<p>I was wondering whether MCB is as brutal as everyone moans about....
and whether any prereqs reflect what the rest of the upperdiv courses
will be like. How hard do they grade? Is Bio 1A very similar to
how the upper div courses will go? How about the Bio 1A curve? Is
that similar to the rest of the major? I am just trying to predict
the "feel" of the upper div courses to come. How about Bio 1AL?
Is this close to what the upper div Bio courses will feel like? Any input
is greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>I’ve completed MCB 102 and currently in MCB 136. Both classes are similar to Bio1A in that they say if you get 90+ you’re guaranteed an A of some sort, but they do lower the cutoff as needed, which is often the case. I don’t have any info on curves of upperdiv courses though. </p>
<p>Exams are often not multiple choice, but short answer questions that don’t ask you to simply recall facts you learned in lecture, but to apply the concepts you learned to new situations. Thus exams are usually harder and require much more thinking. I felt that Bio1A/1AL were just pure memorization and didn’t test concepts at all so they aren’t a good reflection of upper div courses.</p>
<p>Keep in mind though, there is a great variety of courses in the MCB department. I’m reflecting on my rather limited experience in MCB courses.</p>
<p>Leftist makes a good point about team-teaching… If you’re pre-med, it can be a pain to get to know a prof well enough for a letter in the 5 or so weeks they teach. Most med schools require you to get 2 letters from science professors who have taught you, and these letters must be recent (within 1 year of applying) so this can be really challenging.</p>
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<p>Sounds about right.</p>