How To Survive Biology H - Chavez

Website: http://gotscience.com/honors_biology.html 

It has homework, Power-Point lectures, contact information, etc.

For more information on her like how she teaches please see http://www.ratemyteachers.com/kristen-chavez/319386-t !

1. Passes
1. About: Chavez gives out a sheet with 6 passes on them - three for homework* and three for going outside of class. At the end of the semester the passes can be turned in for extra credit for a total of 18 extra credit points.
1. *The homework passes are for one day late homework.
2. TIP: Do not use the passes! Seriously, NEVER. That's a given right? Well, you may forget to do the homework one day and you'll feel an urge to use your passes. WELL DON'T. It's a bad idea. Why? Chavez stamps the homework on homework sheets. That means individual homework assignments are not graded but it's all of the homework in a chapter or two. All the homework sheets are worth 30 points. No matter if there were 145 total points, the actual amount of points you get for homework is always 30. You may think that the homework assignments are worth more but they are actually worth a lots less than the stamps. [sorry for the wordiness!]
3. Getting those 18 EC points is equivalent to get 18 more points on an exam because the extra-credit points go in as non-weighted points.
2. Extra Credit
1. Always do the extra credit! Biology Honors is one of the more challenging "IB" classes. If you receive average scores on tests then the extra-credit is almost the only thing that push your grade from a B+ to an A-.
3. Participation
1. Participation is worth a total of 30 points at the end of the semester. 
2. Even if you aren't the brightest person, Chavez give participation points for people to read labs or pass out/ collect papers. Those points are gimme's.
3. If you are more of a shy person, volunteering to collect/ pass out papers is your best bet of getting full participation points.
4. Pro-tip: Raise your hand lots in the beginning of the school year because most of the students are scared to raise their hands or don't realize the importance of participation. (This applies to all classes)
4. What to do during class/lectures 
1. While Chavez is stamping the homework, outline the upcoming chapters or preview what she will talk about later
2. While she's lecturing, follow the lecture with your textbook because she may ask a question that's a small, almost seemingly random detail from the book. If you forgot your book at home (which is a big no-no) you can always borrow your neighbor's book.
3. While she's lecturing, take notes on things she may emphasize. Chavez lectures off the lecture notes on her website [gotscience.com] and whatever she says that not on the lecture notes, write down in your own notes! Remember to make it legible too since you'll be reviewing those notes before the exam.
4. Whenever she says, "I like this concept..." or "...very important..." or shows you a picture over and over again, that is something to burn into your memory!
5. Watch her facial expressions! This kind of ties into the tip above. Most her students knows that she makes these faces to hint that something will be on the test. She has her own 'smirk' and nods to make it more obvious. When she makes a face or does her 'thing' she's almost always hinting at a question on the test.
5. Studying Tips! 
1. Do the tests / quizzes on the CD a while before the test so if you don't understand anything, Chavez can still explain the concept to you! Also, the CD test results gives you a rough estimate of how much studying you need to do, but be aware that the results aren't exactly what you get on the test (e.g. 100% on the test doesn't guarantee an A on the test, you should still study)! Study a bit of what you get wrong, and look over the answers. A few questions from the CD often come out on the test, especially in the beginning of the year!
2. Don't write awful outlines because the outlines are where the knowledge comes from and the lectures just reinforce the knowledge. Don't understand something from the outline? Ask.
3. Pay attention to and memorize important diagrams. A picture is worth a thousand words and some sections are basically just explaining diagrams - understand the diagram, understand the section.
4. Also, pay attention to the small details and learn how to apply your knowledge. The application questions usually get everyone.
5. Don't start studying the night before... it just doesn't work out. But if you must cram, you must cram efficiently. Try to predict what she'll ask on the test. 
6. You may want do the CD questions and review key terms the night before the test to refresh your memory of confusing questions. You should get 100% this time around.
7. Lastly, go over her "Checklist to Succeed" and see if you want to incorporate anything from there into your studying habits for Biology. For me, I thought the list was a bit extensive and these are the things I did to succeed in Biology.

Thanks to strangedolphin and others for help!