STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY:
1. Attend every class. Students
who do not attend lectures should expect to
do poorly on exams. Attendance will be taken
occasionally.
2. Use the textbook wisely. Read
the sections that cover lecture material and study
figures utilized in class.
3. Participate in class. Be attentive,
think about the material, take good notes.
You are encouraged to ask questions during class
or to visit the lecturers, either during office
hours or by arranging to meet another time.
4. Use common courtesy: It is expected
that students will arrive promptly, remain the
entire lecture, and do not talk or read newspapers
during class.
5. Study some each week, rather than waiting
until the night before an exam. Attempt
to understand, not memorize. To determine
your level of understanding of material to be tested,
try explaining it to someone else. Forming
a study group of 2-5 people that meet weekly may be useful.
6. Evaluate your returned
tests carefully to determine how to
improve your score on the next exam; don't make
the same kinds of mistake twice. Also, the
scantron occasionally makes errors in grading, especially
if there are erasures on the answer sheet. Bring
them to your professors' attention to receive credit.
7. Students are expected to do their own
work. Cheating will result in a failure
in the course, as outlined in the University of Mississippi
M Book.
Make a Good Grade in This Course (and other
courses, too)!
Always attend class, be alert
and think about the material as it is presented.
Set aside study time every week
and stick to it.
Share and compare notes with
a friend in the class.
Attend weekly study sessions.
Do NOT memorize!! Be able
to think about and apply concepts.
Read the book to round out your
knowledge, to link important concepts,
to
understand both the big picture
and the little details.
Analyze your test!!
Then alter your study habits to address
your specific
problem areas.
Get a good night's sleep!! STUDIES
SHOW SLEEP HELPS MEMORY
Always seek help when you don't understand.
Get that help by asking questions,
by using your text book, by
visiting Dr. Parsons or Dr. McCook, or by talking
with your lab TA or other students
in the class.
ANALYZE
YOUR TESTS!!
No matter what class you are in,
you should always sit down and analyze a test
after it is returned to you. If you want to improve your grade, you
must first determine the types of questions you
are missing and then you can alter your study habits
to reflect those needs. Look for patterns
in the kinds of questions that you missed and those
that were correct.
It may be helpful to build a chart, with #1 through #7 across
top (these refer to the seven questions you need to ask about each test
question that you missed), and put the number of the test question you
missed on the lefthand axis.
Going over your
test, ask yourself the following about each question
that you missed.
1. Was the material in your notes?
If not, work on note-taking skills.
Go over notes in a study group, or share notes.
But Beware!!!! Other peoples' notes can be lousy or
incorrect!!! If you are skipping class and depending on others
for notes, you could be hurting yourself immeasurably.
If the answers are in your notes but you still missed the question,
you need to examine your study methods.
2. What was the particular topic of the
questions you missed?
As an example, did you miss most of the questions covering atomic
stucture? Then, you need to go back and work on that topic.
Knowledge of atomic structure is important for an understanding of how
bonds form and molecules work, and is fundamental to an understanding
of biology. Also, it will be on the comprehensive final.
3. Did you miss questions covering details?
Or, did you miss questions where I needed to have a broader understanding
of a topic?
You need to understand both the details (the "little picture")
as well as the "big picture".
When studying details, always stop and ask yourself: Where is
this happening? What is its importance?
The summary at the end of each chapter in the book can be very
helpful here.
4. Did you miss straightforward, definition
questions? Or did you miss “application” questions?
In an application question, you need to know several facts, but then
apply that knowledge to answer the question. If you know about atoms
and their orbitals, you can apply that knowledge to determine the number
of electrons in a given orbital. Students often call these “trick
questions”, but they are not. If you have memorized a bunch of statements,
but do not really understand them, you will not be able to apply your knowledge.
5. Can you find the correct answers using
your notes or the book?
Doing this will ensure that you come to an understanding
of what you missed and why you missed it.
NEVER BE SATISFIED with "the answer is C" because you will not
have learned anything.
THIS ALSO PREPARES YOU FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE FINAL!!!
6. Did you tend to miss the questions
that offer multiple answer options (a & b are correct), or those questions
that are phrased as a negative (which one is NOT correct?)?
These questions involve logic and reasoning. You can improve
your ability to perform these questions, and you must learn to be especially
careful when answering these.
7. Are you "second-guessing" and changing answers
on the test?
If you have studied, have confidence
in your knowledge. Go with the knowledge
you have, use your knowledge to work out questions
that you are not certain of, and use that knowledge
to think through difficult questions. Only
change an answer when you are certain----not when you
are "second-guessing".
Remember---your ability to think
during an exam is based on your knowledge and
on your state of mind.
GET SOME SLEEP BEFORE EXAMS!!
Biology Department Computer Resources Available for Students
The Walker
Computer Facility:
Location: 310 Shoemaker
Hours 8:00-5:00, M-F.
Please observe the following rules:
1. No food or drink
is allowed in the room.
2. No software may be
loaded to any of the computers. The
computers each have Microsoft office (Word, Excel,Powerpoint),
Netscape and Telnet.
3. No bookmarks may
be added.
4. Print only your final
copy. Do all proofing on the screen.
5. Save all of your
work to a floppy disk.
Internet Hubs
There are 7 internet ports
in the third floor lobby where students
can plug in laptop computers and access the net.
For more information on biology computer resources or freshman
biology laboratories, contact:
Dr. Gail
Stratton, Coordinator for Laboratory Programs
Dept.
of Biology phone:
601-232-5786
University
of Mississippi fax:
601-232-5144
University,
MS 38677 email:
byges@olemiss.edu