ADVICE FROM FORMER 4270 STUDENTS

Some of the following are highly repetitive, but I want you to see that there are underlying themes of advice from the students.

GENERAL
“Make friends! This is one of the smaller, more fun classes. Take this opportunity to meet people you otherwise wouldn’t.”
“Dr. Kelly provides help outside of class via appointments or emails; use that help to improve in aspects you are struggling with, e.g.,
critique writing.”
“Don’t be scared to ask questions!”
“Go ask Dr. Kelly for help! Learn from your mistakes on the first critique—if you want to improve, go talk to her about what you can
do differently next time!”
“Manage your time well.”
“Do NOT procrastinate! (But that’s for any class really…)”
“8:30 am class time not so fun—try not to be late!”
“Sleep well so you don’t miss class. Going to class at 8:30 a.m. is brutal, but you learn time management.”
“Get a good night’s rest before coming to class!”
“Don’t take this course if you have the inability to wake up early to get to school for an 8:30 am class because you should come to
each class! Bonus: no final exam!”
“If you would like to improve your ability to read papers, this is a good course. My skills reading papers have improved and I feel
more comfortable reading them!”
“This course requires a bit of work, so ‘studying the day before the exam’ will not work here. You need to plan out the term and
figure out when you’ll work on your assignments.”
“Get used to critically reading the primary literature. Analyze the readings and practise writing.”
“This course is a lot of work, but each assignment is a really great learning experience that not only helped me to improve in science,
but are applicable to any job I might have in the future. If you take the assignments seriously, you will gain some great writing,
evaluating, and organizational skills.”
“Don’t be constrained by your pre-conceived notion about what a reproduction course should be about. Initially environmental
pollutants didn’t pique my interest, but it turned out to one of my favourite topics!”
“This course has lots of projects that might seem new. It’s best to keep in touch with Dr. Kelly to clarify things you don’t understand.
She is very helpful and will spend one-on-one time helping you out.”
“Ask Dr. Kelly questions—she’s really helpful (and not that scary).”
“This course helps you improve your understanding of biology, but it also helps develop some skills not done in other classes.”
“Have a sense of humour!”
“Never skip a class; be on time for class.”
“Trust in Dr. Kelly not to leave you in the gutter with this class. If you work hard and genuinely participate, you will have fun and
learn valuable skills.”
“Be ready to write really fast in lectures because Dr. Kelly is a rocket.” (Note from TK: I’m working on slowing down my pace…)
“Don’t leave things to the last minute!”
“If you are competitive, like working alone, and are a one-person team, then this course may not be for you. It’s not first year.”
“Don’t skip class and don’t be afraid to get involved!”
“If you like dogs, use it as incentive to go talk to Dr. Kelly; she has the cutest dog ever!”
“Avoid skipping small assignments/assessments that are done in class (i.e., don’t miss class) and participate!”
“If you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Kelly.”
“Do not be afraid of Dr. Kelly.”
“If you feel you’re in trouble, contact Dr. Kelly early.”
LECTURES/READINGS/MIDTERM
“Be prepared to invest a significant amount of time preparing for each lecture à read papers before class otherwise you won’t be able
to keep up with course content.”
“If you work hard you can doo well à ensure that you take good lecture notes as slides have minimal info [writing].”
“If you’re struggling with some of the course material (pre-midterm), look up articles online. There are many, including some helpful
articles on Wikipedia, that explain material from the lectures.”
“Form a journal club with peers and go over the journal articles discussed in class. Also discuss topics Dr. Kelly lectures on, and tie
them in with the journal articles.”
“Stay on top of lectures and go over the readings to ensure you understand them—it will help you get a good mark.”
“Read the journal articles assigned for class—don’t just rely on slides alone! Above all, have fun!”
“Review notes daily as much of the material is new; you’ll be better prepared for the midterm.”
“Make sure you attend all classes; this will help you prepare for the midterm and quizzes.”
“You don’t need to memorize details to do well in BIOL 4270. It’s much more important to understand major concepts.”
“Read all the assigned papers several times to understand the concepts presented in class.”
“Take notes during class and ask questions for clarification—this will help you on the midterm.”
“Read literature outside of class for better understanding.”
“Reviewing a bit of genetics can be helpful.”
“Read the articles before they are discussed in class so you can actively listen and participate. These conversations will give you a
better idea of what you should focus on for your critiques.”
“Stay on top of the lecture material right from the beginning; material isn’t difficult, but you can’t just memorize it.”
“Do the readings assigned for the class, but also read up on the topic in addition (before class) so you have a more thorough
understanding of the material.”
“Attend all the classes & take good notes. Most of the slides will be posted online, so pay attention and take your own notes in class—
don’t just copy words off of the slides! Try to focus on the big picture.”
“Stay on top of the readings. They can really add up, but they are really useful in understanding material discussed in class.”
“Ask questions! Just because you think you get it in class doesn’t necessarily mean you do.”
“Read all the assigned articles—they will help you on the midterm, the critiques and the presentation!”
“Take good notes. Revise the notes and understand them properly by making diagrams/flowcharts.”
“Study for the midterm ahead of time.”
“Ask questions. Ask the day you learn something, not the day before a test. It’s likely you’ll be test on all concepts and how they
connect, so it’s important to understand the material as you cover it.”
“Don’t miss lectures!”
“Take your time reading the literature. The more you read the articles, the easier they are to understand.”
“Move away from memorization; get in the habit of working at understanding, interpreting, and applying instead!”
“Keep up with the material! I know you’ve probably heard this a lot, but it’s crucial for your success!”
“Study in a group. You may learn from others something you didn’t note in class.”
“Get together with friends from class and discuss the papers. Answer all the questions about the papers.”
“Print the slides – they might only have images, but it makes all the difference.”
“When studying for the midterm, make sure you study with a group and talk it out. This will help you understand the concepts and
get the bigger picture.”
“Read through the test first. Don't spend too much time on the first questions. Make a plan for your time and stick to it.”
“Read all the articles for your midterm.”
“Do the readings before you come to class!”
“Keep on top of the readings. Do them before you come to class—you don’t learn much when you don’t know what’s being
discussed.”
“Read the supplementary help files (e.g., writing for clarity). It’s very rare that you’ll get so many tips in a course. Don’t take it for
granted (and hopefully you’re reading these tips too)!”
“Read EVERYTHING (including all the journal articles)! Do not fake read! Read the articles and check if you understand. If you
don’t, ask questions!”
“Start working on assignments and studying in advance. Don’t wait until the last minute.”
“Time management is key. You will not be able to cram for the midterm.”
“If Dr. Kelly says to read an article, READ IT! It will only help you.”
“Read, read, read! Do all the readings on time (ahead of class). I can’t emphasize this enough. While reading take note of important
points and any questions that pop up.”
“Follow instructions from Dr. Kelly and you will have nothing to fear (well, for this course).”
“You have enough time to complete tasks and assignments if you manage your time well.”
“There are a lot of readings, but practice good time management and do them before class—they help you understand the
lecture/discussions better.”
“If you have problems/questions, see Dr. Kelly.”
“Do your best to keep up with the readings. Check Moodle frequently!”
“Read, listen, READ! The supplementary materials and exemplars are extremely helpful. Read them.”
“Don’t turn reading papers into a chore. Read them at your own pace, take notes, and take breaks as needed.”
“Use all of the Moodle resources provided to improve your writing skills.”

CLASS PARTICIPATION
“Participate in class—you’ll get more out of the classes for it.”
“Participate in this class! It’s essential! You will learn a lot more by actually coming to class prepared.”
“Be prepared to engage and participate!”
“This course is differently structured compared to other courses where you just attend class and write exams. Be prepared to discuss
topics with classmates and professor. Make sure you clarify any questions immediately.”
“Be prepared to step out of a ‘typical’ classroom. Ask questions, participate in discussions, meet new peers.”
“Come prepared for class. Group discussions are useless if you’re clueless.”
“Read all the articles and participate in the class discussions”
“Participate in the group discussions (both class and small groups). You learn better even if you think you don’t! Discussing the
articles is especially important because they expand on the material that you learn in lecture (oh, and they’re tested on, too.)”
“Participate in discussions as much as possible. It will strengthen your understanding of the material as well as your self-confidence.”
“Read the assigned articles and then particpate in class. This will be very helpful when writing the critique.”
“Keep up with the readings! The first month or so has a lot of primary articles that you discuss in detail. Be ready to discuss them in
class. It will help you for the midterm (and in your critiques).”

CRITIQUES
“Critiques are worth a lot of marks. Start ahead. Follow the guidelines. Edit. Edit. Edit. You will do fine if you understood your
articles.”
“Read the whole article before you choose it to critique. Don’t just look at the nice pictures or amazing findings. Look and see if you
are able to understand it well.”
“When Dr. Kelly asks you to pick an article for your critique, do NOT simply pick the first one you come across! Take your time to
read a few articles and choose one that you are familiar/comfortable with.”
“Start looking for journal articles (for the critiques) early in the term, and start working on them right away. This way, you can get
help along the way.”
“Start on the critique research right away!”
“Get started on the critique earlier; don’t wait until the last minute.”
“Start early on the critiques and read up on background information before choosing a topic.”
“Read as many articles as you can.”
“Start working on assignments early and finish them before the deadline. It takes away a lot of the stress!”
“Dr. Kelly provides editing advice when she marks—take that advice.”
“Start your assignments ahead of time.”
“Start your assignments early so you can get feedback from Tamara. It’s a rare opportunity and you should take advantage of it! Listen
to what is required of you, and always take the feedback into consideration.”
“Early on, when Tamara introduces how to analyze and critique articles, I did ‘mock’ trials so that when we had official assignments, I
had a better idea of what I wanted to include in my assignments.”
“Do assignment in stages and go to Dr. Kelly and make sure you’re on the right track. If you don’t ask, you don’t learn! She will sit
with you and take the time—don’t be afraid to ask!”
“Get your critiques edited by your peers (get to know people in the class).”
“Pick critique articles that are of interest to you.”
“Pay attention to the guidelines on how to analyze scientific papers and write clearly!”
“Don’t be scared of writing critiques. It’s a great experience in the end and you learn a lot!”
“Spend time on the written assignments! Don’t leave them to the night before they are due.”
“Plan ahead. Pick your paper for Critique 2 ahead of the midterm blitz.”
“Practise working on critical thinking when reading research articles (makes it easier to find flaws or appreciate strengths in the
research.”
“Get into the habit of asking classmates/friends to edit your work. Dr. Kelly suggested this and it was super helpful!”
“Try and have fun while writing the critiques!”
“Write your critiques on time. Not having the pressure of writing Critique 2 during finals was awesome!”
“Get a head start on your critique papers. TurnItIn doesn’t provide you with a score for 24 hours so if you decide to resubmit…plan
accordingly.”
“Read your article thoroughly before picking it for your critique. It helps if you’re interested in the topic.”
“Use your first critique as a model to improve upon for your second critique.”
“Enjoy doing your critiques. This is a good opportunity to practise a useful skill while learning about something that truly interests
you.”
“Don’t leave the critique to the last minute.”
“Familiarize yourself with basic rules of grammar.”
“Skim through your primary article before choosing it/getting it approved. And don’t choose horrifically long articles.”
“Don’t leave your critiques to the last minute. Try to write it ahead of time—it’s all in editing what you’ve got down on paper!”
“Start critiques early and read the articles before you pick them to get approved.”
“For Critique 1, make sure the primary article you choose is the primary article talked about in the media article!”
“Read your primary article multiple times!! You can’t write a good critique if you’ve only read it once.”
“Get your peers to read your critique. If you don’t know anyone in class (oh, but you will by the end of the term), ask your friends
from other classes.”
“Ask for help on Critique 1 ahead of time. You would be amazed at how approachable and helpful Dr. Kelly is.”
“Start you assignments early and edit a lot!”
“Start your critiques early! Do NOT leave them to the last minute—they do require thought and time.”
“Writing a good critique is a skill. You can learn to do it well. You have so many resources available to you to help you excel: read the
exemplars thoroughly; read and follow the rubrics; read and follow submission instructions; use the ‘Writing for Clarity’ to make
your paper sound more professional.”
“Make sure to proof-read!”
“Read the articles before you choose them and get them approved. If not, you might find out a little too close to the due date that it’s
a review paper and not a primary article…”
“You can learn to write good papers!”
“When selecting your primary article for the critique, ensure that there are enough related articles in the literature to support your
arguments. And come up with potential arguments prior to finalizing your article choice.”
“Make sure to read instructions carefully, and don’t be afraid to ask Dr. Kelly for help if you have questions.”
TEAM PRESENTATION
“Practise your presentation! Make eye contact during your presentation!”
“Pick a topic for the presentation that you are really interested in!”
“Pick a topic you’re interested in for the seminar, not one you think will be easy. Choosing a topic you’re interested in will make the
work easier and fun.”
“Practise your presentation!”
“Make sure you send emails of all things discussed in your group for the group seminars.”
“Have fun with the presentations! They are not as scary as they first appear to be!”
“Meet often for the team presentation!”