CHANGE MAJORS to take Armour-- Hard, but BEST professor ever!

Summer School with him is worth it! Throw away your book!

He rocks!

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Very entertaining, GREAT teacher, but GPA buster. Well, if you're lazy...

First of all, really enjoyed his class. At times the material came fast, but its expected. Well worth it, great professor!

I took mamm phys and endocrinology with Armour over the summer...total ball-buster but well worth it. Be prepared to write like a maniac because he zips through lecture. Take his class if at all possible, you won't find a better prof. anywhere!

Fantastic. Complete and excellent lectures, very detailed. Exams are very critical thinking oriented, so rote memorization wont help. Humorous and gives everyday applications. Glad to see an enthusiastic professor!

He's one of the coolest science professors I've ever had, he made learning fun but his tests were hard.

His class is hard yet fair. But maybe that's just me. He's a cool guy. Pay very close attention to his lectures because this guy is fast especially during his summer classes.

The best freaking class at UCSD! He is awesome! Lab reports are hard but the class is worth it.

Very hard class, but he is nice and knows his stuff

Very difficult exams. I found him hard to talk to but that's more my deal than his. He did help me trach my rat when I asked him to. And he helped our group perfuse our frogs a lot. Overall, a nice guy who crams a lot into lecture.

It is the best upper-div Bio class I ever took at UCSD. The material itself is very interesting...although it is a lot of work.. he is pretty reasonable with midterms and final. He doesn't pull out stuffs out of no where. overall, your grade depends on how much work you put into it...yes..and going over lecture notes is huge plus for the tests.

he's cool and knows his stuff... will actually take the time out to sit next to you and talk, even if you don't want to. VERY nice guy. makes the class fun and enjoyable even though it's a lot of work. probably the best class i've taken at ucsd

Straight up gangster!

Though it's one of the hardest, most time-intensive courses, it was also my favorite, and Chris (Dr. Armour) was among my favorite profs.

He does go over everything required for reports and tests in his lectures. Pay attention. If you have questions, ask before the report is due or before the tests. The TAs rock! This is the hardest but best class I took at UCSD. I spent a lot of time on reports so you may want to take a lighter than normal class schedule when you take this.

Chris is one of THE BEST BIO PROF @ UCSD!! His classes were the hardest courses @ the school but the best taught there!! He's helpful during office hours and always willing to explain things during lab!! Take an easy load if taking the lab bc the reports will kill you!! Start studying his material from the beginning of the quarter and throughout because he gives a lot of material and his exams resemble Med School level exams!! An even greater person outside of class... writes great letters of recc...

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By far BEST professor at UCSD period. Clear, concise, and most importantly, organized. Nicest guy ever and more than willing to help or even just to talk about his MD/PhD experiences. Lab is fun and laid back, but beware of the final cuz it may kill you. Take his class if you wanna learn some worthwhile stuff!

Both Mamm phys I and the lab will be two of the hardest classes you will take at UCSD, but Chris is by FAR one of the best teachers you will ever have in your educational career. He is SO intelligent but never condescending! You will never forget the material you learn in the class, even if it tortures you while you're there!

Amazing professor. Fast pace, but clear. able to hold my attention for 3 hours. Tests are difficult but not impossible. Do the homework, know the lecture notes well, and do the reading if you have time. Reading is the least important, he will never test you on anything he didnt talk about in lecture. A.S. lecture notes are great, def. buy them

Phew... hard class because it is information intense. But, Armour really is a great teacher. One of the best lecturers I've ever had. Just be sure you're up for the challenge.

great prof, fast pace but very clear and organized. writes on board, doesn't use powerpoint or overheads. tests are hard but within reason. book kind of sucks, way too longwinded. just know the lecture notes and hwk problems very well and you'll get an A.

GREAT PROF! altho a lot of info are thrown at you in lectures and lab reports literally take DAYS to write up. TAs are very helpful and usually labs don't take up all 5 hours. ask your TA a lot of questions during lab b/c they're the ones grading your work and you can use what they say for the discussions part of the reports.

Great professor. Taught me physiology as an undergrad, and now that I'm in medical school, I wish that he were teaching my medical physiology class. I recommend this professor above all others.

Pretty tough class, make sure to take an easy qtr if you're taking it! Labs take forever to write up, finals are pretty much impossible, but one of the best classes taught at UCSD.

Awesome. The absolute best physiology professor at UCSD, and one of the best professors I've ever had. He's very concerned with students' learning and takes his job very seriously. Everything you've heard about the difficulty of this class is true. You have to dedicate an extraordinary amount of time on the lab reports, and the final is difficult.

Both the best professor you'll take at UCSD and the hardest. Summer classes are intense and he blasts through the abundant amount of info like speed racer. Not an easy A class, you will have to work your ass off for it. Don't fall behind.

Interesting class. Lots of time spent doing homework and lab reports. Very long and difficult final.

Amazing professor. Very friendly, insists on being called by his first name, approachable and reasonable. The best part is how well he lectures, going to them is necessary.

He's a very laidback and cool professor who can actually teach. However, his lectures are very fast-paced, so it can be hard to take notes. Labs are fun, but the lab reports take about a week to do. Final is very intense. Way too much work...

Professor Armour also teaches at the med school, so he really knowledgeable about his material. The class requires you to know and understand the various processes so you can apply them to different scenarios. The textbook is also not very helpful, maybe except for the pictures and diagrams. Everything you need to know is in the lectures.

hella easy (if you arent a lazy tard). He thinks his tests are hard but they are actually really simple with a few little "tricks" that are meant for weeding out idiots who cannot read the entire problem/follow directions. It's really not that bad, although the lab is alot of tedious work. Great teacher though, hes pretty badass.

People tell you not to take mam phys lab because it takes over your life. But with Chris, the labs are interesting, and his lectures are very clear too. super helpful and friendly. the subject itself is pretty difficult. Be ready for his final. Very long and in detail. but everyone loves chris! ps. he invented the preamp. how cool is that.

All the information you need from BIPN 100 is given in lecture and in the course packet. His midterms were fair but his final was ten times more difficult than the practice final. I know several people who left that final in tears. The midterms were very similar to the practice tests but make sure you study even harder for the final.

An awesome class that will make you learn BIPN 100 all over again. Chris makes you earn your grade, so if you plan on slacking or just sliding through, expect a C. The labs are easy, but the write ups can take a good 20 hours to do. Long final but do able if you go to lecture. Chris is a great professor and I wish he taught every phys class.

Awesome professor! His class was VERY fast paced but he made the material very clear. His tests were fair, he made you work for your grade, but I learned a lot. I almost always read books for a class but I never had to use it for him. Just take thorough notes and you'll know all you need to for the tests.

Best prof I've ever had. Learned more in this class than all others at UCSD combined. Experience almost killed me.

COOLEST GUY EVER!! Insisted on being called by first name. Stayed with us in lab ALL 10+ hours every week. Always sat with each group to socialize and clear up any questions. Class is EXTREMELY hard, his final is ridiculously LONG! For a lab class of about ~100 people, he had to roll his finals in on a hand truck in multiple boxes.

He's a God,period. I've never met ANYONE SO smart before. He did undergrad at UCSD(Revelle, bioengineering). He has MD+PhD, which I believe he also got at UCSD. He has the record in UCSD history of graduating with the MOST units. He worked as a janitor and a firefighter before. He invented nearly EVERY MACHINE we used in lab. Therefore, he's a God.

Lab reports are easy if you don't put them off to the last minute. The final was easy but very, very long. You are so focused on the lab reports that you forget about the final. It is worth just as much as all the lab reports. STUDY FOR THE FINAL. DO THE PACKET HE GIVES YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS. IT IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE FINAL.

Everyone says that this guy is a nice person, but beneath that kindness there is an intense egomaniac. The class is made hard just so he can say it is. Remember this and suck up to him because he may be more helpful then. Don't pile up extra units this quarter and don't expect any favors from him. It's all dog eat dog in this class.

Very good professor, Learned a lot about physiology. Works you hard, but if you put in the time you can get the results. Would not recommend this course if you have a busy schedule. But if you want to learn a lot take him!

Most rewarding but time consuming class. I definetely learned ALOT from him. Very detailed lab reports, I put in probably 40hrs/wk for this class and got a B, but I'm sure an A is possible if you don't have a crazy schedule like i did. Definetely take easy classes w/ this lab, but it's really worth it. Chris is an amazing teacher, very nice guy.

Ok, I am a chemistry major and this was lab #8 for me. Saying that, I did not think this lab was that hard. You just have to know how to write lab reports. And if didn't know how to before, this class holds your hand and leads you through. Definitely learned a lot and had fun at the same time. Chris is a VERY good instructor.

Great teacher! Notes are very organized and easy to follow. One of the best lecturers I have seen. Tests are somewhat tricky but study and you'll be fine. I wish he taught Mam Phys all year long! I waited to take it in the summer just so that he would be my professor.

very insightful and clear in his explanations

Took the course in the summer. He is a GOD compared to Fortes. Lectures are focused and organized. He draws everything on the board. Emphasizes concepts, not structures. Exams were difficult but curved (you only need to do better than your peers). Nice guy. Very approachable during office hours.

Also took him during the summer and so glad I did. He knows his stuff and he tries his best to help us too. Since the materials condensed, it takes a lot of stamina to stay focused during lecture. DO NOT take another rigorous class @ the same time. Do ALL the problem sets/tests beforehand and if you don't understand why you're wrong, ask armour.

He's probably one of the coolest professor i'll encounter in UCSD bio dept. I practically went to all his office hours, I regularly attended 2 sections run by 2 different TAs and their office hours (I had no life that summer) but it was really fun and interesting! Dr. Armour definitely makes you earn your grade but it's totally worth the horror.

Chris is one of the best professors at UCSD, hands down. He's friendly, caring, and a great instructor. The only thing is that his class is one of the hardest classes I have ever taken.

BIPN 105 is def time consuming. You need to go to all the lectures and labs if you wanna do well. That being said, Professor Armour is extremely helpful, funny, and makes taking this hard class very enjoyable. He's extremely friendly, knows his stuff, and is very willing to help his students in any way. The final is KILLER. so make sure you STUDY

He definitely knows his stuff! TOP NOTCH BIO PROFESSOR! Since its summer sess, he goes through it really fast. He only lectures on what you will be tested on, and he lets you know if he's talking about something that you won't be tested on. The material is very intensive, YOU MUST PUT IN THE TIME TO EARN YOUR GRADE.

Oh boy, where do we begin? This class is widely seen as a rite-of-passage for UCSD pre-meds with prospects of medical school. Your ability to cope with the prodigious amount of work being thrown at you will be put to the test incessantly. Don't even dream of skipping a single lecture, review session or section in this course.

Armour by far has been my favorite biology professor. I took his class during the summer session so it was lots of information crammed into such a small period of time but he went through it very gracefully. He is very clear on what he expects you to know. Take down ALL HIS NOTES and be sure to review constantly. Overall, his class was great!

Armour only teaches this during SSI; it's a lot of info to cram into only 5 weeks, but it's definitely doable. Attend every lecture, take meticulous notes by hand, constantly review them, attend discussions, and you're set. Textbook isn't needed, he tells you everything you need in lecture. Tests are extremely fair. He's a great professor!

This class was honestly the hardest class I've ever taken... but SO WORTH IT! I learned so much and seriously developed my critical thinking skills.. almost wish I'd taken it before the MCAT. He works as hard as his students so they respect him! Only writes letters of rec for people who get an A+ though so work hard

This was by far my favorite class and professor. You absolutely need to attend lecture and sections but if you commit to studying the lecture notes, section notes, and problem sets, this class becomes 20x easier. I got an A and still managed to take another class. He is crystal clear and also gives real-life applications.

Dr. Armour knows his stuff. Definitely take John's lab!!! He is a beast when it comes to physiology. He may be tough but that's what a curve is for! Just pay attention to detail. Like make sure if you say "too much," you don't accidentally spell it like "to."

This is the hardest class you will take in undergrad. Expect sequential all nighters, and tons of critical thinking! If you are a typical UCSD memorizing drone, avoid this class. You learn a ton, Chris is an outstanding professor, and John is an AMAZING TA. Whoever wrote that comment about him is obviously mad that laziness doesn't reward A's.

One of the hardest classes you'll take at UCSD. John is a great TA. Probably 90% of the reason I got an A in BIPN 100, and probably just as big of a factor in my survival of this class. The failure who complained about John probably barely passed BIPN 100 since a lot of the concepts are from that class. Attend and record all the lectures.

Take hand written notes during class and record every single lecture on your phone. Following lecture, re-listen to your recording and add to your notes. All the physiology for lab reports comes from lectures, so use your notebook when writing discussions. Lab reports 60%, final 40% (KNOW ALL DETAILS FROM LECTURE, LABS, AND PROBLEM SET).

HAVE to go to lecture and take notes, does not podcast but the lecture goes pretty fast so use your phone to record the lecture and go back to fill in the gaps. Starts and end the lecture on time-- fills the whole lecture, normally don't let out early. Exams are pretty hard and often test on details not emphasized during lecture

Dr. Amour is the best professor I ever had at UCSD in 4 years there. He is passionate about the material, insanely knowledgable, and really cares about forming relationships with his students and helping them understand physiology. I don't have enough good things to say about him. BIPN 105 is a lot of work, but it's also interesting and rewarding.

My favorite biology class taken at UCSD. He really knows what he's talking about and gets you interested in the topics. He takes more of a medicine spin on physiology and even if you're not interested in medicine it provides a wonderful angle on things. The class is a significant amount of work but I learned so much that's been useful in everything

He's a very good professor, he actually teaches at the school of medicine so he knows what he's talking about. The class itself is quite difficult. His exams really test your understanding so make sure you understand everything rather than memorizing them. Very knowledgeable and respected, highly recommended!

Took class during Fall 2020. Grade was based entirely on worksheet assignments. Lectures were pre-recorded, and had 2 parts: one part on conceptual material and the other on lab experiments. I HIGHLY recommend going to his office hours asap; during them he would help work us through understanding the mechanisms behind the data in the lab lectures.

3 HW (super easy & 2/3 are group hw) + 1 final (hard, long, detailed, cumulative, rec: study from 1st day of class) = 40%, 4 individual lab reports (20% each, pretty easy, go over physio w/ ta or professor, did day b4 and got As and Bs), 1 group lab (15%, super easy), symposium (5%, group presentation, easy). TA and prof super accessible anytime.

The best professor I have ever had throughout my undergraduate, medical school education. He is an inspiration to all undergraduate students and aspiring scientists. His dedication, passion and teaching is truly amazing. A master at his craft, and also has a caring and great personality. Still remember his physiology lab as it was yesterday...

2 solo and 1 group lab report. 1 cumulative final exam. The TAs grade the lab reports, but Armour gives the instructions for each lab. Read lab manual before lab to get a head start. The practice problem sets are like the exam, so use them to study. Ask questions during lab.

Human physiology is a tough class. Ther

Professor Armour is no doubt knowledgeable and passionate about physiology. HOWEVER, this class takes 15-20 hours a week on top of the 10 hours of lectures. . TThis class is taught like a medical school class (probably because Dr. Armour is a medical school professor), Overall, a great professor, but the class kind of consumes your life.

im js glad i passed this class tbh. lab reports are graded SO DIFFICULT. i advise everyone to consistently go to OHs. i went to OHs for the last individual report and i scored a 97% even tho i've been stuck in the 55-75% range for other reports. this class genuinely took 5yrs off my life tho... final exam cooked EVERYONE 💔