(OMSB9) Studying Evolutionary Theory With MSB Peer Tutor Ryan Lin

In this article, the Board of SASS interviews Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9) Peer Tutor Ryan Lin. We hope that this article will help current and future MSB students in their academic journey!

When did you take Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9), and who was your instructor?

I took MSB one year ago (2019-2020), and my instructor was Dr. Arpy Khatchirian.

About how much time did you spend a week working on assignments and preparing for discussion sessions in Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9)?

I spent about 3.5-4.5 hours on MSB work a week. However, this number varied depending on the week. Some weeks we had no writing assignments, so it was more like 2 hours or so.

What did the typical week in Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9) look like?

The typical week in MSB for me was doing any assigned readings/lectures before class in the morning, attending the discussion sessions, and working on any assignments I may have had on Fridays or Thursdays. I also took the quizzes on Thursday in the evening.

Do you recommend taking digital or hand-written notes for Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9)?

I recommend taking digital notes, as it is a lot faster to note things down. This way, you can go through the lecture and take important notes without having to pause a bunch of times.

What did you enjoy about Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9)?

What I enjoyed most about MSB was its discussion sections, as every class people showed up excited to learn and show what they knew about the topic.

What was your favorite topic covered in Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9)?

My favorite topic covered was most likely evolution.

What challenged you the most in Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9)? How did you overcome those challenges?

The challenges I faced the most was effectively studying. To combat this, I contacted instructors and discussed strategies. I found that taking good notes helped, as well as re-watching lectures to understand any concepts I may have had trouble with.

Are there midterms/finals in this class? How would you recommend reviewing for these exams?

There are midterms and finals in this class, and I recommend reviewing for them by reading over your written assignments, as they often have a bulk of the material on them.

What are the major assignments for this class? How would you recommend approaching these assignments?

The major assignments for this class are written assignments, and my recommendation is to be clear and concise. Don’t say something for the sake of sounding smart if it does not directly address the prompt or support points that you make.

How should a student participate and engage in discussions of Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9)?

Students should participate in the discussion sessions by contributing meaningful points to the discussion, and not speaking for the sake of the participation grade. This way, you’ll get a lot more out of the class.

What tips do you have that could be useful to students taking Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9)?

Get started on work early, and make sure you remain clear and concise in your writing. It’s a tough course, but it starts becoming a lot easier once that initial “click” happens and you get familiar with the rhythm of the work.

If you have taken other core classes, how does Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9) compare to other courses in the core sequence?

Unfortunately, I have not taken any other core courses before (It’s a bit early in the year for me to tell what HSC is like overall)

Do you have any resources (i.e. study tips, useful websites) to share with students who want to take the course?

Not necessarily, the only resources I recommend are online statistical calculators that were shown in class, as well as your own written assignments and listening closely to the lectures.

Ryan Lin is a peer tutor for Methodology of Science - Biology (OMSB9) and can be found on the Writing and Tutoring Center.

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