Abraham Hamadi asked 5 months ago
Hello,
I’m looking forward to taking Chem 452, an Adv Biochem class on cellular processes, and was wondering if anyone had information on it as to how to succeed. This course seems to be different and managed differently from MCDB 310 (which I took last winter). For reference, the professor is Jim Morrissey, but it is co-taught by others.
Cate answered 5 months ago
Hello Abraham,
I hope you are doing well! So sorry for this late response, we took a break for the holidays and exams.
To my knowledge, none of our advisors have taken this class. However, I think Anki would be a great free software to use for memorization based content. If you haven’t downloaded this software yet, it is a great resource and a step up from Quizlet. I have used this for many of my biology classes here. I have also found that it is helpful to write processes on big whiteboards or on my iPad (over and over again) from memory.
According to Atlas, the median grade is an A, though the workload is a bit heavy. I would say if you keep up with the material, you should be in good shape!
Sorry for the somewhat vague answer. If you have other questions, feel free to respond to this post or attend our office hours!
-Cate, PMH Co-President
Hannah answered 5 months ago
Hello,
In addition to what Cate said previously, I had a few more comments to add (I’m taking Chem 452 this semester).
I’m not sure if you have taken Chem 451 already, but few (bio)chemistry advisors/professors explain that the course sequence is Chem 451 then Chem 452. (Chem 453 is another biochemistry (core) requirement, but the content for this course is less related to Chem 451/452, so I don’t think you have to take Chem 453 in sequence.) (However, take this with a grain of salt – I haven’t finished Chem 452 yet, and there might be no issue with taking this before Chem 451.)
Chem 452 does not have quizzes/exams, but it has homework and writing assignments. The GSIs, professors, peers, and Sweetland Center for Writing may be some of the primary resources you could use to be successful in the course. There are also discussion sections, and I believe these sessions will be helpful in navigating the course.
(Chem 451 is more similar to the introductory biochemistry courses with quizzes/exams. This can change slightly depending on the professor.)
I hope this helps and feel free to ask any more questions you have in the future!
– Hannah, PMH Outreach