Neur100:

FUNdamentals of Neuroscience

Welcome to Neur100! I'm your professor, Carlita Favero (she/hers). Favero is pronounced fuh*vair*o; you can call me Dr. Favero. This may be your first year at Ursinus, your first Neuroscience course, and/or your first class with me, so I wanted to take a moment to welcome you and introduce you to the course before we meet in person on the first day of class.

Please take 3 minutes to view this video about me and the course. Then take a little more time to explore this page to get prepared for the first week of our class.

I'll see you on the first day of class!

Mask Policy

I am not requiring masks in my classroom. You are welcome to wear a mask to class. However: if you are sick but well enough to come to class – for instance, if you have a cold – please wear a mask to protect others, preferably a KN-95 mask. If you are too sick to come to class, stay home and rest! If COVID-19 conditions change significantly, I do reserve the right to require students to wear masks in class.

How this course works

The Essentials

Our class meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (MWF). I will start promptly at 11am each time we meet. Class ends at 12:15pm on Mondays and Fridays and 11:50am on Wednesdays. If I ever forget that we end early on a Wednesday, please don't hesitate to remind me!
I do not permit cell phone use during class time unless you have a documented accommodation.
You do not need to purchase a textbook for this course, all readings will be provided on Canvas (our online course website). The textbook we will be using is Discovering Behavioral Neuroscience by Laura A. Freberg.
The course is broken into 3 units.
- - Unit 1, Building Blocks of the Nervous System, which is about the cells of the nervous system and what they do.
  - Unit 2, Within and Between Neural Cells, which is about how cells communicate.
  - Unit 3, Nervous System Function and Dysfunction, which is about how the nervous system is organized and a couple of examples of how it can wrong.
We will have four exams on Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, and a cumulative final exam.
- - Unit 1 and Unit 2 are traditional exams.
  - For Unit 3 you will write a Neuroscience Children's Book.
  - The final exam will cover the Applied Neuro articles. Applied Neuro is a recurring activity where we will read, discuss, and write about primary literature articles.
I offer rolling extra credit that you can take advantage of anytime during the semester for up to 5 points. Examples of things you can do to earn extra credit: come to your first office hours appointment, attend a science seminar on campus, watch a movie that features Neuroscience in some way, etc.
If you are confused or have a question, I encourage you to make an office hours appointment to meet with me. I'm happy to talk further!

My tips for success in this course

In order to succeed in this course, you must not only understand the material, you must also know it. What’s the difference? If you understand the material, you could (probably) recognize the right answer if you saw it. However, if you know it, you could generate the right answer, distinguish it from the wrong answer, and explain why it is right. You should plan to spend 6-9 hours per week (every week of the semester) preparing, reviewing, and completing assignments for class.

The following is my best advice on how to do this:

Before every class, prepare by reading and taking notes in your own words on assigned material. Prep pages are designed to help you do this! I also suggest you check Canvas frequently, at the very least before every class.
Attend all classes and participate (be awake and attentive, take notes, answer questions, ask questions) during all classes.
After each class, review the notes you took on the reading before class and the notes you took during class to identify any questions or areas of misunderstanding. When you are reviewing, eliminate distractions (e.g. turn off your phone and computer).
Every week, test yourself without your book and notes. A self-test can be as simple as explaining key concepts in your own words (including examples) or drawing a diagram from memory. You can also test yourself by explaining the course material with someone who is not in the class. If they can understand what you are learning, you are doing a good job. Your self-test sessions do not need to be long, about 30-45 minutes is best. Make sure you understand any questions you miss on a quiz or exam so that you are prepared when that information comes up again.
Get support! The following resources are available to help you succeed in this course: me (your best resource), our teaching assistants (TAs) Abby Myren (abmyren@ursinus.edu) and Ellie Teklits (elteklits@ursinus.edu), Ursinus Institute for Student Success, and the Center for Writing and Speaking.

How to get your questions answered

How to contact me

I am here for you! I prefer that you contact me via email at cfavero@ursinus.edu.

I will respond within one business day to your email. That means that if you email Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm, you can expect a response roughly 24 hours later (often sooner). If you email after 5pm or on the weekend, you can expect an answer the next weekday (provided it's not a holiday).
If you want to talk to me in person or live on Zoom, let me know in your email 3 times you are available to meet.

What to do Week 1

By 11am Monday August 28

Log in to Canvas and read our Syllabus. Make sure you read the "About Applied Neuro" document in its entirety as well. Email me if you have any questions.

By 11am Wednesday August 30

Read the assigned pages of the textbook and complete your first Prep Pages assignment. Make sure you take a look at the example Prep Page before you start yours. Prep Page assignments will be uploaded to Canvas.

By 11am Friday September 1

Review your Prep Pages, the Prep Page posts from your classmates, and class notes. A few ways to practice recall are presented in this YouTube video (also posted on Canvas).

By 11am Monday September 4

Complete your first quiz on Canvas. Information about what quizzes cover and format is on the Syllabus.
Upload your questions for Activity 1 to Canvas and bring your neuron to class.
Complete the Portraits of the Mind assignment and upload to Canvas.

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