Sunday 17 August 2014

MICB 201 & MICB 202

MICB 201 (with Dr. Wade Bingle)

  • Course Taken: MWF 9am (January, 2014 - April, 2014)
  • Format: Lectures with occasional written homework assignments which he hands out in lecture. He has a lot of iClicker questions throughout the term (around 50) for participation marks. The exams (midterm, final) are not cumulative but there is still a lot of material. Both finals are all multiple choice with the very annoying “1 answer above is correct, 2 answers above are correct, 3 answers above are correct, all above are correct, none are correct” answers occasionally. 
  • Textbook: UBC Coursenotes (bought from Microbiology & Immunology Student Association), it is quite dense and hard to read. Often, previous editions can be used...ask the prof to be sure. 
  • Class Average: 71%
  • Personal Experience: Dr. Bingle's lectures are not as in-depth as what he expects in exams. Make sure you study from the course notes. He does not hold regular office hours, so if you need help email him to book an appointment. He posts his completed lecture slides before each lecture. I found the way he explained some concepts such as REDOX reactions more confusing than it actually should be. 
  • Advice: If you do not have to take this course for your degree, I do not recommend taking this course as an elective. 

MICB 202 (with Dr. Georgia Perona-Wright for Immunology, Virology & Dr. Tracy Kion, Bacteria)

  • Course Taken: MWF 9am (September, 2013 - December, 2013)
  • Format: Typical lecture-style course with no homework. The course is split up into 3 sections. The midterm covers the Immunology part while the final covers the Bacteria and Virology part only. The exams are all multiple-choice (BUT be warned, it is not easy). There is quite a bit of content, but I found it extremely fascinating especially the immunology part. 
  • Grading Scheme: Midterm (32%), Final (64%), Participation online (4%)
  • Textbook: UBC Coursenotes. If possible, buy it second-hand unless the notes drastically change. Ask the prof if you are unsure.
  • Class Average: 73%
  • Personal Experience: Both Dr. Perona-Wright and Dr. Kion are extremely knowledgable. Seasoned lecturers, they are great at presenting the material. They both post their lecture notes and final copies of their lecture notes. Be warned, the lectures never cover everything you need to know. It is important to know the Coursenotes extremely well since the exams are all MC. Some people preferred getting a textbook too, but I found just studying from the Coursenotes worked just fine. If you have questions, the discussion boards are monitored by the TA and both profs hold weekly office hours. Some students found Dr. Perona-Wright's Scottish accent difficult to understand, but often the vocabulary is up on the lecture slides anyways. 
  • Advice: This is a great course if you are curious about the basics of immunology, viruses, bacteria not necessarily just for MICB majors. For immunology, it does not go into too much detail but it gives a great overview of the entire immune system. For viruses and bacteria, we focused on a couple specific types such as HIV and Polio. 

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