General Biology 304101

Dept. of Biology

Mission Statement & Goals:

General biology (304101) is an introductory course that attempts to cover scientific concepts that may
affect you throughout your studies at the university and as an individual in our society. As is the case with
any science course, there will be a large number of terms for you to learn. Do not try to learn all of these
the night before the exam. Taking this course is like taking a foreign language because of all of the
scientific terminology. Material at the end of the semester will build on material from earlier in the
semester; therefore you truly need to learn the material as we go. Memorizing the night before the exam
will not put the material into your long term memory. You can benefit of studying groups if they are
managed correctly. Study groups often help an individual stay motivated and focused on the topic that he
or she needs to study even if that topic is difficult or uninteresting.
At the end of this course you should have a basic understanding of important biological processes and
understand the terminology associated with these processes

Weekly Schedule for General Biology (304101)

Section No. Time Venue

1 14:00-15:30 Biology Sciences Theater

Mon-Wed ‫مدرج العلوم الحياتية‬

6 12:30-14:00 Biology Sciences Theater

Mon-Wed ‫مدرج العلوم الحياتية‬

20 14:00-15:00 Geology 206

Sun-Tue-Thu ‫علوم‬/‫جيولوجيا‬/206 ‫ج‬

Weekly Schedule for the Instructor:

GENERAL BIOLOGY (304101) 2010/2011 1

 Time Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

Sec 1 Sec 1
10:00-11:00 Medical Medical
Microbiology Microbiology
Geology 104 Geology 104

11:00-12:00

Sec 6 Sec 6 11:00-14:00

General 11:00-14:00 General Office Hour
12:30-14:00 Biology 101 Office Hour Biology 101
Biology Biology
Sciences Sciences
Theater Theater
‫مدرج العلوم الحياتية‬ ‫مدرج العلوم الحياتية‬

Sec 20 14-15:30 Sec 20 14-15:30 Sec 20

General Sec 1 General Sec 1 General
Biology 101 General Biology 101 General Biology 101
14:00-15:00 Geology 206 Biology 101 Geology 206 Biology 101 Geology 206
Biology Biology
Sciences Sciences
Theater Theater
‫مدرج العلوم الحياتية‬ ‫مدرج العلوم الحياتية‬

15:30-18:30 15:00-18:00 15:30-18:30

Sec 4 Sec 3 Sec 2
Laboratory of Laboratory of Laboratory of
15:00-19:00 Medical Medical Medical
Microbiology Microbiology Microbiology
Bio Lab 219 Bio Lab 219 Bio Lab 219
‫علوم‬219 ‫مختبر‬ ‫علوم‬219 ‫مختبر‬ ‫علوم‬219 ‫مختبر‬
‫حياتيه‬ ‫حياتيه‬ ‫حياتيه‬

Succeeding in a Science Class

GENERAL BIOLOGY (304101) 2010/2011 2

 Commandments for Studying

Commitment includes:

1. Attend class every day, and rarely or never be late

2. Get sufficient sleep every night to avoid being a zombie during class
3. Do not hold private conversations during lecture - if you have questions ask your professor
4. Never get up and leave early from class - it disturbs the other students and annoys and insults the
professor
5. Sit near the front of the room and be more of a participant not a passive observer
6. Take notes on everything in class including questions in a "lecture driven" course
7. Write down all page numbers given in lecture for figures and diagrams in the textbook
8. Put an * next to information (and learn the material) the professor says "will be on the test" or "this would
make a good test question" or "you may see this again"

Training the memory: "Learning by rote" has been outmoded in education for many years. Yet there is no doubt
that a well-trained memory can aid students in their educational pursuits. There are tricks of memorization.
Anyone can master them. Try these methods the next time you have to commit anything to memory:

1. Find a quiet place to study with no distractions (this also means no TV or music)!

2. Before you start memorizing anything, read your notes from beginning to end. Understand them. Often
understanding the notes means carefully reading the text, and then filling in additional information that helps you
interpret or clarify your notes. Look up any terms that you are not familiar with. Alternatively, you may need to
ask about it in class, email the instructor or check with a friend who understands. Use the free space in your notes
to add your points of clarification.

3. Don't try to cram your memory. Don't try to learn all the material in one sitting. Take a breather from time to
time, but do try to study about the same time each day to generate good study habits and your own regimentation.

4. Always "over learn...” Once you have committed something to memory, wait a day or two, and study it once
more. For example, before trying to learn a new lecture, review the old ones as a way of refreshing your memory.
Surprisingly, when it comes time to study for an exam, you will be far less stressed out, and find it much easier to
face an exam using over learning. Everyone recognizes that over learning is hard work, time intensive, requires
dedication and responsibility, but the rewards are the mastery of the subject and good grades!

5. The best way to learn anything is to teach it to someone or something else. Either find someone in class who is
doing better than you or talk to something (inanimate) where you are studying. If you study with someone else
you do all the teaching and let them tell you if you make a mistake. If not, say to your pet goldfish or your
refrigerator “OK goldfish I'm going to tell you every thing I know about ... photosynthesis" or what ever. Then
see if you can put the steps in a logical order to teach someone else about photosynthesis.

6. Put the information to use right away after you have memorized it. For example, study groups of 4-5 dedicated
(not socializing) friends who are in the same class can help each other through further clarification of difficult
concepts; quiz each other on detail; review for upcoming exams; and generally contribute to enhanced learning.
The difficulty with study groups is being certain everyone is dedicated and no one is there for the "ride."

GENERAL BIOLOGY (304101) 2010/2011 3

7. The night before the exam you should be fairly comfortable with the individual facts or terms. Spend the night
putting the "big pictures" together. See if you can use the formulas from Photosynthesis to explain the overall
reaction and how they relate to a plant. See if you can discuss the "big pictures" like Mitosis, Respiration, and see
if you can relate all the terms, facts, and equations you learned for that section of material.

8. Find the memory trick that fits your "type." Some people find it easier to remember things they see; Others
can best remember things they hear or repeatedly write over and over again. Through trial and error, find out
which of these approaches is best for you. Remember this is hard work, and requires lots of time day in and day
out.

GENERAL BIOLOGY (304101) 2010/2011 4