<p>So I have 2 awesome B+s on my transcript this semester - Bio 1b and chem 3bl. They were supposed to be my easy classes but both ended up being torture (terrible lab gsi that I hated and I can't stand plants/evolution after AP bio). Oh I could have skipped bio 1b completely but didn't because it was going to be so easy anyway. This is after straight As in bio 1a and chem 3b and most of my other classes the last 2 semesters. Ugh. I wish bio 1b wasn't called 'general biology' on transcripts. This is so depressing.</p>
<p>fine I will stop crying over B+s. Nvm too late.</p>
<p>I’m going to take both those courses soon, so this scares me. What did you find most difficult about Bio 1B? I’ve heard that its really easy too…</p>
<p>A class may be easy, but if the department is going to curve to force grade distributions, then only 20-25% can get any kind of a A. It then becomes relative. if the particular section has people who also find it easy but score just a teeny bit higher on tests, they might ‘use up’ all the A- to A+ allocation. </p>
<p>Try to register in a section with dimwits, if possible, ensuring a high grade for even basic mastery. On the other hand, too many geniuses will drive down your grade no matter how thoroughly you know the material.</p>
<p>Now, if there was just a ‘RateMyClassPeers’ site that could predict who else would be in your section . . .</p>
<p>the material is really easy but the tests are just stupidly hard and trying to be tricky. Pretty much every question on my evolution test had 2 right answers and you were supposed to pick the ‘better’ one. the scores are always in a small range and just don’t end up helping you or hurting you really. Your final grade is pretty much your lab grade. And labs are completely mindless and annoying. Counting beans and looking at cacti? No thank you.</p>
<p>but I guess you should try to get perfect scores in lab. Or else the psych majors will take all the As. Lol.</p>
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<p>lol…why?</p>
<p>Biology 1B is just as general as Biology 1A is. The course is general, it contains a wide amount of information, and unlike 1A, 1B’s material is more theoretical (and the course is underfunded), so you can’t really do much for their labs other than what they are doing right now (until the funding issue gets dealt with).</p>
<p>Biology 1B is not meant to be an easy A. It is easier than Biology 1A, so people falsely construe it to be easy. Easier and easy are different things. </p>
<p>Also, if you are premed, you can’t skip Biology 1B unless you want to be a risk-taker. It appears you guys got screwed by Moritz for Biology 1B the same way we got screwed by Moritz in IB 160. That’s how he is.</p>
<p>If you can’t stand evolution, you probably shouldn’t be a biology major. Evolution is fundamental to pretty much all of biology.</p>
<p>I agree ^ Bio 1b is easy in material, but the curve is a big *****. People totally say the wrong things about classes sometimes (or don’t complete a comparison)</p>
<p>Lefist, I understood everything about evolution before Bio 1B (5 on AP bio and I took IB35AC which was pretty much an evolution class). And I’m not premed.</p>
<p>And anonymous, the Psych majors I know considered Bio1B their hardest prereq and took the ‘labs’ a lot more seriously than the bio majors. And the lab grade is all that matters in the end.</p>
<p>It seems that getting an A in Bio1B depends on when and who you take it with. I took it with Freedman, Slatkin, and Resh with GSI (Forest Hartmant) about 2 years ago and got an A+. I think my class was not curved the way you guys have mentioned because Freedman mentioned to the class that everyone will get whatever grade they earned. In other words, the class had no curve, and grades depended on how well you did on exams and labwork, so thereotically he could have handed out all A’s.</p>
<p>the lab section you get into, irrespective of any other factor (how hard you work, what professors are teaching, etc.), can possibly make the difference of 1 grade level in Biology 1B (B+ to A-) and 2 grade levels in Biology 1A (B to A-).</p>
<p>i’m surprised you got a B+ in 3BL flutter. did terrence give everyone B’s? lol</p>
<p>Dang I’m taking Bio 1B and Chem 3B+L next semester. How are you supposed to know anything about your lab section beforehand?</p>
<p>Any other advice? 
</p>
<p>I’m already lightening my load by taking two other easy classes.</p>
<p>Oh and it seems like they made Chem3AL + Chem 3BL harder just recently… before more than half the people used to get some form of an A right? 
It didn’t seem like it this spring semester though.</p>
<p>pickaprof says 89% get A’s in 3AL and 83% get A’s in 3BL</p>
<p>anyone know if this has changed now?</p>
<p>In Spring 2009, 22% got A’s & 60% got A-'s while in Fall 2008, 46% A’s and 36% A-'s… for Chem3AL according to Courserank.</p>
<p>:(</p>
<p>Anyone know why they are doing this?</p>
<p>I know I could have tried harder but not even an A-?? I emailed him and he says he doesn’t think they adjust between sections but that there is no gsi bias because all gsis use the same rubric. </p>
<p>Except you’re still a way ****ing harsher grader than anyone else and try to be unhelpful. How do you contest grades? I don’t think viernes would care, pedersen probably would…</p>
<p>That’s how it usually is: you think a class is a joke, don’t put enough effort into it, and get screwed over in the end. Conversely, you consider a class hard and take it very seriously, and end up getting a great grade.</p>
<p>My worst grades in both college and HS have always been the easiest of classes.</p>
<p>I’m surprised people think 3AL or 3BL is hard to get an A in.
They’re the easiest A’s in my Berkeley career so far.</p>
<p>agreed. chem lab classes were the easiest class i’ve ever taken at cal (I’m a senior). </p>
<p>I actually thought that bio1b was harder than bio1a because of the curve. Also i felt less motivated to study the subject…</p>
<p>oh hi its my old whiny thread from last year.</p>
<p>yeah those classes are really easy if you try. I screwed them up, all my fault I know.</p>