Schools in Germany are very different from those in the US. Every state in Germany has a different system so this article focuses on the different common schools in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
In Germany everyone goes to a school from 1st to 4th in a school we call Grundschule, that is supposed to teach us the basics like reading writing, basics of algebra, history etc. In third grade is typically the grade where they begin to teach us English.
In fifth grade you choose one school that you stay in until you graduate. There are three basic options, the first one is called Realschuhle, the second one is called Gymnasium and the third one is called Gemeinschftschule.
In a Realschule you graduate after 10th grade, it is the second hardest level of schooling they offer in Germany. Before you graduate you have to take a final test in German, Math, English and one other subject of your choice that you choose in 6th grade. The grades from those get calculated with your grades you had that year in this subject. After graduating you will have a Realschul abschluss that has your grades on them, those grades will help you start your career.
In a Gymnasium you graduate after 12th grade. It is considered the highest level of schooling they offer in Germany. After you graduate you get an Abitur. In Germany you need an Abitur to attend a university. The last two years are considerate Abitur years, because whatever classes you have those two years and their grades are counting for your Abitur grade. Additionally to those grades you have final exams. You have 5 final exams, three are written and two are oral and there are categories in classes that all have to be covered. In a regular gymnasium one of those exams is in german and one is in math, the other ones you get to choose based on the categories. Another requirement to graduate high school is that you have learned a foreign language besides English for at least 5 years.
At the Gemeinschaftschule you can choose your own level for every subject and topic, for example if you are not good in German but good in math you do the highest level in math and the not so difficult one in german and if you are good in reading you get to do that in the highest level, but in a different topic you don’t like in the easier level. Your final grade for the year depends on the average work level. You also get to choose after how many years you want to graduate, after 9th grade with a Hauptschul Abschluss or after 10th grade with a Realschul Abschluss. A Hauptschul Abschluss is basically the same, just a little bit easier and you have a gear less. But if it comes to competition in where you get a job the Realschul Abschluss gets sometimes preferred. In some Gemeinschaftsschule you can also make your graduation and graduate after 12th grade.
Some people graduate after 10th grade and then decide that they want to continue school and get their degree. In order to get to that you can go to a gymnasium that offers to get you to the same level in 3 years with one year repetition and getting everyone on the same level, so you are prepared for your last two abitur years. Basically you do the same thing just that you graduate after 13th grade and not 13th. A lot of these schools are Berufliche Gymnasien, that just means it has a specific major, for example economics, science, media technology and design or social. If you graduate from those you still can do the same things as with a regular abitur. It just means you have different classes and you have less choices in what subjects you final exams are going to be in. And you have 4 written exams and one oral exam instead of 3 written exams and 2 oral ones.
I went first to a Gemeinschaftschule, but realized early that it is not a good path for me so I found a Berufliches gymnasium with a major in Media technology and design, that started in 8th grade and finishes after 13th grade. Because I am in that school, I have compared to my friends less electoral choices for my last two years and I learn about graphical design, product design, drawing, wood working and about different objects in design (how different colors, fonts affect design). It is a creative major that includes a lot of projects and a theoretical part.
A major difference in the German school system compared to here is that we stay with the same people in the same classes until we switch schools. That also means that everyone is taking almost the same classes, there are some times where you get to choose between two to three options for example if you want to take French or Spanish, but most classes are mandatory, for example we have a math, German class every year in third grade you start having mandatory English and the science class depends on the year. Every year the level increases and if you fail one class you have to repeat the entire year. Another major difference is that we in Germany have schedules by the week and not by the day and there are a lot more subjects you have in one year, but you only have them once or twice a week. Also the time school starts and ends depends on the school and what class you have if you get to choose and is different everyday of the week.
Overall the school here feels more individual with sports teams and school spirit. In Germany it feels more like a system where everyone learns almost the same things and there is no school spirit and no school sports teams.
