he's awesome, and really into helping students get into biology

I had him for my sumer Bio355 and he is by far the best professor I ever had. He is willing to sit down and talk to you until you really 'get it'. His tests were hard, but he's really fair (no trick questions, no extra materials). sighz, too bad he doesn't teach genetics.

Class was undergrad research seminar. 2 credit/no credit course. Unbelievable amount of assigned work for a c/nc course. I spent LESS time in my research lab because of this class. Very approachable guy, but unrealistic idea of student time commitments.

Dr. Buchwitz is an incredible professor. He really cares whether we learn the material, and he's super encouraging and approachable. Ask lots of questions, he likes that! As another reviewer said, his test are tough but fair. Gives homework over every weekend. Study the slides and concepts, especially in a group, and you should do ok.

Very approachable and nice. Incredible professor. Class was always interesting. Cares about whether students really learn or not. Definitely take this class first if you haven't already take the INTRO to BIO series yet!

The best biology professor of my UW academic career. He will sit down with students and clarify/explain all concepts until they are entirely understood. No question is seen as dumb. Class is VERY challenging and a lot of studying will be required but very rewarding class with an extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic professor.

Brian is now my favorite biology teacher so far! He is extremely helpful and his classes are fun. He actually cares about student learning and tries to engage the class in getting students to form study groups. It's not boring. The material IS HARD, not going to lie, but you learn A LOT. Take this BIOL 355 from Brian!

You will like this guy. He is genuinely great and soooo helpful in person. BIOL 106 is a treat for anyone interested in Biology as a major. Workload is a bit much for a 3-credit class but grading is in the high 3.8+ if you work hard and show how hard you work in class and in office hours.

He's a very helpful guy, and he really wants you to learn. Many of the assignments seemed useless to me, just so many reflection assignments. But I learned a lot about studying differently for biology and it's very helpful for the BIO 180 series. Seems like a lot of work for a 3 credit class, but it's worth it in the end. Go to office hours!

The class felt like a waste of time with a lot of busywork-type homework assignments. He does not treat you like a college student, I felt like I was in high school in his class. The tests were hard, but he was very generous in the final grade, and overall I learned a lot about studying for biology, and what to expect from bio classes in general.

Difficult material, so be prepared to work/study a few extra hours. Tests are reasonable with no tricks. Harsh grading criteria on homework though. Tons of group work. Very helpful during office hours. Final grade will be higher than you expect.

Really nice guy. He teaches an awesome preparation class before you take BIOL 180(which is challenging). Helpful outside the classroom, too because he sends you updates of Dept. of Biology.

I didn't particularly enjoy this class because it felt like a lot of busy work. But it helped to know what to expect from Bio 180. I learned better and more productive ways to study for bio. Basically teaches you how to analyze and apply rather than regurgitate information.

The material is boring, but Brian is so energetic and nice. On the downside, there isn't any structure, due dates get constantly changed, and you'll be lucky if he grades your work in less than a month, if at all. Most course points (including take-home exams) are group projects, but he makes up for that by making assignments very time-intensive.

After high school Biology, I hated life science. Dr. Buchwitz changed my mind. I'm considering majoring in Biology now. He is engaging and interactive. He cares. He makes an effort to teach that may be greater than your effort to learn. Key to acing this class: office hours and out of the box thinking.

I had Brian for a small weird FIG class. Brian doesn't give the clearest directions, which can make all of his group projects more challenging then they need to be. He is a super nice guy and will talk for days about any topic you want. He plans out his classes meticulously, and he truly cares so much about his students' successes.

Biggest pro: he wants you to enjoy biology and succeed. If he sees you making an effort, he will try everything in his power to help you. Just go to his office hours; there, he goes through all the assigned problems and any additional questions. There's a lot of work & studying that goes into this class, but what he really looks for is partcipation

Great class for students interested in the biological sciences, but be ready to learn and do work. Overall good professor and cares for his students, class isn't too hard.

Again, Brian is a great professor! He puts less emphasis on grades and more emphasis on the progress of your learning. On top of that, he really care about you personally.

Brian is hands down one of the best professors I've had at UW. He clearly spends a ton of time making sure that his class sessions are high-yield and emphasizes interactive learning. I left class every day feeling like I had learned something and feeling proud that I was an agent of my own learning.

The best professor at UW that I've had so far. He puts the focus on actually learning the material and being engaged as opposed to other professors who only care about grades.

Prof. Buchwitz is not just a researcher who has to teach on the side. He really cares about passing on scientific knowledge.

Professor Buchwitz is absolutely wonderful and I only have nice things to say about him. He sincerely cares about his students and wants them to not only pass, but to work hard for their grades. This class goes beyond biology. It truthfully helped me become a better student, learner and teacher. I have absolutely no regrets taking this course.

Great teacher. His techniques in teaching are so advanced that I know I will never forget the material I have learned in his class. He is very helpful and includes everyone in class activities. It isn't an easy class but, a class that you will really learn the material. Highly recommend this professor.

Brian is ALWAYS willing to go extra mile to help you succeed. He is also really kind and understanding too. Stay engaged in class and do your assignments, you will benefit a lot from his class. Would definitely take the upper division classes from him in the future. 11/10 recommend!

Brian is my favorite professor I've had at UW so far. His lectures are engaging and fun to participate in and he creates a very inclusive learning environment that encourages his students to grow from each other. His work load was heavy a few times during the quarter around tests and finals, but all of the work helped to expand my understanding!

Brian is my favorite professor I've had at UW so far. He cares so much about his students' progress and really makes class time enjoyable and engaging. He's super passionate about biology which I found to be contagious. He introduces you to a lot of resources in the Bio department, too. Easy 4.0 and great for anyone taking the Bio series.

Prof. Buchwitz is one of the best professors I've had at the UW. He really cares about each individual in his class and encourages a lot of group discussion and assignments. There's a lot of work to do in my opinion for a 3 cr class but its super rewarding at the end of the quarter. Attending class is super important!!

He really cares about students and helps them study. Homework is easy, don't need to do all correct, try your best you'll get full point. He gives half points back for each quiz. His quiz is similar to study guide, study carefully+read textbook. Class attendance worths 5 points everyday.

Brian is so invested in your learning--it's rare to find a professor at UW who cares this much about you, so TAKE ADVANTAGE! He assigns a lot of work--it's not really difficult, just time-consuming and meant to make you think not to make you struggle. He just wants you to succeed! Take a class with him and talk to him outside of class!!!

Different teaching style to other bio teachers at UW, lectures expecting you've done the readings to help/addto your understanding rather than teach the book concepts unlike many who just repeat the textbook (making some feel he "wasn't teaching) but I really liked it, many research papers, group collaborations, very enthusiastic, learned A LOT

This is my second class taken with Brian and it was great! The structure and test style is similar to his BIOL 355 class. Material itself for this class is just more difficult, especially the research paper you read every week for quiz section. However, there is a lot of collaboration that helps understanding it better.

Brian was hands down the best teacher I've had at UW so far! He genuinely cares and believes in all of his students. Doesn't panopto lectures, however class is very peer discussion based so just watching a panopto would get you nowhere. It is very possible to do well in his class if you attend and engage in all classes/quiz secs.

Definitely the best professor in the department. Very caring and respectful to his students. He tried very hard to help everyone actually learn something from the class but not simply throw tons of materials to students.

By so far Brian is definitely my favorite professor at UW! He is just AMAZING! You actually learn stuff in this class.

I've learned so much from taking this class that it truly invaluable to my learning as a whole. Definitely take this class before doing the bio sequence, it will change your learning FOREVER. Brian is very clever and is very passionate about student success.

I love Brian. He really wants you to learn and succeed in his class. Lectures are very interactive and a lot of the "turn to a partner and discuss what you think." Make sure you go to office hours to get questions answered!

Oh Brian. What a gem. Took 106 as a prep for the general bio series and it definetly payed off. He pushes you to think and write in the ways your Bio professors will expect, and you can tell hes very passionate about the things he teaches. Lots of group discussion, and a few quizzes, but he gives everyone a good grade if you put in the effort.

He cares a lot about your learning and participation. His lectures are pretty good. Overall good prof.

Great professor, really cares about students learning the material. Huge focus on peer collaboration that helps build strong conceptual understanding. Definitely recommend as a prep for later bio courses if you are new to the subject.

Brian is such an amazing professor, he genuinely cares about his students and wants them to succeed. Was understanding when personal issues prevented me from participating. Topics can be hard to understand but biology is generally just hard to understand. Expect lots of breakout rooms, some textbook reading, and collaborative take home quizzes

Brian is an amazing guy. He honestly cared more about our own success working in groups and collaborating than the material we were learning. He helped me outside of class to build a CV and email another professor I was interested with. Classes can be slow, but he has tons of dad jokes, and brings a great energy to class.

Great professor makes learning fun, the class is heavily based on working together with your peers. Professor really cares about students learning and is overall very kind and understanding. 10/10 would recommend

Brian clearly cares about students and truly wants everyone to succeed. Lectures are very discussion heavy and are quite helpful as long as you actually use the time to talk through each figure and concept. Tests are somewhat difficult but still doable, just make sure you understand all of the papers and figures that are gone over in class

I am not sure why the reviews on this professor are so harsh. Professor Buchwitz is the nicest professor I have ever had and he makes lectures actually interesting. I would gladly take another class with him. This class is very discussion based, so try to meet people to sit with everyday. A good grade is doable in this class, just do practice Qs.

Really caring, nice professor that gives good/memorable lectures and examples. Those complaining about lectures/material are just disgruntled. If you feel like the PollEv questions are random, you didn't do the specified reading. Dr. Buchwitz doesn't avoid tiny biological details to spite you, rather, you don't need to know them for this class!

Make sure to read the textbook thoroughly! Tests are hard to study for but just make sure you know the content on the weekly study guides and everything on the practice test. The professor was alright and seemed very open to helping students.

Idk why people are bashing on his 355 class, it's super transparent and just needs you to know the basics for MCD. Really don't be afraid to ask for help cause everyone who's saying bad stuff about him aren't taking initiative to clarify their understanding.

Dr. Buchwitz is the best teacher I have ever had. He is so caring and intelligent. I respect him very much and I am extremely grateful to have been able to take his class. Brian is very motivating and he is the reason I haven't given up on biology. I owe my success to him because he really turned my mindset around and helped me believe in myself.

He is very caring and patient with his students.

why are so many people distraught over his teaching style? I personally think he is one of the best teachers in the bio department. The way he teaches has really helped me understand the otherwise ambiguous content of MCD bio. Attend office hours if you can if you're really struggling. if you're failing this class, you're not trying hard enough :/

Dr. Buchwitz is a really great professor. Would definitely recommend to anyone who is nervous about taking harder STEM classes and wants to start somewhere small. He sets a really good foundation for learning.

He genuinely cares if you get a good grade and if you learn. You can tell he's passionate about what he teaches. The one con is that he misses emails so you should check in to ensure he gets them.

Honestly this class wasn't that bad. Brian has a very interactive teaching style (acted out cellular processes lol) which required poll ev questions and mandatory attendance which was a bit much at times, but it did help me learn a lot. The practice exams were very similar to actual exam questions and he told us exactly which figures to study.

Brian is such an amazing professor and honestly one of the best at UW. He genuinely cares about your education and you learning. Every time I've talked to him or asked a question he has been so nice and wonderful. His exams are kind of hard but if you study and do the practice problems you'll be just fine.

great guy!!!! same vibes as theobald, super energetic and genuinely cares about you learning the content. will provide entire goddamn diagrams for processes on tests, is an actual godsend. if you show up every day and really engage, you won't have to study like a fiend. just do the tons of practice questions he provides and show up to lecture!

Before starting my review I recommend that everyone takes this course with Professor Brian Buchwitz. He strives to know every student by name, and he ensures that everyone can do well in the course. He provides test corrections for up to half recover points, and all quizzes are group take-home assessments. I wish all professors were like Brian!!

You guys are unnecessarily mean in the reviews. He is genuinely kind and always takes extra time to help you. He hasn't mentioned that he is introverted, and even if he did, he is just telling you something about himself, like get over it. His lectures are super helpful if you engage and listen; I would definitely recommend taking him!

Literally the GOAT>>> barely any hw but he grades the quizzes very harshly so make a solid study group and take them together. ample opportunity to make up points on the quizzes. no final, ez 3.9-4.0 the best beginner prof and he actually cares about his students. attendance is graded but you can skip a few times. easy to make friends in class.

Chill dude.

Fantastic professor, seriously. Makes the lectures so engaging and you learn SO much. It's obvious he cares so much about his students and he wants us to succeed. Tests are difficult, but he gives so much practice material that is insanely helpful for the test, and he gives it to us in advance. 10/10, one of my fav classes at UW.

Dr. Buchwitz did talk a lot during lecture and often went out of the scope of the lecture. However, it's really because he's passionate about what he's teaching and wants to convey that to us. His lectures did feel bland sometimes, but you really just have to read the textbook beforehand and participate in polling. He's pretty chill too.

Great professor!! At times his lectures during the start felt very surface level but as time goes on if you do the reading and attend the lectures, they shouldn't be bad! I found his practice questions very helpful as they were pretty much similar to the exam and labs help cover anything that may be a little confusing. Overall, very good :)

My GOAT!

Dr. Buchwitz cares more about his student's learning that I have ever seen in a professor. He dosn't care so much about memorization but instead understanding how to apply concepts. Labs are especially helpful in this course as well. I recommend doing a lot of practice problems.

AMAZING bio professor, he really makes topics clear and simple to understand. His lectures are super engaging and helpful; I never questioned whether I should attend. This class relied heavily on figures rather than memorization.

Whenever this class got tough, I wanted to find a reason to dislike Brian but i just couldn't. He is so passionate about what he teaches and he does it very well. I came to class every day with my iPad but hardly took any notes, he explains concepts so well by acting them out. The class is very freeform, but it did give me a foundation in MCDBio

One of the best professors I've ever had!! He's so enthusiastic about the content, and about student's learning in a way that makes you excited to learn as well. The class is very focused on being collaborative, which I was kind of hesitant about at first, but he always made it feel like such safe environment to learn in and make mistakes.

His lectures are engaging with lots of collaboration between students, which I found helpful in building my understanding. During discussion, the TAs and him would come around and engage with each group throughout the lecture. I felt comfortable admitting I didn't understand something, and he could break it down. Lots of work with research papers.

He encourages lots of conversation about topics in class. He also interacts with each student or group individually to make sure everyone understands before moving on. Very approachable and his explanations are helpful. Along with learning the material, he also taught how to read a research paper. One or two short assignments per week.

I purposely put off taking this course so I could take it with Brian. He is easily my favorite professor at UW, and he is a wonderfully kind, and caring professor. He is equally passionate about the material, and the quality of learning his students receive and classes are incredibly engaging as a result. Take 355 with him if you can!

I really enjoyed this class since he interacted with everyone. He really pushes the "Mistakes are okay" and reminded us that there is always room for improvement. He's awesome and I definitely suggest attending his office hours, even if you don't have questions!! I will say that it's better to catch him in person and not so much on email.

His lectures may be a bit off-topic and surface level from the exams given throughout the course. Studying the textbook well and doing the labs is useful in preparation for exams. He's a sweet and caring professor who definitely wants the best for his students.

Buchwitz is kind and patient when it comes to explaining things until they make sense. I personally found his lectures to be okay, though they could be better. He focuses a lot on how to read diagrams and pictures which is actually very helpful when it comes to taking his exams since the cheat sheet is very clear. Overall, not too tough on exams!

At first, I really hated this class because it's really discussion heavy, even in lectures. However, I actually grew to appreciate the teaching style. The course material is very fair, and the exams are alittle niche, but as long as you have a good understanding of the mechanisms its manageable. Really a great prof.