<p>Just one simple request :-)… I’m looking for the answers (only) for the 2009 semi-final. Any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Would studying everything in my IB Biology textbook get me past the open exam, or is it necessary to go through Campbell for strong chances of passing the open round?</p>
<p>@SignatureCC What is the name of your IB textbook?</p>
<p>Hello!</p>
<p>I am done with Campbell Biology (already read few times, and I am currently in process of</p>
<p>re-memorizing graphs, charts, tables, etc…). I recently bought Barron’s AP Biology Flash </p>
<p>Cards and Cliff Notes AP Bio Flash Cards. They are really goodto refresh some general</p>
<p>concepts.</p>
<p>As for further reading, I have Molecular Biology of Genes (Alberts), Raven Plant Biology,</p>
<p>and Modern Genetics Analysis. Will you recommend which specific chapters should I </p>
<p>really focus on those three textbooks? I am absolutely sure USABO did not require </p>
<p>students to memorize those textbooks same process as Campbell Biology…</p>
<p>Does any of you know if the test has any specific quantitative questions? (i.e., quoting Campbell, “Within this genomic library…are genes coding for…75000 different types of proteins”)</p>
<p>If so, I’m screwed, lol.</p>
<p>^I bump this question</p>
<p>How are you all fitting USABO prep into your school week schedules? My school likes giving lots of homework, so I haven’t had much time to study
Campbell’s.</p>
<p>^concurrently taking AP Bio = incentive right there
but does anyone who’s taken the USABO know the answer to my question…?</p>
<p>@Kyrix1, I’ve taken the open and semis for USABO and I don’t ever recall there being a purely quantitative question. Honestly, I feel the USABO is less rote memorization and more application of concepts you learn in Campbell’s. Of course, I could be mistaken but I don’t really remember if the test-makers did that. Essentially, they can but it is prob. better to worry less on memorization and more on learning everything in that book with thorough comprehension.</p>
<p>Hey so my school has never had people take the open exam before. On the USABO site, it talks about starting a club in order to take the exam. I don’t mind starting a club; but, if I want to, the school would make me run the meetings (the teacher associated with the club would have minimal involvement). I just wondered if your clubs meet regularly - if so, how often? - or is it the type of club where you are a member, but never/rarely meet? If you do belong to a club that meets regularly, what types of things you do - I feel like most studying would be done on your own, so do you all study by yourselves in the same room & just ask for help when you need it or do you study in a large group - if so, how do you do this? Thanks for any help you can give.</p>
<p>@Kyrix1, biofreak21 is correct. You will almost never be asked to spit back some numbers like that. Of course - don’t take that to mean that you can skip over all of the statistics and numbers - while you may not be asked to recite a specific number, you could very well be asked to solve a problem that requires a rough quantitative idea of whatever it is the question’s about…Hope that made sense?</p>
<p>@percheno - In my case, about…maybe 4, 5 kids take the Open Exam. Therefore, it’s not really worth having and maintaining a club, and we all just studied on our own. However, my friends from other schools (e.g., TJHS) presumably do have a lot student interest, ensuring that a regularly meeting club is viable. So I suppose part of it depends on how interested your peers are.</p>
<p>My advice for you (after gauging interest and commitment - are your peers shooting to make Semis? Finals? IBO?) would be to set up a syllabus (which will help you study, of course) and perhaps teach a few lessons yourself (this is great for making sure you understand the content). As for content - like you mentioned, a lot of studying will be done on your own, so my advice would be to not bother with the stuff that’s in Campbell; that can be read at home or something. Again, depending on how interested your peers are (and how far along you are in your own studies), you could consider teaching non-Campbell stuff (like plant anat and physiology, statistics, harder genetics problems, etc.) or practicing with released exams. Best of luck!</p>
<p>^
Whatd do you mean by “not bothering with Campbell?”</p>
<p>By the way, is there book version of IBO Syllabus?</p>
<p>^ He/she means to not bother with it during meetings at a USABO club (because Campbell’s can be studied on one’s own time)…</p>
<p>Just wondering is there a limit to the amount of students allowed to qualify for the semifinals from 1 school. I know USNCO only allows a max of 2 per school.</p>
<p>There is no limit to the number of semi-finalists for the usabo. Finalists, however, who qualify for multiple Olympiads must choose a single subject to compete in, e.g. you can’t go to mosp and usabo camp in the same summer.</p>
<p>Today I discovered the most efficient form of motivation…Getting a 50 out of 70 on the biology pretest when you’ve been studying Campbell’s for almost 3 months. My friend who absolutely hates biology got a 61 out of 70. How??? Sorry if I sound whiny, but I need to vent.</p>
<p>which pretest, just curious?</p>
<p>The one that my biology teacher created. :)</p>
<p>Hi everyone I have returned!
Not really much to say…
p.s. does anyone do science Olympiad?</p>
<p>I am writing this so that I don’t come off arrogant…
Just a clarification for my above post I haven’t been on CC for a month and a half.</p>