<p>How difficult is Bio 1b, in comparison with other classes like Bio 1A? On these boards I've seen people telling me its extremely difficult/a GPA killer; I've also seen people say its easier than Bio 1A.</p>
<p>Bio 1B is not too bad. Much, much easier than Bio 1A/AL. If you are taking 1B with Carlson, Power, and Mishler, watch out for Power's section. She's the killer in the class. But other than that, it's a pretty chill class.</p>
<p>Material-wise, I think that Bio1B is much, MUCH easier than Bio1A. The labs are much less intensive than the Bio1A labs. However, the lab portion is curved in a really weird way such that it is extremely difficult to get an A in the class - chances are good that you'll top out at a B+ because of their really stupid curve. I don't remember exactly how the numbers and formulae worked; can anybody else explain that?</p>
<p>I think it was basically the average for each lab in the class was figured out and that was scaled to 85% or something. And then your score was adjusted by the same amount. Yeah I agree it was stupid.
But I don't think it was too hard to get an A, though because midterms were worth much more than the lab.</p>
<p>Uhmm Bio 1B is easy. It's like a joke compare to Bio 1Al. Except I got the same grade in both. Why? Because Bio 1B is stupid. I walked into the final with a 97% and came out with a B+. Everyone got a B+ okay maybe there are some As. I don't know how the grading works and I'm too lazy to contest it. Maybe I just got owned on the final but I seriously doubt it.</p>
<p>Basically, Bio 1B has a crappier curve despite an easier material. I took the class in Fall 2007 (Carlson, Power, Mishler) and the grading rubric is indeed messed up-- the lab section is worth 35% of your total grade and it is curved to 85% within your own section. What made things worse are the ambiguous lab questions and harshly-graded random lab reports. In the end, I think it's definitely possible to get an A, but you have to really set yourself apart from your peers in section.</p>
<p>Plus the material is so boring. Plants, ecology anyone? I just could not get interested in the material.</p>
<p>so for a pre-med student NOT majoring in MCB, but with AP Bio credit, is it better to skip 1b and go straight to 1a?</p>
<p>If you are premed, you should be taking both 1a and 1b.</p>
<p>1b is better in the Spring with Feldman/Slatkin/Resh. I've heard that Bio 1A gives more A's in the fall. I hope that is true. I am taking Bio 1A in fall due to scheduling issues with Chem 3BL.</p>
<p>1B appears to be more popular in the fall and 1A appears to be more popular in the spring, because departments recommend people to take them in that order on their sample schedules.</p>
<p>For spring at least, plants is the hardest, evolution is the easiest, and ecology is in between. Plants keep recurring in evolution and ecology, so if you are like me and have a knack at bombing plants tests, Bio 1B won't be too fun</p>
<p>bio 1a is not offered in the fall! (i just checked via schedule.berkeley.edu)
also, 1b is already full!!!
shiiiiittteee</p>
<p>Bio 1A is offered. They open registration only during Phase II. Bio 1AL is listed as a separate class but I think the two classes are required at the same time. Bio1AL labs should be full by now</p>
<p>you need to have completed Chem 3A to take Bio 1A. Bio 1A lecture and 1A discussion don't open until phase 2. Phase 1, or if you ****ed up phase 2, you register for Bio 1AL lecture and 1AL lab and in phase 2, you register for Bio 1A lecture and 1A discussion</p>
<p>Bio 1A+L consists of:
Four lectures a week;
-three from 1A and
-one from 1AL
One lab and
One discussion</p>
<p>Bio 1B consists of:
Three lectures
One lab and
One discussion led by the Lab GSI (lab and discussion are linked)</p>
<p>o so its best to take bio 1b before 1a then since i will obviously take chem 1a before 3a....hmmm...too bad bio 1b is already full...</p>
<p>a lot of people do this:
freshman year: chem 1a & chem 3a
summer: chem 3b
soph year: bio 1b & bio 1a</p>
<p>if you don't do summer:
freshman year is same
soph year is bio 1b/chem3b and bio 1a.</p>
<p>but i heard, chem 3b and bio 1a have some overlap material which makes it easier if you take them at the same time rather than chem 3b and bio 1b</p>
<p>Bio 1A + Chem 3B = Hell
Bio 1B + Chem 3B = still hell (As per a MB major friend who did that in Fall 07)</p>
<p>try this
Freshman year:
Fall: Chem 1A
Spring:Chem 3A+L and Bio 1B</p>
<p>Sophmore year:
Bio 1A and Chem 3B+L in either order</p>
<p>Bio1B in summer school is also a very popular option because the material isn't so hard that the increased pace of summer school makes it impossible, and you get it out of the way.</p>
<p>i wanna take my mcat after sophomore year (take it in the summer)
what pre-med courses should i have completed by then and in what order (if that matters at all)?</p>
<p>You should take Chem before Bio.</p>
<p>it's good if you take Chem1A, Chem3 series, Bio1A/L, Bio1B, and Physics series. Of course, you don't NEED to take any classes before you take the MCAT; plenty of people have done perfectly okay preparing for the exam using outside materials without having finished taking all the classes.</p>
<p>I just finished my sophomore year and I am studying for MCAT this summer, right now. My test date is this September.
Just so you know, I finished all the science pre-reqs, and let me tell you, it REALLY helps that I have taken them. I don't have to relearn the material since it's I have taken the material. I do have to review everything I learned, though which sucks. Anyways, try to finish all your prereqs before you start studying for the MCAT.</p>
<p>can someone please tell me what you mean by the curve in bio 1b? i'm in it right now...don't really understand how it works =/</p>