In this lesson, we will discuss how one important difference in colleges in Latin America -- the lack of dorms -- translates into a very different college experience. For vocabulary, we will learn the months of the year.
Vocabulary:
enero - Januaryfebrero - Februarymarzo - Marchabril - Aprilmayo - Mayjunio - Junejulio - Julyagosto - Augustseptiembre - Septemberoctubre - Octobernoviembre - Novemberdiciembre - December
la fecha de hoy - today's date
[SLIDE 1]
In the United States, one aspect of college that has become a critical part of the college experience is living in the dorms. So it might surprise you to find out that colleges in Latin America do not have dorms.
In Latin America, most students attend a college or university close to home and continue to live with their parents. If they do choose a college in a different city, then they will often stay with a close relative from that city. Only as a last resort will they rent a room or apartment.
[SLIDE 2]
This means less independence for students, since their parents will probably continue to do the grocery shopping, cook, do the laundry, and clean their room, but this does not necessarily mean a lack of freedom. Students still get to hang out with friends and go to lots of parties. The difference is, those activities generally happen off campus -- in people's homes or at local clubs, bars, restaurants and cafés.
Interestingly, this may help Latin American students to mature more quickly. Instead of being isolated on a college campus for a few years, living inside of a bubble with like-minded peers, college in Latin America becomes more like a job. It is somewhere a student goes to take their classes, but most of their time is spent off campus in the "real world." They have to get up early to get ready, take public transportation to get to class, and may even hold a part-time job to help their family with expenses.