EXAMS IN BIOL 302: HOW TO PREPARE, WHAT TO EXPECT

Framework:
BIOL 302 is your first in-depth course in molecular biology and biochemistry. The overall goal
of the course is to provide you with a solid foundation on which subsequent upper division
courses in cellular biology will be based (cell structure/function, physiology, immunology,
developmental biology, genetics, etc.). The main theme of this course is the central dogma of
biological information flow, from DNA to RNA to protein, and energy flow (metabolism).
Our Philosophy:
We (your instructors) want you to really learn the material that is covered, not just memorize it
for the exams, then forget about it a two days later. Therefore, we will do our best to convey to
you why what we are covering is important, and how it fits into the bigger biological picture.
Assessment:
To assess whether you are achieving this broad learning objective, we will ask two kinds of
questions on the exams: Knowledge and Understanding.
There is a fundamental difference between knowing something and understanding something.
Example: You can know your ABCs, but unless you can apply them into making words, you
dont understand how to use them, or why its important to know them.
Biological Example:
Which one of the following amino acids is glutamate? (Knowledge)
What does a glutamate residue do to the overall pI of a protein? (Understanding)
What effect would an E-to-Q active site mutation in an enzyme do to the binding energy
of a cationic substrate? (Understanding)
BIOL 302 Exam Structure:
All Exams are multiple choice (Scantron), typically comprised of 50 questions.

But, What Should I Focus on for the Exams???

The most frequent inquiries from students that we received in the
past courses weve taught regard how students should study for the
exams. To stave off further inquiries on this topic, we provide
responses to the two most Frequently Asked Questions in the
section below. In general, we can offer you the following
suggestions for effectively learning and understanding the material
in this class:

Rules for Success in BIOL 302:

1. Read the assigned pages in the text and/or posted on the website prior to coming to class.
Doing this allows you to listen to whats being said to reinforce/clarify what you have
already read, instead of trying to write everything down.
2. Do the assigned problems; if you dont understand how to do them, seek help during the
discussion section or the TAs office hours. Of course, you can see the instructors during
their scheduled office hours, but please reserve this option only after you have tried the
first two (discussions, TAs).
3. Use the learning objectives for every class period (often included as a slide within the ppt
presentation) as a guide to what you should be focusing on for the topic covered.

You are responsible for following these rules. We are responsible for helping you
to understand the topics covered in this course through effective teaching and
clearly stated learning objectives.

The Two Most FAQ:

1. There are a lot of details in the assigned pages of the book that you dont
cover in class; do we have to know this stuff?
Yes; but we will not ask questions on exams that specifically ask you to recall an isolated detail
that we did not cover in class. However, understand that we cannot possibly cover every detail in
the book, nor will we attempt to do so. Spending class time reiterating whats in the book implies
that you cannot read or comprehend textbook material. Please understand that the details in the
text act in aggregate to help you learn the principles of molecular biology and metabolism. For
each section of the course, we have posted the relevant pages in your textbook and the learning
objectives for the section. Remember: Exams are not the endpoints alone, they are simply
assessments of whether you have achieved the learning objectives. The knowledge you gain from
engaging in the learning process is the intended endpoint. Our role is to highlight the essential
concepts that are conveyed in the text as they relate to the topic at hand.

2. Should we focus mostly on your PowerPoint slides or the textbook when

studying for the tests?
As stated in your syllabus, the PPT presentations are not a comprehensive list of exam material,
but they do represent the major concepts covered in the topic at hand. Simply stated, they are
teaching tools, but nothing more. Please do not fall into a Cliff Notes mentality when
reviewing materials from the course. The answer to this question is both. But understand that just
because a topic is not explicitly illustrated on a PowerPoint slide does not mean it is off base for
an exam (see #1 above). The topics that we cover on the slides mean that they are pretty
important, so use them to focus on relevant sections of the textbook. When we write exam
questions, the PPT presentations are used as a guide for topics that weve covered, but the
problem sets that are assigned often represent the understanding components of a topic. As
mentioned in FAQ #1, your textbook, any supplemental readings, problem sets and lectures work
in concert to teach you the principles of molecular biology.

Summary:
This is your course. You should use all of the tools at your disposal (textbook, discussion
sections, class notes, posted readings, problem sets, web resources, or CDs included with your
textbook) to strengthen your understanding and comprehension of the topics covered in class. If
you still dont understand something then come and see the TAs or the instructors. If you
effectively learn and understand the material, then the exam scores will follow proportionally
and accurately reflect your investment in the learning process.
Above all, we want this class to be interesting, fun and relevant. We will do our best to make it
so, but you have to invest on your end as well.
Sincerely,
Drs. Wang and Janowiak