Skip to Content


General Science

Overview Degrees/Certificates Courses Faculty

General Science (GENSCI) Courses

GENSCI 90 Science Skills and Strategies I

  • Units:0.5
  • Hours:27 hours LAB
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Corequisite:Current enrollment in a science, nutrition, or nursing course.
  • Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

This course offers individualized instructional modules designed to acquire or improve study strategies and skills for various science, nursing, or nutrition courses. A partial list of skills and strategies may include the following: science textbook comprehension, principles of learning and retention, note taking, annotating, discipline-based vocabulary, paraphrasing, reading graphics, test taking, scientific writing, and problem solving. This course is offered in a flexible TBA format of 27 laboratory hours in order to accommodate the student's schedule. Registration is open through the tenth week of the semester. This course is not open to students who have previously passed BIOL 490. Pass/No Pass only.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • apply the preview strategy to current science course text chapters meaningfully
  • construct paraphrases for concepts presented in current science course textbooks or in their class notes
  • prepare notes for their co-requisite class and review these notes based on the Student Learning Outcomes for the current science course
  • interpret various types of graphs and diagrams from their current science course
  • create concept maps in order to see relationships between ideas presented in their current science course
  • assess various test taking strategies appropriate for their current science course
  • demonstrate ability to read "actively" in their current science course textbook
  • write summaries and conclusions in the appropriate science discipline format

GENSCI 91 Science Skills and Strategies II

  • Units:0.5
  • Hours:27 hours LAB
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Corequisite:Current enrollment in a science, nutrition, or nursing course.
  • Transferable:CSU
  • Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

This course offers individualized instructional modules designed to acquire or improve study strategies for science, nursing, or nutrition courses. Strategies include goal setting, the intensive study cycle, graphic organizers, constructing and interpreting graphs, mastering science vocabulary, self-monitoring while reading, coding method of reading, and advanced problem solving. This course is offered in a flexible TBA format of 27 laboratory hours to accommodate the student's schedule. Registration is open through the tenth week of the semester. This courses is not open to students who have previously passed BIOL 491. Pass/No Pass only.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • develop short- and long-term goals and assess progress in reaching these goals.
  • refine time management techniques and apply new techniques for avoiding procrastination.
  • analyze vocabulary development strategies and apply pertinent ones to science courses.
  • choose and apply the appropriate problem-solving strategies for science courses.
  • construct and interpret various graphs of scientific data.
  • apply active reading strategies in science texts.
  • create content-based graphic organizers to facilitate understanding of complex topics.
  • utilize the strategies of intensive study cycles.
  • assess performance on science course exams in order to modify study strategies.
  • write paraphrased reviews, summaries, and conclusions in the appropriate science discipline format.

GENSCI 299 Experimental Offering in General Science

  • Units:0.5 - 4
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

This is the experimental courses description.


GENSCI 499 Experimental Offering in General Science

  • Units:0.5 - 4
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Catalog Date:January 1, 2025

This is the experimental courses description.