Laboratory:

• A lecture and a text can teach you concepts, but a laboratory session will give you experience.
• The lab is also an opportunity for you to participate actively in learning, by joining in discussion, asking questions, doing the exercise, and working with lab partners.
• Each lab section will start with a discussion in which we review the principles we're examing and the procedures we'll be using. You'll do the exercise with your group. Afterwards, we'll present results and discuss them.

  
  

• Spend a reasonable amount of time on the course. It's an "in-depth survey", a real time-eater (but hopefully a rewarding one). If you don't have time for the reading, lectures, labs, and study, you should withdraw and take it during a less demanding term.
• Make use of the human resources resources available to you (listed under "handling questions"). Ask questions and get clarification. Outside help often makes a difference between passing and failing.
• Use the internet resources. The General Biology web page (http://genbiol.cbs.umn.edu/) has both immediately useful and generally interesting material on it (i.e. sample exam questions), and you can ask myself and the lecturer questions over e-mail. There are five internet computers (not for word-processing or other schoolwork) in the tutorial room for your convenience.
• Do the reading. Your textbook is actually pretty good; well-written with a lot of very helpful graphics.
• Terminology: biological jargon is where a lot of students get hung up. Pay close attentionto the terms introduced in each lab exercise and lecture. There is a glossary in your textbook and you may want to create one of your own.
• Don't try and memorize all the information you are presented with, but focus on concepts: what goes together, what links ideas, objects and terms, and what's important.
• When all else fails, try guessing! I give partial credit on the quizzes and exams are multiple choice so there is always a chance of getting the right answer as long as you fill in a circle. Note that guessing in lab procedure is often counterproductive, which is why you need to read the lesson in advance, bring your lab book to lab, participate in discussion, and cooperate with your lab partners.
  

Expectations of students:

• You must read the lab lesson before attending. If the lesson is confusing, be ready to ask questions in the initial introduction. If you don't read the lesson, you won't get much out of the lab and you'll waste your lab partners' time.
• You're going to be working as part of a group. Be tolerant of your lab partners. If a member of a group is being inconsiderate, I'll be taking it up with the staff. If the English language is a problem, lab partners just need to get used to having to repeat themselves.
• Attend every lab, if possible. If you can warn me about absences (over e-mail or call the General Biology Office), I'll try and find you a place in another lab section for that exercise. Withdraw if you miss three labs; you automatically fail if you miss four, and you will probably be doing poorly anyway if you miss that much material.
• Please get to lab on time (or have me arrange in advance for you to attend another section temporarily) and stay until the end. By the way, all of your labs and your first two exams are held in Kolthoff S170. Here are the lab times by section:
  • 21 - 12:20- 2:05 AM, Tuesday & Thursday
    
  • 08 - 2:30- 4:15 AM, Tuesday & Thursday
    
  • 31 - 7:30- 9:15 PM, Tuesday & Thursday

Handling Questions:

• Discrete questions and recommendations are handled best over e-mail or writing.
• Questions about lab procedures & concepts: right here in lab, during the preliminary discussion, as they come up, or during wrap-up (in writing if you prefer anonymity).
• Difficulties requiring discussion, such as vague questions or general confusion, are best handled during my office hours or in the tutorial room, where we have time to deal with them thoroughly.

Quizzes:

• There are four throughout the quarter. I write them. Each one is worth twenty points (every question will say how many points it is worth).
• I'll try and have all quizzes graded and returned within a week after administering them.
• Please bring questions about quiz grades (please check my addition!) and answers to me within one week after you've received it.