Academic Introduction

Hello, my name is Constanza Cabrera, I´m eighteen years old and I´m studying psychology at Universidad de Chile, I´m in my first year of the major. I think that everything I have learned here could help me in the future, I'm not really sure of what speciality of psychology I would choose, but now I´m very interested in clinical psychology, and specifically everything related to teenagers and child. I think the mental health is not considerer as value as body health. 

I would like to work in an institution like Sename or in an orphanage in order to improve the children lives , because they probably need more assistance than anyone, they are alone in a hard enviroment, so they need support to grow up, learn or socialize with others. I could say that help people, and specialy kids, is maybe my first priority and my great dream.

I see myself in the future, doing a postgraduate abroad, maybe in United States or  Europe, investigating and  doing changes in the field of psychology, and in people's lives.

English Language Challenges

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When I started the English classes, I thought that it would be like the classes in the school: with the teacher speaking all the time, and students listening. But I discovered that the things were very different. I like the method of the classes, because they are more educational and didactic. And you can practice all the different skills of the language: speaking, listening, reading comprehension and writing, instead the school, where you only practice writing or reading, but you never speak  so your pronunciation is not very good. I think that is wrong, because If you want to travel or stay in another country, you will need to speak English perfectly.

I believe that my writing has improved a lot. In the past, I didn´t used to write so much like now. But I´m still a little complicated with listening, I think that is the most difficult skill for me. Now that I´m on vacations, I´m going to take advantage, and listening English music and series. I used to do this before, it is so good, because you listen the pronunciation and the way that people speak, so you become used to listen they.

Outside the classes, I didn´t use English in my daily life, but is very useful when I help my sister or my brother in their homeworks, or when I listen a new song, it´s easy for me learn it. I hope that I would travel one day and use everything that I know.

Changes to My Study Programme

Now, the semester is only some days away to finish, and even though I have been here for four months, I think I can say some things about the University and the career that I would like to change. First, I want to say that I like so much the quality of the teachers here and their willingness to teach, and I really love all the subjects that we have, because I think there are interesting and very necessary for our formation like psychologists. nevertheless I think that It would be better If the classes were more didactic, because sometimes, the classes become a little boring, if you are only listening the teacher all the time. Another thing I think is important, is about the workload, there are some works, essays and exams that are not difficult, even so, they become hard because there are a lot of things to do, and sometimes, you don´t have the time to do all these things, so you came stressed and tired, but it wouldn't be necessary, if teachers could organize better, in order not to do and pass all the works at the same time, and the students could do our works better.

The other thing, is not about the teachers or exams, is about the building, I'm sure I'm not the only one who think that there are too little bathrooms, and it is very tedious have to wait for a free bathroom in the breaks, because you waste your time there, when you could be doing something else.

These are the things that I would change, If I could.

Winter Holidays

Even though the winter holidays are some weeks away, I´m thinking about it, and I can´t wait to be free of the  exams, works and all the things that I´m doing now at the University.  Maybe the first week, I will stay at home, spending my time watching tv or writting. But I would like to meet my friends too, because I haven´t seen them for about one month, and probably when I start the classes again, I won´t have much time to go out with them. Maybe we are going to go to the cinema, or have a meeting at someone´s house, we have a lot of things to tell each other.

The other days maybe I will go out with my family, my aunt has a smallholding next to Rancagua, and some weekends we go there,and my uncles make a barbecue. Also in the winter, we use to go to Cajón del Maipo, at least one day a year, so I think we are going to go this year too, Some winters there´s a lot of snow, and we can play with it, and have snow fights, and other winters there´s nothing, but it´s great too, because the landscape is beautiful and we can eat empanadas. 

But there are only suppositions, the only thing that I´m sure, is that I will rest from the University, I´m not thinking about working or studying, I just want to enjoy my vacations.

My favorite TV show

I have never been a person who watches a lot of TV programs , most of the time, I' ve never finished the TV series that I started. But there is  one series that I can always watch and it never bores me: The Simpsons, you don´t need to see the chapters in order, because each one is independent, and this is one of the reasons that I like it, because I don´t need to be worried if I lost one episode. The Simpsons is about an American family, who lives in a little town. Although most of the chapters are about hilarious situations, there´s not the only topic that it has. Many chapters are about the family, and its significance. For example the episode when Homer finds his mother, that he believed she was dead or the episode when they tell the story about the Lisa´s first word. Also, this series criticises things like the politicians and aspects of the modern life, with irony.

Another reason that I like this TV series, is that it´s very simple to be identified with the characters, and the situations that they lived. There are like any family, who have problems, but at the same time, they love each other.

My siblings and I have the habit to see The Simpsons every Sundays  in the morning, when we are having breakfast. We know all the episodes and dialogues of the series. 

Postgraduate Studies

Since I decided to study psychology, I thought about the fields I would like to study and work. I´ve been always interested in clinical psychology, but also, I liked everything related about children and teenagers, so I think I would like to do a Master on Clinical Psychology of Child and Youth, in a regular learning, because I think that is very important to be concerned about the worries and problems they could have. Many people think that the young people don´t have any problem, and this is not real, they can suffer like anyone, and if we don´t help them in time, maybe they will have problems in their adult lives, and it would affect their health,the relations with other people, and many things more. So, it´s important to resolve these issues in the childhood, before it is too late, and the things get worse.

I´m not sure yet if I want to study here in Chile, or abroad. It would be great to study in an English speaking country, because at same time that I´m studying my Master, I´m learning English, and the culture of the country. It would be an opportunity to study and travel.

But If I stay here, maybe it wouldn´t be so exciting, but it has its good things too, I would stay with my friends and family, or I wouldn´t have problems with the language.

This is the postgrade that I would like to do now, but I hope that it won´t be the only, because I´m interested in many other areas, and If I had money and time, I would study more.

My Future Job

Since I was very young I knew that I would like to work in a job helping people. When I was 15 I discovered my interest in psychology, since then my dream was study psychology, and in a future, could work with people who have problems. I´m not sure yet about the field that I would like to work, now I like the clinical psychology, but with the pass of the career, maybe I would prefer other fields.

I imagine myself working in a hospital or in a clinic, taking care of persons who need my help to improve their lives. I think that is something very important to us look after ourselves, not only our bodies and physical health, because having a good mental health, it´s essential to have a good life.

But also, I would like to work visiting communities, centres, and associations, in order to assist people in their social circles.

I think that it would be a  challenge for me, because I will see a lot of different people, with their own ideas, history, opinions, etc. maybe I will not agree with them, but I would be professional, and help them, because this is what really matter, give to other people the opportunity to improve their lives, their relations, and their health.