2.5
Quality3.2
Difficulty33%
Would Retake166
Reviews33%
Would Retake
166
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
166 total ratings5
21
4
22
3
31
2
45
1
47
What Students Say
“Kinda remind me of Kermit the frog but he straight”
SCI1102 - 5.0 rating“Lester is a pretty good teacher”
BIO1107 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
41%
Textbook Required
9%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.52 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOHIST
4.0
(1)BIOL3390
3.5
(2)BIO1107L
3.5
(2)BIOL2107
3.2
(10)BIO2107
3.0
(15)Difficulty by Course
BIO2108
5.0
BIO3338
4.5
BIOL1107
4.2
BIOL3380
4.0
BIO2101
3.8
Reviews (165)
easy going, and laid back.. but makes you jump through hoops on silly group projects.tests are easy enough. skip class. read lecture notes on webct.
Oui! ...didn't like this class. The prof is a nice enough guy, but his teaching is terrible! He's disorganized and loses things. For the tests, read the book. Every once in a while, he comes out with an interesting fact... but 95% of the class is just numbing. If you have a choice, I wouldn't recommend him.
Dr Lester is good teacher and is enthusiastic about teaching, but the lectures are boring, as is the subject matter...the test and quizzes are easy enough if you go to class, but the lab report is a joke (too much work for VERY little points)...easy teacher, but won't learn much
VERY DISORGANIZED!! Made half the class retake the test because he messed up grading their scantrons. Not clear teaching.
This class was OK, it is easy enough if you study. But he talks about random stuff sometimes that is hard to correlate to the material. If you can read the book and figure things out for yourself, you will be fine in his class. He tries to be very helpful if you have a question, but sometimes he isn't sure about something and just confuses you more
even though he is boring and confusing, if you read the book you will do well in the class and get an A. the tests are almost all multiple choice, and it is all from the book. His powerpoints are even from the publishing company. the only problem is he was really behind, so now that i'm taking bio2 with another teacher im kind of lost.
He is always behind on his lectures. He talks about stuff not related to bio. Waste alot of time and I feel like I am not prepared for Bio 2108. He is very disorganized. Doesn't post grades like he should, so you never know your true average. Overall take someone else.
He is a good person and a mentor, however his class was hard and did not make since! he is never prepared for the class and his test does not make since! He is al ways behind in class and his study guide does not make since! i do not recomend taking him at all, unless you are really good at bio and its ur thing! He does not know how to teach!!!!
He is nice but his class is horrible. he does not make since and his test are from materials that have not even been coverd. You will never know what your final grade is! make sure you check every grade because he messes up alot and he changes the amount of points you get for ever quiz and test so you never know what it is out of. dont take him!!!
nice guy, he's disorganized, but seems to know his stuff. wants students to do well, if you study the book you'll do fine...upper level classes aren't supposed to be easy
His lectures aren't that bad. The PPT are useless for test. Read the book instead. The tests are HARD!!! The T/F are even worse. Doing the experiments in lab are fun-but the Lab Rpts are so much work for just 1credit. If you like BIO you will do fine - but if not your major opt for an easier class.
nice guy,awful prof:tests r BRUTAL,gives study guides but r pntless bc nothing shows up on tests,qstns wrded to trick & ppl seldom finish bc run out of time,gives ex.crdt opps on the tests but gives diff opps 2 diff ppl(gave 2 ppl the opp 2 get 50% pnts back but not to othrs,not fair),nvr answrs email,very unorganizd,just do urself a favor & avoid
He is a horrible teacher!! All he does is fill up class talking about how to succeed in life. Then when you ask him real biology questions he dodges the questions! He is definitely not a good teacher. Don't rely on him and his tests becuase anything he puts on his tests he might have never mentioned before. Boring!!!
He is one of the worst professors I have ever taken. I don't so much have a problem with his tests, but he talks to students as if they are stupid. He makes stuff up and when he is wrong he doesn't admit it. He will annoy the mess out of anyone who takes him. He gives the same lecture over and over, and then test on stuff hes never talked about
Doing well on your lab notebook, and papers is key for this class. The lectures were interesting, and he goes concepts as much as you need him to. He can be somewhat unattentive to posting grades on vista, but he does eventually. Study the material from the labs and lectures, over and over, to get an A or B. The final is usually the first two labs
The class is almost a joke. It is ridiculously easy and laid back. The only real way to describe what you get out of it is you accidentally learn.
Tests are textbook based.
Wants you to get the big picture, but focuses on specific details on test. They are very difficult but he does curve. They don't really come from the book. Lab was easy. Provides random assignments, but do them because they will help your grade. Final was all from previous tests. Must put in alot of effort to get a good grade
Dr. Lester is fabulous in his teaching pedagogy. He makes sure every student understands the material,also he tells you what exams questions would look like. He goes tru the study guides in separate sessions 3 days before exams for students who want to attend. Take him, you will understand the material for med school,and reccord an A+ for your GPA
He is very approachable and nice to all his students. He is trying to teach the students on what he knows about the subject and his exams are textbook based. Be prepare to read the whole entire book for this class and learn it. Go to his office and ask him question if you are not sure about something.
He is a nice guy but his tests are ridiculous. Class averages were below 60s and even when he said the study guide is like the test, its not. I worked so hard for my grades and got crappy test scores. He means well, but he should be more clear.
Dr. Lester's class isnt easy, but you will get an A if you work hard for it. Do the study guides and read the book, it's alot of material and he was often not able to teach it all b4 the exams. However, he curves. Study hard, go to class, go to his office if you have a question, and you will do just fine. You must do work and study!
Yes the class is hard, but you're in college. Get over it. He is not going to hand everything to you. Read the book. Every chapter. Before the lecture. Do the mastering biology including the practice tests. It really does help. He has multiple study sessions before the test and you should drop everything to attend them. He goes over exact test questions. He is more than willing to help if you just ask. He will make sure you know the information like the back of your hand. He's a great professor.
He's extremely knowledgeable about biology topics and bioinformatics and such, and does try to hammer it in your head. The course is not easy unless you have a science-type background. His tests tend to be extremely hard. Read the book. Whole thing. Don't skip class. Lab is not just fluff......I had to settle for a B but in the end I learned a lot.
Prof Lester is the AWESOMEST professor you'll ever have! I don't even like Biology and I liekd his class. The class itself is hard but if you study, you'll be fine. He is VERY helpful with everything. He wants you to get an A and will work with you to get you the highest possible grade. I don't anyone failed his class unless they tried.
He tries his best to be helpful. However, he is just not a great proffessor. He generalizes a lot and then will test you on all the details he did not cover. Also very demanding with the lab notebook. You have to buy the textbook if you want to pass his class.
Lester says that he is helpful, but when I went and talked to him he really seemed to care less. The tests are barely covered in the lecture. If you sign up for this class you should just read the book and skip class. Also there are huge inconsistencies between the syllabus and actually policy.
None of the Bio2107 professors at KSU are any good. Dr. Lester is just another example. Very inspiring when he speaks, very low science knowledge. Im in his class and he has not shown up for a week. He gave no warning, just stopped showing up to class. Syllabus is wrong, and he is often confused about his own rules. Avoid this professor.
Interesting class but you are on your own in this one. He tries to help, but he doesn't have a vast knowledge of the topics and will confuse you even more. Wording on tests is confusing. His true and false questions are paragraphs copied and pasted from the textbook; which is preferable to him trying to write the question. 1st class I've dropped
Terrible professor. Very vague on any directions he gives for assignments. You will make a bad grade because you won't be able to understand his directions. The worst professor I have ever encountered at KSU by far. Everyone will show up to class and there will be no sign of him anywhere. His labs are impossible to do b/c he confuses everyone.
Average. Took him over the summer. Went in as a 4.0 student, but had to settle for a B. He's friendly and charismatic; didn't have a problem staying up during lecture. Does offer substantial extra credit. He has only two problems: he's a bit confusing with instructions & doesn't return any work you submit except tests. Read every chpt of the book.
terrible professor, didn't know any of our grades until the end of the semester...lacked knowledge of subject matter. nice guy, but probably the worst teacher in the bio department
I made an A in this class. Dr. Lester is very charismatic, lectures are funny and interesting and he is good at explaining. But I still feel he is an awful teacher.His tests are different than the book and notes and no amount of studying can prepare you.Several times he changed the instructions, in lab he didn't seem to know the procedure.
Professor Lester is very disorganized when it comes to teaching his class. His lectures are very confusing and I don't learn a lot from there. I pretty much taught myself a lot of this material. Our class did poorly so we were offered retakes on our tests. He gets his test questions from Mastering Biology test bank so study those!
Dr. Lester's lectures were pretty confusing. Make sure you read the chapters before you come to class so you kinda understand what he is talking about. He offered retakes for every test for extra points. He did give study guides for every test which were useful. Tests are hard though. A lot of application questions. He will try to make you succeed!
Dr. Lester is the best professor ever. He makes sure that we are informed of what is important to know. He spends much time and effort on making sure that we learn. Most important, he is fair.
Lectures are extremely boring, but there is an attendance grade via iClickers. Gives study guides that are extremely clear. Overall an easy class compared to other bio teachers. Would recommend.
Lectures are boring & pretty confusing, and he tends to ramble when asked a simple question. However, he gave the opportunity to receive up to 40 bonus points through the semester. Gives clear study guides for each test, but read the whole chapters to do well on tests. Grades online hw for completion, and there is a clicker grade, so go to class.
Professor Lester is one of the best professors I've ever had! He gives out lecture outlines and has complete study guides given out a week before a test. There is no reason to be failing his class.
Lester is the best. He provides study guide for all the tests and gives extra credit. majority of this study guide questions are on the exam.
Do not take this class. If you signed up, switch out as soon as you can. Lectures are long and confusing and he rambles on and on until it no longer makes sense. First lecture he says chemicals and atoms are the same thing. He also used "strong" and "masculine" as synonyms. I'm a biology major and he makes me want to switch majors after every class
Easy A. Attend class, participate, and read before each lecture. He gives study guides that basically are the test. He wants everyone to succeed. Honestly the lectures aren't always helpful, but I would at least be there every time. I took him for lab too. I liked him more in the lab. Generous grader. He is much more helpful in lab.
Lectures are unhelpful, from only reviewing the study guide to going over 30% of a chapter on a PowerPoint. Lester treats students as if we already know the material before he's taught anything. Tests are very similar to the study guide, but it would help if the class was structured and planned more efficiently. The online homework is very tedious.
His lectures are long. He get side tracked sometimes. His study guides are not exactly the test however, study each concept thoroughly (he goes over the study guide). Clicker quizzes for attendance. 4 exams and a final, bonus points. Homework (tons). He takes forever to grade reports in lab!! You can pull a B if you study, and A if you're a genius.
This guy is TERRIBLE for lab. He cannot explain concepts without confusing everybody. His attempts to make things simple don't work. The labs are never prepared well. He NEVER GRADES LAB REPORTS until the very end. You won't know what you did wrong until the VERY END of the semester.
We completed this class over 2 weeks ago, and still no graded lab reports from the beginning of the semester? I understand professors may get busy, but it's frustrating not knowing what to correct in your lab reports and watching your grades suffer as he puts them all in at the last minute with no way to correct your mistakes.
Dr. Lester is the best Science professor I've had so far at KSU. There is no such thing as an easy class in this major, but he made sure that no student that wants to learn is left behind. Speak up in his class, make sure he knows you and he'll work with you--whatever your needs are or your situation is.
Dude was cool af. Kinda remind me of Kermit the frog but he straight.
Study guides given, do them and you will past test.
5 exams, homework on masteringbio, clicker in class questions for attendance, and he offers extra credit. Study the guides he gives and Easynotecards for the chapters to prepare for tests. His lectures are extremely scatter-brained so PAY ATTENTION or you'll get lost. Overall, he was a great professor, I learned a lot, and I would take him again.
He explains things on such a low level in class, but it isn't adequate for the tests that are actually advanced. He doesn't review lab material. He doesn't respond to emails and even admitted that he never checks his email. He frequently wastes entire class periods rambling about things that are irrelevant to the class material. TERRIBLE teacher.
I'm surprised Mr. Lester has this many good reviews. Sure he's a nice guy, but oftentimes he encourages attendance in class when 90% of the time he is rambling on about something completely irrelevant to class material. He explains concepts to the class as if we're twelve year olds, which gave us absolutely no preparation for the exam. Don't take.
I was in a class of about 100 people but only 40 of us came regularly. He says he doesn't do extra credit but he gave those of us who showed up a few different options. He went over the exact test questions if you showed up and was very interesting to listen too. Some students were incredibly disrespectful tho, and I hated that since he's so nice
You'll take this class and show up relieved when the professor seems cool. Don't be fooled! This is a good class but it is not an easy A. He doesn't take roll but idk how youd pass without showing up. Show up take notes and do the study guides are my recommendations to you. Id be lying if I didn't say Ive ditched his class though, and I never ditch
As long as you reach out, Army is more than happy to help. He is very kind, enjoys teaching & just wants to see his students to succeed. He often gets off-topic, but he constantly repeats the point he is trying to make. As long as you go to class and pay attention, you'll pass. He also gives extra credit to those who tend to show up to class.
Lester is a pretty good teacher. After my bio 2 professor, I appreciate him so much more. He literally teaches to the test so pay attention. Show up to class. Gives bonus sometimes to those who show on top of bonus opportunities. His lectures can get off tangent. Is caring and willing to bend over backwards for students. Read book for clarity.
he's really nice and gives you a study guide with the answers that are basically the test. the class is boring but if you go it's worth it and you'll pass. don't memorize the study guide questions though, he rephrases it & it can get a little confusing. he tends to start talking about random things and it's hard not to fall asleep. really nice guy.
He always tells us to go to class but honestly most of the time he spends 45 minutes talking about irrelevant material and then 5 minutes reminding you to come to class. He gives the study guides for the test which are just the test questions but rephrased. But you have to do the study guide yourself. Would not take again. Worst teacher I have had.
Easy class for a good grade, but does not go over in class what is going to be on the test, so it is a waste of time to actually go to class. Gives you study guide, but will eventually stop giving you the answers throughout the year because he will start talking about random things in class.
He has a cool personality and his analogies are very helpful! I like that you don't have to attend class sometimes, because the study guide will be posted online. If it isn't posted by him, it will be posted by an OG in the class. Don't ever forget to do your Mastering!!
Mr. Lester is an overall okay professor. He gives you a study guide that correlates to the test. However, he tends to be offtopic at times and gets boring real quick. A lot of people stopped coming to class eventually giving extra credit to those who did come.
Wouldnt suggest taking him. He was very confusing and didnt seem like he knew what he was talking about at all. The tests were easy as long as you do the study guide and mastering assignments but theres no need to show up to class.
The exams are not created by Mr. Lester. So the only thing that is created by him is the study guide. Showing up to class you will earn points and the people who doesn't show up will not earn extra points. He wants to be fair. Also he does 6 extra credit point homework before exam #3. The credit points will be added by the end of the semester.
Honestly, not a great professor, but not a horrible one. Easiest class I've ever taken though & he makes it clear from the beginning that he wants it to be an easy A for you. He gives you the test questions before the test & will go through the answers in class. Attendance is not mandatory so a great class to boost your GPA and give you a break
He tells you that he will give you the test questions in class, but what we go over in class is barely even on the tests. He starts out a lecture talking about something and he just rambles on. If you aren't good at science, do not take him. Only 4 tests and some homework, so if you mess up on the tests, its hard to get your grade back up.
Do yourself a favor and JUST DON'T put yourself through this. Class consists of horrible, confusing, off-topic lectures which may or may not go over all the test answers like he promises. I don't think this man has any idea what the hell is going on in general. It's not that it's incredibly hard, it's just the world's biggest headache.
He wasn't the best professor and tended to simplify and rush concepts due to going off topic and running out of time in the semester and he only lectures every class so it can get super boring. He does give you all the information and tools you will need for the test and makes it super easy to get an A.
Absolutely horrible all he does is talk about anything else but what the class is about. He will give out study guides and well..,if you dont study that you wont know what the class is about. He doesnt teach anything.
He claims that he is going to teach exactly what is on the test, but barely anything he discusses in class or on the study guide is on the test. His lectures are confusing and off topic. After about one week nobody was showing up to his class. Refused to give any extra credit despite most of his class struggling and sets you up for failure.
Dr. Lester was overall fine. His lectures are long and sporadic with no common thread to follow. If you are not a strong test taker, do NOT take this class. The 4 tests you take in the class make up your entire grade minus 5% for mastering activities (participation grade). You don't have to go to class, but he gives answers to test questions.
This class itself was easy (4 tests and online assignments), but the professor makes it more of a headache than it needs to be. He gives the test answers in class but sometimes hell start lecturing about nonsense. Attendance isnt mandatory.
Not a great experience. Didn't go to class once, if I'm totally honest. Just showed up for the tests. They're not too bad. Just study. And make sure you do the online work!
With Dr. Lester, the study guide is what is on the test. You don't have to go to class, but a few classes before the test- he gives you the actual test questions in class. You have to be a strong test taker because the other assignments do not count for much. He's okay, it's not a hard class.
I don't understand all of the harsh reviews. This was the easiest and most fun course I have taken in my college career! Tests are exactly from his lectures. Study guides reflect test questions. Show up to class, be involved. Mostly common sense material. Lester really cares about his students and does everything in his power to set for success.
Dont take this class he is the most boring teacher youll ever have
He likes to get off topic and a lot of the time you really have no idea what is going on, but if you are in class, he will give you the answers to the study guide, which is USUALLY the same questions as the test. If you get the answers to the study guide and do all of your homework on time, you should get an A, but it is hard to sit through lecture
Environmental Sci. was supposed to be easy, but professor Lester doesn't know how to teach (he would start on a subject and get lost talking about grass). We have some assignments in mastering, a lab (still don't get it)additional 15 questions on test, 4 tests with 50 confusing questions. The study guide helps but still try another teacher.
SOOOO i took him and didnt try and was getting a high C in his class. This coronavirus broke out and all classes went online. I got to google all the answers for the exam and made 98 on all of them. So if a pandemic ever breaks out during your year, he's a solid choice. The lectures suck tho, everyone skips and you hope someone makes a quizlet.
I don't get all of the bad reviews, this was the easiest class I have ever taken. You don't have to go to class because he gives you a study guide in which is the questions on the test. If you do your work, it's an easy A. It seems like the people who gave bad reviews didn't do their stuff. He also gives many opportunities for extra credit.
His lectures are so boring. He spent the first month of class doing the same lecture everyday to "make sure we knew it", but no one did well on the tests. People would always skip. He gives you study guides, but the class is still so hard. Do NOT take him.
Professor Lester is the most genuine person that I know. He loves teaching and cares a lot for his students. Tests are just like the study guides and he gives extra credit. Do the assignments and study for the tests and you will do great in the class. I received an A.
Super sweet old man. A very lecture heavy class, and sometime gets off topic but it is still interesting. Make sure you use study guide and do the mastering because it makes all of the difference in your grade. Labs aren't actually due for a grade. He is chill with due dates. Just show up to class he gets sad when people don't. Overall, really good
He cares about his students. He would give study guides for all tests before the exam that we would go over in class. He made a group me that he himself was in to answer all out of class questions. He was on that group me all the time helping students. He helped students with life problems. I wish all my stem teachers were like Dr. Lester.
I WOULD ONLY ADVISE TAKING HIS CLASS IF IT IS 100% ONLINE. THE ONLINE VERSION OF THIS CLASS IS SOOOOO EASY. YOU CAN'T FAIL LITERALLY. AS LONG AS YOU DO ALL THE ASSIGNMENTS YOU GET AN A AND YOU GET TO LOOK UP ALL THE ANSWERS ON GOOGLE. TAKE ADVANTAGE BY PICKING THIS PROFESSOR DURING COVID 19.
I cant understand the neg reviews unless they were total slackers, class was super easy. Prof Lester gives you all the materials you need to pass, if you stick to his study guides, its an easy pass. If people failed its likely they weren't doing anything at all, his ?s on his study guide are answered in his power slides. Caring and dedicated!
If y'all don't take advantage of this man's online class during covid19. Literally an easy A, you dont even have to show up, just do the assignments given, do the mastering, study the quizzes and study guides and you have your passing grade.
I could not have asked for a better professor for my freshmen year of college. He is so understanding and i have honestly learned more from Mr. Lester than any other science teacher. The class itself is a little confusing at the beginning but easy to get the hold of. If youre questioning if you should take Mr. Lester, TAKE HIM!
He was fine
Took him for an online class and takes forever to get to the lecture. But overall an easy A.
worst teacher i've ever had. hard to get in contact with, awful lecturer, and overall just a pain. his study guides are supposed to be exactly
Lester personality isn't bad, but the number of quizzes (4 a week not including tests) was insane and filled with many careless mistakes. His lectures are unfollowable and all over the place. He does provide study guides but the questions on them aren't even on the test? It's stuff you don't want to deal with on top of managing other classes.
Made an A without ever attending his lectures. He rambled on for an hour and none of it would show up on the tests. Just take his pre and post quizzes for attendance. Those are word for word the tests. I never did an online lab either, just read the directions and winged the lab quizzes. Do not expect him to teach, just get the easy A and leave.
This is a really easy online class to get your science credit. The quizzes are the test and all the other work can be done in a relatively short time. I liked the professor and I really don't mind listening to his lectures, though you don't really need to.
Dr. Lester is a sweetheart but his teaching style is not affective. I would listen to him go on and on about irrelevant stories not relating to the materials. He says your study guide is the test, but the quizzes are the test. I wouldn't recommend this professor online. Also, make sure you do Pearson if you do take this course!!!!
Took this class online and hed complain no one was showing up but his lectures were long and nothing he said was on the test. Take the weekly quizzes (write them down) because they are the tests. Do the pearson assignments and read over the labs and youll pass. Hes not a very responsive professor though so beware of that.
I don't recall learning anything from him specifically as it was all me. The test and pre and post quizzes would have errors so it was nearly impossible to have an accurate score. You can't really understand the prof either and he is slow/not detailed with responding back to emails.
Tests and quizzes contained typos and faulty answers, which professor claimed he was unable to fix, as well as (mainly on lab quizzes) ambiguous /poorly-written questions which were just about impossible to answer correctly. Online activities could be easily completed without use of text book. Rambling lectures.
Professor Lester is a pretty solid guy. He is a nice professor, but the class is not the best. Pre-quizzes and Post-quizzes for every lecture, and his exams are exactly like them. Make sure to stay on top of mastering and pay attention in class, but you can find a lot of stuff online to help. He is a very good grader, like grades super fast
I would only reccomend this professor if you don't need to understand the material. I'm an English major, so science isn't relevant to my career. Easy A. 4 quizzes a week (3 attempts on pre-quizzes). The quizzes are the exact exam questions, but the lab quizzes are very hard. His lectures make 0 sense, but I have an A, so I'm torn.
The class material itself is pretty simple, workload is heavy (4 quizzes per week, mastering assignments, labs) but tests are literally copy and paste from quizzes. His lectures are pointless and useless he talks about nothing, very sweet man though. I say take the class and do the work for easy A but lectures are boring
Easy A first of all. There is a quiz before and after each lecture (10 questions each). Each pre and post class quizzes are the same (for practice) and they are all online and easy. The quizzes are just about word for word the exam, but the lab quizzes are difficult. His lectures such and he rambles about random stuff alot. He is a sweet guy thoug
Dr. Lester has a bad habit of ranting as he lectures. Very hard to keep up so there really isn't any point in showing up to class. He gives daily quizzes but they can all be found on Quizlet and take like 5 mins to finish. Before submitting your answers for the quizzes, SCREENSHOT IT! these are the exact answers and questions that are on the test
One of the most incompetent professors I have had. Didn't know how to use the programs he assigned. Constantly goes off his syllabus where due dates are listed, not consistent with the time of day the same type of assignment is due. If you attend class, he rarely gets passed the title slide of his presentations despite the class being over an hour.
For starters he talks about everything but the material. He literally made us retake an exam b/c of a lie from another student. Maybe hes a good professor to others but he made this class more stressful than needed. Please dont take him.
I used to have the mentality that students who failed due to a "bad professor" were bogus... until I took this class. For starters, I've never seen a professor go from talking about cells-- to relating the paper in his satchel as the nucleus. He went on so many tangents like putting a baseball cap onto a cell, or then randomly talking about taxes.
His lectures are very general and elementary and his tests/quizzes are very specific facts about biology and chemistry.
He teaches the information to us like we are 5 years old. Most of the time, we are responsible for reading through the powerpoints ourselves because we are always behind. When asked what is on the exams, he lies and misinforms you on what you need to study! The quizzes, homework, and exams have nothing to do with what we need to learn in class!
Do not take this professor!! I am a very school-smart person who doesn't usually have a problem in my classes, but his class is the only one where I literally have to teach myself EVERYTHING.I spend hours learning just to barely pass the tests. He tricks people by lying about what's on the test. ASSIGNMENTS/QUIZZES ARE DUE AT 11:59 AM//RANDOM TIMES
Don't take this guy. He told the class the answers to the tests would be on the pre-quizzes he gives before class. After the first exam, he was upset that everyone made a good grade and told the class that he would make things more challenging. Before the second exam, he sent us a study guide, and nothing from the study guide was on the second exam
If you take this class you won't learn. You won't understand anything. The homework assignments on MasteringBiology are useless, and they're due at random times. Fun! The tests were originally supposed to be the pre-quizzes and post-quizzes that were given before and after each class, but after the first exam, this changed because we did too well.
Seems pretty easy. Kind of a fun guy too. The tests easy, homework easy. May not be prepared for bio 2 but you'll figure that out later
He is the worst most incompetent professor ever. Most of the pre/post quizzes in D2L are duplicates showing I have not done them when in fact I have. Lectures are boring. Changed exam 2 because everyone did well on exam 1 which was just the pre/post quizzes. Doesn't give enough time on pre/post quizzes and changes the time they are due.
Dont take he wants you to fail
Awful professor one of the worst i've had by far. His lectures often go off topic and do not prepare you for his exams. He never gave us extra credit at all. He messed up our grades and put extra quizzes that counted against our grade that we didn't even have access to. DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR.
Suppeeerrrrr unorganized professor. He regularly messed up our tests and quizzes and would forget to put them in the grade book or forget to give us access to them. The one good thing about his class is that the tests are all the quiz questions compiled into one so if you study the quiz questions you will most likely pass the tests
Avoid, please. Poorly organized and lots of unnecessary work. Joke of a class.
Terrible lots of work pre and post quizzes before and after each lecture, and mastering assignments. If you came to class he would let you makeup the mastering but not the quizzes which didn't help me. You would also not be able to see your grade, and the grade for the quizzes was unreliable and messed up not showing a grade when you did them.AVOID
He gives pre- and post-quizzes and his exams are nearly the same as the quizzes, but has a few added in questions or are reworded. As long as you read his study notes and remember the questions, you should get an A on the exam and quizzes. The mastering assignments may be a pain and have different due dates, but should be an easy A.
He is a nice guy, let me make up something I missed with an emergency. His tests are on lockdown, but not too rigorous. Not the best professor; he is very monotone and boring. Not the worst though.
This class is useless. There is no teaching in class, only doing "study guides" for the next test. He swears that each class is important to pass the tests, yet I started doing better when I stopped showing up. There is no learning about the subject, just preparing for the next test.
Essentially class is him reading off of a powerpoint for long periods of time. Most of the stuff you'll learn is from the pre/post quizzes, which aren't too bad if you have the time for them. Though you'll basically have to memorize 50+ questions in order to recieve a passing grade on tests so if you can, It's an easy A.
Dr. Lester is not a horrible professor. He tries to be funny and is kind but he is so boring and monotone. He essentially only reads off the power points and talks for hours on end. If you are not great at teaching yourself material: DO NOT TAKE HIM! The lectures won't help to pass the class, you have to memorize the quiz questions for every test.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS! Please listen to the reviews. Professor Lester would constantly fall behind in his lectures and still expect us to do the pre/post quizzes. He is very boring and talks about things for way to long,(especially because none of it actually sticks with you) You'll have to teach yourself. He's the worst professor I've ever had!
Very confusing to understand. At the beginning of the semester, he said all the exams would be based on the quizzes. Then after the first exam, he went back on this, and the class quickly became hell. I had so much anxiety doing this course.
If you take this class, you will be teaching yourself absolutely everything. There are 4 quizzes on D2L weekly, some Pearson assignments, and 4 tests. Professor Lester is a nice man, but not a good lecturer. His lectures are completely useless for passing any of the assignments. Do not take this class for your own good, please.
great guy, didnt learn much his lectures. he is so out of touch with some students understanding of topics and thinks if he says something once then every student understands the entire concept. since i am a hands on learner he does not teach that way. also gets behind on topics, some stuff on the tests arnt covered in class
Worst Professor/Teacher I think I have ever had, no exaggeration. If you can't teach yourself do not take his class because he does not teach anything. The tests are easy if you study the pre and post quizzes. Joke of a professor
While attendance is emphasized for success, it often feels like a futile effort, leading to more confusion. Learn the study materials independently and understanding the pre/post quizzes ensures an A grade. The course isn't challenging, but with this professor, it requires extra effort on your part.
His lectures are unclear, he tends to ramble on a semi related topic that wastes time. He has pre & post quizzes where both are graded & have the same content, making to where if you WANT a good grade on the pre then you have to look the answers up since its unlearned content. On the first day of class he didn't understand how the textbook worked
This class was an easy A because there were many grade opportunities. He does teach but it's difficult to understand so you will have to study on your own a lot. I personally can't take him again because bio is my major and I genuinely did not learn anything long-term with his teaching style.
his finals are a hundred questions in 2 hrs . His study guide for the finals are a 100 whole topics and subtopics meaning you have to cover a hundred topics for a question in each . We took the finals 2 days after taking test 4 Giving you no time to prepare for the final . The tests are 50 questions in 90 mins , final 100 questions in 120 mins
this professor tends to go on to random tangent of conversation, and he would talk extremely fast making it hard to understand anything.
Best professor I've had so far. Easy grader and wants everyone to understand the concepts. With the pre-class quizzes its almost impossible to fail. He is pretty bad about updating grades though. The exams are easy he rips the exam questions from the pre-class quizzes.
His class was easy. pre and post quizzes made it impossible for you to fail they were taken at home with no lockdown. Pearson activities due everytime a unit was covered. He is funny and breaks things down, but he does get off track. He provided SO much extra credit. Exams were exactly like the quizzes. Learned little to nothing though.
yall, this class is an easy A if you do your pre and post quizzes along with the in-class assignments! Tests were super duper easy bc the thing is, ITS MOST IF NOT ALL THE SAME QUESTIONS FROM THE PRE/POST QUIZZES! He does go on random tangents during lecture. I will say though, I did not retain anything from his class but it's an easy A soo
Most of these reviews are way off base. I'm not sure how he could've made this class more strait forward. While there is a fair amount of day to day work, if you take notes on the in class and pre/post quizzes and review those questions for the test its an easy A. He gives almost a half letter grade of extra credit too.
Thou I got a high grade I would not take this class nor recommend anyone to take class. We had a quiz before class and after class every single lecture day. And also one quiz a week during class. Lots of busy work like mastering. Over simplifys lecture and quizzes are hard and complicated.
DO NOT TAKE HIM, there was just too much to this class. pre and post quiz after every lecture. lots of homework. his tests and quizzes are worded so weird that you can get the right answer and still be wrong. lots of extra credit tho (attendance mandatory)
Gives too much pre/post quizzes and grades on things we haven't learned. If you want a teacher, make sure they have a 4.0 and up
don't take this professor. we have 6 quizzes per week and he doesn't know how to work tech so everything is marked wrong even if its right. you cant get those points back either. the lectures are simplified but tests are extremely hard and you are tested on info that you haven't even learned. he's a nice guy but HORRIBLE professor.
Professor gives 4 quizzes for class per week, plus 120+ mastering questions in a month, doesnt cover all the chapters in lecture due to bunnytrailing, and grades you on prequizzes over course knowledge you dont have yet. I scored the highest on a test with an 86, most kids failed. Hard to get in contact with, not helpful, and brushes off problems
Avoid this class if you can. Lots of busy work like pre/post quizzes, but professor rips exam questions from them. Lectures can be hard to follow, but Unstuckstudy was a lifesaver for study prep.
I wouldn't take his class again. There was pre quizzes before class, post quizzes after every class, in class activities as well. The in class activities required codes that you could only get in class. None would be dropped if you missed them. He didn't want to see us succeed. Would say the test is on one thing then make it totally different.
There are many bad reviews on this professor but I felt he was a decent teacher. Everything that gets graded is an EASY A. The test questions and finals are the pre-quiz questions and post-quizzes. Study the quizzes and do all the assignments and you'll be fine. Do the study guide (the same questions as the test). Lots of EXTRA CREDITS!
Super nice and gives lots of extra credits. Just make sure to do the pre-quiz and post-quiz because the questions are the same as the test and finals. As long as you do all the assignments and quizzes you should get an A. He gives out study guides and it is the same as the test so do them and attend his review lectures!!
Horrible at grading, when asked to put in grades for assignments that were turned in so long ago, he never does it. His lectures don't help, but thankfully he has an SI student to help and study notes. Never shows pictures of cells and expects us to know it on the exams. Don't take this class
My main gripe is that i didnt sign up for his class. The professor i did pick literally dropped off the face of the earth and we ended up with Prof. Lester. Alot of assignments, the study guides would sometimes match the tests and sometimes wouldnt. Very inconsistent. Go to study sessions for extra credit
In my opinion, he's a great professor. He gives quizzes, homework, and sometimes extra credit. I love his lectures. My only issue is that he assigns homework but hasn't added it to the grade book, which could impact our grades. He also offers makeup tests and study sessions for extra credit, which are helpful. I would recommend.
Not the worst, CERTAINLY not the best. Notable: I do not know what my grade is. He tells us to "add up our points," but never knows where we're supposed to be at. He is technologically incompetent, thus we had incorrect due dates, wrong "correct" answers on quizzes, & incorrect grades. Never valuably responded to student feedback. Recommend? No.
Pros: extra credit,reopens missed hw assignments at the end, he's approachable, quizzes don't have lockdown+webcam, good study guides (he literally gives you a list of questions that will be on the test), Cons: tests have lockdown+webcam, long tests, lectureheavy (no slides, just him talking), pre/post quizzes after every class (5 questions each)
Professor Lester definitely loves Biology. But the class can be difficult to follow sometimes. If your already good at bio it shouldn't be an issue, if not get ready to read/study a lot. My advice, pay attention to quiz questions and study guide questions. Make study guides and collaborate with your peers!
Doesn't grade work until the end of semester so you have to calculate yourself through out the semester. He is terrible with tech. He doesn't teach based off the textbook but the test are based off the textbook
His lectures don't match the tests. rambles about the most random stuff that has nothing to do with Biology, you will fail this class, save yourself from taking him. I promise you it is not good.
He claims to give you the exact questions to the exam but then what he gives you ends up not being really relevant to the test unfortunately. He encourages you to use these study guides too to be successful. This is the only bio class where you don't get a cheat sheet/ when confronted about his study guides being bad he doesn't listen.
Bro is the most infuriating teacher I've ever had. Walking into class he is going to make it seem like the easiest class to pass. Its not. He cannot lecture. All he does is say yes and hold up inanimate objects and explain how a styrofoam cup is cellular respiration. Over half the class failed our most recent exam, he said its bc we cant study.
Idk why he has a low review, he does talk all class but at least tries to make it interesting. I taught myself but i was fine with it since he gave us study guides, plus the SI made kahoots. Test are lockdown in person, theres a pre&post quiz (not LD), attendance mandatory if u want the grade. He also added points to one of our exams. Take him fs
This is not a hard class. Professor Lester genuinely wants his students to succeed. He is very passionate and explains exactly what will be on the test and repeats himself a lot to make sure we understand. He says the study guides are exactly what's on the test but it's not. Just do the quizzes and attend the lectures and you will be fine.
He is an awful professor. None of what he says is on the exam. He gives out unhelpful study guides. The exams are 50 questions long and sometimes don't have anything to do with what he was talking about. He rambles on for an hour then expects you to do an in class participation assignment that have nothing to do with what he talked about.
If you don't have a religion, get one and pray
He is very passionate but tends to get stuck on a specific topic and doesnt cover as much as he needs to. He does pre and post quizzes for every lecture and has a lot of in class activities also.
Gives you topics to study that are diagram related without a diagram and when confronted will tell you to "imagine it" when seeing this topic for the first time
This professor doesn't deserve any stars, but I will give one because his exams are similar to pre-quiz. I'm telling you now, you're not going to gain anything from his lectures. It's filled with terrible analogies and the worst explanations known to mankind. You would be a fool to willingly pick this class. Don't be a fool... proceed with caution.
Literally worst Biology professor of all time. Talks about absolutely nothing each lecture and gives no diagrams for anything. He does give some of the questions that will be on tests on the pre/post quizzes and on the study guides. Make sure you do your Achieve because he will not let you know when those are assigned or when they're due.
Army Lester seemed to care a lot about his class...but that did not reflect in his teaching. He rambles on in lectures and he is awful with technology. He assigns pre and post quizzes before and after every lecture. Be sure to study these for tests along with the study guides. He assigns in-class activities, so attendance is mandatory. Good luck!
Some ratings are a bit excessive. He's not great, but he's not horrible. The grading system is weird and based on points, but it allows you to get a good grade. My test average was probably in the mid to low 70s, and I walked away with an A. The test questions are also the same as the pre and post quizzes, which is nice.
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Textbook Required
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