Many young people across the Rural City of Wangaratta are in the throes of planning for the next chapter of their lives, as they prepare to kick off their tertiary education.

After initial rounds of university and TAFE offers in November and December, the first January round was released last week, helping more locals set their plans in place.

Further offer rounds will follow on 27 January and in February, before courses commence in February and March.

Among those anticipating university life in 2026 is Isabella Cairncross, a 2024 Cathedral College graduate who deferred to spend 2025 working at the Wangaratta Sports and Aquatic Centre during her gap year.

Bella, 19, is heading to RMIT this year to study professional communication, majoring in digital communication and advertising.

She said she had enjoyed her gap year and was excited for all that was to come in Melbourne.

"Last year was a good way to gain life skills and confidence and save lots of money to set me up for the next couple of years," she said.

"I'll be living on res (campus) this year, and I'm looking forward to making new friends and enjoying city life, and the arts and culture.

"In the future, I want to do something in travel and tourism, in marketing and advertising."

Declan O'Sullivan, who completed year 12 at Galen Catholic College last year, is among the 2025 graduates from the Wangaratta district who are preparing for the move to university.

Declan, who was one of Galen's highest-scoring VCE students last year with 90.15, is heading to Bendigo to study physiotherapy at La Trobe University while living on campus.

"I'm excited and nervous at the same time," he said.

"At the moment, it's all been about finding work and finding a footy club, but I'm looking forward to the move, and experiencing a different place and a different environment, and a bit of freedom. It will be great."

Declan caught up for coffee on Monday with a group of fellow year 12 graduates who are also contemplating their next step in life.

He'll have some familiar faces around him in Bendigo, with Tyler Penny (accounting), Hamish Lewis (pharmacy), Henry Dean (teaching) and Wil Mason (civil engineering) also off to La Trobe.

"It will be good to have people you know there too, so we can work it out together," Declan said.

Also chatting over coffee were Cashen Monk, who will study psychology at Deakin University in Geelong, and Selby Doyle, who is planning an army gap year and is geared up for training at Kapooka.