CELS 191 is the biology based topic for HSFY All of the information they tell you in the lectures is examinable and it is taught quite well by most of the lecturers.
It covers a range of topics from genetics, cells and viruses, to ecology (to name a few).
Coming from a NCEA background, there is quite a lot of overlap with the new NCEA level 2 Biology course. (new as in updated since 2012).
So if you haven't really done much Biology before and are worried about what you might learn, I'd recommend having a look through the NCEA level 2 biology content.
For those of you who haven't looked this paper up on the Otago site:
CELS191 Cell and Molecular Biology
The course format:
CELS has 6 labs each with a Blackboard test, 44 lectures (and a few review lectures), 2 GLMs, 2 tests (mid-semester and end of semester tests)
1. GLMs (Guided Learning Modules)
Each of your GLMs are worth 5%, making up a total of 10% of your final grade.
Compared to the HUBS GLMs, these are very hard. The GLMs cover material in the lecture as well as other knowledge which is covered in additional GLM material supplied to you earlier in the year (about 4 - 6 weeks prior to the assessment open date).
Please do not expect to get the full 5% for the GLM. I managed to get 5% on the first, but was way off for my second GLM and I didn't know anyone who actually got the full 5% on the second GLM.
However, don't neglect the GLM since it is worth 5% of your grade and as everyone says, every point counts. :)
Unlike some previous years, there was no printed GLM booklet available for usage, so all of the resources were available online (you can print them off yourself).
2014 had a four or five sectioned booklet ranging from agar plate colours to interpreting electron micrographs.
There is ample preparation online for this so I'd recommend going through the preparation material early so that you don't rush the material right before the assessment opens. In fact, some of the questions asked in the actual assessment GLM were identical to questions in the preparation material.
The actual assessment GLM is released online and is available for about 2 weeks. You have 4 hours to complete it but unlike other GLMs, you cannot go back to previous questions.
This adds to the pressure but so long as in your mind you are sure about an answer, you should press on.
I've met with friends and pored over the GLM for hours just to get an extra 0.1% added to my grade. In hindsight, it was probably better to have used that time to study for the exam.
2. Labs
3-hour labs can seem quite daunting. Considering you have 4 labs in the first semester, you wonder where your time has gone. However, use this time wisely as you can ask your lab demonstrators questions about anything CELS related, not just what is covered in the lab.
In addition, in our year we were allowed to complete all the bookwork prior to coming to the lab. If you want to put in the hours early, you can leave early from the lab after completing the experiments. Also, if you leave everything until last minute in the lab, you have to wait an agonisingly long time for a demonstrator to check your work. It's up to you.
3. Study Questions and Past Exams
These are gold, a lifeline to your CELS studies. The study questions are posted rewording past exam questions to match changes in the course over time. Model answers are also posted the following week which should give you some idea as to what you're missing in your answers.
Those minor details could mean the difference between a good mark and a great mark. Usually it's not enough to know the general gist of what the lecture was about, every point covered is pretty much assessed (except for the lecture on Darwin and his backstory)
The CELS exams are well written to match the lecture objectives provided in the handouts and ensure that they're covering only what is taught in lectures.
From what I've heard, to get those extra marks, it would pay to give extra relevant details to your answers eg. Allele frequencies can change due to migration. Migration can add or remove alleles from the population.
Warning: I did the 2013 exam a couple of nights before the exam. Some of the same questions came up but you may resent forgetting in the heat of the moment what the answer was
4. CELS 191 Helpdesk
One thing I wish I knew about earlier is the CELS 191 Helpdesk. It's as simple as going to the CELS 191 office in the Microbiology building and asking to book a time to meet one of the Teaching Fellows.
The teaching fellows are more than happy to tutor you in anything you are struggling to understand. In addition, you can take your written answers to exams or practice SAQs, and they will happily mark them or give you pointers about them. Since the answers to the practice mid-semester test nor the answers to the final exams are given out, you can get an idea of what they are looking for for your answers.
Each session is half an hour long so it's pretty useful and you don't have to rush through anything.
Well, that ended up being a long ranty kind of post but hopefully that was useful to you.
CELS is enjoyable if you look past the GLMs and BETs (Blackboard exit tests), the content itself is quite interesting.
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