Frequently Asked Questions - Oceanography Course

How can I succeed in an intersession course like this? Come to class, be alert, be organized, and ask questions when you don't follow something. Intersession classes are intense times of learning-you must pack a lot of information into your mind quickly, so it is important to be focused on the subject for these 11 days of lectures! What I really like about the ocean are the animals, especially marine mammals and sharks. Is this course the same as an introduction to marine biology? No, it isn't. Oceanography deals with all aspects of the oceans, including marine biology. Only part of the course will be about animals and plants in the oceans. Other topics, including waves, tides, ocean circulation, climate-ocean links, sea-floor spreading, coasts, and volcanoes are included in oceanography. Do you take attendance, and if not, how important is it to come to class, anyway? The Provost has requested that we take attendance. However, I base the exams on the material I cover in class, supplemented from the text, and so it is really critical to come to class. Also, please remember that an intersession class is moving relentlessly forward at high speed, and a missed day is equivalent to a little more than a missed week during a regular semester. Because of the intense nature of intersession courses, it is particularly advisable to make it to each class. I am not a "science" person at all, and I am worried how I will manage in a Kent Core Science course. Will I crack under the strain? No, you will not crack under the strain. Almost everybody who has taken this course has found something of interest, because the topics change constantly, and the subject of the oceans is so broad. I know the class is composed of students from all disciplines, and I always introduce subject material in general terms. I can't afford the textbook-what should I do? Have you considered buying the e-book version? This is about $70, which is 1/2 the cost of the paper version, and you can either download the whole thing to your computer, or simply retain access to the book from any computer with internet capability. The URL to order the e-book is https://create.mcgraw-hill.com/shop/#/catalog/details/?isbn=9781121122314 The book title is Fundamentals of Oceanography, Fifth Edition, by Sverdrup, Duxbury & Duxbury. You may also be able to obtain a used copy of the textbook at the campus bookstore, DuBois, or through a web-based textbook buying service. There is so much material-how can I tell what is important? Note that every lecture begins with a Focus Question. The Focus Question guides the path of the lecture, and will help you organize your notes and prepare for the exams. Most of the material on the exams comes from the lectures. Only a small fraction (5-10% or so) comes from readings in the book that are not covered in class. Note that exams are designed to cover a broad range of material. In-class quizzes will be narrowly focused on topics from the lecture; the topic of each quiz will be announced during the class period prior to the quiz. *Are there other* study aids I could use besides my own notes and the book? Yes, The Spring semester Oceanography online notes are here and will provide you with more than enough additional information! The outlines of the full semester lecture notes are there, and can serve as additional detailed information about particular topics covered in the more compressed and faster paced intersession class. I am just taking this course because it is CORE course that fits my schedule-is there anything in this I can really use?** CORE courses provide a great chance to pick up information you wouldn't get in the ordinary way. And, if you do well, chances are you will remember a lot of the information, and it will, sooner or later, be useful. Remember what Louis Pasteur said: "Chance favors the prepared mind." You never know when information will be useful, even vital, to you.

How can I succeed in an intersession course like this?

Come to class, be alert, be organized, and ask questions when you don't follow something. Intersession classes are intense times of learning-you must pack a lot of information into your mind quickly, so it is important to be focused on the subject for these 11 days of lectures!

What I really like about the ocean are the animals, especially marine mammals and sharks. Is this course the same as an introduction to marine biology?

No, it isn't. Oceanography deals with all aspects of the oceans, including marine biology. Only part of the course will be about animals and plants in the oceans. Other topics, including waves, tides, ocean circulation, climate-ocean links, sea-floor spreading, coasts, and volcanoes are included in oceanography.

Do you take attendance, and if not, how important is it to come to class, anyway?

The Provost has requested that we take attendance. However, I base the exams on the material I cover in class, supplemented from the text, and so it is really critical to come to class. Also, please remember that an intersession class is moving relentlessly forward at high speed, and a missed day is equivalent to a little more than a missed week during a regular semester. Because of the intense nature of intersession courses, it is particularly advisable to make it to each class.

I am not a "science" person at all, and I am worried how I will manage in a Kent Core Science course. Will I crack under the strain?

No, you will not crack under the strain. Almost everybody who has taken this course has found something of interest, because the topics change constantly, and the subject of the oceans is so broad. I know the class is composed of students from all disciplines, and I always introduce subject material in general terms.

I can't afford the textbook-what should I do?

Have you considered buying the e-book version? This is about $70, which is 1/2 the cost of the paper version, and you can either download the whole thing to your computer, or simply retain access to the book from any computer with internet capability. The URL to order the e-book is

https://create.mcgraw-hill.com/shop/#/catalog/details/?isbn=9781121122314

The book title is Fundamentals of Oceanography, Fifth Edition, by Sverdrup, Duxbury & Duxbury. You may also be able to obtain a used copy of the textbook at the campus bookstore, DuBois, or through a web-based textbook buying service.

There is so much material-how can I tell what is important?

Note that every lecture begins with a Focus Question. The Focus Question guides the path of the lecture, and will help you organize your notes and prepare for the exams. Most of the material on the exams comes from the lectures. Only a small fraction (5-10% or so) comes from readings in the book that are not covered in class. Note that exams are designed to cover a broad range of material. In-class quizzes will be narrowly focused on topics from the lecture; the topic of each quiz will be announced during the class period prior to the quiz.

Are there other study aids I could use besides my own notes and the book?

Yes, The Spring semester Oceanography online notes are here and will provide you with more than enough additional information! The outlines of the full semester lecture notes are there, and can serve as additional detailed information about particular topics covered in the more compressed and faster paced intersession class.

I am just taking this course because it is CORE course that fits my schedule-is there anything in this I can really use?

CORE courses provide a great chance to pick up information you wouldn't get in the ordinary way. And, if you do well, chances are you will remember a lot of the information, and it will, sooner or later, be useful. Remember what Louis Pasteur said: "Chance favors the prepared mind." You never know when information will be useful, even vital, to you.