> Do you have anything to back this up with. I have a _very_ hard time believing that american youth is so different from the youth in the rest of the world. I

> Do you have anything to back this up with. I have a _very_ hard time believing that american youth is so different from the youth in the rest of the world. I believe that you are right in your intuition, but not in the consequences. The first consequence is that in Germany, vocational training is often a much better alternative to universities for many pupils. Also being allowed to go to university requires an "Abitur" degree of the school, which means that you have to go 2-3 years longer to the school. For even being allowed to "Oberstufe" (the part of school that leads to "Abitur"), you need decent marks in school beforehand. Even if you have Abitur, there exist alternatives to universities that can suit one better than university, for example Fachhochschule (school of applied science; though I am cautious to use this English translation, since it is a very German concept that has no analogue in the English-speaking world that I am aware of), a kind of "university" that has no academic focus, but applied focus. I think the best English translation that I can come up with is "engineering school", though it is not restricted to engineering degrees. Also be aware that at German universities you are very much on your own for studying; i.e. no hands-holding etc. TLDR: Two points: 1. There exist good alternatives to universities in Germany 2. At a German university, you are typically much on your own - this is not for everybody.