Great teacher. Really cares about his students

Good professor

Very student friendly, teaching main focus, study often to keep up

Took him a while (new prof) but he got the hang of it, nice guy

Thinks this is a 300 or 400 level class instead of a Gen-ed 100 level class. Very difficult. Requires hours and hours of studying, hours and hours of reading, hours and hours of reviewing notes, to receive a D on exam. And I'm a 3.8 student!

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Nice guy, teaches the class like a 300 level, study often, tests are ok.

get a different prof. he is probably the most difficult bio 112 prof. ever

Very well organized prof. Tough class, but worth the time and effort. Have fun on the final exam!

Good instructor, nice, and helpful

Great prof! Easy to understand and cares for his students

He is a great prof and it would be so much easier for him to teach if some of the kids in my class didn't ask such stupid questions.

Nice, really cares for his students, plays oldies at beginning of class.

I love reading freshman comments. This is NOT high school, be ready to work for your grade. 405 was great. Ostrow made time to help me outside of class, and really knows his material. Great supplemental info was given.

I was in the BIO 120 class most people are giving bad comments about and he was a wonderful teacher. There were a lot of idiots in that class, but he was patient with all of them and always takes as much time as it takes for them to understand.

I definetely agree with the positive comments, he was an excellent lecturer and made sure everyone understood before progressing. Tests were difficult and they required a large amount of studying, but it is college. I learned alot and would recommend him

He was a great teacher. He really invested time in his students with the discussion boards and office hours....use them! He is one of the few profs that wants you to pass thier class. Be careful though it is a hard class.

I don't know what all you people are talking about!! Ostrow is an awesome teacher! The tests require a lot of knowledge and you need to actually understand it, not just memorize it. He has really helpful handouts and overheads that give help a lot.

I also agree with all of the positive feedback about Bruce, he IS a good teacher. Those taking the class next semester, be prepared to heve your hands full though, this class requires a lot of work. You really have to know the material. He is very helpful

His teaching style reminded me of high school. He only tests on what he says in class, his lectures are logical and organized. I never once felt like a number in a lecture. He is a blessing as a teacher.

Tests require understing, not just memorization. Lectures are clear and well-organized. You can't be a slacker and do well, but it is a very good class.

If you want to learn a lot about genetics take another professor. He teaches this class like a science history class. I didn't get what I thought I was going to out of this class. If I could take the class again I would get R. Morgan or p. Mathews.

A great professor to have for genetics, he understands the material well and is glad to slow down the lecture schedule to answer questions or allow discussion on topics that are not clear. Tests are directly from notes - don't buy the textbook

He is a pretty good professor. He tests right out of his notes. Do not buy the text book. Offers extra credit. Might focus too much on historical experiments.

Bruce is a great teacher! He is helpful, especally if you are willing to put in the work. His lectures are clear and he tests material he covered. Go to his office hours--he will be happy to help. And check out the scarf on the website; great color!

Very intelligent and knows his stuff. Material may be difficult but he tries to simplify things. Exams test your overall understanding of materials, not the memorization of facts.

Ostrow realy cares about how his students are doing. His teaching style is easy to follow. His exams involve a lot of thinking and are LOOOOOONG. I took the full 2 hours and it was still not enough. Overall good prof.

Great professor. Easy to understand and follow lectures. Simplifies material.

Good professor. Study the notes, not the book. Very clear about expectations.

Just study the notes and if you are good at that an A or B is not hard to get at all.

Great Professor! Highly recommended! Willing to help, great lectures. Simplifies material, uses various materials to get the point across. Get him if you can!

Good prof. Would spend time on things not everyone understood. Class was long but he tries to keep everones interest.

Professor Ostrow is a great. He's kind of goofy but he makes class fun and he tries to make even the most boring subjects interesting.

professor ostrow was AWESOME. he tests right from his lecture so if you go to class you should have no problems. he is very approachable and willing to meet with you. his tests aren't 'easy' but if you meet with him before, you will have no problems. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Great Prof., clearly enjoys his job and puts a lot of work into preparing his lectures. I would recommend him to anyone. We hardly used the text at all... just in the SLA section. He made handouts for anything that you couldn't take notes on.

Prof. Ostrow is great! The exams are tough and you will have to study, but don't let that scare you. Bio will be tough no matter who you take it with, but Ostrow makes it manageable. He tests straight from the lectures so there's no question as to what to study. He is always willing to help and wants all of his students to do well. Take him!

Aww I loved Dr. Ostrow and I would take him again. It's a tough class no doubt, but there aren't any surprises. He is very clear about what he expects unlike some of the other profs. If you work hard you will do fine. I learned a ton! Do the chapter review questions and the questions in the yellow boxes...he steals some of them for tests ;)

I thought Dr. Ostrow was great!!! He truly cares about his students and will do anything to help. Bio will be hard, so prepare yourself, but he is much more clear than many of the other profs. Go to his office hours if you don't understand something...he's always willing to help. All-around great guy but don't slack or your grade will reflect that!

i loved this class!!! ostrow made it really fun and he always was up for helping you understand the subject matter... i have never learned more in a single class!

I liked professor Ostrow, I thought he was a fair teacher, and he used a lot of handouts that were helpful in his lectures. Its a tough class, but I highly recommend getting him if your taking this class!

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Dr. Ostrow really cares about students' learning and will take extra time to explain things to you if you need it. The class itself isn't easy, but Dr. Ostrow definitely goes out of his way to help students to learn. I like all of the handouts, and the Gregor Mendel costume.

This is an excellent intro class to biology. The fundamental concepts of cellular metabolism and energy flow are clearly elucidated and simplified as much as possible. Ostrow facilitates learning as much as he can. Pre-reading really helps because the material is dense and concept repetition/exposure is essential. Got 14 on MCAT biosciences.Thanks!

Bio 120 is a cool class and Pro. Ostrow is a great professor. I liked his teaching style. He gives out a lot of handout with a lot of detail pictures and graphs that is really helpful to study. He also shows many animated movies to help students visualize what he was talking about. The tests are fair. You just need to study your notes and handouts

One word..AMAZING!!! He uses a lot of handouts that coincide with his lectures, and they are very helpful. He's very easy to listen to. A VERY good intro to biology. TAKE HIM!!!

Very interesting and fun to listen to. Tests are hard, you have to study alot. I am interested in this class but he is a hard grader but wants to help you when he can. Very good teacher overall in Biology.

Its a tough class, and his exams can be hard. Professor Ostrow uses a lot of helpful handouts for every topic that you start, and most times he reviews at the beginning of class. He was a good professor. Just be prepared to study. He also wears cool Biology shirts to class sometimes.

Excellent professor. Genetics is my favorite part of Biology, so I very much enjoyed this class. His lectures are short, simple, and to the point, as are his exams. Most of the material is covered in notes, so reading the textbook is more to refresh your memory than to learn new material. Offers extra credit as well. Pretty easy class.

Dr. Ostrow is the best Biology professor I've had at GVSU. His lectures are perfectly clear and entertaining, so much so that I never felt sleepy, in spite of the class being 2 hours long starting at 8 AM. His only shortcoming is that he is a little bad at answering questions - his answers often miss the point. Luckily, you seldom need to ask.

Test were easy if you study. Lectures were pretty interesting. He always answers questions. He is a great professor..take him!!

He really knows what he's talking about, and he does a pretty good job of teaching the material. But, i don't think he really takes an interest in his students and isn't very helpful though he appears to be.

Professor Ostrow knows biology really well and shows it in his lectures! The quizzes were OK but the tests were challenging. The material covered in class is assessed but his quizzes and tests also test your critical thinking. He also gives a lot of handouts that help too. OK professor IMO.

Dr. Ostrow is a fantastic professor. He makes his lectures entertaining and easy to understand. I never touched the book; his tests are over all the info you'll have in notes and handouts. I looked forward to his class and will take him again any chance I get. Very highly recommended.

he is so great teacher ever. Friendly, and he does his best to make stuff easily understod students

Quite possibly the best science teacher at GV. His tests are a great representation of the notes, which is refreshing. You don't need to scour the textbook for little details, because he won't try to trick you with any. You can't do well in his class without attending but his lectures are interesting. He also does take home tests!

A good guy and straight-forward class. Everything you're tested on comes from the class notes, which are very clear. He is a very nice guy and loves to have students come to his office. He learns everyone's names and will randomly volunteer people for answers, demos, & board illustrations.

Best science professor I've had at GVSU. Lectures were not mandatory, but I showed up because they were interesting. Tests are on class notes and he does a lot of sample problems. I also find it refreshing that he can learn the names of everyone in a 50 person lecture hall. Highly recommend!

One of my favorite profs here. So easy to understand and helpful and the tests aren't too hard. he does a VERY good job at teaching the material. no homework except for 1 work sheet about DNA and all you do is measure the DNA model in Henry Hall. Awesome Awesome prof.

I absolutely loved this class. I went to almost all of the lectures in the beginning of the class, but now that I know what is expected, I go every once in a while. He puts extra credit on all of the exams and hands out almost no homework. Highly recommended.

He's an awesome professor very nice and very helpful :)his test aren't too bad he uses multiple choice short answer and definitions I enjoyed having him

Great teacher! Provides you with all definitionsand clear notes! Overall loved his class!!!

Awesome prof, very straightforward. Go to lecture & you'll be fine.

AMAZING PROFESSOR!! I struggled with bio before taking his class even dropping it the semester before with a different prof because I just couldn't understand it. He made everything super clear and easy to understand. He encouraged you to participate and ask questions. If you attend class you should do great.

Hes a really good professor. He's very clear and very smart. The tests can be hard, but they are fair and if you study hard, you'll do fine. I was worried about taking this class, but he made lecture a breeze and interesting. Recommended.

He is really easy, clear in his explanation. His tests are super easy, but you have to study for them.

Very good professor. Always on time, always very eager to teach. His material isn't always the easiest but he is always willing to sit down and explain it to you. Such a great guy, he actually helped me with the another BIO class I was having trouble with, during his lunch break. If you have trouble, he will help.

Amazing professor. Always there to help, if you don't understand something just ask. Tough class to begin with but overall wasn't too bad as long as you put effort into it. Really enjoyed the lab and working through the experiments. Make sure to put great amount of detail in lab notebook and you will do well.

Dr. Ostrow makes the topics easy to understand. Read the labs, and stay detailed in your work and you will do well in his class. He was available to meet during office hours and was willing to give students points back that they'd missed if they corrected mistakes. He has great taste in music and was pleasant. I'd take him again.

He was more stringent in grading the lab notebooks, but his feedback was super clear. He explained the labs before we did them and was helpful in explaining confusing results. If you put in the time, you will do well in his class. He once let the class make up points on analysis questions that we did poorly on. I'd take him again, great guy.

Great professor - always willing to help, never hesitate to visit office hours. Study your in class notes and his study guides for the exams !

Dr. Ostrow is a pretty approachable and straight forward guy, but don't expect stories or a lot of humor. He is a well prepared prof and very knowledgeable about his class but the lectures are not all that exciting. He assigns virtually no homework which was nice but I had to work pretty hard in this class to pass.

Ostrow is hands down the best Genetics professor! Explains everything so clearly and doesn't focus on trivial details. Some homework which is really good practice, and tests usually have a take-home portion. Super smart guy but very endearing personality.

Loved having Dr. Ostrow again for CMB 405! He explains everything very clearly and his assessments are always fair. It is a lot of material but there are four tests, and the final isn't cumulative. He always gives extra credit and study guides, andyou don't need the book to pass.

Dr. Ostrow is awesome!! He writes clear notes on the board and tells you exactly what you need to know. The exams are straight from the notes. Didn't need the book once and it is pretty easy to get good grades if you study off your notes. 10/10 would take more of his classes. I wish he could teach all of my classes!

Professor Ostrow is the best! He's clear and makes what could be a boring class, an entertaining one, would highly recommend.

Prof. Ostrow is an awesome teacher, but his tests are tough! Lectures are very informative and he assigns no homework . One thing that I cannot stress enough; MAKE SURE YOU ATTEND CLASS! All of the content for tests comes directly from the notes. Also, don't bother buying the textbook, I didn't open it once. I would recommend taking this class.

Dr. Ostrow was the best professor I've had so far! Really clear with info, always willing to help whenever, and assigns barely any homework! You can tell he loves what he teaches and is very kind approachable. His tests and quizzes come straight from lecture so be sure to attend. He gives you everything you need to study!

Ostrow is one of the best profs I've had. He makes his tests very straightforward and always gives study guides. He also gives out easy homework that's easy points. Within the first week, he learned everyone's names and was always very approachable. If you can take his class!

As a sophomore he is the BEST PROFESSOR I have had! Ostrow seriously knows what he is talking about! He makes things really easy to understand and his lectures are very helpful, he provides so many visual aids. The exams are not that bad as long as you actually take notes and study them. TAKE HIM, I am not a science person but he made it easy.

Ostrow really knew what he was talking about. I was never a huge fan of biology, but he made the lectures more understandable for me. Tests and quizzes are pretty straight forward. Take good notes from lectures , and you will be fine. 10/10 recommend.

Loved having this professor! Really great lectures. Honestly, as long as you take good notes, you'll do fine in his class.

Very passionate about embryology and very interesting dude. Super cool class. Somewhat unclear about grading and test material. Lab is super fun, first lab reports have much more lenient grading than the final ones. Overall, great teacher and has great taste in music.

He is a very good professor. I hated biology in HS but I honestly looked forward to coming to class. He made the material and lectures very interesting, he kept the class engaged and would have real world examples. Exams weren't too hard but you definitely need to study beforehand. I recommend him, I hope to have him again in the future.

He was a great professor and very passionate about embryology. He prints out notes and is very respectful when answering questions. Listen in class, or you'll miss the subtle jokes he throws in. Early lab grades were more lenient. He's unclear about what exactly will be on exams but will give topics if you ask, so ask early and study everyday!

You could tell Professor Ostrow loved teaching Biology. He goes fast in lectures & there a no powerpoints so if you miss any information you need to go to the book. There were test and quizzes so often it could get overwhelming and they were pretty hard but you just need to really study and use your time wisely. Great Professor for a hard class.

Prof. Ostrow is one of my favorite professors I've taken here at Grand Valley. I found his lectures to be very useful and would highly recommend going to every single class. He doesn't take attendance but the only way to get notes is to show up to class. Exams are very straightforward and there's a take-home portion. Best prof. to take for genetics

The class is pretty easy and straight forward. He is a good professor and although he doesn't take attendance, he doesn't post his notes online or anything. Lots of online quizzes but they're pretty easy. He can be a bit on the moody side and sometomes is rude, but overall he's a good professor. He gives out study guides and his tests match them.

Professor Ostrow was a great professor all around. He taught the material well and never tried to trick you on exams. If you are an A/B student getting an A will be easy for you. He only makes you get a 92 for an A.

Ostro is a super nice man. His class isn't my favorite. He doesn't do PowerPoints and for me, I learn best with them. My notes are super scattered and it makes it hard to study. I also feel like his exams can be kind of tricky. I know some people who do really well and then others who do bad, like myself. There isn't much homework.

I love Prof Ostrow!! Barely any homework assignments, but tests can be difficult so you need to study. His lectures are really interesting! Get ready to have a test every 1-2 weeks, but as long as you attend class, take good notes, & study, you should do fine! I never used the book but it could be helpful if you don't understand stuff from lecture.

His lectures are very interesting and he makes them fun. Attendance is mandatory because everything he talks about is on the exams/ quizzes. Overall you can tell he loves biology and i would highly recommend him!

Prof Ostrow is a great professor and person all around. In class he gives good notes that're very useful for exams and he makes sure to go at a good pace. He also gives study guides for each exam and as long as you know whats on those, you will be fine. He is definitely very passionate in biology and you're able to notice that through his lectures

Dr. Ostrow is probably my favorite professor of all time. His lectures cover everything you need to know, he doesn't go off on tangents, he is direct and teaches the subject in a way that makes it easy to understand, but still keeps students intrigued and thinking. Study guides for exams are good. Best Genetics Instructor!

Professor Ostrow is the best. He always wears goofy biology shirts to lecture and I always found it so funny. Very passionate about what he teaches and worth getting to know. Take him!

I love Bruce. He can be super funny, he's obviously passionate about genetics and his lectures are engaging. I really enjoyed the fast pace of them and they kept me from getting bored/distracted. He's pretty great.

Overall nothing bad to say about his class, if you show up to lecture and listen to the material being presented his test are pretty easy. There is not that much homework, usually like 1 assignment a week. He is kind and open so if you need help in the class don't be afraid to reach out.

One of my favorite professors at GV so far. I took both lecture and lab and although the material can be challenging, he never puts surprise material on tests and is always willing to help with labs and any questions you have. If you study the lecture material well you'll do great on the exams.

Ostrow is passionate about devbio. His exams were fair and the material was very manageable. Some assessments were open note, some were not (don't know how he decided). Was a little vague about lab notebook/paper expectations, but if you ask questions, he answers them! Gives out study guides. Prints slides out for students. I'd take him again!

Dr. Ostrow was amazing the entire semester. Not only did he allow test corrections on every exam but he made sure to be fair when grading them. He is always available in his office willing to answer any questions you may have about HW. He doesn't provide skeleton notes, but is more than happy to give you pointers on how to succeed in his course.

he's a super nice professor and he let me take my final exam on a different day that worked better for my schedule. he's very willing to help and always eager to answer questions you have. he knows what he's talking about!

very fast paced lectures, and note slides are non existent its always just pictures, but he is a great professor. He is very passionate about what he teaches and is always willing to answer any questions you have. I think its work it to take his class you just have to make sure your keeping up!!

I loved Ostrow mainly because you could tell he cared about what he was teaching. My main advice is as long as you go to the lectures and actually pay attention you can achieve a decent grade. He was a really good professor and wanted students to learn and reach out. He likes when students participate. He reminds me of a loveable grandpa.

He really was passionate about what he was teaching the class is just VERY fast paced. lectures are mainly picture slides that he only goes over once. Your exams are half multiple choice the other half written and you have to be very specific or he docks down points.He doesn't do curves on test or allow retakes.Ask questions (smtimes he very vague)

Exams line up clearly with material given during lectures. He provides study guides that list everything that will be on the exams. He is always making sure that we feel like the questions asked on exams were reasonable and if he sees a question that most of the class struggled on it's turned into an extra credit point. Great professor, recommend.

Professor Ostrow is passionate about the material and makes lectures engaging. The class is fast-paced, with minimal note slides, so staying on top of the readings and attending class is crucial. Leveraging resources like unstuckstudy alongside the textbook can really help with study prep.

He's great! As long as you show up to class, pay attention, and take good notes, it's a pretty easy class. There is a textbook but I only read it for the first half of the semester, I only recommend reading it if you feel like you need extra help on a specific topic. Overall, I'd recommend taking his class.

Exams and quizzes were over lecture material so book wasn't completely necessary. Made some jokes and was a very nice guy. Answered questions well. Need to be able to study well to pass class.

Professor Ostrow is very knowledgable about his content and is really helpful if you attend office hours. Attendance is important but you do have a few "free" absences. I have a chronic illness and he was able to help me if I missed classes. ATTEND OFFICE HOURS!!

Professor was so nice and genuinely cared about how his students were doing in class. He was always so supportive during my office hours visits and never failed to help. He tried multiple ways to always explain something I was confused on. While this class didn't click with me, take this class with Prof. Ostrow!! He's so caring and will always help

Mr. Ostrow is very kind and will always help you when you need it. Go to office hours! he loves to talk about biology. He is lecture heavy but it is helpful and not boring. He uses a bit of class time to go over material from the pervious day that is important. His exams are hard but if you know the material you should be good. I 100% recommend!!!

A professor who you can tell is genuinely passionate about the subject he teaches. Participation is important, it is hard to understand the slides if you aren't in class, reading the textbook is sufficient if you're a good enough student. Minimal homework, several tests which is the majority of your grade. Extra credit on tests. Kind professor.