This course was taught by Dr. Boris Zhorov this past year. I think he's been teaching it for years now. This means that a lot of his test questions are actually recycled from previous years. So, if you can get your hands on previous years' tests, you should be in good shape.

In terms...

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never take this course unless its required. i regret taking this course:ba nghead::toi let07:.

Some things are interesting but essentially a brute memorization course. The prof seems like a nice guy but I feel would much rather be doing research then teaching. Their were 2 midterms worth 30% each (30 MC questions each) and the final exam was 40% (40 MC questions) so basically each MC question was worth 40% of your mark. I would advise you only to take this course if you really like (or are good at memorization). Overall sort of boring.

this course was very easy as long as you put in a moderate amount of studying before the three assesments. it is all memorization, but most of the material is only tested on a very introductory level so it is not that hard to remember it for the tests and exam.

essentially 90 MCs which is worth 100% of your mark! not so hard but some parts are really boring...and A LOT of memorization!

I rated this course as 1 in everything.

It's so bad but mostly required for some programs or as a pre-req for third year courses.

Don't kid yourselves: this course is never taken by choice, because it's so bad.

There's not even much to say, it's just if you can mass memorize details that shouldn't be tested, then you have a chance to get a 12. Too bad every question on the midterms are worth 1.2% of your final mark, so if you mess up a few questions on each midterm it's going to be near impossible to get a 12 anyway.

Taught by Dr. Zhorov, Biochem 2EE3 aims to teach you random facts about physiology and metabolism.

The course breakdown was as follows:
2 midterms (30% each) - all MC
final exam (40%) - all MC

Overall, it was a really boring course and one that is probably not worth taking. I ended up skipping >80% of the lectures and studied by memorizing powerpoint slides word for word.

Dr. Zhorov's testing style was questionable. On each test, the majority of questions were really easy, but a few of his questions were totally ambiguous and poorly worded. This was especially true for the final exam, where several of his questions were incomprehensible and full of mistakes. Class averages on the midterms were about 75 and 80, which is quite good.

While common sense pretty much guarantees you above a 6 in this course, be aware that you will need luck to do extremely well.

Overall, I can't recommend this course. Only take it if you have to.

the lectures were ok but Dr. Zhorov has a really strong accent, however the course content was interesting

Took it in Winter 2011 with Dr. Zhorov. The professor seemed like a nice person, but has tendency to read off the slides. Just go and listen to him, instead of taking notes. You will be surprised how much you can retain later.

Only take this course if you do not mind a huge amount of memorization. If that is your thing, this course may be for you, but if you think understanding is more important then think again. Almost everything asked was from the lecture slides, but you could be asked random things like [ATP], [glucose], enthalpy of certain reactions, etc. The part upto the 1st test is manageable, but after that, you have to memorize the Krebs Cycle, Glycolysis, Electron transport chain enzymes and substrates, etc. Attending lectures is not mandatory. Course content can be quite boring at times.

The key to do well in this course is to read the slides more than once, letting it sink in your brain. Study for recall and recognition, not understanding. Look at his previous tests to get an idea of what type and style of questions he asks. He also tends to focus on some things more than others (like asking about succinyl CoA ), but it may seem completely random about which things get asked and which are not mentioned in tests at all. There is always a bit of luck factor, you may remember a lot of facts but it won't help if you miss a detail he chooses to test.

Your entire mark depends on around 90 MC questions, so getting a 12 is VERY difficult because it leaves very narrow range of error. However, this course is required for a lot of future courses and professional schools.

Overall, this is the type of course for which it is easy to pass/ do mediocre, but difficult to do excellent. Double digit grades are possible though, but require a lot of rote memory!


Good luck

If anyone needs the textbook message me!

Is Biochem2ee3 the course that's offered in place of 2b03 and bb3?

Originally Posted by Angoose

Is Biochem2ee3 the course that's offered in place of 2b03 and bb3?

No, 3G03 covers similar material as 2B03+2BB3. 2EE3 is more like 3D03.

Originally Posted by nerual

No, 3G03 covers similar material as 2B03+2BB3. 2EE3 is more like 3D03.

Ooohhh, I was just confused since UofT said as one of the requirements I'd need 2b03+2bb3 OR this course, so I thought it was a substitute haha.

Originally Posted by Angoose

Ooohhh, I was just confused since UofT said as one of the requirements I'd need 2b03+2bb3 OR this course, so I thought it was a substitute haha.

Not in terms of content, but I guess for UofT's admissions it is. The content is very different, though.

this course is easy 12 if you have midterms from previous years.

I'm just wondering, for anyone in biopharm co-op. Do you need physics 1b03 to get in? I'm not really that strong in physics and if given the choice I think I might avoid the course during second year and maybe take it in the summer. Is that a good idea?