BIOL 2040

This class is definitely more enjoyable and much easier in terms of doing well on the assignments (than Biology 2030)! Professor Kopeny didn't hold any of the lab lectures and the "review" sessions before the midterms were less than helpful; however, he did post PowerPoints on Collab that were good to review before lab and or the three midterms. The quizzes in lab are straightforward and manageable if you review the terms before coming to lab! Definitely possible to get an A if you go to lab and pay attention during the dissections!

An easy lab course--no need to study before the lab, just cram right before the quiz! A word of advice: DO NOT buy the lab manual! You cannot return it to the bookstore and you use it exactly one time in lab.

Easy course. Kopeny is very chill although he is a very boring lecturer. It is hard to sit through the lectures and videos.

Overall a very easy class....BUT you don't learn much. Don't bother watching the lecture videos before lab, they don't help with the quiz. Just look at the list of structures and memorize their function; this usually takes about less than an hour before lab. Exams are weird and worded weirdly but they're not worth much. And I second the person below that said "do not buy the lab manual." It's really useless.

So this class really does depend on who your TA is. 40% of your grade depends on the worksheets you do in class which are graded by your TA. My TA's average was around a C- on them but other people's TA's average was like a 95%. Quizzes are also graded by your TA and mine was picky and even participation was graded harshly! Not having your name written on your kit for example took off points or if someone in the class messes up the whole class is docked off points. Megan was my TA but she graduated so I don't think anyone else will get her. The exams are the only thing that's graded the same within all the students in this course. So again, TA is key to getting a good grade.

I made a mistake by taking this class for fun and using my AP credit for 2020. Kopeny only does podcasts, and grading is very subjective based on your TA. The material on the quizzes was sometimes very minor details, or things that were gone over more in 2020 so I didn't know it. The last half of the labs were very interesting because they were dissections however the first half were all microscopy and very boring. Its not a hard class but if you don't take it seriously like I didn't, your easy A is suddenly one of your lowest grades. Don't take it if you don't need it.

Definitely a self-taught class. Lectures are not very useful, and listening to Kopeny lecture is honestly the best cure for insomnia. Honestly just keep up with the textbook readings and you will do fine on the exams, of which there are 6 and no cumulative final.