Once in a while it is worthwhile to take a look back – and ahead – of the present, in this case at the work force of tomorrow; at their hopes, fears, dreams, and oftentimes difficult process of deciding, what their life as adults should look like and what they want to do. Not many will manage to become Hollywood stars, astronauts or presidents of the free world, or any of the other jobs that fill the minds of children. To really find a profession that suits you can be quite difficult.

That is why we talked to some of these young people, to get an idea of their reasoning, decisions, plans and their emotional background.

Maria, 17, Robert Bosch Fachoberschule:

I probably only decided to attend FOS because at the time I was unable to make a decision in which direction I might want to go, professionally. Picking up an apprenticeship would have forced me to make that decision right away, and so I decided to rather go to school for a while longer.

At first I thought about a FOS  with focus on social studies, because most people who don’t know what they want to do usually go there. When I thought about it, though, I realized that I hate children – that’s not a nice thing to say, but unfortunately true. It’s similar with old people. That kind of suffering, frailness and illness is not something I would want to burden myself with.

The only real option was the FOS of economics, which might make possible my plan B – which probably would have been better as plan A.

The original plan A, which had better not been plan A, was to go to acting school. Three years ago, I first took acting classes, and since then I love nothing more than acting. It requires courage, strength, creativity and passion. It also provides a chance to hide from your worries for a time, and at the same time forces you to face them. Nothing is more fulfilling and nerve wrecking.

Being a professional actress would be my dream. But how many dream that dream and how many manage to actually live it? Too many and too few, and so my chances of actually making a living that way are slim. Also, I wouldn’t be able to afford acting school. There is just that tiny spark of hope left, though which makes it impossible not to continue dreaming that dream for a little while longer.

Until recently, the job of event manager was supposed to be plan B. However, once I realized that this also includes more office work than I would like, I scrapped that ideas as well. While doing internships I found out, that working on computers constantly drives me mad. If I had to spend my whole life like that, I think I’d string myself pretty quickly.

I want to be creative, I want to express myself, I want to paint, dance, sing! I want to be able to be as crazy as I am, I want to travel and see the world. I don’t want to spend every day sitting in the same white room, I want my life to be colorful.

So I am searching for a new plan B which could turn into plan A, one that is a mirror of myself, and less a reminder that I couldn’t reach my original goal. That realization came out of attending school and doing internships over the last three months.

The decision to attend the economics FOS was still the right one. I at least found out what I want to do and what not, and it’s giving me time to try out and discover various things, and opens many doors. I can choose between a vocational diploma and a general one, between later moving on to an apprenticeship or university studies. I could find a job to save up for acting school, or I can sing songs at a street corner in the City. That I can sing, at least, most people who ever heard it keep telling me.

Or maybe I’ll enter “The Voice of Germany” competition or win a studio contract, or I’ll upload a song to Youtube and will be discovered like Adele. Or I’ll already have two children at 25, live in a run-down hut and work in cleaning, or I might marry a rich husband, live in a mansion and employ cleaning personnel. I don’t know what will happen, and I don’t want to know. All I know is that the decision will be made some day.