where she’s confident she will go to study after taking a gap year.

However, she’s not set on a career just yet, but has a strong interest in science, which will be the basis of her university plans.

“I'm not entirely sure what I want to study -  with the choice of my subjects, I was just looking to get a score that would just give me a lot of opportunities,” she said.

“It was just a good year and I was glad that I was still able to play sports and didn't need to sacrifice much.”

Bayview dux Layla Cook was another delighted young woman.

“I was like, no way I got that, I was really excited,” Layla said.

Layla had aimed for an ATAR result between 70 and 80 and got exactly what she wanted.

Her plans for next year are to attend the Waurn Ponds campus of Deakin University to study forensic science and criminology.

“I kind of want to go more a criminology route involving evidence and crime scenes, and stuff like that.

“I did two subjects this year, because I did two last year, so I was grateful that I worked that bit harder last year so I could not be too stressed out this year.

“Compared to an average student, I definitely had it less stressful, but still, it was difficult working hard, there were nerves about exams, like - am I going to do okay?”

All paid off though for these three, as nerves could finally be settled with the reveal of their high achievement.

Just like Layla, Thomas has his next year all planned out as he has already begun a course based on machine operating which he expects to complete mid next year.

“Whilst I'm doing that, I'll be working a casual job at IGA Heywood, and I’m planning to see that through to the end of the course at least,” Thomas said.

“Then I’ll try and find a higher paying job or apprenticeship along the lines of electrical engineering or machine operator, just in that field.

“I'm mostly pleased that I've just finished year 12 and I've got that under my belt now.”

“I would like to congratulate every student getting their results today, this is an exciting step as they move from secondary education into further study, training, the workforce or a gap year,” Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins said.

“I want to acknowledge and thank the hardworking teachers, principals and parents right across the state who have supported students to achieve these fantastic results.”