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I don't know what these other reviewers are talking about. If you make the effort to come see him he's eager to help. That said, his BISC220 is the hardest class I've ever taken in my entire life. Pay attention in lectures, that's pretty key. Rewatch them online and go to the help sessions. But Herrera's great.

Very knowledgeable but also arrogant. He's got great slides and obviously takes a lot of pride in them. Lectures are very clear and he makes an effort to reach out to students. His examples are very interesting. Overall his massive ego is overshadowed by his passion for the class. Good professor.

Herrera was the 2nd lecturer in this class, which I was hating up to that point. Although he was demanding of his students,his lectures were great and really packed with information. You have to work for the grade, but he gives you your money's worth, and also the tools to succeed: concise lectures (take good notes!) Big ego but really passionate.

This class is extremely interesting. If you love bio/the human body, you will love Dr. Herrera! I agree that he kind of has an ego and might even like the fact that some students hate him, but overall the class is worth the trouble. Highly recommend.

Definitely a hard class, but Dr. Herrera is a very helpful professor! He posts his lectures online, contributes to student discussion online, and his Q&A sessions are helpful as well. You really need to put a lot of time into the class to do well though. Stop whining about the professor, suck it up and study.

I love Dr. Herrera! It was a hard class, but I learned a ton and thought he was really helpful during office hours or during his Q&A sessions.

Great&useful class, NOT that scary hard. Study more for his essay-heavy/practical application style exams, do nott let McClure's easier book-based exams fool you. Lectures are more important than book-PAY attention to real world situations he presents & in the book. Also, really know the nervous system, it's heavily tested (He's a neurobiologist)

I took the physiology class that he taught to high school students over the summer. I came in with high expectations and he really bored me to death. I was really anxious to get out of lecture, and he is such a peculiar person. I tried to get to know him on a personal level but he was really creepy /. He treats the high schoolers like college kids.

His tests are challenging, I do like the way they test; it is VERY ANALYTICAL requiring a thorough and deep understanding of the materials. memorization WILL NOT CUT IT. you MUST understand why certain processes occur and the different systems. I really enjoyed 220 but Herrera is kind of mean. Sounds like a hermit too.BISC220 is a very good class.

He's a funny guy. You won't fall asleep during his lectures, you'll probably even chuckle at his jokes. Overall, a pretty nice guy. His lectures are pretty detailed as well. Super hard class though. His tests are so in-depth, that even with lecture, SI sessions, and the text book, his exams are still EXTREMELY difficult.

Dr. Herrera is an amazing teacher! His class will definitely let you know if health professions are right for you. His lectures are all posted online, and his QA sessions are broadcasted live. Focus on the lectures, and SEEK HELP if you need it. Don't fall behind in lectures and readings, and GO TO SI (I went to all sessions). An A is attainable.

Best pre-health professor you will have, his class will be the one to make you know whether or not you are cut out to run with the pack.

hes an awesome teacher but the course is really hard. memorize everything he says is really difficult- it'll be on the test

Herrera's a tough professor, but this course is by no means impossible. He simply wants you to work hard to earn your grade. Pay attention in class, lectures are important. Tests are application based, so he'll make you connect simple concepts to difficult problems. Challenging course, but great preparation for medical school.

Med school has nothing to do with this concept of teaching. If you pay thousands of dollars in student loans the best you should expect is good teachers with a descent approach to teaching not the type of weeding that typically occurs at the UC's. Very disappointing to know that the Bios and Chem Departments for the most part lack good instructors.

No, the course isn't impossible but Dr. Herrera's style is quite different. Rather than regurgitation, it is nearly all "applying" type questions. He writes his own tests and is not afraid to inundate you with 10+ written answers along with multiple choice. Highly recommend reading BEFORE and simply sitting in lecture to absorb what he says.

If you go to lectures and actually read every single day, you'll be fine. Curve is nice and he's pretty funny.

Amazing professor. Its a weeder class so of curse its hard but lectures are posted online so you dont have to attend. It's actually more helpful to just take notes from the video bc he goes really fast. highly recommend. This half of the class will let you know if you you're ready for premed courses later on

Great professor — really knows his stuff and conveys the information very well. His tests are very difficult, all application based, but this only requires you to study as hard as you can and actually understand the information (instead of just remembering it). Great preparation and thinking development for the future!

By no means was BISC 307 easy, but Dr. Herrera made his lectures available online (meaning attendance is optional), and the curve was quite generous. He wants you to really think about medical conditions and his questions are very challenging. However, I would definitely recommend this course. It is much more pertinent than any other bio course.

BISC 307 wasn't easy. But, it also wasn't impossible. I think what made his teaching style so great was his understanding that students in that class were there to learn legitimately interesting and useful information. He delivers, but also makes you come to the table. Don't look for an easy A with Herrera. Look for a great academic experience.

One of the best academic experiences I've had at USC. His class is extremely demanding, but he's an amazing professor. To do well in his class you need to have the readings done before hand, and literally transcribe everything he says in lecture (video recordings posted online). study it. think outside the box. think APPLICATION not regurgitation

BEST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN AT USC..... honestly i know everyone says it's really hard... it is ! however, completely manageable.... you just have to rewatch the lectures that they put up online and keep up with the material. Really a rewarding experience

Dr .Herrera is an excellent professor. I had him for bisc 220 and really enjoyed his lecture and the material. The average on his exams is very low, but that's because he asks application questions. Know and UNDERSTAND the material and you'll be fine. you'll learn a lot from him and learn how to think as well. I look forward to taking bisc 307

class is difficult but Herrera is VERY helpful. ask him anything. he will thoroughly answer. concepts are super in depth so procrastination is the last thing you want to do. curve for his midterms are very giving. avg is always around mid 90s out of 160. everyone is in the same boat. as for herrera, he is willing to help and wants you to do well!

Dr. Herrera is an outstanding lecturer. He teaches the material in a way that really stimulates your interest because of its applicability. He's very helpful and even pretty funny. And don't listen to the other reviews, it IS possible to do well in the class if you put the time into it and really UNDERSTAND rather than memorize the material.

Difficult test writer ie concept based not memorization based. He video records his lectures and syncs them to slides playlist so if you miss class you can see exactly what you missed. He puts up audio files, too. I played his lectures' audio multiple times while cleaningeatingetc and it was a great resource. Wish more teachers did same.

Man I don't wanna Herrera a bad review because he is one of the kindest people I've met. And I am oddly attracted to his quirkiness. He makes it very clear what you need to know for the exam but they challenging. He curves REALLY well. Average was a 57% and he made that a B on one exam. His grading is discouraging but at the end you'll do fine.

Great teacher. I have MULTIPLE friends in medical school who said that his physio class helped them prepare for the both medical school itself and the MCAT I barely studied for the old bio section of the MCAT and got a 10 I attribute that to Herrera. If you have any intention of going to medical school Herrera is the guy you want to take.

Dr. H is honestly one of my favorite professor's I've ever had here at USC. Yes, lecture can be boring sometimes but I really like his dry humor, and he tries to be as clear as possible. Also, definitely try to go to Q&A. He explains things even more. He also takes more effort to make material available to every student than any other professor.

Very difficult class, for sure. Exams are very "logic" based, testing your ability to apply the concepts learned in class. Lectures are all recorded, and would recommend watching them again if you missed stuff; also read the textbook for extra clarity, but be warned that simply "knowing" the material won't be enough for his exceptionally hard tests

I really like Herrera. I'm barely holding onto a B but I still appreciate his passion for teaching. Watts taught the first half of the class and didn't seem nearly as interested in our success -- I felt like our intro class was an afterthought for him. Not with Herrera. He's dedicated, tough, funny, and makes bio interesting and applicable.

His lectures were always engaging. He is a fun guy. He went off on random tangents about none important things way to often, which sometimes made us behind schedule which made studying for exams harder. Exams were pretty tough, make sure you go to lecture and take good notes.

Don't bother reading the book unless he specifically tells you to look something up. His exams are based purely off of his lectures, so rewatch lectures and take good notes in preparation for the exams. You will learn a lot in this class, so I would recommend going to SI whenever possible. Finally, relax, the curve is your friend.

I actually recommend you don't go to lectures. Lectures are recorded so you can watch and pause and rewind. Tests are really difficult and are very much application based (SI leader told us to use MCAT questions for more practice problems). He's really funny and although lectures are dense, the material is interesting. GO TO SI!!!!

He did set really tough papers, but it was worth it. He made all the resources so easily accessible that you really can't blame him for setting papers that made you think and not just memorize. 100% take his class!

Class has 4 midterms+lab grade. Herrera is a great lecturer, but BISC220 is just one of the hardest classes at USC in general. Even though it's super hard, he does a great job at explaining everything. His lectures are talking heavy, almost nothing on the slides, so make sure to go to lecture or watch his recordings online. Would recommend.

Despite some people's whining, Herrera is the best professor I've met in the USC bio department so far. Before I took his class, the other reviews made me dread it. Turns out it wasn't that bad for me. He explained things really well and his slides were indeed useful. You might need some background and passion but it's definitely doable.

He's a great lecturer, and you really are able to grasp some difficult concepts in his class. But the topics are difficult, so be prepared to study extensively.

The best class I've taken so far in undergrad. A lot of people don't like H because of 220, but the reality is 220 is a bad class lmao, love him sm. 307 was so rewarding and interesting. It however, does not come easy. All test questions are application based, so just memorizing will get you nowhere! Be vigilant and repetitive and you will ace it!

Professor Herrera is notorious as being a difficult test giver. However, I do think he gave me a solid understanding of physiology that made me think beyond memorization. He is truly a knowledgable professor and I gained much from his class. If you keep up with his lectures, he explains concepts clearly and is available outside of class.

Very knowledgeable and respected. Tests are difficult, but the curve is generous - you REALLY have to study though (rewatch lecture recordings, go to SI). Questions are all application based and pure memorization will not get you far. He speaks fast and mumbles, so I found watching his recordings more helpful bc I could pause + take notes.

Herrera is a great professor. He is funny in class and gives interesting lectures. However, don't expect to do well in this class unless you have some background in bio or you are willing to dedicate a significant amount of time to studying for it. It's not really memorization, you have to think.

Everyone hates on Herrera but he was genuinely a good professor! He makes you apply concepts (which is important for all those complaining pre-meds out there). Good lecturer, willing to reexplain concepts until you get it. Yes the tests are harder, but the averages are low to give you a nice curve in comparison to Watts' tests with no curve at all.

Going into Herrera's class I thought it was going to be the biggest challenge. But after his first test I realized it isn't that hard. You only need to know the fundamentals and a few obscure facts from lecture. Amazing lecturer and very interesting information.

People's lack of desire to work shouldn't be taken out on Dr. Herrera. Yeah his class is difficult, but not impossible. He is the smartest professors I have ever had. People complain that they don't know what will be asked of them on exams, but those are the same people who don't show up for his weekly Q&A sessions. Work hard and you will do well.

respected in the USC community for premeds but his test questions are basically MCAT level, very application-based and memorization alone won't save you. lectures are useful and holds a weekly Q&A. make sure you're doing the assigned reading or studying regularly if you want to get an A. not hard to cram for a B/B-

Herrera's half of the class is significantly harder, but major complaint is that the test and quiz questions can cover material that is not in the course and is not common knowledge, but treated as though it is. Would recommend for pre-meds, curve covers GPA hit and test questions are early MCAT prep. Did not find Q&A helpful. Do not skip lecture.

Yes. Tests are challenging; however, his questions are HIGHLY applicable & lectures are interesting. I worked my butt off but I learned more in his section compared any other premed course I've taken. His lectures are recorded, so go through them SLOWLY & get all the notes down. Don't try to cram, rewatch lectures, and go to SI. Hard but rewarding!

I took AP Bio in high school, and still found his exams to be exceptionally hard. They're all application based: for instance, if this person had this disease, what would you not expect to find? Just do well in the 1st 1/2 of the class w Watts, so you have some leverage. Find a good lab instructor too. and DO NOT CRAM. Good luck lol

Great Professor. Tests are difficult, but encourage thinking about physiology in a way that is invaluable for careers in health

Don't take Herrera's class unless you're pre-med because he even says he specifically gears his exam towards pre-med applications of concepts. That being said, with enough studying, the class is doable and I personally enjoyed Herrera's quirky sense of humor. Just be prepared to study.

Dr. Herrera is amazing and truly passionate about the subject being taught. I loved this class, but he is one of the hardest professors I've ever had. His exams require a LOT more extra time/effort for studying since he wants students to apply the material to pre-med concepts. I would recommend taking advantage of every resource he gives you!

Lecture heavy, so do your best to stay focused, because any detail could be on the midterms. While his tests are challenging, they truly are fair, because he never puts anything on the test that he didn't go over during lecture. He's always open to answering questions, and his office hours help a lot. You have to work for it, but you learn a lot!

BISC220 is a hard class and I hate to say it, but Herrera is not the greatest lecturer. He will go off on tangents sometimes and can be hard to follow. You will have to take incredibly detailed notes if you want an A. However, it is abundantly clear that he is an incredibly kind person and cares about his students. For me, that was more important.

Incredibly intelligent guy. Slides are sparse, lectures feel rambly, but everything is important, so WRITE. DOWN. EVERYTHING. Tests are not easy (65% avg) but curved to 80. Focus on understanding over memorization. I kept afloat by reading the textbook (which I didn't bother to do for Watts). Not very accessible through email. Go to Q&A!

Not an easy class, but Dr. Herrera does really seem to want people to succeed. Tests are almost entirely application-based, which is challenging but genuinely tests your understanding. Herrera is always willing to answer questions and never comes off as condescending. His section may have lower averages than others, but his curve makes things fair.

You can tell Herrera truly cares about his students, and he made sure to answer every student's question in lecture. The exams are very difficult, but not impossible, and there was a generous curve. His lecture slides don't have many words, so just make sure to type every word he says and rewatch the lectures until you understand. Good for premeds!

Herrera was the HARDEST prof I've had but his exams are fair since everything was mentioned in lecture. Going beyond memorization is important to do well. Questions were phrased like MCAT, & he spoke fast so rewatch lecture recordings & write EVERYTHING down. He's extremely knowledgeable, so ask questions and go to SI! Hefty curve & decent prof :)

The other reviews are right about Dr. Herrera's exams being tough. That said, I highly recommend his class. The curve is generous, which evens out the tough tests. He tests straight out of his lecture material and gives you practice quizzes and exams. If you like dry, deadpan humor, he's hysterically funny. Also a nice guy.

Prof. Herrera is a really nice and dedicated professor. He does a good job explaining concepts in lecture. His exams are quite possibly the hardest exams of my life. I really tried but I was going through other stuff outside of class and I'm really disappointed that I did so awful in this class. But, I appreciate his help in weekly office hours.

Objective opinion: he is one of my fav profs at SC. His tests are hard(but the curve is very generous) and everything on the exam is fair questions. Most people are lazy and want the easy way out, but even then he isn't crazy hard its the usual study a week in advance and you'll be fine. He confirmed my pursuit of premed, and I DEF recommend him

Toughest exams I've taken, but I got a lot out of this class. Questions are all application based, so it forces you to really understand the material. Prof Herrera explains the content very well, and is helpful during Q&As. It's very possible to do well on the exams if you rewatch all the lectures and start studying a week early.

I like Dr. Herrera, he is funny and kind and always answers any questions you have. There isn't a lot of day-to-day work in this class, just one weekly quiz over lecture material that is only 6 points, but the tests are pretty difficult so studying will require a lot of time. Lectures are recorded and don't buy the textbook you won't use it.

I know Herrera's tests are hard, but if you really put in the work I think that an A in the class is definitely achievable. He is such a fun professor to have and made his lectures so interesting and fun in my opinion. I would love to have him as a professor again because he made my experience at USC so so so much better

Prof Herrera is really intelligent and knows a lot about the content of the course. Although his tests are notoriously difficult (~60% average), the final grade cutoffs are determined by a generous curve. I would recommend rewatching his lectures at 2x speed instead of reading the textbook or showing up to lecture.

Quite difficult quizzes and exam questions. Need to finish 50 T/F and multiple choice questions in 1hr. But I really learned a lot with Prof. Herrera, and the curve is generous.

So you wanna be a doctor... BISC 220 is a weed-out class, no way around it. The curve for the class is very generous, as I got two A- , a C+, and a B- on the exams and still ended up with an A- in the course. Truly, fight for every point, especially in lab! Watching lectures and doing practice exams/walking through questions is most helpful.

Herrera is funny guy and makes the class interesting. His slides have little to no words on them, so he tends to repeat himself which can be confusing sometimes. Bell curve class so how well you do is based on how well your classmates do, majority of grades will be Bs. I barely studied but passed by watching every lecture and writing notes.

Professor Herrera is a great guy but wow were his tests tough since they were MCAT style and require you to REALLY understand the content. Definitely attend SI and do the practice exams since some test questions were taken from these. However, Herrera really is sweet, accessible outside class, and bumps grades at the end.

One of the best bio teachers that I have ever had. His classes were very hard and his tests were so stressful, but the content was amazing and I honestly felt so proud of myself at the end of the semester. He slayed.

honestly the sweetest man who is impeccable at explaining complicated concepts clearly. got super sick before first exam and he exempted me from it without question. tests are the most difficult and mentally draining I've ever experienced, but I felt like I learned a lot this semester. practice as many application problems as possible.

Herrera has notoriously difficult tests that are near impossible to do well on, but with that being said, he is a very caring professor and takes time to explain really difficult topics (almost too much time tho). A very very difficult class - go to lecture!

He's just an amazing personality with no downsides. I love this guy.

Prof Herrera and his tests, to be honest, are NOT as hard as people described. I managed to get all As on my exams just by watching over his lecture recordings and doing some SI questions. Only around 10% of students gets an A, though. Just pay attention to lecture details because he will only test you on EXACTLY what he talked about in class.

Very similar to BISC220 in term of lectures and midterms. Tests are open note/open Internet but difficult. Write down everything he says in lecture and be able to explain all diagrams presented in his slides to prepare for exams. He loves testing intricate pathways that requires thinking through problems. The class is curved by LOTS though!

This class invites professors in the department to talk about their research. Professor Herrera gives good advice on how to find research opportunities. To pass the class you need to engage and ask questions to the speaker about their research. I actually get research using the advice he provided! Recommend for everyone interested in biology.

Humorous lecturer that goes off on tangents sometimes. All his lectures were online which has its pros and cons. Covers physiology for BISC220, which is more difficult than the cell bio half. He doesn't release his full slides. His tests are more difficult than other BISC220 professors, but it's a premed class so what do you expect.

Dr. Herrera is an amazing professor. My enjoyment of biology really grew in this class! That said, his tests are probably the hardest material you'll receive as a freshman. His lectures can also be difficult to follow, as he provides few slides. Take advantage of recordings, Q&As, practice exams (oh lordie), and SI. Prepare weeks ahead. Good luck!

Herrera teaches a difficult portion of BISC220 and people often mistake his teaching as bad. In reality, A&P is just really hard. That being said, this guy makes his test impossible. You really have to pay attention to EVERYTHING he says in lecture. Slides are not helpful because he only puts diagrams. Listen to his lectures or you will fail.

Professor Herrera is a very interesting guy and has a hilarious class environment. Do attend all his lectures and pay extra attention because exams can go very deep. Also do go to his office hours, they are very very helpful. Also took Professor Herrera's BISC 193, a useful guide for first years seeking a research position.

DO NOT skip lecture or fall behind. Attend the SIs, go to lecture, and talk to him in OH. Consistently study and make friends. The curve is really generous. I scored mainly Bs (after curve, C and D range raw) on the exams. His class was easily one of the hardest I've ever taken and his lectures are not engaging but crucial to do well. Good luck!

very difficult professor with difficult exams and difficult lectures. while this is the case I would recommend taking his course as he properly and adequately ensures that students do well in his course and prepares them for MCAT and future endeavors. I believe his exams prepare students well for the MCAT. Also a very funny and down to earth guy!

Professor Herrera is kind, and truly cares about the topics he teaches. His class is hard, but extremely interesting. He is accessible outside of class and will explain anything. He is also clearly not trying to trick people with his tests or quizzes. Though they are hard, they are certianly going to be useful for the MCAT and med school.

Dr. Herrera taught me to love biology and to love the feeling of working super hard to study for something and seeing the results pay off! This class is HARD. That is for sure. But Herrera gives interesting, funny, and informational lectures. The best professor I have ever had. I learned so much from this course. It made me want to be a biologist.

The people that rate Herrera poorly do so because the course is hard, or because they do not do well on the tests. Herrera is a fantastic professor who cares deeply about making sure his students are pushing themselves to be the best they can be in the classroom. He taught me how to study for challenging tests, and to become fascinated by biology.

rumors are true... he gives the most difficult exams, granted physiology is already one of the harder subjects in bio. rewatch the recordings because he tests on EVERYTHING he says during the lectures. but herrera is a great professor. tough, but still great. also the curve is pretty generous.

Prof Herrera is clearly knowledgable about the subject, very approachable, and is a likable guy. One thing that gives him a bad rap is that he blows through content at an insane pace, so I would suggest watching his lectures online if you have the option. His tests are also insane and average in the fifties. Not a big GPA boost.

One of the hardest classes I have ever taken. Our exam averages for his half of the course were around 50%, but the curve was super generous. His lecture style is different from Watts's. He mostly talks with very little on his slides (mostly pictures). Great professor for pre-med since his exams are MCAT style, but extremely hard.

tbh have no clue how I ended with an A, considering my averages for exams were like around a B, but I guess the the lab grade helped big time, so take lab extremely serious and try to get as many points possible. for exams, STUDY!!! rewatch lectures, take the practice exam, do the SI sheets. content is pretty interesting!

Genuinely have no idea how I ended up with an A in this class. I took AP bio and most of the info is the exact same, just a little more memorizing, but I would have had a really hard time if I didn't already know most of it. SI really helps and lab impacts your grade a ton!

This is definitely a challenging course, no doubt. Dr. Herrera is a great professor, and he will push you to use the course content and apply it to real situations, great for pre-med! Test material is straight from Dr. Herrera's lectures, so attending lectures and paying attention is key. I enjoyed his lectures since he explained the concepts well.

Herrera's BIO220 is a tough course, but attending lectures, reading the textbook, and utilizing resources like Unstuck study can really pay off. His exams are challenging, but the generous curve makes it doable if you put in the work. Definitely not an easy A, but a rewarding learning experience.

This guy's an OG -- he's been teaching for decades. Hard class but you'll learn a lot.

He's incredibly intelligent and you need him if you are pre-med. He used to write for the mcat and he uses some of those questions. Yes they are hard but he gives an insane curve so it cancels out(you're learning hard material with a 15%+ cushion). If you are taking this as a GE it's definitely too hard, but he is perfect for pre-med.

Although it's true that Professor Herrera's exams are tough, he's really easy to reach out to for help outside of class. Plus, his lectures are all recorded and his lectures are engaging + contain a lot of examples to help you understand the content. I really liked him as a professor and felt like his exams helped develop my study skills!

Dr. Herrera is really tough for BISC 220. His curves are generally fair. His exams are difficult and although he gives you a sample exam, it sometimes ends up being much easier than the real thing. His lecture style is really bad so either read the textbook or watch recordings (slides are usually just a picture that he mumbles facts about).

P/NP class. Super easy and low impact. Dr. Herrera was more of a supervisor. Had guest speakers every week to talk about their research, so little interaction with Doctor, but had to submit our work to him. No summative assignments (i.e. quizzes, tests, exams, finals) and no homework/minimal work outside of class. Class is equivalent to BISC-193

Good lecturer over all. super hard exams - MCAT style - mostly application. but the good thing is the content he tests on is what he teaches on. stay on top of the content. super nice and welcoming to office hours. posts practice exams that help

Great lecturer, I highly recommend every pre-med to take Herrera's course. Extremely difficult midterms, but they are curved very well. Use all the resources you get (SI, sample exams, Q&As) as those were effective at least for me. Rewatch all recorded lectures one week prior to the exam date and you'll be fine. I didn't read textbook the once.

Professor Herrera's bisc220 class is MEANT to be a weeder. So don't take it if you believe you already have a heavy course load. He is funny(in an old professor way), knowledgeable, and so respectable. His tests were hard but totally doable with the right strategy and mindset. I learned sm in hindsight and I'm grateful for his hard tests!

Professor Herrera makes himself available for questions, and there's a lot of supplemental information provided in the course to help you prepare for exams. The lectures are hard to follow at times, but there are recordings available to help you catch what you miss during the live lecture. This class is difficult, but you're a capable student!

Herrera's teaching style is very unique and his slides does not have a lot of words, very reliant on recordings of his lectures to actually retain everything, However, he is a good lecturer and teaches a lot of information. His tests are pretty difficult but gives a generous curve.