Future studies (Edexcel GCSE German): Revision Notes
Future studies
Key vocabulary
Understanding vocabulary about education and future plans is essential for discussing your aspirations in German.
Learning these key terms will help you express your thoughts about education and career plans with confidence. Focus on the gender of nouns (der, die, das) as this affects other grammar structures.
Education and training terms
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Weiterbildung | continuing education |
| die Ausbildung | training |
| die Gelegenheit | opportunity |
| die Hochschulbildung | higher education |
| die Hochschule | university/college |
| die Kosten (pl) | costs |
| die Medizin | medicine (subject) |
| das Studium | studies |
| die Universität | university |
| die Zukunftspläne (pl) | future plans |
Practice Sentences with Key Vocabulary:
- Die Kosten für das Studium sind sehr hoch. (The costs for studying are very high.)
- Ich möchte eine Ausbildung als Koch machen. (I want to do training as a chef.)
- Meine Zukunftspläne sind noch nicht klar. (My future plans aren't clear yet.)
People and actions
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Student / die Studentin | student |
| studieren | to study (at university) |
| lernen | to learn/study |
Notice the distinction: studieren is used specifically for university-level study, while lernen is used for general learning or school-level study.
Usage Examples:
- Ich will an der Universität Medizin studieren. (I want to study medicine at university.)
- Als Student muss man viel lernen. (As a student, you have to learn a lot.)
Expressing what you're looking forwards to
The key structure for talking about future plans you're excited about is sich freuen auf + accusative.
Critical Grammar Point: sich freuen auf means "to look forwards to" and always takes the accusative case. This is one of the most important structures for discussing future plans in German.
Basic structure
sich freuen auf means "to look forwards to" and always takes the accusative case.
Basic Examples with sich freuen auf:
- Ich freue mich auf die Zukunft. (I'm looking forwards to the future.)
- Ich freue mich auf die Universität. (I'm looking forwards to university.)
- Ich freue mich nicht auf den Druck. (I'm not looking forwards to the pressure.)
Using sich freuen auf with infinitive clauses
When you want to say you're looking forwards to doing something, you need to use darauf followed by a zu + infinitive clause.
Advanced Structure: Ich freue mich darauf, ... zu ...
Remember: The auf from sich freuen auf combines with da to make darauf when followed by a zu clause.
Working with Infinitive Clauses:
- Ich freue mich darauf, auf die Uni zu gehen. (I'm looking forwards to going to university.)
- Ich freue mich darauf, neue Leute kennenzulernen. (I'm looking forwards to meeting new people.)
Expressing wishes and preferences
Use Lust haben to talk about what you want or don't want to do.
Structure
Lust haben + zu + infinitive
This structure is more casual than using möchte and shows personal desire or reluctance. It's perfect for expressing genuine feelings about your plans.
Lust haben in Practice:
- Ich habe Lust, auf die Uni zu gehen. (I want to go to university.)
- Ich habe keine Lust, zu Hause zu bleiben. (I don't want to stay at home.)
- Ich habe keine Lust, weit weg zu ziehen. (I don't want to move far away.)
Writing about future studies
When writing about your future study plans, you should cover several key areas to create a comprehensive response.
Essential points to include
Your Writing Should Cover:
- Advantages of continuing your studies - explain why further education is beneficial
- Potential disadvantages - be realistic about challenges like costs or pressure
- Something interesting you've learned recently - show engagement with current learning
- University or college plans - state your specific intentions
Useful phrases for writing
| German phrase | English translation |
|---|---|
| Ich freue mich darauf | I'm looking forwards to it |
| Es wird eine tolle Erfahrung sein | It will be a great experience |
| Meiner Meinung nach | In my opinion |
| einerseits... andererseits | on one hand... on the other hand |
Writing structure tips
Start with your general attitude towards future studies, then discuss both positive and negative aspects. Use connecting words like obwohl (although), weil (because), and aber (but) to link your ideas effectively.
Strong Opening Example:
Meiner Meinung nach ist es wichtig, eine gute Ausbildung zu haben, obwohl die Kosten hoch sind.
(In my opinion it's important to have a good education, although the costs are high.)
Exam tips
Essential Exam Strategies:
- Use a variety of tenses - present for current thoughts, future for plans
- Include both sich freuen auf and Lust haben structures to show grammatical range
- Aim for 80-90 words in writing tasks
- Always give reasons for your opinions using weil or denn
- Show awareness of both advantages and disadvantages of your plans
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- sich freuen auf + accusative expresses looking forwards to something
- Use darauf + zu + infinitive for "looking forwards to doing something"
- Lust haben shows personal desire or reluctance
- Include both positive and negative aspects when discussing future plans
- Use connecting words to link ideas and show sophisticated thinking
- Practice writing about your own future studies using these structures