My History with the Computer

Since I can remember, I've always used a computer. I can remember a lot of moments with my dad playing Quake II and some kind of fly simulator which name I can't remember.

Is very difficult to pick one of all the technologic things that I actually use and say "THIS is my favourite", because I enjoy each one in different ways. Although this, I guess that the computer is the most useful tool that I have and enjoy. It helps me to study, I can spend my free-time playing games in it, listening to music, watching some series or movies and it allows me to mantain some communication with my friends. I can't remember since when I use a computer, I only remmeber that I only used it for playing.

Currently, in the university, I have a lot of books to read, a lot of jobs to do and so many things that I must to do as a part of my study. For this, the computer is my best friend because I don't have the money to buy the texts or the best caligraphy to write by my hand all the jobs. For this, I'm using my computer all days in great part of the day reading some PDFs or writing .

I thing that without a computer, my life would more difficult and boring (just a little boring I guess). Because I wouldn't play Pc games as Age of Empires, Call of Duty and more geek games. In the other hand, I should write my university reports without the comfort of a keyboard and that would be really annoying because that could imply more time for the report than I currently spend for write that kind of documents.

Why I choose to be a Pharmacist

When I was in primary school I thought of becoming an engineer. That's because of the money they reached at that moment; but later I realized that maths at that level were to high, and boring, for me. I needed something more interesting for studying or even just for hobby - when I thought that study could be easy and more relaxed than now- to fill my free time. In the high school I developed found some preferences by the biology subject; only because I liked the teacher that I had: you don't see a beautiful blonde blue-eyed young teacher within a men school everyday! So I had the obligation to study always with the objective to catch her attention. By the time, that "teacher conquering" idea - now as a remember is very funny; because despite the ridiculous it could sound, it led me to took the biologist elective for my lasts high school years hehe - disappeared , but I kept my interest for the biology science.

At my my second year of high school I started a very long adventure at school science level that lasted to the end of that period, which includes the Chemistry and Biology academies of my school, places in which I found where was my passion: Science. I went to a science camp in Patagonia (the best ten days of my short life), led some school scientific projects (actually I'm ending my last big school scientific project in collaboration with the Biomedical Neuroscience Institute from the Universidad de Chile) and, as a great and "glorious" ending of my president of the Biology Academy (yes, a real proud nerd) career, I organized the biggest Scientific Fair made in years in my school. In which we had some national science prizes, scientists and a lot of things that me and my organization team requested. All my tasks were accomplished, now my projections had to aim another way: Become a real, and mad -you couldn't be a good scientific if you''re not mad, could you?-, scientific.

As a consequence of my big enthusiasm, I met a very large list of persons who worked in science: biologists, pharmacists, biochemists, medics, even some mathematicians. At the start, I wanted to be a medic, then chemist, then biologist, but finally I decided to become the best - for me at that moment - of that list: a biochemist. And at the moment of that decision all the paths turned for that colour. Everything was good, I had the ideas, the motivation, "I can with that career". BUT I don't had the time for prepare the test that "will decide" the way of my future: the feared PSU.

I did the PSU, I didn't have the needed score to biochemist, fell in depression, I got up, look for a side: nothing; looked for the other (with the help of my academy teacher): Pharmacy. ¿Could I become a Scientist? Yes. ¿Could I have a good job? Yes, and a better job than a biochemist - without overlooking them. I still believe that all the important biologic discovernments in the past were made by biochemists -. ¿Could I investigate? OF COURSE! Ok, I made my choice.

Until now, the University has become some kind of second house. It's likely my school from where I come: very good friends, suffering in the air, some death cries when the teachers deliver the tests... just like in home.

My projections to the future are in the scientific world, within a lab creating knowledge and always trying to improve the science in Chile. Because now there's no future for those who are dedicated to investigate; the answer from the government? "Your investigations are no related to the country interests".

Getting to know each other

I'm Francisco Fuentes C., the first of three brothers. My mother is from Santiago and my father from Concepción; for a while he began to study Biology in the Universidad de Concepción, but he couldn't finish it because my grandfather's death. Therefore my father had to do the military service. Thus, a couple years after that, he came to Santiago where he met my mother.

I studied in Instituto Nacional, place in which I've spended the most of my time; even more time than I use being in my own house for the last six years before university. I'm a boy scout too, and although my short time in the scout movement, I've learned to appreciate and enjoy it as a way of life, allowing me to see many things of my day-to-day experience with a different perspective.

While I was in Instituto Nacional I became the president of the Biology Academy and, someway influenced by my father, I fell in love with biology and science in general (except physics, it only gives me headaches). I met some great Scientifics as Bruce Alberts and Jorge Allende, I visited so many laboratories from Universidad de Chile and from Universidad Católica (personally I prefer the Universidad de Chile laboratories) and all those experiencies droves me to choose that I wanted a scientific life as a pharmacist. Because it allows me to continue with my curiosity such in biology as in chemistry, and I really like the idea of being a laboratory mouse too.

In my free time, I play the guitar, listen to music (I like thrash metal), swim or play age of empire if there are no exams during the week.