English language challenges

Good morning everyone!

Today, I'm going to develop my experience of having an English course at university, also the aspects that I have to improve about my own English skills and my opinion of English in general terms and regard to its useful for me.

I consider that I have had a good experience with English here, for example, I loved to write blogs with different topics through the weeks, basically because I love to write in general. So I enjoyed a lot writing the posts and I totally agree about to use blogs in an English course as a method of teaching and learning. Then, I liked the classes too, miss Andrea teach us very well, I have learned different things in her classes, mainly about vocabulary and I consider it's very useful to improve our English Skills, also I liked to practice the speech and active listening. In addition, I think it's good to learn with a mixed system of classes, having one classroom session and the other in the computer lab. Lastly, I liked the way of evaluation, because we had to use our different skills, they are: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.

I reckon that I have to improve mainly my English skill regarding listening, because sometimes I don't understand the English speakers when they talk, I consider that they speak too fast or don't pronounce well, but maybe it's just because it's difficult for me to understand them. So I plan to improve that, mostly listening to YouTube videos, movies and songs in English, maybe doing an English course outside the university or remotely, I would travel to a country who its first language be English, for learning.

Finally, I consider English an important language to learn, because it's the universal language and for that reason, if I become a bilingual person or at least someone who can understand English and speak it well, I could do many other things that I can't achieve at the present, for example, to read English books or to talk fluent with an English speaker. I use this language at university (for example: English classes), but I also use it sometimes outside the university and it's primarily when I sing or listen to songs, when I read papers/researches for studying or when I saw YouTube videos, or movies.

That's all for today, well I hope you enjoyed reading my posts, this is the last for the present year, take care, see you...

Changes to my study program

Good morning everyone!

Today I'm going to talk about some changes I think that should be implemented in my career (By the way, I'm studying psychology, I think all of you know it, but if there are doubts yet... ha ha ha, I don't think so, but who knows?)

Firstly, I would like to say that I'm just at the third semester of my career, so I have only had 18 courses until now and maybe I would like or dislike the rest of them. I can't exactly know it, but at this moment, in general, I have liked my study program, in fact, that was one of the reasons of why I chose to study psychology at the "Universidad de Chile", because I like its curriculum. Anyway, even when I like it, it doesn't mean that I don't want to change some things, so...

Regarding the curriculum, I consider the first year is very general. I think it's because we have to balance our skills and knowledge (as the education in Chile it's unequal, so the university it's an instance to prepare professionals with the same skills or at least that is the ideal), also that year in psychology maybe is general, because it's important for us to constitute as social scientists. In those terms I reckon it would be useful and an important part of our professional training.

Then, the second year it's a little more psychological, because we have more courses related with the basic knowledge in psychology, I think this year is more like an introduction in our career. At this moment, I have liked almost all my courses, actually I have only disliked "Historia Social de Chile" and it could be because I have never liked too much the history, but also because I consider that it doesn't related with our career, I guess that if we take it out the curriculum, it wouldn't happen nothing.

Talking now about the courses I haven't have yet, I suppose they are very relevant in our professional training and I love that in the 6th, 7th and 8th semester we have to take elective courses of the 5 mainly areas in psychology (Clinical psychology, Social psychology, Organizational psychology, Educational psychology and Legal psychology), I only feel that we could have a sixth elective in experimental psychology and neurosciences (if we would have it, I believe our formation in psychology would be integral), anyway I like a lot our curriculum just the way it is. Maybe, I would like to add a course of quantitative methodology, because I consider it's important too (In our curriculum we have a course of qualitative methodology, but no one in quantitative).

Psychology curriculum

In connection with the things I previous mentioned, I guess that the length in our career could be less than it currently is, maybe we shouldn't have general courses (related with other social sciences), so we could minimize the length in one year, having only 4 years to get the degree of psychology. But I'm unsure if I would like to do that, because if we hadn't had those courses, maybe it had been more difficult for us to get used to university life.

If I have to refer now about the workload in our career, I consider that it isn't difficult in comparison with others. I think that our courses, tests, projects and times for study are balanced, in some weeks we have more workload, but it isn't something impossible to handle.

Referring now to the use of technology, I think that we could improve more this aspect, because our classes in general are expository and in almost all our courses we don't use the tech too much. (Statistic course is the more representative exception, because we use computers to complement our theoretical knowledge, applying statistical programs and also we get points by playing online with a website called kahoot.it).

I suppose we could improve the teaching methods, because as I said, our courses are mostly theoretical. In this way I think we could have more practice instances, because we learn a lot about psychological theories, but not too much about practice.

We could learn more than these basic concepts and theories

That's all for today, I hope you read me in the next post, see you...

Personal opinions

Good afternoon everyone!, today I'm going to give my opinion about 4 different topics, so...

1.-Owning an exotic pet

First of all, I think it depends on what are we going to consider regarding an exotic pet. For example, if we say that exotic is less common, I could say that animals such as: rabbits, chickens, pigs, etc. would be exotic, but this is because I assume that the person who has that pets isn't from a farm or doesn't live in countryside (so it would be exotic for city residents). Now, if exotic is expensive. I could say that animals such as: lizards, iguanas, macaws, turtles, ferrets, hedgehogs, toads and others could be exotic. But I consider that this pets aren't real exotic, because nowadays they're more common than before, I have friends who have turtles, also a lot of people have hedgehogs or iguanas or ferrets (So... in this terms, I think it's just an expensive pet). At last but not least, I believe that exotic pets/animals are the wild ones and they are only a luxury that rich people take. For example, the girl in the photograph with a cheetah on street like if it was a dog.

In general I dislike the idea of having a pet just because is uncommon, I guess that people do that mainly to impress other persons and in some cases, because they are obsessed or love too much that particular animal, even when is not an ordinary pet (I suppose if you like a lot the hedgehogs you could get one, isn't insane, but if you like tigers it's a different issue, because they're really dangerous). Finally, I'm totally against of having pets that are in danger of extinction, because it's banned to have it, I'm sure the reason is a little bit obvious.



2.-Child Labor

I would like to do a distinction between child labor in terms of slavery and childhood deprived, in contrast with child labor as a necessity of families with less resources or for helping parents with their jobs such a learning process or just because they need the help. In the first case I'm absolutely convinced that it's wrong and an infringement of children's rights. So I consider that we have to do something as society, ensuring that this situation end up.

In the second case I suppose that is right depending on the situation. For example, if a family needs more money, the adults caregivers do all they can, working a lot and they really don't have other way to make money (such as social contributions, credits, loans by closer people) for the basics subsistence needs. I thinks is worthier that the kids work in simple or little jobs, that are complementary with their studies and warranting their rights the most that it can; than to starve to death. Regarding to the previous case, the children could help their parents in their jobs after school, for example, if they work selling things in a store in their house, while the parents are doing other job. And lastly, I imagine that the classic American lemonade stand, isn't an oppressive job and it's a good way for kids to do their own money, whether they need it to help family finance or just because their parents thinks is a good way to increase autonomy and to develop social skills, enjoying the process.

3.-Tattoos

I believe that tattoos are mostly an art, in general I have a good view about them, I think that people with some tattoos are great, especially when they have an important/personal meaning for them. But I don't like all the tattoos, for example, I disagree a little bit respect to the matching tattoos that couples do, especially when they get tattoo the first letter or the name of the other, I guess it could be a bad option, because if you broke up, you probably won't like to have something in your body reminding you the person you used to be with. I also dislike offensive tattoos, with negative messages, such racism, sexism, depression, hate, hopeless, etc. In addition, I dislike when people have too much tattoos that you don't know when the other starts or ends, unless they are linked each other, but if is not the case, I feel puzzled about it and I consider that their skin disappeared or changed into ink, making a kind of art that only the full body tattooed person understands.

Regarding about the stereotypes now, I guess that if you're tattooed it doesn't make you a homeless or a criminal, either it doesn't mean you're irresponsible, rebel or without studies. And the stereotype I consider more ridiculous than the others, is that if you have tattoos you won't be able to have a job. I'm reasonably sure that it doesn't make a significant difference if you are tattooed or not; because nowadays, the most people don't care about it. Maybe, in some jobs that you have to go working formal clothes, they are more careful to chose workers without any tattoos, but as the picture at the left shows (making criticism), it shouldn't be any difference if you are tattooed or not and I consider it in that way, even when I don't have any ink on my body and probably I would never get a tattoo, because although I find them very attractive and a piece of art, I imagine that you have to be very secure about what do you want to have on your skin for the rest of your life and I can't make that decision, because I reckon that people change and also my preferences do it. So... In my view, tattooed persons are brave or more exactly decided, I like that in them.

4.-Killing stray dogs to prevent sanitary problems and animal over population

In my opinion, we don't have the right to decide for other being of what to do with its life. So, as it seen, I'm against of killing stray dogs. There are other ways to reduce their over population, like sterilizing or teaching about responsible care of dogs, this last view could help for preventing sanitary problems related with them too. If people don't want stray dogs in streets, another measure could be having kennels in cities, that care about the dogs and then, if nobody go to claim the animal in a determined lapses of time, they put the dog in adoption in search of a new home.


On the other hand, I suppose that for many people is easy to say that we have to kill stray dogs, but I'm unsure if the persons that think that way are responsible dogs owners, because in many cases, the people say too much outside their minds, but then, inside their acts, show too little. So firstly, for my view, the persons have to look inside themselves if they have been responsible pet owners.


That's all for today, I hope you read me in the next post, see you...

What area do you want to specialize in psychology?

Good afternoon everyone!

First of all, I'm going to say that I'm not sure regarding the area that I would want to specialize. At this moment I mostly like all of them, but I consider for example, that neuroscience and neuropsychology is a limited branch in Chile, because in this country there aren't the enough resources, such as: advanced technology, financing, interdisciplinary work, postgraduate studies, etc. So... there are just a few of them, restricting the opportunities to become a qualified psychologist in this area, to obtain a job is difficult too. In my opinion, it happens something similar with research and experimental psychology; and for that reason I wouldn't want to specialize in those areas (even when I like them), because the resources for specializing are more limited and the labor market is too competitive. Maybe, I could consider to study abroad something related with these branches (because I like a lot the scientific stuff and it would be nice to know another country with its culture), but right now I don't visualize myself doing it (anyway, I'm doing the second year of my career, my decisions could change in the future). There are many other possibilities to specialize in, such as: behavioral psychology, social psychology, forensic psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, clinical psychology, educational psychology and legal psychology (There are more branches, but I don't want to mention all of them and these are the most important).

As you can see, there are a lot of options to specialize in psychology, but the area I think I like the most in the present is Educational psychology, Why?, Because I've always been interested in education (I wanted to study pedagogy, maybe, I'll do it), also I prefer to work with teenagers and children than adults (I think you can help them more, especially the teenagers, because that age is problematic for all of us and full of doubts) and in addition; the educational branch in psychology takes over about educative improvements, the scientific study of human learning (with cognitive and behavioral perspectives) and helping in problems related with life in educational institutions. I think that the last things I previously mentioned are the reason of why the educational psychology is important inside the career that I'm studying.

If I specialize in educational psychology, I would do the educational psychology master at "Universidad de Chile", because it's part-time modality, so I could work and study. In the other hand, maybe I could go abroad for studying (but I haven't searched about it). Now a days, I don't have any plans regarding postgraduate studies, except for doing 2 diplomas at Universidad de Chile (one related with humanistic psychotherapy and the other with educational psychology, this last one give you the chance to continue with the master if you want to do it), but as I said at the beginning, I'm not sure regarding the area I would want to specialize. Although I've noticed that I like a little bit more the educational psychology (I realize that when I think about the education in Chile and its flaws, then I feel that maybe I could help fixing the actual system or making a new educative system).

That's all for today, I hope you read me in the next post, see you...

Postgraduate studies

Good afternoon everyone!

If I had to choose a postgraduate studies program right now, I would say a diplomaed course of existential humanistic psychotherapy and a diplomaed course of educational psychology, because these postgraduate diplomaed courses are related with two branches of my degree that I like at this moment (clinical psychology and educational psychology respectively, and... I really love these topics!), in addition, a diplomaed program is shorter than other postgraduate studies, so I could study both only in one year, in contrast among a master program that takes two years or a doctorate that takes four years. Then, if I do these diplomaed courses: I would have more expertise, I could develop better in clinical psychology or educational psychology, than if I just start working once I have finished the undergraduate education; and probably, the employers would considerate me more to give me a job. For these reasons, I would like to take the postgraduate courses I mentioned.

I would like to study the diplomaed courses at "Universidad de Chile" (in fact, existential humanistic psychotherapy and educational psychology are postgraduate diplomaed courses from this university), I would take them in classroom modality and part-time course as the postgraduate diplomaed programs are. Of course, if I have the possibility of studying a postgraduate abroad in the future and if I would have the money, I think that I would do it.

On the other hand, I would like to study a second career, it would be Chemistry and Pharmacy or Science Pedagogy, because I have always liked them almost as I like Psychology and I think that I would bore working entire life as a psychologist, even when I like it too much. So... if I can study other degree I'll do it.

PS: I know that these careers aren't postgraduate studies, because they're not related with psychology, so... they're totally different (ha ha), but if I could study other degree I think that Chemistry and Pharmacy or Science Pedagogy would be an option, talking about other future studies (ha ha ha).

That's all for today, I hope you read me in the next post, see you...

Talking about my pets

Good afternoon everyone!

I would like to say that I don't have pets at this moment, because I'm in Santiago and I'm not from here, so... I'm going to refer to my past. 2 years ago, when I was in my house yet, I had pets, but they were on the family own, no one of us were the master of them. At that year (2016) I had fishes (l think around 10, I don't remember the exactly number, because I'm not the kind of people that love to have fishes as pets ha ha ha, I think it's a little bored), I had three lovebirds and a cat (this last one was my favorite, because I'm a cat lover). If I go back to my childhood, I had a lot of pets: a dog, a colorful lizard, hamsters (I guess they were 4 at different timelines), 2 parrots (they were blue- fronted Amazon), around 5 cats (through the years), etc. I have to stop at this moment, to say that I'm an animal lover, it could be a reason of why I have had too much pets, my parents and my brother love the animals too, so we always have had a lot of pets and they were family pets at the end, because we cared them as a family, it supposed that my brother and I were the owners, but that was a lie. Except for the pet I think was the more special for me and I used to be his master, it was a cat called "Chefa".

Now, I'm going to talk about her;  I had Chefa when I was a boy (I can't remember the exactly tense), but I recall that my father gave me that cat near to my birthday, I think it probably was in 2009, because I had around 10 years old. Chefa was alive per 4 to 5 years, she passed away in 2013. I noticed, because my mother told me when we were coming back to our house, after the summer vacations from that year, we were travelling the Atacama desert and my mother said that my aunt told her that someone had poisoned my cat, because Chefa didn't want to eat in some days and she found it in a morning dead in the courtyard with her body tight and inflamed.

Well, that's the sad part of the story. By now, I'm going to remind the cheerful memories I had with Chefa. I loved her, because she was the first pet I really had an emotional connection, I worried about feed her, about bring her water, about clean her and of course, enjoy my time playing with her. So I learnt to be responsible and that learning was funny and joyful, it was really and a experience. The most part of the time, was good; we were growing up together, because Chefa came to my life, when she was little (a cute orange tabby kitten) and then she get an adult (well, I grew up slower, but when I was 14 years old I couldn't say I was a child and I was very mature, even I accepted the death of my cat as a normal process in the life), but inclusive when I received  her death normally it was the bad part. Regarding to the good old days, other things made me happy and were special for me when I recall the times with Chefa, were the bright moments. For example: when my cat slept with me (she rested over my feet), when we enjoyed afternoons playing, the frequent cuddles Chefa used to made to me, etc.

I loved that tiny fluffy fur ball (Chefa wasn't chubby, but she was angora and too cute!).

Finally, as I previously said "I'm a cat lover", so I used to enjoy a lot having a cat as a pet, it's one of the best things in life (for me, ha ha), because I consider cats are very funny, mysterious, curious, adorable and as Robertson Davies said "Perhaps God made cats so that man might have the pleasure of fondling the tiger..."  (that's the thing I like the most, the cats are fierce and cuddly at the same time).

That's all for today, well I hope you read me in the next post, see you...

PS: photographs of other pets I mentioned that I had.

2016:

The cat

Lovebirds

Fishes

Years ago:

The dog

The colorful lizard

I had this type of hamster

Blue-fronted Amazon parrots

Cats, different cats! :)

Favorite Food

Good morning everyone!

Today I'm going to write about my favorite food. At first, I don't have a favorite one, because I love Mexican food (mainly the Tacos), Italian food (such as: Pizza, Lasagna, Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, Gnocchi, Ravioli, Fettuccine, Spaghetti with Pesto sauce, Spaghetti Bolognese), Chinese food (but the Chilean menu, for example, "Chapsui Especial" and "Arrollado Primavera"), Middle East food (like Falafel and Shawarma) and Of course, Chilean food ("Empanadas de Horno", "Pastel de Choclo", "Humitas", "Tortas", "Queque", "Carbonada", "Mote con Huesillos", "Picarones Pasados", "Pastel de Papa", "Completos", "Arroz con Leche", etc). In general I'm not a picky person, I think I like all kinds of food, specially food from other countries, as I mentioned, I could say that I only dislike the seafood. Also, I like home-cooked food, because my father is a good cook so I could eat really delicious food when I was living with him; I like the food that my grandmothers cook when I visit them in the south, they cook the most typical Chilean food and they result yummy. On the other hand, I like to eat out too! Because I can eat different foods and try new things.

Basically, I'm a person with sweet tooth, but I consider that desserts are not part of a  balance diet, so either they aren't food in those terms to eat well and to satisfy hunger, for example, I couldn't eat a dessert as a lunch, I probably would be hungry the rest of the day (ha ha).

Now, last but not least if I have to say only one favorite food, I could say Italian food at this moment and to be more specific Lasagna. I know that it isn't the most healthiest food, but It's delectable for me!

That's all for today, well I hope you read me the next week, see you...