Through her role with Charles Sturt University's student recruitment team, Hilary Matchett has observed a number of pitfalls commonly made by recent-HSC graduates who have either exceeded their own expectations or felt the pang of disappointing results.

"Foremost, how they perform [in the HSC] doesn't define who they are for the rest of their life," Ms Matchett told The Daily Advertiser.

"[The ATAR] is something that gets you into uni once, and doesn't define your career at all."

Ms Matchett warns prospective students against hastily changing their university preferences or accepting an offer too quickly.

"For someone who has done better than they expected, you might hear it said, that you don't have to feel like you must 'use your ATAR'," she said.

"You don't want to be stuck in a course you don't want to be in, just because that's a course your ATAR opened you up to.

"At the very least, exceeding your expectations means that you have more options available to you."

Students who may feel the disappointment of what they deem to be unmet potential, Ms Matchett said, need not panic either. She recommends researching other avenues to reaching the same goal.

"If you haven't done as well as you wanted to, there is still hope. Talk through a 'plan B', which might mean TAFE or a pathway course into the degree you wanted," she said.

To accommodate prospective students who might be looking to do a bridging course, student advisers at Charles Sturt University will be available this week on extended hours face-to-face or over-the-phone on 1800 ASK CSU.

"CSU offers the diploma of general studies, which is a good way to get into any number of undergraduate courses," Ms Matchett said.

With up to $3 million still on offer in scholarships and financial support at CSU, Ms Matchett also recommends every student - regardless of their result and university preference - begin researching what they may be eligible for.

But even for those with no immediate plans for tertiary education, in the wake of the HSC, Ms Matchett implores all graduates to be kind to themselves and one another.

"Support your friends who might not have doe so well. It's the nature of being 18, finishing the HSC and having that comparison - everyone asking you 'how'd you go, how'd you go'," she said.

"If your friends haven't done well, be there for them. Listen to them, hear their concerns and encourage them to reach out to universities, TAFEs, private colleges and know their options."