Gold
Silver[BIOL C2005] Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology I
Departments: Biology & Biomedical Engineering
Professors: Lawrence Chasin, Mitchell Hayes, and Deborah Mowshowitz
I'm surprised that no one has commented/reviewed on how extremely detailed (read controlling and neurotic) Mowshowitz is. Written forms to request regrades? No regrade if anything on test is written in pencil? We only allow one regrade per semester and by the way if you do a regrade, you will not be considered for a bump up if you are on the cusp of a better grade. I'm sorry but what happened to the days where you could actually have a normal discussion with the professor about your exams?
When I asked for advice, the only wisdom she had to offer was "some people just are not fit for medicine...whether it is their work ethic or level of intelligence" What?? I'm not even pre-med?!
Also, why does she not have a CV/ background history on her webpage? Every other professor has one. What is she trying to hide? Could it be the fact that she has not published a single biology research paper since 1982? Or is it something worse?
High. Do all problems. Or else.
Mitchell at first tried to be a mean TA who put students in their place. Fortunately he was far too nice to pull it off and ended up being one of most likable TAs I've ever had. His section was always entertaining and I always understood the material very well by the end of the section (which would not have been the case with just the lectures). You'l still have to work ridiculously hard to get a good grade in this course but at least you won't have to teach yourself much and you'll know about a number of Mowshowitz's tricks before you encounter them on the exam. I highly recommend his section.
Really easy quizes buy you'll learn a lot from them.
Everyone likes to complain about the Mowsh, but to be honest I absolutely loved her class. I learned the most with her course (Intro Bio I and II) than I have in any other course so far at Columbia. Sure, the questions are different and she styles her class such that it turns out to be harder than many other teachers, but I feel like that's why I learned so much. She does all her teaching by writing on the chalkboard, which gives you time to take notes (as opposed to when professors use powerpoint and you're reading/listening simultaneously and miss things), as well as gives you handouts including all of the drawings and more complicated processes that you can annotate as she goes through them. She lays out what she will be covering at the beginning of every class. She provides tons of information and support on her class website. And as for the exam questions, she provides tons and tons of practice and example questions. I honestly think this kind of question is more useful, since instead of regurgitating biology you have to apply what you know to solve a puzzle. On occasion, the question is poorly stated, but the majority of the time it's because the student isn't fully acquainted with the material that he or she doesn't see that enough information is provided.
3 midterms and a final, all with the puzzle-style questions. Stressful, maybe; interesting, definitely. I would suggest doing at least 70% of the practice problems, it's the best way to study; that probably requires beginning to study for exams a week or more ahead of time. Depending on your TA there are also homework problems and/or quizzes, but the most points you can get to add to your grade from recitation is 60 and probably about 99% of students hit 60 - the TAs do just about everything to help you out there.
The lectures are good, you can get away with not going. I don't mind the tough problems and the deflated grades, some people claim they haven't learned anything I think I've learned more than from any other class thus far...I just wish she wouldn't take herself so seriously. Yes its a pre-med weedout, but I feel like a prisoner taking those exams. She makes such a big deal out of it and her office hours become lecture hall sized, she has us sit in certain ways, our cell phones cant be in the room, she has a ton of corrections because her questions are badly proof read or too vague. She makes it more stressful than it needs to be. 10-15% A/A-s is pretty stingy for Columbia but compared to other schools not so bad. Not to mention even if you do very badly you can get the gentlemans C at almost 50%.
Usually I start studying 10 days in advance, about 1-3 hours a day then maybe 4-10 the last 3 days. Problem is the exams are 3 weeks apart so it feels like you get the weekend off before you back to work. I missed a lot of lectures but you can usually pick it up quickly in recitation.
Just like what 20+ other reviewers said, this class IS HARD. Ten days before each exam, I spent the entire day just dealing with her lectures and her cryptic problem sets. I actually did pretty well on the previous three exams and (hopefully) expecting an A. Here is what I thought of the class:
The Lectures
I went to every single live lecture. Chasin was a horrible lecturer who just read off the powerpoints and he is clearly not interested in whether students are actually "learning" the material. Honestly, I fell asleep in most of his lectures. Mowshowitz, on the other hand, uses only chalk and she delivers her lectures in a clearer way than Chasin. Do not skip the lectures just because the recordings and notes are online. There are parts where Mowshowitz clarifies here and there, which are useful in solving her problems. A lot of material is covered in the lectures so cramming 6~7 lectures before an exam is not going to give you a good grade (since you have problem sets to deal with).
The Problems
I started to tackle the problems around two weeks before each exam. Don't just do them once. Do them over and over again until you understood her logical pathway. During your second round, try to look for the key words in her problems. I highlighted these words and wrote down how these words (or phrases) gave me evidence in finding the answer (or why my initial answer was wrong). I used this methodology and scored in the high 90s on the third exam. Also, do the starred and the R problem sets last.
The Exams
Yes, they are hard and you probably never seen these problems in your lifetime. Get some sleep before the exam because spending another 30 min looking at the Krebs Cycle handout is not going to give you any additional points in the exam. When you deal with a problem, don't just straight go to the questions. Set up a diagram and/or summarize important points before you start answering. This will prevent you from making incorrect assumptions or leaving out important information. In her exams, reading comprehension skills are just as important as your knowledge of biology.
Recitations
They are easy 60 points. Don't be a fool by skipping recitations. To be honest, recitation sessions didn't help much overall.
Finally
You will definitely learn biology in this class. I did not take senior (or AP) biology but after taking this class, I now probably know more bio than most of my friends at other colleges.
High High High. Probably spent more time on this class than any other class.
Do not take this class with orgo (unless you really have to)
Awful.
Horrible.
It seems like he teaches for 20 or maybe 40 years now and he's so tired of the material that he doesn't wanna teach it. Going to his lecture is totally useless and also his PPT slides don't say much. I don't know how to advise people to deal with it because he was one of the worst lecturers I ever had.
He doesn't take question and gets very annoyed if someone has something to say in class.
Insane.
Mowshowitz's bio class was my favorite class I have taken at Columbia so far, and she is one of the best teachers I have ever had. Her class is hard, as everyone says, but I think it is completely fair. You do really have to think hard to do well on her exams, and you don't have a hope of doing well on the exams if you don't REALLY UNDERSTAND all of the problems in the problem book. I think that these problems are excellent preparation for the exams, and give you a great idea of what to expect. But you have to do them all and do them carefully, not just rush through and then understand them in retrospect after reading her answer key.
It bothers me that so many people find this class unfair, or that you have to "think like Mowshowitz" in order to do well. The skills she requires us to have really are basic critical thinking skills that anyone who wants to be a doctor should have. She takes bio to the next level by requiring us to think hard and really figure stuff out, not just memorize it. But everything is based on logic, and as long as you explain your answer clearly and state what you are assuming if you think there is any ambiguity there, she is very fair about the grading and generous with partial credit as long as what you wrote makes some sense. And I consider myself very lucky to have had a teacher who requires this level of thinking about bio, and who presents the material very clearly, and puts in a ton of effort to make sure that students understand what she is talking about and what is expected of them. I am very confident about the bio section of the MCAT after taking this course. Her class is very difficult and she expects a lot, I'm not saying she doesn't. But I really believe that any intelligent person should be able to do quite well.
One annoying thing you have to watch out for with Mowshowitz though, is that she really will try to trip you up with semantics from time to time--so make sure you read every question VERY carefully. There is usually at least one question on an exam that you can get wrong by assuming it is similar or she means the same thing as she meant in a similar homework question, but it's actually slightly different and you'll get the whole question wrong unless you catch it.
I'll get an A or an A- in this class, depending on the final.
Heavy, but not unreasonable at all.
O.M.F.G.
This class is awful. Unless you have a lot of natural talent for the kinds of questions that Mowshowitz asks on her tests, you will struggle and struggle mightily. As you might have gathered from my intro, I am not one of these people. I spend well over twice the time on this class that I do on any other and my grade is in the B- range.
On the upside, you will learn a lot of Bio. I mean a lot. I feel like I learned the topics covered first semester inside and out, not that it helped me on her insane tests. Hopefully, it will help on the MCAT if I decide med school is still possible after this class eviscerates my GPA. Mowshowitz is a fantastic lecturer (much better than Chasin, who teaches about the first third of the course). I really enjoyed going to class because she got the concepts across really well in her lectures. Also, I used to really love Bio, that is until I took this class.
Her tests, on the other hand, are incredibly demoralizing. I don't care how many med students come back on CULPA and say that "Mowsh's tests prepped me for the real world of medicine" or the like. They are straight-up unfair. No matter how well you know the material, they will destroy you. Basically, they are based on applications of the material that you probably never considered because you were NEVER TAUGHT ANY OF IT. The tests are about 80% insight. Do the problems. Then, later, do them again. Get a good night's sleep before tests because you can't have the epiphanies you need to get a good grade on the exam if you're asleep. Then pray really hard that your soul and grade are not utterly destroyed by this class.
There is a 2-hr recitation. It is mandatory and extremely annoying, but also helpful. You take quizzes (way easier than tests) and do recitation problems which are problems from old exams.
You need this class for a lot of things, pre-med, Bio major, Neuro, BiomechE, etc. So you won't be the only one suffering. But you will probably suffer. What's really a shame is that this class is actually really good. You learn a lot of bio. Problem-based learning is actually really effective. Mowsh just makes it needlessly frustrating and difficult. While at most schools, this is a memorization course that every serious pre-med or prospective bio major gets an A in, at Columbia, it's a ball-crusher which makes you look like a slacker. Gird your loins.
Looks pretty light on the surface, but it's not. If you're not averaging an hour or two working on this class (80% doing problems, 20% reading lectures) a day, you will not do well. I wish I had known this fact a few months ago.
4 Exams. You get to either drop lowest of first 3 or count the lowest of the first 3 for 50% and the final for 50%. They are impossible. Earn a "free" 60 points by going to recitations (or you're basically screwed).
All the other reviews are right: this class is HARD. There is a lot of material, a lot of work book problems, and a lot of reading. You EARN your grade by learning the material and applying it to feasible situations on the test. Don't think that this review is coming from a kid who did exceptionally well- pending the final, I'm expecting to earn a B. How did I do it?
Went to every class.
Listened to every lecture over again on the weekend.
Did the problems as the material was being taught, and then did them again right before test time.
Was CONFIDENT of my answers during the tests- can't stress this enough-if you state your assumptions clearly and then answer the problems you WILL earn partial credit for wrong answers.
Of course I have my gripes- the exams are hard and I spend all my time studying for Bio which will be my worst grade out of all of my classes. I keep in mind though that the difficulty of this class puts every other class into perspective for the rest of my 4 years here.
Mowsh herself I think is a great teacher- she is organized, clear, and works hard to try to set up a successful class. You need to bust your hump to meet her half way to earn a decent grade.
In summary, put your head down and plow through the material, and I guarentee you will come out a stronger student at the end of the semester if you work hard.
3 midterms, final, either drop worst midterm or if final is the worst, take 1/2 grade of worst midterm and add to 1/2 grade of worst final for the 3rd score.
Disclaimer: I am a med student who took her class three years ago.
The angry reviews you will read about how doing well in her class depend on being able to speak her language, and about how her exams are just cryptic puzzles are written by people who had a hard time with her class because they refused to adapt their way of thinking.
Dr. Mowshowitz takes her class away from the perfect world of academia and into the real world of medicine. Nothing is cut and dry and there is usually a probable answer instead of a certain one. She teaches you the material but then expects you to UNDERSTAND instead of just memorizing it. Once you understand it you can apply it on her exams to problems you have never seen before.
If it helps, think of it like orgo. When asked a question, one of my professors said he just had a sense of how the electrons would move. We were pissed, but realize at the end of the course that we had also developed this innate feeling. Why? Because we had finally understood the basics instead of just learning them.
Enough ranting.
If you want to do well in her class, don't just study... understand the material. Make connections between topics, ask yourself what would happen if something went wrong, and most importantly, become so familiar with the material that it becomes second nature. I promise that if you achieve this level of understanding you will walk out of her exams feeling great.
My suggestion: study with someone. Explain the material to them and have them quiz you. If you can teach it, then you know it. Come up with questions to ask each other. Use the whiteboards in Butler. Scare humanities majors with your drawings like its your job.
Hardest part is letting go of the past and thinking differently. The more you do this the less you have to study. Even still, I studied more for this class than for any other class.
I've seen so many reviews for this course and for Dr. Mowshowitz that I thought I would give my opinion. I'd like to preface the review with the fact that I got an A both semesters and am still involved in the course as a TA, so I've been on both sides of the fence.
First off, this course is hard. Though I did well, it wasn't easy at all, and I remember studying for a week and a half in advance and still having a hard time on the exams. Everyone who has taken the course, Dr. Mowshowitz, and myself will tell you that the key to Bio is to do the problem sets. I don't mean do the problems with the answers next to you, or only do them once. I mean do the problems a week in advance, study more, and then do the problems over again a few days later. Not only is it great studying, but it also familiarizes you with the format of the test, which is a difficult thing to get used to when you first start the course. There is 1% of the student population that can get by without doing any of the problems, but the chances of that person being you is slim, so do them.
Second, Dr. Mowshowitz herself is a great lecturer, and is one of the better ones I've had at Columbia. Some people come out of the course with a lot of negative feelings towards her because her tests are difficult, but she really does want you to learn the material, and the way she does it works. The material from this course stays freshest in my mind more than any other subject I've studied because of how it is presented. A lot of science courses at Columbia ask you to simply memorize and have little thought process involved. The Bio tests, though difficult, put the knowledge you've learned into real life situations and very genuinely ask you to apply everything you know about Biology (and a little common sense) to answer the problems. It isn't easy, but it will most definitely put the knowledge into your head.
And for the people who say no matter how hard you study, you'll just never do well, its not true. I remember getting below a 70 on my first Bio exam and being completely demoralized. For the next test, I studied 2 weeks in advance and did all the problems at least twice, and did a lot better. As you get further into the course, the testing format becomes less of a problem, and the so called "Mowshowitz language" that other reviews say is impossible to decipher won't be as much of a problem.
Overall, don't just freak out when you take this course and blame everything on Dr. Mowshowitz. Everything you need to do well in the class is there in front of you, just utilize it to the best of your ability.
Problem sets assigned after each lecture that should be done, though they are optional.
As with anything on this site, you should take this review with a grain of salt.
That being said, HOLY SHIT this class was an absolute ball buster. I don't think I've ever [insert miserable adjective; examples include: lost sleep, cried eyes out, worked as hard for nothing, etc] than I have for this class, and I predict for the rest of my academic career at Columbia.
Upsides:
1) MCAT Bio is an absolute joke after this. We didn't get so much into anatomy but that's easily solvable with renting a basic guide
2) The bonds you make with people in this class are hard to break. Something about collective misery really brings out the best in people
3) Really awesome war stories
4) Unless you're a genius or really bomb all your classes, you can only go up from here and upward trends are good trends.
5) If you ever consider working for biotech, all the time we spent on genetics and proteins instead of general bio makes so much more sense.
6) The most amazing catharsis comes with ending the second semester
7) This class is the great equalizer: Pre-Meds, Engineers and PostBaccs will uniformly struggle with this class
8) Most importantly: YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO STUDY
Downsides:
1) You will have a bio induced breakdown
2) Your GPA will be shit until you figure out how to study
3) You're GPA most likely will continue to be shit
4) You will hate, with every fiber of your being, Mowshowitz. This hate will probably spill into other areas of your life.
5) If you're really lucky you'll get to hear Mowsh tell you you're not smart enough for her class and should take the easier version at Barnard (truest story ever told).
6) How much you study has NO CORRELATION to how well you do, whereas in other science classes (notable exception: physics)
I feel like the fact that I can come up with more positives than negatives after being raped by this class with little reward (1st sem- C, 2nd sem- B-) speaks to the utility of this class.
What you make of it. My roommate last year didn't even buy the problem book until halfway with the semester and got an A. Conversely, I have a friend who reads the textbook (which I strongly discourage) does every problem twice and ended up with a not so great grade both semesters.
Dr. M's exams are unfair and horrible. They don't test your knowledge of the material covered in class, but rather whether or not you can figure out her "puzzles" in the test time allotted (roughly 90 minutes). If you don't think like her, then you won't do well in her class, no matter how much time and effort you put into studying her problem sets. She's a terrible teacher and a mediocre lecturer at best. She doesn't care about her struggling students. She doesn't actually "teach" anything, but rather rushes threw topics as if her students already have a background in what she is lecturing and have a clue what she is talking about. When I asked her for extra help and suggestions as to how to improve my test scores, she told me that she was sorry to say it, but that quite frankly I wouldn't be a good doctor if I couldn't do well on her exams. I studied 60 hours per week for her class and earned a C- (she didn't even have the decency to give me a C even though I had missed the cut-off by 2 lousy points). Now I'm taking biology over again at Barnard and earning As. Go figure. Dr. M is arrogant and has made many students give up on their dreams of being a doctor for no good reason. Take bio at Barnard and save yourself the pain and heartache.
horrendous workload consisting of problem sets, all optional. 4 exams, worst exam grade dropped.
Everyone gives Dr. Mowshowitz a hard time. I'm sick of it and I think people need to quit whining.
I took her class last year. Because she was an AWESOME teacher I was able to get a 14 on the Bio section of the MCAT and now I'm in medical school. Trust me, her class is teaching you biology even if it feels like its not sometimes.
My medschool Biochem course is all review from her class and I am shocked how well I remember everything. Plus, I'm able to do well without giving it much of my time. This is a huge boon when you've got Anatomy to worry about.
So...suck it up premeds and you'll thank her later.
Bio was a really valuable experience for me. Yes, it was painful, frustrating, and often disheartening, but I thought that Mowshowitz's problems were a good way to learn the material. I liked having to apply the concepts instead of just memorizing names and pathways (but there was a lot of memorization the second semester). Many of the problems are based on real research results, and some of them are quite fascinating.
She's a fantastic lecturer and uses a lot of models. The organization can be a little confusing sometimes, but I think this has as much to do with the complexity of the material as with her lecturing skills. I definitely suggest going over the lecture notes in detail before starting on the problems because you don't want to waste them on learning the basic material (i.e. the memorizable facts). You should use the problems and the detailed solutions to become more familiar with the nuances of the material and the kinds of questions she asks. After going over the lecture notes, you may feel that you know the material, but the problems always make you think about it in a new way. It also helps to do the problem sets more than once. The first time you do them, you're learning. The second time, you're reviewing. A TA once suggested knowing the problems and solutions by heart, but that's really not enough. It actually doesn't matter if you remember all the answers or not, but you should understand all of them. It's also incredibly important to stay up to date with the material and problem sets. There's just way too much information to absorb for most people to cram successfully. I also suggest writing down what you learn every time you get a problem wrong and making notes of your most common mistakes.
Mowshowitz is very helpful during office hours, and she's genuinely interested in making sure people learn in this class. She's also really good about replying to emails.
Lastly, I think the grading is a little more generous than people assume. First semester, she lowered the cutoffs by several points. Second semester, she offered extra credit (max 4 points). I honestly don't get the feeling that she's out to crush anyone.
The fun never stops.
He's kinda an asshole. He isn't gentle to students who ask questions he deems "stupid," he's a goddamn SHARK as a proctor (if he randomly chooses to pounce on you, don't even dare to work for 2 seconds after time is called... even if EVERYONE around you is still working). He gives absolutely NO impression of warmth and caring in the classroom (unlike Mowsh, who seems like a genuinely nice person).
I found his section to be the drier part, but probably because I am not a chem fan at all. Elementary biochem/orgo and some stuff like glycolysis. His exam (he only teaches 1/3) is the most straightforward and possibly the easiest because it isn't full of those Mowshowitz tricks you will soon come to know (and hate).
His powerpoints are relatively useful, which is good,since the material is dry as fuck and you aren't going to want to go to class.
Many of these reviews are rather exaggerated. Yes, it is a tough course, but it is not impossible by any means and should not end your chances at med school so long as you do all the problems and are decently intelligent. Yes, she is a good lecturer and does a decent job with making dry topics not too dreadful, but "brilliant" and "fabulous" are a little extreme. Often, you will read the lectures and think "Why, Deborah? Why are you telling us these random, unrelated facts? Why must we know the details of this seemingly arbitrarily selected disease?" Sometimes, you will leave class feeling like your knowledge is more random trivia than cohesive, comprehensive, biology knowledge. Many topics that should be in "normal" intro bio classes are never covered, many topics that we covered are too specific and detailed to be in an intro bio class.
But if you're reading this review, you likely have no choice.
So, tips: go to lecture and try to pay some attention; or at least pay enough attention to annotate her increasingly cryptic handouts (oh, dmowsh, I know you want us to learn by going to lecture, but a handout full of blanks and third-grader style sketches isn't very useful at all). Do no problems yet. About two weeks before the exam, read through/highlight the lectures (unless you actually absorbed the material in lecture, you star student, you) and make your way through the problem book (skipping the R's and stars). Do the R's and stars last. Then do the practice exam the day before the exam.
Heavy.
I love this class. I love it. Sure its really hard and you want to jump out a window when you studied 100 hours for a test and got a 70, but the course itself is great. Dr. M is a great lecturer and the way she presents the material in class and in the homework is very engaging. My only complaint is that at times I felt like all I was being tested on my logic ability and not my understanding of the actual course content. That aside, it is so refreshing to be in a class where FOR ONCE its clear the professor has put in as much effort as the students. Dr. M clearly has high expectations for her students, for her TA's and for herself. She has but in so much work to make this a good class. She and Chasin have made all the course materials for crying out load. Have you ever been in a class where the professors wrote the book just for the class? thats my point. All that said, the course is very hard. You have to stay on top of your work and you have to put in the time to understand everything like its second nature. You can't cram. Here's my advice: If you don't want to work you butt off for good results 1) you probably shouldn't take this course and 2) you probably shouldn't be a doctor or an engineer so you shouldn't take the course.
Lots and lots. Dr. Mowsh and Dr. Chasin write all their own homework problems. There are a lot of them and they are hard. Usually around 10-15 questions per lecture. Some of the problems took me an hour! The coursework is no joke, but I found the problems were very engaging even when they were hard. Also there is less reading than in other courses--I never read the textbook, just the lecture notes which are about 8-10 pages a lecture.
well let's see...
once there was sunlight, now there is darkness
once there was pleasure, now there is sadness
once there was hope, now it's despair
once i thought i could get into med school..
now, i don't really care.
in summary: i have just wasted 10 minutes of my precious time writing this horrible poem about the woes of intro bio with the Mowsh. she is really and truly a wonderful professor but if you do not make time for her class, she will bring you down. Study like you have no life but if, in the end, you find yourself dangling from a fine thread of despair, don't take it personally. Her class is not a test of how much you know your bio, it's how well you can deal with her questions.
theoretically? nothing. actually? consider tattooing the problem book to your body, eating it's binding and regurgitating the messy contents of your stomach only to do the same thing over and over again.
It's time someone said it straight out: The emperor has no clothes. Everyone at Columbia knows how hard Mowshowitz is, but even students who do poorly in her class seem to swallow the myth that it's their fault, that they were somehow deficient in learning her method of Deep Scientific Thinking. And those who get A's actually seem to think they learned something about biology! Sorry, all they learned is how to think like Deborah Mowshowitz, and that has almost nothing to do with real science.
First of all, Prof. M doesn't practice real science: she hasn't published a genetics paper since 1982, and she doesn't even have a lab. So she presents herself as some kind of authority on science education instead. The way she talks, you'd think she invented Problem-Based Learning, but that's not true (it was developed in Canada in the 1970's). But what's worse, she violates the whole spirit of PBL; the goal should be to TEACH students by example, not to deliberately confuse and trick them as she does.
In her problems, half the challenge is figuring out what the question is-or more accurately, what she thinks it is. Standard English doesn't matter; she speaks Mowshowitz, and if you don't, too bad for you. Little did you know that words like "before," "after," and "during" can have special meanings that are found only inside her head, and can even change from problem to problem. That's pretty sad, considering that the goal of science is to be consistent and reproducible. Instead, she's arbitrary and capricious. You can have the "right" answer on a test question, and a written explanation that is virtually identical to the one on the answer key, but somehow what you wrote is worth less than full credit-and you can never get a straight answer as to why.
Her famous lectures are also overrated. Many students are in awe because they're packed with so much detail, but it's all trees and no forest; there's no thematic organization and no connection between topics, yet each is presented in mind-numbing detail. In just the last 3 weeks of 2nd semester, we covered (in order): embryonic development, temperature and blood pressure regulation, hormones, the structure of the kidney, and the immune system. It felt more like a grab-bag of random topics than a biology course.
The final insult is that, for all her obsession with details, she gets quite a few of them wrong-sometimes in a big way. For example, she gave an entire lecture about 2 proteins which store and release iron in the body, and it turned out the whole thing was backwards. (One protein works only when iron is high, and she said low; the other was the opposite.) She never even admitted this in class, but relied on the TAs to tell their students about it, even though recitation is optional for many students. That's just wrong.
In summary, this is less a class than a form of torture. Just grit your teeth and get through it as best you can, but get rid of any illusions you may have about learning anything, other than how to survive Mowshowitz' educational reign of terror. I guess our only consolation is that she'll retire someday.
Very heavy. But there's almost no correlation between the time you put in and the grade you get.
Mowshowitz is a decent professor, once you learn how to handle her class (which unfortunately often does not happen until 3/4 of the way through the semester, if at all). I'm a textbook learner, but the textbooks assigned for this course are useless, don't buy them. Do, however, buy the problem book, and do all of the problems. They are great practice for the exams.
I found it much easier to skip lecture and instead copy down the lecture notes from the website (which she recites practically verbatim in lecture). It's much harder to take notes in lecture because she moves kind of fast and in a disorganized manner, as she does not use PowerPoint slides. For me, my grades in this course improved greatly when I focused just on the online notes and problems and less on her live lectures and handouts.
The exams are scaled against a set median grade, but it doesn't really help much. The tests are not curved like one would expect them to be in a science class. To get an A, for example, you pretty much have to score in the 90s or high 80s on all the tests.
15 problem sets (optional, but extremely recommended), 4 exams (including final; final weighs as much as midterms, though), lowest grade dropped, weekly recitation quizzes.
I guess I must be an idiot according to the reviewer two below.
I took Prof. Mowshowitz's class during 2006-7. I felt that she did not adequately prepare me for the MCAT. She covers extremely little about physiology, the respiratory system, and a lot of simply factual information.
She's certainly interested in biology, but the critical thinking exercises can often detract from the biology and leave you unprepared. She should teach a section of biology called scientific reasonsing, or biological reasoning, but not biology in my opinion.
But the real worst part of the class is Professor Mowshowitz's language. The reason her exam questions are so ambiguous is that she does not want to give any hint whatsoever about the the answer might be. So she strips her sentences and never expands on what she writes. Let me give you a good Deborah Mowshowitz question:
QUESTION:
True or false: There are 7 national banks in the U.S.
ANSWER:
True--there are more than 7 national banks in the U.S.
False--there are not 7 national banks in the U.S., instead there are many more than that.
very demanding
He's perfectly fine for the lectures for the first exam. He does go a fast with the powerpoint, but you can always fill in the gaps in your notes with the Lecture notes, posted online. Or you can print out the powerpoint slides and go into class with them and take notes directly on those, but I found that I would zone out when I did that. The two lectures he does that are not on the first exam go way too fast. Read the lecture notes before you go to those lectures and you will get more out of it.
Mowshowitz is more dynamic, but there were only 2 lectures with Chasin where I felt like I was lost (the Glycolytic Pathway stuff).
Do every single problem in earnest--no cheating! No giving up and just looking up the answer! Do the unstarred problems in the problem book first, and save the starred problems for once you've understood all the material. Write down each lesson learned from each problem--there's a point to each. Do practice exams. And get some sleep, ok?
I don't think many people realize what Diddy Mow has accomplished. She has managed to take a course that at most universities is centered around memorization and turn it into something that requires critical thinking. Her examinations are hard; infrequently, they are possible to misinterperet; they will not include every major topic covered in lectures, and covering every topic in the lectures won't guarantee success on her problems. How, I ask, is this different than passages on the MCAT? Mowshowitz, more than any other source or struggle out there, will prepare you for the MCAT. I think the structure of the class ultimately gives a better understanding of the material.
One practical tip: Never assume she means anything. If the answer you write is justified based on what is written, it is justified based on what is written. Don't ask yourself what she is thinking. "I thought you meant" will not get you points on a regrade, but "my answer is also logical," just might.
Good luck.
Be prepared to do a lot of work. As everyone will tell you the problems are the best practice since they establish the associations between terms on which she will test. I would say 1.5 hours a day spent on this course will give you a solid shot at an A. I would not recommend taking it with other very time consuming classes. It is better to take Biology laboratory before, or with the first semester of this course.
Anyone who says Dr. Mowshowitz is a bad professor is truly an idiot. Her lectures are simply first-rate. Given the complexity of modern biology (and of course it's getting exponentially more complex every year), I must say, I respect her dedication and commitment to presenting only the most important (and up-to-date) facts and ideas succinctly, and in the most organized and articulate manner. I think any objectively-minded person would agree. (It's understandable, though, that a lot of people find it hard to be objective about her, since her exams basically test for IQ and problem-solving ability, so that extra studying beyond a certain point doesn't really pay off).
I average about 6-8 hours a week, and I'm doing really well
Why isn't there another option for a Biology I and II Professor? Dr. M, as some people call her ( but you would have to like her to call her that, so I'll call her Mowchowitz), Mowchowitz is a freaking dictator; she will make you hate life. Honestly, does it really have to be so hard? She turns the beautiful science of Biology into molecular/technical problem solving for psycho-geeks. Other schools have more than one General Biology Professor to choose from; I think there aren't any others here because no one wants to deal with her Nazi-like manner to approaching Biology! Really, who does she think she is to believe she knows better than the actual author of the class textbook! She makes it way too confusing with her diagrams, which look like a 3year-old drew them! I really hate this class (you put in all this work and on the exam you don't really get what you bargained for); I am really frustrated about there not being other options! Who ever heard of this? Isn't this a democracy? Does she honestly think if someone can't her past her class, they can't or shouldn't be doctors; I really think she believes this as she has told some people that the patient would die after talking about missing some questions on the test. Someone is taking herself too seriously and her tests. Many doctors, and other professionals, have never had to go through this lady's crazy class and we should have other options. She sucks, I'd tell you to take another class, but well, there aren't any other professors, and this is Columbia University, you would think the school would cater to their students more effectively, with all the money most of us are paying. I am truly annoyed, that's all I have to say!
Ridiculous, forget having a life with this lady. The downside, you don't get the to reap the benefits of your labor; your either good at her tricky problem-solving method, which I will add is strictly hers; I think she had been working almost 30 years writing up these problems making them as incomprehensible and ridiculous as possible just screw hard-working students over!
I just have a few thoughts on prioritization in studying for tests. The key to doing well on these tests is concentration, more than anything else. If you can do half the problems and get some sleep every night, or do all the problems and come to the test tired.... SLEEP. Take a break the morning of. Rest, go to the gym, eat a good meal. Take some advil if you've had an injury or whatever else. Bring a pillow if your back hurts and you think it might help. But feel well in her exams, and feel rested. Ideally, try to do all of the problems also, but if it ever comes down to a choice between rest and studying, veer a little more to the side of rest so you can really have maximum capacity for concentration while taking the exams. There are really very few things you need to understand well.
An amazing lecturer who gives utterly DEMORALIZING examinations. The best advice I can give is to stay on top of the homework - the problems are far too difficult to put off until the exam is approaching. You don't really need the suggested textbooks, though you might glance at the Becker text for reference on some of the gene regulation material. (Reading the text will waste valuable time - that is better spent doing the homework problems.) Also, you might want to bring a pocket recorder to class, for some of the gems she inserts into her lectures. A word to the wise: if you are a postbacc pre-med student, do not get confrontational with her, in the event that you disagree with her grading. People on the postbacc committee will tell you that they hold Dr. M in very high regard. You do not want to get Dr. M upset. Good luck, and keep your cool.
Significant. You will need to invest alot of time in doing the problems (don't cheat and look up the answer). Most students do not try to do the text readings (her lectures are very thorough and complete.)
Does it really have to be so bad? Life is too short...
It's been a full year of my experience with Dr. Mowshowitz and I must say, it was quite an adventure to remember.
A couple of pointers for those yearning pre-meds who are expecting to get a B+ in this course but really really really want that golden "A."
-Read up on every single of CULPA review on her and Chasin. I'm not kidding. I remember during the summer being scared absolute shitless when I read her CULPA reviews, but now I'm thankful for having been so demoralized. Because of what I learned early from culpa, I came into this course more than aware of and prepared for her ambiguously-worded and infamously tough exams (and yes, they are as tough as if not worse than how they're reviewed here).
-It is after taking her first exam that you will realize that you're now in college and there's no turning back. Prepare well for that first exam with the right mindset, and it'll probably define the mood for the rest of your year in Bio. I studied harder for each midterm than I did for any of my GChem finals combined; that attitude helpfully carried me on for the entire rest of the year
-Go to every single of her live lectures. Although her downloadable lecture outlines are almost written word-for-word, there always exist a few minor details that she clarifies so well in class. And it just happens to be that those details are the ones that end up in some way on the midterms.
-Read her lectures outlines thoroughly, over and over and over and over. Read them once, you'll probably retain only 60% of the material. Read them again, and you'll get all the materials that you missed out on the first time. It's those sneaky little details you disavowed on the first run that end up on the midterms. If you ever think that "ah, there's no way she can put that on the exam..," she can and she will.
-Treat your problem book like your new significant other. Do the problems over and over and over again. Bring it everywhere with you, take notes on it, sleep with it. If you're already in a relationship with someone else, tell him/her that some things are going have to change this year. If you're single, then that's great; you won't be so bored at Columbia anymore.
-With that said, take NOTES on how she asks questions (what she means when she says this and that). There's a way she words her questions that you should pick up on early on before it gets too late into the year. Therefore, take notes on her lectures and problems, and then take notes on your notes.
-Start a study group and teach the material to each other. The recitation teachers always say that there's a huge difference between knowing the material and teaching it. And remember that the recitation teachers are the selected few undergrads who all got A's in the course. Know the material, and then be able to teach it to others.
-NEVER EVER GIVE UP! You can go in with an "oh shit" feeling but never feel that one bad midterm grade will destroy you. You can always drop one midterm; just don't take a midterm with the plans to already drop it -- that's the wrong way to approach this course. Always give your 100% to every single midterm and if you have the stamina, you'll be proud of what you've learned and accompliahsed.
-Don't buy bio textbooks if you plan on going to every live lecture. You'll be in a better mood to start off your year having saved at least $200. Spend that money on food to eat while you're studying furiously into the night.
Good luck premeds! and godspeed.
-The world. 4 midterms, drop one (you cannot drop the final, 4th midterm/final) + weekly quizzes. Treat this class like an 8 credit course.
If you're reading this review simply to get a feeling for the pain and frustration you are going to feel in this class, please stop! This review is not for you. This review is for those with the courage to stand up to injustice and take this class at Barnard or not at all. Everyone will try to scare you into taking this class because it's on such a high level, but its really not. You learn the same material as any other Bio class, except you have to be terrorized by HER. Trust me, please! Be the smart one who enjoys a happy life while all your spineless premed friends lament this class. There is another way- take Bio at Barnard or, better yet, use your AP credits to place out of it- nobody at this university will tell you that secret, but yes you can do that!!
Three tests plus a final each semester which test nothing but your trickiness. Don't be surprised by a wide range of scores on your tests- your grade in this class is completely up to chance (unless you consider making the correct baseless assumptions about what her idiotic questions are asking some kind of intellectual quality.)
lets get things straight since you will have no choice but to take this class. Dr. M is a really good teacher but her tests are freaking impossible she thinks that if you "understand the material" that the tests are not challening, but the wording of the questions is always ambiguous and misleading and she intentionally throws you off with diagrams that are difficult to interpret.
the key to doing well in this class is learning to think like her. this is not a skill that can be learned by everyone. sorry. youre out of luck premeds.
pros: you will be well prepared to think like a scientist inthe future, you will LAUGH at the bio section of the mcats, and you will have a lot more information about modern biology than anyone else in the country taking an intro bio class.
cons: you can put in a massive amount of work and still end up with a C. no tutoring, practice books, or textbooks can help you unless you take that damn problem book and graft it to your body, letting the style of scientific thinking slowly seep through.
hahaha. prepare to give up your life
Mowshowitz is one of the most organized lecturers that I have had at columbia rivaled only by Gulatti. It is only fair to say that Mowshowitz is expected to cover such a great deal of material in the class that she can't walk students through everything in lecture. I felt that she used the time very efficiently and covered all the material required for exams. The exams were certainly very fair as demonstrated by the fact that she usually gets a curve close to what she expects and if she does not she just gives you the extra points to pull the median up to what it should be. The material on the exams combine the material you learn in class with critical thinking and problem solving skills...there is no "plug-and-chug" in biology. Most people find the matterial difficult and the exams "unfair" for three reasons. The first is that if you dont have a strong high school biology background (like I did fortunately) then you need to pick up the book to get a more in depth view of the topics and catch the details that Mowshowitz glosses over because she simply doesnt have any time. The second is that you should definately not miss a single class...each is so dense that missing just one class can mean a 20% swing on an exam plus Mowshowitz uses some very useful demonstrations that can come in very handy to being able to visualize the concepts. The third is that you simply have to do every single problem especially the ones that were from previous exams because, even more than orgo, bio is dependant on being able to solve the problems and if you arent solving them by urself and working through them then there is no way you will do well on the exams.
Mowshowitz, is also a very nice person when you go and talk to her in person. She is very prompt with answering emails and tries to choose the most competent TAs. The only drawback is that her online lecture notes are a bit slim and should be taken as an outline where if you dont understand a topic you go to the book or to a TA for explanation.
Depends on the person and how long it takes you to grasp concepts and do problems. I saw some people studying for over a week for midterms while some were able to pull it off with a couple night's of studying...I think it all depends on your bio background because the class just zooms by.
The way I would describe this class is that it's Mowshowitz's way or the highway-- and this goes for everything from her lecture notes to the problem book and tests. She has only one way of describing things, which may or may not make sense to you but either way you should do whatever it takes to understand it. Although the workload truly is "obscene," as one reviewer described it, you're gonna have to learn Bio one way or another so you might as well bite the bullet and tough it through this course. Once you do, you come out of the class not only feeling like you know the textbooks inside-out, but like you how to actually think and problem solve. In retrospect, it was a really good experience and though I busted my ass for my grade, to an extent it was well worth it.
This has been said time and time again, but be prepared to read her notes over and over again. Don't take the problem sets lightly. Tests have an amazing ability to screw with your mind, but just keep everything straight in your head and you'll be fine. Everyone has their own method for how to do well in this course-- find yours fast and stick to it.
Prof Mowshowitz is good, but a bit overrated. She apparently won some Presidential Teaching Award a few years back, and to her credit, her lectures were generally well-delivered and the material covered in her class honed nicely over the twenty years or so that she has been teaching it. However, she has a tendency to get sloppy. Her printed lecture notes, which are a very important part of the class (a surrogate textbook, apparently) were full of confusing sentences, perplexing abbreviations, and typos (how hard is it to run a spell check? She has had twenty years to do that). Her problem sets also, and even her test questions, were often poorly written and difficult to follow. A lot of points were lost on tests, I bet, because of misreadings caused by her poor phrasing. And she got lazy running the class website, taking forever to post test solutions and final grades. I agree with others who say we should have some other options for Intro Bio.
HEAVY, the problem sets would take forever even if they were worded clearly. Tests, too, were hard, but not unfair. My recitations were useless--get a good TA.
Pros: You learn a shitload of bio! You will be so ready for the MCAT it's nobody's business, good lecturer, has time to meet, always punctual and tries to get tests back fast.
Cons: Her tests are EXTREMELY rigorous, RIDICULOUS weekly problems sets (which if you don't do, you're doomed), curves at a B- (that means that if you are average, you are saddled with a B-), she will, without hesitation, give you a C in the course if you don't work your ass off.
I have found that you are either good at taking DMOW's tests or just bad. The sad thing is that it is pure chance. The person you call an idiot down the hall may just have a natural talent for doing well while you work your ass off. Such is the life of the premed. Sad thing is if you don't take her, you take bio at Barnard and ALL med schools know this is a cop out. So if you're set on a top notch med school, getting through DMOW with a B is SIGNIFICANTLY better than an A in Barnard's Mickey Mouse Bio (all med school's know how hard DMOW is and pity your B). So, if you're feeling lucky, take the class. If not, you should reconsider premed.
OBSCENE. 3 exams (1 dropped), and final. The problem sets are not collected but if you don't do them, you are screwed.
I took this course last year and I've got to say that this course is difficult for exactly the reasons stated in the 23 December 2004 review -- it's spot on. Doing well in this class' exams requires brains and the skills of a detective -- you have to integrate a huge number of details to deliberately tricky test problems.
I attended every lecture but for me, the recitation section was the key to surviving this course. Switch asap if your recitation leader seems bad. (Ask around and find a good section and claim that a schedule conflict arose.)
The great thing about this course is that if you dont understand a concept you have no lack of places to turn for help: a) lecture notes b) a recitation section led my an undergrad that recently took the course c) two textbooks d) a problem book e) lots of friends in the course
Mowshowitz is much better than Chasin (although it might just be that she gets to teach the more interesting lectures). I should also say note the Purves textbook is fantastic -- well diagramed, concepts well-explained and put in context if youre having trouble with something, read Purves closely before reading the lecture notes or doing the problems.
There's not much to say that hasn't been said before. The material on the tests are really unpredictable and you must learn every detail to do well. So all i can really do is acknowledge that the problem book and lecture notes are at times confusing lots of mistakes, typos and confusing grammatical issues. And the tests are brutal and the lectures are sometimes disorganized. But suck it up, and youll learn a helluva lot of bio.
lots. do the problem book over and over.
So Chasin just finished the 10 lectures he gives in Intro Bio.
Man, what's wrong with all these negative people?!?!?! He's a very good lecturer. I'd say great, except for a few abstruse topics where he could have been a little better. The class is run very well; the "problem-based" approach keeps you honest. The web-site is great. The recitations are helpful.
The only thing: --and now I understand why there are so many negative reviewers-- it's hard to get an A in this class... you need to really be on top of things, and you face stiff competition, so there won't be much of a curve.
It's not because the instruction is bad, not because the two textbooks are bad (they're very good), not because the exam questions are unfair, not because the grading is arbitrary, etc. etc. IT'S BECAUSE THIS IS AN IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL, AND THIS IS A SCIENCE CLASS. If you want an A just for showing up, switch to something else.
Moderate for a SCIENCE class. Don't skip the lectures: it helps when you read the lecture notes later on.
Let me make it simple for you.
Class and D-mow are a waste of time and space.
I don't even know what she looked like, but I walked out with an A.
If you want to do this my way, screw going to class, read the notes VERY CAREFULLY, and do every single problem twice or three times. Thats all there is to it.
Still, its quite time consuming, and I went into the class liking bio, and left hating it.
Ridiculous. I am stupefied that this woman is allowed to continue teaching.
Guys. It wasn't that bad. I admit he was a little dry, but if you listened rather than snigger at his mannerisms and joke with your friends you'd do fine. Why be an aspiring doctor if you can't manage a simple lecture class? It gets harder. Trust me. Chasin really seemed to me to care very much about the class and the subject, even if he wasn't always the best at getting the information across. He told a story about spending hours and hours in his basement recording all his lectures from his notes to post online for his students, years ago, only to find that they turned out too short and the actual experience of lecturing was based on the interaction in the classroom. This isn't your enemy speaking! I see this guy around and he always looks harassed and depressed. Lighten up a little.
Anyway, I thought Chasin was decent, but he's nothing compared to Mowshowitz, who's just a Force. Listen. Study. Ask questions. Check out the text book. Stop whining.
3 midterms (drop one), final, problem sets recommended. You should be working quite a few hours a week on this one...
I am completely disagree with the person who posted two below me- the class is tough and the one week cram will only work if you have no other classes, exams, work or social issues to deal with for a week- clearly for most students that is not the case. I tried it both ways- the one week cram and the three week steady stream of work- do yourselves a favor and do the steady stream of work- don't fall behind, don't miss class, don't take the problem sets lightly. The practice exams were a joke compared with the real exams- the problem sets were ten times easier- don't get cocky. Do study hard
alot of problems- recitation problems, 1 exam dropped
My feelings are also very mixed about Debbie. She's definitely a more dynamic, interesting lecturer than her partner in crime, Larry Chasin, she has a good sense of humor and she really does want us to completely understand what is going on with biology since she tries her best to explain things completely and clearly. She will even repeat concepts over a couple of times to really get her point across so I don't get the impression that she doesn't enjoy teaching or could care less about us (which were the vibes i got from Chasin). I'm sure she is a great woman but i find myself torn because while I like her personality wise, grade wise and exam wise, I feel that is where this course needs significant improvement.
That being said, my main issue with this course is the exams. I did the problem sets before the exams and I studied my butt off but I was locked into the same grade range every test, no matter what approach I took, I could not get out of a rut. Debbie certainly does know how to write an exam, I'll give her that, but I guess the main problem is that her expectations are too high and her TA's are a big problem. Most are postbaccs or undergraduates and I think that is really ridiculous because when it comes down to grading the exams, they are bound to Dr. M's answer key and if what you wrote doesn't exactly match what is on the key, you get docked points. And can't say I'm a fan of problem based learning, I think it's counterintuitive for some people and it's not fair that those that prefer a traditional lecture based course don't have any choice in the matter here at Columbia. I don't feel as if I know the material better going through PBL and not knowing what debbie is going to throw at you on a test just makes for stressful studying. Also, she is a fan of making 3 to 4 test questions revolve a single case, so if you don't understand or screw up one question, most likely you will just propagate the error through the entire exam and you don't get points for being consistent.
You can at least take comfort that her reputation for being a hard ass is known at most medical schools, but still if you struggle with this class, it's a very frustrating experience because you know the material but can't show that on the exams and the amount of effort you put into this course does not translate to an A+ as someone else said, for a lot of people it translates to a low B or a C+.
My only advice is to attend the lectures and really pay attention for Larry's part because you need to know everything in detail. I found reading one of the textbooks was helpful because it broke down the topics simply which is nice if you've never taken college biology before. For Dr. M, I suggest doing the problem sets a little bit each day, I found that the day of the lecture, I would read the lecture notes carefully (highlighting and taking notes) and would do her suggested problems in the lecture notes that way you don't have to cram them in the week before the test. Work through old exams and recitation questions and realize that you have to completely change the way you study, the days of cramming are over, in fact I would suggest studying for her exams at least a month in advance. i know it sounds like overkill but the more you go over it and familiarize yourself with the material, you can start seeing patterns in Debbie's thinking (this is what is helping me improve this semester).
Heavy, especially for Chasin's lectures since he really doesn't explain the material well so you end up teaching the first 9 lectures of the course to yourself before Dr. M takes over. Dr. M expects a lot and expects that you know the material backwards and forwards and graders are unforgiving. Studying biology is a full time job so grow to love glycolysis, the krebs cycle and your bio textbooks.
I disagree with what some of the previous reviewers have been saying about the exam problems going beyond the level of the homework problems. I actually think that the exams are right on par with the problem sets, which are certainly not easy. For any given unit, imagine a pool of over 100 questions with varying difficulty and style. Let's say that 60 of them are in the problem book, 10 in recitation, 5 on the practice midterm, 7 on your midterm, and the rest looming for future Bio students. So how do you study for these seemingly "random" exam problems? Do the problem sets CAREFULLY, maybe twice. But you really don't need to do them so far in advance. If you are a little lazy like me, cram about a week before the midterm by reading the lectures and doing/understanding every problem you can find. To be clear, I'm not saying don't go to class and work dilligently all the time. I am, however, saying that the 1 week cram can work just as well. It did for me.
I don't think most of the reviews of Dr. Chasin are fair. I think he's an excellent and extremely dedicated professor. He personally answers in detail all the questions students email him and is always willing to help in office hours where he is both friendly and concerned that you are learning. However, the class in general holds students to very high standards, which, depending on how much you enjoy biology, is extremely good or bad. His lectures are all on PowerPoint, which may not be to everyone's taste (it takes some effort to figure out how much you should copy into your notes), but extremely detalied lecture notes provide either a backup or alterenative to taking notes in lecture. Given this, you really could skip lecture and teach yourself the course, but be advised that it takes considerably more time to teach yourself what you would absorb in a mere 75 minutes in class (and because of this it's very easy to either never learn what you skipped or leave it till just before an exam, which makes things pretty stressful with all the problems you to work on). The grading scheme is also more generous than people let on, but A-range grades aren't just handed out.
Depends. If you do ALL of the recommended problems, then the workload is the equivalent of actually doing all the second semester Lit hum readings (virtually impossible for us mere mortals). Personally, I think it's better to read (or re-read) the lecture notes, do only as many problems as you need to feel confident with the materal, and get plenty of sleep before exams. The exams require a flexibility of knowledge and a certain amount of creatiive thinking (which doing all the problems in the world won't help you with if you're exhausted), but you're given more than adequate time to think, so it's best to be on your game.
I believe that premed students should be given a choice of Biology professors and will lobby Columbia on this point, as should you. In the meantime, you'll enjoy Prof M's lively, entertaining lectures.
She grades tough. Over the past two semesters that she's taught Bio, she's given A- or better to only about 33% of her class, with about 16% A. (Please see above note about lack of choice).
On the bright side, Bio can be beaten like a drum if you disregard the silly advice on her course website and do the following: attend class if you like (no need to read lec notes before or after); a week before an exam, work the problems, then do them again (yeah, this takes about 6 days). Know them cold plus the prior year's exam. Waste no time on anything else.
Not as bad as most say, because most Bio students waste time studying the wrong stuff. 4 midterms, one of which is taken the day of the "final" but is simply a midterm like the prior three. Lowest of first 3 exams dropped. Cushy quizzes in recitation that 98% of class will ace (no exaggeration), so they don't factor into grade.
An incredible lecturer. Professor Mowshowitz presents the material with clarity, answers students' questions whenever she can, and almost never makes mistakes (or at least I can't think of an instance). The material isn't difficult, per se, more than it is just taught in a different style than most people are used to -- sort of the way biology was meant to be learned. And if you want to simply understand the material, all you have to do is come to lecture; they're very interesting and you find yourself absorbing the material very easily. Doing well on the tests, however, is another story. Rote memorization and regurgitation won't get you a passing grade, so don't assume that either of those are sufficient preparation for C2005 exams (like I did initially). The best way to study is to do the problem sets and practice exams which are released about a week before each exam, but you really have to understand them to do well, since the tests in no way resemble the homework. Some people find the problem-set approach annoying, but I personally think it's more interesting than, say, the AP Biology setup in high school. Overall, this is an excellent course for anyone who's interested in biology, or anyone who's interested in figuring out problem sets.
Lots of problem sets (you do part of one after each lecture), but they're not required (but do them anyway). Some sets have over 20 problems, and some have less than 10. The amount of time spent on them differs from person to person, so I can't explicitly state a workload in terms of hours, but I would say it's doable for anyone. 3 midterm examinations (of which one is dropped) and a final (which isn't). It would be wise to do every problem and reread all the lectures online to prepare for them. And some advice regarding the problem sets: don't check the answers in the back of the book until you're convinced yourself that the answer you wrote down is correct, even if it takes a while. For an entire unit, for each problem I didn't know how to do I just read the answers and told myself I understood the material. Bad choice. I ended up doing extremely poorly on that midterm. During the next unit I followed my own advice and improved significantly -- over 40 points better on a 100 point test. Take that for what it's worth.
My feelings toward Dr. M are mixed. I think the problem-based approach she uses for the course is very good; it teaches actual learning of concepts rather than just repetition of definitions and facts. I came away from the course feeling I had learned quite a bit of new information. However, I think she carries the problem-based approach too far, to the point where your ability to simply understand the problems given to you matters more than the effort you put into understanding the material.
The difficulty with the course has three stages. In class, Dr. M explains concepts in a tremednous amount of detail, adding lab techniques and applications of the concepts as well. Rather than condensing material into a few easy-to-understand principles, she attempts to emphasize every detail equally, which makes for a tremendous amount of material to study. Dr. M then includes all of the little details given in lecture in the course's 15 problem sets, which are incredibly long, difficult, and sometimes frustrating. The problems also require application of the material to situations a step beyond those discussed in class.
And if that wasn't enough, the tests go a step beyond the problem sets, requiring application of the class material (and the problem set logic) to entirely new situations that are neither discussed in class nor shown in the problem sets. Simply knowing how to apply your knowledge to a test question is half the battle, knowing the material (and all of its associated details) is the other half.
The bottom line: You will learn a lot from Dr. M if you come to class and do the problem sets. But this class does not reward 100% effort with an A--you can work your tail off studying and doing the problem sets and still get a mediocre grade if you can't see a test question and immediately know what material to apply to answer it.
Extraordinary--the 15 problem sets amount to about one a week, many of them take 2-3 hours, some may take four. None of them are collected or graded, but doing them is essential to getting even a decent grade in the class. Quizzes and additional problems are given in weekly recitation. Tests: three midterms and a final, lowest midterm is dropped (mercifully). Class is curved to a B- average.
Repeat after me- Larry does not care. Why else would he speed through power point slides without fully explaining their meaning? Mumble under his breath when someone gives an incorrect answer? His part of this class is painful- painful- did I mention painful? Clearly I now know more about metabolic pathways than I thought was humanly possible to learn in a period of 6-7 weeks- the first weeks of an introductory level class- but it does not have to be this way. I can work the Glycolytic Pathway and TCA like I'm their daddy- but I still don't know what the components of the cell are b/c the first 6 weeks of this course doesn't cover that.
Study at least 1.5 hours a day or you will get a C. 4 exams- 1 dropped-- there are budding scientists in this class (who get 99s) and the less gifted (who get 12s).
From the first lecture, I knew this class would be the bane of my existence at Columbia and that one thing was certain, I would end up cursing the day Professor Chasin was awarded tenure. I agree with all the previous reviews, Professor Chasin is not your friend, nor is his a competent lecturer or a nice person. In fact, my hatred for this class and this man runs so deep, that I am writing this review after only 8 lectures and before the exam, which I am sure will be just as retarded as Chasin's lectures and lame jokes.
My first problem with this class was the organization, which is nonexistent.
Professor Chasin always arrived early to lecture but somehow we pretty much always started 10 or 15 minutes late due to various "computer malfunctions." Either his computer would crash mid - lecture or his PowerPoint slides would magically disappear and we would waste class time while he scratched his head, patted his tummy and tried to figure out how to get the presentations working again. He's
been teaching this class for how many years and he still can't work out the kinks in his presentation?! That's just unacceptable, if these professors expect me to bust my ass in their class and to devote myself to biology (a subject I now detest), then I expect more from them. I don't want to see PowerPoint slides or badly printed handouts that look like they are from the year of the flood. Is this what $10,000 in tuition at Columbia gets you, crappy looking PowerPoint slides and lecture notes that make no sense?
My second major problem with this class is Chasin himself, as he just doesn't give a shit about his students. This fact becomes very evident second week into the semester after Chasin finally wraps up talking about water and gets into the "real" biology. I understand that this is Columbia, but when I sign up for a class called "Introductory Biology," I expected to be taught biology ground up, say we'd go over some basic concepts for the dumbasses like myself who took AP Chemistry over AP Biology in high school and then build from there and go over more complex concepts. Well if you're expecting that from Chasin, you're shit out of luck because he skips all the "real" biology in favor of longwinded tangents about biochemistry and nonsensical explanations of biological phenomena. For example, expect lecture to go a little something like this: "Well if we put this and this together, yada yada yada, and then we get a peptide bond." Will you learn what a peptide bond is? Absolutely not, but at least you will learn that Chasin suffers from kidney stones, how enlightening! More than anything, this class and Chasin are just frustrating because from day one, you're pretty much screwed because lecture goes no where and you will be forced to pour over his lecture notes posted on the course website (which conveniently leave out crucial points I might add so you're pretty much forced to attend lecture), while frantically reading and outlining the two textbooks required for the class, while trying desperately to get all the problem sets done.
Finally, my last problem with intro to biology is that it's unfair that both Chasin and Mowshowitz have a monopoly over biology at Columbia. If we are given the opportunity to choose between THREE orgo, FOUR G. Chem and THREE Physics professors, why are we only offered one choice for biology?! And furthermore, I know plenty of people are unhappy in biology right now (at least 10 people storm out of the lecture every class) and there have been many complaints about both professors in years past as they both are terrible professors, their tests are unfair and the class is not taught properly. I'd like to know why they are still allowed to teach this class, better yet, I'd like to know how Chasin even defended his dissertation when he says things like "well I really can't explain this to you."
Unfortunately, if you're a premed or a postbacc you have to take this class, but be warned, it's a frustrating, stressful and crappy experience that will leave you feeling overworked, jaded and wishing that Professor Chasin would transfer to another university.
Ridiculous. Lots of reading, problem sets are impossible, pointless and unrelated to test material. This class will suck away all your free time and is a full time job so be prepared to pour your heart and soul into molecular biology.
I think that most of the mean reviews of Professor Mowshowitz come from people who didn't do as well as they expected to. If you're not ready to deal with a biology class that actually forces you to think instead of just regurgitating facts, this is definitely not for you. You have to do a ton of work. The reason that Professor Mowshowitz doesn't use the established textbooks is that they throw so many details at you that the key concepts get overlooked. This is probably one of the few problem-based intro biology courses in the country, so all the materials and problems are from Dr. M herself.
Here is the deal. If you want to actually understand the concepts and learn to apply them, then take the course. If you want a bio course where you memorize the "established" textbooks and get an A by regurgitating material, go elsewhere
Heavy. Keep up, or you will get a C
The severity of the problem with Introductory Biology at Columbia has not been truly brought to light by these other reviews. Allow me to raise a few points:
1) Why does Dr. Mowshowitz (with a little Chasin and Gibber sprinkled in) have a monopoly on the Intro Bio racket? Have any of you stopped to think that in Physics, G Chem and Orgo, Columbia offers you a choice of at least 3 different professors per semster. So why is she the only choice one of the most prestigious institutions of our country offers for such an important subject?
2) What right does Dr. Mowshowitz have to filter a class through her lenses the way she does? Let me explain: in G Chem, Physics and Orgo, the main source of material is a textbook. But in Dr. Mowshowitz's class, the information comes mainly from her on-line notes and the problems (which mirror her exams) are based on problems she wrote or co-wrote. Not trusting the industry standard Campbell (or Becker and Purves for that matter) for problems she forces students to wrestle with her style. If that style does not fit yours, well you're out of luck, there are no alternatives or other professors offered.
3) Down to the nitty gritty: Her problem sets and more importantly exams are comprised of a set of questions with subsections which are often interconnected. For example there is #1 1-a, 1b, 1c.....and #2 2a, 2b, 2c. Now, not only is all of problem #1 (i.e. 1a, 1b etc) based on one question, but often problems #1 and #2 are connected. The point being: there is a domino effect. If you get one part wrong this leads you to get another part wrong and often even other entire problems. I would prefer questions that are wholly independent of each other so there is no double jeopardy. Again, I am asking that she model her exams like G Chem, Physics and Orgo.
Amen,
Thanks for Listening. Petition Columbia to hire some more Intro to Bio professors.
The workload isn't the issue.
Check Larrys review board for the dark sides of the class, because I actually have some praise for Debbie. Youll be relieved once she starts teaching, she writes on the board, and doesnt waste your time trying to figure out the computer presentations. She is a natural comedian you wont realize it until you get to genetics everywhere you go she throws in some humor about bacterial sex, or pokes fun at the idea of random mating, and really does give you the run down on inheritance she may have won all those teaching awards solely on the basis of sexual humor. But she is an incredibly clear lecturer, and youll appreciate it, even given the frustration of hours of fruitless labor in the class.
If you remember anything from the SAT I, you might say I am to Larry as Jeremy Shockey is to Bill Parcells. So if youre confused, Ill be simple: Larry isnt my friend, and he isnt yours either, but he's in charge, and we're not. He is the borne assassin of every aspiring doctor at Columbia, and if youre looking for a way out, youre wasting a lot of time that you should be using starting hacking away at the material 3 weeks in advance, in preparation to do 15 endless problem sets, read two brutally esoteric textbooks, study 30 hours a week for the exams doing diagrams, reworking problems, trying to keep youre head screwed on, and then reciting every prayer youve ever heard in hopes of hitting the mean on the tests. If he teaches you biology, you should offer to give him computer lessons he wastes an incredible of time on the computer setup of his presentations. Hes a bit rude as well, and if hes your exam proctor, hell come out as a modern Gestapo, and not too receptive to student questions. I call this class natural selection for people whove been at it all their lives. I didnt take AP bio, and I really regret it now. You think youve got the stuff nailed to the wall, until its time to put the answer key away. Youll have to break out of the traditional mold of studying a tough subject get rid of the flash cards, vocab sheets, and quit quizzing each other, and devote youre life to knowing every possible situation (the problem sets will give you an intimidating start) where each little detail can even be mentioned. And its not enough to have done the problems the exams test whether or not the stuff is second nature to you, so just get going now you can never know it too well and no detail in anything you read can be passed off in fact, the more ridiculous it sounds, the more likely it is to show up on the test. Even try to use the stuff in youre everyday thinking now and then test yourself while you work out and see if you can remember exactly whats happening in your body!
So to sum up: 2 textbooks: $230 Deciphering lecture and web notes: 10 hours a week Trudging through problem sets: 30 hours a week failing four tests: 0.2 off your GPA learning a hell of a lot more bio: priceless.
15 Problem Sets (do all of each one or you will fail), 23 lectures (you wont understand the problems if you havent cracked them), weekly quizzes in recitation (dont you wish those were the exams?), and 4 tests (at least youll have a story to tell).
This class is overrated. Dr. M's lectures are terribly vague, disorganized, and superficial. Dr. Chasin just happily ploughs along the first few weeks that he has to teach. He's not better than Dr M, but at least his lectures are organized. The TA's are a toss-up. Some are clueless and others are better teachers than the professors. The material is very interesting, but you're better off reading the textbook instead of going to class (half the class did this after the 2nd midterm, leaving lots of room for ass-kissing postbacs to attend the morning lecture). The problem book is only helpful if you understand the concepts. This class is run like Communist China. Exams are are poorly written and ambiguous, and graded somewhat abitrarily. Sometimes all you need to do well is a little luck (for guessing the correct multiple choice answer) and a knack for giving ambiguous answers to the equally ambiguous questions. Grading: ok, so first there's the monumentally stupid idea of handing back the exams in a lecture of 300-400 people, unless you like to get trampled by a mob. Blatant misgrading is the least of your worries(and it happens quite a bit). Sometime they'll lose your exam, or hand you back an exam that will have pages from someone's exam. Don't expect them to do anything about it. They 'll snark about the most inane to the most valid concern about grading. Plus, there's no guarantee that, if you are pre-med, that the course will cover material relevant to the MCATS. If you are a bio major, you ought to be good enough to opt out of this course (there have been such people who've weaseled their way out of this course). If you are premed, take your bio prereq somewhere else, or take Pollack's class in the fall so you only have to suffer through Intro to Mol & Cell Bio for one semester.
A lot, but not overwhelming. However doing all the problem sets doesn't mean you'll ace the exams. Weekly quiz during 2 hour recitation. 3 midterms and a final. Like someone said, don't count on the curve to save your grade.
This course is not impossible, but don't depend on the curve to save your grade. Mowshowitz's lectures are pretty basic and she really hammers out the explanations. I think she's a good professor and her expectations are fair. Just do the problem sets, as everyone has said before - but more than that, do the practice exams and the recitation problems. Any type of practice on the problems will help you, but don't memorize the answers, understand the answers, because she usually doesn't give you the same exact problem on the exams, she'll give you a problem similar in that it employs the same word tricks and ideas. Most people entering this class have already taken ap bio or some course similar to that. Thus the class isn't about learning more (although there are some things that she goes a tad bit more in depth about), it's about how to do the problems.
There is recommended reading (which is totally unnecessary), problem sets, practice exams, recitation problems (all of which is helpful, but none are due, so discipline on the student's part is helpful) and recitation quizzes (easy 60 points). You also get to drop one of the first three exams.
This class is not as hard as most people make it out to be. If you pay attention in lecture, you'll be able to understand a lot of the material. She dumbs things down greatly, using childrens toys to demonstrate some of the more complex concepts. The tests are difficult, not because the material is challenging, but because the questions are sometimes random and very poorly worded. If you do the problem sets, you will do considerably better on the exams. However, doing them five times instead of once won't get you a better grade if you just try to memorize the answers in the back of the book - you need to be able to think and catch the little tricks. Previous bio experience helps and if you've ever spent any time working in a molecular biology lab, you'll have it easy. Don't be fooled though - taking AP bio in high school is meaningless, because 2005 is much more in-depth and thinking-oriented.
Lectures (all posted on line), big book of problem sets, recitation (with quizzes, difficulty depends on TA). The curve sucks
One of the most brilliant woman I've encountered and one of the best professors I've had. She's an excellent lecturer and totally approachable out of class. Learn to love her probem set book though, and I mean LOVE. Sleep with it at night or you'll get a C. This is a hard class, but with a whole lot of studying and paying attention in class, not impossible.. Plus everyone in there is premed, so be prepared for some stiff competition for grades.
High. Two hour mandatory recitation section each week with a quiz. Do every problem five times or you won't do well.
Kids, Larry is the evil one. Do not be fooled by his amusing tinker toy models or tiny growing tummy. You cannot imagine the capacity you have to hate all enzymes, six carbon sugars and anything related to breaking them down. A question on our second exam was based on one sentence he said in one lecture at some point in the course. You think that you just have to memorize everything and apply it logically, but Larry asks questions on the exception, that one case where things DON'T work normally, and for some reason, YOU were supposed to know this. I liked Larry in the beginning; he seemed so innocent, so . . . harmless, but no, his questions which some euphemize as "tricky" are frickin impossible. I really have no idea why he wants so badly to screw us all over . . .
a lot. problem sets, do them, i personally think the text is important for the larry section of the course because he's not a very good lecturer, often going on to long and weird tangents having hypothetical conversations between "the biochemists" and "the biologists" and one says "no!" and the other says "but it's one!" and then the biochemists said . . . .
I actually took bio for nonscientists before i turned premed, so i've had Debbie twice. One might say i'm an expert on Debbie . . . her teapot-like hand motions (mostly spouts, i.e. her song goes "i'm a little teapot, short and stout. here is my spout. here is my spout. here is my spout, etc.) I have spent entire class periods entertaining myself by watching the imaginary tea spewing out of her spouts, imagining the pissed janitor who has to mop up the liquid after class, the dejected students in the front row half-assedly wiping off their notebooks. Debbie uses pretty chalk, and she's a good lecturer. She's not as evil as Larry, if only because when you look at the answers to her questions, they usually make sense after you realize you didn't count something or think about something. no amount of memorization of the material or practice problems can prepare you for whatever random crap she'll throw at you on the test, though. The text is near-useless for the Debbie half (at least Becker is, anyway). The practice problems help, but you can be sure if you spend ten or fifteen problems talking about bacterial conjugation or something like that, you won't be seeing it on the test anytime soon. She'll always test you on what you HAVEN'T been doing. We're starting the genetics business, which i sucked at in the bio for NONscientists, not that turning premed makes me a scientist. let's just say i'm a smidgen worried about the next test . . .
many problem sets. it would be moronic not to do them. recitation once a week with a quiz, but my TA isn't very bright . . . so we don't listen to him, heh.
Professors Mowshowitz and Chasin are both excellent lectures and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this class. An individual who has a mind for calculus, chemistry, or physics should have no problem with it. if you decide to take this class, do not read the textbooks; all of the relevent information is posted on the course web page under notes. I recommend this class to freshmen, though the professors discourage it.
Moderate workload. The problem sets, which are essential, do take some time.
Everyone else has already said enough about this class. What you SHOULD know, however, is that most people (even premeds!) can take Bob Pollack's intro bio course instead of this one. He's a great professor, and while I haven't actually taken his intro course, I can bet the grading is a lot easier (or at least, fairer) than in Mowshowitz's course.
This isn't AP Bio redux. Infinitely more difficult. Very organized lecturer. Verbatim Web notes may tempt you not to go to class, but this is suicidal. Sometimes he goes a little too fast, like the Krebs Cycle. I agree with the other reviewers. You end up previewing the lecture notes. Then you go to class. Then you come home and juggle 2 books and your lecture notes deciphering the material. Then you do 20 difficult/long problem sets for each section. (15 sections) Then you study 50 hours for the exam. That is the only way to get an A. All the people in the class are either pretty smart or very very dedicated and motiviated premed students. Plus there are alot of post-bac 30 year old adults who will do anything to become doctors. If you want to fufill a science requirement, you should go the biosphere, unless you love biology so much that you don't care about a .2 deduction in your GPA.
If you want an A, Plan to work 30 hours a week. I joke not. If you slack off you will get a C or D or F. Tests are impossibly difficult and really tricky. No matter the grade you get, you will have learned alot. Do the problem sets, or you will fail the class.
Ok, so you're a premed and like the other 300 in this course you're ready to stab everyone in the room, sell your own mother/soul... you name it! Moshi knows this, and came up with the perfect solution: the weeder class! It's darwinism at it's best ; there's no need to explain evolution here - the "fittest survive" mechanics become abundantly clear... That said, if you have a genuine interest in biology, it's EXTREMELY stimulating. If you can see through the obnoxious hordes of aspiring med students, what you learn is fascinating and will lay a solid ground for your subsequent biological studies. It's a really difficult class - some say it's the hardest you can take in the department - but look at the bright side: it will be all downhill from there! Moshowitz stresses that you should concentrate on the problems, and I must agree with her on that one. Do them three times in a row if you have to, and believe me, if you don't keep up with the work, you don't stand a chance. The professor is brilliant, knows her stuff and is very approchable. I didn't find her lectures confusing at all, quite the opposite in fact. And in case you can't follow her and take notes at the same time, they're all up on the web by that evening, clear diagrams and all. (in reference to the review above...) So if you're ready to work your sorry little ass off and learn everything you need to get started, this is the place for you. If not... RUN!!! (Whatever you do, don't be confused by the name "intro".)
Heavy heavy heavy. A lot of it is up to you, really. You can choose whether to do it right or not. Doing it right means downloading the course notes (12 pages) after each lecture, going over them with the two textbooks trying to figure out what the f*ck is going on, and doing the lengthy and compulsively anal problem sets. Tests are a living hell. Three midterms and a final. I ended up studing for 8 hours a day / 6 days straight for my final. Good news though: you get to drop your worst midterm. Good luck!
Great Professors! Great class! You learn a lot of bio, very interesting lectures, VERY helpful website, you almost never fall asleep during lecture (if you like bio to begin with) BUT... Terrible exams! Work work work work and no show. If you didn't get at least a 3 on AP bio, save youself the heartache.
3 exams, 1 final, recitation. Practice sets (not collected)
A situation in which an extremely talented and gifted mind unsuccesfully tries to be a professor. One of the most intelligent people I have ever met, and one of the worst professors I have ever had. Lectures are interesting but disorganized and fast fast fast--tape recorders begin to appear by mid-semester. Exams are so impossibly difficult that it's almost funny. Workload is astounding. Moderately sized curve can work for you or against you...mean is a B-. Her specialty is Genetics, and so the class is extremely genetics-heavy in EVERY area, including Physiology. Horribly frustrating while taking the class, but whatever the grade, you do learn a hell of a lot of Bio.
Directory Data
| Dept/Subj | Directory Course | Professor | Year | Semester | Time | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2012 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro Bio I: Biochem, Gen, Molec: Intro Bio I-Biochem, Gen, Molec | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2012 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 2 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2010 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro Bio I: Biochem, Gen, Molec: Intro Bio I-Biochem, Gen, Molec | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2010 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 2 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2009 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro Bio I: Biochem, Gen, Molec: Intro Bio I-Biochem, Gen, Molec | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2009 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 2 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro Bio I: Biochem, Gen, Molec: Intro-Moleculr/Cellulr Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2008 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 2 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2008 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2007 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2006 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Introductory Biology I: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, & Genetics | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2006 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 2 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Introductory Biology I: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, & Genetics | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2006 | Fall | TR / 10:35-11:50 AM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2005 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro-Moleculr/Cellulr Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz | 2005 | Fall | TR / 10:35-11:50 AM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2004 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro-Moleculr/Cellulr Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2004 | Fall | TR / 10:35-11:50 AM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2003 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro-Moleculr/Cellulr Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2003 | Fall | TR / 10:35-11:50 AM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2002 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro-Moleculr/Cellulr Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2002 | Fall | TR / 10:35-11:50 AM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro-Moleculr/Cellulr Biology I | 2002 | Fall | T / 7:00- 9:00 PM | 0 | |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL F2401: Contemporary Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2001 | Fall | TR / 5:40- 6:55 PM | 1 |
| BIOS / BIOL | BIOS BIOL C2005: Intro-Moleculr/Cellulr Biology I | Deborah Mowshowitz, Lawrence Chasin | 2001 | Fall | TR / 10:35-11:50 AM | 1 |