A profile in a leavers' book captures who someone was at the end of a stage of school: what they liked, what they experienced and what they're planning. The yearbook questions for it sound different at the end of primary school than after the Mittlere Reife (the school-leaving certificate after the tenth year) or the Abitur (the German university entrance qualification). Here are twelve questions each for three school-leaving years, each set in the right tone, plus tips on getting everyone's profile in on time.
Which yearbook questions belong in a leavers' book profile?
Four kinds of question, whatever the year: a look back, a look ahead, something typically personal and a message to the others. Add a name, a nickname and two photos, ideally one from the first day of school and one from today. Mix these four kinds and you'll get pages people still enjoy reading twenty years on.
Profiles in a primary school leavers' book
At the end of primary school, usually in the fourth year, or at the end of Volksschule in Austria, the questions are simple and concrete. The children answer, and the parents help with the writing. Concrete questions work better than big ones: “What was the best school trip?” rather than “What will you take with you from primary school?”.
- What do you remember about your first day at school?
- Which subject did you enjoy most?
- What did you learn at primary school that you're proud of?
- What was the best class trip?
- What did you like playing most at break time?
- Which song did you like singing most in class?
- Which classroom job did you enjoy most?
- What will you miss about your class?
- What are you looking forward to at your new school?
- Who else at school, apart from your class, would you like to say goodbye to?
- What would you still like to say to your teacher?
- What do you wish your class?
How these profiles become a book for the whole class is explained in our primary school leavers' book.
Profiles for the tenth year and the Realschule leavers' newspaper
After the Mittlere Reife, some start an apprenticeship, others move on to the upper school years or to another school. The tone can be relaxed and a little cheeky, as long as nobody is shown up. These questions suit the leavers' newspaper and the Realschule leavers' book:
- Which rule at your school have you never understood?
- Which subject will you definitely not miss?
- Where did you do your work experience, and what did you learn there?
- What was the best thing about the leavers' trip?
- Which thing a teacher said will stay with you?
- What were you known for in class?
- How did you motivate yourself for the exams?
- What are you doing after the summer?
- What would you like to have told yourself in the fifth year?
- Which story from your class will people still be telling years from now?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What words of wisdom would you leave the class with?
Abitur yearbook profiles: questions for the Abitur
In the Abitur yearbook (the German Abibuch), it's fine to be thoughtful and ironic, ideally both in the same sentence. Rankings such as yearbook superlatives and quotes from lessons usually go in the Abizeitung, the yearbook magazine, while the profile belongs to the person. More about a book for the whole year group on our Abibuch (Abitur yearbook) page, and for Austria on our Maturazeitung page.
- Which courses would you choose again, and which not?
- What was your best moment in the upper school years?
- How did you get through the last week before the exams?
- Which trip or project will stay with you?
- What changed you most during your school years?
- Which line from lessons is guaranteed to come up at the reunion?
- What will your year group remember you for?
- What are you doing after the Abitur, and what does your family think about it?
- What will you take with you from school, apart from your certificate?
- Which Abitur motto would you have chosen?
- What advice would you give the younger students?
- What would you still like to say to your year group?
Profiles in a primary school yearbook
Some schools make a yearbook every year instead of a single book when the children leave. Short profiles work well then, with questions you can repeat every year: favourite subject, biggest step forward, a wish for the next school year. Later, you can look back and see how the answers changed from the first to the fourth year. More in our school yearbook.
How to collect everyone's profiles
Everyone writes their own profile, but collecting them still needs someone to take charge. At primary school, that's usually one of the parent representatives; in the tenth year and for the Abitur, a small team from the class or year group.
- Set a deadline. Two to three weeks is enough. Give people longer and they'll just start later.
- Phone rather than paper. Sheets of paper get lost in school bags, while a form on a phone can be filled in at break time.
- Collect the photos at the same time. One from early childhood and a recent one, both sharp and not forwarded from a chat.
- For children, the parents decide. They fill in the form and choose which photos go in the book. Find out more under Children's photos and data protection.
In a Flashbook, everyone answers the questions on their phone in about 5 minutes and uploads two photos. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the contact person gets an overview via WhatsApp of who is still missing. A book costs €24.90 including design, printing and shipping, and the book holds 8 to 42 people. For a whole Abitur year group of more than 42 people, there's a special book you can ask us about.