Let's talk about stereotypes. We all have them, yet we all claim that we hate them. My goal this weekend was to Skype with a dear friend of mine who lives in Argentina to ask about her own stereotypes about education in the United States.
I've visited her family twice in Buenos Aires and we always find ourselves watching American movies. She loves A Cinderella Story and Step Brothers. But what are foreigners thinking when they see filmmakers' portrayal of American education? This weekend I asked my friend about this topic and about others as well. See below as I reveal our question and answer session.
Meet Eliana Rey Quintana, or Elu.
This is us in June 2008 at the first-ever Starbucks location in Buenos Aires. I'm on the left and Elu is on the right.
Here we are saying our goodbyes... I went back to Arizona and she stayed in Argentina.
In summer 2010, we reunited when I went to do volunteer work with a neighborhood church in Buenos Aires called La Puerta Abierta. During my visit, her family let me stay in their home.
Now get a look into Elu's perspectives and personal educational experiences through our Skype question and answer session.
S: ¿Cuántos años tenés?¿Qué carrera haces en la universidad? ¿Cómo se llama tu universidad?
[How old are you? What are you studying in university? What is the name of your university?]
E: Tengo 21 años, estoy estudiando Diseño Grafico en la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA).
[I am 21 years old and I am studying graphic design at the University of Buenos Aires.]
S: ¿Cuántos anos has estudiado allá?
[How many years have you studied there?]
E: Este año que comienza es mi 4º año en la facultad.
[This year I began my fourth year of college.]
S: ¿Qué te gusta de tu universidad?
[What do you like about your university?]
E: De mi universidad me gusta el alto nivel de exigencia, y sus títulos son reconocidos mundialmente. Es una universidad gratuita, y es la mejor en muchas carreras. Los docentes de mi universidad solo pueden ser graduados en la UBA, no aceptan docentes con un titulo en otra universidad. Según me cuentan mis amigas, en los Estados Unidos las universidades publicas (gratuitas) no tienen un buen nivel académico, en cambio de las universidades privadas, las cuales son muy costosas.
[I like that my university has high standards and qualifications that are recognized worldwide. It is a free university and is the best in many different areas or careers. The teachers from my university can only be graduates from UBA, they do not accept teachers with degrees from other universities. According to my friends, public (free) schools in the United States do not offer education as good as the prove schools, which are very expensive.]
S: ¿Cuántas días asistir a la universidad?
[How many days a week do you attend college and how many hours of homework do you have a week?]
E: Suelo asistir 20 horas semanales a la universidad, 5 días a la semana.
[I attend college 20 hours a week, five days a week.]
S: ¿Tenés algunas ideas preconcebidas sobre la educación americana, cuales son?
[Do you have any preconceived ideas about American education, what are they?]
E: Las ideas que tengo sobre la educación en los Estados Unidos son como ¨sectas¨ muy privadas donde solo pueden asistir los pertenecientes a esa universidad o grupo. Además suelen tener dormitorios dentro de la facultad, creo que esto no permite desarrollarse en un medio ambiente habitual, los conocimientos aprendidos. También creo que la universidad en los EE UU. es solo para personas con mediano o alto poder adquisitivo, o deben ahorrar los padres desde que nacen sus hijos para poder pagarle la universidad.
[The ideas that I have about education in the United States is that there are very private groups or sects with people belonging to those groups that can attend college. Also usually they have bedrooms within the facility, I believe that this does not permit development in a normal environment, the knowledge learned. Also I believe that the university in the United States is only for people with middle to high purchasing power, or parents should save money since the birth of the children to pay for college.]
S: ¿Qué imagen tienes cuando piensas en una universidad de los estados unidos que esta dedicada a diseño grafico?
[What do you imagine when you think of a university in the United States that is dedicated to graphic design?
E: Cuando pienso en una universidad de los EE UU. de donde se dicte la carrera de Diseño Gráfico, me imagino una facultad muy avanzada en cuanto a tecnología, usando las computadoras y programas de ultima generación, aulas súper equipadas, etc. En la universidad pública no gozamos de esos beneficios, ya que los edificios se encuentran en mal estado, muchas veces no hay asientos, hay mucha gente para escuchar a un solo profesor, lo cual dificulta mucho a la hora de adquirir conocimientos y hacer los trabajos en lugares reducidos e incómodos.
[When I think about a University in the United states where they teach graphic design, I imagine a college with very advanced technology, using the most ultimate computers and programs of the generation, super-equipped classrooms, etc. In public university we do not enjoy those benefits and the buildings are in poor condition, often there are no seats, there are many people who are to listen to one professor, which makes it very difficult to acquire knowledge and time to work in confide and uncomfortable places.]
S: ¿Deberías mudarte a los estados unidos para obtener mas oportunidades con tu carrera?
[Should or would you move to the United States to obtain more opportunities with your career?]
E: Yo iría a los Estados Unidos a hacer cursos para mejorar mi nivel académico, así como también iría a Alemania o Australia, los cuales son países del primer mundo donde la tecnología y la investigación sobre el diseño ha llegado mucho mas lejos, y a la Argentina todavía no.
[I would go to the United States to take courses to better my academic level, also I would go to Germany or Austria, for these are the countries with the premier technology and investigation about research the design which has advanced very far and to Argentina.]
S: ¿Cuál es el trabajo de tus sueños?
[What is your dream job?]
E: El trabajo de mis sueños es en una empresa de publicidad grafica y televisiva muy grande, donde podamos promocionar mediante el diseño productos masivos de una manera inteligente y pregante para el público.
[The job of my dreams is to work for a graphic company and very large television where we can promote massive products in an intelligent manner for the public.]
*Please note these are rough translations and my interpretations of her responses.
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