Last semester blog: English for life!

Well, to begin, i have always loved to learn English. My 3 bigger sisters used to watch some horror and suspense movies with me with subtitles when I was like 8. My big big sister studied to be an English teacher and well, all in my family have a good domain of the language. In school, I learned B2 level (upper- intermediate) and learned C1 level on Oxford (for 2 months).And keeping aside all the technic stuff (boooring) , I really like the language, it gives you another way of communicating and expressing which I think, it’s absolutely different from Spanish.

 (It's good to know this if u want to study outside) (C2+ level is like Emma Watson level or something...)

In University of Concepcion I never took the English classes because I was too focused on chemistry and maths. Here in University of Chile there are obligatory, and also it has been 2 years since I took an English course and I’m having a good time actually. Making blogs it’s kind of relaxing and helps you express some way and classes are more fun, with the group we have a good laugh every now and then and now there’s a debate coming, which I know my group is going to win hehe.

 (the debate is gonna be about death penalty, you have to come)

I think that, after 2 years of no taking and english class at all (just watching movies without subtitles, book and games), I need the improve some technic stuff again, like structures of the past and future, because I think I forget some of those.

Outside classes, on the open world, I practice sometimes with my little sister (she loves English too, so we welcome her to the dark side now haha) and on some scientific congresses I have some little chats with the exhibitor, but that is all. Hope that in the future I have the opportunity to have my postgraduate studies on England and really improve the language to a native level, except for the accent of course, we can never forgive our Chilean root at all.

A message for you now: you’re studying a scientific career; take advantage of the material you have around to learn this language, ‘cause it´s important to unwind on this globalized world. Especially on science.

Well peace, hope you have a good end of semester haha bye.

Biochemistry and the new generation of graduates

Well, the curriculum program of my career is new, it just got on course since last year, so we (me and my generation) are the first generation to graduate under this program.

You know I said this over and over again ('till you want to kill me) but i come from another University and one of the reasons because i came here was because of the program that University of Chile has. I really like it from a general view.

Biochemistry in this University has it unique formation on investigation and it has worked really well. On the first years you learn the basics of chemistry and biology and then you go nuts with all this investigation and subcellular courses that sounds really amazing. We even have a Biotechnology course that sounds great, can't wait to have it.

BUT! there are always a but isn't it... The distribution of credits (hours per week on a course) with the complementary course is just… insane, and not on a good way. In the Biochemist program you need to take a minimum of 16 credits of complementary (CFG) courses over all your career. I don’t think that that’s necessary for any career, ever… I mean, I love to learn different stuff as I have a very open mind to humanistic sciences, music… But 16 credits (minimum of 8 CFG through the program) it just crazy.

The faculty has, IN GENERAL, good facilities and they’re getting better on time  but we still need some spaces for the students that hopefully are coming, but I don’t complain. The general laboratories have all we need IN GERENAL and the specific laboratories has the problems that ALL  the laboratories have in Chile… well you about the finance on science and investigation.. ehem

As this is my 3^rd year on a university (and 1^st on this university), I know a lot of professors, and here they have very good methods of teaching IN GENERAL. Good people too.

The only changes for now it would be the (god damn) credits on the complementary courses and, that the course with more not approved rate can be given on the next semester.

Well that’s all for today. bye :)