Read the syllabus – It tells you when things are happening, how your grade is calculated, and where to get help. It answers most of your questions about this course.
Learn the vocabulary– You will learn many new words (terms) in each class. Some exam questions will ask you to define a term. Most questions use terms in relation to a biological concept or principle, so if you don’t know the meaning of that term, you won’t understand the question.
Use the objectives - Exam questions are based on the objective list provided for each class. If you are able to answer the objectives thoroughly, then you will be well prepared for the exams. This means using the correct vocabulary and incorporating what you learned from the studio manual, the class computer material and the eText.
Don't use shortcuts- A lot of students will look for ways to "study" without putting in the effort to make their own notes. For example, you can find lots of flashcards on websites like Quizlet that past students have already made, so why not use those? First, the answers on many of those cards are flat out wrong. Secondly, they may not cover all the material you need because they were made by someone who may have understood things you don't. Finally, memorizing vocabulary and other facts is a good place to start, but won’t help you understand the complexity of many topics we are learning about.
Don’t rely only on memorization– Many students are trained to expect questions on the exams that are worded in the same way as in the text book. This strategy will not work in BIOL 198. So, make notes in your own words (using the correct vocabulary) and have others ask you questions that aren’t worded the same way as the book.
Don't rely on AI for answers- As we've said in other places, AI doesn't know the answer to a question, it just searches the web for things related to keywords in your questions and gives you a summary. Many students have discovered, too late, that AI gave them a wrong or incomplete answer. Also, if you work through the answers yourself, you will have a much better understanding of the material and do better on exams.
Start each class prepared– The whole idea of the in-class portion of this course is to apply knowledge. In order to do that, you need some basic knowledge to start with. Your knowledge base comes from the pre-class exercises and reading. Doing your pre-class exercise/reading will allow you to learn more effectively and to understand the material better.
Don’t ignore assignments that are only worth a few points each– There is a short online quiz before each class that covers the reading for that day. Each individual quiz doesn’t count for much, but all together, they equal an exam. The quiz helps to ensure that you are prepared for class, and the better you are prepared for class, the more you learn.
Use your time in class wisely– Don’t rush through or skip ahead in the computer-based material. Read all the material, don’t just look at the pictures or animations, or worse yet, google an answer. Skimming material to find an answer won't help you really learn the topic. Each exercise or bit of reading in the course builds on what came before, so go through all of it in order.
Pay just as much or more attention to processes and connections as to results– Many experiments and activities we do in class result in data that is relevant to the topics you are learning. You need to pay attention to what happened to produce those data and why things worked (or not) the way they did.
Don’t get behind – The most common way to NOT succeed in Principles of Biology is to get behind.You have two class meetings per week, two quizzes per week, lots of reading and a capstone assignment for each module, all preparing you for an exam every other week. You should plan to spend 8-12 hours outside of class per week preparing and studying.
Seek help–If you don’t understand a topic or concept during class, stop and ask for help. Ask your classmates, the faculty instructors, the graduate teaching assistants, or the undergraduate teaching assistants. Don’t say to yourself “that concept will not be on the exam” because it will be on the exam. After each class is over, review the material and ask questions. Instructors will have office hours and there will be tutoring sessions. Use those to ask questions. Lastly, don't be afraid to make an appointment with an instructor outside of class. Most instructors are happy to help.
Collaborate with others– Set up zoom meetings with friends. Use Canvas to set up groups. Develop study groups. Help each other succeed!
Come to class – Attendance is very important to your success in this class. Many of the in-class activities, mini-lectures, and experiments cannot be completed outside of your studio hours. But more importantly, you won’t have the opportunity to learn the material while others are present to help you (see above).
KEEP TRACK OF YOUR GRADES– Don’t wait until the end of the semester to check your grade. It is critical that you know how well you are doing in the course at all times, and if necessary you should seek help early. Make sure that you understand how your grade is calculated and ask questions if you don’t.
Don’t rely on an easy fix at the end of the semester– So that we are fair to all 250+ students in this class each semester, there isno curve and no extra credit. Your grade in this course is based on your performance on exams, quizzes, and capstone assignments.