/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.5769398]

>Enroll in General Biology for summer
>8 weeks
>Professor at community college owns a google plus account and replies to ratemyprofessor ratings.
>owned a student
>has a 4.1 rating
>supposedly hard on test

How hard is General Biology? I need it for transfer for one of my colleges that I want to transfer to. It's suppose to be an intro level class for Biology. Also, what exactly do you learn in Biology?

[Anonymous No.5769402]

Its stamp collecting, dont worry about it.

[Anonymous No.5769408]

>>5769402

Cool, thanks.

[Anonymous No.5769412]

[Anonymous No.5769418]

>>5769398

It's mostly memorization. As long as you don't procrastinate, you should be fine.

[Anonymous No.5769433]

[Anonymous No.5769461]

Some types of thinkers have trouble with biology. Some don't. It just depends on how you like to learn and think.
Despite what these fags say about biology being a soft science, I'd like to see any mathematician try to do the work a modern biologist does. The shit is just too complex for them, with too many exceptions. You don't have many definite rules in biology so they freak out when they don't get what they want.

[Anonymous No.5769471]

>>5769461
Troll harder next time newfag

[Anonymous No.5769474]

>>5769433
>>5769461
>>5769471

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TudeP11y4qc

[Anonymous No.5769484]

>>5769474
meh, of course sheldon gets showed up for comedy. physicsfag here, never had trouble with the softer sciences. they don't use much math and as long as you're not a clumsy tard, dissecting shit or identifying biological structures isn't hard

[Anonymous No.5769488]

Biology's easy, primarily memorization. Honestly what matters is studying vs. cramming. At the end of every week put together some notecards of the key points taught, study them lightly.

[Anonymous No.5769507]

>>5769488
depends what you make of it.
if you only study for the test, then yeah, it's probably going to be easy.
but biology is rooted in chemistry and physics; if you want to apply critical thinking to biology, there' just as much room to do so as in any of the more fundamental sciences.

[Anonymous No.5769527]

>>5769484
Biofag here. I've never had trouble with "harder" sciences. Physics, chemistry, and mathematics feel like the ABC's when you get into higher level biology, as it's all just basic information. Plugging in basic formulas isn't hard as long as you're not a clumsy tard.
Though I'd like to challenge you to take an intro to zoology if you get the chance, just so you can see how easy it comes.

[Anonymous No.5769536]

>>5769484
>implying thats what biologists do for a living

[Anonymous No.5769541]

>>5769527
>actual science
>not as hard as remembering words

HAHAHAHAHA

>Plugging in basic formulas isn't hard

They don't even teach real science classes to bio majors because nobody would ever graduate

[Anonymous No.5769547]

>>5769507
You don't get to that sort of critical thinking until you get to Cell and Developmental bio and Genetics. You don't hit much chemistry at all unless you take biochemistry courses.

[Anonymous No.5769550]

I'm in my third year into a soft science (double degree, got two years left) and I'm mostly just passing or getting the next tier above pass

Can I still get better /sci/ ;_;

[Anonymous No.5769566]

>>5769550
You can do eet!

[Anonymous No.5769855]

>Biology is memorization
Well so is physics then, retards.

[Anonymous No.5769860]

>>5769855
First year bio is a joke, and it's pure memorization. For physics it really depends on the level. Algebra based physics is essentially application of formulas, knowing when to use them. Calculus-based physics actually has some worth to it as it requires actual understanding of the concepts.
The main takeaway from first year Bio is the labs, primarily the ones that require you to put together a project.

[Anonymous No.5771929]

>>5769541
Tell that to your doctor next time you get a checkup bro.

[Anonymous No.5771945]

>>5769433
>chemistry
>mathematically rigorous

HAHAHAHAH

[Anonymous No.5771952]

>>5771945
>never been past ochem

[Anonymous No.5771977]

>>5771952
>>5771952

Lol, Ochem isn't as hard as people say. It's only those weak pre-med students that complain about the course because they can't handle anything that involves half a brain, something they can't get by with just memorizing it.

tl:dr ochem really isn't as hard as your first course in differential equations or even calc2

dont kid yourself

[Anonymous No.5771981]

>>5771977
>past ochem
>as in what comes after ochem
>as in not ochem

[Anonymous No.5771985]

>>5771952
Ochem isn't difficult. Premed kids just think they're going to be so cool on their motorcycles with their white trenchcoat flapping in the wind and don't actually into science.

[Anonymous No.5771989]

rate my professor is bullshit. the only people who post there are the faggots who got owned by the prof. most of the time, these faggots didn't even study and are all butthurt that the prof made the course difficult.

[Anonymous No.5771993]

>>5771977
>>5771985

>/sci/
>reading comprehension

Pick one.

[Anonymous No.5771994]

same question but 5 weeks @ UCI for calc 3?

[Anonymous No.5772044]

>>5771993

What do you expect? They only know how to work with numbers.

>>5771994

Calculus 3 with only 5 weeks? Yikes.

[Anonymous No.5772145]

Biology is fucking easy compared to chemistry and physics. In general bio, you'll just be memorizing shit. If you're good at that, then great you'll do fine.

[Anonymous No.5772149]

>>5771994

Easy. Made a 99.9% in calc 3. It'll be taught so fast that your professor won't have time to delve into the applications so it's basically vectors and memorization of 3 dimensional shapes.

Maybe some coordination conversion.

[Anonymous No.5772178]

>>5772145
Have you taken any biology at all beyond ap level?

[Anonymous No.5772194]

See OP: we have a perfect specimen to demonstrate just how easy biology is compared to other scientific fields.

>>5772178

This user clearly thinks the scope of your question covers topics that are beyond general biology. However, what he failed to understand is that you are only asking about the difficulty of general bio.

Biology majors often have horrendous reading comprehension skills which is why they make their major out to be so difficult when it really is a walk in the park for undergrads.

[Anonymous No.5772214]

>>5772194
>Biology is fucking easy compared to chemistry and physics

Is a statement about all biology. I was just wondering if he's taken any classes on it beyond the really easy stuff, or if he's just assuming.

> In general bio, you'll just be memorizing shit. If you're good at that, then great you'll do fine.

Is about general entry level biology. I agree with this part.

[Anonymous No.5772252]

>>5769433

[Anonymous No.5772255]

>>5772214

Why would I take that remedial shit?

I took AP Bio in HS and did it again for shits and giggles in college because it was a free A.

The point: general bio doesn't hold a candle to general chem or physics.

[Anonymous No.5772260]

>>5772255
Why don't you say that then instead of extrapolating it to all of biology?

[Anonymous No.5772266]

>>5772255
>B in engineering stats
you're not going to make it

[Anonymous No.5772267]

>>5772260

Because biology is much easier than its equivalent courses: general chem and physics (with calculus).

Also maybe it's more than implied that biology later on is anything but a joke.

[Anonymous No.5772280]

>>5772266
>not seeing the pattern that statistics is the outlier in all of my grades
>not actually understanding statistics when criticizing someone else for getting a B in stat

Nice hole you dug yourself into.

Looks like I made an A in 2023 stat. Also looks like I tutor mathematics/physics (including stat.) to retards at a local CC (probably you). Walked in the first day of engi stat class knowing how to perform a hypothesis test.

>mfw the two courses are identical
>mfw he doesn't even get a chance to cover hypothesis testing involving two means or independent samples, ANOVA, or testing things other than the mean
>mfw he doesn't explain the two techniques used to reject or fail to reject the null
>mfw his tests were 10 questions, multiple choice, even on the hypothesis testing section
>mfw when no partial credit in statistics
>mfw there's a 100% probability that I have no face

[sage No.5772292]

>>5772280
you needa calm down bro

[Anonymous No.5772299]

>>5772280
so you're super smart and tutor stats and knew about hypothesis testing already going into the class and the questions were multiple choice.
but you still got a B in engineering stata. hey i bet you would have done great in business stats

[Anonymous No.5772308]

>>5772280
You still got a question wrong

[Anonymous No.5772315]

>>5772308
*two questions wrong

[Anonymous No.5772387]

>>5772255
>The point: general bio doesn't hold a candle to general chem or physics.
They're all ridiculously easy if you pay attention in class.

As someone that is in the life sciences (Biochemistry), general bio is a joke. If you don't do well in that class it's either because you didn't show up or that you should find another field to pursue. Later courses get much more complex and quickly.

[Anonymous No.5773292]

>>5769398
Op we have >>>/an/ for a reason. Biology questions go there not here in /sci/

[Anonymous No.5774198]

>>5772299

No where did I say I was super smart.

If two classes are equivalent and I make an A in one and a B+ in the other and the rest of my grades appear to be lower A to A range, it's highly likely that the professor or the class structure was the problem and not the student.

Hypothesis testing is not something you give multiple choice questions on unless you're lazy and have one TA.

In fact, statistics is not an area where 30 multiple choice question tests can accurately indicate how well a student performs without a huge margin of error tacked on to it.

But you knew that because you're awesome at stats and posted your awesome transcript and major to back up what you're saying.

>>5772308
>>5772315

Math is hard isn't it? B+ is generally 26/30 or 27/30 questions correct (3 tests, 10 MCQs each).

>>5772387

That's why you see so many idiots skating through physics II with calculus.

Which is to say you actually don't. Mastering and understanding what Maxwell's equations imply is infinitely harder than anything you'll ever do in the first 4 semesters of a chemistry or biology degree.

[Anonymous No.5774209]

>>5774198
>Math is hard isn't it? B+ is generally 26/30 or 27/30 questions correct (3 tests, 10 MCQs each).

Just out of curiosity, how do you get 3-4 questions wrong when you know all the material?

[Anonymous No.5774238]

>>5774198
Except, you take physics II in the first 4 semesters of a chemistry degree... so... I don't really understand the point here.

[Anonymous No.5774308]

>>5774198
You do realize any Chemistry program worth its salt has a curriculum that, given a decent knack for scheduling, can have you graduating in 4 years with a double major in Math or Physics, right?

[Philip J. Fry !mu829SLURM No.5774434]

>How hard is General Biology?
not really hard, at all.
just memorize and keep up.
>what exactly do you learn in Biology
you study life! :)

eh, the basics like mendelian genetics, maybe cellular physiology and mitosis/meiosis. Evolutionary theory will definitely be touched upon.
I think there might be a dissection part too.

oh, and learning how to do scientific inquiry.

[Anonymous No.5774641]

>>5774209

That's a silly question. It's like me asking you to identify which type of BJT configuration is the best for small signal voltage amplification.

You're underqualified to answer a question about BJTs just like you're underqualified when it comes to answering any statistics-related question (much less asking a question related to statistics).

Understanding probability is /really/ hard, it seems.

1 in four chances that you guess a question correctly with 4 answers.

This follows a binomial distribution, X ~ B(n,p), and the probability of getting /exactly/ x successes in n trials is given by the following probability mass function (you knew this too!):

f(x;n,p)=Pr(X=x)

in our case:

f(10,10,.25)=0.00009537%

Pretty damn low. But you also knew this.

Given a typical hypothesis test or c-interval/MoE problem where you have 5~15 steps, multiple choice is not the best way to assess a student's understanding of the material. Indeed, the first stat class I took used a combination of MCQs and short answer to assess our knowledge.

Your trolling attempt really isn't working for you...actually working in my favor. As we continue this discussion, I get to bombard you with what I do know about statistics.

In the mean time, you will keep responding with "but you didn't get an A" but your credibility, each time you post, is weakened every time you do not produce a transcript and GPA that matches or exceeds mine.

Win/win for me.

>>5774308

What's your point? The same can be said about engineering and physics or mathematics. I could easily minor in mathematics with 1 more course or major it in with 4~5 after the EE requirements.

Now here's what you missed:

>Which is to say you actually don't. Mastering and understanding what Maxwell's equations imply is infinitely harder than anything you'll ever do in the first 4 semesters of a chemistry or biology degree.

See the mastering word? Very few of your kind actually can do that.

[Anonymous No.5774654]

I've seen so many pre-med and chem major students taking physics with calculus who have no idea what they're doing. They usually end up flunking or just barely skating by, which is what I originally stated here:

>>5774198

Remind me what the parallel is when it comes to bio or even chem? What mathematically rigorous sets of equations do you have to understand?

know, the type of equations that define the classical interpretation of electrodynamics and the like that still hold true even with the advent of modern physics? There are slight deviations given extremes (like large electric fields or the particle nature of light).

The ideal gas law? haha

Face it: you just memorize. Your degree is definitely complex...down the line. The first two years are a joke, however and that's saying something considering how much of a joke the first two years of an engineering degree are.