BIO 004 · How this course works

You prepare for the next class before we meet.

That one habit is the whole course. The videos, notes, RecallRx cards, and drawings are not homework you finish after class. They are how you get ready for the class that is coming. Read this page once and the rhythm will make sense for all eight weeks.

The most important rule

Preparation comes before class, not after it.

01

The videos, notes, RecallRx cards, and drawings are preparation for class, not homework after class.

02

Class activities assume you already did the preparation. We build on it the moment you walk in.

03

So each night you get ready for tomorrow's lab and class, before we meet.

Get the picture right

One idea trips most students up. Fix it now.

This is how it works

Prep tonight, for tomorrow

Tonight you complete the materials for the next class session. You walk in already knowing the terms, having watched the videos, and having drawn the structures. Class is where you put that to work with your team.

This is the trap

Wait, then catch up after

Treating the materials as homework due after class means you arrive cold. The activities are built on prep you have not done yet, so the day is confusing and you fall a step behind. In an eight-week intensive, that gap grows fast.

Your evening routine

Each night, prepare for the next day.

Every class night follows the same five steps. Tick them off as you go. When a card turns and says you are ready, you have done everything you need for tomorrow. These boxes are just for you; nothing is recorded.

Worked example: your first night

Tonight

The schedule shows tomorrow is Tuesday, and Tuesday's topic is The Cell. So tonight you do The Cell, so you can apply it in tomorrow's lab and class. You also do Introduction, to get into the pattern from day one.

Tonight you also have epithelial tissue drawings to complete. Follow the instructions in the packet for this week.

Tomorrow, in class

The discussion and activities require what you prepared. Because you already learned The Cell last night, now you use it, with your team, on the lab and the problems in front of you. That is the point of preparing.

Tomorrow night

You prepare for Wednesday's class. The goal never changes: always come prepared.

Night 1

Monday night

Prepare for Tuesday

Get ready for Tuesday's lab and class

0 of 5 done

Night 2

Tuesday night

Prepare for Wednesday

Get ready for Wednesday's lab and class

0 of 5 done

Night 3

Wednesday night

Prepare for Thursday

Get ready for Thursday's lab and class

0 of 5 done

The pattern

Every week follows the same cycle.

Once you see the loop, you can run it on your own all term. Each step feeds the next, then it starts again for the following day.

  1. 1

    Prepare at homeVideos, notes, cards, drawings, the night before.

  2. 2

    Come to class readyYou arrive having done the prep.

  3. 3

    Complete lab and team activitiesWe build on what you prepared.

  4. 4

    Open the next day's materialsSee what is coming tomorrow.

  5. 5

    Prepare for the next classRun the same steps again.

Then repeat, every class day, every week.

Quick check

"Have I completed tomorrow's preparation?"

Ask yourself this every evening. Answer honestly, then see what to do next.

Questions, answered

What students usually ask first.

So the prework is due the night before, not after class?

Yes. If the schedule says tomorrow is Tuesday, you do Tuesday's materials tonight, so you can apply them in tomorrow's lab and class. Nothing in this course is meant to be done after the class it belongs to.

How much time should preparing take?

Plan for focused time each class night: the videos, a notes review, your RecallRx cards, and the required drawings. The exact load is set in the packet for the week. Doing it nightly keeps each session short and keeps you from falling behind.

What if I fall behind one night?

Start with tomorrow's materials before the next class, then backfill. Staying ready for the class in front of you matters more than catching up perfectly on what already passed. In an eight-week intensive, the next session always assumes the prep is done.

Where do I find what is assigned for each day?

Follow the instructions in your packet for this week, and open the current week from the course home page. Each day lists its videos, notes, cards, and drawings.

Stay on track

Prepared tonight means ready tomorrow.

Open your current week, find tomorrow's materials, and work through the five steps. Do that each night and the whole course stays manageable.

Go to your weekly modules

You have got this, one day at a time. Dr. Sharilyn Rennie