Practical content in the Biology course

Jenski

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(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 1

HannahJ

Unless they've changed it for the year coming, in first year biology you'll have one or two, three hour practicals a week for biology and some of the written reports for these count towards your first year and some don't. I think the practical reports amount to about 25% of your first year.

Some of the practicals are interesting, some of that dull but that I imagine will be the same wherever you go. Hope this helps

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Reply 2

Filly2410

Is that the same for zoology?

Reply 3

HannahJ

Basically the practical side is pretty much compulsory but its really not that bad honestly! There's not a massive emphasis on the practical side of things and a lot of your practicals will just be looking at things to back up whats been said in lectures such as dissections of plants and animals- a lot of these won't have a proper write-up. Its just so you can actually have a physical idea of what you're learning about

Biology being a science is pretty much going to have some practical work wherever you go, its pretty much unavoidable. And yes it is the same for zoology as for any biology course here all first years will do the same two biology modules and then have two elective modules to do subjects from another department.

Don't let practicals put you off Durham. Its a good course, has a good reputation and is generally an amazing university

Reply 4

RobbieC

Practicals are a sick form of child abuse and I wish they would go away.

But I do Chemistry, so its different... I think.

Biology labs sound a bit more 'pissabout' and a bit less 'carcinogenic'.

Reply 5

HannahJ

Quite a lot of the biology practicals are a bit of a doss really I have to admit...although Dr Gatehouse's are complicated but then others are ridiculously easy. We watched a David Attenborough video the other day and filled in a questionnaire while we watched it with such challenging questions as "How many whales are there in the pod?" ^o)

But only in biology practicals do you get your lecturer saying "Don't kill them...you'll lose marks"

Reply 6

RobbieC

In our chemistry lab last week, I spilled what can only be called cancer water on my hand... Yes, I should have been wearing gloves. I just hope their warnings are OTT, like most health and safety stuff is.

Still, that was better than the week before, where I had mixed the cancer water with some cancer powder, and some acid... then boiled it and while going to stop it boiling over it SPATTERED onto my hand. Cancer paste, nice.

Reply 7

HannahJ

I hated chemistry practicals with 'dangerous substances'. Even if I didn't spill anything on me my hands used to get itchy and then I get paranoid that my hands would drop off and I'd have to go and wash my hands about ten times.

What was the cancer water you were using? On my work experience they were using something really really carcinogenic to dye DNA, it was scary.