Definition from Wikipedia:
Abitur (from Latin abire = go away, go off) is a designation used in Germany and Finland for final exams young adults (aged 18, 19 or 20) take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling. The official term in Germany for this certificate of education is Allgemeine Hochschulreife; the contraction Abi is common in colloquial usage. The Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife (often referred to as Abiturzeugnis), issued after candidates have passed their final exams, is the document which contains their grades and which formally enables them to attend university. This means it includes the functions of a school leaving (high school graduation) certificate and a university entrance exam. In 2005, a total of 400,000 students passed the Abitur exam in Germany.
Even though the Abitur is often compared to a high school diploma in the United States, it is closer to the associate degree of a US college, as it in many states requires 13 years of study and enables the recipient to earn a Bachelor’s degree in three years. However, the academic level of the Abitur is more comparable to the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement tests — indeed, the study requirements for the International Baccalaureate differ little from the Finnish exam requirements. It is the only school-leaving certificate in all states of Germany that allows the graduate (or Abiturient) to directly commence studies at the university. The other school leaving certificates, the Hauptschulabschluss and the Realschulabschluss, do not allow their holders to matriculate at a university. Those granted certificates of “Hauptschulabschluss” or “Realschulabschluss” can gain a specialized “Fachabitur” or an Abitur if they graduate from a “Berufsschule” and then attend “Berufsoberschule”.
Today is a real sad day actually.
First of all, Christmas is actually over. At least the gift thing, and since we do not very much believe in any religion, there is nothing left to be happy about. That sounds so mean…
And then Mareen is gone now! She will leave for NYC tomorrow morning and guess who is left at home – me. Really unkind to be true, but she doesn’t care. That little weirdo doesn’t have anything else to do than do cool and fun things, leaving her sister behind with no one to replace her, not even Fred.
Sister, I still love you. Have a great time in NYC and in Mexico, Mareeeen!
