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 Making up the Third 12U Science

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Lori V

Lori V


Posts : 14
Join date : 2010-05-22
Age : 32

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PostSubject: Making up the Third 12U Science   Making up the Third 12U Science EmptySat May 22, 2010 8:52 am

Hello, I'm Lori, and I will be entering the iSci program in the fall. I am really excited, but also a little concerned. I have two 12U science credits, Chemistry and Physics, but I was unable to fit Biology into my timetable this year. I know at one of the iSci presentations that I attended there was talk of having to learn the material over the summer. Does anyone know how this would work? Last semester I took 11U Biology, so I am considering possibly taking summer school. Is this a good idea? Does anyone have any comments/suggestions? I would be extremely grateful for any help!
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Krista Stemmler

Krista Stemmler


Posts : 148
Join date : 2010-01-12
Location : Haddon Ave.

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PostSubject: Re: Making up the Third 12U Science   Making up the Third 12U Science EmptySat May 22, 2010 11:38 am

Hello Lori,
I as well didn't have all three 12U courses (I was lacking in physics), and there are likely a bunch of others in the same predicament. That's why the department of science has online "refresher courses". There are three courses (biology, chemistry, and physics) that you can choose to work through during the summer if you want. They'll be available on the McMaster iSci webpage, and you can access them once you've accepted the program (profs will send out emails with more info in the future). You can take the courses regardless of whether you took the 12U class, you don't have to take them if you don't want to, there is no registration, and the courses don't count for credits. They are just made for your benefit.

If you would rather take a summer school course go ahead. I found the online material was sufficient for understanding university level physics, and I didn't feel behind. I didn't take the biology refresher so I can't speak for its effectiveness. The major aspect that you would lose out on by just doing the online course is the lab component of biology, but most summer school courses also cut out labs to save time. Evidently its your choice but I felt that what the university supplied to supplement grade 12 material worked well, and it gave me more time to enjoy summer.
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Prateek Gupta
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Posts : 408
Join date : 2009-12-23
Age : 32

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PostSubject: Re: Making up the Third 12U Science   Making up the Third 12U Science EmptySat May 22, 2010 12:38 pm

Hey, I agree with what Krista said.

Don't worry too much. From what I remember the "refresher" was just selected readings from an online textbook with some practice questions.

Definitely, taking the summer school course would be more to your benefit, (if it is not a hassle, and you genuinely would like to take the course, then I would go ahead and take it in summer school). Otherwise, at the very least, I would recommend finding a friend who took 12U and maybe for a couple of days review their notes.

Concepts I would focus on studying are: cell structure, cell replication (these first two are grade 11 concepts), proteins/enzymes, DNA structure, replication/translation/transcription of DNA, biotechnology (PCR, RFLP, southern blotting, etc.), and understand the basics of evolution, speciation, and natural selection.

Don't focus too much on human organ systems, plants and photosynthesis.

If you are using the Nelson: Biology 12 textbook, Units 2 and 4 are the most useful, and you should also have good background in Unit 1. Everyone can check out this site http://www.science.nelson.com/0176259872/studquizzes.html for review!

Hope I helped!
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Jyssika Russell




Posts : 138
Join date : 2010-01-11
Location : McMaster

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PostSubject: Re: Making up the Third 12U Science   Making up the Third 12U Science EmptySun May 23, 2010 12:05 am

Personally, I think it depends on how comfortable you are with the subject. If you are comfortable with bio, but just didn't take it because of scheduling conflicts, etc., I'm sure you would manage with the refresher course.

However, if you aren't very comfortable with bio, you may consider spending a bit more time working on it. You could take a summer course, but the main difference is that a teacher would be delivering the same content that the online course does. Like Krista said, you won't get the lab experience, but university bio labs are very different anyways.

From the way we were taught biology this year, I would say refresh/focus on cell biology, like cell reproduction and respiration. I say this because the prof we had this year for that content went very quickly through the material, and I thought I would have found it intense without having taken 12U (or doing the refresher).
The ecology/evolution sections were taught in a concept-based fashion, and didn't depend on the 12U curriculum as much (in my opinion).
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Lori V

Lori V


Posts : 14
Join date : 2010-05-22
Age : 32

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PostSubject: Re: Making up the Third 12U Science   Making up the Third 12U Science EmptySun May 23, 2010 9:06 pm

Thanks for all the helpful advice!
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Alex Nielsen

Alex Nielsen


Posts : 75
Join date : 2010-01-29
Age : 33
Location : iStudy

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PostSubject: Re: Making up the Third 12U Science   Making up the Third 12U Science EmptySat May 29, 2010 11:46 pm

It totally depends on how you work as a person. I think bio would be ok even if you didn't have it in grade twelve, but you would still DEF need to do some reading/review in your spare time. Personally, I hate summer courses because they cut lab time and also because I like freedom. If you went over prateek's list I think you'd probably be golden. I didn't have grade 12 physics, and that was a bigger problem than bio for a lot of people.
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