Cell Biology is mostly a mandatory course for a lot of students in Biology and Biochemistry. It really depends on what type of a person you are in your learning style and the way you like to take tests. Some say its boring while others think it is easy and interesting. For me, I'm the interested...

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I took the course in summer. It was easy compared to if i had taken regular. The proff was really easy on us. Everything on the tests/exam was from her notes. But, now i worry a lil, cuz they say that mandatory courses should not be taken in summer if you plan to enter a med school :(

Are tutorials mandatory for this course?

Originally Posted by Angoose

Are tutorials mandatory for this course?

Not all of them, but the ones related to the essay checkpoints are mandatory. If that's how Dr. Dej does it, not sure if she changed the course structure. (I took it with a different prof last year!)

How difficult are the written portions of the test compared to the multiple choice?

I wouldn't personally give this class an easiness rating of 8/10. It was an interesting class my favourite was the end portion where we learned about cancer and went into more detail of mitosis. Lectures were seriously boring. The first test was extremely fair but for the second one we did not have nearly enough time to finish. A lot of students didn't finish the test and others didn't have time to check over the answers. The average on the second test dropped 10% from the first which I think is a drastic change. Dr. Dej took note of the problem and I think in the future she will change it. There was a lot of information to know on both tests. Because there was so much information to know on each test the exam wasn't cumulative which was nice but honestly if it was cumulative that would've been verrrry overwhelming. My essay was marked very quickly and it was marked fairly and the tutorials were easy and a good way to raise your mark. It isn't hard to get a decent grade in this class if you put in the work!

The bookstore lists this:
ACCESS CODE - PEERSCHOLAR CUSTOM FOR BIOLOGY 2B03 (2 YEAR)
This item (Access Code) is Optional
..as a course material. Does anyone know what it is / used for?

Originally Posted by -Ish-

The bookstore lists this:
ACCESS CODE - PEERSCHOLAR CUSTOM FOR BIOLOGY 2B03 (2 YEAR)
This item (Access Code) is Optional
..as a course material. Does anyone know what it is / used for?

We used peerscholar to edit each other's essay rough drafts online but we never had to buy something last year... Maybe wait till the first day when the prof tells you whether you have to get it?

Can someone give me some more info on the essay? How the process works, how its marked, what material do we have to write about etc.?

Has anyone in the upper years gone on to take MOL BIO 3B03 (advanced cell biology)? I'm debating whether to take this course, but I couldn't find a course review for it here. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

I was wondering if the textbook for this course is helpful or not?

Originally Posted by Billing

I was wondering if the textbook for this course is helpful or not?

I found that the prof's notes were sufficient to do well on the midterms and exams. I only used read the textbook for the first midterm and then after that I found you didn't need it. For the exam, just go thru the lecture notes and you will be fine.

I never used the textbook for this course. I had Dej for cellbio and her notes lecture notes were extensive enough for the midterms and exams. I found this course to be easier than Bio2C03, and more interesting as well. I've never taken Mol Bio3B03 though, so I can't comment on that.

The first part of the course is really easy since it is review of amino acids and such, but after the first midterm, the material gets significantly harder. Personally, I found the first midterm to be very easy and the second midterm to be much harder however I did find that the exam was very easy. Also, the tutorials were easy and pretty much mark-boosters and the same goes for the essay.

Originally Posted by GB123

Can someone give me some more info on the essay? How the process works, how its marked, what material do we have to write about etc.?

There are several topics (groups) to choose from on avenue and they're all diseases. You have to research the disease, explain how it occurs at a cell bio level, and include treatment options, future research etc. There's a rough draft you submit on peerscholar where you edit 3 other rough drafts, and you get feedback on your draft from 3 other people. Then you have a while to fix it up, and submit it on avenue for final marking by a TA.

Does Dr.Dej also teach it in 2nd semester? if not who does?