The research project Monitoring is dedicated to the various aspects of educational and occupational choices of high-school graduates and freshmen. Since 1995 high-school students who were in their senior year and college and university freshmen have been interviewed (telephone interview or written interview) in the form of representative surveys. The question topics were motives, information behaviour, decision-making and current developments in the education sector and the professional world. The main aim of the survey is to gain a scientific basis for the information service. Plans and their realisation are analysed in the temporal longitudinal section. The focus points of the survey are decision making and the satisfaction with the occupational choice as well as attitudes and values.