Is anyone taking this course? I'm looking to take that and drop molecular biology 3HH3. I can't decide. Could someone post the BIO 3SS3 course outline?

I did not like 3SS3 at all. I liked Dushoff, and still like him. But he just wasn't table to teach. I had no idea what was happening in the course throughout, it was a terrible experience.

I did well in it but this course is a totally different animal from standard bio courses.:c oolaid:

The course outline can be found on the Biology course page here: http://www.biology.mcmaster. ca/ugrad_cours.htm .

So I should probably stick with cytoplasm right?

Dej vs. Dushoff. Do you even have to ask? Stick to cytoplasm.

Dr. Dej is a great professor but it doesn't mean that the course is going to be easy. I found cell bio with her pretty difficult.

I'm in it right now. All we've done so far is some simple math (modeling population change), which the class doesn't seem to get for some reason (maybe I'm out-of-touch with the mathematical literacy of bio students, but didn't you guys have to take at least one calculus course?)

I am pretty sure the class avg for cell bio was close to 80 percent, if not more, when Dej taught it. Dushoff on the other hand had 60 avgs on his tests when I had him in first year. Maybe cell bio was just your weakness.

just saying, dushoffs tests can be challenging at times.

Originally Posted by Mahratta

I'm in it right now. All we've done so far is some simple math (modeling population change), which the class doesn't seem to get for some reason (maybe I'm out-of-touch with the mathematical literacy of bio students, but didn't you guys have to take at least one calculus course?)

What a stupid comment, Im sure the average math student would struggle to write a good essay. Even though they have taken it throughout their academic career. Stop acting high and mighty.

Originally Posted by Rakim

What a stupid comment, Im sure the average math student would struggle to write a good essay. Even though they have taken it throughout their academic career. Stop acting high and mighty.

I think you've mistaken what academic math really is - basically, logical writing, be it in English or in predicate symbolic logic. So, in that sense, a math student shouldn't have too much trouble writing an essay. In fact, they'd probably have it better than most non-arts students...

Anyway, I don't see why a math student would be any better at plugging numbers into equations (contrary to what you may believe, math isn't about that) than a biology student. Maybe you should have taken the time to understand the post and its context before going off on a tangent.

The math in 3SS3 is pretty basic, a few exponential equations and graphs at the beginning. Those are basic. Later on, you will get into some other statistical variables like J and god knows what else. The problem isn't the math itself but how Dushoff taught. He is a great person, and obviously very intelligent (he is a big math nerd), but he didn't know how to explain some of the concepts I feel. And you were left alone because there wasn't a book for this course, he said you could use any ecology book but most of those didn't explain the things he was talking about.
I personally asked him which book he used for the course, so I would recommended asking him and getting a hold of that book.

Of course, everyone's experience will be different. Dont get me wrong, I did well. But i feel i just lucked out.

There were 3 quizzes, 8 questions each worrth 10% each, and very easy to get 1 or 2 qusetions wrong there, so there goes a chunk of your mark. Same thing with the midterm, it was worth something like 25% and there were 20 questions. Same thing with the exam, it was worth 45% and there were 40 questions. I felt that this high percentage to question was a bit unsettling.

^ Our outline is somewhat different. It's now:
Assignments: 10%
Midterms: 2*25%
Final: 40%

That's a good suggestion (about the textbook), thanks. I'll ask him next lecture.

3SS3 is an easy course. Less work than cyto I would think.