General Biology

Preparing to take college level biology requires some knowledge of the cell, body systems, biochemistry as well as some chemistry basics. Our educational opportunities are vast and can be tailored, contact us to let us know what your or your students’ general biology needs are.

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Foundations of Science For Biology

Written by experienced college professors with a no-nonsense perspective to provide the fundamental knowledge and problem-solving skills they expect students to have before entering their classroom.

The internet is filled with information, but It is difficult to know what it is that we do not know, and how do we know which information is correct? Our assessments and materials are accurate, easy to understand and uncover and fill educational gaps individuals are likely unaware of, allowing them to reach their academic potential. True success in introductory coursework yields a deep understanding and problem-solving skills, which is difficult for unprepared students to master. Scholarships, including Excelsior, mandate above average performance each semester, and future employers and graduate programs read transcripts. Losing a scholarship or participation in a program due to poor academic performance can be life changing. Statistically, not everyone can be above the average, be proactive and let us help you make sure that you reach your full potential and maintain your scholarships!

If you are are about to take a science course and did not take many science courses in highschool, had some time away from school, could use a refresher in the sciences, are not certain that your home-school experience prepared you for college, are looking to retake science courses and want a better chance of success, are a great student motivated to earn the highest college grades and increase your opportunities, are a teacher that wants to share some science knowledge or are someone that just wants to better understand the world around them, then this is the course for you.

Students that completed this course showed greater success in their science courses when compared to similarly prepared students that did not participate in the course.

Enrollment Options:

Self-Paced

Instructor Available through email and chat room, Start Anytime

Syllabus

Lesson Set 1 Matter and Energy

At the completion of this series of seven instructional lectures, a summary lecture, and homework exercises you will better understand and be able to correctly answer introductory questions regarding conservation laws, the elements, atoms, ions, nuclear structure terms, molecules and compounds.

Lesson Set 2 Mathematics for Chemistry

At the completion of this series of five instructional lectures, a summary lecture, and homework exercises you will better understand and be able to correctly answer introductory questions regarding the fundamentals of algebra, logarithms, variables and formulas and dimensional analysis as it applies to you introductory science coursework.

Lesson Set 3 Chemical Formulas

At the completion of this series of five instructional lectures, a summary lecture, and homework exercises you will better understand and be able to correctly answer introductory questions regarding the chemical formulas, covalent compounds, converting chemical formulas to their names, converting chemical names to their formulas and you understand a mole and its application.

Lesson Set 4 Chemical Reactions

At the completion of this series of eight instructional lectures, a summary lecture, and homework exercises you will better understand and be able to correctly answer introductory questions regarding chemical reactions, how to balance equations, how to figure out how much product is created from reactants, electrolytes, the common types of chemical reactions and the forces that drive them, ionic equations and oxidation reduction reactions.

Lesson Set 5 Thermodynamics

At the completion of this series of two instructional lectures, a summary lecture, and homework exercises you will better understand and be able to correctly answer introductory questions regarding the Laws of Thermodynamics, the different kinds of energy, entropy, enthalpy and spontaneous reactions.

Lesson Set 6 Periodic Table

At the completion of this series of four instructional lectures, a summary lecture, and homework exercises you will better understand and be able to correctly answer introductory questions regarding the periodic table, how it was developed and the trends that exist regarding elements ability to form ions, molecules and their properties. You will also be able to assign and understand oxidation numbers.

Lesson Set 7 States of Matter

At the completion of this series of three instructional lectures, a summary lecture, and homework exercises you will better understand and be able to correctly answer introductory questions regarding the states of matter that include solids, liquids and gasses as well as the effects of intermolecular forces.

Lesson Set 8 Rates and Equilibrium

At the completion of this series of two instructional lectures, a summary lecture, and homework exercises you will better understand and be able to correctly answer introductory questions regarding reaction rates, catalysts, like enzymes, that speed up reactions and inhibitors, like many drugs we design, that slow them down as well as equilibrium.

Lesson Set 9 Biochemistry

Lesson Set 10 Biology

Requirements

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
Access to the Internet. DSL or Broadband access is recommended.

Software Requirements:

PC: Windows 8 or newer.
Mac: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.
Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.

Other:

Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Basic Computer Skills Needed:

Sending and receiving email;
Using a supported web browser to access your course and other online resources on the Web.

Instructor

Dr. Marion Olivieri earned a Ph. D. in Biophysics and bachelor degrees in biology and mathematics and computer science. She served as a professor and chairperson of a mathematics and natural science department at a small private mission centered college. Nearly 30 years of research, teaching, advising, and administration in an academic setting, proved time and again that independent of their backgrounds, motivated students that were given the proper skill set were successful! This course is the product of the decades of experience she and her colleagues know will provide the foundational knowledge and problem-solving skills needed for success.

Reviews

“I am so proud of myself and so happy to have been given the chance to do this. It was something I found very challenging…But, I found it so rewarding because I learned so much, and it will help me improve my learning…” Kim B.

“As an older student working towards a career change, I hadn’t been in a science or math class in many years. This course provided clear lectures that I could review as many times as needed, and the homework and quizzes really helped me apply what I learned in the lectures. The course was well structured, and feedback came from real professors that were there to help when needed. I feel much better prepared to start my new degree and achieve my goals after taking the prep course!” Cindy B.

…my high school didn’t even have courses like physics, pre-calculus or chemistry, so I was really at a deficit when starting college…the summer before I started college, I took these courses from these professors, earned a degree in biology and mathematics and I am now completing my Ph.D. in biology! Jamal W.