How hard is Microbiology

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I really liked Microbiology so it wasn't a difficult class because I actually was interested in what I was studying. Depending on the teacher there is a lot of memorization and analyzation that isn't typical for basic biology and Anatomy and Physiology. I don't know how it will compare to molecular biology, but the class that was related the most to micro to me was physiology becuase a big part of my class was being able to identify a microbe based on physical characteristics of the microbe and also what body system it effects. Good Luck
 
At my school Microbiology was the easiest class in the entire place. I got an A and only showed up for the tests. SUU does have one of the hardest O-chem classes around.
 
At my school the average grade for the exams was an F but people barely managed it since the lab helped your grade and the prof. ended curving everything like 14 pts. It had the AB-AE scantron choices so guessing correctly was a 1/9 possibility, fun times.

As all professional students have learned by now, a few subjects may be inherently hard no matter who teaches it, but there are some teachers that are much easier to get an A with than others. Ratemyprofessors - use it.
 
Summitguy98 said:
At my school Microbiology was the easiest class in the entire place. I got an A and only showed up for the tests. SUU does have one of the hardest O-chem classes around.
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University of Illinois at Chicago has a relatively competitive science program. Microbiology was very straight forward at my school. Every one has a different program and methods of teaching the material. For example, all I had to do was memorize lecture slides and if it seemed confusing I would refer to the book. I think that's what most people do anyways. lol
 
I found it pretty easy and got an A-, but the course just had 3 exams, so if you screwed up on one, you really messed up everything.
 
pharm B said:
I feel cheated that I didn't learn more. Our prof used our lecture period as his own personal soap box for local politics.
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my kinda teacher.... let em talk through the whole class period so things never get done, tests get pushed back &/or canceled 🙂
 
nicolemsm said:
my kinda teacher.... let em talk through the whole class period so things never get done, tests get pushed back &/or canceled 🙂
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except for when you're going to be tested on it later (i.e. the PCAT) or expected to know it in pharmacy school.

I don't mind when that kinda crap happens in a sociology class, but if its a class I need to actually learn stuff in, then I get pissed.
 
pharm B said:
He finished his lecture series mid-november and said "that's all for the semester. From now on, we'll be in the lab." Our jaws dropped.
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well now that's just bull. especially when you drop 200 + on a textbook that wont even be utilized.....


& phathead... yes correct. sociology & psy are easy easy classes
i took an accelerated psy 101 course in summer, aced it 97%... idk why everyone moans it's so hard ?
 
nicolemsm said:
well now that's just bull. especially when you drop 200 + on a textbook that wont even be utilized.....


& phathead... yes correct. sociology & psy are easy easy classes
i took an accelerated psy 101 course in summer, aced it 97%... idk why everyone moans it's so hard ?
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Story of my entire college career. I hate spending money on books and never using them. Thank god for half.com.
 
docss26 said:
Story of my entire college career. I hate spending money on books and never using them. Thank god for half.com.
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i don't like half.... but i do like amazon.com used bookstore ftw👍


i hate my college bookstore, such jips. and almost all classes require some blackboard online lab code so you have to buy a majority of the books from them. 👎
 
I bought the international edition for $40. He chided me for sending money out of the country, but in his rant before noticing my book, he pointed out that textbooks in so many science courses are really just paperweights.

I was also still mad that our chem and o-chem books had almost NO changes in the current edition from previous. I now email all profs and ask if the current edition is mandatory.
 
nicolemsm said:
i don't like half.... but i do like amazon.com used bookstore ftw👍


i hate my college bookstore, such jips. and almost all classes require some blackboard online lab code so you have to buy a majority of the books from them. 👎
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Yeah, all books stores are a rip off. Anyone heard of some schools utilizing the amazon.com kindle book reader? Its some pretty legit technology. I read a lot so I'm thinking about picking one up.
 
docss26 said:
Yeah, all books stores are a rip off. Anyone heard of some schools utilizing the amazon.com kindle book reader? Its some pretty legit technology. I read a lot so I'm thinking about picking one up.
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I bought the wife one for x-mas this year, its actually pretty wicked
 
pharm B said:
I bought the international edition for $40. He chided me for sending money out of the country, but in his rant before noticing my book, he pointed out that textbooks in so many science courses are really just paperweights.

I was also still mad that our chem and o-chem books had almost NO changes in the current edition from previous. I now email all profs and ask if the current edition is mandatory.
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That's a very smart idea... those international books are just as good if not the same quality- just printed on cheaper on paper.

I did that with my psy book- I bought the previous edition, everyone else bought brand new I paid 30 bucks they all paid 200... what a joke.


docss26 said:
Yeah, all books stores are a rip off. Anyone heard of some schools utilizing the amazon.com kindle book reader? Its some pretty legit technology. I read a lot so I'm thinking about picking one up.
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I would love to buy one for school but none of the books they sell for it are ones my schools uses 🙁
 
nicolemsm said:
I would love to buy one for school but none of the books they sell for it are ones my schools uses 🙁
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Yeah, I hear its being tested at some universities around the US. I doubt it will be utilized anytime soon. It would be too devastating to all the book companies.
 
docss26 said:
Yeah, I hear its being tested at some universities around the US. I doubt it will be utilized anytime soon. It would be too devastating to all the book companies.
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Do you specifically know which universities? I would love to attend a university that used that kind of technology! That would be a heck of a savings (not that it will matter anyways since we'll all need to take out loans to go to school lol)

I know a lot of schools are also implementing the paperless environment type deal and iTouch, iPhone, Palm oriented stuff. I really think it's great how technological our society is becoming. 👍
 
nicolemsm said:
Do you specifically know which universities? I would love to attend a university that used that kind of technology! That would be a heck of a savings (not that it will matter anyways since we'll all need to take out loans to go to school lol)

I know a lot of schools are also implementing the paperless environment type deal and iTouch, iPhone, Palm oriented stuff. I really think it's great how technological our society is becoming. 👍
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I don't know which ones exactly, but I think Princeton may be one. Google it to find out. 😀
 
At my school the micro lab and lecture were separate and the lab was worth 6 quarter units and the lecture 4 units. During the last final week I was in lab for 40 hours.
 
kimbebe51 said:
At my school the micro lab and lecture were separate and the lab was worth 6 quarter units and the lecture 4 units. During the last final week I was in lab for 40 hours.
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Holy crap! Mine was separate too, lab was 2 semester credits and lecture, 4. They were both ridiculously easy courses. Definitely one of my favorite classes, after homeostasis.
 
After graduating last May I really missed science classes, so even though Micro isn't required for any schools I applied to, I decided to take it this semester. My first class + lab was yesterday, and it's only offered on Fridays so I am in school from 1pm-7pm straight. So far, after our intro lecture and reading the syllabus I think it is going to be a lot of review which is pretty awesome for keeping up to date on biology. I would highly suggest taking other biology pre-reqs to get a good base of knowledge and it will be cake. There is a lot of stuff learned in general biology, evolution, genetics, etc. Sounds like a really interesting class I think it will be one of my favorite.
 
Tinkerbell22 said:
After graduating last May I really missed science classes, so even though Micro isn't required for any schools I applied to, I decided to take it this semester. My first class + lab was yesterday, and it's only offered on Fridays so I am in school from 1pm-7pm straight. So far, after our intro lecture and reading the syllabus I think it is going to be a lot of review which is pretty awesome for keeping up to date on biology. I would highly suggest taking other biology pre-reqs to get a good base of knowledge and it will be cake. There is a lot of stuff learned in general biology, evolution, genetics, etc. Sounds like a really interesting class I think it will be one of my favorite.
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What a nerd =). Actually, I was thinking about taking biochemistry for fun, since it was part of the P1 curriculum. 👍
 
docss26 said:
What a nerd =). Actually, I was thinking about taking biochemistry for fun, since it was part of the P1 curriculum. 👍
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What other kind of girl do you think would major in something as useless as biology? My back up plan is a zoo keeper. :laugh:

But seriously I think I am going to take biochem over the summer too. I can't help it... you think you will be relieved when you graduate but if you really love something that much you miss it after a while. LOL I heard biochem really helps in the P1 year too.
 
Everyone should buy their international editions of their books, costs way less and is the same material but soft cover
 
docss26 said:
I know a person that does that. Where do you buy them from? Would it be wise to do this for pharmacy school books?
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I always buy the international books... I did it for A&P and Orgo. They're just paperback and on thinner cheaper paper.

You can get them on ebay, amazon, half.com, etc. It just depends on the book you are looking for I guess. I'm not sure how this would work out in pharmacy school though. I know that I can't buy my MBA books like that because they don't have an international version. Plus some of my professors published their own books that you can buy from Pearson or Amazon, but they're not international either.
 
I am going to ask my profs to put my books on course reserve again this semester. Screw buying textbooks. We should start a business where students can check out textbooks for a semester for a reasonable fee- sort of like a textbook library. We would make a ****load of money. If they don't return the book, they get charged full price!
 
rxlea said:
I am going to ask my profs to put my books on course reserve again this semester. Screw buying textbooks. We should start a business where students can check out textbooks for a semester for a reasonable fee- sort of like a textbook library. We would make a ****load of money. If they don't return the book, they get charged full price!
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That is actually a really cool idea. Unfortunately these big companies want fast cash NOW. lol
 
I used course reserve as much as possible during UG - Textbooks are so expensive. One of my first quarters at The Farm, I looked at the difference between the 6th Edition of my Chemistry book and the 7th Edition, and all they'd done was changed where one chapter was located and added three pictures.

And charged $9.99 more, up to $139.99 for it.

It's audacious but our options are so limited - Amazon is often shady, and hard to rely on (If a book comes late, or is missing pages, you're screwed). I'm a big textbook fiend, I do every problem (if applicable) in every section/chapter sometimes multiple times for repetition and not having a textbook on hand is a pain in the ass.

But oh well, what can you do?
 
I think they do have a place where you can 'rent' the textbooks because I saw something like it while researching places to get mine. I also download the etext a lot because it saves paper and space and I always have my laptop with me... This may not work for someone who wants the physical book though
 
depending on the professor, if you have a professor who is really really into micros, then maybe it might be a little difficult since that professor will nit pick at everything.. but overall i found micros to be very very interesting and easy for me.. i guess if you find it appealing to you then you will do well cause if you find something you like.. whatever you learn sticks in your mind!👍
 
Micro was cake. My professor was awesome. Definitely my favorite biology class by far with interesting topics, and I've already taken all of general bio and human anatomy and physiology courses.
 
Passion4Sci said:
It's audacious but our options are so limited - Amazon is often shady, and hard to rely on (If a book comes late, or is missing pages, you're screwed). I'm a big textbook fiend, I do every problem (if applicable) in every section/chapter sometimes multiple times for repetition and not having a textbook on hand is a pain in the ass.

But oh well, what can you do?
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I've always had really good luck with Amazon...maybe I'm just lucky?

The best book buying experience I had was with a student book exchange on my undergrad campus...you posted books to sell online (sort of a mini-ebay type site) and corresponded with buyers/sellers via e-mail. Then, you could meet up with them at the union or bookstore. I saved a TON of money this way because you bought the book for a price that was less than the bookstore, but more than the buy-back price the bookstore offers the seller.
 
sugarxoxo said:
Micro was cake. My professor was awesome. Definitely my favorite biology class by far with interesting topics, and I've already taken all of general bio and human anatomy and physiology courses.
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I feel the same way... I think it is going to be one of my favorite classes and I've taken about 40 biology credits. My professor is really cool too though. He used to work in R&D for a big pharmaceutical company and he's really outgoing and informal with the class. He makes jokes and encourages us to talk and interact in the class. Most of the people in my class are pre-nursing though so most of the jokes or stories have to do with nursing.
 
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