NEUROSC 102
Introduction to Functional Anatomy of Central Nervous System
Description: Lecture, three hours; laboratory, one hour. Enforced requisite: Life Sciences 2. Enforced corequisite: course M101A. Not open to freshmen. Overview of human nervous system; relation of behavior to higher cognitive function. Development of primate and human brain during past few million years; evolutionary aspects of neuroanatomical structures and effects of behavior and cultural attitudes of modern man. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Summer 2020 - Took this during the summer which was 6 weeks long, use Anki!! I averaged 300-400 cards per lecture so your anki cards should be pretty specific lol but got an A+ on the midterm and final by just studying my Anki cards and some of the charts from the slides. The slides are really all you need which is nice. It is definitely a lot of info and can seem very very overwhelming so make sure not to get behind because it can be super hard to catch up. I'd say just make the anki cards from the slides and then start memorizing as soon as you can. Watch the lecture in your free time later but get to memorizing ASAP. She offered multiple Extra Credit opportunities which was nice and weren't too hard. The labs were pretty decent too but again if the lab quiz is friday try to start memorizing like sat/sun or as soon as she posts the slides. People study a lot of diff ways but for me just constant review instead of cramming right before exams worked well, like anki daily no matter how far away the exam is. Also for notes I would draw images to help remember things (i.e. to remember the PAG has opioid receptors and received pain and temp input I drew a pig with poppy flowers and its tail on fire lol). Overall a lot of info but definitely manageable if you take it one day at a time!
Summer 2020 - Took this during the summer which was 6 weeks long, use Anki!! I averaged 300-400 cards per lecture so your anki cards should be pretty specific lol but got an A+ on the midterm and final by just studying my Anki cards and some of the charts from the slides. The slides are really all you need which is nice. It is definitely a lot of info and can seem very very overwhelming so make sure not to get behind because it can be super hard to catch up. I'd say just make the anki cards from the slides and then start memorizing as soon as you can. Watch the lecture in your free time later but get to memorizing ASAP. She offered multiple Extra Credit opportunities which was nice and weren't too hard. The labs were pretty decent too but again if the lab quiz is friday try to start memorizing like sat/sun or as soon as she posts the slides. People study a lot of diff ways but for me just constant review instead of cramming right before exams worked well, like anki daily no matter how far away the exam is. Also for notes I would draw images to help remember things (i.e. to remember the PAG has opioid receptors and received pain and temp input I drew a pig with poppy flowers and its tail on fire lol). Overall a lot of info but definitely manageable if you take it one day at a time!
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2024 - Neuroscience 102 (neuroanatomy) was taught in Fall 2024 by both Dr. Prins and Dr. Le Belle, so this review will give some information about both of them, as well as about the class in general. TLDR: NEUROSC 102 is a very difficult course! It is an INSANE amount of memorization of information (in my opinion, WAY HARDER than biochem). Anki (or similar) will be your best friend to survive this class, and studying needs to be done over a longer period of time to not fall behind because cramming is simply not feasible for a class with this much volume of information. Dr. Prins: Dr. Prins was quite clear and straightforward during lectures. She was very helpful in office hours as well. In my opinion, her exam questions were definitely much harder than Dr. Le Belle's because she tended to test some niche/lower-yield details and facts that were not a heavy emphasis of her lectures or her slides. Technically, everything on the exams is found somewhere on the slides or said sometime in lecture, but a lot of Dr. Prins's questions (especially on the final) seemed to be testing the smallest details. Dr. Le Belle: Dr. Le Belle was very clear and straightforward during lectures. She was very helpful in office hours and had a shared Google Doc with the class throughout the quarter where she would answer questions for the whole class to see. Dr. Le Belle's exam questions tended to be more straightforward (not necessarily easier) since she would ask about the major facts of her lectures. Dr. Le Belle also provided blanks on Canvas for a lot of the diagrams that we would be expected to know on exams, like the spinal cord, ascending and descending tracts, and brainstem. Indeed, these exact same images did show up on the exams, so overall, I think Dr. Le Belle was more predictable with her exam questions and did not tend to test the minor details as much. Lectures: Lectures were not recorded this quarter (and were at 8am), but the slides were posted on Bruinlearn, and attendance was not taken. Showing up to lecture was still useful because the professors often told us exactly what needed to be memorized and would show up on the exams and what was just for additional interest and did not need to be memorized for the exams. In each week, there were two lectures, and typically one would be given by Dr. Prins and the other would be given by Dr. Le Belle. Roughly, they split the lectures half-half over the course of the quarter. Labs: There was a weekly lab for this course where we did interesting sheep brain and cow spinal cord dissections, as well as some dry labs about neurological tests of the cranial nerves and spinal cord function. There were a total of 5 labs throughout the quarter, each of which had an associated lab quiz. The lab quizzes were written by the TAs and were quite straightforward questions, aka they were straight off the lab manual. Much like the lecture exams, the lab quizzes were mostly identification of a pinned/arrowed structure on an image of some part of the brain or spinal cord, so a lot of memorization and being able to identify structures off a stain/image. In week 10, there was a 100 point final lab practicum with 50 questions, and these questions were also relatively straightforward, but since this lab practicum was cumulative across all 5 labs and it was quite high-stakes (worth as much as a midterm), it did require studying/preparation from the lab manuals. The lab practicum had some questions off images from the lab manuals and other questions where actual brain and spinal cord slices were pinned in different locations, pointing to various structures. Exams: There were two midterms and one cumulative final for this class. The midterms were each worth 100 points and the final was worth 160 points. Each professor wrote the questions for the corresponding lectures that they taught, and like said above, in my opinion, Dr. Prins's questions were harder than Dr. Le Belle's, generally speaking. The exams were a mix of multiple choice, select all that apply multiple choices, and free response/short answer (typically only a phrase or 1-2 sentences max). The final was definitely much harder than the midterms just because it was cumulative and required knowledge of the whole quarter's worth of material. The final had a slight emphasis on the newer material (from after Midterm 2), but it did include questions from every lecture of the entire course. Grading: This class was out of 500 points, and the letter grade scale was standard (93%+ is A, but no A+). Midterm 1 was 100 points, Midterm 2 was 100 points, Final Exam was 160 points, Lab Practicum was 100 points, and the best 4 (out of 5) lab quizzes was 40 points, for a total of 500 points. This quarter, there was 20 bonus points for taking weekly quizzes about the lecture material on Canvas (2 bonus pts/week for 10 weeks). There was also a survey that we were asked to fill out for 10 bonus points. So overall 30 bonus points, which is a good 6% buffer to our final grades!! Long story short, this class is very difficult due to the sheer volume of information and memorization. There's no way around it except to study and prepare on a consistent basis and not fall behind. While the grading scheme is entirely based on exams/quizzes and there is no participation, homework, or any other "free" points, there is 6% of extra credit bonus points, which helps a lot. Getting an A is definitely doable so long as you put a lot of consistent time and effort! Good luck!
Fall 2024 - Neuroscience 102 (neuroanatomy) was taught in Fall 2024 by both Dr. Prins and Dr. Le Belle, so this review will give some information about both of them, as well as about the class in general. TLDR: NEUROSC 102 is a very difficult course! It is an INSANE amount of memorization of information (in my opinion, WAY HARDER than biochem). Anki (or similar) will be your best friend to survive this class, and studying needs to be done over a longer period of time to not fall behind because cramming is simply not feasible for a class with this much volume of information. Dr. Prins: Dr. Prins was quite clear and straightforward during lectures. She was very helpful in office hours as well. In my opinion, her exam questions were definitely much harder than Dr. Le Belle's because she tended to test some niche/lower-yield details and facts that were not a heavy emphasis of her lectures or her slides. Technically, everything on the exams is found somewhere on the slides or said sometime in lecture, but a lot of Dr. Prins's questions (especially on the final) seemed to be testing the smallest details. Dr. Le Belle: Dr. Le Belle was very clear and straightforward during lectures. She was very helpful in office hours and had a shared Google Doc with the class throughout the quarter where she would answer questions for the whole class to see. Dr. Le Belle's exam questions tended to be more straightforward (not necessarily easier) since she would ask about the major facts of her lectures. Dr. Le Belle also provided blanks on Canvas for a lot of the diagrams that we would be expected to know on exams, like the spinal cord, ascending and descending tracts, and brainstem. Indeed, these exact same images did show up on the exams, so overall, I think Dr. Le Belle was more predictable with her exam questions and did not tend to test the minor details as much. Lectures: Lectures were not recorded this quarter (and were at 8am), but the slides were posted on Bruinlearn, and attendance was not taken. Showing up to lecture was still useful because the professors often told us exactly what needed to be memorized and would show up on the exams and what was just for additional interest and did not need to be memorized for the exams. In each week, there were two lectures, and typically one would be given by Dr. Prins and the other would be given by Dr. Le Belle. Roughly, they split the lectures half-half over the course of the quarter. Labs: There was a weekly lab for this course where we did interesting sheep brain and cow spinal cord dissections, as well as some dry labs about neurological tests of the cranial nerves and spinal cord function. There were a total of 5 labs throughout the quarter, each of which had an associated lab quiz. The lab quizzes were written by the TAs and were quite straightforward questions, aka they were straight off the lab manual. Much like the lecture exams, the lab quizzes were mostly identification of a pinned/arrowed structure on an image of some part of the brain or spinal cord, so a lot of memorization and being able to identify structures off a stain/image. In week 10, there was a 100 point final lab practicum with 50 questions, and these questions were also relatively straightforward, but since this lab practicum was cumulative across all 5 labs and it was quite high-stakes (worth as much as a midterm), it did require studying/preparation from the lab manuals. The lab practicum had some questions off images from the lab manuals and other questions where actual brain and spinal cord slices were pinned in different locations, pointing to various structures. Exams: There were two midterms and one cumulative final for this class. The midterms were each worth 100 points and the final was worth 160 points. Each professor wrote the questions for the corresponding lectures that they taught, and like said above, in my opinion, Dr. Prins's questions were harder than Dr. Le Belle's, generally speaking. The exams were a mix of multiple choice, select all that apply multiple choices, and free response/short answer (typically only a phrase or 1-2 sentences max). The final was definitely much harder than the midterms just because it was cumulative and required knowledge of the whole quarter's worth of material. The final had a slight emphasis on the newer material (from after Midterm 2), but it did include questions from every lecture of the entire course. Grading: This class was out of 500 points, and the letter grade scale was standard (93%+ is A, but no A+). Midterm 1 was 100 points, Midterm 2 was 100 points, Final Exam was 160 points, Lab Practicum was 100 points, and the best 4 (out of 5) lab quizzes was 40 points, for a total of 500 points. This quarter, there was 20 bonus points for taking weekly quizzes about the lecture material on Canvas (2 bonus pts/week for 10 weeks). There was also a survey that we were asked to fill out for 10 bonus points. So overall 30 bonus points, which is a good 6% buffer to our final grades!! Long story short, this class is very difficult due to the sheer volume of information and memorization. There's no way around it except to study and prepare on a consistent basis and not fall behind. While the grading scheme is entirely based on exams/quizzes and there is no participation, homework, or any other "free" points, there is 6% of extra credit bonus points, which helps a lot. Getting an A is definitely doable so long as you put a lot of consistent time and effort! Good luck!
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2018 - Doing well in this class boils down to how you study. Even though there is A LOT of material to memorize, it's completely manageable if you space out studying and practice recall. I cannot emphasize anything more than practicing recall! This course is extremely fair and the exams pull directly from lecture and the notes. They even give you a lot of blanks to practice on, so there really shouldn't be an excuse for missing things on those figures. I guarantee that if you study by re-labelling and studying the figures and by drawing things out, then you will do well in the course. And the professors are pretty good and caring, but they don't care about any BS or slacking off, so that's why some people may think they're bad or hardasses. Tips: - Screenshot all figures (even the little ones in the corner and especially the ones that have labels in red) and fill out all the labels. Then re-do them. Every picture and structure that appears on the test was somewhere in the lecture notes. - DRAW WHATEVER YOU CAN. Draw the pathways, make tables, use colors, draw brain structures and then label it, etc. This is an ANATOMY course, so most of the material needs to be visually learned. Your brain will remember the drawings and figures easily this way and recall on the test will be clear. - Do not waste time trying to write down or type everything the professors say. Most of what they say is WRITTEN ON THE SLIDES, but the point is to listen and see what's important and where the structures are located. I encourage printing out the slides and writing on them, or typing directly onto the slides or using your ipad to write notes directly onto the slides. If you made it all the way to the end of my post, then good for you! I really really really loved this course because the material was incredible. Studying for this class didn't seem tough for me, because I truly loved the material and cared about actually learning it. If you are a neuroscience major or pre-med, then you really should try hard for this class because in med school, you'll have to learn neuroanatomy anyway and this is directly relevant for your career. And if you don't enjoy the material or care, then why are you in this class or major anyway?
Fall 2018 - Doing well in this class boils down to how you study. Even though there is A LOT of material to memorize, it's completely manageable if you space out studying and practice recall. I cannot emphasize anything more than practicing recall! This course is extremely fair and the exams pull directly from lecture and the notes. They even give you a lot of blanks to practice on, so there really shouldn't be an excuse for missing things on those figures. I guarantee that if you study by re-labelling and studying the figures and by drawing things out, then you will do well in the course. And the professors are pretty good and caring, but they don't care about any BS or slacking off, so that's why some people may think they're bad or hardasses. Tips: - Screenshot all figures (even the little ones in the corner and especially the ones that have labels in red) and fill out all the labels. Then re-do them. Every picture and structure that appears on the test was somewhere in the lecture notes. - DRAW WHATEVER YOU CAN. Draw the pathways, make tables, use colors, draw brain structures and then label it, etc. This is an ANATOMY course, so most of the material needs to be visually learned. Your brain will remember the drawings and figures easily this way and recall on the test will be clear. - Do not waste time trying to write down or type everything the professors say. Most of what they say is WRITTEN ON THE SLIDES, but the point is to listen and see what's important and where the structures are located. I encourage printing out the slides and writing on them, or typing directly onto the slides or using your ipad to write notes directly onto the slides. If you made it all the way to the end of my post, then good for you! I really really really loved this course because the material was incredible. Studying for this class didn't seem tough for me, because I truly loved the material and cared about actually learning it. If you are a neuroscience major or pre-med, then you really should try hard for this class because in med school, you'll have to learn neuroanatomy anyway and this is directly relevant for your career. And if you don't enjoy the material or care, then why are you in this class or major anyway?
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Most Helpful Review
Dr. Scheibel is by far the best professor i've ever taken. He made a most boring subject the most interesting. His voice and humor make you forget about time. He knows about the nervous system more than anybody i've known. His jokes are hilarious and he always included relevant cases in his lectures that help you learn so much better. He's a super cool professor. Boy, am I glad i have him...
Dr. Scheibel is by far the best professor i've ever taken. He made a most boring subject the most interesting. His voice and humor make you forget about time. He knows about the nervous system more than anybody i've known. His jokes are hilarious and he always included relevant cases in his lectures that help you learn so much better. He's a super cool professor. Boy, am I glad i have him...
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