This class was really not that bad. I consistently did well above the average on tests by writing flashcards for every slide, as well as things she said in class, and memorizing them starting a week before the test. The people who are saying this class is hard are just lazy and don't know how to properly study for bio classes.
its a great ge to take while trying to balance difficult classes. Dr. Low is funny and sweet. My ta was awesome and section only lasted around 10 min each week. I would take this class again!
The tests are poorly written and focus on memorization more than the larger concept. Tough and inconsistent grading... submit regrades. Section is a journal club and a waste of time but you have to show up because it's 14% of your grade. Memorize every seemingly worthless piece of information on those slides. Thrower teaches it in summer.
Low is mildly funny and has good lectures. Sh posts them on line with less detail but lectures aren't mandatory. Sections have a quiz every week which make attendance matter. Sections also have summaries due weekly but they are only a page and very easy. Overall the class was very interesting and I enjoyed it.
By far my favorite professor at UCSB. Everyone complains about how 1B is way harder than 1A, but with Low, she makes the course so entertaining. You have to work your ass off for a good grade but it's worth it. Tests are very tricky so watch out for the trick questions. Material is very interesting, I personally loved this course!
Great professor. One of the rare ones that actually cares about the education of her students. She has hard tests, but if you show interest then she really makes an effort to help you do well. Even if you ask her questions that aren't pertinent to her research, she will look up answers for you and is more than happy to discuss the material with you
Don't "memorize everything." I tried memorizing everything, it wasn't possible. It's much more important to memorize and understand processes and content that she emphasizes. Don't waste your time trying to memorize trivia, it's much better to lose 3-6 points than to lose 20 points because you didn't memorize every detail of every process.
Her lectures are clear and she is hilarious. Her midterm is extremely difficult.
I've never been left with questions after her lectures because they're so specific and she teachers so well. There's an ocean of information to learn but she keeps it interesting and structures the progression of the class well. It's 100% lecture based and every single detail is fair game for the midterm. Also she's hilarious and the curve is big.
Oh Seng. Funny and adorable as a lecturer. But when it came to the midterm she went Senghis Khan on us. Dang. know everything about everything and yes about everything
Everyone I talked to who went to lecture said she talked way to fast. Since the lectures are online I watched them and could pauserewind to my needs. I think she is hilarious and thought she explains clearly. Start studying right away because there is a ton of information. Overall great professor.
This section of MCDB 1B is really really hard. Her tests are 100 percent memorization. Not only know everything from the lecture slides, but you also need to pay attention in lecture and copy down any additional information she talks about. It's fair game unfortunately. Make flash cards for vocal terms, and start studying ASAP.
Go to class and highlight the things she says twice! That is what will be on the midterm and test. Memorize the PowerPoints; I suggest making notecards and studying those. Make them every week and study them before the quiz in section. If you don't like your TA the 1st day then switch! Answer all ?s she gives for summary so you get max points.
Dr. Low's lectures are pretty entertaining and her slides are well put together. For the most part the textbook is not needed. The TA's were not helpful until the final exam. The exams required your ability to memorize every bit and detail on the slides versus your ability to apply concepts. Furthermore exams were harshly graded and get regrades!
This class requires so much time! You literally have to memorize all her slides for each test. Tests are 100% memorization, memorize every single detail! Her TAs are completely useless. Section is annoyingly useless but mandatory.
Here's how I got an A (from an average, non gifted student): hand wrote her slides, hardly went to class(would read on any topics that seemed difficult to understand), and about a week before the exam I'd start memorizing the hell out of my notes. Any additional help I needed I got from the TA's. Test is almost NO application and ALL memorization.
Ppt lectures online but she adds info so pay attention & GO TO CLASS she's made us lol a lot Make sure you study for those little multiple choice quizzes They add up Book is good to clarify and make things solid so its recommend to get better grade TestsDetail of every detail so STUDY! know how to spell outcorrectly! memorization is key!
This class consists of a lot of memorization, however the content is pretty straight-forward. The lectures are long but she was really entertaining and would sometimes let us out early.
This class if brutal. I only passed because I transcribed and listened to her lectures online... and wrote EVERYTHING down. I didn't open the textbook. Be sure to write down every single detail because she will briefly mention one topic and there will be a 20 point question on the exam. She is a cute little lady, but don't let that deceive you.
If you don't absolutely have to take this course, don't.. Exams are brutalizing and are always subjective. You can memorize the slides all you like but when it comes down to the exam you can still be in danger of a decent F. Top grades go to the people with experience in the course material.. Curve is substantial however, so that is a plus.
She's funny and good at lecturingexplaining, but the tests are super hard. Know what's on the slides, make flashcards for key concepts, and do a ton of old exams. I took this over the summer so it was a lot harder, since there were lectures the day before the exam with stuff you needed to know. I'd probably have gotten an A if I'd read ahead .
Wonderful little lady, very funny and explains well. BUT her tests are the worst. Must know every little detail about every little detail.
For being a conceptual biology course this class proved rather difficult. Her tests tended to take the general gist of the material and ask the student to make serious extrapolations. I recommend keeping up in the textbook, if you do so lectures are not necessary. Learned more doing the book on my own then spending 1:15 bored in class.
Surprisingly entertaining, considering the subject. It's all memorization, and her tests can be tricky, but if you spend some time going through her powerpoints online, you'll do well.