Another What to Review Thread - Bio/Chem?

[ThePiedPiper]

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I never had chemistry in high school, and my biology course was taught by the art teacher. We spent a long time on the very bare basics and didn't really get into the meat of it. There are no General Biology courses offered over the summer, but I will be starting with a Biology course in the fall that, while not General Biology, has no pre-requisites and does not require extensive background in Bio. 😛

However, because I have free time between now and the end of September, I would love to do some casual reading and maybe some written labs (such as memorizing the periodic table) between now and then. I was thinking of picking up a couple "for Dummies" books, but what would you recommend?

 

[nyanko]

I'm not sure I can even think of a less meaningful use of time than pre-studying for undergraduate classes.

Also, memorizing the periodic table without understanding it is beyond pointless.

 

[503372]

Crash Course Biology: http://www.youtube.com/course?list=EC3EED4C1D684D3ADF
...or some of these lectures: http://www.youtube.com/education?category=University/Science/Biology

I might be weird, but I prefer listening to well delivered lectures than reading chapters upon chapters of textbook info.

 

[DVMDream]

Also, memorizing the periodic table without understanding it is beyond pointless.

Memorizing the periodic table is beyond pointless even if you do understand it....


Again, don't study for anything... you will be taught what you need to know when school starts.

 

[bbeventer]

UG gen courses can be understood and passed if you just show up to class perhaps once a week and your eyes are/are not open.

Have fun in College 👍

 

[503372]

Again, don't study for anything... you will be taught what you need to know when school starts.

I think if she wants to go over some stuff she should. Get the gist of what it's all about, but not "study".

Half the things you learn in Bio 101 or 102 you won't remember 5 years down the road.

 

[shortnsweet]

To people who still have summers...please stop wasting them. You'll only be burnt out later.

Go sit on a beach, and drink frozen beverages for me.

 

[DVMDream]

To people who still have summers...please stop wasting them. You'll only be burnt out later.

Go sit on a beach, and drink frozen beverages for me.

👍👍👍👍👍

 

[DVMDream]

Half the things you learn in Bio 101 or 102 you won't remember 5 years down the road.

I agree, which is why she shouldn't even bother now.... you will learn it just fine once school starts and then slowly forget all of it as the years pass... why waste your summer trying to get the "gist" of something that you may recall one or two things about by the time you graduate?

 

[macita183]

When I was struggling with Ochem I watched a lot of the Khan Academy videos on YouTube. They have videos on pretty much every subject so I'm sure they would have some General Bio stuff.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

In answer to your questions, it's because most people going into UG courses had high school Chemistry and at least a semi-decent course in Biology. I don't have either. 😛 I don't plan to study so much as I plan to casually read/go over some things so that I feel more confident when I enter UG courses with almost no HS background.

I've just graduated from UG and have yet to burn out, so while I plan to enjoy my summer before vet school, I don't mind doing a little casual preparing (and I do have to focus on GRE prep) before starting UG all over again. I've worked 30 hours while carrying 15 units for a while and will only be 10 units in the fall, so I'm not worried about burn out. 🙂 I just want to boost my confidence with a little preparation, because I'm at ground zero and want to know at least some of the basics and common sense I should have going into university level science. As far as the periodic table, I've been told you memorize it in this course first and then learn what it means. I figure having a summer to at least sit with and read about it will make me feel better than going into it with a week.

Trust me, there is plenty of leisure going on. This is mostly just a confidence issue and something I would feel better doing. Again, I'm not planning on studying so much as I am planning on getting acquainted with the material. I do plenty of classes and have my running and TV shows, too, so there's definitely relaxation time. 🙂 It's just undergrad/10 units so I don't think I have to have a lazy summer like I plan to before vet school is all.

Thank you for the help everyone.

 

[NStarz]

In answer to your questions, it's because most people going into UG courses had high school Chemistry and at least a semi-decent course in Biology. I don't have either. 😛 I don't plan to study so much as I plan to casually read/go over some things so that I feel more confident when I enter UG courses with almost no HS background.

Don't worry--a lot of people have had subpar science classes in high school--they will tell you everything you need to know! They need to get everyone on the same page, so they'll be going over everything.

 

[DVMDream]

Don't worry--a lot of people have had subpar science classes in high school--they will tell you everything you need to know! They need to get everyone on the same page, so they'll be going over everything.

This, exactly... I had a rather decent science background from HS but once I got to college, they repeated everything that I had already learned.... you will be taught what you need to know... try not to worry about it now. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

All the unused summer alcohol, sleep, and beach time can be mailed directly to twelvetigers... just send me a PM and I'll let you know the details.

(Actually, I only want the fruity foofy drinks - mail the rest to Devyn.)

 

[ThePiedPiper]

Actually that's a load off my mind. I tend to get worried that I'm going to get in there and everyone's going to know so much more than me! But if you say so...

I do tend to do a LOT of casual reading (I'm on my fourth book this week, definitely the way I de-stress before and after finals 😛) and have picked up a lot from the more bio oriented readings but maybe I will wait on buying a library of gen bio/chem/etc textbooks. 🙂 Might check out some of the YT videos for curiosity's sake though!

I suppose I could stop procrastinating and take the darn GRE practice test already.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

All the unused summer alcohol, sleep, and beach time can be mailed directly to twelvetigers... just send me a PM and I'll let you know the details.

(Actually, I only want the fruity foofy drinks - mail the rest to Devyn.)

No alcohol in my neck of the woods but there's a bar on the beach. I could send it (and the beach) to you? And you can have my sleep hours if you can find them. No clue where they disappeared to but I'm managing, so if you find 'em, keep 'em. 😛

 

[485501]

I'd say reading some popular science books might work for you. They'll help you feel more confident, but you could read them purely for entertainment as well. Some suggestions:

Dry Storeroom #1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum

Cats are not Peas: A Calico History of Genetics

The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers (ok this one has less science in it. I loved it, though)

The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth (this one might be my favorite; I particularly like the anecdotes about women naturalists)

I don't have any book suggestions for chemisty, sorry.

I also second CrashCourse, and would add that they are doing a Chemistry course now. You could also watch SciShow, The Brain Scoop, and Minute Earth (by the guy who does Minute Physics).

I leave you with this note: A girl in one of my bio classes freshman year at college hadn't learned about DNA in high school. She did fine in the class.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

Awesome. Thank you! And I suppose that makes sense. I took an Oceanography course and enjoyed it immensely and was fine despite not really having any background in it. I think the main thing was that sometimes the professors would say, "do you remember from HS chemistry?" or "do you remember from HS biology?" without really explaining anything about the concept. Granted it was only in that science class I took that it happened but still. 😛 I think that's where the fear stems from. Thank you so much for the reading suggestions. I tend to read one fiction and one non-fiction book at the same time, so I'm involved in something that fits my mood, and during school breaks I tend to do a lot of reading, so thank you. 🙂

 

[Psorophoraferox]

FWIW, I had decent biology and chemistry classes in high school, but after the 10+ years that passed between then and when I took my UG bio and chem classes, I remembered almost nothing. And I did fine. I'm sure you will too. 🙂

 

[StartingoverVet]

In answer to your questions, it's because most people going into UG courses had high school Chemistry and at least a semi-decent course in Biology. I don't have either. 😛 I don't plan to study so much as I plan to casually read/go over some things so that I feel more confident when I enter UG courses with almost no HS background.

I had to take bio and chemistry courses decades after taking 1 of each in high school, and having essentially no background when I did undergrad previously. It was not a problem at all.

I did take an "intro to college chemistry class" before starting the chemistry series and it definitely gave me some added confidence once gen chem started.
I can't imagine what you could study in bio though.

Really, these classes generally do not presuppose much background, and you will see the same concepts over and over and over and over again.

 

[Lissarae06]

I suppose I could stop procrastinating and take the darn GRE practice test already.

NVM, misread something.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

Thank you everyone. You've all set my mind at ease. 🙂

 

[cs5910]

Honestly, if you really want to work on something, brush up on your math skills. It will be helpful in chem and some other upper bio courses if you are rusty in math.

Anything else you try to review will be pointless and a waste of a summer. Different professors require you to know different things, so no advice on science based things to study will be helpful. Just work on math skills if you feel a burning desire to study.

And its probably more useful to watch paint dry than to memorize a periodic table.... Dont waste your time!!

 

[ThePiedPiper]

Thank you! I've decided that I'll mostly study for the GRE, which I should plan on taking later this year. I'm a math tutor so I end up studying math a lot through teaching, so I'm pretty confident in my math skills. 🙂 I seem to have a different definition of studying than some people, though. I don't consider it a wasted summer but that might be because studying for me is not sitting down for hours each day to go over something (at least not when there's no exam or homework to worry about). It's usually casually flipping through notes and a textbook and enjoying it at a leisurely pace or it's spending an hour making flashcards and then running through them each night before bed or morning as I brush my teeth until I have them memorized. There's plenty of time to work, volunteer, take my exercise classes and still enjoy the beach! Part of this is that I just graduated, so I'm stuck with free days I'm trying to fill up. I have always ended up horribly bored even with work/volunteering during winter and summer breaks. After about a week, I start wanting to be back involved with school again. Maybe vet school will kill that passion.

 

[Peperoncini]

I'd say reading some popular science books might work for you. They'll help you feel more confident, but you could read them purely for entertainment as well. Some suggestions:

Dry Storeroom #1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum

Cats are not Peas: A Calico History of Genetics

The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers (ok this one has less science in it. I loved it, though)

The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth (this one might be my favorite; I particularly like the anecdotes about women naturalists)

I don't have any book suggestions for chemisty, sorry.

I also second CrashCourse, and would add that they are doing a Chemistry course now. You could also watch SciShow, The Brain Scoop, and Minute Earth (by the guy who does Minute Physics).

I leave you with this note: A girl in one of my bio classes freshman year at college hadn't learned about DNA in high school. She did fine in the class.

Just read this for fun/looking for flavor quotes for a vet genetics paper I'm finishing up during break. Highly recommended!