Francisca Vallejos

Hello! My name is Francisca Vallejos, I'm 23 years old and I study Biochemistry.  First of all, and to be honest, I don't know if I have any strengths in English but I'll say that I can understand the language when I listen to it or when I read it but sometimes it is difficult for me because I don't have enough vocabulay to totally understand it. On the other hand, I know my weakness very well: it's hard for me to think in English and, because of my lack of vocabulary, I don't know how to say o write the things that I want to express.   Secondly, the global situation this last year was very overwhelming for me because I didn't expect (and I don't like) to stay at home that much (knowing that I could not go out) and online classes are the worst for me because I can't concentrate in class. A lot of people died and that's very sad... the worst thing is that people are still dying from COVID but we have to continue our "normal lives" but I ...

 Hello again! Finally, the last blog has been reached. I don't like either of the two topics too much, because I don't know if I admire anyone, but I'm not looking for pages related to my career either.  But I have to write. One site that I have found useful during this time (and that I have genuinely checked out) has been PubChem (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). It is a chemical database that has information on different molecules, large and small. It's a very useful website for looking up information on different chemical compounds, such as melting points, density, hazard and molar mass; so for lab classes it's a kind of lifesaver. It's also very easy to use.  The only "problem" is that it's only in English, so sometimes it can be a bit difficult to search for something, because the English names for certain chemical compounds are complex, but other than that, it's a good website. I think I would recommend it to anyone who needs to look u...

 Hello again!  To be honest, I don't know much about my major, I'm here because I like science, biology and chemistry (and laboratories). If you ask me if it affects the world, my answer would simply be yes. Why? I don't know, it is a career linked to the natural sciences and of course it is at the centre of technological advances and the development of new medicines or vaccines, treatments or ways of doing analysis, but at the same time we are in Chile and here science doesn't get much support, as far as I know. If we are talking about Biochemistry in general, then I would say yes, it certainly affects the world. If we talk about Biochemistry in Chile, although it can affect the world, there is a lack of support. At the moment, I'm struggling to get good grades (or at least the grade needed to pass), so I don't really see myself in any process. For now, I'm looking to survive university, I don't think big or that I'll save the world somehow, that...

Hello again! My favourite food? It's hard to decide on one because I like to eat a lot, but I think if you were to ask me seriously, it would be mashed potatoes.  First of all, potatoes are delicious in any preparation, but I think mashed potatoes are superior and can be eaten with so many different things: sautéed vegetables, sauces, eggs... You can even make "pastel de papa" with mashed potatoes. Wonderful. Another advantage of mashed potatoes? It's very simple to make: you need potatoes, water, milk, salt and butter. You also need a pot and an electric whisk (or a very powerful arm).  You simply have to boil the potatoes with water, add salt, and then you have to mash the potatoes with the help of the electric whisk. Add the butter and the milk and keep on blending.  And that's it, you have mashed potatoes. The best part? You can eat it with a fork or a spoon. Simple and delicious, one of the best meals there is. Ah, but since they are potatoes and have a high ...

Hi! My name is Francisca and today I'll write about a very important topic: Spoons. Spoons, as simple as they may seem, are a really useful artefact and, for me, are one of the most important inventions that mankind has made throughout history. They come in different materials and sizes, and every household should have at least one spoon, which shows their importance in everyday life. We use spoons for one of the most basic activities: eating. Well, in this case, it would be drinking. They are used for soups, for tea, for coffee (because, yes, there are different spoons for that), there are even spoons for desserts... Yes, special spoons for ice cream, for mousse, for custards. In short, a multitude of very good food. Another use for a spoon is for digging. You can make good holes in the ground with a spoon; it's like a mini-shovel, very useful. If I were to stay on a desert island one day and was allowed to choose a kitchen utensil to take with me, it would definitely be a...

  Hello again! As you already know, my name is Francisca. At the age of 6, after giving up my aspirations to be an astronaut - because I considered it something close to impossible to achieve and I have always given up easily, as well as thinking it would be too complicated and that space is a bit scary - I decided that I wanted to help people get better and that, together with my curious nature, led me to a choice of university career that lasted for 14 years: Medicine. Doctors were people who I found admirable, because they were dedicated to healing people and because they knew a lot about diseases, which is interesting to me even today. With this university major in mind, I took the "Prueba de Selección Universitaria (PSU)" three times, but my results were always insufficient to get me into medicine at university. My mother, tired of my multiple attempts, "suggested" that I enter the "Programa Académico de Bachillerato" at Universidad de Chile, as...

  Hello! My name is Francisca Vallejos and I’m 23 years old. I was born and raised in Santiago de Chile, where I currently live. I study Biochemistry at Universidad de Chile, a major I chose because I liked the idea of working in laboratories. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Natural and Exact Sciences, which I studied from 2019 to 2021, and where I decided that I no longer wanted medicine as a major, but that I was interested in a more research-oriented career, like my current major, Biochemistry (another of my options was Medical Technology). I have always lived in the same house and, despite having a large family, I only live with my grandmother, my aunt and my mother. I had a dog but, unfortunately, he died at the beginning of March this year… I miss him very much. In my free time, I enjoy watching Youtube videos, series, documentaries, or listening to music. Other activities I enjoy are cooking, sleeping, eating and reading about different subjects, like history or mythology (...