Microbiology, Summer 2010

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I am starting this thread for all of us who are taking Micro over the summer.

We just started last week, I am pretty excited. For me, the biochemistry can get a bit fuzzy but the rest of it is fascinating. I am looking forward to this class.

Wow, I've already had 2 lecture exams, 3 lab quizes, and my lab mid-term! I'm doing much better in lab then lecture though.

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I just finished Micro for the summer. It was 6 weeks long and very demanding! We had a quiz every day (Monday through Thursday) and a test every week. For all of you who are just starting or getting ready to start Micro for the summer, you can do it! Stay focused and keep up with the studying! I was dreading taking it and ended up loving the class, it is very interesting! Good luck everyone! :)

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So, ya'll will prob DIE when I tell you this but....

My Micro class is 9 wks and I am also taking A&P 1, so I was really freaked out. But, our class is overflowing so there aren't enough desks and apparently they don't have enough up to date equipment so our "labs" have been worksheets copied from a lab book! The 1st one was about Agars and the second was labeling and naming the functions of an Microscope! haha

As for the test (this is where you really die), the lectures are all on PP so we take notes but after class on Wed (class is 9 wks) he posts a condensed version on BB and an "answer key". At first I thought the answer key was for you to answer and just kind of use as a guide, but I later realized the second part has the ANSWERS and our tests have been pretty much from that! I made a 90 on my 1st one and a 100 on the second!

Isn't that crazy?

Oh, and he isn't making the summe class do research papers! YES

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I'm taking Micro and start on the 28th of June (a 6 week course for me)

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I start Micro in a week and a half! I've been reviewing the first few pages of the chapter we will begin and I am kind of nervous. Only because I will be taking 3 other classes with Micro for a 10 week quarter! I can't believe I pulled off an A in A&P II with the same amount of classes so I'm hoping that the outcome will be the same this quarter. I am almost done with my pre-reqs and I see the light at the end of the tunnel!

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First class tonight. My class is 10 weeks long this summer and is going to be a ton of work. We have 3 in class exams, a take hom comprehensive written final, an individual research presentation and a group project that makes up almost 1/4 of our grade. In addition, we have homework assignments and a big lab unknown grade.

I am excited though. The prof was interesting and genuine in the first lecture/lab and I think I'll truly enjoy her.

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Jealous! An answer key and all huh?.... Our professor dropped the paper for the summer also, but the entire grade is made up of test scores. Our class only has 3 more weeks and the numbers are DWINDLING! Ha! He was kind enough to tell everyone their average (if you needed it) right before the drop deadline, so they could make a decision.

Whew! Only a lecture final & a lab final to go for me....it was ALOT of info to consume in a summer session. That's for sure

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

You people are CRAZY to take micro during a summer session!! :D

LMAO ... just kidding :) ... actually, you all are to be admired. I could not do it, I ended up taking it last spring at a more leisurely semester pace and that worked best for me and it was wise on my part given that I also work. I did however take a full year of A&P last summer across 2 summer sessions so I know what science is like at a mad dash. Lecture 4x a week and labs 2x a week for two 6-week sessions. I am surprised I did not go psychotic in the process! But my prof ends up being a GREAT recommendation for school :p

By the way, if you have not checked out YouTube yet for videos and animations on difficult concepts ... do it! They were an immense help to me, and it's freaking free help!! :up:

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Took our first exam last night and I did well on it. Our professor simply gave us a focus sheet with a lot of terms listed and indicated that we would have at least one question on each of those topics. I was terrified studying for it. I mean put the term eukaryote on a focus sheet and expect the students to be prepared for the questions. They weren't all that difficult, but the average was about a 71, so a touch low. 20% of our class has already dropped.

I am really enjoying lab and am almost looking forward to our unknown lab.

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As of tonight, I am DONE with Micro! I did very well, I had a 97 for lab and a 92 for lecture, so that will figure out to be an A-. I am so happy to be done!

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2nd exam tomorrow and gram staining our unknowns. Here's to hoping that they grew up nicely on our slants. Seriously I'm having trouble focusing on this class. The material is very interesting, but knowing which agars are differential and selective and for what, etc. comes across as busy work to me. Someone explain to me why a floor nurse is going to need to know that MacConky's is differential and selective and that e-coli turns pink. Help me focus on why I need to know this stuff. I understand that knowing some of the whats, hows and whys is very important and will help with infection control, etc. However, I do not forsee being on the floor with a patient and pulling out my BHI agar and grabbing an innoculating loop full of bm to see what grows up. :)

I'm really enjoying lab and I like what I'm learning in lecture. I'm just not sure I agree with what she's focusing to study for lecture exams. I wish she would focus more on the biology of why they grow or don't grow on particular media rather than memorizing reactions. I hate to memorize and would much prefer to reason my way through, but we're not given quite enough info to really reason through it all.

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Ugh. I'm having unknown problems. Did well streaking for isolation, growing in our slants and gram staining. My gram + was pretty easy and I only needed a catalase test to identify s. aureus.

But, my gram - is tripping me up. I got the results of my 2 chemical tests last night. They conflicted. ugh. My tryptone test was + (which should mean e. aerogenes), but my lactose was negative - well, it maybe had a tiny tinge of color and a tiny air bubble in it+ or - result. So, if it was a VERY weak + I do have e. aerogenes. But, if it was negative, that would be p. vulgaris (but then the tryptone should have been +). So, I redid both tests and hope Thursday they have the same reading. I innoculated the lactose very heavily. My problem is that other than gram staining, we are only allowed to pick 2 chemical tests. We can redo them, but cannot pick any others to help identify.

Test 2 went time and we do our independent presentations next week and Thursday we begin our group research projects.

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