Caro Cadavid, DavidsonVásquez Sánchez, Ana María2013-10-222013-10-222013-10-222256-3911http://hdl.handle.net/10567/996Introduction. It is very important to describe the cultural consumption activities of university students from Medellín´s Metropolitan Area, because those activities are the actual reflection of the social reality contemporary students are really living within. Objective. To establish cultural consumption and free time use characteristics among university students from Medellín. Method. A descriptive focus with a 34 questions survey as a primary source was defined. Results. The lives of current university students are surrounded by activities that boost social encounters, but at the same time those activities keep them away from strong links that make them be integrated and socially committed. On the other hand, the most common use of free time among university students is passive leisure. Conclusion. The participation of university students in the activities offered by University Welfare and by the academy itself is relatively low. Just the opposite, activities aiming to social encounters are regarded as more relevant for this population, and this fact suggests an institutional and social necessity of rethinking the activities to be boosted in order to promote culture in a diverse way, understanding the fact that, even though universities aim towards an academic purpose, such purpose must be joined by cultural proposals that respond to the cultural necessities university students have.esCorporación Universitaria LasallistaFacultad de Ciencias Sociales y EducaciónConsumo culturalJuventud - UrbanaEstudiantes universitariosÁrea Metropolitana del Valle de AburráTiempo libre - UsoTiempo libreBienestar universitarioArticle