1. Regular attendance. A lot of ground is covered each night. Participation will greatly increase your understanding and enjoyment of biology.
2. Respect deadlines. Too often, students allow missed deadlines to erode marks.
3. Organize your time. Give enough time for yourself, your family, and this course.
4. Use your textbook and electronic resources. Know how and where to find information. Learn how to use the index.
5. Use abbreviations and symbols wherever possible and permissible. Writing out photosynthesis will not make you a better scientist, but writing out PS will make you a happier note-taker. DO NOT ABBREVIATE or use symbols or shorthand on material to be evaluated!
6. Survey upcoming material. Read the overviews that come with each chapter. See how the subheadings are organized. Pay attention to bold faced words and links. Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary. Look at the illustrations and read the captions. Read the summary at the end of each chapter.
7. Summarize your notes and leave room in the margin for study questions.
8. Develop a network of "study buddies". You are responsible for any missed notes or assignments.
9. Ask questions. You will enjoy the material more if you have an interest in it. "Cultivate your curiosity".
10. Remember what Albert Einstein said, " Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Helpful hints:
Date all handouts. Date and number notes. Organize the material into common headings.
Keep a journal. Jot down things that make you go hmmmm and things that you're concerned about. Make things make sense.
What is the purpose/goal/result/point? Where does is happen? What is the sequence of events?
What factors affect the process?
In order to remember and understand the details, you must clearly understand the big picture. Relate our topics to the properties and characteristics of life.
Don't leave your studying to the last minute. Diagram wherever possible. Use mapping techniques to help organize the material. Relate new facts to previous knowledge. And remember:
SPELLING COUNTS!
WRITING TIPS
The single biggest mistake students make when writing compositions is the failure to articulate a clear thesis statement or argument (usually found in the introduction). A paper without a clear thesis is a paper that lacks focus and direction written by someone who has not taken the time to think through the assignment. Force yourself to formulate a clear thesis statement that will be incorporated into your introduction. Then review it. From the perspective of a reader: Does it seem clear to you? Does it give you a sense of its direction? Does it interest you enough to read further? Try reading your statement aloud to anyone willing to listen (but not your dog or cat!). Hearing your statement often will make you aware of how it can be improved.
SHOW!! don't tell. That's the secret to great writing.
MY OWN PREFERENCES, PET PEEVES, REQUIREMENTS, ETC
Plurals! media, bacteria, data are plural words and must be followed by a plural verb. Ex: The data are illustrated...
Use a serial comma after every item in the list. Ex: The job fair was visited by teachers, students, and the media.
The year 2000 is part of the 20th century. We are now in the 21st century. Use 1990s not 1990's.
Use Canadian spelling and metric units.
Know the difference between lie and lay, over and more than, amount and number, may and might, that and which, that and who, between and among, who and whom.
Never use it's or other contractions in an essay.
Write words you would use in a conversation, not words that look good. Find your own voice.
ALWAYS spell out an acronym the first time it's used. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) not aids. Write out element names when used in a sentence as opposed to an equation.
Write scientific names properly.
Use current terminology. Down syndrome , no longer Down's syndrome. BCE replaces BC, and CE replaces AD.
WHY MAINTAIN SUCH DISTINCTIONS?
Because a language becomes impoverished when it loses precision, embodied in such distinctions. Language not only articulates thought - it reflects thought and care. By impoverishing our language, we impoverish and cheapen our thoughts.