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Unfair! You didn't tell us we could go outside the square!
True! but I didn't tell you that you couldn't either! Besides, the
"square" you refer to is of your own making. The question simply
asks that four contiguously drawn straight lines be used to connect the
dots and that's what this solution provides! (There may well be other
solutions...!) This sort of abstract problem tests your aptitude or IQ
more than it does acquired knowledge, and you won't encounter anything
similarly abstract (or as complicated) in BI250. Thinking about this problem
and this solution, however, provides some useful, general hints for BI250
problem-solving.
A. Understanding a problem is the first step in solving it.
- Read each problem carefully. Make sure you understand the language.
- Look at the problem from different perspectives. Share your solution(s) for the weekly problems with friends to gain their perspectives! Practice by yourself generating more than one solution to a problem.
- If you don't understand something on an exam, ask! (You may be told you should know the answer to the question you're asking, but sometimes you'll see an aspect of the problem that wasn't intended.)
B. Sometimes the answer to a problem (or an experiment, etc.) requires
an approach from outside the apparent boundaries of the problem. The "square"
problem above is often used to illustrate the principle of "Thinking
Outside the Box". Doing so in cell biology this term requires you
first develop a "box" of concepts and facts to think outside
of!
C. If you encounter a BI250 exam question that seems as abstract (or
"foreign") as this one, it's probably covering material you
haven't studied and/or don't remember. In that instance, treat it as an
"aptitude" question and answer it as reasonably as you can.
Don't expect full credit for a "reasonable" answer if your vocabulary
or "facts" are limited (or wrong), but some credit is always
better than none!
D. While it's unlikely you will encounter any problem so abstract, you will deal with more concrete spatial problems. Picturing data, and drawing diagrams, may provide important hints for finding solutions to these problems.
Now for a question you're more likely to encounter on a BI250 exam...
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