English language challenges

In my opinion, the main problem I have had in this course, and generally in the whole year in relationship with English, it’s talking. The main reason to study another language is, obviously, learning how to talk it. So, if you just read or do some exercises in a piece of paper, you won’t improve too much your skills (it’s just my opinion, I don’t mean this is unnecessary or that it’s not important). I think the better way to learn it it’s talking, and talking a lot. Because of that every language course must be always talked in the language they are studying to. And this is my challenge: start talking outside the classroom.

Luckily this faculty has good exchange plans, and here is constantly people arriving and going away. In fact, in my International Relationships course I met a Belgium guy who was here in Chile for six months, and I was able to communicate with him perfectly. Also my mom is an English teacher, and she is always happy of talking in English with me. Actually she urge and remember me to do it almost every time we talk.

It has been really funny making this blog, the issues were interesting, and now I’m used to write the post. Also I learned new vocabulary and expressions, improved my fluency, I met some new people who are actually very nice and likeable, some of them are my friends now. Finally I had better time than last course.

I hope all of this would be useful for me in future, and continue improving my English. And you too!

Changes to my study programme

Well, starting on the first item –the curriculum- I have heard a lot of comments about the electives (cursos electives), comments like that they are not necessary, that they are just to spend time and energy, that when you graduate you will not employ then, basically that they don’t useful. Nevertheless I think there is also interesting elective courses, maybe not absolutely compulsory (for a reason they are not) for Law career, but it’s good that they are there, to break the typical-historical curriculum.

Also a good thing that attracted my attention when I started studying here was that the curriculum it is flexible, that mean that if you fail a subject, you are able to take it immediately in the next semester, you don’t have to wait six months to take it. That was good for me because I already failed a course haha.

However, this system has some disadvantages, like the teachers you will have in your cycle. Usually there are just one or maybe two options of professor to choose, because in theory they are just a few people who fail. So you don’t have variety to select. Also sometimes –not always- the professor who starts teaching those who failed a subject isn’t too good (at least according to what I have heard to). I hope this will not be mi case.

Something that I really miss (I am from Temuco, in the south of Chile) is green. Trees, grass, green hills, where I lived these are usual, so I found everything so grey here, I would love having some green-areas in the faculty, which obviously would implicate being in other place opener, maybe bordering San Cristóbal hill. That would be beautiful.

My Favourite Music

First that all, I have always listened assorted music, of very different styles. I could say that I like a little bit of everything, but my main tastes are, rap (not hip hop, please note the difference) and rock.

Rock, definitely because of –like in all of the cases- my parents, specially mi mother.  My brother and I grew up and lived with her almost out childhood, until we were eighteen years old, so she influenced very much in me, and obviously in my preferences. She introduced me to Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, Queen, The Rolling Stones, and a lot of other bands, so we share those inclinations. We have gone together twice to Queen’s tribute concerts, both of their principal honour band, God Save the Queen; the first in Temuco and the last in Santiago, in the Caupolicán theatre.

My father has very similar tastes with my mother, so the influence was like the same. With him we (my brother and I) went in February to the last concert in Chile of The Rolling Stones, like I said in an old post. I already talked about it so it is not necessary to do it too much again, just say that it was simply amazing.

On the other hand, I started listening rap with my brother, like at the age of twelve. Maybe because that’s the age when are like starting thinking on your own way, disobeying your parents or something like that; and going out of the known world, exploring new stuff. I remember that I started listening it because of I watched the movie“8 mile”, eminem’s film, and I liked it a lot.

With Dante –my twin brother- we have gone to a lot of concerts and festivals of rap along our adolescence, most of all to festivals, which started in middle day, like 2 o’clock, and end at 10. However recently, when I came studying to Santiago and he stayed in Temuco, we had gone obviously to less recitals; but in November he came living here, with my dad and me, so I hope to we could start doing it again.

We have already plans to go to a new concert, this time “La Cumbre del Rock Chileno 2017”, in January 7^th. They will be a lot of bands and singers, it will be nice!

Postgraduate studies

This is probably the hardest post I have had to do. Like I think I said before, I am in my first year of university, so I don’t know too much about post graduate studies or specializations. I don’t even know which subjects I like and which I don’t, I just study for everyone. But I will do an effort.

After graduate, I don’t want to start studying immediately. I would like to do some volunteerism for a year, or something new, something without relationship with Law career. Maybe travel for South America, taking photos everywhere, and make up albums from each country. And after all of this I would think in starting some new course.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that post graduate studies aren’t important, I just say that I want to disconnect me a little, from Law. Like for missing it, and then start again more excited.

I think doing some course after ending the Pregrado is very important; it is essential and a plus for every lawyer –and every professional-, to knowing more about the matter that you are working about, and because of it I will do it in future.

I would like to do it abroad, to meeting places, people and other cultures; and I hope to do a part-time, so I would be able to traverse for the country I would stay. 

Summer plans

This summer for me wouldn’t be like all the previous. First that all, this will be my first summer that I am going to have in Santiago, in University. Then, it will be my first summer in classes. I mean, we (college) will be in exams! My last test will be in January’s half, like 18^th, so I wouldn’t have the same time for holidays that I used to have.

I will go to a few concerts and festivals in summer. The first of them will be in January 7^th: La Cumbre del Rock chileno, in the Estadio Nacional. It will be a day full of artists and bands, and I will go with my family. Then, in February 11^th, is the Surfbeats Festival in Pichilemu. Three days of various kinds of music, activities in beach, and more. I will go with my girlfriend, and we will have a nice weekend.

Well, I have a few plans for when I finally go out from school. First, I am thinking in take a photograph workshop, to improve my knowledge and skills. This will last like a month, but maybe I would do it at the same time that tests, so I can finish it all in January. Like a said in some earlier posts, photograph is one of my favorite activities; in spite of I’m just a beginner.  

After I finish exams and the photograph workshop I have a plan with some friends.  We thought in a travel, for a week or maybe more time, to Chiloé, backpacking. I have gone there just two times, and one was when I was a little child, so I don’t even remember it. So I am very excited to do it again, to go all over the island, the little towns, the beaches, the churches, and of course take a lot of pictures! It has a long way to go until the travel, something like two months, but I am very, very excited.

I think I already said this in a previous post, but I am from Temuco, in south of Chile, so obviously I will go there in summer. There is almost all my family and school friends, and we are going to have a great time together.