Instructor: Peter Bice, B.Sc., M. S.
Phone: 972-548-0684
(long distance outside
E-Mail: pbice@ccccd.edu
Office Hours: One hour before class. See me in the Associate Faculty Office (K2345
at SCC, 3rd floor Instruction Office at CPC, or in the classroom
The first semester of
General Biology centers around the molecular biology of the cell, and basic
cell processes. This is where the action
is…When you get a cold, there are things happening first at the molecular level
in cells long before you notice any symptoms of the cold. Biology is hysterically relevant, but never
take a course because it is “relevant.”
Take a course and study it for its own sake. Biology, like literature, art, and music, is
food for the mind and nourishment for the spirit.
This course is exceedingly
fact-intensive with tons of vocabulary.
I never promise to cover everything in lecture that will be tested,
albeit I make an attempt. The lab
science courses are really two courses, lecture and lab, each with their own
requirements. Your study time is going
to be at a premium. I recommend you take
no other courses if you have job and/or family responsibilities.
READ, READ, READ. Pay attention to photos, illustrations, and
captions. Make use of the outline at the
end of each textbook chapter, and definitely make use of
handouts.
We will have four or five
tests during the term, plus the final.
The final exam is not optional, and is cumulative. I make no promises concerning dropped test
scores, and I do not use a “curve.”
There will be no review sessions since time is paramount. However, the alert student will pick up ideas
about material on tests by noticing what I emphasize, material on the handouts,
etc.. The lecture component of the
course counts 75%. The exams will
consist of roughly 60-80 multiple-choice, matching, and possibly some
true-false items. Exam dates are not yet
set, so it is vital that you attend class regularly and punctually in order to
stay informed. Weekly quizzes are also
likely. The final course grade follows the usual college percentages: 90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, below 70…You
should have dropped already. Check for
the drop date in the current term’s class schedule.
Lecture topics cover roughly
the first half of the textbook, but not all chapters will be covered. Correlation with lab topics…when it
happens…is mere coincidence.
Stay caught up….Study each
day, because you will die a slow, miserable academic death if you procrastinate
at all….In class, be present in mind as well as body….Read like you’ve
never read before. Get to class on
time, and use the entire class period to be actively listening and
participating. Remember…This class
is about your favorite subject…you.