University life is a bit different than what students in the United States are used to. First of all, college lasts five years, except for law and medical schools. Second, there are no majors and minors. The coursework a student does is entirely devoted the his/her field of study; in other words, the concept of general education requirements does not exist and a student takes all courses in the facultad where he/she studies.
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Since there are no dorms, most students live at home. For those who come from out of town, they usually live in pensiones estudiantiles. College is called licenciatura in Venezuela, pre-grado or bachillerato in Peru, and carrera or profesional in Mexico.
College education is expensive in most parts of Latin America, if private. Therefore, there is much greater competition to get into the public universities than the private schools, which in turn means there are limited spots available for the public institutions. Entry is usually gained through a competitive, national exam. It is also difficult to obtain scholarships and loans for studying. In order to finance their studies, students basically depend on what their parents are able to afford for their education.
Rebeca de Caracas (Venezuela) nos explica un poco sobre la vida universitaria en su país:
