Biology 100L: General Biology Laboratory

  FAQ

(Frequently Asked Questions)

Course difficulty:

Lab manual, course packet, textbook, and "clicker":

        Is there a required textbook for the class?

         The only required books are 1) the lab manual. The title is complicated, ready? Here it is: "Biology 100L General Biology Laboratory" by Newsome. It is carried at the campus bookstore and at KB books, and 2) the student course packet, available at the campus bookstore. No biology textbook is required.

        Will I need to have the manual on the first day?

          YES! There will be a lab on the first day. Bring the student course packet as well.

        Will I be able to sell the manual back?

          Probably not. The manual comes with tear-out pages for you to fill in. Once those pages are gone the book is altered too much for most stores to accept.

       What about an actual text on biology?

       Clicker? What's this I hear about some kind of "clicker" required for labs?

Crashers:

        Is there room for crashers?

         No, and yes. Usually all lab sections are full on the first day of classes. (Every section has been fully enrolled by day 1 of the semester every semester going back to at least 1999). In fact, there are only supplies and chairs for 24 students in each room, yet the system enrolls each section with 26 students. If you want to "crash" one of the sections you'll probably be at least the 27th, 28th, 29th, etc. student in a class that is geared to have 24. Most sections have 30-33 students on the first day. Get it? It looks bad.

         So is it hopeless?

         No. Almost all of our sections have a couple people who fail to show up. Registered students who fail to show up for the first 2 class meetings will have their spot given to a crasher.

         Then what do I have to do to crash?

         To crash a section of Bio lab you will need to show up for the section you want and sign your name to a crash list that the instructor will provide. Do not put your social security number or any other information on the list besides your name and a preferred way to reach you, either phone or email.

Next, you'll need to stay for all meetings of the section you want to get into, including that first day of class. You may need to attend for 3 weeks (3 meetings) before you'll know if you can add that section. Once you've been given permission to add the class you'll need to get the section code and add code from the instructor and give them your name and Red ID #. Do not "share" your add code ! It only works once! Either you add or the person you give it to, not both. Besides, the instructor is only expecting you to add.

If the instructor gets word that people who were officially enrolled have officially dropped the class, then more spaces open up for crashers. If the official number enrolled drops below 24 I allow each instructor to begin adding (giving out add codes) students up to a class enrollment of 24. Once the drop deadline has passed, if a class has only 24 students I will allow the instructors to add crashers up to 26 only if other sections meeting in other rooms at the same time are just as full. In other words, I try to even out the enrollment between the 3 classrooms we have running labs simultaneously. That way we avoid having one room with 20 students and 2 rooms with 26. When it comes time to give out add codes if there are enough spots available the instructor will give codes out to all crashers that are present. If there are fewer spaces than crashers the instructor will select names AT RANDOM and give add codes to only those people.

         Isn't there any criteria that the instructor will use to select crashers, like picking graduating seniors first?

         No. These things will NOT give you a priority as a crasher: signing the crash list first, being a graduating senior who needs this class to graduate, having tried to enroll for the last 2 or 3 years, having taken the lecture already, being a higher class level (Jr. vs Soph., for example), needing just one more unit to get your student loans deferred, needing just one more unit to qualify for financial aid, having been ill, having a relative who has died or been ill, forgetting to register as soon as your priority allowed, being a graduate student, or being involved in the Greek System, to name just a few. In other words, nearly all circumstances that arise outside of Biology 100 Lab will not help you get an add code.

        Well, that's everything, right? So what does help me?

         Attending the first and ALL classes fully will give you priority over crashers who fail to attend the first week or stop coming to class.

        Can you give me an example?

         Okay....Imagine you want to crash the Tuesday morning, 8:00, section. When you show up 5 minutes early there are already 8 other crashers there. The instructor comes in, announces that the class is full with 26 officially enrolled, and takes roll. Next she passes around a crash list document, makes sure everyone there to crash signs up, including the 2 people who came in 10 minutes late, and starts class. At the end of lab she takes roll off of the crash list and notes that one person didn't stay for the whole lab. Since 4 people who were enrolled didn't show up there will probably be 4 spaces next time. Next week there are 4 spaces. Of the original 22 enrolled who showed up on day 1 only 18 are there on the second week. Only 9 of the original 10 crashers have returned. In addition, there are 2 people who show up for the first time to crash this section. (So there are 18 + 9 + 2= 30 students actually there for day 2, or 6 students more than we have supplies). At this point the instructor "gives away" the 4 absentees spaces and gives out 4 add codes at random to the 9 crashers who have been present since day 1. She does this at the end of the 2nd lab to make sure all the crashers stay and to make sure there are no other attendance surprises. At the start of the 3rd week, she takes roll, has all crashers sign up again, and checks the latest computer readout for the class enrollment. Several people have dropped the class officially and her total enrollment is 20. Of the 6 crashers who came the first 2 weeks 5 have returned. 1 of the 2 late crashers who showed up for the first time on week 2 has returned. There are 6 people who want to crash and 4 spots. 4 of the 6 crashers are given add codes right away. The instructor checks with me and I check the other 2 sections that meet at the same time. I find space in the other 2 sections for the remaining 2 crashers.

         That was complicated, can't you give a simple example?

         Yeah, you show up to crash a class, sign up, return the next week and the instructor has 8 people who have never showed and you're one of 5 crashers. All 5 of you get your add codes at the end of that lab.

        How often do crashers sign up, come to all the classes, and still not get in?

         Its pretty rare, actually. I'd say more than 4 out of every 5 crashers who go to all the trouble mentioned above get a spot.

         Are there any sections that are more likely to have spaces?

         The most popular sections by far are Tuesday and Thursday at 8 and 11 in the morning. The next most popular/crowded sections are Wednesday at 8 and 11 and Monday at 11. The evening sections usually have the fewest crashers.

         So why don't you just let 28 or 30 people sign up and then count on people to drop?

         Actually, when we've allowed more than 26 to enroll we find that most people stay. Perhaps everyone is worried about giving up their space, who knows? The bottom line is that having 28 or 30 people in a room with 12 microscopes, 8 computers, and only 26 chairs is just crazy. It makes class worse for everyone. The instructor has a lot more to grade but gets no extra pay. It's also a safety issue, you know, how many can safely evacuate from the one doorway, etc. Really, 24 should be the max. 18-20 is really an optimum for the best class experience.

        If that's true, why do you allow 26 to enroll?

         26 is a compromise number to maximize the number of students who can get into Bio 100 Lab but allow for the normal number of students who drop, or are absent on any given day. Sometimes you can walk into a class 2 months into a semester and there are only 20 people there. You ask the instructor and there are only 23 now enrolled and 3 are absent. Its a guessing game and it doesn't always work but for now it's the system we use.

         Why are you so harsh?

         It's in my genes. Oh, and also; there are at least 24 sections of lab offered every semester. It's a freshman class and the typical senior has had over 2 years at State to pick up the class. Can't get in? Take it next semester. Or, take the equivalent at one of the local community colleges. What we do now works for more than 90% of crashers who persist. Also, I often try to get additional sections opened but usually that decision is made relatively late in the game, often the beginning of the 2nd week of classes.

Prerequisites:

         You have to be enrolled in one of the lecture sections, Bio 100, or have already taken an Introduction to Biology Lecture.

         No. Biology 100L will not count towards the biology major and you should take the Biology 200 series (201, 202) introduction.

         As long as your advice included the plan to take the Bio 201-202 series later you're fine. Some people who are certain that they want to major in Biology (to become a Veterinarian, Doctor, Physician Assistant, Research Biologist, etc.) but have a weak academic record are advised to take the Biology 100 lecture and lab as a kind of "preview". In most cases such people still have to take the 1-year introductory series for bio majors, Bio 201, 202.

Attendance:

         Your best bet is to find some other time during the week to attend a different lab section. You need to warn your lab instructor and check with the intstructor of the lab you want to attend that one time. This is not a good solution to something that comes up more than once a month.

        What if I just don't go to lab that day?

         Everyone's work situation is different but we assume you have a Little input into when you work. Because of this you are expected to work around your class schedule. Besides, with an average of 26 sections of bio 100 lab each week there's nearly always a time that fits into your schedule. Anyway, if you just don't do the lab you lose points for the lab response sheet, the quiz, and you'll lose a few "participation points". If you have 2 unexcused absences in a row, or any combination of 4 total during the semester you will receive an "F" for the class.

        What do you consider an "Excused" absence?

         If your car broke down on the way to campus, you were scheduled for a surgery that you couldn't change, your brother got married back in Chicago (finally), your Mom had a stroke, you got food poisoning so bad you spent the night in emergency, etc. All of these would have some means of showing "proof". This could include wedding invitation, plane tickets, ER admission papers, tow truck receipt, doctor's note etc.

        What is not excused?

         Being the chair of your frat rush committee, going out of town for a soccer club meet against CSU Long Beach, going to the opening of STAR WARS Episode 8, Jar-Jar's Revenge, being hung over, being broken hearted (well, no I guess we can't count that either, though lab isn't such a bad place to meet new people...) or just having Spring fever.

        I think my instructor said something different. Is that possible?

         No. I make one syllabus and it is used for all sections. The attendance policy is listed on the syllabus here.

Lecture

        Is the lab required for lecture?

        No. Only about half or two thirds of lecture students take the lab.

 Is the lab coordinated with lecture?

        No. There are 4 or 5 sections of lecture each semester, with as many as 5 different instructors, using several different text books. Each is allowed to schedule his or her lectures in any sequence and therefore, it is not possible to sequence the labs so they blend with the lecture content. Also, some majors require bio 100 lecture but not the lab, although the lab does meet a graduation requirement for the university.

        Will I do better in my Bio 100 Lecture if I take the lab?

        Most students feel they earn a better lecture grade when they take the lab during the same semester. Most students who complete the lecture first and then take the lab the next semester do better in the lab. However, keep in mind that the lecture is 3 units and the lab 1 so earning a better grade in lecture has is worth more to your GPA!

Arent there any more questions here?

         No.