Teen Life in Romania (Luiza-Andreea Ilina)

I was born in Romania. As a result of the undeniably oppressive communist influence,

hundreds of thousands of Romanians have left their native land in their search for freedom of
expression and for a better life.
Everything is so different in Romania, especially teenagers’ lives. School in Europe, not only in
Romania, is a lot harder. Before 1989 the educational system heavily emphasized practical and
technical studies. In recent years, however, management, business, and social sciences have become
more popular. Education in Romania is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and
14; most children choose to continue their education beyond the compulsory obligation. There are
five types of secondary schooling available: general education schools, which prepare students to
continue at the university level; vocational schools, which emphasize technical training; art schools,
which provide general education with an emphasis on art and music; physical education schools, which
provide general education with an emphasis on physical fitness and sport; and teacher-training schools.
In the U.S., most high schools are a lot easier; you have only four academic classes each day and two
electives. In Romania, we had 14 subjects per year, not only six, and, therefore, we had a lot more to
study.
Tests in Romania are so hard; we don’t have multiple choices, only essays. That actually helps
because you have to use your brain and the teachers can compare the students and their abilities
easier. As a matter of fact, teachers and school principals don’t much care about dress codes like they
do here in the States. They put more value on knowledge.
Romanians are of a naturally fun-loving nature, warm, hospitable, playful, with an innate sense
of humor, and we enjoy the pleasure of eating well. Although today (ten years after the fall of
communism) stores again are filled with goods, the average Romanian lacks the purchasing power to
avail one of basic food products and has to struggle just to survive. In Romania, hospitality and
religion are closely tied to the meal. It is not incidental that Romanian words such as ospitalitate
(hospitality), oaspete (guest), ospetie (feast), are related to ospat, meaning “big dinner.”
Not only Romanians but also most Europeans like to dress up. Everywhere they go they like
to be elegant and good-looking, compared to Americans who mostly wear casual clothes like jeans and
shirts and dress up only on special occasions.
The biggest problems in Eastern Europe aren’t drugs or crime like in the United States. In
Romania, people have financial problems and the majority suffers from malnutrition and poverty. The
salary per month is on the average $60, and the prices are about the same as in the United States.
Important changes have been noticed as a result of the increase in and diversifying effect of private
capital. In the large cities, new trading networks specializing in pastries, pizza, and fast food offer
quick, quality services. The number of recreational facilities is developing according to the demands of
national and international tourism. New bars, nightclubs, casinos have been opened. Vacationers
often take sojourns to the seacoast and the mountains, and to the hot springs at various spas in the
country. Hopefully, Romania will become a place that many Americans will want to visit.
 Teen Life in Germany (Julia Fischer)

Like many other teenagers, I have always had the dream to live a different life, one that would
be different from my life in Europe. Two years ago I decided to spend a year in the United States. My
first contact with American teenagers made me realize that there is not just the Atlantic between
Europe and the U.S., but there is also a gap between two different worlds.
The first positive experience I had was the freedom of choice that American high schools give
to their students. For the first time I had the chance to combine my interests and hobbies in my
school schedule. American schools give teenagers more opportunities to develop interests and skills in
sports, art, community life, and numerous other fields. The only choice I had at my German school
was the combination of the three foreign languages I had to take.
A word that I never heard at my German school was “school spirit.” When I arrived in the
U.S., I was fascinated by events like football and basketball games, orchestra concerts, pageants, and
school dances.
An even bigger difference is family life. Teenagers in Germany have more freedom. Many
parents in Germany allow their children to make their own decisions. They see their children more as
adults than as teenagers. Teenagers in the U.S. depend more on their parents and are also more
controlled by their parents. Their life is dominated by no-no’s, which makes the temptation bigger to
do something that is not allowed.
The German law allows everyone who is 16 and older to buy and smoke cigarettes and also
to buy alcohol. Parents trust their children to make the right decisions. In my seven months in the
U.S., I also have realized that drugs are a bigger problem in the U.S. than they are in Germany. I have
heard from numerous students how unbelievably easy it is to get drugs, and to be honest I was scared
to know that I was or still am surrounded by people who do drugs.
Dating is a big issue for American teenagers, as it is for German teenagers, but even here
American parents are more protective. I have learned that many topics are generally taboo between
parents and children, especially the subject of sex. In Germany, it is normal for parents to talk to their
children about sex.
Socializing has some similarities. American music and films dominate the German market.
Like American teenagers German teenagers like to go out with friends for dinner or to see a movie.
Many German teenagers participate in sports like soccer, swimming, and ball games. German
teenagers can also go to dance clubs, discothèques, and parties. They do not have to be 18 or 21
years old.
Shopping and fashion is probably as big for Americans as it is for Germans. Girls especially
spend a lot of time in malls, boutiques, and department stores. Fashion is important to teenagers in
both countries but the definition of this word is different. Germany, like the rest of Europe, is more
trend-oriented and the look changes as often as the trend. In the U.S., it is normal to come to school
in shorts and T-shirt, which would not happen often in Germany. A negative aspect about fashion in
Germany is that many teenagers see expensive outfits as a necessity for being accepted by other
teenagers.
Even though I enjoy being in the United States and I am very thankful for having this
opportunity to live a different way of life, I am glad that in three months I can return to my life in
Germany and gain my freedom back.
 Teen Life in France (Armand Leblois)

Compare French teenagers with American teenagers and you will notice that they are much
more alike now than they once were. This is due to a general Americanization of French teenagers.
In France, the average teenager has just begun avidly using the Internet. Because we have
always had a system called Minitel, which is similar to the Internet, there has never been a real
demand for World Wide Web. But now, teenagers have begun frequently using their e-mail and some
have even begun using instant messenger programs such as AOL Instant Messenger or ICQ. This is
very important because it has opened French teenagers up to many more exciting things, such as
Mp3’s and other technologies that have boomed here in the United States. The Internet has also
introduced many French teens to things that can be considered part of the American pop-culture. The
Internet is only part of an overall process that has led to the Americanization of French youth. A lot of
English words have found their way into spoken French and have become part of the slang that young
French people use when talking to each other.
As far as school goes, due to the fact that the French public system is one of the strongest in
the world, most teens are very academically challenged. Contrary to the United States, in France you
go to private schools if you cannot keep up with the public school system (unless you go for a religious
or special reason). The discipline in French schools is also much more severe than here. However,
lately, schools have begun to be used as places to meet and traffic drugs. Schools nearer to large cities
have had recurring problems of drug deals going down on campus and even at times there have been
gang-related stabbings that have occurred on school campuses. Despite the fact that violence in
schools is rising, there have never been events like Columbine. Crime is rising among teens; however,
because France abolished the death penalty in 1984, there is no threat of capital punishment for
criminals.
When teens go to hang out, most often it is done in the urban centers similar to the United
States. One of the chief differences is that French teens walk and don’t really need a car. This is
because the French transportation system is very good and in cities such as Paris there is a metro
station just about everywhere. Also, most high school students CANNOT drive because the driving age
in France is 18. Most of the youth hang out in places American youths would hang out. Places like
movie theaters, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s. Many teens also go to watch soccer games or
rugby games of their local club and participation in organized sports in France is very high.
A huge difference between the American teens and French teens is that among French teens
there is a much larger consumption of tobacco products such as cigarettes. This is because as a teen,
one can get cigarettes almost anywhere because the restrictions (if there are any) are not enforced at
all. Alcohol is not that much of an issue because of the fact that most French teens have already
learned to drink responsibly because the law allows you to consume alcohol at any age as long as you
have your parents’ consent. This has made it so that the teens do not crave alcohol as much as U.S.
teens do. The main drug that is consumed by French teens is marijuana. A lot of French teens smoke
marijuana, especially those who come from the inner city.
As for the future, French youth have already showed that they are ready to combine their
culture and heritage with that of other nations.
 Teen Life in Kosovo Province, Serbia and Montenegro (Genc Imeraj)

During my teenage life, I have experienced two very different life styles. One in a relatively
small city in Kosovo, called Pristina, the other in Atlanta GA, a metropolitan area with a very large
population. There are numerous differences that I have experienced, and some interesting similarities.
I have found school to be very different. Kosovar students normally have shorter school days,
but a lot more classes per week, whereas the American students have longer school days but with
fewer classes per week. In Kosovo, I had about twelve to fourteen different classes per week compared
to the only seven in Atlanta. However, my school day was only three hours in Kosovo and in Atlanta it
is seven.
Not only do I have longer days in the U.S., but also I may not leave during school hours. My
school is constantly patrolled by police officers. This usually makes my fellow students and me feel very
safe. On the other hand, in Pristina my friends and I were usually outside the school, whether we were
eating lunch or just having fun. In Pristina, schools are never patrolled by any kind of security. Even
when my school was bombed by Serb forces, there were no security officers around the school. This
made every student a possible target of violence.
As far as academics, my experience in the U.S. is less challenging and requires less time for
studying, which leaves the students with an abundant amount of time to participate in sports and
youth clubs. In contrast the Kosovar students generally spend more time studying and preparing for
challenging tests rather than participating in any kinds of sports or youth clubs.
Family is an interesting similarity between life in Atlanta and life in Pristina. In Kosovo, I did
not get to spend time with my family as much as Americans do; I often went out or spent time with
my friends, though my family was still very important to me. The only time I really got together with
my family was either at night at the dinner table or on special occasions such as birthday parties or
holidays. On the other hand, while Kosovars usually live with and are tied to their parents until their
early twenties, American young adults enjoy going to college where they usually live on their own, and
after college they often pursue their own goals.
As for future hopes, the Kosovars tend to be very different compared to the Americans. While
a Kosovar may hope to just finish high school and get a decent job after that, an American hopes to
finish college and get the necessary degrees in order to get the job they have dreamed of. I would
describe the American dream as one day to be able to live independently at one’s fullest potential and
enjoy living in a big house. A Kosovar’s dream might just be to live in freedom and enjoy being with
their family members no matter where they are. So when it comes to describing the two groups, the
Americans would most likely be described as independent and hard-working people compared to
Kosovars, who while also hard-working tend to be more dependent.
Teenagers in Kosovo and in Atlanta live two very different lives. Whether studying in school,
spending time with their family or just planning their future, the Kosovar and American teenagers tend
to live two very different lives and make different decisions concerning their future.