Post 8: English Language Challenges

My experience learning English at the university has both positive and negative aspects, since, on the one hand, I think that the professors I have had have been good at teaching, besides having good methods such as blogs, but, on the other hand, I have to admit that it has been very difficult for me to interact and, therefore, to participate in classes, mainly because I feel very embarrassed and anxious when speaking in English in front of my classmates and the professor. This makes me mentally blocked and I am not able to answer the questions properly, it is as if everything I know vanished for a moment.

So, according to what I commented above, the balance of my experience, in general, is quite neutral, especially if I consider that in the present context I have not felt that I learn the contents and this is something transversal, not only concerning English.

On the other hand, I think my biggest shortcoming in English is everything related to oral communication, that is, speaking and listening in English. I mean that I can perfectly understand the great part of questions that are presented to me in text, but I do not find it the same when listening or speaking it is the opposite, I understand almost nothing in listening and when speaking my pronunciation is quite bad and it is difficult for me to string sentences together at the moment, in this sense (speaking) I can improve when it is something prepared.

To improve this, the teacher has recommended I listen to more songs in English and watch series in English.

Finally, outside of class I hardly ever use English, and the very few times I do use it, it's only in some specific video game situations.

Post 7: Changes to my study programme

I have to be honest and admit that I am not knowledgeable enough to suggest changes in the curriculum of my career. Even up to now, I have found it to be a good curriculum. 

However, I think that the academic load becomes quite heavy from time to time. The academic load is a topic that interests me a lot because I feel it is interesting to analyze. For example, many times I have realized that socially it is given an inadequate value to the demands of a university career when in truth, it should not have to be so; the university should be a part of our lives, but not consume all our spaces, which is what has happened to me sometimes in what I have been studying. What I have just mentioned is just one of the many points that can be discussed when talking about academic load, while the duration of years of studies is just as debatable, I have even met people who would love their career to last one more year in exchange for not being so exploited. In my case, that proposal would make me study six years instead of six, but it would be a more relaxed six years. It is interesting because many hypotheses can be formulated, such as, for example, that it would be a favorable decision in terms of the complete change in the life of each student.

Sadly, I don't know the facilities of my faculty, so I can't comment on that or the technologies available. On the other hand, I suppose that the methods of study in the online modality have been favorable to me because, despite many issues, I have done well.

Post 6: Postgraduate Studies

I would like to do a postgraduate course in the future, but the truth is that I haven't search out anything about it. The decision I make will be based on the interests that I will develop in these remaining years of my career. 

Beyond the above, there are several reasons why I would like to take a postgraduate course. First of all, I have always heard that there are many psychologists, so having a postgraduate course is almost necessary if you do not want to run the risk of unemployment. Likewise, I believe that a postgraduate course would help me to specialize and focus much more in a certain area, which would allow me to be more capable and useful to my patients. On the other hand, I have also heard that the salary increases significantly by having a postgraduate course, which is always welcome because money is what keeps us going.

I would like to study the postgraduate course in Chile, although this is a thought of the moment and maybe it will change in the future. I prefer to do it right here in the country for comfort. The modality I would choose would be (as far as possible) absolutely face-to-face because the online study does not suit me at all. As I said, this decision is within what is possible, because I might have to choose a mixed modality due to my time or other variables.

As a last important idea, I would like to point out my idea of taking a postgraduate course once I finish paying for my first degree and do not fall into a double indebtedness.