Biology S2005/S2401 is significantly different from most introductory biology courses -- it covers a narrower range of topics, but goes into each one more deeply. Students often ask for advice on how to succeed in this course. Here is what we (profs, TA's, and successful students) think works best. Please let us know at the end of the term if this worked for you and/or if you have additional suggestions.

1. Come to class. In some courses all you have to do is read the book; that's not the case here. There is too much stuff in the book, and the lecture will key you in to what is important and what isn't; it will also provide a framework to stuff all the facts into. If you must miss class, get the notes from a fellow student. Get the phone number of at least one other student now, so that you'll have someone to call if necessary.

2. Take notes. Everything that really matters will be discussed in class; the book is really just for back up. (This may not make sense, but this is how we do it.) There are many styles of taking notes -- some people prefer to get it all down word-for-word and some people prefer to just write down the critical points. Either way is fine, but be sure you get the point (if you are concentrating on transcribing every word) and be sure you understand the necessary details (if you are concentrating on the point). Taping is permitted, but the transcribing of tapes is very time consuming and we don't recommend it. You are probably better off forming a study group and going over notes together to fill in the holes. The lectures of C2005/F2401, which are very similar to this course, are also available on the Web, but your own notes provide your take on the lecture.

3. Form a study group or partnership. Don't try to do it alone. (If you are too shy to ask anyone, we will help you find a partner.) Study groups are generally good because they help you go over the material (see above), give you an opportunity to practice explaining your answers (see below) and provide moral support.

4. Do the problems. Seriously and carefully. This is probably the most important thing. All the other advice is just to get you in shape to do this. Do the un-starred problems first and leave the starred ones for later (to test yourself). Go over the un-starred problems until you feel confident with the material; go over them more than once if necessary, but don't do the starred ones until you understand the others. Once you feel on top of the material, do the starred ones as if it were a test -- write out the answers and write out explanations of how you got your answers.

5. Make diagrams, pictures, summary charts, concept maps, etc. The ones in the book (and the ones we hand out in class) may be good, but for best results, you should make your own. Don't copy over your notes or outline the book word-for-word; digest each section of the notes or text first and write your own, private, condensed version (in whatever form you prefer -- use diagrams, charts, etc.)

6. Keep up. The current material is always based on what came before, so once you get behind it is very difficult to catch up. This is especially important in summer school, because the pace is so fast.

7. Read one of the texts before class if the material is new to you. It is very hard to follow the lecture if every word and concept is unfamiliar. It probably does not pay to spend too much time on the text(s), as explained above in point 2, but some people learn better from books than they do from lectures.

8. Ask questions. If you don't understand something, ASK. That is what the TAs are here for and that's how the lecturer finds out if s/he is going at the right pace. Don't wait for the class bigmouth to speak up - do it yourself. Don't be afraid of looking stupid - looking dumb before the exam is a lot smarter than looking dumb afterwards. To get the most out of recitations and office hours, go over the problems and/or notes first and come prepared with a list of questions. The more effort you put into asking questions, the more you will get out of the answers.

9. Master the vocabulary. The stress in this course may be on using the vocabulary, but you won't get anywhere until you learn it first. So try to master all new terms as fast as possible. Be especially careful about words that seem similar but mean different (often related) things (such as peptide/protein, chromosome/chromatid, gene/allele, etc.) and terms whose biological meaning is not the same as their technical or general scientific meaning (spontaneous, adaptation, etc.). Once you get the vocabulary down pat, you will find it much easier to follow the lectures and do the problems.

10. A word or two about grades The two most common complaints about grades heard in this class are "the exam grade doesn't reflect my knowledge of the material" and "my grade doesn't reflect the amount of time and effort I put into this course." Sometimes these complaints are justified, but often they mean the student does not understand what is expected of him or her, or is concentrating on (and spending too much time on) the wrong things. In this course you have to know how to use the material, not just repeat it. If you think your performance on the exam does not reflect your knowledge, it often means you have memorized the facts but have not practiced enough at selecting the right ones and applying them to whatever problem is presented to you. If you find you  are having difficulties, please come see the instructor and/or the TA's as soon as possible.

To sum it all up, be prepared for class (read in advance, go over previous lecture notes, etc.), rework the material afterwards (check notes, learn vocabulary, do the problems, make summaries, ask questions, etc.) and don't get behind.

Here's some more advice, given to a recent student who emailed the following question:

Question:I was wondering if you could give me any advice, beyond the advice page on the biology website, on how to improve my performance in biology. I have read everything, I do the problem sets multiple times prior to each exam, review the lecture notes multiple times prior to each test....and yet I am receiving scores quite below the mean. I have emailed all of the people on the possible tutors list, with no luck. I have even tried obtaining a tutor through OPUS, yet they don't have any biology tutors for this semester. I can't think of anything else to do to prepare myself for these exams. If you could please help, I would really appreciate it. 

Answer: Most of the standard advice is on the advice page (above). But I'll give it another try. It sounds to me as if you are spending a lot of time but not doing the right things, at least not entirely. Some suggestions:  

1. Go over the notes of the previous lecture before the next. That way the current lecture makes more sense and you get more out of the class time.  

2. Go over the notes right after each lecture with a friend. (If you wait too long, all you have is what you wrote down. If you do it right away, you can recall the parts you didn't get down completely.) Ask each other -- if I get the point, did I get the supporting details straight? If I got the details down, so what was the point? I do not recommend recopying notes, although some people find it helpful. I think either recopying or transcribing tapes is much too time consuming to be worth it. HOWEVER, going over your notes carefully is well worth it. Fill in the holes, add notes, etc. (Listening to a tape for this purpose may be worth it for some. Doing it with a friend is probably faster and more efficient.) Some people recommend deliberately leaving the left third or so of the page blank and using it to supplement, annotate, or summarize your actual notes afterwards.   

3. Don't spend hrs reading the books wholesale. Skim one before hand if it helps you follow the lecture. Read sections that cover material you didn't get in lecture or find lacking when you try the problems. Go over the diagrams -- these are often more helpful than the text. They often summarize a lot of stuff in one concise picture and are much nicer than our handouts.  

4. Try to organize the material in some way that suits you. Make diagrams, charts, tables, figures, etc. Ours are good, but ones you make yourself are often better. Be sure you know where the details of any particular topic fit into the big picture. Then be sure you know the details of any particular piece. There are experts who swear that organizing the material is the key to success. If it isn't organized in your head, you can't retrieve and use the pieces you need at the right time.  

5. Some people have trouble because the material doesn't seem "real." It seems very philosophical and non concrete. The processes are memorized, but not understood. If you don't have a "feel" for the situation, you can't extrapolate and figure out what will happen if you add this inhibitor, continue longer, get a mutant, etc. Do your best using analogies, diagrams, etc. to get a better sense of what a process or situation represents. Break it down and build it back up. Ask yourself, as a way of testing understanding, "what will happen if I change some component? Block some step??" In other words, make up your own exam questions and answer them! What this comes down to is be sure to understand the material, not just repeat it