Multicellular Life - BILD2; Winter 2008

 

 

How to do well in this class:

 

 

1. Attend class and take notes.

 

Taking notes keeps you actively engaged in class. Comparing your notes with the text and with lecture notes the lecturer provides will help make clear which topics you grasp fully and which you don't. Lectures will cover some material not contained in the readings.

 

2. Do the assigned readings.

 

If you are having trouble following lecture, read the textbook assignments before coming to class.

 

3. Learn the vocabulary.

 

You can not understand complex biological concepts if you are not familiar with the words that are being used. Definitions can be found in the glossary of your textbook.  

 

4. Attend sections.

 

Hearing and seeing material presented in a smaller group and from a different perspective can be enormously beneficial.

 

5. Talk to the instructor.

 

If you have a question or problem, contact the instructor by e-mail, during office hours, or immediately after class.

 

6. Work with your classmates.

 

Connect with your peers and set up informal study sessions or formal study groups.

 

7. Prepare in advance for tests.

 

Don’t wait till the night before to cram; periodic repetition interspersed with regular sleep (allowing the brain to consolidate) is most effective for long-term learning .  Most exam questions will come from the lecture material (≥ 80%) with the book serving as back-up.  Some (≤ 20%) will come from parts ot the assigned reading that were omitted from lecture due to time limits.

 

8. Take advantage of campus professional services:

 

a. OASIS (http://oasis.ucsd.edu/).  The Office of Academic Support & Instructional Services gives students  access to counsellors who can help them develop reading and writing strategies, design better time management systems,  write more effective class notes, and organize writing assignments.

 

 OASIS will run a workshop for this course.

 

b. Psych Services (http://psychservices.ucsd.edu/).   Confidential and  free counseling and psychological services related to a wide range of problems, including poor academic performance and study skills, homesickness, roommate conflicts, alcohol and other substance use and abuse, relationship difficulties, and depression.

 

c. Academic Advisors.  Both your college and your department have professional staff responsible for helping students in choosing appropriate plans of study and coping with any academic difficulties.