• 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 examining 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.
• Some students find it helpful to skim the assigned lecture readings before lecture and take outline notes during lecture (so they can actually hear and learn what the professor is saying, instead of writing down every single word - I know it’s hard to do, but you’ll learn more in class).
• Then after lecture, go back to the text and look at the topics the professor covered in lecture.
• Skim the parts that you understood in lecture, and read the parts you had trouble with in lecture carefully (then ask questions if you still have trouble).  You will get more out of the course if you read all of the assigned lecture readings, but if you are pressed for time and  there is something in the text the professor didn’t mention, it is fairly safe to just skim it.
• Make use of the human resources available to you (listed under "handling questions"). Ask questions & 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 attention to 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.

• 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 office hours or in the tutorial room, when there is more time to deal with them.

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.