as far as time, content, etc? I work full time and am planning on taking physics 1 this semester, but want to add either micro or gen bio on top. Then this summer I plan on taking chem 2 and the opposing bio i did not take. The current semester will be light at work for me in the beginning, and CRAZY toward the end (april), the summer session for me is the opposite, crazy in the beginning and tapers to easier around begining of june.
How "bad" were intro bio and micro?
- Thread starter HipChick
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It really depends on the professor and/or the TAs. Our bio class is notoriously brutal and if you got a less accommodating lab TA as well you were in big trouble. Other friends I know who took bio elsewhere did not have nearly the same difficulty.
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My intro class was almost a joke. It didn't go much beyond what I had seen in high school. Micro, on the other hand, required quite a bit of work. It is, however, one of the most interesting and enjoyable classes I've taken.
depends on the professor
he pretty much taught the bio class like we were all phd students
in the final he even whispered to me saying he even thought his tests were too difficult
i mustve studied my ass off for that
he pretty much taught the bio class like we were all phd students
in the final he even whispered to me saying he even thought his tests were too difficult
i mustve studied my ass off for that
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Check your ratemyprofessor.com before signing up.
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Micro is easy. I worked full time and took it in a 3.5 week summer course. We covered everything they do in a full semester.
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It's best to ask this question from people who've taken it at your institution from your instructors. Micro especially seems to vary widely across institutions. Different schools have different content for their courses, some might be a 3000 level micro course others might have a 4000 level micro. One might be more intro-overview, the other might be more intensive and in-depth.
I think they both really depend on the instructor and course content. I'd rate my bio1 course as moderate difficulty. We had an "intro bio" course for non-majors that was supposedly pie according to others who took it.
My first micro class was definitely not easy, but not overwhelming. I also had a clinical micro class that was very difficult and fast paced. I love all the micro classes though, definitely one of my favorite subjects.
I think they both really depend on the instructor and course content. I'd rate my bio1 course as moderate difficulty. We had an "intro bio" course for non-majors that was supposedly pie according to others who took it.
My first micro class was definitely not easy, but not overwhelming. I also had a clinical micro class that was very difficult and fast paced. I love all the micro classes though, definitely one of my favorite subjects.
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Micro was harder for me.
I thought Bio 1 was relatively easy, but it's a strong subject for me. Micro was easier than I thought because a lot of the material overlaps with biology. Memorization for Micro was a little bit more intense since you have to learn all the microbes, but if you can tie it all in and look at the whole picture it's not terrible.
I did micro while working full time in a 10 week summer session. You can do it!
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I second this. At my school microbio was hard and the lab was a notorious weeder. Bio was easy.
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You were in the MCAT discussions right? As in, you haven't taken your MCAT yet?
Even though microbe questions probably won't pop up on your MCAT, especially not detailed ones, micro is probably better to take before the MCAT. You review/learn a lot of gen bio plus it makes it easier to compare/contrast prokaryotes and eukaryotes, which often pops up on the MCAT.
My particular Micro class did more cellular respiration than my gen bio did and it gave me a much better understanding of cell physiology in terms of organelle function and overall euk/prok cell function. Much more useful for MCAT than my gen bio was.
Even though microbe questions probably won't pop up on your MCAT, especially not detailed ones, micro is probably better to take before the MCAT. You review/learn a lot of gen bio plus it makes it easier to compare/contrast prokaryotes and eukaryotes, which often pops up on the MCAT.
My particular Micro class did more cellular respiration than my gen bio did and it gave me a much better understanding of cell physiology in terms of organelle function and overall euk/prok cell function. Much more useful for MCAT than my gen bio was.
Yup that was me. I think I'm going to try and take gen bio over this semester, and micro in the spring. Im not sure what I'm going to take in the summer session because it overlaps with work toward the end.
Im hoping I can get a physi class again.... its been a while since I've taken that.
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Intro to Bio i can say is not bad, but i took it after microbio and i had a strong science background. Since you are doing physics which i have yet to to take and give the choice between bio or micro, i'd go with bio. But before making any decisions, i agree you should check out ratemyprofessor.com
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I am a bio minor, I like bio classes so that does make it different for me.
I would say micro is kinda fun and when something is more enjoyable you tend to find it easier because you don't always feel forced to learn the material.
I would say micro is kinda fun and when something is more enjoyable you tend to find it easier because you don't always feel forced to learn the material.
