Best lecture ever had, explain things really clear. Quiz every friday graded tough but not worth whole a lot. Prepare you good for exams. GO TO REVIEW AND SI SESSIONS. No extra credit is kinda annoying, but definitely recommend.

Shes extremely knowledable about molecular biology however she talks to the class like they already know what shes talking about. Shes super sweet and personable and really funny in class. But the subject is already difficult to begin with and there doesnt seem to be enough time to adequately go through each topic.

Very good at teaching biology effectively.

This an intense course no matter the professor. If you're like me and had no prior college-level biology class before starting college, she's great! Although she's great I didn't do as well as I thought was going to do because i'm a freshman and it was all entirely new. Take advantage of the fact that she's a sweetheart, go to office hours!

Dr. Zehnder goes kind of fast in class, but will stop for questions to clear up confusion. She's clearly very knowledgeable and uses good examples to explain difficult concepts. Quizzes every Friday and 3 tests aside from the final. Having not taken AP bio, I felt kind of far behind, but the SI sessions were super helpful. Tests aren't too bad.

Dr. Zehnder is an amazing professor who truly cares about her students and their success. She goes a bit fast in class but the lectures are all posted online. Quizzes are tough but prepare you for the tests. I recommend office hours and if you take notes you don't even need a textbook (I didn't have one!). She's truly awesome!

I got Cs on all the exams and still managed to pass the class with a representable grade. Do all your Homework and dont miss quizzes which are VERY helpful and boost your grade if you are getting Cs on exams. She also gives extra credit with clicker questions and some other things. Shes also really nice and explains material better if u ask.

Caralyn is a great professor and is caring toward the students. Sometimes the topics can be hard but the lecture videos are posted online. The exams are super straight forward and if you study a little you will get an A. She is not trying to trick you at ALL. Highly recommend.

Its a writing class, we wrote interesting papers but always gave many chances and feedback to do well in the class. Nice person and cares about how her students do, always willing to meet outside class and have 2 oral presentations. One long final paper and a few in between assignments. Learned to research in Biology

Great professor, I found the class well structured and challenging enough to be very engaging.

Great professor overall. 3 exams and the final can be a lot to handle since theyre spaced pretty close together. I recommend going to the study sessions before each exam because sometimes they give you a review worksheet which is helpful. Go to lecture because everything on the notes is in the test.

Zehnder was an awesome professor. Would highly recommend - she's worth having to get up for a 9:05 class. I have no bad thing to say about this professor!

Dr. Zehnder is probably one of my favorite professors ever. Her teaching style is something that took me a little to get used to, but she really works to make you understand concepts rather than memorizing a ton of facts. I never really had an interest in ecology but she makes it super understandable. Wish I had her for 151!

Zehnder is my favorite professor so far at Umass. I had her for 151 and took a 9am 152 to be in her class again. Organized moodle and study resources (past exams, study guides, review Qs). You can skip mon+wed lectures but there are quizzes every fri (10 Q, easy) but you'll miss clicker points (3% of grade), get ebook for HW but don't need to read

Professor Zehnder is amazing! She is an interesting lecturer, and honestly improved the curriculum by tying it to climate change. She is a tough grader, but that is more because she tests the understanding of concepts instead of just rote memorization. I didn't have any difficulty with any part of this class, and enjoyed the lectures.

Great professor. Cons would be that you sometimes have to guess what she is looking for in exam questions. Many questions are easily interpreted by some but not by others. Also, Dr. Zehnder has great lectures and iclickers that tie all aspects of the class together, making revising for finals pretty easy.

Dr. Zehnder was an amazing professor for both Bio 151 and Bio 152. Highly recommend going to her office hours. She is great at explaining any concepts you need clarification on. You will have to try for an A but you will learn so much.

She relies a lot on her lectures, but they're very clear and focused. You definitely have to read the textbook, but she gives you plenty of time to get it done and it's not too bad. She's very approachable and her TAs are super helpful. The discussion section is VITAL to understanding what will be on the quiz. GO TO THE REVIEW SESSIONS FOR EXAMS.

I love her so much and highly recommend! Her tests can be tricky but it teaches you to be a more critical thinker.

I think this prof is a good choice. The grading system is pretty good. if you aren't great at tests there are other ways to help your grade (discussions, mini quizzes, participation etc) and she cares about student success and is always willing to help you. This isn't a hard class, but if you don't put in any effort, it won't go well for you.

Dr. Zehnder is incredibly knowledgable in her field, and I thought she was an excellent professor. Intro bio is difficult at first but once you get used to the teaching style it gets a lot better. The weekly quizzes help to keep you studying throughout the semester.

I had Professor Zhender my 1st semester in college and although I didn't receive the grade I wanted, I can't discount her as a professor. She grades fairly and the syllabus allows for a few mistakes without failing the class. The tests are pretty difficult but if you put the time in and carefully read the topic outlines, you should be fine

Very tough exams if you have never taken AP Bio

She is very nice and interested in helping you learn the material. The Friday quizzes are hard if you don't study and class is based mostly off of your exams. She is very encouraging and wants the whole class to succeed. She cares about her students and answers questions very quickly. Tests are hard but study the clicker questions and class notes.

I thought she was okay when I first had her. However, looking back and having dealt with other biology professors, she really was a gem. She tries to make the lectures personable and is really good at explaining concepts.

She explained thing very clearly and made everything easy to understand. She used a lot analogy that can help some people understand thing better. She is the only professor that I can actually follow along during lecture. I am going to be her TA next year too.

Zehnder is a fantastic professor, and although it's a difficult class, especially with her quizzes, you do learn the material. She was the best professor I had for online learning when we were sent home.

I loved having Dr. Zehnder! I had her for both semesters of intro bio, and she was amazing! When we switched to online classes, she was my best prof at checking in and making sure we knew when everything was due and made it easy to stay on top of things.

Dr. Zehnder is awesome. Exams are cumulative which may seem daunting at first, but when the final rolls around you realize you're very well prepared. Not an easy A class, but Dr. Zehnder is very good about communicating what will be on the exams. TA review sessions and SI sessions, as well as reading before class, are integral to doing well.

Professor Zehnder is wonderful. Throughout the pandemic she was so helpful and gave such good feedback on homework and tests. I would definitely recommend! The only thing I would warn you about is that she does a flipped classroom where you want to read about the material before lecture but if you do not mind that, she is fantastic!

Dr. Zehnder is an awesome professor. Although I did not receive the grade I was hoping for, it is entirely my fault. I found her class to be very interesting and she explained things very well, and was always glad to go over things that people found confusing/difficult. There are weekly quizzes, but that just helps to remember the content! :)

Professor Zehnder is one of the best professors I have ever had in my college experience. She understands that we are all online and struggling. She cares for her students and always checks in on us and also makes sure to address any current issues within the US. Zehnder makes sure that everyone understands the material and makes class fun

Fantastic professor would love to have her again. She's so caring and knowledgeable. Make sure to pay attention to the iclicker questions though...

Professor Zehnder's class has difficult exams (all cumulative) and lots of homework. However, her lectures and test prep material for exams are great and I learned the material very well. This class also changed my study habits for the better. My advice is to attend her lectures, and study the quiz and iclicker questions.

Everything good said here is true! Q's on exams, quizzes and HW can be difficult, but they're supposed to be. The class is definitely easy enough and she really is a great teacher. It is a good idea to look through the PowerPoints before class and take detailed notes in order to do well, but there is no need to read the textbook or study too hard

Was an amazing professor! Yes there are a lot of weekly assignments, but they take 2 hours a week TOTAL tops and if you get into a rhythm of getting them done before they are all due at the end of the week it will not feel like anything. Easily did the least work for this class.

Amazing professor. She really cares about everyone and creates a great class atmosphere.

Some questions are difficult, but she provides plenty of guided and practice problems that get you very familiar with the answers she wants.

Very caring professor and iClickers are very useful.

She wants you to succeed as her student, and she is very understanding and forgiving with her policies. Lots of clicker questions but they are very similar or the same as the exam questions. I took bio152 with her after having her for 151.

Dr. Z was a great professor. She really dedicated time to making sure her students understood the material and were prepared for exam questions. My only complaint was the amount of outside work for the class, but honestly it better prepared me and it was worth it. Great teacher! Very helpful and straightforward notes.

Great professor, the lectures were less content and facts and info and more of the application of concepts to the topics (eco, plants, climate/carbon, neurons, etc) and how to answer application based-reasoning questions. Go to the SI Sessions!! Lots of hw the ended up being helpful, feedback on problem sets, etc. Good prep for 200+ classes.

The amount of work that Dr. Zehnder gives is a lot, but it's really helpful and she provides it for a reason. It's possible to do well in the class if you just put in the good amount of effort and go to offfice hours and the SI sessions. She does put in a lot of iclicker questions in her lectures and they're mostly application based.

Get this professor if you want a decent grade while still picking up useful biology concepts. She is way better than Jeff Laney, whose exam averages are always in the D-/F range. There's no way out of the work no matter who you take Bio151 with, but Caralyn Zehnder cares about her students and always listens to them when they're feeling burnt out.

Always take Bio 151 with her whenever you get a golden opportunity to avoid Jeff.

Would give a 6/5 if I could. Zehnder is talented at teaching, and she's a really nice woman: super personable and someone you get to know. Unlike Jeff Laney, Caralyn Zehnder was not condescending or rude, but rather she was very considerate and respectful, and she clearly wanted her students to succeed.

Such a sweet professor!

Although the material is very limited to a point you can snore, she makes it all enjoyable and easy to digest. What is on the exam is extremely fair given you were paying attention to class. Do your iClicker questions and understand the processes being taught. Do that and a A+ is more than manageable with little to no studying.

Favorite Professor by FAR

She makes the material easy to understand, really good lectures, weekly quizzes and homework

Such a sweet professor. You can tell she genuinely cares about her students. Material is not too hard to get as long as you put in the effort. 10/10 recommend.

Professor Zenhder is a great professor. She explains well and always answer questions. The workload might be challenging at times but if you are engaged and attend the lectures and discussions, you'll be fine. Definitely try to have her for BIO151.

Really does care about her students, offering countless resources for help. Offers breaks during lectures dedicated to answering any questions. Doesn't use a textbook, she specifically tells you what you have to and don't have to know for exams, so don't skip. Requires iClicker use, but you can miss up to 10 classes and still get full points.

Amazing professor. Cares about her students and learning. Explains concepts well, answers questions in class. Assigns weekly homework and quizzes. Two exams + final that are fair and based off of lecture notes and iClicker questions. Pay attention in class, attend discussion, and do the work and you'll succeed.

I took Bio 151 and 312 with Dr. Z. She is an awesome professor- both incredibly knowledgable and invested in her students' success. You will definitely learn a lot from her, and I would recommend her for either class.

Dr. Zehnder is a great teacher, and I enjoyed her lectures a lot. She made course material interesting and was always happy to answer questions.

Very nice and personable. if you do the work and try to learn you will succeed in this class.

Dr. Zehnder actually studies the science of teaching/ learning, and it translates to her classes. She also helps her students (who in this class are mostly freshmen/ underclassmen) learn about ways to study and learn/ retain information. Strongly recommend doing all of the reading, there isn't a ton of it and it is a great supplement to lectures.

The class does require a significant amount of work-HW, quiz, etc. each week. But her teaching style is awesome and she wants everyone to succeed. During exam week (in class) its entirely review. I didn't find the material very difficult and I know other professors required their 151 classes to go way more in-depth. Would definitely recommend

I love Dr. Zehnder and her teaching style. She really emphasizes the important topics that show up on the exams, and she also made it easy to make friends in class. I was lucky that my enrollment appointment was really early, and I was able to also take bio152 with her. People were fighting for the spots in the class!

super easy and super informative teacher

great woman who is very knowledgable and cares about her students. She genuinely wants people to pass this class and does her best to cover the lecture content to the best of her ability. Make sure you study for this class. You definitely need to put time outside of class to get a good grade.

This class requires an iclicker. She has very helpful lectures, but can sometimes not spend enough time going over the basics and expects you to come prepared to class with a general understanding. There are weekly quizzes and a quick little assignment with various other assignments due Sunday night. All HWs due at end of semester.

Dr. Zehnder really cares about the student success. There are a ton of grades throughout the semester which will totally supplement a bad exam grade. Her exams are also very similar to what you go over in class or on the practice exam. I definitely recommend taking good notes, because if you just rely on her powerpoints you'll be missing some info.

Dr.Zehnder is one of the best professors that I have had during my time at the university. Her lectures are very informative and she truly cares about her students doing well in the course. She prepares you very well for the exams and makes sure that you understand the material. I would definitely take her courses again.

Hands down the best professor I have had at UMass thus far. She is extremely caring and teaches the material very well. The homework and quizzes are extremely helpful and the practice exams she gives are very similar to the actual exams. She is so funny and genuinely cares about her students! Wish I could take every class with her!!

Best prof. I've had so far. Lots of grades and opportunities to get points. Tests are cumulative but similar to practice tests. Questions are reused from in class and practice. You can tell she loves teaching and wants us to get good grades. I would 100% recommend Dr. Z

I was pretty nervous for BIO 151 as I am a Freshman, but Dr. Zehnder made my experience in this class amazing. She is a very caring person and wants you to do well. The lectures can be heavy, but she uses iClicker to check our understanding. The exams are similar to iClicker questions and discussion work. All assignments are beneficial.

Dr. Zehnder is by far one of the best biology professors at UMass. Can skip up to 8 classes without losing points. Exams were easy, just pay attention in lecture. HIGHLY recommend taking 151 with her. If you took AP Bio this is LIGHT work

Dr. Zehnder is a great professor! She has office hours every week and TAs are also very helpful outside of class. Classes are somewhat lecture heavy but are very helpful, especially the clicker questions she goes through which are similar to exam questions. There are 2 exams and a final which are fairly easy if you spend time studying.

A sweet and easy gen-ed teacher. Homework is sooo easy and try to talk to someone in your class for tests. Really accessible and would recommend overall.

She is genuinely a very good professor. She genuinely cares about her students and gives many opportunities to get easy points. The exams are very lecture heavy and are a little difficult, but she gives weekly homeworks that make it so that you get lots of points to boost your grade. If you could take a class with her I would highly recommend.

Dr. Zehnder clearly cares about students' learning. She includes many types of iClicker questions which actually really helped for exam preparation, eliminate points of confusion, and clarified content of importance. Her effort to provide a variety of types learning opportunities allows for better retention. She is the best professor I've ever had.

Easily one of the kindest professors who you can tell truly cares for all her students. Not only that but she's consistently passionate about what she teaches and explains concepts very clearly, helping you feel prepared through an abundance of practice material. 100 percent recommend.

Favorite bio teacher! Only person I'd be this happy to have to listen to at 9am on a Monday morning. Take this class with her.

I really liked Prof. Zehnder. Had her for 151 and 152 and she is a very caring prof and she is passionate. Workload is pretty average but might feel like a little much sometimes, but all of it is very helpful in the end and honestly saves a lot of studying. Exams can be a little on the tough side at times but all the hw grades help out.

This was an amazing class with an amazing professor! She was great at giving feedback and super helpful. She was super nice and always responded to emails quickly.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Zehnder. I will admit, the course content is not easy but if there's anyone who can teach it well and help you suceed, its her. She not only has clear grading and plenty of office hours, but genuinely cares about her students. With a solid amount of effort, its a doable A. Take her class if possible.

Weekly homework and quiz (lowest is dropped), one major project (but you get to choose when you want to do it), easy grader, tests are based off of quizzes and lecture questions

If you can take her for Bio 151 I'd highly recommend. The class can be pretty early but her teaching style is well worth it. She allows multiple choice redos on midterms which can be a major exam score booster if you struggle with test-taking. She also gives practice exams that are very similar to the actual ones so she prepares you well for exams.

Her lectures are a lot of info but she does a good job teaching, exams are hard but the weight of them isn't horrible, exam do aheads are annoying but she's so nice and if you review and do the assignments and keep up with it you should do well.

Dr. Zehnder is, simply put, the best professor out there. I have never came across a more passionate, caring, smart, and understanding professor. All that matters to her is that her students are learning, stress-free, and accommodated. She is a gem! I highly recommend taking any of her courses.

She is one of the best teachers I have ever had. She is very clear and precise in her lectures with a lot of iclicker questions to actively stay engaged. Has great practice exams and iclicker review question. 100% recommend.

Absolutely loved her class this semester. Lectures are super informative and she does a great job explaining difficult topics. Study clicker questions and practice exams and you'll most likely be fine. If you have the opportunity to take a class with her 100% would recommend.

She's incredibly organized, so great at explaining, and overall a great professor! There's weekly discussion homework & sections, quizzes, learning reflections. Put work into this course & ask her for help and you should do great. Got some extra credit for 2 surveys & her exams are a bit tough but very fair (stuff done in worksheets/iclicker mcqs)!

I loved Dr. Zenhder. She was very clear in her lecture. The homework was super light and easy to understand. The discussion sections and TAs were a great help. She offered extra credit during the semester and tests were exactly like the practice tests and iclicker questions.

There were 3 midterms and then a final; multiple choice and open response. Lots of homework each week including an online open-note quiz, a HW of 10 questions, discussion HW, and a learning reflection (kind of a waste of time). All her exams questions are pulled from the HW's and iclicker questions or worded similar. Overall pretty good!

Best teacher I have had so far; clear and concise teaching method, lots of opportunities to practice content and get easy points, practice tests are exactly like exams.

Dr. Z's was my favorite class of the semester, you could tell she had a real passion for bio and for teaching. As someone who took highschool bio over covid and didn't remember anything, this was not an issue in Dr. Z's class, everything was explained completely and background knowledge was provided where needed

Dr. Zehnder was a fabulous teacher. She always made the classroom feel welcoming and taught with great clarity and was willing to go over tough topics. As long as you put in the work, her class is very manageable!

Prof. Z is super passionate and engaging. While the workload can feel heavy at times, her teaching style and practice materials are incredibly helpful. Unstuck AI was a game-changer for nailing the cumulative exams.

Good teacher but make sure to do the reading and homework. Nice person but it can be tough to talk to her because its a lecture hall.

This class was amazing and very fun.

Very nice, class was simple and informative, and at times she would let us out early.

so many opportunities to get your grade up, exams are mostly multiple choice questions from lecture, and open response questions from discussion hws. cares so much about her students. loved her so much taking a 9 am next sem just to have her again!

Dr. Zehnder is an amazing professor. She wants her students to succeed, and gives many resources to help you study for the exams. Make sure you use the readings, practice test, and iClicker questions to your advantage because getting the grade you want is very feasible.

Dr. Zehnder is great. BIO151 can be challenging if you haven't taken bio in a while, but she gives many chances to improve your grade, including a final that can replaces your lowest exam score. Her slides and lectures are clear, and many iClicker questions are very similar to exam questions. Overall, she's a great professor.

She is organized and explains topics in a clear way. It is a bit easy if you took AP Bio, but you still learn some new stuff. Overall, very enjoyable course and she does not throw any curve balls on exams. If you stay on top of your work, you should be good!

Professor is awesome. She is very organized and explains difficult topics in an easy to understand manner. Take her class!