BIO Feedback 2008

Feedback - Fall 2008

These comments were collected as anonymous, voluntary feedback, as a response to the following question:

"If you would like, you can write a comment to be published on the course Wiki, for students who are considering to take the course in the future. All comments will be posted and they will not be edited."

These are all the comments that were submitted and they are complete and unedited.

Do not focus on minute details; rather, take in the information and learn how to think "bioinformatics." Assignments and quizzes will test your ability to analyze and use logic, not your ability to repeat irrelevant facts. You will receive the most from the course if you sit in lectures and just try to read in between the lines at what is being said. For example, if you do not understand the complex algorithms used in a certain method then do not worry - just understand what the purpose is, and what it is trying to get, and why. Complex mathematics is not needed, but would most likely be if you plan on advancing farther in the field. Definitely a great course for those wanting an experience in the field.

If there is one course at UT that rewards efforts and hard-work, it would be BCH441! I am not going to lie to you. If you ask me was the workload heavy, my answer would be yes. But if you ask me is it worth it, my answer would be a definite yes! This is one of the most practical courses you can take, and you will take so much from this course with you in life, especially if you are interested in bioinformatics or conducting research in the future. And the final marks you receive if you put in the effort will surprise you because I am very impressed at my final mark! The professor is extremely approachable and knowledgeable. Overall, it was a great learning experience, and I really enjoyed the course!

If you pay attention to the key concepts (during lectures and assignments) and don't get boggled down in all the minutiae, the course dosn't take nearly as much work as is often reported. Sounds cliche, but thinking in this class gets rewarded, not brute memorizing. The grading is very generous...boris wants you to succeed.

if you want to feel that you have a fairly good knowledge of how to using bioinformatics tools for genetics, protein studies, and any bio-related field, take this course. you can be pretty much confidence about yourself in this field after the course but only IF you do all the assignments by yourself. it is a time-consuming course but it was REALY worth it for me.

TAKE IT!

This course is a great primer into bioinformatics. The assignments are the most valuable aspect of the course, the instructions are clear and the assignments have enough depth to be highly applicable for use in real research. The instructors are highly knowledgeable and motivated, this is one of the most valuable courses for any student within medical or life sciences thinking about doing research in the university.

This is a good course. It provided my first exposure to using bioinformatic approaches to solve problems. I'm sure this knowledge will be beneficial in grad school. The assignments are well structured and are sufficient preparation for the quizzes, which are worth just as much in terms of marks. The lectures are mostly interesting and Dr. Steipe's lecturing style is a welcome change from most other BCH courses. This course was my highest mark in university. Interesting, and not difficult to get a high mark - my kind of course.