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What Do I Need for This Class?
What Do I Need for This Class?
Prerequisites
Prerequisites
We expect you to have successfully completed intro classes in bio, chem, and math.
- One year of college biology (BSCI105 and 106 or the equivalent)
- One semester of college chemistry (CHEM131 or the equivalent)
- One year of college math (MATH130 and 131 or the equivalent -- calculus and an introduction to probability)
We expect you to know the basics, not all the details -- what a cell is and its structure, how evolution works, what a chemical bond is, etc. You will be expected to bring your knowledge from these classes into our class and, on occassion, to share it.
What do I need to buy?
What do I need to buy?
All our materials are online on the open web. You will only need to buy an online access program that we will use for our in-class activities and an program where you will do your homework.
- TopHat -- This is the online app that will give you access to our in-class activities. Using this repquires a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. If you don't have any of those, see you instructor for an accomodation. TopHat will be contacting you with instructions through the email you used to register for classes. You can expect this to cost between $25-35 for each semester but there is a 7-day free starting period. The join codes are
PHYS131 Section 010x (TR lectures): Join code: 213423
PHYS131 Section 020x and PHYS331 Section SG9x (MWF lectures): Join code: 007615
- ExpertTA -- This is the online lap that you will use to do most of our homework problems. (There is one problem per week to be done on paper.) You can expect it to cost about $35 for each semester. You will begin the registration process for Expert TA when you access the first homework assignment.
- What about a text? -- Although we are trying to keep costs down for you by using an online text, some people prefer paper. Our text is offered in an optional printed version through XanEdu. (Though you won't get the links and videos connected to the text if you use paper.)
- What about a lab manual? -- The recitation and lab worksheets are online at our lab page. You will need to print them out before coming to recitation and lab each week.
What else do I need?
What else do I need?
- A Spreadsheet -- Some of our homework and lab activities require a spreadsheet to do repetitive calculations. You can use Excel, OpenOffice, or the spreadsheet available at Google Docs (http://docs.google.com/). To use Google Docs, you need to have a free Google account (a free Gmail account will work.)
- If you are unfamiliar with spreadsheets, there are good tutorials on the web. Here are some that look particularly appropriate. Many others are easily found by putting "Excel tutorial" into your favorite search engine. We will do our own training on Excel in the first lab.
- A Video Analysis Program -- In the lab, you will learn how to use ImageJ to quantitatively analyze images and videos. . We will help you install this in the laboratory period during the second week of the term.
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