Microbiology

[_Tom_]

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Hi;
Does anyone know where are good sources to study and practice test for miro? I have been reading books, watch CD, animations but it seems not enough for my exam. Thanks 😡

 

[twester]

Is your professor following the textbook fairly closely? If so, most textbooks have websites with lots of supplemental material (practice tests, tutorials, etc). Doing well on those can show mastery of the material (but not if the professor is doing his or her own thing).

If the prof is a free-styler, talk to her and see if she has any suggestions.

I remember finding several practice tests online just by entering keywords into a search engine. I found a fantastic one just by entering "retrovirus tutorial" into Google. It's hit or miss, but I could almost always find something worthwhile.

One thing that works for me in classes like micro that present lots of specific information that's meant to be retained is to write. Summarize each section of the textbook in your own words while paying special attention to the notes from class. I usually followed my notes while I read the textbook. Make studying an interactive experience. Read material over and over - read it out loud.

Hope that gives you some ideas. Good luck. Micro was one of my favorite classes, but also one of the most challenging.

Troy

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

I agree, multifaceted learning has been shown to increase retention! Plus, when you are reviewing your notes in preparation for the exam, you've already tranlated it into your own words so it's easier for you to understand.

 

[JamesL1585]

Man, good luck with Micro... Micro to me if your teacher isnt easy like mine WASNT is a subject you need to know so well that you can teach it, I reccommend getting someone in the class to study with and making note cards then quizzing each other and actually discussing the details to one another. The first time I took micro I got the worst grade I ever got in my life and had to quit football (Because Im on pre-pharm track, not because my gpa was too low) and lost my scholarship by doing so. The second time I took it I had a study group with me and these two girls, I'd make the note cards then quiz them on the info repitively and we looked at all the figures in the book as a group...best thing I ever did. Got an A by the way 🙂 Well good luck.

 

[Moxxie]

Man, good luck with Micro... Micro to me if your teacher isnt easy like mine WASNT is a subject you need to know so well that you can teach it, I reccommend getting someone in the class to study with and making note cards then quizzing each other and actually discussing the details to one another. The first time I took micro I got the worst grade I ever got in my life and had to quit football (Because Im on pre-pharm track, not because my gpa was too low) and lost my scholarship by doing so. The second time I took it I had a study group with me and these two girls, I'd make the note cards then quiz them on the info repitively and we looked at all the figures in the book as a group...best thing I ever did. Got an A by the way 🙂 Well good luck.

This is a good idea. The first micro course I took wasn't that bad, but my professor was awesome - it was like going to story time every day. After that course I took pathogenic micro, which was a bit tougher. I would get together with 3 or 4 of the people in my class at least once a week and we would go around the table reading out loud our notes for each topic - this way if one of us missed something that the prof said, we all were on the same page. It also really helped because with several people we could all "teach" each other - we all had different learning styles and we worked well together to make sure that we all did awesome on the tests. It helped that we kept things light and hung out together socially as well. That was my last semester of undergrad, and I haven't found a group that worked that well together since. I miss those guys and gals!

 

[TennisBoy78]

Hi;
Does anyone know where are good sources to study and practice test for miro? I have been reading books, watch CD, animations but it seems not enough for my exam. Thanks 😡

My semester in micro (last Fall (2005))started off a little like what you are describing. Since I haven't had biology in so long (1998 or something), I did not know what to expect. The first few tests of micro was merely about prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and structures. This is very boring!

Don't worry, you will be getting into much more interesting stuff. My micro class then shifted to growth and control of microbes, genetics, and disorders and diseases caused by microbes. I found that although there was no exam I was acing, I was pretty consistent of getting low "A"s, but there were a few "B"s but some higher "A"s too. (Since micro covers so many more chapters compared to other classes, we had eight tests instead of the traditional four - although a pain, it helped considering the depth of the material)

I just read my notes ALOUD over and over and over. I would match a key term with one or two phrases - like "eNNNdotoxin - gram NNNegative" is one trick I used. Also, know Gram staining by heart and know your friends Staphylococcus as your Gram positive and E coli as your gram negative. Although many other microbes are talked about, none are talked about more than these.

Best advise I can tell you is to hang in there because your grade should improve later in the semester. Some chapters (such as on disease) are so easy to memorize, while others are kind of tedious.

Also consider your teacher, because some test on the most obscure points while others test on the more important things. I was fortunate to have a good one, so I felt better about it before registering into the class.

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

The only Microbiology course I took was Pathogenic Microbiology, the course had a Cellular Biology pre-req.

 

[_Tom_]

Thank you for all your info but my prof expect her students to know more that just read the text book. She gave so many trick questions (multiple of multiple of multiple choices and many of them are very similar + essay questions). She expects drop rate is about 50-60% by the end of semester. Definitely I don’t want to drop 😕 . BTW, I do need web sites that I can get more info. Again, thank you very much for your help…. This side is great and it looks like most of you are VERY SMART!

 

[saxquiz]

I'm taking Microbiology at FCCJ (Florida Community College @ Jacksonville) right now. Our prof also told us that about 25%-50% drop the class before the semester is over. So far only about 4 out of 19 have dropped. We're on chapter 12 of 28 and studying microbe Eukaryotes (Fungi, Algae, Protozoa, and Helminths). I'm finding the class to be the most interesting I've had in a long time. My teacher is great, but I can understand how tough this class would be with a bad teacher. Even with a great prof, Microbiology isn't easy. There are just so many new facts that are being introduced for the first time. I find it easier than any Chemistry class for me though since there is little to no Math involved in Microbio. Good luck and I hope you get an A! 👍

 

[TennisBoy78]

Thank you for all your info but my prof expect her students to know more that just read the text book. She gave so many trick questions (multiple of multiple of multiple choices and many of them are very similar + essay questions). She expects drop rate is about 50-60% by the end of semester. Definitely I don’t want to drop 😕 . BTW, I do need web sites that I can get more info. Again, thank you very much for your help…. This side is great and it looks like most of you are VERY SMART!

I agree with the student that says that this class is easier than Chemistry. It is not a walk in the park though. The difference between Micro and Chemistry is that Chemistry involves a lot more thought, whereas Micro is merely memorizing.

Tom, check out "ratemyprofessor.com." You choose your state, your college, then your professor. I do this prior to registering for each semester. Former students of professors leave reviews for their teacher. It saved me a lot of times, if you have the option of taking one professor over another. As you know, your selection of teacher sometimes means the difference between passing, dropping, or failing. Let me know if you have any trouble navigating on the website.

I don't think you had Organic yet. If you did, I don't think you'd be having this much trouble. I took Micro and Organic I (along with General Chem II) during the same semester. Alone, Micro or Gen Chem II would have been the tough, but Organic puts those classes to shame!