What does a 17-year-old do?

17-year-old students stay at school for three short days, ca. until 1:30 p.m., and two long days, until 4-5 p.m. Most kids have no school on Saturdays. Afternoon lessons mostly comprise sport and the additional subjects that they have chosen or rather had to choose. If they aren't at school they learn for school: there are about four written tests each in German, Math, English, French and Latin during the school year, and there are oral exams in many of the ca. 12 subjects.  But there are no final assessments at the end of the school year.

Weekends look different, though: many young people go out to meet friends, many of them have girl/boy friends, of course.  Drinking and smoking are a problem, but not more than in any other European country.

Compulsory school age is 15. Then many kids start an apprenticeship for a craft where they earn some money already. Generally they go out more often and have more free time than students at the same age.