2.9
Quality4.3
Difficulty27%
Would Retake91
Reviews27%
Would Retake
91
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
26
4
11
3
12
2
20
1
22
What Students Say
“clendening is one of the worst professors in the bio department”
BIO011 - 1.0 rating“I would never take her again in my life even if I were paid”
BIO011 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
72%
Textbook Required
29%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.03 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO01
5.0
(1)011
5.0
(1)DEVELOPMENTAL
5.0
(1)LAB
5.0
(1)BIO015
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
BIOLOGY
5.0
EMB
5.0
LAB
5.0
BIO1
5.0
BIO12
5.0
Reviews (91)
Nice lady and very helpful, just that the tests are hard, i strained my brain trying to remember all the confusing material... but biology is a tough class in general.... Labs were easy too.
Goes out of way to make herself available The tests are pretty hard though, she does make sure she covers a lot of materia, but thats why she has extra help i think
She jumps from topic to topic and is very confusing in lectures.
Always provides power point notes on blackboard, that are thorough, but you'll be fine as long as you keep up. Labs are a pain in the neck, but otherwise, i'd recommend this professor.
No Comments
confusing, needs to slow downnnnnn
She is a nice professor, but very difficult. Even though she puts all her notes on blackboard, the class is still difficult. She is a hard grader and she gives a lot of projects that seems to be all due in the same month. She just needs to slow down.
Very tough class... if you have to take Bio, I suggest taking it with another professor. She's really nice, but her tests are way too hard. The average test scores are always around 60%... at least she grades on a curve.
Nice lady but not a great teacher. Moves too fast, jumps around, is very unclear.
While in her class I thought I was in medical school. Tough class,but dont blame her,thats college Bio for u.Shes fair enuff 2 grade on a curve n she is very helpful w/ labs. If she went fast or slow wouldnt have mattered to me it still wouldve been hard
super nice person, super intelligent person, and extremely helpful. she really wants you to learn, and really cares about the students, the school, and its programs. works very hard and deserves a raise!
Anyone who thinks shes a bad teacher should drop any science classes and be a business major. Shes an amazing teacher, and makes a tough curriculum very doable. Always avaibable for office ours and advising, i would recommend to anyone.
She is a nice lady, but she does not know how to teach. She is very confusing and she goes really fast. I surely do not recommend her to anybody. She is a hard grader and her exams are very hard. She is a trap for new students!
She is very hard and very confusing. This was an introductory course that was taught like an honors upper level. It was so hard and unfair that a good 10-15 of us are going to complain to the dean and provost board about the class at the end of semester. Dont take.
I have to agree with the posters before, very hard grader. This class was graded like a graduate bio class. Way too hard for intro bio course, and i am a post bacc with a masters degree already. Very unclear about everything. I am going to complain too, when r u guys going?
This woman is such a hard grader. I am not a slacker, i worked my butt off this semester for this woman and still couldnt achieve high grades. Extremely confusing--a true space cadet. I feel bad for freshmen coming in because they will most likely drop pre med after taking her class. Dont take her!!
Great teacher who is extremely helpful
She told me if I did well on the last test I'd get an A. I did pretty well and ended up with a C+. Four years later im still wondering what happened. HMMMMMMM
great professor. i learned more from her in 1 semster than i did getting my undergrad. she's always available for help and encourages true understanding of the material.
REALLY NICE LADY KNOWS HER STUFF. SOMETIMES UNCLEAR THOUGH. TESTS CAN BE ROUGH BUT THERE IS A NICE CURVE AT THE END. OVERALL GOOD EXPERIENCE
She is great. Always willing to help those who want it and always has a smile on her face. She's a brilliant woman and an awsome professor. Spends nights up grading papers so that we can get our grades ASAP which is much more then i can say for most profs. You can see she really loves her job and she's good at it!
She an aiight person i mean i guess you just have to warm up to the women and really like and understand the theories of bio ... or else your up the creek without a paddle in that class.. and your ass dont kno how to swim
No Comments
such a nice person...and a pretty good teacher, she really cares about her students and wants them to learn the infomation... she knwe that i want to become a teacher and she found me a TA spot and im only a freshman..
Awesome teacher- one of the most caring I've had. Inspired me and made me believe in myself- helped me get a job too. Super smart and super hard-working. Loves her subject and loves her students and always willing to help them succeed.
She does not know how to teach the material. Her grading system is horrible. So, even if you try your best you still won't get the grade. And yes she has favorites.
She is the worst Biology teacher @ Hofstra! STAY AWAY! She is a really hard grader and gives out lab questions that are impossible to answer! The only way to do good in this class is to go to her every week to go over the lab! In addition she does not know how to teach the class and is not AT ALL familiar with the computer program that we used!
i was never more passionate about becoming a doctor until her class!!! she seems so nice but the test questions are pulled out of the air and its impossible.. only geniuses can understand this and they make you feel bad when they are getting 100's n the rest of the class is under a C- average.. she teaches it like its a review! it was so hard!
Great person and cares about every student. I know this because I wasn't actually a formal student -- just worked in her lab. If you need help, ask for it. She knows that some people struggle, but they don't help themselves. Spend some time talking with her. Remember, college is more than just time spent in lecture.
She seems like a really nice person that loves to teach but she makes the class impossible for the average person. She expects everyone to have taken an AP Biology class in high school and acts like we have already learned the stuff, she flies through it. I went to every class and ready the book and still could barely pass. AVOID!
Dr. Clendening is a great teacher. She is really nice, funny, and laid back as well. At times, she does fly through the material but if you are a Bio major, you'll appreciate it when you get to Cell Bio!! Definitely recommend her; you will like her class a lot. Make sure to participate often and show interest and she'll be more than glad to help!
Dr. C is a sweetheart, she really wants you to learn the material. If your part of the pre-health cluster expect a ton of work. I found lecture unclear most of the time but found reading the textbook and going to her office hours really helped. She will glady explain things you don't understand. If your lazy don't take her.
Dr. Clendening is an amazing professor, she is brilliant and does a great job explaining the material because she is very knowledgeable and comfortable with it. She is one of my favorite professors at hofstra=)
Impossible for someone who did not take ap bio. she expects you to know everything and her tests are soooooo hard. i did not enjoy her class at all. i'll give her this, she is willing to help you if you visit her during office hours
She's a very nice person but expects you to know everything as soon as she teaches it which was not the case for me and any average student who doesn't know much about Biology to start off. If you haven't take Bio in High School then I wouldn't recommend you have it taught by her.
Clendening expects way too much from her students. She assigns about 4 different assignments on average in one week and they are all very challenging. She often makes a lot of assignments due in a very short time span. Her class is overwhelming and difficult and she definitely plays favorites. Not recommended.
this professor expects way to much from students.I was lost within the first week, and did terrible on the tests, and she does not offer extra credit and doesnt do curves on the tests for she soesnt believe in it! she gives too many assignments at once and thinks that her class is the only class we take.
by far one of the worst science teachers ive ever had, do not take her classes. u will end up depressed and annoyed at every test and assignment b/c she does not grade fairly... 5hrs of work for a 5/25 is not worth your time or effort. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
She's terrible. If you're going to take the First Year Cluster with her, you will more than likely do poorly if you're not 100% in your books 100% of the time! Total unfair grading. She's not enthusiastic and humorous in way which keeps you engaged in the class, she will keep Bio as boring and as difficult as can be.
Not enthusiastic at all. Grades in a very harsh way and expects way too much for an introductory biology course. She always says "Oh, you must remember this", but most of us had never learned it. Also, an email was sent to the class telling us not to contact her after next week, because she has a "much deserved break from grading". Really?
DO NOT TAKE!!! By far the worst professor I have ever had. She teaches as if you have taken every upper level bio class there is and understand it perfectly. Her tests are from left field and do not make sense. She constantly says "you guys know this right?" and goes on without explaining anything. You will spend the entire semester regretting taking her class. By far the worst.
I love Clendening! She was a great teacher. If you put in the effort, it will be reciprocated in your grade! Many people disliked her because she is a tough teacher. WELCOME TO COLLEGE. She gives plenty of resources to do well, and if you do all the assignments and work hard..its all good! Lots of powerpoint BUT using the textbook will get you an A
i am a honors kid. and let me say, in all the classes ive ever taken, this was the worst. she plays favorites, grades unfairly, and has tests that have questions that come from left field. she acts untouchable because she is tenured. do anything you possibly can to avoid, it will ruin your gpa. wait a semester to take bio11 if you have to
She is an amazing professor IF you keep up with ur work, attend lectures, &show an interest in the material. Def not the easiest grade i've ever gotten, but she'll defintely prepare you for upper level Bio courses if you're a Bio major, & also for Med-School. Shes very helpful at office hours.Show an interest in the subject-it will help your grade!
Worst teacher ever. I worked SO HARD, kept up with the work, read everything, and got good grades on her workshops, but still managed to get a C. She expects way too much from students and test questions are ridiculously detailed. I have never gotten below a B+ and regret taking this class with her. Absolutely choose another professor!
Prof. Clendening is by far the best professor I have ever had for Biology. There is a LOT of work, but as long as you keep up with everything, you will learn an extreme amount of material. She's a great professor and is really dedicated to her students. Definitely recommended.
Worst Bio teacher ever. She doesnt care for you or your grade. Her tests are unbelieveably hard and the final is 10x worse. One word wrong in a question is -10 off a whole test for 1 question. Avoid her if you want anything above a C. Terrible teacher
Im currently a 4th year med student in neuroscience and I took Dr. Clendenings class during my years 2005-09. I can tell you that you will not find a better, more caring professor. If you think this class is hard, try med school. Bio11 is not even 1/10th the challenge: 1 med class is the equivalent of 5 Bio11's. Show interest, ask Qs and ull b fine
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR IF YOU DIDN'T GET A 5 ON THE AP BIO EXAM. Difficult isn't the word. She expects you to recall and know everything from AP Bio and HAMMERS you with work. She is very helpful, I'll give her that. She encourages questions. DO NOT TAKE IF YOU'RE NOT STUDIOUS!! DO NOT TAKE PERIOD.
do not take. although i got a C for her class I am not upset, due to so many people failing this course and a lot of withdrawals. no body got an A in this section (Bio 11). I am aware Bio 11 is a hard class and I read ratemprof also but I thought everyone was over exaggerating, but they really weren't. do not take her if u care about ur GPA.
Dr. Clendening's class is difficult because the topic is difficult. If you do the work and go to her with questions, you'll be fine. Don't be scared by her, she actually does care and wants you to succeed. If you put in the work and get to know her, she'll be your biggest advocate. Go to class and take notes and you'll do fine.
Bio 11 was not an easy class. If you're a studious individual you're good to go. Dr. C is actually super super helpful. Even if you don't do we'll the first time around, if you have questions she'll take the time to answer them, I got an A- in the class through her. Tutoring helps. Reading the txt helps too. Definitely take her if u wnt to learn.
if she likes you, she LOVES you. if she doesn't, GOOD LUCK. Went to her bc this was my LAST CLASS BEFORE I GRADUATED. Asked for help/EC/guidance. She said "study and you will have nothing to worry about". I NOT ONLY studied, I got a tutor as well. I got a D. Emailed to ask for a second chance - she never responded. Thats a teacher who cares??!
Best teacher in the entire world. She is the most helpful teacher I've encountered at Hofstra & I learned the most from her class than all the classes I took combined....& I'm a senior.
I was decent in biology before I took this class. She is a wonderful professor and really knows what she is talking about, but there seems to be some disconnect between knowing the material and doing well on her tests. This class will most likely ruin your GPA, so be warned.
When someone insists that they are NOT a dreamwrecker, the most likely scenario is that said woman is indeed a dreamwrecker. Having spent a mere five minutes in her class has sent me into depression.
Bev is really sweet and is willing to help if you are ready to ask questions. Yes the class a huge step up from Bio 012 and you will not be able to cram. Use your textbook because sometimes the lectures can get a bit dull. Do some work every night and try not to play too much catch up at any one given time.
Dr. Clendening is a very kind and caring professor. I never personally went to her office hours, but she truly wants her students to do well. Bio 011 isn't easy and her tests are definitely not easy either, but if you keep up with the reading and study hard it's definitely doable. I'm actually taking her again next semester for bio 135!
Dr. Clendening is a wonderful professor. Her class is very difficult, but she is a fair grader and is willing to help you understand the material. She gives clear, interesting lectures and encourages thoughtful questions. Her tests are application based and long but she prepares you well but you still need to put in a lot of study time.
Miserable human being. STAY AWAY
Took this class to prepare me for bio 12 and I regret it. She made the class so much harder than it should be. She is so confusing and does not know how to teach. She would be all over the place while lecturing going from one topic to another without any sink. This class lowered my GPA. Do not take her at all. She will make your life miserable.
Avoid if you can. As a person, she is very nice and will talk with you and laugh around, but as a professor, she is absolute hell. She talks to her students as if they are her colleagues instead of students. Also if she likes you then you are lucky, but if she doesn't, she'll always pick you out and make you feel dumb.
If she doesn't like you good luck. She will pick on you and make you feel stupid and question yourself. A tough grader that is very nit picky. She's the head of bio it's only expected. But if you value your grades don't take her. Can be a nice person don't get me wrong but will not be nice on your grades.
Clendening is a tough grader and her exams are very hard! She is a gpa destroyer! Don't take her if you want to fail the class! Other than that, she is nice.
Obviously know what she's doing but VERY tough grader. Yoiu learn a lot BUT at the expense of possilby lowering your GPA
Dr. Clendening is a great person, but was not so great with teaching this class. she was all over the place, very inconsistent. but yet graded so harshly. i would not take this class again with her. no wonder the majority of the students in her classes are doing poorly.
Class is pretty hard especially if u didn't take ap bio. Gotta study hard (really hard) and lots of assignments but prof is really helpful and nice and willing to help. I would take her again cuz I learned a lot and I like challenge s
As everyone below basically said, she's an extremely tough grader. The averages in the class usually hover around the low low 60's. No curve, no nothing, you get what you get. Kinda annoying to see so many junior/senior bio majors do so poorly in this class, but in reality most of them are smart. There's no easy advice to do well in this class
Hardest professor I've ever had. What everyone has said below pretty much sums up everything about her. Its all been said already but I do not recommend having her at all for any course. I feel bad for students who already have (unless you're doing well of course). Very nice person but tough grader. Not easy at all to even pass the course.
Must Read To Pass. She is very specific. Pictures from texts are a good way to study. Dont be late because that will affect the work you do in class. Ask questions to pass. Double check and study from graded work.
Professor Clendening gives good lectures and includes helpful diagrams, gifs, and links in her powerpoint slides. The issue I take with her teaching is that the exams do not reflect the information learned in class. Our class took an exam where more than half failed and she refused to scale it. We did not know the necessary information.
Professor Clendening unknowingly lowers the morale of her students. At the beginning of the year she makes it relatively clear that the class is more friendly to students who took AP bio,and made some of us feel bad for our bio 12 grades. She expects you to study 3 hours for every 1 in class for an A, even though none of us have the time for that.
I have had Dr. C for 3 classes now and have had great experiences in every one of them. Yes, class can be difficult but that is because the subject is difficult and she always puts in extra work to make sure everyone understands the material. Honestly, her classes prepared me so well to take the MCAT and I would take her again if I could!
I've had Dr. Clendening for 2 classes and I work with her in lab. She is a tough grader, but she will help you and put in extra work until you completely understand a topic. If you're not willing to put the work in, do not take her for a course. She commends students who work hard for their grades.
She was really helpful with feedback on lab reports. Very accessible during her office hours and willing to work with you to make your assignments better.
I've had her for multiple classes! I can say that she is a fantastic professor and person! The exams are a little tough but if anyone did badly in the class it's because they didn't study enough not because she didn't teach well. She's so helpful with questions and wants students to succeed and know genetics well. If you want to learn, take her!
Avoid at all costs...
Dr. Clendening is a really nice lady and cares for her students, but she is a ruthless grader. If you don't study a LOT, you won't pass this class. She's a good lecturer but you also have to study the textbook. She expects you to have a lot of knowledge coming in. However, she's the best lab prof I've ever had and I would love take her lab again!
My favorite professor Ive had so far. She is so kind and although her tests are challenging they're just based on what we learned in class and you just have to study for it, she's really not that bad she's so nice and helpful
Dr. clendening is one of the worst professors in the bio department. She has no idea what she's teaching most of the time. Her exams are never based on what she teaches in class and confuses you even more when you go to her office hours.
She is the HARDEST grader I have ever had in my life. She makes thing a lot difficult than they need to be . She's is VERY specific about what she wants and will take points off for things she said she mentioned in class even when she didn't . I would never take her again in my life even if I were paid.
Worst prof I have ever taken. I am writing this as I am about to graduate, and this was the only C I have on my transcript with a gpa of a 3.7. To put into perspective how awful she is. It's not a bunch of kids complaining, she's genuinely bad.
DO NOT TAKE. Test heavy, tough grader, and graded by few things should be warning enough to stay away! She teaches extra content in lectures and is very vague on what we need to know for the exams. She admits to her tests being the hardest in the bio dept. She confuses herself and the class during lecture. Her grading system is not fair.
The absolute worst. You will end up retaking bio 11 if you have her. She is never clear and does not care about her students.
The worst person in the biology department, stay away, take the course with another professor if you can. She clearly doesn't care for her students and doesn't provide any additional help.
by far the worst professor you can take at Hofstra
if you're pre med do not take this class, she really doesnt care about her students imo, i ignored the warnings and went ahead ,huge mistake.
She's really tough at grading. You can't add too much information in your lab reports, she takes points off. If you email her for help, she makes you feel dumb. Our whole class was clueless that we had to compare our answers every time to make sure that we passed. I would say avoid her unless you want low grades with no explanations or feedback.
she can't wait to retire and it shows. Nothing you turn in is good enough. About half the class was accused of cheating many times. AVOID her class.
Doesn't matter what type of student you are. If you take this prof, be prepared to get a low grade, even if you're an A student. Grading for labs are unclear, and points will always be taken off. It has shown, by the end of the semester it doesn't matter what your grade is, the lab final will ruin it. Be prepared to work hard for nothing! AVOID.
You might notice that you got points taken off but a fairer student with similar content got full credit. Maybe someone darker than you was accused of cheating. Hostile learning environment. Beware.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
72%
Textbook Required
29%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.03 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO01
5.0
(1)011
5.0
(1)DEVELOPMENTAL
5.0
(1)LAB
5.0
(1)BIO015
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
BIOLOGY
5.0
EMB
5.0
LAB
5.0
BIO1
5.0
BIO12
5.0