Q: What book are we using this summer?
A: We are using Freeman, Biological Science, 2nd Edition. However, if you have already bought Freeman 1st Edition, you’ll be fine. The books are similar enough that you will easily be able to adapt. As an added bonus, since the 1st edition is no longer being used by anyone, you can buy a copy on ebay or amazon.com for about $20, and who doesn’t want to save money? Also, I'll be perfectly honest, most books have about the same information, so if you have access to another comparable book, like Campbell, Raven & Johnson, Solomon, etc., go ahead and use it.
Q: How do I calculate my grade?
A: Add up your exam scores and drop the lowest score. Add up your labs and drop your lowest lab. Add these two totals and that is your final score. DO NOT use the blackboard total, as this is incorrect. See below...
Q: The syllabus says that the point total for the class is 420, but blackboard says 530. Why?
A: Blackboard does not drop the lowest exam (100 pts) or the lowest lab (10 points), so these are included in the point total. You are just going to have to deal with this.
Q: The syllabus says there are two pig labs, but on blackboard, it says there are three. Why?
A: You will meet twice for the pig dissections labs. However, you will do three chapters in the lab manual. To make everything add up correctly, chapters 10 and 11 are worth 7 points apiece and chapter 12 is worth 6 points. 7 + 7 + 6 add up to 20 points.
Q: But how does this integrate with the policy of dropping my lowest lab?
A: Aaah, here’s the tricky part. To determine your score on these labs, I add up all three lab totals and divide by two, giving me totals from 0-10 points. If one of these scores is the lowest lab, I drop it. However, most people do really well on these labs, so it rare that a pig lab is dropped.
Q: What if I miss a lab?
A: If you miss a lab, you can make it up during that week. Simply look in the timetable, find a lab, and go to it. Make sure that the substitute TA initials your labsheet or you won't get credit. If you miss a lab and the week ends, well, you are out of luck. Sorry. Remember you get to drop a lab.
Q: Is lab material on the exam?
A: Not directly, but I do integrate lab material in lecture, so then it is fair game.
Q: How should I study for the exams?
A: The exams are mostly from the notes, so if you know this material, you should be fine. The book is there to supplement and add to the lecture material. However, I don’t have time to cover every point in the book, so material covered in the book but not in lecture will not be on the exam. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t read it, but that you shouldn’t study it for the exam. Sample exams will also be posted - these will give you a feel for the types of questions I will be asking.
Q: I studied really hard, but didn’t do as well as I thought I would do on the exam. What should I do?
A: Go through the exam and for every question you missed, ask yourself, "why did I miss this question?" Sometimes you just make a stupid mistake, sometimes you misread the question, sometimes you realize that you didn’t know the material as well as you should have (or you had an incorrect understanding about the material). Hopefully, when you are done with this, you’ll have a better understanding of your study strengths and weaknesses.
Q. What if I'm missing a score on blackboard?
A: email your TA - it is possible that she hasn't entered it yet - if you have turned it in and your classmates have a score entered and you don't, make sure your TA knows this. If you have the graded assignment, feel free to either show your TA or me and we can enter it. Yes, you should ALWAYS save your graded assignments.
Q. Do you curve?
A: Short answer - No. Long answer - if not enough people get A's and B's according to the posted scale, I am free to lower the lines. However, I haven't had to do that in several years, so I doubt I will this time either. And yes, if you miss the cut-off by one point, you will get the lower grade. Think of this when you decide whether or not to take the final.
Q: Will I be able to get a letter of recommendation from you?
A: That all depends on how well I know you at the end of the semester. If you are in a pre-med and looking for a future letter, you should make sure that I know who you are. That doesn’t mean suck up, because no one likes a brown-noser, but having some knowledge about you, your personality, your interests, etc. really helps.