3.1
Quality3.8
Difficulty43%
Would Retake135
Reviews43%
Would Retake
135
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
46
4
21
3
13
2
22
1
33
What Students Say
“The exams aren't cumulative (which is great”
BIO141 - 5.0 rating“A lot of material to cover, but ask questions and never miss class and you will be fine”
BIO142 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
92%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.18 avg changeRatings by Course
140
5.0
(1)BIOBIO
5.0
(1)NAS162
5.0
(3)BIO295
5.0
(1)MICRO205
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
BIO003A
5.0
NASNAS
5.0
BIO141
4.3
BIO205
4.2
MICROBIOLOGY
4.0
Reviews (135)
Dr. Pumpuni is a great teacher with a wonderful personality! His quizzes are really tough... but his final is pretty easy. I would take any class with him again, even though biology is not my major.
His tests are very very hard, even if you study. Take Mr. Zagmouts class!
He's a nice guy but I don't know where he got the questions for the quizes from. The in-class notes don't help. He gave us a take home exam which was really tough. He told us that the final exam would be 50 questions and on the day of the final, he changed it to 100 questions. Many students had tough time in his class. But his labs were ok.
Really hard quizes; Not a good teacher. Take someone else.
He is a good teacher, if you're looking for a challenge. He is not just going to hand you an 'A' he will make sure that you work for it.He also gives a lot of extra credit opportunities, just to help those who are in trouble. Also if you don't understand something, just ask him, he won't make you feel bad. good teacher, overall.
Mr. Pumpuni is very helpful and clear in his teachings. His teaching tecniques are organized. His tests and quizes can be difficult but if you pay attention and work for your grade you can achieve it in his class. The last exam is a take home one. He also rewards extra credit points in class. Over all he is a very generous teacher. One of the best!
he is the best!
pumpuni I think tries to be a good professor but just cant, he is very difficult to understand has a thick accent and jumps around form topic to topic, his test are very hard and confusing, he is not direct in anything he says and his tests are so random and as of yet no extra credit.... only take him if you can give atleast 3 hours a day to study
If you do the work (read the chapters, answer the end of chapter questions and pay attention in class) then earning an A should be no problem. Remember that it is the student's responsibility to EARN an A, not the professors responsibility to hand out A's like Halloween candy.
Not helpful at all in class, grades papers during lab. Doesn't seem to like his job.
His test is not clear. his test is very confusing
He's not very clear about the subject and when you ask him a question he'll start going "um um um um" his tests are VERY hard, even if you study for them. I did all the work and studied for all the test and got a B in this class.
He is not clear at all. He can't answer questions correctly. He is a hard teacher, but did give extra credit for coming to class/participation.
HE IS AN EXCELLENT TEACHER!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
Not easy, but a clear and thorough professor, with a very relaxed attitude. Easy to talk to etc.
He was a good teacher, and is really smart! His tests were hard, but there is a LOT of material to know for microbiology, so expect them to be hard and you'll be fine. Hes a cutie too!
This is a very important class for pre-med or health sciences, and he is the only prof at Alexand. campus. Laziest prof in teaching, grading, etc I've ever had. His tests are hard, random, impossible to study for. He didn't get through the entire scope of material, and apparently never does. A major disservice to students who really need to learn!
I took online BIO 102. He appears to be overloaded with several other classes. He never had time to answer my questions back properly. I don't recommend this teacher to anyone. It was not a good experience for me to get a C. I received and A in BIO 101. I worked very hard for his class but his tests are very hard and you have memorize a lot.
if you want a decent grade, you have to study hard. that's how it is in all classes anyway. but for this course, u need to devote some extra time to study your lectures notes...i could have gotten an A if i didn't missed an exam...lab's final was tough! goodluck!
He is VERY nice. One of my favorite teachers at NOVA. Exam questions were taken directly from the powerpoint slides so they are very useful. This class is very interesting, I learned A LOT!!
Great teacher! You could pass his class on the powerpoints alone. He posts them on Blackboard for you. Learned alot in his class, but be prepared! There is much information to learn.
For the in-person lab, Dr. Pumpuni didn't really help me that much, but he was somewhat helpful via email. The assignments were fairly clear and the practice tests were extremely valuable, but grading seemed a tad arbitrary in terms of labs (how can a trip to the zoo be only 20 pts?) Still, I got an "A" for my hard work, so I can't really complain.
hardest teacher I ever had
I loved this Prof!! I took him for both NAS courses. He was fun and really was sincere about helping his students understand the material. I loved this class and would def. take again if I needed any more classes! The material was easy to learn if you enjoy that kinda stuff and he graded fair. The test material comes right out of notes!
Excellent Instruction!!! He knows his stuff, and it very helpful. Lab explanations are very clear.
Unfortunatly, I can't say this professor was at all a good teacher. I could teach better and with a higher rating. His exams are very high and for a biology course, you must study extremely hard to pass them. HIs exams are 125 points. Next with addtion to the normal course work, there is news week articles and term papers which are nothing but
He is hard to understand, has a slight accent, and gives hard tests. Basically his class is just him reading his notes off of powerpoint and his tests are on EVERYTHING in the chapter with NO emphasis on any one area, and if you know BIO, there is A LOT of info covered in a chapter let alone 3 chapters covered for the tests. SUPER HARD.
VERY unhelpful; extremely minimal feedback on assignments, if any. It took him on average a week to reply to emails. It would take up to 6 weeks to post a grade for assignments. He was pretty much unavailable to help during the one in-person lab. A lot of miscellaneous assignments, exams worth a lot of points. I would not recommend this professor.
He is very hard. He teaches form his power point and his exams are mostly not from his power point
If you haven't take chemistry or biology before, you will not pass this class. Exams are hard and lot of things were not in the powerpoint slides. I would recomend to take this class with a different professor.
While I only had to attend one lab with Dr. Pumpuni, I did think he was a good professor. I could tell he knew what he was teaching and was willing to answer any questions. The only complaint I have is that he was delayed in grading some assignments. It is an online course so I expected a little delay. Two weeks is too long to wait for a grade.
DREADFUL!
DO NOT ENROL!!!!
I took the online class. His grading system is hard to understand, he takes points off without any reason. His lab section was a waste of time.
Super Duper Person, truly a class act and one in a million!!
If you really would like to learn something..take him. His exams are exactly from his lectures and quizzes. It is really easy to get a B. If you would like an A it is not impossible to earn! Attendance is extra credit! Also, he has been teaching at NOVA for a long time..and is one of the best teachers I have ever had! What are you waiting for!!!!A+
If you really would like to learn something..take him. His exams are exactly from his lectures and quizzes. It is really easy to get a B. If you would like an A it is not impossible to earn! Attendance is extra credit! Also, he has been teaching at NOVA for a long time..and is one of the best teachers I have ever had! What are you waiting for!!!!A+
As an ELI course, he is impossible. Doesn't answer emails quickly, and his tests are impossible. I am a science major and struggled through the entire class. All you do is write summary essays, more like an english class than biology.
Excellent Professor!!! Dr. Pumpuni is an extremely intelligent, very learned and knowledgeable prof. an added bonus is his AWESOME accent, which makes his lectures even more of a treat to listen to :) If you can, take Microbiology with him!
DO NOT TAKE HIM...you will not pass his class....i have 6 classmates dropping his class and its kind of hard to understand him
He is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE teacher!! He must have written those positve reviews. Of a class that started as 27 only 12 finished. He gave reviews for the tests but OFTEN had nothing to do what was on the test. He yelled at students and his accent is horrible. By far the worst teacher I have EVER had at NOVA.
I took his Bio 102 class as a ELI student and although I never came face to face with him, I found him to be a excellent teacher. His course was definitly hard and it did take alot of work, but I enjoyed the course. He is very responsive and his labs are enjoyable. Took ALOT of work but I ended up walking out with a B, not a easy A course.
VERY DIFFICULT! Do not take Bio 205 with him unless you can devote days worth of time to study for his exams. I got an A, however I averaged about 25+ hours of studying for each exam. He tests on massive amounts of information, but wants you to know all the tiniest details. You will learn a lot, but you will work for it!
His lecture exams are very hard, but he does offer some extra credit so it kind of balances out. The lab section is very interesting and helpful in learning the material.
Excellent Professor for microbiology. Highly recommended for students in allied health who seek a more medicine and human health oriented approach to microbiology.
Never recieved prompt email responses from professor even though it was a completely online class. takes off points with no explanation. Made the class harder than it needed to be
I am currently taking this class and it is a lot of work. Read the text frequently to make sure you understand the material and stay caught up. Don't miss class and definitely use the power point slides because his tests are derived from them. Labs, worth 30% of your grade, are fun and the quizzes are easy if you've studied the material. Good Luck!
this teacher is very boring explaining his lessons, but if you can pay attention and study his power points your gone be fine, it is just that he is not easy he uses all his time to ex plane and you have to spend a lot a lot a lot of time studying that material and if you don't have much time don't take this class!!.
He's a good teacher. He'll help you and answer questions if you ask him. He does go a lot off of his power points but also expects you to know stuff from the very thick book. I definitely didn't study as much as I should have, so it isn't an easy class but I got a C so he was very fair.
he uses power point,claims his exams are from power point,but its not,only about 3questions from power point-i didnt like his teaching,his grading policy is terrible, he does not post ur exam results on time so u can't decide wheather to drop or stay-gives way too much assignment and no time to study for the exams-which are very diificult-Horrible!
One of the best professors I have come across at NOVA. He has a genuine concern for his students, A refreshing enthusiasm for biology and despite complaints I've read about his accent, he is easier to understand than most native speaking NOVA teachers. I think the people posting negatively are just too "simple" for a complex subject like BIO205.AJA
Yes, it is a hard class, and you get out of it what you put into it. Pumpuni teaches and tests 100% from his power point. Yes, he has an accent, but is completely understandable. There is a lot of information, but if you're willing to put in the time and study(really know the stuff), you'll do fine in this course. A very fair instructor.
You actually must work in Bio 205. There is a lot of info. Come to class because you should. His lectures are majority from his PP slides. Exams are from slides and I've been told from the questions at the end of the chapters in text. Do the extra credit. I did it all, probably why I earned an A instead of a B. Good instructor. Don't be afraid.
I actually loved having him as a teacher. He always answered questions. give me a lot of resources to prepare for tests and exams. he gave us lecture, class notes he will cover on blackboard, places in the book to study for every chapter, and the PowerPoint. he is very nice and always answer questions. I would highly recommend him
Exams are ALL material from powepoint slides and quizzes!! Took class in summer as a 5-week accelerated course. No prior knowledge of biology and got an A. Excellent teacher, uses grading curve for your final grade if he thinks you made a real effort. I have no idea what these other people are talking about. He is friendly, provided lots of breaks
his explanation in class are very long and incomprehensible but he uses his lecture notes and power points though sometimes he goes of from topic on the exams and they are very trike if you don't have any interest for this class, work really hard because the material covered are very hard and complicated..attend the class and study hard!
Work hard in lab. Take good notes in lecture and you shall succeed. His accent is easy to understand and he really cares about his students. He made me love microbiology!
Wow! Could not ask for a better Professor! :)
Quiz almost every class, he makes them very hard, i studied and i still could get an A on any quiz. Exams are from quizzes. I wouldn't recommend unless you have lots of time to devote to this class
Professor is passionate about subject, thorough in explanations, and runs lab like a well oiled machine.
I have attended college for over 10 years and he has made it as one of my very favorite. The material is challenging, but if you invest the time required it is very doable.
He's a good professor for bio 101. He has a bit of an accent but its not difficult to understand. As long as you take the time to attend class and study the power point slides you should do well. If you need help go to him during his office hours and he'll do his best to try and explain the subject. Overall I would recommend him
The test are very difficult. Studying for it doesn't make it easier because you wont be able to check the correct answers on the practice test; I mean whats the point of a practice if you aren't able to see what you need to work on.
VERY hard to understand. heavy accent. Material you go over in class is never on the test!
It is quite difficult to understand him. He does not talk loud. He barely replies email. At least on time. He teach just using power points and exams are not easy like his lecture. His tests are quite different of what he covers in class. His lab class is ok. He nevers post grades and uses blackboard at all. it is difficult to follow him.
STAY AWAY.... what he asks in exam doesn't cover in class, the so called "study guide" only cover 40% of what is asked in the exam. Biology was my thing until i met this guy. Horrible teacher... Bothering to solve his study guide is a waste too. Attendance is a must... I took his class because of the reviews he had, THEY ARE NOWHERE NEAR WHAT HE IS
Do not take him for eight weeks.
Dr. P is great. He really wants students to do well. He's awesome for the molecular sections of the class. His tests are hard, but he gives you a study guide. If you go by the study guide and do the extra credit, you can make an A.
First, he does not provide a study guide for 205. You pretty much have to rely on his average ppt lecture and the text. His tests are ridiculously hard--testing the most minute facts/details. I will say his lab is efficient, but that's the only pro at this point.
He's a very knowledgeable professor and classes were actually fairly interesting. Though there was no study guide for exams, the tests were not impossible - study from the powerpoints, and you should be fine. I opened the book maybe twice total while taking this course.
His questions are confusing and invoves lots of writing. His asignments invove lot of questions. Not able to answer questions asked by students satisfactorily. He needs confidence and most of all try to make his exam questions more clear.
I enjoy his lectures! He explains things well, and makes the topics interesting. He asks critical thinking questions which help in a practical sense! Wish I had him for more classes!
Dr. Pumpuni is awesome. I took both Bio 141 and 142 with him. The exams aren't cumulative (which is great!).. The exams cover everything discussed in class. As long as you study, the exams shouldn't be hard. I enjoyed being in his class. I strongly recommend.
Love him.... A lot of material to cover, but ask questions and never miss class and you will be fine. Answer all review questions and you will be prepared for all exams.!
Must know a bunch of information for tests, he provides a study guide for each one. Going to lecture and actually paying attention is important because sometimes he'll ask about things discussed in class that aren't on the study guide. Assigns some class work that helps grade, but do not take if you're not prepared to study a lot.
Dr P. is a good professor, and will work with the students. He is fair in his grading and will work with the students who put the time and effort into the class. In addition to the study guide, it is imperative the student reads the text book for additional information that supports the study guide. I would take his class again in the future.
Dr. Pumpuni is an amazing professor. The labs are awesome and interesting. His lectures are long, but he enjoys class discussions and is very clear in his expectations. He was by far my favorite professor. He is also a fair grader and will let you know what to expect on exams. Def take him for an enjoyable class!
Professor Pumpuni was very clear on what was expected on his exams. He was very helpful and kept lab interesting. Lectures were at times dry, due to subject matter, but he is pretty fit and I just enjoyed looking at him.
This professor is a nice person, however his teaching skills did not work for me since his lectures were a bit boring and he wouldn't explain what he was teaching. He was just reading from the PowerPoint. This means you have to be actually reading the textbook. And if you skip class you will be completely lost on what to study for the exams.
Lecture and more lectures. This Professor loves to hear himself speak. His tests are not cumulative. However, he'll put EVERY SINGLE THING he can on his tests, so theres no room for slacking off. Study guides are okay, but its a lot of material. Dont take if youre taking a heavy course load. You will have no time for anything else.
He's very intelligent. lectures could be boring specially if they are long like 3 hrs. in this class you'll have to read read and read and its alot of memorizations and has nothing to do with him. great grader, kind, respectful, and responds to emails pretty quick. 5 exams total , drops the lowest which are based on powerpoint lectures.
No issues everything clear and safe
Honestly he is one of the better biology professor at the Alexandria Campus! If you are ever confused on a topic or getting a little overwhelmed by the class, just talk to him! He has been one of my favorite professors at NOVA! Yes, his course work is a lot and I took a 16 week BIO 141. However, if you put in the work and study 2hrs daily!
I am a foreign student, my English isn't great but I've studied a lot during this class and got an A. I don't understand why some students think that Prof. Pumpuni 's lecture is boring. If you are interested in what you study, it's never boring. ... and giving attention while he talks makes the course material to memorize easier.
Great teacher, he's an excellent father too, outstanding job Dr. Pumpuni!
Great Professor! Kind of boring at time! I took the summer 5 week course! but both 141 and 142 (so 10 weeks) very difficult, with back to back exams and quizzes. Very time consuming and definitely a lot of studying. He gives study guides for lecture but not for lab (and they are very broad). reads from pp, pay attention he mentions random things.
He honestly couldnt make it any easier if he handed you the A. Go to lecture, take notes, do the study guide. Yea its true that his exams are dense. But every single question is material covered in class and he re-uses questions, verbatim, ALL the time. Also if you ask during lecture do we need this for the exam hell tell you.
Professor Pumpuni sets you up for success with all the powerpoints and study guides you need to learn the information, but it's up to you to learn the information! There is inevitably going to be work you have to put into reading, conceptualizing and applying what you learn for lab and lecture exams. He's a wonderful, kind person to learn from.
Do yourself a favor and dont take this Professor. He failed me in Bio 101, I retook it and got an A!
He is one of the best professors I ever had. - very helpful, willing to explain a topic multiple times - provides detailed and organized PowerPoint-s (almost no need to take notes) - opportunity for extra credit (helps a lot!)
You take 4 lecture tests and 4 lecture quizzes. You have 6 lab exams. He schedules lecture and lab exams on the same day(bs) or in the same week (within 2 days of each other) and they are each on different materials, so exams and lab exams will be hard. You will have to pay attention and study A LOT to pass.
Tough is an understatement. This couldve been a class Id recommend because hes very knowledgeable & labs are fine, but overall his lec & lab quizzes/exams were so frustratingly specific/detailed, sometimes out of scope, and the majority was free response. He has study guides & reuses a some quiz Qs for exams, but for an A, totally inadequate.
I have no idea how he's even getting decent reviews. This guy does not care for his students or their success. If you come to him with the concern of your grade he will do absolutely nothing to help. Plenty of great professors at nova who are willing to give you an awesome science experience. DON'T TAKE THIS PROFESSOR
This a great professor who actually teaches the information and tests you on what he teaches. He is quite knowledgable about the information and gives you plenty of extra credit opportunities, tests, and quizzes which make up your grade. Microbiology is not an easy class, but if you put in the work you can do well!
NO JOKE COURSE. Study hard and you'll pass. Great man, VERY smart, fair, calm, kind, animated. Makes hmslf avail. BIO141 is dense, MUST stay focused to get A. Def taking BIO142 w him. Tons EX CRED! Really good at teaching lecture. Teaching hands-on in lab is not strong suit (unstructured) but you get what you put into it so self manage. Wkly tests
He was very enthusiastic about what he was teaching which made it more enjoyable for me.
Professor Pumpuni is a great teacher. The level of his knowledge is very impressive. Moreover, he makes many challenging biology concepts (like metabolism, genetics, mutation, etc) simple and easy to catch what is not common characteristic among biology teachers. If you attend all lectures, you will be able to make this class.
Professor Pumpuni is a great teacher who devotes a lot of his efforts to his lectures which helps to make this class. He makes challenging concepts simple.
I very enjoyed Dr. Pumpuni's comprehensive lectures which reflect his solid knowledge of this subject. His lectures helped to handle the tests and exams as well as remember the material of such a broad subject as Microbiology. This professor is capable to answer all sorts of questions related to the Biology field. This class was really wonderful
First, he is a SUPER nice guy and wants you to do well. Second, BUY THE LAB GUIDE, he says it's optional but you will wish you had it if you don't (I got the pdf on ebay for like 8 bucks) Third, his tests SUCK. Read the book, pay attention in lecture to get anything above a C. 1/3 of the test is short answer/essay so you have to know your stuff.
Im not even done with this class and I had to come and rate this professor, I decided to take BIO150 last minute so I could do 142 in the fall, this class has been the most stressful and difficult during this pandemic. short amount of times for the tests on top of it being timed, study guides absolutely do not help on tests, just a big no all arou
This is the worst professor I have ever had. He is a very tough grader, homework is very tough, exams and tests are veryyyyyy heavy and long with very short time, study guide doesn't help what so ever, he never answer to emails, and the grading criteria is very unclear and he doesn't discus it. he doesn't grade anything till the last minute!!!
The most unorganized class Ive ever taken. Especially for an online class (during a whole pandemic), responding to emails should be a priority. He replies depending on convenience for him. Its rude, were paying for this course - if he wont teach well, he should at least reply to his students. He also makes the content more confusing than necessary
He is the worst professor I have ever seen. He is not caring about students in this stressful time. His study guide is not helpful. He cut grade without care. Never take this Professor.
He's a great professor. A bit too slow, pace wise, for my liking but if you're learning this material for the first time ever he's the right professor for you. I took him through zoom online in the summer and he was super helpful because he held office hours almost all week.
If you know any better, do NOT take this professors class. He does not explain the lesson well, he gives you a study guide that has not questions relating to the exam, or help you in any way. His lessons are all over the place and I did not learn anything. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!
I've had a lot of bad teachers in my time but this one takes the cake. He assigns SO much work, and yes I understand that biology is a tough course that has a lot of information in it but he doesn't let you have a break. You have labs due every week, you have a test almost every week, and you have textbook chapters that should be read before class.
Very unorganized. Basically teach yourself. Not a good teacher. if you didn't understand why something was he never explained, just asked other people in the class who tried to answer correctly but you all ended up with no precise answer. his own tests never worked so you lost time. had lab groups but always only 1 person who participated
*DO NOT TAKE* His class is a waste of your time and money. He is extremely unorganized, his lectures are an absolute mess, and you basically have to teach yourself. Every lecture he reads power-points word for word based on the textbook. And if you think hell give you a 10 min break during classes, youre wrong.
His study guides are useless, a majority of the questions on his tests are not on them. Each week you are expected to learn so much that it's physically impossible to retain the information in such a short amount of time, and then you have to do it all again the next week. Has a tendency to not answer questions. I learned absolutely nothing. AVOID!
Really nice guy, but Extremely difficult class (to be expected). Grades are not kept up with. Exams pretty much every week. Study guides are not helpful. Tests, homework, and discussions are never gone over, so if you are wrong you dont get the correct answers. Labs and lecture might as well be two separate classes. Test every week.
He is rude. When you ask a question during class he says you are taking his time from teaching & gets mad. His tests are NOT multiple choice. Does not go over study guide or past tests to show correct answers. He also could not figure out NVCC's system well & would waste our class time. The does not get back to you in regards to e-mail.! Horrible!
Is the worst professor of ever taken in my life. He is a very hard grader. Lots of tests and quizzes. Expect you to know things that are not in the syllabus nor in the book. If you even made us come to class or a holiday. Complaints made to the department head and nothing was done. Stay away from this professor. Strong accent hard to understand.
If u need an A so bad, this professor makes it really difficult to attain. There is no clear material to study and the assignments that u r supposed to study for the exams r not graded so u don't know if ur answers r correct. 30% lect exams and 100% lab exams is written, lots of matching and he wants to hear his own voice in ur answers. Memorize!!
DO NOT TAKE HIM!!!!! He does absolutely NOTHING to help his students. He literally just rants, loves to hear himself talk as if we are somehow on the same wave length of knowledge as him, is incredibly incompetent at formulating study guides, keeps you guessing on the material that will be on the test and is absolutely not consistent. Seriously F.
Do not take this professor, he makes the class harder than it is. He confuses you on Lecture and Lab. He overloaded us with information for the exams and he adds other material to the exams. If you want to succeed do not take this professor.
I think any microbiology class is hard. I think he is getting bad scores because people aren't passing. I will say I had to really put in the work to get an A in his class but he really is so knowledgeable and helpful. He welcomes questions and does his best to make sure the material is understood. He is available outside of class as well.
Get ready for an exam every week. They're about 90% short response and 10% multiple choice. The way I aced these exams was by thoroughly completing every study guide (mind you these study guides range from 30-90 questions each and they are NOT one-word answers) and reviewing my answers for HOURS making sure I understood each concept. Exhausting.
This professor although he may be kind is completely unreachable via email, study guides for exams make close to zero sense and may be changed at last minute before an exam greatly distracting a student. Emails take him months to respond if not at all. If you are seeking to learn BIO 142 I recommend any other professor besides him.
Professor is really sweet, lectures go fast. Labs as well, he really knows his stuff and teaches well too. He is knowledgeable and helpful, He is very nice and can talk to him about anything, he wants you to succeed, if you study for the tests, you will do well in the class. I highly recommend him.
Professor is supper caring, His tests are based on his Power points, and give study guides for the exams.,he goes through each and every slide. He does offer extra credit assignments He welcomes any questions. He is very flexible, easy to talk well,He gives you extra time if you need it. He is available outside class as well. I highly recommend him
Professor Pumpuni is the best professor I have had in college. His study guides are very similar to the test material. He truly wants to see his students succeed, but they have to apply themselves. He reads from powerpoint, but he goes above and beyond to explain the material concisely. I would take his class again 10 out of 10 times.
With the study guides he provided and the hours of studying I was able to get an A in both lab and lecture. The power points had most the information and he did not require the textbook. Overall, he was a great prof. Make sure to pay attention to the discussion questions bc they might be on the exams
His pace on lecturing is slow, and he read out loud from the presentation multiple times. The textbook was not required, but helpful in explaining concepts when the presentation lack detail. He responded to my e-mails quickly, and his study guides were helpful. For the lab, he was not always present, but any group could leave early when finished.
He's kind but lectures can be dry, with lots of reading off the board and lots of notetaking. Some group activities during lecture. His accent may take getting used to. Labs are the highlight, featuring weekly group work and occasional lab reports.
Professor Pumpuni's class is pretty tough, but if you stay on top of the study guides and get help from resources like Unstuck ai, you can do well. He knows his stuff, but can be inflexible at times. Overall, it's a challenging yet rewarding course.
Just don't take it. There is far more better professors than him. no matter how much you go over his study guides, the highest you will get is a high c or low b. just take someone else unless you want to teach yourself the whole semester.
READ THE LECTURE SLIDES and understand the concept. He doesn't read anything outside the lecture slides. Most of the exam is exactly like the study guide but there's are a couple of questions that truly you just need to understand the concept, so study outside the lecture slides also. Lab was good; not too difficult, very easy reports after labs.
The worst professor ever. The tests are very unfair. Most of the questions in the test are not based on slides or lectures. Very tough grader. DO NOT TAKE HIM; HE IS THE WORST!
HE IS THE WORST. DO NOT TAKE HIM. HE IS A VERY HARSH GRADER. THE EXAM QUESTIONS DON'T COVER THE SLIDES THAT HE COVERS IN THE CLASS.
Had great lectures and broke things down well. There are group assignments every class, so SHOW UP! He gives detailed study guides before each test, and they are based on the slides he has. Tests are not hard if you study. Lab was fun, and there was barely ever any hw. He struggled to grade things on time and explain tough concepts clearly.
i promise you there are so many better professors out there. he was so rude all semester - no clear due dates, doesn't grade until last minute, the study guide is long asf but the test won't even be on half of it. not accommodating at all... harsh grader, each exam is worth 20% of your grade. dont take him.
Worst Bio Professor I've ever taken.
SAVE YOURSELF
No. No dont take him.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
92%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.18 avg changeRatings by Course
140
5.0
(1)BIOBIO
5.0
(1)NAS162
5.0
(3)BIO295
5.0
(1)MICRO205
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
BIO003A
5.0
NASNAS
5.0
BIO141
4.3
BIO205
4.2
MICROBIOLOGY
4.0