Terrestrial Arthropod Biology

Advice from Prior 526 Students


Collect early and often. Get friendly with your classmates, you will be spending many hours together. Enjoy getting nerdy about the topic. Study early and often for tests and practicals, there is no way to cam and do well.

Make sure to keep track of where you collected your specimens, because this can possibly help in determination.

Become friends with your classmates - it makes class and the fieldtrips a blast. Besides, if you are taking this class you are already a Bio geek, so let loose and meet more geeks - it's fun.

Use you time in lab wisely, more specifically, put in your time under the microscope for it will indeed payoff! Attend all collection trips, your diversity will be much greater in the end!

First and foremost, you will gain an unprecedented knowledge of an invisible world often overlooked by most people. You insect collection will be your pride and joy by the end of the semester. Don't wait until the last minute to work on it - this should be an ongoing process. As Dr. Hedin anything you have questions about - don't' be afraid to ask, he's actually a pretty nice guy.

Go out into the field as much as possible and go to different places to help diversify your collection. It will be worth it. Take the time to really learn all the things Dr. Hedin teaches you.

I recommend against procrastinating on studying for the practicals. Get as much hands on microscope time as possible. Also use flashcards.

Stay on top of your collection from the beginning of the semester - especially natural history labels! It is really easy to ID most of your insects after the insect practical, and your spiders after the spider practical. Also be sure to go on all fieldtrips.

Collect a lot, often and early. Label your specimens as you pin them, it saves a lot of time in the end. Go on all fieldtrips - Dr. Hedin catches a lot of really cool specimens and it's fun. Enjoy the class - there aren't many at SDSU that are this beneficial and fun.

Collect early and label so you don't forget where you got things. Go on fieldtrips. Try to utilize lab time so your not rushed at the end of the semester - there is really something you could be doing in lab every day.

Have fun - this is a fun class and should be enjoyed. But remember, the practicals are hard so don't wait until the last minute to study. Value lab time, utilize it as much as possible. And learn, there is a lot of information here - you will never look at the world in the same way!

However long Dr. Hedin tells you to work on your collections, add at least 2 hours per weeks to that value if you don't want to be rushed at the end of the semester.

Organization is critical. Keep tabs on all the apods from the very first day of collection - keep a list and don't rely on memory.

Enjoy it as much as you can. It is very interesting, but a lot of work.

This will be, without a doubt, one of the most fun and informative classes of your college career, but keep these tips in mind: make your notecards (or whatever you do to study) as you go, if you wait until just before the exam, the amount of information really seems enormous.

Don't' stop collecting, and take advantage of every opportunity to get an insect or spider. It's better to get things earlier rather than later, because it gets colder (the season) later in the semester, and you find less.

Always come to class - it is well worth it, and it's hard to make-up notes when you don't hear it from Dr. Hedin. Always look at all specimens under the microscope because you won't appreciate them fully until you seem their amazing structures and diversity. Come to every open lab possible - it's really helpful for the practical. Attend the fieldtrips - a good way to get your specimens for the personal collection, and experience the field with your colleagues.

Get ready for one of the best, hard-working times you will have in your college career. Study long and hard for the practical. Use Marshal's study guides as they are very helpful - and yes, you can call him Marshal. Start your collection early and label as you collect. I like to call it Project LAYC (Label As You Collect). Have fun and get started on everything early. Marshal will help you so just ask if you need it.

This is a class that you can actually walk away with knowledge. If you take this class in the Fall, you should collect your insects early in the semester, they become more sparse as the semester continues.

Always look closely at your specimens under the microscope even if it is easily identified without it. Looking closely at the structures makes your appreciate why you are studying them. What you see will blow your mind!!!