Changes to my study programme

The geography curriculum is a program that integrates natural and physical sciences and social sciences. In Geography, we study physical geography, geology, geomorphology, hydrology, soil geography, and any other sub-discipline that can understand the physical environment in which we live. We also study social geography, cultural geography, qualitative methodologies, human geography, and any other sub-discipline that can understand society. 

The degree lasts 5 years, 4 years are theoretical and the last year is the professional practice and the title memory. In the last years of the degree, mainly the fourth and fifth year, we can integrate the physical and human subjects and make the real geography that studies the physical environment with the society as a whole.

The first change I would make would be to integrate the subjects on the physical side with the human side from the first year and not to study binarism in geography because in this way it is easier to understand the environment and society as a single system.

Studying geography is not easy. There is a lot to read, many concepts to learn, plus you have to do fieldwork and know methodologies to work with the local community. I think it is important to focus the career on learning how to approach people and contribute to local development while handling information and understanding the physical environment where the community lives. Today the career is more focused on urbanism and technical issues, I think it is necessary to go deeper into qualitative aspects of research and work.

We can also use technology with geographical information systems. Technology helps us to deliver spatial information more easily and massively and also helps us to find out more about the issues we are studying. Unfortunately, the university does not have enough computers or enough space to work, so another change that I would make is to expand the spaces of the faculty such as the library, that there are more books on geography and more computers to work with.

In the career we can learn from the experience of the people who teach us, generally, they teach us with PowerPoint, texts, and conversations, but the most important thing is when they teach us in the fieldwork, where we can put into practice everything we have learned. Geography is a career that should always have a practical part to be able to apply what we have learned and I believe that we should increase the number of fields that we have in each subject and be able to have the maximum practical experience possible.  

Finally, another change is that teachers have courses in pedagogy, since sometimes they do not explain in the best way and since they are not pedagogues nor did they study pedagogy, they do not always give the information in the best way so that we can learn correctly.