Abitur – and then what? This is the question that most students ask themselves at our age. But where to find the answers? The information days that are organised by Schule Schloss Salem allow us to get a closer look at universities and their degree programmes. As part of the school’s career counselling programme, grades 11 and 12 take part in two such information days. In March of each year students in grade 11 can attend information events offered by the University of Konstanz and the Konstanz University of Applied Sciences (HTWG); in 2021, however, these took place online. In addition, the state of Baden-Württemberg organises an information day in November each year for students who are interested in studying medicine, attending a university with a dual system of studies, or enrolling in a specialized degree programme (for example, at the Film Academy of Baden-Württemberg or at a state-sponsored Academy of Fine Arts, such as in Karlsruhe or Stuttgart).

We recently participated in this year’s information day and took a closer look at the degree programmes for medicine. We chose to attend the online presentations by the universities in Heidelberg, Tübingen and Mannheim. Medicine is a very popular programme, and therefore the admission requirements are very high. What does one need to get accepted? What grade point average (Abiturschnitt) is necessary? Can one even get admitted without the highest marks? All these questions were addressed during the presentations. But information was also provided about the course content of the programmes and what competencies students need to have. Unanswered questions could also be brought up in the talk sessions that followed. We liked the event very much and felt encouraged to apply. With good marks on the TMS (the standard German aptitude test for medical studies), the right choice of subjects for the Abitur, and successful internships in health care facilities one can also improve one’s chances of acceptance!

Hanna Teichler und Lina Baxmann, Abi2