LIFESCI 15
Life: Concepts and Issues
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, two hours. Introduction to important concepts and issues in the field for non-life sciences majors. Topics include chemistry of life, genetics, physiology, evolution, and ecology--all explored in lecture and debates, with a writing component. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2021 - I took this class because I thought it would be an easy A. However, I was wrong, and a lot of people took the class because of the same reason and were proven wrong too. So first things first: this class isn't an easy A. You're going to have to put in some work. The class is on a point based system. You've got a couple of quizzes related to the topic of the week, discussion posts, a debate, a problem set presentation, LOTS of reading, a midterm, and a final. The lowest score you get on the quiz is dropped. I got pretty good scores on everything like the quizzes and discussion posts and my group even won the debate, but I did pretty bad on the midterm so it hurt my grade. PROTIP: Do the short responses for midterm/final first and then work on the multiple choice. I didn't do that for the midterm and I did bad and then I did better on the final because I did the free response first. ALSO: the multiple choice questions were pretty tricky for me, too. So be aware of that and read the questions carefully. I got below the class average on both the midterm and the final and I was able to get a B+, so not too bad I guess. I underestimated how much I'd have to study for this class, so remember to review! I never read Mean Genes, but I hear it was interesting and helpful. You'll be fine without it. The actual textbook that he requires is vital, however, so make sure to read that. I made the awful mistake of procrastinating on the week readings and had to cram a lot of the chapters near midterm/finals week. Professor Phelan is a great professor and makes his lectures interesting and fun to watch. He offers extra credit, which is great and you should be taking advantage of these extra credit opportunities. He also has review sessions before the midterm and final. As long as you can answer all the 30ish questions he gives in the review session, you'll be fine on the exam. In conclusion: Read the readings for What is Life?, do the questions from the review session, watch the lectures, study, and remember: this is not an easy A.
Winter 2021 - I took this class because I thought it would be an easy A. However, I was wrong, and a lot of people took the class because of the same reason and were proven wrong too. So first things first: this class isn't an easy A. You're going to have to put in some work. The class is on a point based system. You've got a couple of quizzes related to the topic of the week, discussion posts, a debate, a problem set presentation, LOTS of reading, a midterm, and a final. The lowest score you get on the quiz is dropped. I got pretty good scores on everything like the quizzes and discussion posts and my group even won the debate, but I did pretty bad on the midterm so it hurt my grade. PROTIP: Do the short responses for midterm/final first and then work on the multiple choice. I didn't do that for the midterm and I did bad and then I did better on the final because I did the free response first. ALSO: the multiple choice questions were pretty tricky for me, too. So be aware of that and read the questions carefully. I got below the class average on both the midterm and the final and I was able to get a B+, so not too bad I guess. I underestimated how much I'd have to study for this class, so remember to review! I never read Mean Genes, but I hear it was interesting and helpful. You'll be fine without it. The actual textbook that he requires is vital, however, so make sure to read that. I made the awful mistake of procrastinating on the week readings and had to cram a lot of the chapters near midterm/finals week. Professor Phelan is a great professor and makes his lectures interesting and fun to watch. He offers extra credit, which is great and you should be taking advantage of these extra credit opportunities. He also has review sessions before the midterm and final. As long as you can answer all the 30ish questions he gives in the review session, you'll be fine on the exam. In conclusion: Read the readings for What is Life?, do the questions from the review session, watch the lectures, study, and remember: this is not an easy A.
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Most Helpful Review
Psych 115 Don't take this professor. He crams in too much information, which means that you will have to do TOO MUCH studying and will walk away having learned NOTHING. He doesn't have a theory of mind, and doesn't understand that the students are not following what he is teaching. He tells you not to memorize the material, that you only need to understand it conceptually. Don't listen to that! You need to memorize everything to be able to apply the knowledge to the questions on exam (some of the questions are pure memorization questions anyway). I don't mind studying hard, but studying too much material for such a short period, is a waste of my neurons. Don't take it with him.
Psych 115 Don't take this professor. He crams in too much information, which means that you will have to do TOO MUCH studying and will walk away having learned NOTHING. He doesn't have a theory of mind, and doesn't understand that the students are not following what he is teaching. He tells you not to memorize the material, that you only need to understand it conceptually. Don't listen to that! You need to memorize everything to be able to apply the knowledge to the questions on exam (some of the questions are pure memorization questions anyway). I don't mind studying hard, but studying too much material for such a short period, is a waste of my neurons. Don't take it with him.
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