Self evaluation of my academic year (2009)

The year 2009 was a year of changes and many new experiences; it was a fun year and also a year that marked me in many ways. The last year I went to “University of Chile”, which was the dream of my life, I went to study veterinary, where I met many nice and hardworking people and good friends too. In 2009 I had to live three major changes, first was to move from school to university, the second was returning from Peru to Chile and the third and largest was to live without my family. I thought that these changes will affect my academic performance too much, but I think I faced them well.

To begin with, I think I entered to University with a not so good academic base in some points. This is because as in Peru have one year less in school I didn´t get to see all of each subject, therefore if something in Chile is taught in one more year, in Peru it had already taught. But I can say that Peru's school had a very good quality to teaching, for example some classes which helped me a lot in university was maths to biostatistics, I was the best in the class so I didn´t have to force myself much to pass that subject, also in ecology, everything I have seen in biology in college. I think because of this there were some classes that I had the pleasure of not giving them too much time.

However, there were some subjects that were a problem for me at the first year of university. For example chemistry, I could not pass it, but to my defense I can say that in Peru I hadn´t chemistry, as we had to choose between chemistry, physics and biology, and I chose biology. Never the less, I think that I could have worked a little more in that, because for biochemistry I put a little more effort and I passed it. Anatomy was also another class that was a big trouble for me, the first half of anatomy I had horrible marks, and I have to accept that it was my fault, I wasn´t given enough effort I was being very conformist, and I didn´t organized or prioritized my time well. I think that living alone it was affecting me and therefore I believed that I could do whatever I wanted with my time. When the year was about to end I realized how stressed I was for the final marks, always leaving things to the last minute, and with time I learned how to organize and prioritize my time without leaving my personal life either.

In conclusion, the year 2009 taught me many things; some of them are that I learned that living alone must bear much responsibility, and within them is learning how to organize to perform well in academic matters. I also learned to balance my study time and my social life, so that I won´t be stressed. On the other hand, maybe I could have given more the last year, still I do not regret anything, because that's how we learn, and then not to repeat the same mistakes, I am proud saying that this year I had a better performance in university and so far I have not failed classes.

CHALLENGES!

In my opinion veterinary is one of the hardest and wonderful carriers that anyone can choose, it needs a lot of vocation and effort, also I think it can be the carrier more complete because vets have to know everything about many species, and with more work areas.

However, veterinary has some challenges especially in countries like Chile, and now I will talk about that, the challenges that vets are facing in Chile.

First, the technology challenge. Well, Chile is not a very advance country therefore it does not have full access to advance technology, I mean that in some places may have very good technology but no everyone have access to them, nevertheless, Chile is becoming a developing country, so maybe today in veterinaries or in universities that have that carrier doesn´t have advance technology, but it is probably that soon that won´t be a problem.

Second, I will refer to social matters; I think Chilean people are still too ignorant in many areas. Many people think that veterinary is an easy discipline, but they don´t know all the classes that we have to take and that they are very very hard, even at the level of human medicine, and even more, because doctors have to know just about humans and they are not self-sufficient, because they have nurses, in veterinary we have to know about dogs, horses, cows, etc. I think it is not so important that everyone know all the things that we can do, the most important thing it is that we demonstrate that we are the best in what we do and also that we have vocation for this.

Finally, I will talk about educational challenges. To begin with, as I already said, Chile is becoming a developing country, however it still have some lacks, like in education, nevertheless, that it is more in schools, and not in Universities, especially in the “Universidad de Chile” which is a very prestigious University in Chile, but in national matters, there is not too much emphasis in knowing more about some new areas in veterinary, for example better courses about exotic animals or in ethology. In my point of view, the problem is conformism and, of course, the lack of money. One way to solve this might be showing the important job that we are doing, and the important role of the animals, like dog and horses, in society.

ABANDONED BABY HUMPBACK WHALE!

Even with all the development, still are some unconscious and selfish people that doesn´t care about the wellness animals, because they think they are superior, but that just proves how ignorant they are.

Even so, there are people who doesn´t doubt to take a life if that gives them benefit, even when that can affect to a lot of animals, even to a whole chain of ecosystems. This is the case of whales, which for many years there has been indiscriminate hunting, leaving many helpless and homeless calves.

Some years ago there was a case of an abandoned baby humpback whale on Sydney's Pittwater Bay, who made headlines in the Guardian, August 19, 2008.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/19/abandoned.whale.sydney

This whale was only two months old and 5m. Long, it was found on two occasions following and trying to suckle from a whale-sized yacht.

This drama made headlines in many media, and there was much concern about the calf, A spokesman from the department of national parks and wildlife said the calf risked dying of hunger, being attacked by sharks or beaching itself. The big problem was that Australia did not have the expertise or facilities to assist in these critical cases, critical because in wildlife normally the calves stay with their mothers eleven months.

However, in this news doesn´t say which is the cause because the baby whale was abandoned; there are a lot of similar cases, where the calves finally die without their mother.

IMPROVING YOUR FACULTY FACILITIES

I think that it is very cool our faculty, because it is different to all of the other faculties of Universidad de Chile and the others universities in Santiago. It has a lot of green areas, and a lot of dogs and different animals like cows and horses. Also because we can do parties or barbecues every Friday in the faculty!!!

However, the faculty has some weakness too, like the lack of infrastructure, fly overpopulation, the lack of field trip or real practices to have more experience. Moreover, the weakness that I will concentrate now it is “LA GRANJA” (the farm). In my opinion it is very important that we improve the farm, because the animal´s farm need a better and comfort place to live. When you go to the farm you can see horses in very bad shape, the lamas walking on their own excrement, also the space they have are too small for all the animals in there, some of them doesn´t have shadow, like the sprue of the horses which doesn´t have shadow so the water heats.

We are in the veterinary faculty, and it is impossible that we don´t care about the poor animals that live there, with us almost every single day of the year. I think the first step that it is have to be done to improve the farm, is to show to every single student of the veterinary faculty and also to ours neighborhoods (agronomy and forestall students) the really bad conditions in which they are living, the lack of infrastructure and management, so they will take consciences and maybe make voluntary donations revenues to improve and enlarge the place where the animals live, and  also to give them a better care, either food or other kind. Also inform people how they can help directly to the animals or to the infrastructure, so volunteers who want to help will means save money to use them in other purposes, such as better food for 4A dogs.
Finally, the impact and benefits that this will bring is to ourselfs, because we are here because we care about living beings and we want justice and good treatment to everyone, so first we have to start there, where we study, so we will show that we really love what we do.

My favourite movie

My favourite movie is Seven Pounds, a 2008 film. Seven pounds is a drama movie, which his main character is played by Will Smith.

I enjoyed the movie because when the movie starts you do not know what the plot of the film is, and while the film progresses you care more and more, so throughout the film the plot is unclear, and only near the end shows the key to understand all the drama. In my opinion, the movies where by your self have to discover the reason for the development of the film are best as they catch you and make you use the imagination.

The film is about a man, Tim Thomas, that two years before the “present” in the movie, he was sending a text message while driving, which it cause a car crash in which seven people died, one of them was his fiancée.

He felt so regret that to make up his error, Tim decided to save the life of seven people who deserve it. He donates non vital organs to five people, a lung lobe, part of his liver, a kidney and a bone marrow. At the end he checks out candidates for his two lasts donations, one is a blind man, and the other is a woman, who her husband maltreated, to give them the donations, he fills the bathtub with ice water to preserve his vital organs, and commits suicide, and his friend acts as executor to ensure that his organs are donated to the persons he choose. The blind man receives his corneas and the woman receives his heart.

My favourite animal

As can you see, my favourite animal is the dog!!! I have always loved dogs, I had many dogs in my house, the two dogs in the pictures are Mia (left) and Bella (right) my actual pets, they are the best thing that ever happened to me, also I had four "pastores alemanes" and in Peru I have two "jack russels" so as can you see my family also love dogs.

I love dogs because they are just like kids, they always surprise me because they behave like humans, they show feelings, when they are sad or happy or scared or ungry, also when they get jealous, always trying to get my attention. Also I think that they are very inteligent and very loving, they only ask you for love and food, and they love you as you where a god, the way they look you to your eyes, they are great.

In my case, I have the two best dogs in earth, my Bella arrived to my home on december of 2009, I buy her because I was going to live alone, and she made me company the whole year, she protects me, and always follow me wherever I go, I love her as she were my doughter. My Mia, is the craziest dog in the world, I love her because is very clumsy!, she always run and fall, and the thing most characteristic of her is that she always lick everything! lick lick lick she never stop! although she is a big dog, she is a very pacific dog, she loves every dog and person she meets.

Death penalty

Wow, this is a very difficult topic, however I am in favor of the death penalty because people who commit serious crimes such as murderers, rapist and pedophiles should not continue to live because they are unable to reconsider the things they do, they always come back to commit these acts and therefore may never return to society, they are a bad for society and they do harm to innocent people, their families and friends. Therefore this sick people spend the rest of their lives in prison with no repentance, and prisons are full with these degenerate animals, while people who committed smaller crimes, likewise should be punished, the difference is that they could come to repent and not commit more crimes, they are released immediately and therefore does not reconsider and continue to commit crimes. Some people think that they should not be kill because it is the easier way for them and that they will be free from punishment, but I do not really care that they receive punishment, because I think the punishment should stop you from committing a negative act, and clearly these murderers, rapists and others are seriously sick, and will never stop. The only problem I see in the death penalty, is that still many countries such as Chile, are not prepared for this, since they still have a lack on law and order, and an innocent person could be killed.

SANTIAGO

Santiago is a lovely place, and very interesting for foreigner tourist.
In my opinion the first place they should go it is to COLORADO! It is a beautiful place, the sky looks blue and clear, also you can see the entire city! But sometimes the contamination don´t let you see anything, however after raining you can see clearly the city and looks cool. I love snow and winter sports, and it is very cool that you can go in the morning up there and do sky or snowboard and then in the afternoon you can go to the mall. In my case I like snowboarding I think is cooler, because I love adrenalin sports. Also up there are many fancy restaurants, where you can eat exotic food, but is very expensive.
Another place they should meet is the very known "LA PIOJERA", it is a very old bar, where you can drink the bests typical drinks of the country, like the deliciuos Terremoto (pipeño wine, frozen pineapple, and you can add some Grenadier) or the exquisite Navegado (red wine with a little cocoa, cinnamon, cloves and orange slices and sugar to taste) or a delicious glass of Chicha.

Santiago is a beautiful place to meet, so I recommend to anyone to came, to kids and old people, and always can meet very nice Chilean.

A COUNTRY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT

The country I always wanted to go is AUSTRALIA.

This is because I always see beautiful pictures of that place. Also because I really wish some day I could see  marsupials and monotremes, since I was a kid I loved koalas, kangaroos, wombat and tasmian devil. I think they are magnificents animals, very strange and exotic.

 

Some thinks that I know about Australia are; first that it is a country located in the souther hemisphere, Oceania. It is the sixth biggest country around the world.

Australia is a country with a big diversity, since a huge part of the cauntry is desert or semiarid but also has jungles. Australia is the driest habitated country, and with less fertil soils.

The northern part of the country, with a tropical climate, has a vegetation consisting mainly of rainforests, forests, grasslands, swamps and deserts

Talking about the biggest reason that I love Australia, most of the animals on Autralia are endemic, which gives to the country a huge cultural value. However, a lot of the native species living there are in danger of extinction, the reason of that are human activities and for introduction of exotic species. This really bothers me because they are not valuing what they have, and when they realize what they are loosing, it could be too late.

When I finished school I had the opportunity of study there, but I love more my country and I love being with my family, so I hope some day I could live there (to practice my career) but just for one or two year.

Transantiago

• Well from what I remember of the system of micros that I find good was that they could stop anywhere, although that has two ways to look it, one is a very positive side, because before you could get off the micro where you needed, the other one is negative, because many times this lead to accidents, was also good that one micro could reach much more places than a Transantiago, since tours of micros were longer. Finally, there were a big number of micros on the streets and they could go faster than Transantiago, so that no giant queues were forming at the bus stops like now with the Transantiago. 
• The best thing of the system of Transantiago is that is more comfortable for everyone, with everyone I mean mothers with strollers, elderly, and others. This is because they no longer have to climb stairs at the entrance, and even has a system allowing lower the floor for best comfort, also Transantiago is much cleaner and sanitary, mostly for the use of the bip card, and furthermore, it has many more spaces for wheelchairs and strollers than micros. 
• Some things that I would change of Transantiago is increasing the amount of it on the streets to reduce the waiting time at bus stops, also increasing the amount of seats and that the routes were longer.

My first semester 2010

The last semester was a big change for me because my father came to live with me, in 2009 I was living alone, so it was very nice that my father came to work in Chile.
Living with him makes me very happy because he have a very good relationship, unless we talk about studies, he is very strict in that way, the good news is that the last semester my marks were higher than last year, I guess my dad is very good influence in me.
Also, my pet Bella, she is a beautiful schnauzer, get pregnant, I really wanted that, so I was very happy, it was the first time a saw a birth in person. She had four pretty puppies, they are lovely, they are always following me, but four is a very big number for puppies, they are driving me crazy! they cry, eat and shit all over the house!, I am really impatient, I want them soon in their true houses, but I can not deny that I will miss them a lot! however, I will have the chance to see them very often as my grandmother (where I go every weekend to lounch) will adopt one, also my friends Simon and Samantha will adopt one. It makes me very happy to know that they will have a good house with people that will love them.