Worried about time? Analysis? So is your neighbor.

You made it to Biology II, and you’ve realized it’s a completely different course than Biology I. Uh oh.

I asked all of my Principles of Biology II students this semester to share “Any concerns that you have about the class” after the first day. Here’s a peek at what y’all said, and some help! (I’ll update this later this week after lab students finish the orientation)

General worries…

• Staying organized / Managing my time / Due dates – Find someone to help you be accountable. Meet, text, or email each other when you’re supposed to be reading the book/your notes. “This chapter’s killing me… are you doing any better?” Do you need music in the background while you study?
• A lot of information / Multiple chapters per week – Review vocabulary terms & section headings first. Skim the chapter, looking for unfamiliar ideas. Mark those sections for extra time, and take notes about what you don’t understand. Don’t highlight everything.
• Keeping up with notes during lecture – Focus on added explanations that I mention in class. Don’t try to write down every word – outline & use short notes – especially if it’s already on the slide (I post them on the course website). Many students print them or add typed notes on the digital pdf itself. This is definitely how I went through organic chemistry!
• I’m not a science major / Missed the first week / Took biology I elsewhere / Struggled with biology I – Ask questions, and don’t panic. Use the course website to keep an eye on your grades. Ask for help early: Office hours (free…), STEM tutoring (free), making friends (okay, you might buy them lunch sometimes). I also post extra videos and activities that will give you another run through of many of the crucial topics, both for Biology I and II.
• Study skills – Focus on understanding the concept, then fit the terminology into the broader story. Use active studying techniques – quiz yourself, write out answers to end-of-chapter questions, explain things to study partners out loud. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that re-reading your notes / chapter / flash cards is going to be the most effective use of your time.

Information worries…

• Making the best grade that I can / Making an A – Shoot for the stars, and at least you’ll land on the moon. Read the study guides along with the textbook chapter when possible, so that you know what the most important topics will be. Find out why/how you answered wrong when it happens. Always aim for that A, and back up that ambition with solid, productive work.
• The comprehensive final exam – Study Guides will be posted on D2L throughout the semester. Come to office hours and review exams I-IV after they are graded so that you understand why/how/when you chose the incorrect answers.
• This class will be challenging – Certainly, but there is a bit less memorization than Biology I. The broader topics (evolution) are more intuitive to understand, though the taxonomy will require you to do the most memorization. Focus on understanding the concept, then fit the terminology into the broader story.  This class is designed to prepare you for amazing upper level courses – such as parasitology, ecology, & macroevolution. I also post extra videos and activities that will give you another run through of many of the crucial topics, both for Biology I and II.
• I need to apply the information and think critically / How does this connect to everyday life – This is true in all of your courses, honestly. Stop and reflect on the WHY, HOW, and WHAT of the topic. You already use many of the concepts as part of how you adapt your decisions on a daily basis. Natural selection? Ecology? It’s all costs vs. benefits in a world of limited resources. You can often start by putting yourself “in the organism’s shoes,” but don’t take it too far. Many species do not have the same level of memory and self-awareness that humans do, and respond on a much more instinctual level.
  • Use logic to think through the possibilities.
  • Avoid falling into the teleological trap of thinking about what an organism “wants” based on your own ideas as a human.
  • Set aside belief. This is not a course on religion, opinion, or anthropology. Science is the search for truth about how the world works.
    

    Set aside belief.

It helps to remember that you’re all in this boat together, even if your seats (your lives/backgrounds) are different!

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Featured image: Science scarf and epic purple shirt – cool things from my mother-in-law and mom, both of whom love that I’m a college professor.

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The Value of “I don’t know.”

Can you ever answer an unasked question?

Allow yourself to admit that you need more time to answer, instead of stopping questions in their tracks.

Although it might seem most valuable (and good for your ego) to have a ready answer to every question, it’s basically impossible to know everything. By giving an answer that isn’t well-grounded in reality or is blatantly wrong, you actually risk others losing more confidence in your ability to teach, learn, lead, or follow, than if you simply admitted your ignorance. Same principle follows regarding admitting when you’re wrong.

Consider this: What do you risk by assuming you know?

• Does a bad decision have potentially harmful consequences?
• Are you excluding better options?
• How do your actions affect others’ perception of you?
• Is someone else relying on your statement’s accuracy?

Ignorance is a much simpler trait to alter than arrogance. 

We live in a golden age of information, with thousands – nay, millions – of free resources at our literal fingertips. As a professor, I would rather you learn the skills to find reliable answers than have you blindly follow the swift and volatile statements of the masses. Consider these questions below, along with applying basic principles of information literacy and pseudoscience analysis. (‘Cause I’m a student, that’s why.)

• Is the answer you hear one that makes logical sense?
• Does your source have an ulterior motive for providing the information?
• Would this answer be likely to change if one aspect of it were actually false?
• Are there many widely varying versions of this “correct answer?”

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featured image: gold-tipped bottlebrush (Melaleuca polandii) in Armstrong’s International Garden (Feb 2017)

My Inner Skald

Norse storytellers and lore keepers were known as skalds, and played much the same role as bards. They entertained, learned, shared, critiqued, and generally did anything they could to make themselves indispensable to the warriors that would often become part of their tales.

There is no wisdom in losing the hard-won lessons the past can teach to us. We need only be willing to listen… to the sagas, laws, insults, songs, records, and myths of all peoples.

Sovngarde Song

Legends of the Frost

The artist of both songs is Miracle of Sound.

It’s smart to admit when you’re wrong.

An article by Business Insider recently highlighted the “five most fundamental differences between smart and stupid people,” and it doesn’t read like the success self-help book you’d expect.

“In a situation of conflict, smart people have an easier time empathizing with the other person and understanding their arguments. They are also able to integrate these arguments into their own chain of thought and to reconsider their opinions accordingly.”
-Lisa Schonhaar, Gisela Wolf: Business Insider 

My mom and I have recently been discussing the sticker (and t-shirt) she gave to me as a birthday gift, both of which include this exasperated saying: I Can Teach It To You, But I Can’t Understand It For You. She shared this article with me, which highlights empathy, cooperation, critical thinking, and honesty as some of the most telling characteristics of smart people.

How smart is your attitude?

Nervous? Excited? So is your neighbor.

From freshman to returning grandmother, everyone has to go through that first day of a new class.

I asked my Principles of Biology I students this semester to share “Any concerns that you have about the class” after the first day. Here’s a peek at what y’all said, and some help!

General worries…

• Finding the textbook – Armstrong bookstore, the textbook broker across from campus, Amazon.com, Chegg.com, Half.ebay.com … Just remember, you’ll need this book again for Biology II. Renting might not actually be the best option.
• Staying organized / Managing my time – Find someone to help you be accountable. Meet, text, or email each other when you’re supposed to be reading the book/your notes. “This chapter’s killing me… are you doing any better?”
• Keeping up with notes during lecture – Focus on added explanations that I mention in class. Don’t try to write down every word – outline & use short notes – especially if it’s already on the slide (I post them on the course website for you!).
• Not sure what/how to read effectively – Don’t highlight everything. Skim the chapter first, looking for unfamiliar ideas. Mark those sections for extra time, and take notes about what you don’t understand.
• It is a really big class – Well, you have the option to either stand out or blend in, but anyone is welcome to ask questions. There are also more options for who to study with! Also, my office is 50% less intimidating than most professors’ offices. Come by during office hours and ask for help.
  

  

  

  

  
• Memorization – Know the story, memorize the details. Biology is always integrated, so make sure you can put the pieces together. Example: Facts – electrons are negatively charged. The valence shell is involved with bonding. Story – sharing & stealing electrons is the basis for constructing molecules, and the valence structure tells you how an element will bond.
• This is my first college class / I have first year jitters… / It’s been 10 years since I was in school – Ask questions, and don’t panic. Use D2L/E-classroom to keep an eye on your grades. Ask for help early: Office hours (free…), STEM tutoring (free), Supplemental Instructors (free), making friends (okay, you might buy them lunch sometimes).

Information worries…

• Making the best grade that I can / Making an A – Shoot for the stars, and at least you’ll land on the moon. Read the study guides along with the textbook chapter, so that you know what the most important topics will be. Always aim for that A, and back up that ambition with solid, productive work.
• I might not catch on as fast as other students – Positive thinking + Positive action = Positive results. Reality check might be that you need to ask for help: Office hours (free…), STEM tutoring (free), Supplemental Instructors (free), making friends (okay, you might buy them lunch sometimes).
• Not learning as quickly as I did in high school – Find out how you learn. Does it help if you draw everything? Do you need music in the background while you study? Take notes in class. Answer the questions at the end of the chapter – I’m not going to assign them like your teacher used to, but it will help you learn if you do them.
• Have I forgotten my high school biology? – Maybe so, but don’t panic. Khan academy might be helpful, or CrashCourse. I post extra videos and activities that will give you another run through of many of the crucial topics. Send me an email or stop by during office hours.
• Worried about the topics that I struggled with last time – Don’t psych yourself out, psych yourself up! You are going to knock them out of the park this time, because you are planning ahead, asking for help, and working hard. Remember to still study for the topics that you understood well, as it’s easy to forget the basics. What’s the mitochondrion do again?
• This class will be a lot of work / will be difficult – Maybe so, but you can plan ahead. Do the assignments, be prepared, and find out why/how you answered wrong when it happens. This class is designed to prepare you for amazing upper level courses – such as parasitology, applied microbiology, environmental chemistry…
• The comprehensive final exam – Study Guides on D2L are already posted! Come to office hours and review exams I-IV after they are graded so that you understand why/how/when you chose the incorrect answers.

It helps to remember that you’re all in this boat together, even if your seats (your lives/backgrounds) are different!

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Featured image: Science scarf and epic purple shirt – cool things from my mother-in-law and mom, both of whom love that I’m a college professor.

Healthy Eating Plate

Sometimes simpler is better.

Eat real foods, avoid hidden calories (such as sugary drinks), and exercise so that your body actually uses the calories that you consumed.

Food for Thought – And Eating.

A discussion of biodiversity and the role of fungi as decomposers turned into a chat about “expired” bread today, and afterward (while making a sandwich with “expired” bread) I decided that they could probably benefit from a little bit more concrete advice to back up our discussion. One of the students asked how they [the bacteria and fungi] got to the food after you put it in the refrigerator. We talked about what preservatives are and the balance between safe consumption and preventing organisms from growing in the food, and about the fact that the fungal spores and bacteria are in the air and on the surfaces all around us. After a few incredulous looks after discussing moldy bread, I threw up my hands and gave in. “Look, I couldn’t tell you just how many products in my fridge right now are past their printed dates, and they are perfectly safe and good to eat. There are plenty of other foods that don’t have expiration dates on them either because – for example – it’s just a raw carrot.”

This is what I shared with them after class, and is generally my guide for why I continue to buy short-dated products and tear moldy bits off of bread and eat the rest.

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Since I wouldn’t want to provide advice without evidence… a bit more information about so-called “expiration dates” on perishable products such as bread. 

My version: The dates are advice from the manufacturer and/or a regulation agency, and their purposes are two-fold: Sell products that you are pleased with, and reduce the chance of you from being harmed by the product. Use dates as guidelines for how fresh a product is so that you can plan to use the food within an appropriate amount of time. The dates are more likely to be indicative of food quality and how quickly it should be sold, and is not a deadline for using the product.

Evidence: Bread with a March 01 “Sell-by” date, which was slightly dry but still delicious and not the slightest bit moldy. 

Learn about food safety, especially the types of foods that tend to develop harmful bacteria or fungi that are likely to be hazardous to your health. And you should always know how to handle your food safely! Safe cooking is just as essential as safe storage. Keep in mind however, that all of this information from the USDA below is based on customs and policies in the US and is general advice covering a range of foods and people, and additionally does not always reflect the rest of the world.

Use good judgement, and know your own body. I have a strong immune system from years of living in the country on a farm and I have an in-depth working knowledge of how organisms live and survive, so I’m likely to make good decisions about the safety of my food. If you don’t exercise good judgement, there will often be consequences – just as there were for our early human ancestors 2,000,000 years ago (Yes, 2 million years ago).

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Info from the USDA about labeling: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating 

Are Dates for Food Safety or Quality?
Manufacturers provide dating to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of best quality. Except for infant formula, dates are not an indicator of the product’s safety and are not required by Federal law.

How do Manufacturers Determine Quality Dates?
Factors including the length of time and the temperature at which a food is held during distribution and offered for sale, the characteristics of the food, and the type of packaging will affect how long a product will be of optimum quality. Manufacturers and retailers will consider these factors when determining the date for which the product will be of best quality.

For example, sausage formulated with certain ingredients used to preserve the quality of the product or fresh beef packaged in a modified atmosphere packaging system that helps ensure that the product will stay fresh for as long as possible. These products will typically maintain product quality for a longer period of time because of how the products are formulated or packaged.

The quality of perishable products may deteriorate after the date passes, however, such products should still be safe if handled properly. Consumers must evaluate the quality of the product prior to its consumption to determine if the product shows signs of spoilage.

Food Safety Tips from the USDA: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/basics-for-handling-food-safely/ct_index 

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Featured image: Perfectly safe, delicious bread that was discounted 3 weeks ago because of the March 1st sell-by date. 

How to “Do well in class”

Students ask this question often, especially when they are taking a class in an unfamiliar subject, or when they have existing anxiety about the topic from previous experiences (of their own or from classmates).

It isn’t a bad question to ask! It shows that you are thinking about making a Plan for Success. In response, expect to hear 1st: some of the tried-and-true recommendations that you might already know, and 2nd: advice specific to that class/professor/subject.

Tried-and-True

1. Have a growth mindset! Dedicate yourself to improvement and success, instead of reinforcing old prejudices about your skills. Positive thinking + Positive actions = Positive results.
2. Take notes in class. Write down more than what is written on the slide instead of thinking that you can look back at the slides and remember everything the professor said.
3. Come by office hours with your questions or set up a meeting with your professor. [See video below]
4. Be engaged in class. Not everyone is outspoken, but you should all be willing to challenge your classmates’ comments, guess, or give your opinion when the professor opens the floor during class. You’ll remember more by being engaged with the material instead of passively listening.
5. Do the review/practice exercises in the book. Think about them, and don’t just look up the answer online.

Science Focused

1. Use your critical thinking skills! Many science courses are not about memorizing a lot of facts, even though you will be learning a lot of new terminology as well. The most challenging questions on exams will often require you to demonstrate that you can apply what you have learned.
2. Find out how/why we know. Science is a process of understanding the world, so successful science students need to understand this methodology for inquiring about processes over the course of scientific investigations. Sometimes these answers will be the focus of more advanced courses than you are currently in, but asking the questions puts you in the right frame of mind.
3. Make connections between old and new facts, as well as the processes linking them together. Few things occur in a vacuum, which means that interactions and changes are a normal part of our dynamic environment. Everything is connected!
4. Be open-minded about new ideas. You don’t learn anything by refusing to consider facts that contradict your current beliefs & ideas about the world. Every single idea was new at one time.
5. Understand the value of “I don’t know.” Why do we conduct experiments? Because we don’t know what results we will get. So why would you think that admitting you don’t know is a problem?

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featured image: a giant bee in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, NM (July 2016)

Exercise your mind – Criticise!

Use your mental muscles every time you consider a decision or read an article.

Impress your friends, professors, and supervisors with your ability to analyze a situation instead of simply reacting and/or following someone else’s directions.

Image not showing?
Go to the Source: National Geographic Press

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featured image: Autumn in Georgia, Armstrong State University (Fall 2016)

The Druid

Welcome in the spring time, on this blessed day of Imbolc – Brighid’s Day. Everyone in the northern hemisphere is seeing the seasons turn warmer, and the rebirth of life in a new year. It isn’t always pretty (snow slush and mud…), but it’s a promise that the world will indeed go on. We often forget about this cycle of death and rebirth, and we try to ignore that humans are part of the natural world, but nature never forgets. Why? Because it works. Surviving the cold dark winter nights, we are rewarded by the promise of abundance that spring always brings.

That is what celebrating this season is about, in any form. We rejoice in our ability to go on, to grow, and to find happiness for one more year. For many, this is represented by the ascension of Christ – forgiveness and rebirth. Children end up with eggs and rabbits to celebrate because they represent reproduction and plentiful food – new life and survival. Brighid (as goddess or saint) is a literal mother figure, protecting home and hearth – family and healing.

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Let this season inspire you – think on what you will do with this year that the earth has entrusted to us. All of us rely on the earth for absolutely everything.

Awen

Awen, a druidic symbol of inspiration

Where does creativity come from? Why does inspiration often come in bursts? How does a simple song touch the soul? What is my ‘creative side’?

There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that you do not understand a thing – in no way does this invalidate its existence or value.

When we seek inspiration and try to connect with the emotions of other people, we are in truth reaching for the omnipresent force that holds all of us together. Something that is beyond a simple physical connection, that pushes our hearts and minds to leap forward to find new worlds, crossing imagined boundaries. For myself and many others, this fire is often found in seeking the myriad threads tying us to the environment. The elegance of a leaf, the cleansing feeling of a summer rain shower, the infinite blackness in a raven feather, the brutality of a predator’s attack – each of these sparks draws us from the anthropocentric world.

See me as the Sun on the mountaintop,
Feel me in the power of the seas.
Hear me in the laughter of the stream,
Power of nature, power of the trees.
– Damh the Bard, Song of Awen 

We aren’t always particularly good at listening for the call of Awen though, despite our frequent desire for that elusive “Fire in the Head.” Anxiety, uncertainty, time, preconceptions, isolation…there are many distractions that we often need to overcome before finding our own true paths to contentment. How do we do this in today’s world of plastic, politics, ambition, and consumerism? I don’t have the answers for you. Am I committed to continually trying? Absolutely.

Can you find a bit of Awen in your life today?

Today is not the beginning of my path – but it is a beginning.

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featured image: Awen, a druidic symbol of inspiration (2016)