It has been very interesting to talk with people my age while in Paraguay. There are some cultural difference between young people in Paraguay and in the United States. In America, when someone goes to college after they finish high school, it is common for them to live away from their parents. Universities in the U.S. normally have rooms for students, to live with other people their age who are also studying at the school. This is what I did! When I was studying at my university, I moved to California from the East Coast. Although I was far from home, I had a lot of fun living in a dorm with other students my age. We had many great conversations, and I got to learn about their areas of study, too.
However, in Paraguay, when students go off to college, they typically still live with their parents! There are fewer universities in Paraguay, and people do not live at them like students do in the U.S. At first, I was suprised to hear this when I was talking with friends my age. Schools in the United States are often, in part, community centers. But here in Paraguay, there is less emphasis on the university experience. Universities tend to be much smaller, here. It seems like students in Paraguay have a different educational experience than those in the U.S.A.
