Tips and hints for success
CC212 is a 4-credit course, which means that each week you will meet with instructors for 4 contact hours, as well as 2-3 hours of independent work each week for each credit (8 – 12 hours of independent work per week). Depending on the week, we suggest that you break down these out-of-class hours in the following way:
- Assigned readings (textbook, papers, books) and related problems: 3-5 hours
- Reviewing your notes and group discussions about material from class: 2-3 hours
- Homework assignments and paper writing: 3-4 hours
Note: "discussing" material from class means working in study groups and going over problems, exercises, and reading material. Success in learning science requires students to see the material from many directions and to be able to articulate it in their own words. Students trying to work alone in this course will be at a tremendous disadvantage. We highly recommend that all work (except taking assessments and the actual writing of individual papers) for this class be done in groups. Please do not hesitate to ask for assistance in setting up a regular study group.
An important note about getting answers to your questions: e-mail is not a replacement for office hours. While instructors will certainly respond to personal, private, and urgent matters by email, they will not be regularly answering content-related questions by email. To get answers from instructors, please attend any of the office hours.