2.8
Quality3.9
Difficulty35%
Would Retake131
Reviews35%
Would Retake
131
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
20
3
29
2
28
1
30
What Students Say
“Professor Steinwand is a wonderful lecturer”
BIO202 - 2.0 rating“She is not an awful human but doesn't facilitate learning”
BIO202 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
87%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.19 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO101
3.9
(7)BIOL202
3.0
(46)101
3.0
(1)202
3.0
(1)BIO202
2.9
(36)Difficulty by Course
BIOL221
5.0
BIO205
4.3
BIOL205
4.3
101
4.0
202
4.0
Reviews (131)
She's a good teacher so far. The material is organized on her slides, she stays on topic, and she explains well. I think she's still a grad student so she's not an expert but then again it is only 202 what else could she need to know to teach it.
Blaire is great. Almost feels like I'm being taught by an awesome grad student. Uses "outlines" which makes note taking literally effortless. Lecture can be a little dull, but c'mon, its genetics. She makes it as interesting as possible, I never had a hard time paying attention. Tests are kinda tough though.
very friendly, and straight forward well coordinated lectures. Saying that, she seemed to be a bit laking in her knowledge of the material. I think that this is why her tests were a bit messy, she asked many very broad questions but would only accept very narrow answers which were often quite arbitrary.
She's an amazing professor. Possibly the easiest and most helpful genetics prof at UNC. You must attend her class, participate in poll questions, and complete assignments. If you put in half of the effort needed for most BIOL and CHEM classes at UNC, you should get an A. Her notes and study guides are all I needed for the tests. TAKE HER CLASS
This class was okay. Steinwand is a pretty decent professor, although she tends to baby us a little with guided notes, but that means less work for us! Overall not a bad class
Solid teacher for bio 101. You definitely have to read the book and be committed to studying to do well on the tests (because they are difficult) but that's expected of all bio classes. Lectures are clear and interactive (lots of polls and turning in notecards). She provides guided readings and lecture discussion outlines. I'd recommend taking her
She makes biology as easy as biology at UNC can be. She definitely tries to help everyone out with the guided notes, so thats a plus! Her tests are really hard, simply because of the answer choices. Studying is a MUST. definitely go to SI, too. The TAs were extremely helpful!
Really wants students to understand the material and make connections. Poll everywhere and notecards are big features in class which is sometimes annoying but easy. Gives guided readings and class outlines. Tests are a lot more difficult than the class which makes an A not guaranteed. One of the easiest to understand professors at UNC.
The material did not seem that difficult overall, but her tests were extremely difficult. She was very unhelpful in office hours and acts superior to her students. It seemed to me like she didn't care if her students did well. It wasn't like I didn't do my work, I worked HARD and I still had a ton of difficulty with her questions on tests.
Blaire is a great professor. She seems to want the best for her students. Attendance will hurt you if you do not attend class. She assigns Poll Everywhere throughout lecture, in addition to note cards. Although she doesn't grade them for right/wrong, they count for participation. Her test are a far cry from easy and questions tend to be very broad.
Prof. Steinwand is just okay. I don't feel like I actually learned an extensive amount of material by taking her class. She came off as less intelligent than I would expect from a biology professor at UNC because I think she needs more experience lecturing a class, and her grammar/emails often contained glaring errors.
She tried to make class pretty interesting. It was easy to follow if you did the homework/reading(pretty much a MUST) The test were Med-Hard and somewhat confusing because you may have felt great about it, but then done terrible! The exams get better, the 1st and last one seem to be the worst.
She lectures on the most irrelevant things that never show up on the tests. I am 100% sure I learned more in my high school AP Bio class than in here. I also expected this class to be somewhat easy, but everything in here is barely touched upon and the test questions come out of left field. She doesn't tell you, but it's a FLIPPED CLASSROOM!
She is a very confusing professor. None of her lectures are organized and what she does lecture on is completely irrelevant. Her tests are extremely hard and the questions that are on there are not written well and it is on material that hadn't been covered before. DO NOT TAKE STEINWAND.
Blaire is really nice and does care about her students. She is a very motivational person which helps when content gets difficult. Sometimes, her lectures are very confusing though. Make sure to read and take notes from the text - that will come in handy for studying.
Her class is a hot mess. She teaches you like you're a middle schooler then tests you like you're a grad student. There's no consistency in her class; her lectures are all over the place and she often doesn't finish the notes. You're better off just depending on her books instead of the lectures, her lectures are irrelevant to the exams.
Steinwand teaches as if you were highschoolers (annoying). Participation is expected through poll-everywhere/notecard activities. Attending class, however, isnt necessary for doing well on tests, and you can do poll-ev's from home. I didnt go to class, learned through the book, and received A's on all the tests. Outline txtbook Ch's prior 2 tests ?
I really really liked Prof. Steinwand as a person but as a teacher not so much. The class is hard. Shenis the worst at making test questions. They usually have more than one answer. Her TAs were extremely helpful. They exams were kind of hard and some questions are really long so practice reading and interpreting questions quickly.
I think the most important thing to know about her 101 class is YOU MUST READ AND UNDERSTAND the material in the textbook! Don't just write notes, but understand those notes. I don't think it's THAT necessary for someone to go to class, but I have seen questions on the exam that came straight from lecture notes. Very nice person though!
Professor Steinwand is an extremely caring and helpful professor. She truly wants you to succeed. She likes class participation in class and has your draw a lot, which I did not particularly enjoy, but I think its just part of the reverse classroom learning. I went to her office hours regularly and she was very helpful. Very kind and caring.
Dr. Steinwand's class is very interactiveinnovative and focused more on applying the material as a class than presenting the material. Her tests reflect this -- the second was only 4 questions, 15-25 points each, about interpreting experiments and designing your own. If that's not your thing, take 205 with a more traditional professor.
If you think you can simply read the textbook for her BIOL 205 class and do well on tests, you are wrong. Knowing the specific textbook information doesn't really help. It's all about "creative thinking" and experiment design. I wasn't a fan of the teaching style or the exams. First test class average was a 57 if that says anything.
She's a good teacher, speaks loudly and clearly. She isn't as knowledgeable as other professors, but she's helpful with what she knows. The class itself is a lot of self-study, but I don't think another professor would change that. You MUST do well on the first test, its the easiest no matter what you think, but don't underestimate it like me.
Genetics half of 202. In class everything is clear, but she doesn't like to answer questions and would rather rush through more material. Flipped classroom leaves a lot of learning on your own. Her tests are very difficult focusing on application. It seems easy in class but the test lets you know its not. Her lectures are very interative.
Dr. Steinwand is tough for 202 - her lectures make the material seem really easy, but then the tests are nothing like what was covered in lecture and much more application based. She is good at explaining concepts, but hard to get to her office hours for more clarification. Her half was a lot harder than it needed to be.
Avoid at all costs, at least for BIOL 202. Very confusing, she spent an entire class on a concept that could be summed up in one sentence and no one got it because it made no sense, she spent the whole next class on it and we were still no better off. Tests didn't reflect the book, grade depended on deciphering her absurdly poorly worded questions.
I disliked her as a college professor. The material she went over in class seemed extremely basic and trivial. She wastes a lot of time walking around a big lecture room and asking questions to students. Her exams are tough. You have to really know and master what she teaches in class because all her test questions are application based questions.
Steinwand was one of the worst professors I've ever had. The reading assignments were long and the tests grossly unfair. She really likes short answer questions, but getting her to like your answer is nearly impossible. She is a terrible lecturer and loves making you do pointless things not only in lecture, but recitation too. Avoid her.
I did not like her half of genetics at all! Her exams were impossible and my grade decreased dramatically when her half started. She is trying to make it interactive and more enjoyable but instead spends the lecture on easy things and then asks impossible questions on exams. Avoid her if possible.
I had Steinwand for BIOL 101 as well, and it was pretty easy. She is a very organized lecturer in general, giving you an outline to fill in, guideded readings, etc. Reading is important!! HER TESTS ARE AWFUL. They are long winded, ambiguous, and she sometimes has no concept of proper grammar. Test averages were in the 60s...
Dr. Steinwand is a fantastic biology professor, the best I've had at UNC. She was very clear in all of her lectures and made the material interesting. She also really cares about her students. Tests are difficult but not more so than other bio classes at UNC. I would highly recommend taking her class!
This is my favorite class I've taken at UNC. She's a great teacher who is very patient with her students and is willing to hear you out if she can tell you put in the work. She sets the class up for students to succeed with the resources and time she puts into the class. I would take it again in a heartbeat
She is not good at explaining concepts and makes you confused. She talks about unimportant things in class, but expects you to know everything during the tests.
I graduated 2 years ago, but I just saw Dr. Steinwand in town and remembered how much I enjoyed her class. I've never been a huge fan of genetics or molecular biology, but she explained things well and if you pay attention, you'll learn a lot. I think I was in the first class that she taught with her degree too, so I'm sure she's even better now.
She is so great to students. I consider her a mentor for life. So glad I took her class. I'm a transfer student and learned a lot about studying and how caring people at Carolina are through her. Organized. Gives a ton of resources. Hard but fair.
Never had more mixed feelings about a teacher. A very forthcoming lady--she invited us over to her house for dinner and really seemed to enjoy getting to know our individual interests relevant to the course. However, her harsh grading will surprise you, and unless you study for the exams in a very "Steinwand-specific way" you will struggle.
Steinwand is awful. Her tests are extremely hard and are basically designed to trick you. She's very unhelpful in office hours and even less helpful in lecture. She rushes through material and often answers questions by saying "find it in your textbook."
The flipped classroom can be a great thing. This professor does not do the flipped classroom well at all. The material is challenging enough without having to show up to class already having internalized it. EVERYTHING is a group activity. NOTHING is explained in lecture. A "70" is a "good average exam grade." Spare yourself.
205 is my second class with Dr. Steinwand and I had her for 202. She is nice, but she treats her classroom as an elementary style classroom. Her lectures seem simple and watered down, but her concept of applying the material makes her tests difficult and ambiguous. Oh, and don't challenge her exam questions or she will bite your head off.
Dr. Steinwand is truly a genuine teacher. She works so hard to work with and help students. She's not an easy teacher by far - you have to be prepared to do work on your own. But she makes that clear and she supplements all that you learn on your own with important knowledge on applying what you learn. Overall an amazing mentor and professor!
Tests are so hard and not based off of what you cover in class or the reading. DO NOT TAKE HER. Her outlines seem helpful but she tries to claim a stern title as a newbie in the Bio department. She assigns grades based off of what type of student she thinks you are.
I loved Dr. Steinwand's class. You definitely have to do the reading ahead of time to know what's going on in class, but it's totally worth it. A large portion of the tests are experimental design, but it makes the tests better because you learn how to apply the concepts you're learning. And Dr. Steinwand is super clear and a great professor!!
In lecture it feels like all of the concepts are really easy and then she makes the tests far more challenging compared to the depth of lecture.
If you like working in groups and discussions, you will love this class. If you like traditional lecturing classes, this professor might not be for you. Like everyone has said before me, her exams are tough but in my opinion reasonably fair.
Her GRQs and even exams are riddled with spelling mistakes. She projects the material in a very simple fashion and then expects you to integrate the knowledge into analytical questions on the exam. This would be fine, were it not for the confusing and ambiguous nature of the tests and their answers. I would recommend finding a different teacher.
Great teacher, but DOESN'T WRITE FAIR EXAMS. The exams are designed to trick you instead of test your knowledge of the material, so it doesn't matter how much you study. Test questions are based off of things she very briefly mentions and not practice problems or what she spends the most time on.
i'm sure she's a great person but she sucks so much as a professor. Her exams are unfair and she wastes class time going over trivial stuff then tests you on things you've never gone over. Tests are way too long for the allotted time and you spend half your time trying to understand what she is asking.
One of the worst teachers I have ever seen. Her way of grading tests and asking test questions is bad. In lecture, she will show you a "practice question" and you'll see something similar only to find out that there is some kind of trick involved. If something seems easy on an exam, you're doing it wrong. This may seem biased, but do not take her.
I took this as a freshman and it was my first Bio class at UNC, do not make this your first bio class here! I did terrible on the 1st exam, mediocre on the 2nd, and phenomenal on the 3rd. The amount I studied for each exam didn't change and the class average didn't really change either; you just have to get used to her type of tests.
Teaches at a very elementary level with simple examples and very surface level lectures and many complain that the tests are unfair because of their difficulty and length. However, I feel like you can get used to the style of questions. If you do the SI problems and go through the PPT examples, you'll be fine on the tests. Didn't learn much overall
I don't like the course style of our biology department actually, too much meaningless thing actually distract me from learning it. And the professor cannot measure the toughness of test at all, which sometimes become super easy and sometimes become super hard. And the knowledge point which we should study is like super vague.
I think the problem is that Professor Steinwand doesn't understand how difficult her exams are. I would study so much, not even cramming, and still make right at or even below the average. It was very hard to understand what many of the questions were asking and not having practice tests didn't help either. Try to get someone else if possible.
One of the best professors I've ever had!! Her class is tough but interesting and once you get to the upper level classes you'll be glad you had her. Plus she gives you a bunch of resources to do well as long as you put the work in on your end you'll do well. She's very kind and helpful in office hours too. Absolutely would recommend.
She Lacks of knowledge, specially in advance material. Also, she is never wrong, so do not contradict her. Not the best choice to learn.
Steinwand tests to make sure you actually UNDERSTAND what she teaches in lecture. I really enjoyed this class because as long as you know how things work you will be able to apply that knowledge on the test instead of just memorizing processes. If you're the type of person who skips class and just reads the textbook you will struggle in this class.
its a no for me. I loved her until I took her exams. Spare yourself
My main complaint about Steinwand is that her schedules aren't very organized, so it gets confusing as to what is due when, and she posts outlines for lecture, but they aren't very helpful. She also walks through the room during lecture and has a way of forcing participation, so you need to pay attention in class, since she might come up to you.
Not a fan of Steinwand. The course is sometimes divided between Dr. Steinwand and Dr. Shemer (will be indicated on ConnectCarolina), but the course is inherently disorganized if it's split between the two. They are passionate professors, but do little to prevent convolution due to their VERY different teaching styles.
Its a no for me.... Outlines for class are never what you actually should write down and are always missing pages/ have too many. The at home reading assignments are too tedious. Tests are HARD. Brags about running (ugh one of those haha) and is very unapproachable. However she was paired with Shemer who warms my heart and very passionate!
I found that time was wasted a lot in class. We would only cover surface level material, but exams were way more difficult than the level covered in class. Additionally, she doesn't give exams back. I met with her to see mine and she told me my answer should have been right but didn't give points back :/
Professor Steinwand is a wonderful lecturer. She is engaging and class seemed to go by so quickly. Unfortunately, her tests are so confusing and unclear. No matter how much you study and prepare, you will get to her test and not even understand what she is trying to ask. You end up being tested on how to interpret vague questions, NOT biology.
Tests are hard but doing well is definitely possible. Just attend every single mentor led SI session (practices old test questions) and do every single practice problem she posts on Sakai and you'll be fine
Dr. Steinwand is the best professor I have ever had! I absolutely love her and loved her class. Yes, her tests are challenging, but if you go to class and take really good notes and make sure you understand the material and the practice questions from class, you will do well! She is very helpful at office hours too. Very fun professor!!
She, along with many other bio professors, has decided that lecturing is ineffective... Although active learning is important, she takes it too far and doesn't spend enough time teaching the material. Time is wasted talking to peers instead of actually learning. Memorize everything on the powerpoints and find a way 2 make yourself read before clas.
I LOVE Dr. Steinwand! Her lectures are heavy on peer interaction, which I personally enjoy. She grades on participation for in-class questions rather than correctness. Her exams are challenging if you're unprepared. My advice, go to at least 1 SI a week if you need it, do the SI practice problems, and study (at the latest) a week before her exams.
Steinwand is fine as a person, but her exams are confusing, and my scores were not representative of my knowledge. I went to multiple SI sessions per week, but your grade ultimately depends upon if you're good at figuring out the wording of her questions. Lecture isn't very useful, but go for LC points. No curve on exams or the final grade. Avoid.
Dr. Steinwand is an amazing lecturer and human being! If you're willing to PUT IN THE WORK and do the readings for the class, you can do well. People give her bad reviews b/c they're not used to having to think as critically as she expects on her exams. Go to SI, get to office hours (she cares about her students), and you'll do just fine!
Dr. Steinwand is a great lecturer, enthusiastic about her material, and readily available to provide ample help. Most of the negative reviews on here are from students who haven't yet acclimated to the expectations of higher-ed critical thinking and comprehension. Put in the work, and you will be FINE.
Dr. Steinwand is one of the best professors I've ever had. The things she teaches you are actually applicable. She doesn't focus on memorization but wants you to be able to apply the things she teaches you. She truly cares about her students.
Dr. Steinwand gives difficult exams. But this is UNC and she prepares you for future professions in the biology field. She is extremely helpful and kind and wants you to do great in the course. There are thousands of resources to do well in the course and taking advantage of these leads to success. She rocks!!!
She has good intentions with her teaching, but ends up being quite ineffective. Tries her hardest to appear accessible and involved, but her office hours are by appointment, and the sign-ups often fill up before you can get in. If a balance between active learning and lecturing could be struck, she would be a great lecturer.
Dr. Steinwand covers lots out of the textbook, I have to admit that part is practical and useful. However, her exams are tricky and you can never get points easily even though you have already know that part of knowledge. Sometimes her lectures are confusing (which I think SI could give you a better understanding all the time than she). Lots of hw.
I was warned "her short answer questions will get you", but I still got got. Exams are more about wording games than skills. 4 exams none will be dropped. The peer-discussion model doesn't work. You have to learn everything on your own. She is not an awful human but doesn't facilitate learning. A- or A is possible but get ready to work HARD!
Steinwand is a cool person but sucks being a fair grader. What I mean by this is that questions on exams are worded in a way that TRIES to make them as confusing as possible. Exams are also graded so that missing 3 questions will result in a failing grade. Class averages on exams were 65% and she would blame that on the class for "not reading."
Dr. Steinwand is has an extremely confusing way of explaining concepts and her exams are also poorly worded and misleading. She is not very accessible outside of class (her office hours are by appointment) and she does not hold any Q&A or review sessions herself (which a lot of ppl would go to because she sucks at explaining things in class).
Not only does she explain concepts poorly, her exams are also very confusing. She spends too much time doing problems in class instead of lecturing more on the concepts we need to know. Furthermore, she is not that great at explaining how to solve the problems. Avoid and take it with Shemer/Hogan!
I thought she was a really good teacher, but everyone's learning style is different. Her tests are very conceptual, you have to apply the ideas you learn in class to situations you've never seen before; which makes them difficult. I think she is a good choice if you prefer to learn by doing practice problems rather than solely lectures.
She gives ridiculous test questions. Thought she was ok for genetics, but 205 was a whole different ball game. Her questions at times did not make sense; I didn't even know what she was asking even though I knew the material itself. Class lectures covered things like "what is a cell". Grading criteria is very specific/tough on short answer.
I really enjoyed her lectures and her office hours were super helpful. The tests were a bit confusing and I wish there were more practice problems, but overall I learned a lot. Would recommend.
Tests are hard and more application-oriented than the lectures are. Most of the class consists of reading the textbook and doing the GRQs. I learned very little, if anything, from actual lectures, but they are required because there is a participation grade via Learning Catalytics.
Her exams are really confusing and not representative of the problems we do in class and she doesn't give us good study materials. She doesn't hold any review or Q&A sessions, but she apparently still seems too busy to post lecture slides in a timely manner? She posted slides for new content less than 24 hrs before our final exam.
She wants her students to learn, but besides lecture, Dr. Steinwand does not do much to help us learn the content. The homeworks are long and not representative of the exams and lectures are quite confusing and useless. She stresses the importance of good communication skills in science, but that is a skill that she herself lacks.
Do NOT put yourself thru 205 w her. Does not matter if you know material inside and out for tests as you can never understand what she is trying to ask. Super nice and accessible person but awful teacher. Readings were super confusing and lectures were too simple. Very picky and harsh grading w miniscule room for error. Avoid at all costs
She is not effective at explaining concepts in lecture and spends class time going over a few problems that are always way easier than the actual exams. She does not provide us with any practice materials besides the lecture slides which she always posts late. She does not seem to care to improve as a teacher.
As someone originally very hesitant to take 202 with Steinwand based off of RMP, I am so glad I did! I took 202 with a weak bio background and still did extremely well as a non-bio major. Dr. Steinwand cares about her students and is a great lecturerif you are willing to put in the work expected of you outside of class you will be absolutely fine!
Mediocre professor. If you read the textbook and try to understand the material instead of naively expecting be taught everything you know in class you'll do well. Just go in prepared and expect to study a lot, you need to spend a lot of time on your own reviewing the material. She is totally inaccessible outside of class, so count of SI.
WORST PROF @UNC! Class is test heavy and her exams are very HARD. Many questions make no sense and her rubric is rigid. My entire class was failing Biol205 until the Devo section saved us! DON'T TAKE HER. Take anyone else and save your GPA. She is placed my the dept to humble anyone who thought they could get an A. I dropped my Bio major after her
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! She is one of the worst professors I have ever had. Copious amounts of homework that don't actually help you do well on exams. Class is spent doing a couple of easy problems that don't match the level of the exams. She is not helpful outside of class and has no review or Q&A sessions of her own. Exams are poorly written.
I had the privilege of taking Biol202 with Steinwand, and it has been one of my favorite classes at UNC so far. She is extremely organized, provides plenty of practice problems that shape her exams (same problem type with 1 or 2 modifications), and reviews concepts she knows students have not fully grasped. Weekly SI's are a must!
For 202 I thought she was fantastic. This time around it is the worst experience I have ever had. Our class failed the first test miserably as a whole and instead of taking responsibility or curving, she blamed us and decided to add in a whole extra assignment THE DAY BEFORE THE NEXT EXAM for us to complete and turn in in less than 24 hours. AVOID.
Our entire class failed an exam and instead of curving she adds in a new assignment the day before the next exam and expects us to complete it within 24 hours while simultaneously studying for the exam. Its absurd. She flies through material and gives super simple class problems and her tests are poorly written and not reflective of lecture at all.
10/10 recommend for BIOL202, but -10938423974/10 for BIOL205. STAY FAR AWAY. Shes awesome in 202, but in 205 not so much - her tests are impossible and she doesnt go over all the material and expects you to learn it on your own
Dr. Steinwand gives tough exams, for sure. But she really cares about her students and wants them to do well! If you go talk to her in office hours, she will learn your name, be your friend, and help you figure out how you can better prepare for her exams (and even your future career)! This class is not easy for most people, but she's amazing!
While her exams can be difficult at times, Steinwand is incredibly kind and accessible outside of class. She's one of the best professors I've had at UNC because she has been kind and helpful to me in ways that will future my career. We talk often and I truly feel that she respects me not only as a student but as a person as well. Highly recommend!
Steinwand's exams definitely are difficult, but I absolutely love her teaching style and think that she makes you think about the material in a deeper way. You actually learn in her class in a lasting way, which differs from a lot of other classes I've taken! She is also very approachable and overall an incredible professor!
this is not a vengeful student, rather someone who did well in Steinwands classes (202 and 205). Unfortunately, I did not enjoy or find her class very helpful/thought provoking. Her teaching style pushes away intrigued students from interesting topics. Its sad that teachers like her fail to see this or attempt to care :(
Dr. Steinwand gets a bad rap on here, but she is a genuinely caring and supportive teacher. Yes, her tests require you to really think and understand what you have learned and apply it, rather than just regurgitate memorized facts, but, in my opinion, that just shows that she is really trying to prepare you to succeed in your future goals.
Exams are unnecessarily difficult because the wording is extremely unclear. She does not curve at all or throw out questions even if the majority of the class misses them. She often has a long line for office hours although students sign up for 5 min slots because she is late. She makes this class hard & doesn't seem to care about her students.
I am not lazy and this is not my first BIO class at UNC but I'm doing miserably in her class. If you look at her grade today it is horrible for 202 and 205 yet she is still one of the only profs for both classes. Ashamed of UNC for keeping her around when she gets horrible reviews and results. Thinks a 70% class avg for a test is "great" - horrific
Prof. Steinwand is definitely a good person, unfortunately her teaching style is not as good. She rarely goes into detail when explaining things, if at all. Based on previous reviews, tests seem to have gotten a little better now, however they are still very tough. Study powerpoints, half of the GRQ's are redundant. Diligence when studying is key.
I had Steinwand a year ago and forgot to write a review; however, I just had to come back and say that while she was an upbeat prof, her tests are quite possibly the worst tests I've ever had to take in my life. Her wording is very up to the interpretation of the reader and it's super hard to know what she wants from you. Avoid to save your GPA!
She was just as bad as the other reviews said. She made a grading error for our second exam and a month later my grade for that exam dropped 8 points. She's unprofessional and honestly seems disinterested sometimes. I would definitely try to take 202 with someone else.
Dr. Steinwand is definitely a tough teacher: You will definitely have to come to class having done the reading if you want to maximize your takeaway from the class and do very ewll on the test. Her tests are often worded tricky, but use your best intuition and you'll do well. Outside of class, she's very caring and cares about your performance.
Lectures were hard to follow, tests were graded harshly with poorly worded questions. Consulting with the professor in office hours was not helpful, she told me to keep doing what I was doing in terms of studying - I failed both exams for her half of the course. Fingers crossed the second half can save my grade....
Self-accountability is everything to do well in BIOL221. Since it is a research class, expect 10 HOURS' WORK/WEEK to get research samples in town/participate in open lab. Dr. Steinwand is a very nice person, but whenever I needed help in class she oftentimes just made me even more confused than I was beforehand. Recommend class, but not professor.
Material on the exams wasn't covered in class. Do NOT take.
Her teaching style is not very effective, you have to pretty much teach yourself. Her exams are impossible, very few questions and she requires very specific answers. Go with a different professor if possible, her class will make you miserable.
Yeesh. Y'all being a bit harsh. I think her class is really interesting. I'd say in her class you are offered the maximum engagement possible given the size of the lecture. As a non-science major I am enjoying this class a ton and think the tests are fairly reasonable.
I always thought people were way too hard on Blaire. Im a bio major & if you know anything about this departments its that all the classes are hard, so if 205 isnt cutting it for you the issue probably isnt Steinwand. Lots of breaks for discussion in class just ask her if you have a question shes pretty good about that tests are hard so just study
Dr. Steinwand is unprofessional. She uses an "interactive classroom" to avoid teaching, but also brags about how great her class is. When students ask questions, she gives answers to questions she knows and not the question the student asks. She makes her tests very difficult to "be creative" and not to test your knowledge. Overall bad at her job.
She seems nice but the class is terrible. The lectures go off track and there may be a tangent which does not relate back to the material clearly. The "flipped classroom" just leads to more confusion when what you read the night before doesn't pop up in the lecture. The tests questions are either very broad or very specific.
She is very enthusiastic about the topic but does not present the material in a way that is helpful for the students to succeed on tests. Her tests are some of the trickiest I have taken, and the wording on the questions is never clear. She is a very nice person, but I would not recommend unless you thrive in a flipped classroom.
Please do not take Steinwand. As someone that didn't have a choice but to take for both BIOL202 & 205, I am telling you her teaching style is terrible. If you don't answer exactly what she wants on an exam question you will get a 0. She is barely accessible outside of class and when you do get a chance to talk to her she makes you feel unwanted.
Steinwand is a very nice person, and truth be told I was doing fairly decent ("average") in the class until COVID-19. The latter half of the semester on zoom was horrendous, but generally speaking, since it is a flipped classroom, it is essential to do the GRQs and textbook readings. Tests are applicational-based so basically use ur best judgement.
She comes off as pretty passionate about what she teaches, but there's a lot of dissonance between how difficult the lecture is versus how difficult the coursework is, which created most of the problems for me in the course. Learn to look for what she deems the most important to know, as those topics are guaranteed to show up on the test.
I had never rated a professor, but Dr. Steinwand is so great that I had to do it this time. She is an amazing person and very passionate lecturer. If you work smart enough, you will pass the class easily (go to the S.I sessions and study the class objectives). Do not let other peoples' comments discourage you from taking this class, it is amazing!
Professor Steinwand's exams aren't impossible if you study, do the practice problems, and attend classes. A lot of Piazza questions are unanswered and she doesn't often update the class about logistics for anything. She gives you an idea of what's on her exams but other than that her teaching doesn't really help you learn
Yes, Dr. Steinwand is a difficult professor. She's high energy, loves her flipped classroom, and will not gel with every student. Her tests are worded strangely and it'll take a lot of studying and going to SI sessions to do well. BUT she truly cares about her students and the material. I learned a lot, even if I didn't love every moment.
I STRONGLY DISLIKE HER. SHE'S HEARTLESS AND INCONSIDERATE. SHE DOESN'T LECTURE DURING LECTURE TIME.
I find genetics fascinating. On the first day Dr. Steinwand was extremely energetic about the content matter. As the lectures progressed, I realized she did not treat every student with the same respect (rudely turning away confused students). While Dr. Steinwand was very enthusiastic about the subject matter, teaching undergrads is not in her DNA.
Dr. Steinwand was one of the worst professors Ive had at UNC. She spent way too long asking for students answers and hypotheses during lecture rather than actually teaching the material. Her tests were very detailed and hard even after hours of studying for her exams. Her lectures were not helpful and I learned more from teaching myself.
Dr. Steinwand needed to spend more time teaching and less time with group discussion, reversed classroom, and unrelated topics. The SI's and practice problems will save you in this class and going back through the slides on your own when she gets around to posting them. Not a good communicator or accessible outside of class. Not ridiculously hard.
Dr. Steinwand is very invested in student success and makes a considerable effort to make sure students understand the course material. The class emphasizes participation, and as long as you pay attention and keep up with the work, you'll do well.
She doesn't teach at all.
I had Dr. Steinwand for 202 and 205. She is a fantastic professor. That said you will have to spend a lot of time understanding and mastering the material she will not feed it to you. Reviewing slides before exams is KEY. Her exams were pretty tough and sometimes oddly worded but overall they were very fair. SI exam review sessions are essential.
I've had her for Biol 202 and 205. Her questions are always tricky and go more in-depth than even the textbook readings. Content is doable but her practice problems only skim the surface for practice in comparison to what she puts on the test. Pay attention to the previous exam questions posted on lecture slides. Be prepared to teach yourself.
Steinwand is a really nice person, but I still experience the slight dissonance in learning the material remotely. It is important to do GRQs, outlines, and readings in order to be able to answer the questions on the exams. Be prepared to teach yourself for the most part.
The class was pretty easy and the homework wasn't too bad. The main issue was that the time limit for exams was way to short.
Told us exam were open book, open internet at the beginning of the semester (summer class during corona and high racial tensions). Didn't adjust class to be better online and also took questions off the exam that majority of the class got right (even though the exams are open everything). Would not take a class with her if you have other option.
She laughed at my jokes, so we're chill. Really not as bad as people make her out to be.
Read the pre-assigned chapters and do the GRQs to prepare for class. Take good notes on the outline during class. Go to review sessions (very helpful!) before exams. I like how clear and concise Dr. Steinwand's lectures are and the workload is good to handle. Just make sure that you understand the important concepts mentioned in class!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
87%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
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B+
Grade Distribution
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-0.19 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO101
3.9
(7)BIOL202
3.0
(46)101
3.0
(1)202
3.0
(1)BIO202
2.9
(36)Difficulty by Course
BIOL221
5.0
BIO205
4.3
BIOL205
4.3
101
4.0
202
4.0