exams were brutal! despite how hard you study and how well you know the material her multiple choice will make you second guess your answers!

Great explainer! Exams are only hard if you didn't attend her lectures...if you go to the lectures and write down all that she is saying in your notes...you will be fine!! DO NOT rely on the book.

Great prof! explains material really well....to do well in her course, you should take down EVERYTHING she says during her lecture in your notes..do not use the book (i didn't even use one and still did well in the course)..she is really approachable and helpful..all in all, was a pretty good prof :)

She is a great prof, well paced lectures, veryy clear, and excellent lec notes. If you just go over her lecture notes for the exam but know them WELL like every detail, youll get 70%.. skim over the text youll get 80%. Her exams are a little tricky but if you know your stuff your okay.

Good prof. Knew what she was talking about and delivered lectures clearly.

She is a proff who explains things well but despite the fact that you study a alot for this course, her exams can really get you...She should explain things like ABC and make her exam more doable...I mean she knows her stuff...great...but for pll who have a hard time understading this type of material it can get tough.

Very enthusiastic prof. Explained all concepts with clarity and enthusiasm. You can tell she really is passionate about biology. Her tests can be quite difficult in comparison to other biology courses, but if you really study her lecture notes thoroughly and go to class, an A is definitely achievable!

A great professor. Very clear and teaches the material excellently. But this doesn't mean exams are easy - in fact they're quite the opposite. Study her lectures thoroughly. Has a good sense of humour!

very nice and helpful

Favourite biology prof of all times! Really makes you use your brain and not just sit there passively receiving info. Always available for students. Extremely helpful. Pop quizzes are killers though. Very inspiring! Makes me fall in love with cell and molec all over again!

OMG I LOOOOOOVE this proff. Yeah shes hard, but take note and memorize every word out of her mouth and you'll ace the course ! Didnt touch the txtbook.

Great Prof. Very clear explanations during lectures. A bunch of tricky questions for her midterms. If you constantly review her notes (daily), you can easily get an 80 in this class

I took her class for BIOB11 half only. She is an excellent professor that is very engaging with the material. The textbook is only useful to read figures used on the slides as she never tests on material not covered in lec. MCQ are fair if you put in the work. Pay attention to what she SAYS in class, that will be tested.

I took the full year course. She is an amazing prof that made me fall in love with cell and molecular bio. She is very helpful and approachable as well.

She's a great prof and makes the final exam very fair, however, at least this year, didn't give us enough time for the exam so I couldn't even finish it. I was fuming.

She is a very knowledgable, approachable, confident, cool prof. Loved her class! Her exams are fair, although some questions do require application. It really prepares you for future bio courses! Best prof I've had so far.

Best prof! Awesome Course... in terms of course material and relevant real world applications! This was by far my most favourite course at UTSC. ADVICE: 1) Textbook is only good for figures 2) Record the lecture on your own 3) Listen to the recording and make word for word notes 4) REVIEW THOSE NOTES + Slides. 5) A+ . Final is KILLER! ;)

She is a pretty good prof, knowing lectures in and out helps. Exams are not easy but doable.

Haven't written the final yet but so far, assignments have been marked stringently. Criteria for such are vague at best. Avoid this course if you can...

Aarthi Ashok is simply amazing. Her exams and midterms are extremely fair. However, in order to do well, you need to know everything that she says and understand it, rather than memorize it. She goes through Think, Pair, Share Activities in class so that you can connect the content you are learning to real world applications. Work load is high.

Crystal clear teaching. Best prof I've ever had! Replies to emails and cares alot about her students. Final exam was a little tough but do-able if you attend lectures and learn her lecture slides by heart

Great teacher,loves to ask questions so the class participates. Really breaks down material. And it's better to show up in person than watch it online or just read slides I think

Aarti Ashok is a great prof who explains concepts extremely well. In terms of studying I would focus on her lecture notes and what she says in class. You can read the textbook for further clarification if you want but it's not entirely necessary. Her exam was mostly application based but some questions were taken directly from her slides.

Everybody says her final exam was really hard but it was straightforward if you went to class and took notes. Goes off lecture discussions. If you go to class maybe you can get a 97% on the final like me ;-). plus really enjoyed her classes and how she gets you to think which increases your understanding.

She is such a cool and knowledgable prof. Make an effort to learn her lectures because you will see the terms and topics all over the research you will be applying for the following semester. The less you procrastinate, the more chances that something will actually spark your interest. Her test was fair to be honest!

She is THE best prof that you will have! Super understanding, helpful, and cares for each and every one of her students. Her courses are very fair and if you put the effort in you will definitely get A+! Keeping up with all the assignments at once can be challenging but having numerous opportunities for marks is amazing! Highly recommend her course

She is one of the BEST professor I had in uni so far! She really knows her stuff and has a passion for teaching. Her think pair share activities help you apply what you learn. Her exams make you think and apply what you learn. STUDY her lecture notes INSIDE OUT as she is likely to put even the smallest detail! Participate and do not skip class.

If you like cell bio and want to increase knowledge about it, Dr Ashok is best for you. Her "something to think about" is very helpful to further implement the knowledge. Try to understand properly each lecture slide, understand and memorize steps of techniques and mechanism.

Definitely watch all of her lectures, she explains everything very clearly with lots of detail. Make sure you know EVERYTHING from her notes and lectures, textbook is not mandatory to use. But you can't get away with cramming everything the night before and passing with a good grade (or at all).

Dr. Ashok's exams are so tough, and although I did not do that well I do admit that she is an amazing lecturer who knows her stuff so well. Her testing style is difficult though. She requires you to actually apply your knowledge and think deeper. Needless to say, she is so cool and smart.

Took it last year(?) Anyways, read the material, get an A. Fair exams, if you can't recall the material think before you go into upper year bio courses because it's all about knowing the material in and out. She's great at explaining, she has the best office hours too.

Her exams are extremely detail oriented and I've never studied harder for a final in my life, but it is possible to get an A in her course if you put the time in and really focus on memorizing her slides verbatim. I didn't buy or look at a textbook. She definitely curved our final, which I appreciated :)

Very detailed and clarity throughout lectures.

All of my first year biology professors have been amazing, including professor ashok. She really seems like she knows what she is talking about and makes the lectures interesting. She has engaging questions. Bioa01 and 02 tests are lecture based, with the textbook almost never being used. Make good notes and youre guaranteed an A- or higher.

Ashoks lectures are well paced and informative, but she explains in much more detail than is shown in the slides, so lecture attendance is crucial. Exams are hard, but shes generous with bell curves. Very passionate and kind prof, but expect to work for your grade.

I absolutely love her teaching style! Linking course content to interesting real-life diseases/experiments, Dr. Ashok is passionate and very well-informed. She's also quite friendly when you approach her, giving thorough answers to any questions you might have, and I fully admire her dedication to furthering her students' understanding of biology!

at first she seems really rude and mean (especially when she yelled at us for taking pics of slides she didn't give us) but she actually does care. She curves a bit too, so that good. Listen to what she says, if she says she wont test something then she wont test it. Make sure you know your protein locations and steps tho cause 95% is that.

Honestly, as much as I love genetics, I would say I put in the least amount of effort for this module (because of other exams going on at the same time), I literally just watched her lectures and made good notes and found the test to be a piece of cake; no tricks! I love how she enunciates so clearly; she also knows her stuff and is passionate

Just finished BIOB10 over the summer and I really enjoyed it. It was fast-paced and you had to put in effort, but Dr. Ashok makes complex ideas seem really easy and explains every concept in detail. If you need more clarification she will give you a detailed response after lecture. I truly hope she teaches B11 in winter!

Honestly, it's fair. Fairness is something that is often hard to come by at UofT, this course is informationally dense, but the exams are fair and made so that if you actually study you can achieve a good mark. She was remarkably slow at replying to my emails compared to other professors, but who cares since she actually gives fair exams.

amazing prof and teaches well, but difficult course content. also very detailed exams

Ashok is the prof! Yes she's fast and she may appear to be rude in lecture but honestly she is amazing and the most approachable professor on campus! She does TPS questions and some appear on the exam. If its the lecture you need to know, know it! Textbook? No, only used it for figure captions! Don't waste your time with it, study slides in & out!

She seems really off putting but trust me she explains really well.

Best prof so far. She makes the asynchronous lectures really engaging and office hours are amazing. 10/10 amazing, super passionate.

Had her for module 3 (DNA and genetics). Her lectures are really detailed WHICH IS GOOD because you don't really need the textbook unless referring to figures, animations online, etc. She explained concepts clearly so don't skip her lectures. stay on top of your work cuz it's a lot of work and cramming before the term test was manageable but hard

Amazing lectures and caring prof! Her exams and weekly quizzes were seriously hard and tricky, but once you pay and remember attention to 'every' detail from the slides (and words in her lec), it's manageable! The assignments like murals or haikus were not so rough, just make sure your citations/formats are correct and it would be ok.

A good professor and very knowledgeable. If you need help with anything, she is very accessible. Honestly, I watched the lectures in one night and did well but that is also because of all the other assignments. The assignments help you bring your mark very high so take time to work on them.

Prof Ashok really went into detail about every topic so new concepts were easy to understand. She would have little activities embedded in the lecture so made it even easier to learn the content. A very knowledgeable and organized prof!

Shes a very good lecturer. Always keeping it enjoyable

Doctor Ashok is just a wonderful person. Her office hours help with engaging with the material and you can tell that she really cares about her students. The content and exam were quite difficult, but if you attend office hours and study you can do well, especially with how accessible she is to her students. Def would take a class by her again!

Dr. Ashok is truly a gem. She is so well-spoken and articulate with her lectures despite covering a hard topic (genetics). Do yourself a favor and go to her office hours- it is such an insightful experience. She spends the first 30 mins answering general questions and the rest discussing exam-style questions. One of the best professors I have met!

Professor Ashok is excellent at explaining concepts and making lectures interesting! her office hours are worth attending, she answers students' questions but also has a prepared set of questions to work through with us. If you study her lectures well you will do fine on the test, the textbook is nice to just skim through but not needed.

Amazing prof and really smart. Very kind and accessible too. Truly cares about her students. Content heavy but exams are easy if you study properly. TB wasn't necessary. Mural assignment was fun and was graded fairly. Has questions during lectures that helps with understanding the concept. (I took it online synchronous in 2020).

Dr. Ashok is the best prof I've ever had. The lectures are amazing and she answers questions with such care and very thoroughly. The test was only based on the lecture material, but she encouraged us to read the textbook for better understanding. SHE'S THE BEST.

She's honestly the best, her lectures were so engaging and when she speaks it makes you want to listen. She answers any questions that you have respectfully and makes sure that students understand the content.

teaches well, doesnt read word for word, actually interests me in the class

I had her for the fall and she was great at explaining concepts and her lectures were pretty interesting. She would take more time on clicker questions in class if most of the class answered wrong. You need to know both the textbook and lecture content to do well in the course. Overall she's a great professor who cares about what she teaches.

Best teaching!

She is a great professor and is very passionate about the course. Her slides are mostly pictures so it's important to take notes. Overall she is a great professor and having the course with her was fun.

She is very passionate about what she teaches which makes the lectures more engaging and informative.

Dr. Ashok is an absolute gem. Her passion for teaching is truly inspiring and she cares deeply about each and every one of her students. I am so grateful to have had her as my professor this semester. If you are reading this Dr. Ashok, you are my favourite prof!

Dr. Ashok is one of the best biology professors at UTSC. I did not expect to do well in this course. This course mainly requires to read a lot of research papers. You will definitely learn a lot from her lectures and papers which will surely help you in the future. She is always open to help out her students. Definitely made my last semester fun!

that course was hell but prof did a great job

Course is content heavy but as far as you take the time out to study well and most importantly understand concepts her exams will seem pretty easy. Also takes time to really drill the concepts in your head so you would not need to spend extra time trying and figuring things out yourself.

Dr. Ashok has a very well organized lecture style and while the content is very complicated, she explains things well in my opinion. My advice for doing well would be to take notes in lectures (quickly) and then go through the recording again to fill in some missing details (I sometimes watch it at 2X speed). Didn't read the textbook at all lol

Best Prof out of the 3 in BIOA01 (no hate to the other profs but I honestly prefered her more)

Loved her she gave so much of us hope and actually explains instead of reading of the slides.

by far the best prof in BIOA01, her lectures are more than enough to get you prepared for the module test, she actually explains the concepts rather than just reading off a slide and explains it in a way that is easy to follow and easy to understand. the module test came right from the lecture as she doesnt put anything she didnt teach in the test

Very intelligent and well-spoken, she knows her stuff and has reasonable expectations for students. Great prof!

Sensational.

My favourite prof at UTSC by far. She explains lecture content in a way where it is very easy to follow along, and links ideas and concepts to real world to help ground the information

Prof Ashok overall was a good prof! I found that she explained the content well in lec making the textbook not needed. I found that she jumped from topic to topic throughout the course making it hard to follow. Her exams were VERY FAIR! She did not test on anything she didn't cover in class and emphasized what she wanted you to take away from lec.

So far halfway into module 2, I love Dr. Ashok and her teaching style. She is very clear and concise, which makes complex topics like genetics much more straightforward to understand. I like that she uses a lot of diagrams and visuals.

She teaches amazing and knows her stuff, if you don't understand something she'll explain it on the spot, even if its during the lecture. Her exams are all lecture based and her lectures are so easily explained which makes it an easy A.

Dr. Ashok is my favorite professor so far. She is so knowledgeable about her content and explains everything very well. Her passion for biology and for students to do well really shows. As long as you go over her lectures in detail, and understand the content, you will do fine.

she's a great prof, explains her content really well and has a deep understanding of what she teaches, the exam was a little hard but honestly if you understand the content instead of memorizing you'll be fine.

Professor Ashok speaks very clearly, teaches well, but her tests are hard. This test was the hardest I've ever taken, but it was by no means impossible. 3 questions were removed due to few getting the right answer, but I think that was because they covered a lecture where she asked students to listen, but not take notes (maybe not a great idea).

She's very knowledgeable and helpful, but that test was something else 🥴 Definitely make sure to know the minute details of processes because they will come up

Professor for the Genetics module. Lectures were engaging--participation encouraged. She skims over a few things during the lectures like replication or translation models that I recommend going to the textbook for further clarification. Some questions on the test were straight from the TB. Test is incredibly memorization-heavy. Make flashcards.

She's very knowledgeable about her field and that is reflected in her teaching. She's really nice and actually cares about students, making sure to ask if anybody is confused in lectures. However, she is very detailed and it took me an embarrassingly long time to get through each lecture

Always took time to answer questions while in the middle of a lecture. Explained concepts and ideas really well (beware that she doesn't put many words on her slides, so you're better off attending/ watching the lectures rather than just reading the slideshows).

THE GOAT! her slides aren't very useful for taking notes so lectures are pretty important, her exam was fair though and she obviously cares a lot about her subject and students. goated prof. in aarthi we trust.

Dr. Ashok is an amazing lecturer. She uses a lot of visuals on her slides so listening to what she is saying is important. Her test was fair to me but some might have found it harder than the first Module test. She offers lots of help and extra office hours so you can ask as many questions as you want.