beginner biology?

[timidtyger]

i'm about to take a class at my local college (biology of course) and i was wondering what i might encounter in my first year of biology. I want to be atleast a little prepared. I am going to get my degree in biological science so that one day i may be a zoologist. i've never taken a biology course. is it easy?

[JackBean]

at first, you will have probably to learn lot of stuff by memorizing only, but as will you progress, it will make more sense. In the first year, you will probably learn some general stuff like basics of the cell and taxonomy...

[timidtyger]

taxonomy??? what in the world is that??

[Darby]

The biological classification system - you'll at least learn the foundation of how it's all organized.

[timidtyger]

wow that sounds like fun...i wonder when i will get to dissect something!?

[JackBean]

that's not much fun
I guess that depends on your school or courses
I think I have actually never dissect anything.

[CarlosG]

You may dissect something like a fetal pig or cat; that is par for the course in beginning bio couses. Once you start "freshman biology" ( two semesters), you will probably get other dissections like sea stars, birds, sharks, etc.-- depends on how much pull your bio department has at the budget meetings .

Since you say you are just starting off, I will assume you have not taken any chemistry either. I suggest taking beginning chemistry with beginning biology if at all possible. Taking both at the same time will have a synergistic effect that will help you connect topics and concepts much better.