It starts this Wednesday, with the written German Abitur, the final exams at the Bavarian schools begin. This year, 4,130 students want to take their Abitur at Munich’s grammar schools. Three written exams, two oral, then it’s done – or not. High school diplomas will be available at the end of June. At the technical and vocational schools, the exams begin at the end of May, and at the end of June the final exams at the middle schools and junior high schools follow.
Naomi Hinkel, high school graduate, 17 years old
It starts on Wednesday: For Naomi Hinkel, the Abitur begins, just like for all high school graduates: with the written exam in German.
(Photo: private)
“Honestly, I’m looking forward to the Abitur beginning. Then it will soon be over and all the stress will stop for the time being. I’m a bit worried about getting sick, maybe even getting Corona during the Abitur. Me I just had it, but that doesn’t mean anything. And I wouldn’t want to do my A-levels with this headache. So I’m trying to meet as few people as possible at the moment so as not to get infected. I’ve been working towards my A-levels for two years, now “I want to give everything to finish well. This school year we were really well prepared by our teachers at the Munich-North Gymnasium. We repeated a lot, including material from the eleventh grade. That was the year in which we had so many online lessons because of Corona. And I now realize that I only have bad memories of the things I had to learn alone at home. Not that much of it just stuck with me. For the oral P exam, the colloquium, we can cancel one of the four upper school semesters. I cut out what we’ve been doing mostly homeschooling, and I think most have done that. After the exams, we go to Corfu with the whole grade level. Several class trips were canceled due to Corona, the last one was in the seventh grade. We’re all really looking forward to it!”
Martyna Wojcinowicz, high school graduate, 17 years old
Martyna Wojcinowicz from Munich writes her vocational diploma at the FOS in the social branch. On May 10th she will have her first exam.
(Photo: private)
“I don’t really feel prepared for my A-levels at FOS. I don’t think it’s just because I’ve only really started studying recently. My school has let us down a bit lately. In short Before the exams, there was suddenly a lack of teachers who, for example, went on maternity leave. But without teachers, we simply don’t know what to do. Nevertheless, we were accommodated. Because we missed so many lessons, a few topics were discussed removed from the exams, the curriculum has been adjusted and we also get an extra time in the Abitur, for example thirty minutes in math. I think that’s good, but I’m also worried that in ten years it will still be on my feet If I want to apply and the employer then sees that I was in the year in which a lot was canceled, then he might be more likely to take someone who did his Abi before Corona can do everything. Apart from that, I’m really looking forward to finally finishing school. I’m looking forward to more free time, vacation and our final trip with my friends. I am optimistic that this will work. We are now used to the situation and know how to travel again, especially now with the vaccination status and the easing. But until then I have to continue studying, with friends or alone, preferably in the students’ house, it’s nice and quiet there.”
Linus Coutureau, high school graduate, 16 years
Linus Coutureau does his Abitur at the Pestalozzi High School.
(Photo: private)
“We got an extra time for the Abitur because of Corona and now we have to write half an hour more. So these are going to be really long exams. There are moments when I feel very well prepared and then again I’m totally panicked. I have I didn’t learn eight hours every day, also because I’m also preparing for the entrance exams at the music colleges and play the jazz saxophone for one to one and a half hours every day. And in the afternoons I also met friends, I was out and about. In eleventh grade we had a lot of distance – and alternating lessons, it very much depended on the teacher how well I understood topics. And of course it also differs from student to student, depending on the technical requirements at home. I had everything I needed and a own room, so I was really fine with that. It’s probably the case every year that the high school graduates are prepared very differently. But I think i This year it’s even more blatant because of Corona. I am particularly looking forward to weeks and months of independence after I graduate from high school. Having time to just do nothing. And being able to do whatever I want at the same time. After I graduate I go away with friends, we don’t have a baccalaureate trip with the whole grade at the Pestalozzi Gymnasium, that didn’t happen. Maybe also because we couldn’t develop a real sense of togetherness as a class because of Corona. But there will be a prom, and I am sure that it will take place, despite Corona.”
Jana von Otto, secondary school student, 15 years old
Jana von Otto writes her exams after the Pentecost holidays.
(Photo: Beres Photography)
“Shortly after the Pentecost holidays in June, I’m writing my final exams at the Willy Brandt Comprehensive School. I’ve already passed the oral exam in English. I’m already preparing for the others, because I also learn a lot by heart for art, for example I learn math, German and English continuously during the school year. This is then intensified again during the Pentecost holidays. I like to write index cards for this, which I can repeat on the go. I generally learn better on my own, except during homework hours in at school, we do it together. Because of some teacher changes, I have respect for the exams, there is a certain deficit. But I think we can still catch up, and we also have a little more time in the exams. Apart from the whole thing I’m so looking forward to learning to finally be done! I’m just a bit afraid of not having a fixed routine anymore, I know that It’s no different after ten years of school. Then I do a year abroad and luckily I have a plan. In order for everything to go well, I must not get Corona under any circumstances, because otherwise I might miss the exams because of the quarantine regulations. The follow-up appointments would then be such that they collide with my year abroad. Our final trip last year was canceled because of Corona. There would have been time for that then. We don’t have time for a trip now, as the graduation takes place almost immediately after the exams. It’s not that nice.”
Tristan Stürber, high school student, 16 years old
Tristan Stürber is preparing for the middle school certificate.
(Photo: private)
“Before my written exams for the middle school certificate (MSA) at the middle school on Inzeller Weg start in a little less than a month, I already have the oral exams in English and German. In addition, the exam phase for the subject starts this Friday.” Work, Economics, Technology” and the career-oriented branch. Despite Corona and a lot of homeschooling, I feel very well prepared. I received a lot of support at home, even before the pandemic. For the MSA, I study five to six times a week in addition to school hours at home. Luckily I understand a lot directly in class, but I would still like to increase my study time at home for the written exams and then study for another two hours a day. I focus primarily on English. That’s where I’m at most excited before the oral exam. There is simply less room for error. For me personally, v I dropped my MSA because I would like to go to high school afterwards. Before that, however, I have some free time and am really looking forward to going on vacation and recovering. I would also like to put more energy into the city school council. And our graduation party is still to come. It can also take place, unlike our final trip, which was canceled last year due to Corona. Maybe we can still organize something, because a lot has been relaxed in the meantime. I would really like that for us and also for other classes.”