About CELLS
The Collaborative Engagement in Learning Life Sciences (CELLS) program is an invitation-only program offered in association with two of our core bio cluster courses, BIOMG 1350 (Principles of Cell and Developmental Biology) and BIOG 1440 (Introduction to Comparative Physiology). Our mission is to empower students to build mastery of the subject material while also building community in the sciences through collaborative learning.
Invitations are based on the results of a pre-assessment given over the summer to incoming students who have declared Biological Sciences as their major (in the case of CALS students) or who have indicated Biological Sciences as their first choice of majors (in the case of CAS students). Students who accept the invitation to this one-year program will attend small study groups (6-8 people) that are facilitated by a trained peer-leader who has taken and excelled in the course. Invited students who are not taking BIOMG 1350 or BIOG 1440 in their first semester may join a study group in their second semester.
- Benefits of Participating in the CELLS Program
- Expectations and Commitment
- What Students Say
- Additional Resources
Benefits of Participating in the CELLS Program
As a CELLS program participant you will:
- Attend weekly 2-hour study group sessions led by trained Study Group Leaders.
- Build learning strategies and study skills.
- Develop collaborative teamwork and leadership development skills.
- Engage in a supportive, inclusive, and cooperative learning environment.
- Have access to advising office hours reserved specifically for CELLS program participants.
- Develop a network of friends taking the same introductory classes!
Expectations and Commitment
First and foremost, we ask that CELLS program participants be kind to themselves and to each other, recognizing that we all start from different places and that this diversity of background and perspective is a collective strength, not a weakness.
Students who accept the invitation to the CELLS program are expected to:
- Make the most of the program by attending study group sessions regularly.
- Commit to being prepared for and actively participating in CELLS programming and study group meetings.
- Work collaboratively toward the goal of advancing learning for all study group members.
- Respond promptly to communications from their study group leaders and CELLS program staff.
What Students Say
Here's what past study group members have had to say about their experience:
- “I’m very glad I get to be a part of it, it really helps me learn!”
- “I feel much more confident and interested in biology after participating.”
- “[Participating] has been one of the best decisions I've made so far, and I don't know where I'd be in my first semester of Cornell without it...Having these 2-hour sessions with my study group have been so essential in my learning and understanding of BIOMG 1350, even with a limited prior background in biology in high school.”
- “My study group leader is super nice and helpful and I can tell that she really cares about how well we do in the course.”
- “This experience helped me built good study habits for BIOMG 1350 that could be applied to other classes too.”
- “My study group leader always went out of her way to make sure that every student thoroughly understood the material. She was really good at explaining the content in a way that was fun and easy to understand...Her work ethic as a study group leader really showed that she cared about her role.”
- “Overall, I really did enjoy these sessions, and I do think these sessions have allowed me to interpret learning in a different way: to have a healthy relationship with learning rather than negative.”
Additional Resources
For students who are not invited to the CELLS program or who would like additional resources, the Learning Strategies Center (LSC) has multiple academic support offerings including supplemental courses, tutoring, study skills workshops, and tips on managing time and stress. We urge all students to take advantage of this rich resource!