9 Things Every College Student Understands

9 Things Every College Student Understands College is a unique experience, with diverse campuses, courses, and programs. But despite this fact, there are certain things every college student understands. From 8:00 a.m. classes to the finals-week crush, here are our top nine: 1. Every college student understands that icebreakers will happen You may believe that once you graduate from high school, icebreakers are firmly in your past. This isnt the case. In many college classesincluding upper-level coursesthe first day of the semester begins with professors prompting students to list: Their name Year in college Major An interesting personal fact. The real challenge begins when you have multiple major-specific classes on a single day with many of the same students, and you have to grasp for interesting facts about yourself that you havent already shared. 2. Every college student understands classes being canceled without warning You wake up, get dressed, and travel across campus, only to frustratingly discover a note on the door that says class is canceled. 3. Every college student understands the struggle of an 8:00 a.m. class For some college students, an 8:00 a.m. class might as well start at 5:00 a.m. Those M/W/F or T/Th sessions make you wonder how you ever attended high school from 8:00-3:00 five days a week. [RELATED: How to Create Your First College Schedule] 4. Every college student understands when procrastination reaches an all-time high Putting off reading assignments or waiting too long to start studying is all too easy, but it never ends well. Sooner or later, its time to buy a planner. 5. Every college student understands group projects Depending on your field of study and the individual courses youre taking, you expect to have at least one or two group projects per semester. 6. Every college student understands the terrible mistake that is skipping class In college, you may have classes that dont have attendance requirements. These courses can quickly become a slippery slope if youre tempted to forego that lecture or seminar and socialize instead. You tell yourself you will surely go to the next class period, but even one skip can have consequences. [RELATED: 3 Reasons Not to Skip That College Class] 7. Every college student understands participation assignments You receive a homework assignment and spend hours working on it so you can keep your good grade in the course. When you go to turn it in, however, the professor informs the class that it was simply a participation assignment and wont be collected for a grade. Irritating, right? Just remember that participation assignments still have benefits. 8. Every college student understands library chaos during midterms and finals As a college freshman, nothing can prepare you for the number of people in libraries and study lounges during midterms and finals. Perhaps you always study in the library and come midterms, your coveted study spot is taken by others. Time to find another. [RELATED: The Finals Week Survival Guide] 9. Every college student understands that it all goes by way too fast College flies by. One minute youre complaining about classes and homework, and the next minute youre picking up your graduation regalia. This is where you take all you learned about socialization, waking up early, and doing projects simply for participation into the real world. No matter if youre continuing on to graduate school or headed into the workforce, you get to begin the icebreakers and 7:00 a.m. wake up calls all over again. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

Studying General Biology

Studying General Biology Why and How to Study Biology ChaptersWhat do Biologists Do?Three Main Branches of Biology:Basic Biological ConceptsPeople often define themselves as what type of student they are using a left or right brain approach. In other words, they either think of themselves as having logic and information based interests or artistic and humanities related ones. Fortunately, when studying a polarizing subject like general biology, there are many ways you can become more involved in the subject you may either love or despise.Biological functions form a part of our daily lives, which includes everything from the bioinformatics that go into making your medicine to the cellular biology that go into enhancing your sports performance. Understanding the evolution of the field of biology, and the terms that make it up, can help you in your studies and in life.Subjects in the biological sciences are vastNucleus: structure found in most cells, except bacteria and some algae, that specializes in controlling and regulating the activit ies of the cell. Furthermore, it is where hereditary information, or genes, are locatedMeiosis: this is the process under which a germ cell divides its nucleus to form four sex cells, or gametes. Each gamete contains only half the amount of chromosomes as the original, parent cell.Cell division: the process under which cells reproduce, namely mitosis and meiosis.Phytotron: a special type of greenhouse utilized for studying plants and their environmentMolecule: a group of bonded atoms that form the smallest unit of a chemical compound, important for understanding plants’ molecular processes.Zoology forms a major part of biological studies, including knowledge over the make-up and behavior of animals. Some important terms to understand under this branch are:Selective breeding: the process by which parents are chosen to breed based off of particular characteristics with the aim of producing more desirable offspring.Heritable components: heritability is a statistic that involves a pro portion of phenotypic variance that is attributed to genetic varianceIn microbiology, there are many definitions one can encounter. However, the most important concepts to understand are the eight microorganisms that one can study.Eight microorganisms:Bacteria (eubacteria, archaea)AlgaeFungiProtozoaVirusesPrionsLichensSlime MoldsIf you're interested in learning how these concepts affect fields dealing with aquatic animals, check out marine biology!