English Language Challenges

Finally this is the last blog (I really hope it), and it`s time to talk about the English in the university. The English (like a language and course) is a bit funny to me. Sometimes it is quite easy and relaxing (like when we do the activities or blogs), but in other time is hard and stressful (I remember the day when the teachers of the introducing course gave us work to read a scientific paper entirely in English and explain the paper`s topic.

Although the course stresses me sometimes, I don`t feel like it is a part of the career (maybe because the topics of class are too different to the topics of the  other course, specially with the new programme study) even if we write blogs about some topics of the study and future. That is why  even I try to do my best in the course other things (and others subjects) forces me to not put much energy in it.

About the blogs I think that`s a good idea to practice the written English (I can`t imagine writing a composition about the topics that we wrote in blogs), the most of time the people read and listen (and sometimes also speak) English but no one writes a long text in English. For me is weird, usually I found words and expressions and I feel that I learn something, but when I write a new blog I don`t know  how to start or what words use.

I know that I have to improve my English, specially about the speaking and writing (the listening and Reading I practice everyday when I stay in the internet), but I hope that my friend gives me some help to do with that (I think she will force me to speak well in a short future).  

Changes to my study programme

I hope begin  a person like that.

This is my first year, but I´ve finished the first semester. I know that everyone who starts these year is a guinea pig of the university. From this year a new programme is implemented and there are good and bad (really bad) things.  First the orientation, now the programme is emphasized in creating abilities. Some people say that we learn how things can be done but actually we don´t know why the things happen, but I thing that these two things come together, even if in the class they don´t teach why of the thing, the student studies and learns about it for doing it the best way.

Also after finishing the most of the subjects (the basic ones and the investigation unities) we have defined period to finish the thesis (in one semester) and I don´t know if that is good. This semester the difference between programmes is big and the things begin to complicate. Already we have  subjects that need more abilities to do, example, we have general chemistry two at the same we do the chemistry laboratory at the begging we don´t worry too much about it, but if we delay a class, we don´t know how do the practical activities.

Also we have to do mechanic without precalculus and now we have learn electromagnetism even if we don´t know how do integrals, I think that we have finished mathematics one and two BEFORE to do other subject.

And about of the workload it´s a little big sometime, especially the calculus homework because, most of the people study a lot to this subject, and we have to prepare many practical classes so doing a homework  isn’t productive.

Summer Holidays

For this summer holidays I have many things to do. I will start the first week with the most important things I´m going to eat the double of my weight in ice-cream, then  I will take a long cold shower and finally I will start my aestivation  (so I think I will sleep at least  three days).

After of that the holidays can really start. I have to keep the house clean, make the food and the rooms, I finally will start a training plan to be stronger (or maybe just pass the time with something). I hope pass enough time with my boyfriend and my friends (before they go to summer trip with their family).

About travel maybe I will go to Viña del Mar (city where my grandparents are living) and to Algarrobo with my family. I want to ride my bike in both places, especially in Viña, because there are many streets and long bicycle paths (but I have to admit that I feel sleepy when I stay there). 

Maybe I will hang out with my mother and my brother to the center of city.

Every year my family spends a lot time in the beach, but sometime my father is illuminated by something and take us and we have a family trip. I think that my parents don´t want to take a family trip because my brother and mother are saving money for a big trip in honor that my brother finish the elementary school.

Painful Memories

Every week I expose myself to very dangerous things. I'm an absent-minded person so I crash into people, hit my limbs with tables, walls, chairs and all kinds of furniture. In the pool my integrity always could be affected by kicks, pool floors, strong arms, and very excited people.

But anything is worst (I hope it) that the worst accident that I had. When I was twelve or eleven years, I used to participate in scout activities of my old school. Every Saturday we did games, sang songs and shouted the loudest we could. So shortly after that I joined, we had a camp in the north of Chile.

I was younger (with other girls) than the other members of the group, so I have good memories, bad memories and really boring ones. In the bad ones I have the worst fall that I had.

The group was playing “El florin” (game with song and clapping). In the game two people take another one, move the arm back and forth and the last person is pushed to the forth and has to pass between the other members of group, who do a circle.

Well, it was my turn so they took me from my arms, I said “do it with more force” and they pushed me but my feet stuck to the ground and I fell with my face. I had a short period where I don’t remember anything, then I was surrounded by my partners, went to the hospital in a car, went to another hospital and another, people talking about putting me some stiches and pain and fear mix in my body. Finally the chief of the group decided not to put me anything more than a false stiches and continuing with the camp.

Postgraduate studies

I don’t know if in the future I am going to do a course or any postgraduate study but  I think (maybe because the teacher say us if we want research we have to do a master in the country and doctorate in the abroad ) that I need it.

In the option of the university give there 4  areas to specialization: environmental biochemistry,  applied clinical biochemistry, toxicological biochemistry and molecular diagnosis and biochemistry of proteins and biotechnology (also the university give us  the opportunity to do the master at the same time that we do the finals course of undergraduate and hand over one thesis for the two titles).  If I had to choose I decide for clinical biochemistry because I want to have knowledge about how use the biochemistry for the health. On the other hand I want to study psychology for two main reasons. The first I want learn how the people act and second connect these behaviors with the knowledge, and then study how improves the learning. I want to study in the country but maybe I have to travel to deepening in these areas.

If I could have psychology course maybe I liked to study neuroscience and developmental psychology. Both are too interesting for me.

I like the study face to face, presence class, the technology approaches us, never is the same and the people need human contact.

Future job

First of all I think that is too early to decide what thing I want to do in the future. Many things could happen in five years and maybe I would find something that I enjoy (little) more than everything (I have to do Investigations Unit   and participate in more activities).

I like the knowledge of everything, especially about the matter and the life, it’s fantastic to know how the body works and why the things do this or that, but this knowledge is useless and if the people don’t work with that the humanity will not progress , the world needs brains with plans, ideas, and energy. And in the bottom of my heart I know that I don’t have big ideas for the progress, but I hope to do something to pass the knowledge to someone that be able to use. 

I want work in class design  and new methods for the study based on research about brain (or maybe be a teacher). This requires knowledge of my career but I have to study more about the brain and the biological things that happen in there so I will need to study after the career. I think the knowledge can be expressed in different way not in four walls and listening to the teacher, If I could work on this I don’t care too much about the money (but I hope to have enough to live).

Also I want to live and work in Valparaiso and I work in outdoors and indoors (the knowledge couldn’t be locked) and if I could, without traveling (but if I must do I will do it).

Favourite Food

(Today I will honor this proud country in the name of carbohydrates)

I love the carbohydrates in all their forms, I like bread, potatoes, rice, oat, cereal, but the food which has stolen my heart is the pasta. 

Why I love this food? I can think of some reasons. It's salty, tasty, can take different colors, forms and cereal, can be eaten alone, with sauce, cold, with vegetables, in a soup, with meat,etc. Also it is quick to  cook and gives a lot of energy. The best thing of pasta is always tasty and good, if you eat it at the same moment when you cook it,it tastes good, but if you eat it three days later with eggs and vegetables in a tortillas, it tastes great. 

I eat pasta 3 or 4 times a month and I enjoy every time when I eat it. I have the smallest stomach in the word but the pasta helps me to put myself at the limit and I have some stories about how the impossible still in the past. When I eat pasta I eat must eat all the plate, but my stomach sometimes say no. In that moment I take a breath and keep eating. So in school time I could ate a plate of pasta that counted as three in 15 minutes. And the story is repeated here, when I eat pasta in the university I eat all the plate and the dish is too big for me, but I eat it, even if after that I fall asleep in class.

Hobbies

I usually have to do many things, so when I have free time I enjoy the activities that I like the most, and it isn't a surprise that I love swimming.
Since I am 13 years old, I practice swimming. In the beginning  I swam because my mother forced me to do a sport for my health, but quickly I started to enjoy the class and after the practice of the first team I joined. Now I am in a swimming team in the university, and I try go to the pool three or four days to week.
I love this sport because is tough and the person's size isn't too important, the most important things are your technique and your work.
In  swimming there are many kinds of competition. There are short competitions (50 meters), long competition (800 and more meters), a team competition they can be in short pools large pools (even in international competition the size could be different, exist championship in a 25 meters pools and 50 meters pools the last are use to Olympics), and they mustn't be in a pool  there  race in lakes, in open sea (they are called open water and they are too long). Also everybody can enjoy this sport, the babies, the kids, the adults and old people, and the same time they be benefits their health.
 I like (a lot) swimming but I enjoy doing two important hobbies too. They are watching series and eating (my favorite are the carbohydrates like bread and pasta). The best thing is do these two hobbies at the same time in a hot bed.

The best holidays

First of all the blog's thematic is connect with the level?)

Since kindergarten I have had close friends. We were used to go to beach in the summer and spend the winter's holidays in a cabin (in the beach too) and now we love each other like siblings. Our parents have always been good friends and one day they began to plan a trip for us to Peru before starting the nine grade, but only the fathers and their oldest child.

So in the summer (in Bolivian winter) of 2012 we went to South Peru, only fathers and their children. The travel was exhausting but amazing. In only 10 days we knew museums, ancient structures (not only Machu Picchu), people of different countries (Europeans, Latins and Peruvian), the culture, the weather and fantastic landscape (One time we went to hot springs in Aguas Calientes, the hot springs are in between the greenest mountain I've ever seen).

In many visits to museums only the children and (the worst) father (there are a lot of stories about how he didn't take care of us, with fall, bites and photos), but to the most touristic place all of us went together. We visited Cuzco, Arequipa and other cities, I can't remember their names, but I remember that we escaped from all bad things that happened in Peru that year.

My father likes a lot to talk to people and that's why we met people from all over the world, one time we met a Czechoslovak.

The greatest thing we did, it was when we went to Machu Picchu and climbed the Huayna Picchu Mountain (everyone could do except my father).

I enjoyed a lot that holiday I knew many things and I could spend time with my childhood friends (and also do things that my mother doesn't like).

A country I´d like to visit

Hi. It's second term and I have more blogs to do (Wow. It's great, isn't it?). 

Indian headshake

Well, I don´t like to travel much (I feel very dizzy), but I think that the fact of going to a place to learn about its history, culture and local nature is exciting. If I have to choose a country to travel, I would choose India. It´s an amazing country with a lot of temples and ancient structure, and different cultures (even if now there are zones with international influence) , a rich history, really different kinds of food and a great  environment (with the structures, the temperature, the humidity, etc).  

I know a bit of  this country. It´s humid, hot and has a lot of vegetation. It also has jungle and a rich fauna (with many endangered species), important rivers (because they are long and they have a spiritual function) and too many people. In there they practice the Hinduism and have places (temples, place nearly to rivers like Ganges and some ancient castles) where the people do rituals. 

If I could go to India, I would enjoy to visit the important temples and learn about them. Also I would (try to) eat local food. I know about it from books and movies, my special one is The jungle´s book.
I am not sure if I would like to live in India, but it has things that I enjoy. It´s hot, that´s perfect because I prone to getting cold, it has a lot of vegetation and animals. I think that I would never be able to adapt myself to the culture, the language, the food (the most important part) and the cities and the people, even if its a modern one I couldn’t live there I don´t like stay with many people.

Blogs and blogging

(Is it the last blog?)

Well, I wrote 10 blogs. (Maybe) I learnt how express myself and my opinions in English and I improved (a little) this language in general (I guess and I hope it).  The blogs are helped me to know about areas than I had ever think or areas that I need for my career (things link to internet as scientific websites). I enjoyed this method (even if the begin I need to put myself in this), it´s a good form to practice (the write-form) other languages because force you to search, to think and, most important, found YOUR way to express comfortably in other idiom.

About how much I improved my English, well I feel that I more confident writing, and I have much word and phrases than I had in the begin, but the English surprise me every time (I NEVER TRUST IN ENGLISH and myself neither) and the most time it isn´t in a good way.

Even this method is good it can improve, there´s many ways to do this:

• · Including works that need investigation (interviews and used the scientific websites)
• · Use analysis of videos and write about them
• · Create other sections in the blogs with free thematic

PD    I give to me the hope to have better English

PD1     Ideas to future blogs: hobbies, food and weird natural process (like mitosis).

Little things, BIG POTENCIAL

I didn´t know much about the little world of atoms and molecules. I  used to watch the cartoon´s characters exploring the body with little navies or use nanorobots for to be stronger or cure of illness in television ,and I also listened about nanorobots or little particles and the human health but not more about this topic. 

The nanotechnology is the study and control of matter at the nanoscale (one nanometers is 10^-9 meters and this scale is between 1 and 100 nanometers really small things like molecules and nanomaterials we found here), and take advantage of the matter´s properties (physical, chemical, and biological) at nanoscale (because their properties change when use only a couple of molecules or atoms).

They are used in medicine, construction, to improve the alternative energies; also they are use in cosmetic, food, chemical, sporting goods and automovilistic industries. One reason for I choose this science is the potential for the career and the possible impact of human welfare. 

This (little) matters can modify the behavior of cell, how motivate the growth of nerve cells in neuronal degenerative diseases , or for facilitate treatments, like helping find and eliminate cancer cell with nanoparticles thereby avoiding the secondary effects of chemotherapies, or identified diseases, or monitored the cell in their environment expanding knowledge about the micro and macro worlds. 

 But despite this science can help us it´s also very dangerous. Many molecules and atoms can injure the people when they are worked a nanoscale. One example is the silver nanoparticles in big scale are toxically for the cells and can do put the skin blue.

The most enjoyable subject thus far...

 I should have been doing my homework, but...

When I was child, I didn´t like to do my homework and projects (I was a very lazy kid, I always left everything to the last minute), but learn new things is really fun and enjoyable. In high school I used to study with big books subjects like biology and chemistry, and the knowledges were too interesting (and the images too amazing) that I always finished studying more that I needed. I think that is the reason why I like chemistry a lot.

In this term I have Chemistry I (as with other students of biochemistry, we have classes with chemistry students, engineer students and pharmacological chemistry students), this subject is my favorite one. In the class the teacher explains the different basic concepts about the matter (theories about the composition of matter, how the knowledge is applicated, etc.) with the help of a PPT slide (that  sometimes is not so wonderful). 

In addition to the class we have seminaries that complement and help us to understand the contents (and always bring a test), and the auxiliaries are great too (If I'm not wrong both of them are students of chemistry. 

It is very theoretical and sometimes it is a little hard to me (that's also the reason why it is interesting), also it demands study for my own  but I like to do this, is fun and I always finish like “the word is amazing” or so excited (even there are moments that I can´t help laugh because the knowledges are  wonderful)

Websites you enjoy visiting

Well...  I usually don´t visit websiteany career-related websites: I read a couple of articles, news, I visited websites to study (even once I had to do a work about NCBI´s website) but an habit to me looking for information in the web.  Since a few times, when I was searching information for a presentation I found this image:


And then I entered to the   image’s website, a blog of Scientific American called “Your Brain on Cookies”
The Scientific American´s website is really simple almost all white with a gray and black letters, and in the higher part it has the names of the sections: firstly we have the topic of articles and each one have sub topic: the sciences (about the most common science like chemistry or biology), mind (with everything about the brain and behavior), health (and science relatation), tech, sustainable and education (with material for parents, student and teachers).


The others sections are video, postcasts (capsule with news and information), blogs (where the members talk or express (even represent, like the image, the information about an article of the website), and the store (it´s just this).



I don´t visit much this website (1 or 2 times per week) but I actually like it, the design, the thematic (specially about the mind),in addition to the website isn´t too difficult to understand ( the english version) and the blogs are interesting and sometimes funny.

About pets and love (I guess)...

I can´t say that I love the animals, but I feel respect and facination (sometimes I feel also tenderness). Since I was a child I always had a dog, because my father loves it.
That´s why I have a lot of memories about this animals: In own house we used to have two dogs, two Belgian shepherd, and a couple of time he was taking us, me and brother, to kennels for see it and play with it.

 My favorite pet is my first dog, one of the beligian shepher that we had in my house. It´s name was "Oso" and it was a son of the other dog "Principe" (we never had much imagination), and I can´t remember a when the born but when I was a child it always stayed in the house. It was really big, beautiful and black. In the past I used to walk with my father and own dogs (now we can´t do it. I liked Oso because it was my first dog,was cute and also the most obedient I have never had. It died five years ago.

A photograph you like

 Mmmmm...Since I was a child, I don´t like my photos. This fact has always been difficult  to accept by others, because they want to take a photos in every situation (birthdays, every outing with friends, family get-together) and they look at me as if I am crazy and force me to take one or more, but I always found a way to enjoy (ruin) it. Between those photos I have my special one.

When I was fifteen, my auncles invited me to Brasil. In Brasil I went out with my aunt and my cousin to restaurants, my uncle´s job and naturally to the beach.

A couple of times I swam in the sea. In this photo I had just finished swimming, and we found a cat sleeping with a small leg stretched. We loved it, and, unfortunately for me, they wanted to take a photo. My aunt, who had the camera, said to me "put yourself by the cat and smile". But I couldn´t so I looked at the cat, I got shrank and raised my hand and "voilá"...
 I like this photo for the moment my face and the fluffy cat.