2.7
Quality3.6
Difficulty41%
Would Retake309
Reviews41%
Would Retake
309
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
309 total ratings5
49
4
56
3
58
2
70
1
76
What Students Say
“The quizzes given (I assume she made them”
BIO1161 - 1.0 rating“This biology class was painful and ridiculous”
BIOL1362 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
83%
Textbook Required
32%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.25 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL2133
5.0
(1)BIOL1331
5.0
(1)BIO1307
5.0
(2)BIO13611362
4.7
(3)BIO1162
4.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
BIOL1344
5.0
BIOL1306
4.6
BIO1306
4.3
MICROBIO
4.0
BIOL13621361
4.0
Reviews (300)
She tries to be nice and down to earth with her students but in reality, I actually felt like I was being talked down to. There is a lot and I stress A LOT of material to learn and a great majority of it doesn't show up on the tests (they're at CASA too, which sucks). I wasn't too thrilled with this professor but I wasn't exactly put-off by her.
I THINK SHE IS A GOOD PROFESSOR. SHE MAY NOT BE AN EXCELLENT TEACHER BUT,DON'T FORGET SHE JUST STARTED TEACHING.I TOOK HER FOR BIOL 2 AND MICRO AND SHE HAS IMPROVED A LOT. I BELIEVE WITH TIME SHE WILL DO AN EXCELLENT JOB. ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT HER IS THAT SHE IS VERY SINCERE AND WILL HAVE TIME FOR YOU IF YOU APPROACH HER. I RECOMMEND HER TO PEOPLE
she is a very sweet person if you get to know her. However her lectures are dry and boring..you will not come to class or fall aslepp if you do show up..the textbook will also become your best friend!!!
omg! I DON'T even know where to start from! she gives too much work, exams are crazily hard, the lectures and exam sometimes don't match. she's disorgnized, monotone and boring! the only review she gives is this online textbook thing that you do and questions barely come up from it in the exam. if you care about your GPA, please DON'T TAKE HER!!!
Unbelievable ! Her notes + Powerpoints and everything in class just wastes your time. I studied her notes as she always said " only materials in lecture will be covered in the test". Result: failed if you trusted her statement. Tricky test questions and mostly do not come from anywhere in her lecture. Terrible !!!! Take her if you want a D or F
Her notes and Powerpoints is useless........really tricky questions on the test wont recommend her at all....the key to make an A in this class would be to memorize the entire goddamn book word to word because question on the test are in real detail and ignore her notes and power point ...........BETTER OFF WITH ANOTHER TEACHER
HORRIBLE prof--she shouldn't be teaching. I knew I should avoid her because last semester she brought her 2yr old to the final. But the prof that I signed up with was sick and couldn't keep teaching, so I got stuck with Medr. No context to lectures, just rambling info. Quiz/test questions are sloppy and sometimes don't reflect course mat'l at all.
I think only the people that do badly in the course are the ones with guts to give a rating. I am one who did actually pretty well in class, but I really put in the time to study for it. If you are not willing to work for your grade, don't take this class.
Although she seems like she genuinely cares about the students and is passionate about the subject, the only reason to attend class is because of the clicker-quizzes. She just reads the slides during "lecture," which I could do at home on my own time. The tests are minute details from the book, and difficult to study for. Her reviews are worthless.
The tests are tricky, but she consistantly emphasized learning the concepts in order to answer questions on exams. Gave us extra pts for doing quizzes & homework assignments which helped boost exam grades. She only got halfway through the book, but a lot of material! If you prefer memorization, won't find that in this class, must learn concepts.
for a while i thought this professor was a nurse, not a biologist. she doesn't seem to understand microbiology like a PhD should. she sometimes is unable to answer simple questions and contradicts herself. every concept taught in this class is exactly what i learned at the high school level. if you care about education and knowledge, stay away.
Exams did not exactly reflect what was taught in lecture, although she did say she would only test based on lecture. Extremely detailed exams. Gives extra credit pts for doing online quizzes. .. She's nice, but shouldn't teach microbio
She is the worst you can pick, best way to kill your GPA. Everything she teach in class never appear on the test. Her tests are ridiculous. I love microbiology but this class was worse than any three thousand level class.
This course shouldn't be a 2000-level course, rather 3000 at least. Medrano tried her hardest to teach this course, unfortunately there is ALOT of material to cover in this course. She responded efficiently to student's questions and was a flexible instructor. When taking Microbiology, be aware of the immense material it will offer to you!
Worse teacher ever. Do not take her. She cannot teach, and does not curve at the end of the semester, so you are pretty much stuck with the grades you get on the exams. This class will drop your GPA, stay away! Take a different professor!
I didn't like her, but you might. Had to read the book to understand stuff (which got me my A-). Sometimes she'd get confused during lecture, but its okay I consider her a novice professor. Exams ask detailed questions that may not be mentioned in her slides. Grade scale was hardly adjusted in the end. Advice: READ THE BOOK or choose someone else
Do not take this class at U of H if you don't have to. Mainly going to be teaching yourself. Most people had to drop the class including myself. Not a good teacher at all. Test are hard. Just don't take her plz!!
I earlier wrote a negative review of this prof, but wanted to update. She did show a willingness to listen to students as the semester wound to a close, and at the last minute she made the final optional which was great. But I would still warn people off taking her. Her expectations seem inconsistent and it's a struggle dealing with her.
Dr. Malik introduced "clicker questions" to Medrano to boost attendance. This was the only reason I went to class. The book is huge and reading the chapters covered in the tests is hard. Even though I did not like the way she taught the class, she was fair. She gave 10 points to each exam for doing chapter questions online and curved each test.
Con't: 4 tests (one dropped) and a final. The final was made optional at the end. She did curve the final grade that bumped me from a A- to A. The class is hard and there is also of material to cover. You can expect be given curves on tests because they are hard. Medrano took over the class for Malik so hopefully she gets used to the new book.
Class requires a lot of studying if you take this professor. I made the mistake of slacking off in the beginning thinking the material was easy and did poorly on the first test. Don't do that! I still ended up with an A but that's only due to extra credit. I realize I could have done better if I studied more. She's not the best at explaining things
The key to succeeding in this course is to read your book and study.
Her lectures and notes clearly differs from the test therby making the test book your best friend. I don't know why an instructor's lecture and notes can't help you pass the instructor's test. You have been WARNED, take her at YOUR OWN RISK.
Instead of going to her class, go to the library instead and read the text book on your own. I've never been to any of her lectures because they're pretty useless and her power points are way different than her actual exams. I made an A by reading the chapters in the book!
Well what do I think of this proffesor? ...thats a very good question (you'll understand it if you take her but she is okay if you read the book alot!!)
shes not that good of a teacher but she gives LOTS of extra credit..the 1st test i studied extra hard and still ended up with a 77.5, with all the extra credit i got a 90! also she doesnt try to rush thru chapters like most professors, if we dont go over it she takes chapters off test...she also drops the final grade if u do well on the other 4test
This class is not hard, if you are a science/engineering major and you have to take this class then just do it. I've had Knapp and Medrano, they both have their pros and cons. If you hate lectures take medrano and read, if you find lectures useful then take knapp because he posts them. Just read the book and do mastering and you will def. get an A!
nice and respectful teacher, but tests are way too hard. questions on tests are not in slides and like previous students mentioned, youll be reading the book alot. tests are all curved by alot and 1 test is dropped
Yes she gives extra credit! but even with extra credit many of us did terrible! my friends dropped the course! the tests are way too hard! take KNAPP, and if he is not available take some other class until his class is available! take her if you can memorize every sentence in that textbook :(
Are we talking about the same professor? The slides cover almost exactly the same material than the book does. Read it before the lecture, do your mastering bio assignments and you should get an A. If you don't, don't blame her. She's pretty helpful if you actually use blackboard and her office hours.
You will not get by in this class without reading your book and studying! But overall she is so nice and helpful in her office hours, she gives a ton of extra credit, and yes the tests are hard but with extra credit if you study the questions she gives on blackboard and answer them in DETAIL, you will survive, I end up with a B+.
I got an A in this class and this is how to do it: buy the book (not the e text), do the mastering biology, do all the learning objectives for each chapter. going to class helps somewhat, tests are brutal and there is no way to prepare for them. google up tests that other profs have posted from other schools and use that as a learning tool.
I went to class the first day for 15 minutes. That was it. She gives a lot of bonus and drops a midterm grade, and if you have a high enough average, she exempts you from the final. I usually got around 75 on the tests, but with all of the bonus i ended up getting A's. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS READ THE TEXTBOOK (and understand the material, or course)
So far 3rd day of class and i have fallen asleep all 3 days. She is so monotone and boring. Cant keep the classes attention for more then 5 minutes reads off slide entire time.
Her lectures are irrelevent. You're better off reading the textbook than going to class. The tests don't relate to her powerpoints or lectures. I definitely recommend taking another professor.
I'm in Pre-Nursing Microbio. I expected the class to be hard, but the material really isn't impossible to learn. Medrano is just absolutely ZERO help. The tests are hard to study for b/c she won't tell you what she's looking for. I'd say take another prof. but she's the only one. I'm considering dropping her and waiting for UH to hire someone else.
I'm in Pre-Nursing Microbio. I expected the class to be hard, but the material really isn't impossible to learn. Medrano is just absolutely ZERO help. The tests are hard to study for b/c she won't tell you what she's looking for. I'd say take another prof. but she's the only one. I'm considering dropping her and waiting for UH to hire someone else.
She is monotone test differs from the notes and is not understanding when the majority of her class fails the test just read the book and pray you pass
WORST TEACHER EVER. DO NOT TAKE HER. SHE TELLS US TO KNOW THE CONCEPT YET READS EXACTLY WHAT'S ON HER POWER POINT. HER TESTS ARE FREAKISHLY HARD. MONOTONE. BORING CLASS.
SHE'S A HORRIBLE PROFESSOR! HER POWERPOINTS ARE FROM PERSON WHILE HER TEST IS HER OWN WORK. HER TEST ARE HARD, AND THE HOMEWORK AND QUIZZES DON'T HELP AT ALL. TAKE SOMEONE ELSE IF YOU CAN.
She's BORING and MONOTONE. She doesn't have much info on her slideshows and her tests are crazy HARD. SHE SUCKS.
A very bad professor, her power-points are very bad and don't help very much on the test. Uses clickers, but her clicker questions are not helpful again for the test. uses mastering biology, which is probably the only helpful thing. Intensive use of the book is required
UGHH this professor makes me not like Biology. Her tests are crazy hard. Her lectures and reading the book will NOT prepare you for the tests at all. I could study for nights and when it came to taking the test my jaw dropped. If you're a die hard Biology fan and love learning on your own go for it...terrible professor
**She is absolutely horrible! She doesn't teach well; all she does is read off her power points. She just tells you to study harder when you schedule an office visit with her. No help at all. Her exams have nothing to do with what she goes over in class. Avoid her if possible. If you must take her, I'll pray for you.
She is definitely something different! All she does in class is go over her PowerPoints and the tests are SO hard! It's possible to get a good grade but you have to learn and study everything on your own. That book will be your best friend. She confuses herself during class but she tries hard!.. The class is a big time challenge.
She is ridiculous?she can not teach, and what she does teach has no relevance on the tests. The tests are crazy difficult, she doesn't know what she is doing! don't take her!
Amazing professor, I LOVE HER!
I can gaurantee all of these students giving bad reviews did not prepare for the class like they were supposed to. DR. Medrano makes it very clear that you MUST read the textbooks to keep up and YOU MUST study on your own. There's NO WAY she can teach everything we need to know in 2 1.5hr classes each week.Study hard,& you will do well...Promise.
TA's instruct the individual bio labs and I was fortunate to get a good one. However, the weekly quizzes were not always based on the required/recommended reading for each week.
She does not teach the labs, and it depends on who your TA is. I had a good TA and she always made the quizzes really easy, but some of my friend's TA's made impossible quizzes so it just depends on the TA. But the labs are easy and it's mostly a participation grade besides the quizzes and 1 group project
I studied hard by reading the textbook and by studying the lecture notes. Ended up with a B+. I know that's not that bad but I could of got a much higher grade if the test questions were a little less detailed. You will have to know everything in the readings for you to make an A in the class. She does curve but only if the class is doing bad.
She seems like a nice person but her exams are hard. This is how to pass the class. Always read ahead and study everday basically. Do the online homework for extra 5 points on exams. She tries hardest not to curve. Do not be discouraged if you fail an exam just keep trying. She gives extra credit for clickers so come to class everday!
Dr. Medrano is very nice and tries so hard to teach everyone in her giant class. I loved the course and the professor, but beware of all the mindless freshman that do not care. At any one time in class I had at least 5 conversations going on around me. Impossible to pay attention and she believes she is powerless to stop the nonsense behavior.
Well, I failed every single test but still passed with a C. Trust me, she is a reasonable professor. She might not be good at lecturing but she knows that this class is not easy. She'll curve at the end of the semester. Do your work, try your best, and I guarantee that you'll never fail.
Rude, makes attendance mandatory with class quizzes so you need a clicker. Exams were kind of tough, but she gave extra credit and in the end made the final exam optional. Read the book. Take good notes, and don't interrupt class bc she will call you out.
It's not easy, but do the work and you will succeed. Study a little everyday.
I do not understand why everyone thinks she is so hard. I read the book before class, took the extra credit quiz before the tests and ended up with an A-. You can opt out of the final if you have an 80+ average in the class. That's what I did.
You do homework and extra credit quizzes through masteringbiology. Attendance is taken through clickers. She gets easily distracted and rather than continuing to teach if someone leaves she voices her annoyance aloud. However, she gives extra credit, and curved our test grades. This class requires effort, READ THE BOOK!
This class is perfect for those that are used to studying on their own. If you expect to learn in class then you'll have better luck elsewhere. Her work is unbelievably incomprehensible at times that even she doesn't understand it. I learned too late that I should have memorized the book to heart if I had any chance of passing.
I found her lectures to be useless since most of the time she was either calling people out for talking or confusing herself with her notes. However, attending lectures is a good idea since she gives extra credit for clicker questions. Exams are detailed. Don't bother listening to her nonsense lectures, just read each chapter about 8 times over.
Dr. Medrano's class is not bad, it is pretty easy if you read the book and use masteringbio's studying tools. However you are in there with an auditorium full of freshmen who want their grade handed to them and don't yet realize that they need to put effort into their work. With that said, this class is not bad if you just study A LITTLE every day.
Pretty much if you want an A in this class Just read the book Thoroughly and Understand the practice exams. Her Tests are extremely Hard if you don't read the book. This class requires work.
Her class and tests are really hard, and people generally don't do too well. However, she's gives crazy curves and lots of bonus at the end, so we get good final grades.
This is for science majors, so obviously it's gonna be a bit hard. Anyway, I got an A+, but it was a lot of work. I read everything ahead of time, and REALLY understood it like the back of my hand. I listened to my iPod in class cuz she pretty much repeats what's in the book, but you should go w/a clicker to get extra credit.
Medrano isn't a very hard professor so long as you read the book and she gives very generous curves and opportunity for extra credit. Those who complain that she is hard do not put in the effort needed to succeed in the class.
Biology is a challenging subject, and Dr. Medrano is not the best professor for it. Although she is not very helpful, the tests ARE directly from the book, and IF you did their share of the work and didn't depend on just showing up in class to get you by,you will be fine. She offers curves and bonus points for coming to class.
Dr. Medrano does not know how to teach. The only help you get from going to class is the extra credit clicker points wich is not alot but can make a difference at the end. You are better off reading the book and studying Mastering Biology online. I wouldnt recomend her to help you understand.
Dr. Medrano started out the semester by telling us that she would let us know when to check for homework and new assignments but failed to do so once during the semester so far and due to her lack of communication caused multiple students zeros in the grade book. She's not an interesting teacher and fails to keep students engaged in class.
What I love about Prof. Medrano is that she gives a lot of extra credit opportunities (10 pts per test). I agree with some ratings saying she is not clear but that is because she has an accent. She tries to be very helpful. READ READ READ! The slides are pretty much on the test and she posts chapter reviews that are extremely helpful for the exam.
This class taught me how to properly study.She's really not that bad. Easy as long as you go to class and read the book. She has a slight accent but she's a good professor. I got a B+
This class is a perfect example of what schools use to weed out freshmen who aren't willing to put in any effort to read some of the book or practice on their own. It's a Bio class. You can't expect her to teach everything with 3 hours a week can you? But even so, I found her grading is very generous. And there is LOTS of extra credit if you do it.
This class is easy. All you have to do is read the book! I got an A even after skipping the whole semester and only studying the day before. Just read the book and do the homework and surveys. If you have trouble with the exams, seek help, create more time for reading, and attend lectures for the extra credit quizzes.
Pretty decent professor. Her lectures are pretty boring, but the slides are convenient come test time. She is very generous with bonus points and her class teaches you how to study with the book. She's not horrible, but not amazing either...
Read the book. I never once attended class and I got an A. I have taken a class with her previously and her lectures are not at all helpful. However, she does give extra points for class participation through clickers, so if you need extra help, attend class. Reading the text and doing the homework and practice tests was plenty for me.
All she does is read off the powerpoints. She's not a good professor, and you have to do a lot of the learning on your own. Highly recommend taking another bio class with a different professor.
Made an A, book is all you need. Cares about students but does not know how to teach. Generous Bonus points, class is probably the most painful class I had last semester in terms of boredom. Easiest Bio teacher if you know how to study on your own.
Attendance isn't mandatory but the clicker points are bonus pts for final grade, very helpful! Easy to get an A if you read the book for details and listen to lecture for outline. Tests are not too difficult. She's generous with extra credit and really helpful. She gets its an intro class and tries to make it painless.
Made an A just by doing the HW, quizzes and reading the textbook. Lectures weren't all that helpful, but the clicker points give you extra credit at the semester. You'll have to teach yourself most of the material, but I'd still recommend taking the course with Medrano!
Great class and great professor who cares about her students. She doesn't want students to just memorize facts. She is more interested in them having a conceptual understanding of the info., which can make exam ?s tricky if you don't read the book or her lecture notes. If you're not making the grade you want, you're not putting in enough effort.
Awful teacher. Makes tests extremely hard. You can read the chapters 2-3 times and make flash cards and put in all your effort or you could do nothing. Either way you make the same awful grades. A bid fat F. Best way to pass this class? Don't take it.
Dr. Medrano is awesome and wants to make sure we acually learn in her class. Tests are fair/easy if you actually study. If you expect tests based on memorization vs concept application this class is not for you -this is not high school. She knows A LOT and never avoids answering questions in class. Super helpful. Great teacher if you want to learn.
Overall the class is easy! You never see Medrano, only the bag TAs. AYESHA is the worst. It's a hassle to get her to put in grades and she talks too much, ALWAYS THE LAST LAB OUT. I recommend switching if you get her.
Yes, she is not the best teacher but she is intelligent and knows her stuff. You have to read the textbook and actually study. If you think this is high school to where you can play your way to an A, you will crash hard. This is the perfect class to weed out the college students from the people who think they are college students
You have to know the concepts and be able to apply them. The book & HWs are your best bet. Terrible lecturer & intimidating prof. But managed a B. tests are hard but doable if you really really study the material.
Bad Teacher. Does not know how to teach. She posts her ppts online, but for those of you who want to actually take down notes while she lectures, good luck with that. She flies through lectures. Just read the book and you will be fine. Never actually listened to her. Just read and wrote down what was on the ppt and came away with an A for Biol 1&2
Well, Dr. Medrano's lectures are dull and not very interesting... The textbook will be your professor, really. She's generous with extra credit though. Clicker questions are bonus points that count toward the final grade and you get 5 points if you pass the masteringbio quiz before each test. 4 exams, 42 question each (2.5 pts each out of 105).
Medrano doesn't teach labs, TAs do. If you get Ayesha, GET OUT OF THERE AS SOON AS YOU GOT IN. She is rude and she doesn't help you, only says you need to do this blah blah. She won't give you full participation even if you do everything and show up. One of the worst TAs I have ever had. She's always on her phone so how does she know if you worked?
Reading the notes will help the most
Despite the reviews, I have taken Biology II from Dr. Medrano, and it was easy as heck to make an A! She throws extra credits, her tests simply come from the book, and she is sooooo nice, if you are really in need of any kind of help. I admit her lectures are not interesting, but her test are easy, plus she curves. Love her!
I loved her, I got an A in both Bio 1&2. This is a class for science majors at a university, if you're not ready to put in the work you won't get good results. Put in the work and you'll get the payoff. Just read the chapters, go over her powerpoints, go to class to get clickers questions, and do all the extra credit she gives.
She really nice, just print out the notes and read the book. You'll be okay. She gives lots of extra credit.
Great prof, & knows her stuff. Easy to talk to & ask questions. Very willing to help you but YOU MUST reach out to her. ALOT of material to study. Tests require application of concepts. You have to work in this class to pass & do well on exams. HIGHLY recommend reading before each class, makes everything much easier. Not a class for the lazy.
Dr. Medrano is the bomb! I mean that in a good way. To my dear League of Legends players. She is the jungler that will ignore your lane, will occasionally buy you a ward once a game, but will ping you for map awareness! This professor will not camp your lane. It will be a 1v1 skill-based laning phase. A great professor to introduce self-learning.
Lectures are straight from textbook but attend class because clicker points are added to your FINAL GRADE at the end of the course. Go talk to her, she's super helpful. Tests are fair, nothing too crazy and you can always go argue questions with her, she'll listen. Tons of extra credit. Made an A in both 1361 and 1362 with her.
Took this during fall of 2012. DONT TAKE HER.. She is really nice and helpful but her tests are super hard and her lectures are real boring and it never helps. You have to teach yourself by reading the textbook.
FRESHMAN STAY AWAY!!!!! If you have a good background in biology take her and if you like to teach yourself shes the one to take. Her lectures are not helpful or her notes mastering biology will save your life. Her lectures are boring only reason I attended class was because of clicker questions.
you HAVE to read the textbook and do the mastering biology homework online to even get anywhere in this class. it's not hard if you study, but the concepts will be hard regardless of what teacher you have. if you don't have a good background in biology, this class will kill your GPA. has extra credit which is awesome, made 100-110s on all my tests.
She is a very nice lady. Yes her lectures can be boring, but it's not gonna be too exciting. You have to go to class for clicker points, which can save your butt at the end of the semester. You have to have somewhat of a good biology background for this class to be easy, otherwise studying her lecture notes and the book can easily get you an A.
She's an extremely sweet professor, and she's very understanding. However, she's simply not a good teacher. Her tests don't reflect the information taught in the class or in the book. I studied over 36 hours for every exam, memorized the book, and thats how I got my A. Avoid taking her.
She is very cute and sexy, it's too bad that she can't teach, you have to READ THE BOOK. FRESHMAN STAY AWAY!
Medrano is a nice professor, and she's very helpful. However, her classes are boring. I don't really pay attention to her, I just read the textbook at home and do the masteringbiology homework. I have only been here for a month, but this class will definitely require the effort on your part! I studied and I ended up getting a high A the first test.
Medrano does a good job at explaining bio concepts but you can not go off her powerpoints alone. Go to class and listen, she has poppers! But also, read the book if you can that's probably why I got an A!
Very knowledgable and nice. class is NOT hard. Tests could be tricky if you dont know your stuff but the homework was stupid easy. Very helpful and will take the time to talk with you anytime in her office.
So I took this class freshman year and got a high C. Her tests are super tricky, which is what threw me off, but her hw assign are fairly easy (Mastering Bio). Took her next sem for Bio II and with the help of study groups, miraculously got an A. You def need to invest a whole lot of time for this class! Your textbook is your BFF. Clicker pts:attnd
She's nice but she goes through her lectures way too fast. I have trouble understanding her lectures and do much better when I actually read the book on my own. If you prefer reading on your own then take this teacher but there are clicker questions and you do have to attend her lectures which I found boring and not helpful at all.
Definitely need your textbook in this class, very hard and the only way you're going to pass is by reading and analyzing it. No joke you have to put a crap ton of time into this class or you're GPA is done. Highly recommend not taking her but instead taking Knapp.
HORRIBLE. JUST HORRBLE
Speeds through lectures. I never once paid attention in lecture, but I read the book and managed to ace all three tests. Offers extra credit through clicker questions (super hard questions). Weekly MasteringBiology online work, kind of difficult. If you try your best to listen during lecture, you should be okay.
Dr. Medrano is really nice, but her class can be kind of boring. Lots of reading off a powerpoint in lecture. For tests, I studied the powerpoints and read through the text book once and easily made A's. Online assignments are not too difficult. Overall, a good class to take as long as you don't mind slightly boring lectures.
Not a good teacher at all. The lecture doesn't reflect on the test. Classes are very boring. I would recommend to not take her.
Very sweet professor but her class was very boring. Tests are a little tricky and you need to read the book to understand. If you go to class, answer the clicker questions, read the book, and go over the powerpoints you should do fine. It's a lot of work.
first of all she is the worst teacher i have ever came across... she has a monotone voice.. her class is very boring... her notes are sooo unhelpful... she is basically the worst worst worst teacher ever.. i failed 2 exams and now have to drop the class or else i will end up with a c which is not good.
NOOOOOO do not take her freshmans! This class is very boring. I failed 2 exams and am dropping the class! She is mMONOTONE!!! If you wanna take this class you BETTER be ready to do the work!
Boring lectures(Didn't go more than twice). Just read the book and you'll be fine. Easy points are provided through clickers and Weekly quizzes. Tests are easy
This lady is super nice, but be prepared to read off of her countless slides. Attendance is crazy mandatory due to her clicker questions everyday. Her lectures are pretty darn boring, but if you attend her recitation sessions with her TA's, then that will definitely help.
I barely pay attention during the lectures, and only go because of the clicker questions. Attendance is mandatory, clicker questions are extra credit toward final grade. I read the chapters and do the masteringbio, and end up getting a low A on exams with not much studying. Pretty easy, only if you can teach yourself and keep up with the reading!
Attendance is "mandatory", but youre able to miss 3 classes without it counting towards your grade. After 3 missed classes, it starts to reflect on your grade. SHE IS SUPER NICE and will help outside of class. Recitation classes with her tutors help a lot. Her tests are HARD, but if you pretty much MEMORIZE ALL HER SLIDES you'll do good.
This biology class was painful and ridiculous. Be prepared to know that there is a big chance that no matter how much work you put into the class you may still end up with a C on your tests, or worse, you might end up with a Big Fat F. If you wanna take her, then good luck with that, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
1362 with her and overall her class was not difficult but definitely not a pushover. I got 79 in the 1st test 74+5(bonus for every test if you get a 70 or above. I studied 9 hrs max the day before and the day of the exam. For the next tests I decided to study a chapter a day my lowest score after 1st test was 95. practice test in mastering helps!
all taught by TA's but most are pretty cool just do your work. Dr. Medrano is very helpful when there are issues
STAY AWAY!! HORRIBLE PROFESSOR! She is not helpful at all and her test are really conducing even if you study! DO NOT TAKE!!!
Attend for clicker points. Not hard if you listen and do a little bit of studying. Pay attention in class. Her tests weren't too hard unless you didn't study at all.
STAY AWAY!!! Her lectures are not clear and you must read to do OKAY on tests! I was really good in bio and came into this class and made an F! Just stay away!
Teaches too little of too many things
I don't get why people are complaining. I only went to her class a few times in the start of the semester for clicker points. Then I barely studied. I was expecting a B- for my grade but she gives a HUGE curve at the end. I got an A.
People say Medrano is hard, however, I took her expecting to maybe pass with a C. First test was an 88--93 with the extra credit. Do the homework, attend class for clickers, do the quizzes for 5 extra points on tests. Should be an easy A. Test two is the hardest. Every other test is a breeze just study. I studied my tail off in this class.
Nothing to worry about with this professor. She isn't the best teacher in the world because she tends to cram quite a bit of material into her lectures and doesn't stay on any one slide long enough for you to take good notes. But, if you read and at least try to take notes in class and listen to her speak, you will be fine. I got an A.
Do not take her. She is a nice professor, and there when you need help. BUT her test are insanely hard. You think you understand everything, but when you get the test its not what we covered because she uses test banks from other schools.... That's just laziness for not making up her on questions based HER own lectures. Clicker for attendance.
Friendly professor that knows the material and packs in a lot into each lecture. Recommend reading each chapter and taking your own notes in addition to the slides. The HW and practice quizzes on the Mastering Bio online is helpful, but the exams can be very different and requires good grasp of concepts and understanding to do better than average.
Mrs. Medrano's class was challenging, but I definitely learned a lot. She's very helpful and gives a lot of extra credit. Just be sure to study, show up, and do the homework and you'll be fine.
I have her for 1361 and she's amazing. She answers any questions during lecture, she can be boring at times but overall it is a great class. I would recommend her if you plan to go class and do the notes. Overall, I plan to take her for 1362 because I think she really is a great professor and knows what she is talking about
She is a really good teacher, but sometimes her class can get boring. Reading the textbook would be helpful, but is not really necessary. For me, MasteringBiology homeworks helped the most (more than the lecture and the textbook) with learning about the topics that would be on the exams. The exams are not hard as long as you understand the topics.
Horrible Professor, her test consist of almost nothing she taught you. Basically reading books and study by yourself with mastering biology is the only way. Her test are ridiculous, question that require to have deep understanding of the subject, some question that Medrano herself answered wrong.
I had her for lab and this review is kinda pointless, because currently she's the only lab professor, but basically the TA conducted the class which is fine, but I just thought that it was rude that she never bothered to make an appearance. The quizzes given (I assume she made them?) were also sorta difficult.
I do not really like her all too much. I had her for lab and the lab was taught by a TA, but it was all her material which was often times very tedious. Also, the first time she made an "appearance" was in an e-mail in which she whined about having to input 46 lab section grades, and acted like she was curving, but did not.
This Lab was very simple. Literally have a quiz every week and then a poster group presentation. You never see medrano because lab is facilitated by the TAs alone. The quizzes are made from Medrano and each out of 50 pts. but are pretty okay: if you study youll be fine. The presentation was difficult bc i had a horrible group. Chose group wisely.
This class is very interesting and not too hard if you read the textbook! I'm not a biology major but I almost considered to be because I found it so interesting! Definitely take her, she is very nice and helpful and remembers those who goes to see her.
If only chem and ochem labs were like this. Dr. Medrano has a very clear cut grading criteria, in which you work for your grade based off of quizzes, a project and a participation score. Quizzes were the majority of the grade and you have to study hard for them. Hard work, fun lab, clear grading and interesting material. I liked this class.
She said dont read the book like a novel, however i did and got really high As on the test. Read the textbook and follow her powerpoint along with it and focus especially on this on her powepoint. test have two parts : individual and group. she used tophat for adding points to your final grade. pretty easy class if you put effort into it.
She reads off her slides and goes too fast while doing it. I understand there's a lot of material to cover but going this quickly just leaves the students frustrated and confused. When you go back on your own time and review her slides, they mirror the book, but in class lectures suck. There's some extra credit at the end of the semester.
Reasonable teacher, make sure you read your book (more like skim) and take notes over her lectures. You can make an A with all the extra credit she gives. MAKE SURE TO TAKE THE QUIZ BEFORE THE TEST, gives an extra 5 points.
I like the way she lectures and puts the slides up before class. I would listen in class and go along with the slides then go home and write notes based off the slides and book. I felt like her tests always had trick questions. Mastering bio hw every week and an EC quiz before tests. Not a hard class but requires effort
Awesome Professor. Gives a lot of extra credit. Very respectful toward students You have to study to get an A though. Which is any class...
This class is hard for me. She doesn't have curves, but we can still get extra credits by doing more work. She cares about her students. I really like how she posts notes before class, so that we can really listen to what she said instead of busily copying the notes. She always reply to emails in short amount of time and nice to everyone.
This class is hard for me. She doesn't have curves, but we can still get extra credits by doing more work. She cares about her students. I really like how she posts notes before class, so that we can really listen to what she said instead of busily copying the notes. She always reply to emails in short amount of time and nice to everyone...
Professor Medrano is passionate about her studies and a wonderful instructor. I enjoyed her lectures and her demonstrations. She takes the time to learn your names, gives us several extra credit opportunities, and responds to emails quickly. The tests are tough so read the book, do your MB hw, and listen to lecture. I enjoyed her as a professor.
Great professor! As long as you attend class (clicker points are MANDATORY for attendance grade and also provide extra credit) and go to recitation, you'll do just fine. Her exams are individual MC and they can be tricky, and there is also a group exam which is really easy. Read the book and dont cheat on the homework- it will save you come exams
Professor Medrano is an ok professor, but her tests are really easy and that is all that matters. I would have made an A but I realized after the third test how to study, which is to just read the book. The only reason I went to her lectures was to do clickers. Don't try to take notes in class as she goes to fast. Easy A if you read the book and hw
I took Medrano's Intro Bio Lab series. Its a super easy class. To do well on the weekly quizzes, read the manual and focus on key terms.
Took her for bio 1&2, bio 1 is harder than bio 2. i struggled a lot , got a 40 and a 44 in first two exams, the third got an 88 and final a 62. i passed with a 70.78 my final grade. must read chapters!! do the learning objectives she posts on bb, do the ec quizzes attend class and you will pass, trust me, in bio 2, i got a B, and i suck in bio.
Medrano gives a lot of bonus points, which is nice. The tests are very hard since they're all about applying the knowledge, not just spitting back information. Her lectures and powerpoints are helpful, but it's hard to find questions that will prepare you for what the tests are like. Definitely go to class and for the clicker ?s-can give bonus pnts
The class itself wasn't too difficult, however it's heavily conceptual so putting ideas together is required if you wanna do well on a lot of the tests. Lecture is entertaining if you like biology, otherwise it might be a little tough to pay attention. If you're having trouble recitation helps fill in a lot of the holes.
Her class isn't hard, I just couldn't pay attention because she was so boring to listen to. Read her powerpoints because thats what the exams cover. Make sure you also do her bonus quiz before your test because exam topics pop up a lot there. Mastering Biology every week for the ch you're learning. Clickers every class so don't miss out.
Lots of homework. Difficult exams. Boring lectures. Getting ready to write a lot of notes. Could not stand her class. She was super nice but she really should only be teaching science majors who need a higher level biology course. If possible take an easier professor.
For an introductory class, it is too much. I waited until my senior to take this class and I regret not taking it somewhere else. She did not spend much time on slides to explain complex concepts, which was not helpful. Tests are application based and require more than memorization. This class was one of the hardest I have taken as an undergraduate
SUPER hard tests only less than 10 people make A's on tests (these ppl are honor students) first test average in the 60's, 2nd test average in the 50's, 3rd test average in the 70's don't take if you're looking for an easy A, B, or C homework, quizzes, and lectures are completely different from what is presented on tests
Dr Medrano is a very sweet professor and she really makes an effort to get to know your name. This class is not easy, but i have learned a lot. HINT: Look up test questions, she gets everything off of easy notecard ap campbell biology questions, I learned that the hard way. Practicing from those tests helps and some questions show up on the test.
Medrano is a really good teacher. Yes, her classes are all PowerPoints, but that is where most of the test contents come from. Her tests are fair and there is a ton of opportunity for extra credit. Taking her again for 1362. Would definitely recommend.
Some of the tests were hard but also fair; however, there is a lot of extra credit assignments to boost your grade.
She makes the content harder than it has to be. She should really be only teaching higher level classes. Did not enjoy her class and her tests are difficult and not to mention her power points are so full of content you might as well just read the book.
Straight savage, says not 2 study a chapter much & ends up on the test the most. Hmwk online weekly, tests make u study, offers extra cred quizzes for +5 on test so get google & ctrl+copy+paste ready. Sit in back so u can nap & study slides/book on your own. Hellah boring, made 83/81/71/90 on 4 tests, B's make degrees. Get what I got+do hmwk for A.
Medrano is very passionate about her class and really takes the time to get to know her students. You are not required to read the textbook but it is VERY helpful to better understand her notes. I got a B- average on tests and a 77 on the final and still got an A due to the extra credit (clicker points) she gives at the end of the semester.
She doesn't really do a good job at explaining anything. Must study for tests. Must go to class. She's nice tho. Don't fall asleep or she will call you out in front of everyone. She even points out how full the classroom is at the beginning of the semester and says it won't be as full at the end. She was right. Pay attention. Do the mastering Bio.
Her test questions are conceptual so ensure you understand the material. Read the chapters. Attend lecture b/c clicker questions are EC. She has team exams which are awesome because they prepare you for the real world. She genuinely cares about her students & is very approachable. Ask questions. Don't want to work for your grade? You won't get an A
Had her for Bio1361 for 1st sem, took her 2nd sem because I was comfortable with her teaching and grading style. Personally, Bio1362 is much easier than the 1st one, less comprehensive exams and more on definitions. Between Farmer and Cheek, she would be in the middle. Not too hard and not too easy
She's a good professor but it's just a lot material cover in one semester and that's not her fault. I never read the textbook but you need the code to do the weekly homework. Quizzes before exams can give you +5 points on exams. Go through the learning objectives before the exam and pay attention in class. You'll get an A if you work for it.
Took Bio 1 & 2. Bio 2 is friendler but still gonnah recquire work. I reccomend Medrano for both courses bc you get a clear idea of her style/course load. Those wanting to just pass just study reasonably. Those who want an A will need to study more. You may have to dedicate multiple hours of study, unless youre a natural. Harder for non-bio majors.
The lecture is PowerPoint heavy. The tests can be difficult; however, there are extra credit assignments to boost your grade. Even if you make B's on your exams, you can receive A for your final grade if you do those assignments.
I loved Medrano! I took her for Bio 1 and 2 because she offers a lot of extra credit with daily clicker points. She's super sweet and very approachable. Her exams involve critical thinking but it better prepares you for the final. As long as you attend every class and do the hw theres no reason you shouldn't get an A
Grade is based of weekly HW, 3 Tests, A LOT of extra credit, and clickers. Study and you'll pass. BIOLOGY IS VERY DETAILED DO NOT THINK THAT YOU CAN SHOW UP ND GET AN A.
Prof Medrano, I felt, often rushed through her powerpoints. I continuously went to LAUNCH for tutoring because i did not understand the concept, however i feel that if i applied myself a little more i would've received a better grade. 3 tests, 1 final.
Biology has never been a very exciting subject for me, but Medrano honestly made it ten times worse. Her lectures will bore you to death especially since she literally reads off of powerpoints. Aside from a few tips on what's going to be on the tests, lectures are really pointless but still required. At least she gives tons of extra credit.
Bio 1362 is a class you must put work in if you want an A. Dr. Medrano uses powerpoints for her lectures. The powerpoints are only a summary of the textbook. You must read both the powerpoints and the textbook if you want a high grade. She gives a lot of extra credit, but even those require you to know your stuff. Weekly HW, 3 tests, and a final.
Nice teacher, but sometimes just reads off of the slides. can not get her technology clickers to work to save her life. she didnt repel this one time, so you can see she is not caring about your grade.
Lots of extra credit, LOTS. However, you need to put in the work for it. I didn't read as much as I want to, if at all, but I wish I did. Lectures come straight from powerpoint which are accessible outside of class. Recitation can be helpful but to me they're generic for some concepts. Good luck, you might need it.
She's awesome!
Her lab TAs are okay, its an easy A if you do what youre supposed to, dont show up without reading what youll do in class.
She is very interactive with her students and makes an effort to help her students succeed. The homework isn't too strenuous and her resources are organized and easy to access online.
This is probably one of the hardest classes I've taken in my college career. Don't get me wrong, she is an amazing professor and does the most to help you pass. She gives a lot of extra credit. Her exams are hard and you really need to put in the work to earn the grade you want. You have to know the material like the back of your hand.
For labs, grades depend on different TAs and mine was an absolute gem. If you get Anna Hawkins, consider yourself in luck!
She just lectures right off the powerpoint, so not really useful. Tough class to study for based on the material given - reading the textbook helps. Had some friends taking Farmer which prob has better lectures, but the powerpoints were similar to Medrano. They also received similar grades, so just study hard and do study groups. LOTS of extra cred
She's great as long as you work on your own and read the textbook at home. She is generous with extra credit.
She is very enthusiastic about biology and she is funny sometimes. Her class is just plain difficult. The mastering biology should be your best friend when studying for the exams but she also asks a lot of application questions
When asked questions in class she will avoid the question and answer a q nobody asked or when she does answer the q's itll be something like "we dont know that yet" and after a quick google search you can see we as a scientific community do in fact know the answer. Repolls clicker q's and expects you to suddenly know the answer without explanation
Dr. Medrano is a nice person but not a very good professor. She reads straight off the powerpoint most times and doesn't answer questions clearly. I highly recommend reading the textbook and putting in LOTS of time outside the class to pass. Only reason to go to her lectures is to earn the clicker points. Don't be late, she starts exactly on time.
Dr. Medrano is a great presenter, does awesome job with presentation. But she is not a good teacher. For her class you have to read the textbook ahead of her schedule and come prepared for class to be able to answer her clicker questions. Her class is pretty much "self study". Reviews are vague and will not help much. Choose another prof.
De. Medrano is a pretty cool professor. She gives out a lot of extra credits and is extremely nice. Going to lecture would help but I also recommend doing practice problems on Mastering Biology to prepare for her tests.
you have to READ. there are individual and GROUP tests for every single exam. She expects you to know the material before you show up. For example the first day of class she went over the syllabus and immediately started "lecturing" (reading the powerpoint) about chapter 1. Weekly HW. MANDATORY attendance. BUY ACCESS CODE TO MASTERING BIOLOGY
I wouldn't recommend her if you don't have a very strong understanding of bio beforehand. You need to study extra hard at home even if you listen to the lecture. Her lecture is the summary of the textbook and she presents it through powerpoint. The test score will be combined with the group quiz. The homework is once a week online.
this is the worst professor I have ever had. all she does is read from the slides and its easy to fall asleep in there. the test are textbook heavy and are all application-based. I have heard that literally any other bio teacher at the university is better than this professor and I regret taking this class.
Dr. Medrano is very nice and respects her students. It it very important that you attend class as that will be a part of your grade. Her test are all application based and their is also a team test. But she is very generous with her extra credit. The best method to study for her test is to actually read the textbook.
I loved professor Medrano. She was always easy to talk to and answered all my questions. The key to getting a high A is reading the textbook according to lectures. It's really not as awful as it sounds. Her PowerPoints are helpful but her exams require a lot of information straight from the textbook. I finished 1361 with an A- and 1362 with an A.
Assigns so much work. Claims that it's to "get you to absorb the material". Doesn't really lecture either just records videos of her reading slides and claims it's a lecture. Also in her lab class; have had no contact with her whatsoever in that class, the TAs are really the professors. Seems very lazy, I don't think she should be teaching
Dr. Medrano is doesn't teach you, the textbook does. You cannot pass without reading. She has "Lecture Comprehension Quizzes" every week but you're better off reading the textbook to comprehend than watching the lectures. She reads off a powerpoint and her explanations of the slides are very brief. I hear the other bio professors are way better.
She's the only professor that does bio labs (led by TA's), Doesn't understand that we are in the middle of a pandemic, had to go out and buy materials in order to do the labs (had to find a way to do it even if you cant buy/items were out of stock) not to mention we paid a "lab fee". you're in lab groups but aren't allowed to work together.
Shes the head professor but your labs are led by TAs. Requires you to buy materials for labs. 3 Labs. 6 Quizzes. Lots of group work. Easy to follow and understand with basic knowledge of biology. Not a hard class to pass if you out in a decent amount of work. Overall, not a bad class if you show up to lab and pay attention.
You have to self teach yourself this class. She has recorded lectures that you watch before you take the lecture quizzes but the quizzes have nothing to do with the lectures. Quizzes and tests are hard and there's so much material to learn. She doesn't really efficiently answer questions either. I would highly recommend a different prof.
This is the bio lab and its completely taught by TAs. Medrano sends out emails for materials needed for each experiment but other than that, you only talk to your TA
She's very nice and easy to talk to. I recommend going to office hours. You will have to teach yourself and read the text book more than once. Don't rely on lectures (vague). The quizzes are harder than the tests. I recommend reading the textbook before watching the lecture. Take notes then condense them, do flashcards, and do practice tests.
Weekly quizzes are a lot more difficult than expected. The content in the quizzes are much more than what she prepares in the lecture so you must read the chapters before taking the quizzes. This class requires a lot of reading, if you don't read, you won't understand anything. Tests are "application-based" not just memorization.
Don't take this class is mainly what I have to say. Her lectures are not helpful. I spent so much time and effort studying for the exams and still performed poorly. The exams and Lecture comprehension quizzes are extremely difficult. So much material to learn in a short amount of time. If you end up taking her, good luck charlie.
I didn't take Dr. Medrano for lecture but her lab was a lot of fun. She has clear grading criterias and is very accessible outside the classroom. With the lab, however, it is likely better to reach out to the TA; I would highly reccomend the TA Sonja A. Vodehnal, she was very nice and interactive.
Dr. Medrano has no intention of helping you. I strongly disliked this class despite normally liking biology. I took her online class and her tests where so random and didn't cover what was on the homework and in the lectures. The tests are so oddly specific that there's no way you can know the answers unless you're a robot. She's not nice either.
This professor does NOT care to help students and unnessiarly makes class more difficult than it needs to be. Communicating with her is very difficult and she is consendscending to her students. I took this class online (cuz covid). Doesnt even show up to lecture, just posts pre recorded videos. Quizzes are so random and tests are wack. Take cheek.
Literally one of the worst i have had. The live lectures do absolutely nothing to help you learn the material. All you do is go over the quizzes that you most likely struggled with and get no explanation on how to do the problem. You are on your own in this class, you are gonna have to go on youtube, go read an entire textbook, and teach yourself.
If you want to spend less time in lecture being taught a topic and more time reading the book to teach yourself, this is the professor for you. Her lectures do not help you to understand the material so you will need to read the book in order to pass the quizzes and tests. Good news: lecture attendance isn't mandatory, so you have time to read.
I've never once read the textbook and still got good grades. I do re-watch the lecture videos a couple of times to do better in the class. She is so sweet and understanding.
Dr. M is a great professor. She provides all the content that you are tested over. If you watch her lectures only, you are not going to do well. You have to watch all the content she posts, and read the book to better understand concepts. If you're good at memorizing, good for you, but in this class, you need to understand concepts.
Bio Lab 2 mostly depends on your TA. Some TA's are strict and some are more understanding. Dr. Medrano didn't really contribute as much (other than behind the scenes) so can't say much negative things. You can take her for Lab and you will be perfectly fine, it just depends on your TA.
Completely useless to do any work in this class because it is likely you wont even get credit for it. Youd think they would put systems in place that are reliable, but heck not even blackboard knows what its doing apparently. BB would make an error that cost your grade and theyll just side with BB. Very unprofessional.
TA Roshni Jaffery is easy going and very clear on the assignments and work that was due. Be prepared to work on group projects as they are like your exams throughout the semester. Assignments are more difficult but doable and quizzes are not hard but require some understanding of the material. This class mostly depends on the TA you get.
As a person she's sweet, but she is not very organized or clear. Due dates will occasionally change so be on the watch for those. She has emailed 20 minutes before a lab to tell us it would be online, and then in the lab we were told we'd have to do it at home by ourselves, which is a hassle if you live in a dorm. Made biology harder than needed.
Dr. Medrano has no regard for your performance in the class. I have spent so much time in office hours with her, and she explains test questions very poorly and expects you to understand your own mistakes without any help or explanation. Kissing up to her does you no good, take someone else who knows what they are talking about.
She shows up.
This professor is very mean, both in personality and the profane amount of work she gives. I wouldn't recommend her at all, please steer clear and choose someone else who will give you the support you deserve.
Shes very kind, will thoroughly explain things on the lecture. The class is pretty straight forward, some of the things youve probably learned in high school but its very good.
Dr. Medrano is the head professor of the BIOL 1106 lab. I only saw her in person once on the first day of class. This lab really depends on what TA you get because the TA teaches you and grades your work. You can't choose your TA it's based on luck but my TA was Ms. Monali and she is the best TA I've had so far.
Dr. Medrano is a good lecturer, but I think her powerpoints are far too detailed for an intro to bio class, so reviewing for tests ends up becoming more stressful than it needs to be. I say this because the tests themselves usually have more surface-level questions, so I think she's a good prof, but don't stress about writing everything down.
Professor Medrano's lectures actually suck and her tests are unnecessarily hard. He lectures are her unenthusiastically reading off a powerpoint that had nothing to do with you textbook. If you wanna pass this class read the textbook only. Medrano is a great as a person but her class is not. I recommend getting literally anyone else.
If you're taking BIO 1306, I highly urge you to not take this professor, take Farmer instead. Medrano's powerpoints are ridiculously long and she zooms through every lecture which can be seriously overwhelming. She also assigns a LOT of homework due every Sunday which is also very time consuming. Overall, not a good professor at all.
Please don't take this professor. Her lectures are unengaging, her tests are barely related to the material in the textbook, and she assigns homework as if it's your only class. Don't believe anyone saying she's sweet, I found her to be very uncaring and nonchalant. People dropped out of her class like a plague this year, and that's very telling.
She assigns lots of HW and crams in a quiz every Sunday. On top of that, her lecture slides are 50-70 slides long and 40-50% of the info won't be on the test. I stopped attending her lectures because she would zoom through them. The only thing that was good was that she was nice, and you could attend classes online including group activities.
Worst. Teacher. Ever. Take this class if youre willing to fail. You will not pass if you dont study directly from the textbook. I failed the first test when studying off of her notes/slides, however, I passed with flying colors the second exam after teaching myself the entire unit. If you take her, goodluck.
Dr. Medrano was so fabulous when I took her this semester. Her love for Biology truly showed in her lectures which made them more enjoyable. Additionally, those quizzes she offered that covered topics that would be on upcoming tests were worth extra credit. Those really came in clutch. She also had some nice student assistants ready to aid you.
In my opinion she was a good professor! You obviously have to do extra studying on your own time and go over the lecture notes in order to retain the material. You have to put effort in this class. She gave a lot of extra credit opportunities which I truly loved.
I feel like a lot of the people rating Dr. Medrano are blaming her for the curriculum. Yes, it is a pretty difficult course. Yes, you're going to read a lot. She's a great professor who will provide extra help to those who need it and ask. She provided extra recitations and plenty of extra credit. If you read your textbook weekly, you'll be fine.
She is the only professor for bio lab. But the lab mainly operated by TA. I saw her only once in a lab experiment. My TA, Mr. Kyle Johnson was the best. He graded very easily and would help you until you understand the assignment. The lab assignments first seem intimidating, but the class was easy.
Dr Medrano is a good professor. The exams were difficult but I don't think it's fair to blame her for that. The material was hard but she does her best to explain concepts. There is ton of homework and a quiz due every Sunday which was not very useful to study. Dr Medrano was very understanding and gave a ton of extra credit to help students.
Simple, organized lab format with straightforward modules and quizzes. Would take again.
This rating isn't forMedrano.She's not agood professor, butthat's besides the point. This rating isto shout out TJ Adams, my lab TA for bio 1 & 2. Easily one of the best TA's in the school. Hegrades fair, has clear work guidlines (patiently EXPLAINS PROCEDURES), is accessible outside of the lab, and generally makes the lab a stress free time. Kudos
She assigns a ton of homework due Sunday. You have to buy a $25 subscription for the point solution. In addition, she goes through the lecture very quickly. However, she does offer extra credit. She is nice and likes to say hello to students before class start. I would still recommend taking someone else.
Please do not take this professor for BIO 1306 and/or any of her courses. The set-up of this course will fail you if you're not used to studying the textbook rather than learning from slides and the professor's teaching. Exams do not follow the information of the lectures and you will notice majority of your peers will fail the first exam.
The only weird thing about this course is the exams. The first half is taken at CASA and its the individual portion and then we take the second half in class but in a random group of 3 people and we take the test together but fill out one single scantron with all our names on it. Extra credit helps a lot.
The textbook is the only way you will actually pass the tests, her lectures are mainly there to introduce the unit and you're left to fend for yourself. She is very knowledgeable about the subject, but she does not know how to teach and instead acts like she is talking to people that already know what she is talking about, it is an INTRO to bio.
If you are willing to teach yourself the information and attend useless lectures, please do not take this professor. The structure of the course failed anyone who was not warned of how she taught. Failing the exams is expected in this course.
Most students end up having to teach themselves everything in this course. She gives a lot of homework and it makes it very difficult to study, Instead of learning, I was rushing to just get things done with to move on to the next assignment of this class. She does offer a good amount of extra credit but I recommend taking someone else.
To do well on tests, you have to study A LOT! She gives you a study review, but it does take a lot of time. Even if you do study, you could still get a bad grade on the tests. Lectures can get boring, and she does do turning point/ clicker questions. She does help out your grade in the end with a lot of extra credit. She is understanding.
Make yourself known and it will help you a lot. She makes herself very accessible outside of class and that can be very much to your advantage. She tries her best to help and you can tell she's passionate about what she teaches. She provides many resources and opportunities for extra credit. The difficulty in the class is mostly just memorization.
Insensitive to student needs. Lack of compassion and consideration.
Her grading criteria is clear and bio 2 lab is pretty easy.
Insensitive to student needs and incredibly rude during email communications. Class is taught by a TA and Prof won't show up except for one day at the end of the semester just to say she showed up.
One of the worst professors I have ever taken. She offers absolutely no help with what will be covered on the exam, she does not provide a study guide and has an attitude when you ask for help. She reads off a PowerPoint and teaches the class as if you know everything already. Do not take her.
Attendance was mandatory but I never touched the textbook once, all she did was go over the lectures during class and occasionally give a practice question. I liked her because I went to her office hours every week and got to know her, and she's helpful if you ask a question or just want to chat. Her tests were very application based though.
Lab is run by TA (grading and teaching). Lab consists of 3 different labs and you also have to do a presentation on the last week of lab for major grade.
Horrible
Nice , and tries to know everyone's names. Doesn't give a study guide and tests are filled with various materials and specific questions. Bio is hard and that's not Medrano's fault , but the homework kind of of felt unrelated and wasn't helpful.
Bio lab is all about your TA. If you have a good TA, you'll love the course. If you don't, well then good luck!
AVOID HER!!!!!!!!!
unwilling to work with you despite circumstances and does not teach.
Teaches heavily from textbooks but very little material on the test is from the textbooks.
Be ready to read the textbook but have none of your test questions be from the textbook this professor does not know how to teach and her test questions are random and have n
This professor could care less about her students our first exam the whole class failed and the highest grade was a 55, professor medrano dosent give reviews for test she just expects us to know what's on the test even though it has nothing similar to what's in the text book. And our second exam was even worse DONT even bother buying a textbook.
She doesn't teach you anything she reads off of PowerPoint slides and expects this to be enough for you. You'll hear other students telling you to read the textbook make flash cards watch other literal professors videos and lectures in order to even manage a B in this class. You shouldn't have to do all that just to pass with this professor. AVOID!
Take other professors, she doesn't bother to explain things in terms that you'll understand she just expects you to automatically understand them. The test are nothing like what she teaches, the average for the test were not even above 50% amongst all her classes.
Tests are nothing like the lectures, have to put in like 10+ hours a week outside of class at the very least to even have the slightest chance of passing
Be ready to spend hours outside of class trying to make sense of a textbook in preparation of a test with ZERO reviews, just for nothing to be on the test. She doesn't help much, doesn't teach well, and doesn't help her students at all. Take another professor if you can!!!
Avoid her if you can! Her lectures are not helpful. I spent days studying material she gave, the book, lecture slides and still didn't get a good grade on the exams. Her lectures are rushed. She doesn't try to help her students and ends up locking grades. Overall I don't recommend taking her.
You can do a lot of studying and actually feel like you understand but then fall short because the tests do not match what you're studying. Would like more input about what the tests actually consists of instead of studying the wrong things and building false confidence. A first year biology course, it really shouldn't be this tedious. Wouldn't rec
Do not apply for her class if you're a first year bio student with no prior knowledge. She goes unnecessarily fast, test are unrelated/ far harder than the homework and textbook, her lectures do not help, but at least she gives extra credit. She also does team exams which make or break your exam score.
Do not take her. Her tests are hard for no reason even after reading the textbook and studying lectures. Teamworks are useless and if you get the wrong teammate your grade is done for. She one time made us login and answer a question on pointsolutions within a minute and counted it against us when she said we wouldn't use PS that day She is a JOKE.
DO NOT take her class. Possibly the worst professor I've had so far. Her test are ridiculously hard and nothing you study can prepare you for it.
No idea why UH keeps hiring professors like her for such hard classes. Her exams are ridiculously hard, and is nothing like the lectures.
Real talk, do not take this professor if you are new to biology. If she is the only professor available then I wish you good luck.
I would not recommend taking this course with her. She locks your grade and does not give reviews for the exams. Most of the homework is over the textbook and she also includes team exams and team group assignments. For the most part her lectures were not useful for the exams and its a lot of powerpoints.
While I struggled in this class due to teaching methods, I think she's a good professor. She is very nice and understanding and willing to help if you reach out. She has effective study methods in the syllabus, please take advantage of those. She understands students not performing well on tests and offers numerous extra credit opportunities.
She is not the worst professor, but her lectures are her just reading off the powerpoint acting like everyone in the room already knows everything she says. She goes too fast in lectures and gives a lot of work throughout the week. A good thing about her is she gives us a lot of extra credit, which helps with how difficult she makes her exams.
She isn't a professor I'll recommend. She goes very fast when explaining her lectures and no matter how much you study if you don't know how to apply the concept to real-world experiences its going to be difficult passing the test. She does offer extra credit . Overall, I would recommend someone else if this is your first college bio class.
Nonsense, this should be an easy class. Her tests are nonsense.
pros - very kind, genuinely cares about you - office hours help ALOT - optional recitations - VERY generous with extra credit - lenient grader cons - exams are hard + very application based - moves at a fast pace, and jumps around - can assign alot of hw (5+ assignments some weeks) - u NEED to read/self teach from the textbook to get a good grade
Good passionate teacher, awful exams. There was really no proper way to know some questions. Group exams make or break. Lots of McGraw hill. I studied average 10 hours for all the exams and somehow never passed one lol. I've always had A's but these exams extremely humbled me. I'd walk out thinking I got an A and end up getting a D or F.
Professor Medrano is a nice woman, however she doesnt teach you to prepare for the exams, you have to figure that out on your own, The homeworks are manageable but they dont help you on the exams, If you have no choice than to take her, youll be fine just study using yt not the textbooks and do well on the teamwork exam, and that'll help your grade
RUNNNNN!!!!! Do not take her class if possible, like sign up for another bio professor. The lectures are boring, you have to teach yourself, and when its time to take exams- it's totally different from what you learned. She makes exams difficult and then expect you to not complain. Hated the class so much.Take another professor, simply as that!!
Easy lab, difficult class
If you took AP Bio and understood it/ liked it, this class shouldn't be hard. It is a pre-med/health class, so it will be hard but not impossible. Lots of extra credit opportunities available so take advantage of those. Study smart and go to the office hours. There's no study guide, but test questions are application-based based on the lectures.
Lab was easy and interesting. Just pray for a good lab group and TA. Easy A for sure if you put in the effort.
Willing to help and explain when you stop by her office hours. Would recommend attending the recitations they are very helpful and material covered will definitely be on exams.The review can be helpful if you go back to your lecture notes and make sure you understand the concepts.She gives many extra credit opportunities so take advantage of them.
Most Honest review: Her class was hard. The test were difficult and the homework felt unrelated to them; studying felt pointless sometimes; you do team exams that help your grade but it's team exams; final is the easiest test; She gives SO much extra credit that it boosted me a letter grade, don't give up I managed an A with no prior bio knowledge.
This course was very hard. The tests the professor gave were extremely hard even with hours of studying beforehand. Extra credit is given which gave me the passing grade for the semester. Attendance is mandatory so please show up for class! I would not recommend her for Bio 1306.
Wasn't giving Intro to Biology vibes. She's a nice lady but her exams are tough and the lecture slides didn't really help. I do appreciate the extra credit she gives, but I'd prefer to not rely on it to pass, which is why I won't be taking her again.
Honestly, she was not a bad professor. Her exams were difficult, yes, but the subject itself is difficult and requires high memorization. My advice is to attend every week's recitation even if you are not required to. Try your best!
She's gotten nicer over the years fs. I missed my first test on accident and she let me retake it. Biology is a difficult course, so I think that is why the tests were challenging. For tests I read the textbook and reviewed her slides. Her lectures are not engaging. She gives a lot of extra credit, try to do all of it because it helps a lot.
Medrano's test are so hard for no reason, and although she provides a pretty good amount of extra credit for the test its almost impossible to get a good raw score. The team exams are also so B.S because you are at the mercy of your team mates and if y'all didn't study then its kinda over for you.
Horrible, please take someone else , doesn't show average grade until all exams are done and you're not sure what grade you have ! She doesn't give reviews for exams. And she gets upset on simple questions , like seriously? She does these team exams with hard questions and no reviews given ! I would recommend someone else, please save your GPA
She indeed gives a lot of extra credit! I was close to drop the class because her exams are cumulative and it was a lot of content to keep up. If you are pre-med you should not be afraid to take this class because it will help you to prepare enough. I heard some of the questions are similar to the MCAT, however I didn't like the TEAM exams.
A lot of extra credit opportunities. Her lectures are actually interesting. Just like any bio class, tests are off of application and not memorization. Team exams could either help you or break you haha. She's really nice and responds to emails appropriately. Her grades to take a while to be put in
She is a very nice professor. If you reach out to her office hours, she is very helpful and understanding.
The professor was good but the course was just poor. Too many moving parts to get a final test grade and we have 4. Extra credit did not benefit me & no study guides were given. Should you attend recitation, it's not helpful. I strongly dislike her structuring of tests—a percentage of the material on the last test will be on the following test.
Overall very pleasant. Go to class and do the clicker questions it counts as EC and boosted me up a whole letter grade. Tests are difficult so read the book, lectures aren't very helpful she tends to rush. Definitely cares about your success, if you ask her for help she will try her best. TA's are chill.
FOCUS ON THE TEXTBOOK PLEASE‼️That's the best way to understand what she's teaching I cannot stress this enough. She is very understanding and reasonable. I took her for microbiology which was 4weeks. At the end I finally realized the best technique to study and it was to use the textbook.
I took Prof. Medrano's course during the summer as a 5-week session. Despite being a very fast-paced class, I never felt overwhelmed during the month. The exams were not overly challenging, and all the necessary information could be derived from the provided slides. Class participation is essential! She is a very knowledgeable professor.
She is a great professor. It is best to attend every class possible because when she explains her slides, she highlights what is important and likely to appear on exams. Exams are a little challenging, but if you read each question properly(confusing wording) and do extra credit, you can get a good grade.
She is a very sweet professor, and her one goal is for her students to succeed. We just finished Exam 1 today, and it was extremely hard. She goes extremely fast, so its hard to grasp what she is trying to teach. Plus she uses complex words without explaining what the words mean. she does give a lot of extra credit though.
So hard for no reason. Every other bio professor has easier tests and more clear lectures. She makes the test very hard and does not give you materials to study. She says to study her lecture power points but it is more pictures than words.
Honestly if you don't study before the exam you'll get the exact same failing grade if you do study. Her tests are ridiculously hard for no reason but she kind of makes up for it with her extra credit. She'll have questions that seem like your solving a riddle along with questions that were only brought up in her lecture so make sure you go.
Worst professor you can choose for this course. She goes very fast in her lectures and often just reads off the slides. The tests are very hard and you can spend hours studying and still fail. There is extra credit available but it doesn't do much. I would never take her class again.
Cool teacher unnecessarily hard test take a different teacher for the soul purpose of the tests being very hard. You can do good but you need to try 3x harder than the other students in other classes and lwk thats not fair.
Emailed her TA 5 times with no response. was finally stern on my 5th email and the professor threatened to lower my grade because of my “tone” in the email. Don't take this professor unless you're ok with a professor tanking your grade if you hurt her feelings. DO NOT TAKE HER
She has a very passive aggressive tone & pretends to "care" about her students. Reads off the lecture slides that aren't remotely helpful, exams do NOT reflect the lectures & are exceedingly hard, hours and hours of McGraw Hill HW, & a tiny bit of "extra credit" that doesn't help. She makes the content harder, & does the most, it's ridiculous tbh.
Dr. Medrano isn't as bad as the other reviews paint her out to be. Her dependence on lectures makes understanding the material difficult, McGraw Hill assignments might be a pain, but also a life saver. She is generous with the extra credit so take advantage. She might not take attendance, but those clicker points are valuable, don't sleep on them.
Lectures were very fast. She went over 77 slides in less than 30 minutes but still expected everyone to show up. Tests are unnecessarily hard and had nothing to do with lectures or assignments. Also never responded to any of my emails i sent her. Only good thing was the amount of extra credit she gives at the end of the course.
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Textbook Required
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