All you have to do in order to do well is sit towards the front, ask questions when you need clarification, be present, and study the night before exams. She's the nicest woman ever. Exams can be tough but she gave extra credit quizzes and provides plenty of other chances to get your grade way up. OPTIONAL FINAL.

I do agree that shes not the best at explaining stuff but shes a great teacher, shes really nice and funny, and helpful and really laid back. I suck at science but I really enjoyed the class and managed to get B's&A's on all of my tests and papers, do the study guide, read the power points on your own, take notes on them and study before the test

Very funny professor. Shows powerpoints that are easy to follow. Puts everything on BB. Final is optional, and replaces lowest test score. 4 total tests, and plenty of extra credit. Lets you go if you finish early. Overall enjoyed the class.

She is very delightful. Her first test is very hard. She did not use the textbook at all. She's very lenient and very helpful. Take her class, study from the powerpoints and the review guide. She's a good professor, strict but reasonable and fair and she knows when to show mercy. Which is nice because I did miserable my first test but improved aftr

I had her for BIOL120 lab. She gave all the information we needed for our lab write ups. I had a 98 in the class. Only 10 labs and 1 project. I would definitely recommend her for lab.

Not an easy A, but she is a very good professor. She goes through all the powerpoints and puts them on blackboard. 1st test is pretty hard, but she is pretty lenient and reasonable. I would definitely take her again. The workload is fair and not that hard. Her class is worth taking though.

Her lab class was pretty easy. 14 labs throughout the semester but you're allowed to miss two without penalty. She's a very easy grader and lab rarely goes past 45 minutes! 'Squirrel' final project is worth two labs and is also not too difficult. Take her!

Such an easy class! 4 tests, optional final and she drops the lowest test grade if you take it, easy online quizzes and short writing assignment. All info is right from her power points- don't bother buying the book. Kind of boring if you're not interested in bio but overall an easy professor, easy class, and an easy A. I'd recommend her.

I couldn't have taken an easier biology lab. She practically gives you the answers to questions that you're unsure of. She takes off the 2 lowest labs out of 14 and theres only one group project which was also pretty easy. Definitely recommend for lab.

She's very easy and funny. Yes, she does move through the power points fairly quickly, but that's only because the slides substitute for the uninformative textbook. They're also available on Black board, so you have access to them whenever you want to rewrite your notes or study. She gives extra credit and tries to make things easy enough.

Great professor. Makes the labs easy and entertaining. its a 2 hour lab and we usually get out in 30 or 40 minutes. Take this class

Great Professor! If she is open, you have to get in her section immediately. No use of textbook at all, all of the information is in the slides. Very Nice and understanding professor that cracks corky jokes now and then. 4 exams that arent that difficult, one 1 page paper and a couple quizzes. She says attendance is mandatory but it really isnt.

Amazing Professor. She is very helpful and gives about 25 points extra credit- wow. 4 easy tests, optional final (I didn't need to take the final, but she gave away all the questions in class). Quizzes are super easy, and she usually picks the best of two attempts, making a 100% score seem, well a 100%. If available, this is THE BEST class to take.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS WOMAN. she is so awesome and nerdy and smart and its a decent class. Even if you don't like bio she makes it fun and interesting. Take it with her you wont regret it!!!

Loved her! She's awesome, would definitely recommend for Bio 120 if you need it for a core. Assignments easy, lots of extra credit. Drops your lowest exam. She's the best

Ms.Partain was one of the best professors I've had at Towson University. She makes sure that you understand the topics in Biology clearly. Even though, Biology is a tough subject, she makes you become interested in the subject due to her clarity and willingness to help you with the concepts in class. I definitely recommend people taking her!!!!! :D

Very easy class. Attendence not required. One mini paper which sneaks up on you, but don't worry if you miss it because she offers 80 points of extra credit in a 500 point class. Drops the lowest test grade if you take the final. Learns names and treats you like a person. Very understanding if you must miss class, especially for athletes! Take her!

professor is very fair, willing to work with you and gives you many chances to succeed. She takes attendance and give a lot of extra credit points. Made Biology enjoyable for a science class

Professor was very fair. Made the class fun and was willing to work with you if you had any issues. Would definitely take another class with this professor.

Loved her! She gave a lot of extra credit and always stopped to answer any questions. Fair grader and an interesting class, even though it was really easy.

I love her!! The easiest Bio class I have ever taken by far including high school. There are 4 units and an exam at the end of every unit. All you need to do is do the study guides and you'll pass. She gives so much extra credit and her test are so easy. Her lectures are so clear and she's helpful. The final exam is optional.I finished it in 30 min

AMAZING PROFESSOR!!! If you have the chance, take her! She makes science interesting and easy to digest. She doesn't want her students to fail so she will help you out as much as possible. Not many assignments but they are worth many points. Use the study guides for the tests and you will do fine.

Attendance is mandatory. 4 tests, 4 quizzes and a literary assignment. Tests aren't too hard if you pay attention in class, theres almost always extra credit.

This class was online but it's still not hard to tell she is a very kind woman. She gives feedback to every assignment. Even though Biology career planning is not a fun course, she tells you whats wrong in every assignment so it can be fixed and corrected. Assignments are long but you will get an A because she corrects you until everything is fixed

She was overall a good teacher, a bit sarcastic if you got on her bad side. Just dont talk during class and ask questions. She is really easy to talk to and gives extra credit by letting you watch videos and answering questions on them. Do attend class and she has in class assignments usually pre-scheduled so dont miss them!

Awesome professor, super laid back and understanding. Attendance was not mandatory during the semester I took her class, but extra credit was given to those who showed up on Fridays. Tests follow the lectures so just go to class and study. Very reasonable, I am not a fan of bio, but she made it a little less painful. Definitely recommend her.

Personally, I am terrible at bio. But she makes it less painful. 4 tests, 4 quizzes, but quizzes you take at home on blackboard. tests can be hard, but the final is optional so if you like your grade you don't have to take the final. She also does not have an attendance policy, but it does help to go to class.

Prof. Partian is amazing. She is so hillarious and cares so much about her students. Very personable and will go out of her way to help. Attendance is not mandatory. She doesn't care what you do, just don't disprespect her or her students. She is my favorite professor ever.

Professor Partain is my favorite. Lab is super easy. Show up. Pay attention. Do your work. Get an A. You can drop your worst 2 grades so you can not show up to 2 classes and do great. Class is always super short too. Like an hour.

Partain was one of the greatest science professors I've ever had. I have taken Bio 3 times before her class and she was the best at explaining everything in detail. She gives a ton of extra credit and she really wants her students to pass. Her lectures can be boring at times but its not unbearable. Really great teacher, I would take it again

For a Biol Lab, I wouldn't recommend anyone else. She explains things well and is SUPER easy. Even for a non-major, it was one of the easiest As of college and she's a very nice woman.

I had Partain for both lecture and lab, she was super nice and genuinely wanted students to pass. She gave lots of extra credit to help our grade and rewarded those who came to class. 4 test and an optional final in lecture. In lab, she drops your 2 lowest labs, labs were easy and instructions were clear. she's overall super nice, JUST TAKE HER.

She is AMAZING!!! I loved having her! If you go to class and listen to the lectures you will do fine! The tests are not easy but she tells you exactly what to study before the exam. She is funny and one of the best professors I have ever had at Towson. I am a Finance major and I loved this class because of her! TAKE HER!!!!

I went to every class but didn't particularly pay attention to her lectures! Pay attention or at least study using the study guides she provides and you should be fine! She is understanding and will work with you. She occasionally gives extra credit to those who show up to class before an exam.

I dropped bio 4 years in a row & finally took it over the summer with Mrs. Partain & it's one of the best decisions I've made in college. Take it from a BIO beginner, definitely take BIO with her, she's clear & concise & shows she cares by adding additional help & extra credit.

She's really awesome, super nice and willing to work with you. Attendance isn't mandatory but she gives extra credit on some Fridays just for showing up. All of her PowerPoints are on blackboard so if you miss a few classes you're fine. I'm not a fan of biology at all but she made the class pretty enjoyable. Definitely take her.

Prof Partain is a very good choice for Bio. I was really worried about this class, but she made it so easy. All notes were posted online. She doesn't take attendance often, but when she does it's only for extra credit. There are also extra credit questions on tests. The final is optional which is awesome. Good prof. Highly recommend.

So so so passionate about her class. Always more than happy to answer questions, and really encouraged an open dialogue with her class, which is a different environment in a science class. Will definitely be trying to take her again.

Overall pretty easy class. Hate biology but it was not bad. Lectures aren't very interesting but the slides are online so you don't need to write everything down. There is a study guide for each test which is helpful. She is very accessible outside of class. If you like your grade at the end of the class you don't have to take the final.

She has us do quizzes and tests, but they aren't difficult and she lets you know ahead of time. Her lectures aren't very interesting, but she goes slow and really gets into detail. She gives out random extra credit and her classwork is easy.

I took this class as a freshman and Partain helped me throughout the entire class. If you have to take 204 take it with her.

No textbook. Do not need to go to class necessarily because all powerpoints are online. Fairly easy 4 tests and smaller graded quizzes/classwork. Very nice and funny. Not too heavy on the science.

Professor Partain has to be one of the best professors I've taken at Towson. Not being a science major, she makes everything so clear and easy to understand. She's also really funny and sarcastic. Doesn't grade too hard. I took this class during the summer, and there were 4 exams/quizzes and she gives you a review sheet. Take this class!!

Im Not a science major. Took her class during summer, very nice and easy professor. Show up, study the guide before test and you will pass. Not hard at all. During summer there is 4 test. Take her.

I had Professor Partain for a summer Bio class. I am terrible at Bio but she made it so easy to learn. She has a great sense of humor and she is extremely understanding. She has no problem going the extra mile if you need help with something. If you are not good at science and need a teacher that is easy to talk to she is definitely your go to.

Took this over summer. Pretty easy. Never took notes or bought the book. Her study guides are very helpful. She is incredibly nice and understanding and will do everything reasonably possible to make sure you do well. Three tests, not cumulative, and quizzes online. There was not a lot of structure to her summer class, but I still recommend her.

It was her first time teaching a summer class so some things changed around often. However, she worked very hard in being fair and taught the class as best as she could. Study guides were helpful depending on how much you put into it. Funny professor. Had 2 assignments besides quizzes. I definitely would recommend taking this class with her.

Never been a huge science person so I was really intimidated by taking a college level biology class. Sound like you? Take Professor Partain's class, she's a great choice! We don't use a textbook, just her powerpoints that she puts on blackboard. Chill, doesn't take attendance, and is very clear. If you show up, take notes, & study, you'll do well.

Nice professor, always gave extensions, and was nice in giving feedback where you needed it. Sometime she takes a while to reply to emails but she the better bio 204 professor tbh. Just take her and do your work. I did my work the night before and passed

Attendance not mandatory although she does give out small assignments randomly that do count toward your grade. Posts all lecture slides on Blackboard. Quizzes are very easy and exams are memorization heavy but otherwise very easy as well. I had no problems in the class, but others did and she answers most questions in a pretty confusing manner.

Much easier than my high school bio class. Take her!! 4 quizzes and 5 tests including the final, but she drops your lowest test grade. Attendance isn't mandatory but she does give extra credit on random days. Easy A!!

Easy A if you go to class. Attendance isn't mandatory but you'll get an A if you go and study a little bit for tests. She gives extra credit on tests and just for coming to class. Usually bumps grades up if they're close enough and works with you if you need it. Take her!!!

I loved Professor Partain's class! She has powerpoints online and they're pretty self explanatory. She has the study guides posted at the beginning of each unit so I suggest taking notes on the study guide because there aren't really any surprises on the exams. She's super understanding and attendance isn't mandatory. Easy A.

Easiest class I am taking this Spring. Her criteria is easy and simple. Take her for lab.

Professor Partain is such a nice lady. Class is somewhat lecture heavy but her powerpoints are available on Blackboard and she's good with answering questions! Tests can be hard (she'll throw in fill-in-the-blank and/or essay questions) but as long as you study you'll be fine. No textbook.

This class is easy if you just put some effort into it by taking good notes. There is no text book and she lectures off of her slides every class. Some things she says are not always clear but she is easy accessible outside of class for help.

There are weekly labs that almost never last the entire class and she drops the two lowest labs. There is an independent project towards the end of the semester but it is easy as long you follow the rubric she provides.

I had her for BIO120 lecture and lab, you can tell she really enjoys talking about biology and is passionate about helping students understand as well. Would highly highly recommend!!! Also the lecture power-points are online and for her labs they usually last from 30 minutes to an hour, was never there the entire time. She's also hilarious!

For a bio class it was not that bad. There are some quizzes (all online) some discussions (in class) 4 tests and a final (which is optional and can only help you). She is a nice lady and you do not need to buy a text book she makes all of her lectures which you can download and view at anytime.

Very easy biology course. 4 tests and an optional final, one quiz and discussion per unit. Go to class and study the slides for each unit and you'll do great! She is very sweet, and gives study guides for each test.

She's great. There's a total of 4 exams (one for each unit). The final is optional, if you do take it, she'll drop one of your lowest test grades. The class time is all lecture based. There will be days that you have a quiz for the unit, but you take it at home and it's open for 24 hours. And other days are for discussions based on the unit as well

Ms. Partain is so nice! She gives LOTS of extra credit. If you remember any BIO from high school, pay attention, and study a bit: you should be fine. Theres 4 unit exams with one cumulative final, and she drops the lowest out of those 5 (so you don't have to take the final). There's also a few online quizzes and in class assignments.

Professor Partain was amazing, she was the first person who actually helped me understand science and that to me speaks wonders. She offers her powerpoints online after class in case you miss class but try not to miss class because her lectures are more understandable. No book is needed and her quizzes are very easy her test are mediocre.

As someone who is not science oriented AT ALL, I can say that Partain makes biology super easy and enjoyable. All her ppts are online so going to class isn't really necessary and her tests are relatively easy as long as you study more than 30 minutes. She also makes lab fun, not boring. If you're not good at science, take Partain.

Partain was a great prof. She gave us a bunch of EC opportunities. Tests were pretty easy. No homework. Online quizzes very easy. Attendance isn't graded, but she gives EC for attendance on certain days. Gives study guides for tests and all PPTs are posted on the first day. Would absolutely retake if I had to take another BIOL class

Class consists of lectures from powerpoint, which are available on blackboard so its easy to follow along. Quizzes are online, tests are in class. She gives study guides which are pretty close to the tests. Study the study guides and you will be fine. Gives extra credit a lot, and is overall a very understanding person. Definitely take her!

She gives very detailed power points so missing class isn't really that much of an issue, but she will give extra credit frequently on Fridays so go to class then. There are not many grades, 4 discussions and 5 exams including the final. If you aren't there for the discussions you can't make them up but they really aren't hard.

This is a great professor. She gives a lot of notes and she makes it easy for you to pass the tests. There are 5 tests and the last one is optional because she drops one of the tests. There are 4 quizzes and you can take them 2 times and then it will average it. She also gives lots of extra credit. A good bio120 teacher to have.

This class goes by a schedule: Lecture, open note online quiz, group project, exam, with some more lecture spread in between. She has study guides that really help for the exams, and she'll drop your lowest exam grade at the end of the semester. In my class, she gave extra credit just for showing up on Fridays since people skipped a lot.

I do not understand the bad reviews for Partain. I had her for Bio 120 and it was very easy even though I usually struggle in biology. If you show up and pay attention, the class should be very easy. She even provides a study guide for every exam. She gives extra credit to students who come to class often. She is an extremely nice lady!

I personally didn't have a problem with Professor Partain, she was a solid professor, makes it easy to pass, I'm a 2.0-3.0 student but I got an A in this class. Show up, pay attention to lecture, complete the occasional assignments (readings) review your notes for quiz and tests, you'll be fine. She was always kind and nice when we interacted.

I have no doubt that Professor Partain is an amazing professor w/ in-person learning. However, in a pandemic, she is not that great to try to get in touch with or schedule any office hours. Also, her teachers assistants are pretty useless & do not help explain anything at ALL. P.S. Attend every mandatory meeting as there will be an assignment due.

Love her. She is hilarious. All tests are completely based off her lectures which are recorded and posted. 4 exams and optional final where she drops the lowest score. Each quiz you get two tries. Only thing that sucks is group work, but you'll manage. She is also really understand and pushes due dates back if everyone wants it. Does live reviews.

Most of the grading done is either classwork or exams. Theres quite a few exams, and small quizzes, but if you follow the lectures, almost all of the information is covered. Classwork can only be done and finished in class so its not a bad class so long as you go. Shes pretty hands off so be wary of that.

There were a variety of assignments (tests, quizzes, video questions, class worksheets), so there are several opportunities for points. Took this class fall 2021, so our quizzes were online & tests were in person. Appropriate and much-appreciated amount of extra credit. The class worksheets sometimes felt irrelevant to the topic. Solid professor.

She will pretty much tell you what'll be on the exams in class. The Blackboard page is super clear and easy to follow, and I liked the variety of assignments. There were the unit tests, video questions, unit quizzes, and group activities which were easy. The final is optional and replaces the lowest exam grade. Lots of extra credit. She's fair.

Not a bio major, but I really enjoyed this class. Lots of info and lots of lectures, but everything is posted so you can go back. Prof is very knowledgeable and understanding. online quizzes most weeks and 4 exams (worst 1 is dropped) and some group assignments. Kind and funny, wants to make the class enjoyable.

Very nice professor. Our assignments were to watch movies or read books and write journals or make memes about them--it was a nice break from my other classes. The term paper was rough but that is expected for an honors class. The topics covered were interesting and engaging.

I liked this class, she teaches off of PowerPoint but they are easy to follow even at home. She doesn't respond to emails in a timely fashion. Attendance isn't mandatory but I definitely recommend going because she gives pointers for what will be on the exams. Exams are easy if you follow along with the material. Optional final exam :)

I really liked Professor Partain. The course was very easy to understand, just make sure you study for the tests. She is very lenient and understanding. If you need a biology course this is definitely the one you should take.

Prof. Partain was a lovely professor. TSEM can be a relatively stressful class for first years but Prof. made it as calm as possible. A 10 page paper is required but, she's incredibly helpful all throughout. Class is also super fun and I looked forward for It as it brought peace in the middle of chaos. I definitely recommend taking her for TSEM.

I enjoyed this class, it wasn't too hard. All lectures were posted online. Lots of opportunities for extra credit, including just going to class. A few quizzes online in your own time. Only 5 tests + the lowest test grade is dropped. She's chill + funny. Tests can be difficult though, so studying is crucial, but if you actually try, you'll pass.

Professor Partain posts her detailed lectures online and provides a review guide before every test. There are 4 online quizzes, 5 tests (including final) AND she drops the lowest one, some in-class activities, and THIRTY available extra credit points. The negative reviews are because those who take her class are not interested in biology.

10/10, would take again

If you are at all interested in biology, this is a good professor. If you are not, maybe not so much. She has great lectures and is very honest and funny if you pay attention. If you participate, she is lenient with extensions and discussing grades. Not a lot of written work, but 5 large exams (you can bring a notes sheet for each exam). Study!

Super funny. A little unorganized, though. She forgot we had class one time (?) and takes a while to grade, but she's very lenient. Maybe too much so, bc some kids definitely take advantage of her. Makes me feel bad bc she rlly is sweet. She got our class Olive Garden breadsticks and came up w pretty fun assignments. I'm taking her for BIO 208 soon

Great Professor, Easy grader, adjustable with deadlines.

I loveeee her she's so funny and sweet. It's a fun class, we just watch movies and read books and talk about the science in them. We watched/read a lot of the original versions that I probably wouldn't have seen otherwise. You have to present once and write an end of term paper. Then write thoughts as you watch/read along. 10/10 recommend!