Dr. River is a great professor. You do have to get used to his accent and attend class everyday though. You will also have to read the book everyday and study everyday. The material in the class is not very challenging, what makes the class difficult is that there is a lot of material to cover in such little time.

The accent takes getting used to, but considering I understand the ideas he's trying to convey despite this means he's good. I read the critizisms. The student probably failed and is stupid AF. He or she should blame themselves. The course is structured and designed very well. If you want to truly learn, take it with Dr.X.

His exams are really complex so your understanding of the material needs to be very clear. His class is very demanding because you need to read the book everyday and keep up since he covers about half a chapter a day. Overall though it is very intense he is very good professor and he will make you learn biochem.

This professor makes his tests a challenge and you will indeed need to study to do good. You will need to read plenty and learn it well. Overall he is not a bad teacher, but his tests are mean and you will need plenty of study.

This class will actually make you learn biochem. I spent the day before each exam reading the all chapters in the library on the 5th floor until the library closed. You HAVE TO read the to do well in this class. Also DON'T miss this class if you wanna do good. To get an A you either have to know your biology, or bust your butt!

If you want to learn biochemistry , you need to take this class . You have to know your biology. exams are hard but fair. If you read the book you will do well in this class

Very organized lectures. Clear assignments. You have to read ahead to do well on the in-class quizzes. He does curve but tests are very challenging.

It has been the hardest class I've taken at UTEP. He really cares about his students. However, his accent made it hard to understand, so go to the lectures prepared. He does curve a lot, 75 A. I got an A, but you need to stay on top of your game, do the online homework, do well on the in-class quizzes and read before class.

Very tough class, but the daily quizzes and exams are fair. A thorough reading of the lecture material before class is the only way to succeed in the class. Knowing definitions and understanding his "Do you know the following terms?" slides are absolutely necessary to pass the exam. This is the one class where you will truly *earn* your grade.

Very, very tough class, but the daily quizzes and exams are fair. A thorough reading and understanding of metabolic pathways before lecture is the only way to succeed in the class. Knowing definitions and understanding his "Do you know the following terms?" slides are absolutely necessary to pass the exam. Get ready to work hard and learn A LOT!

He is a great professor! He is hard and all, but at the ned it is worth it because you will actually learn. He cares about all his students and he is a respectful professor. At the beginning of Biochem 1 he said not to call him Doctor because that is just a title, but that he would like to earn respect with time and with his knowledge. And he does.

River is perhaps one of the most inspirational and motivated professors at UTEP. Although the class is challenging, it allows you to put everything you have learned as a Science major into practice. You will have to read and study a lot, class participation is required, but I guarantee you will not regret taking this class if you are interested.

Besides the very interesting topics, Dr. River method of teaching made me really understand and learn the material. It did required a lot of time and effort, but Dr. River is very clear about this since the first class. For a regular student is not impossible to get an A if you fulfill the requirements. I highly recommend him if you want to learn.

Very tought class, but absolutely worthwhile. The content and the pace make this class challenging, be ready to spend a lot of your time studying for this class. If you really want to learn, take him!

River is passionate about his field. If you care to pass and work hard he will work hard with you. His slides tell you the key words he's focusing on for the test. BioChem is not an easy A. You will have to study and read and review each lecture to be ready for the test, the grade will definitely reflect your effort.

Dr. River provides specific/honest guidance from day one. If you don't devote time to studying outside of class, expect your grade to reflect your investment. Dr. River is extremely helpful & available to answer any questions ANYTIME. Great preparation for a medical profession school. I am now in PharmD school & still study his metabolism slides.

He is very organized and passionate. Excellent teacher, he motivates you to earn your grade. All the quizzes and PLAs helped to stay on track with the class. His exams are not easy, so you have to study very well to get a good grade. If you read the book and do PLAs you will be fine. The slides help a lot to study for the test.

Excellent teacher, he motivated me to think and aim for full understanding of the subject. His quizzes during lecture helped to be present and on time to class which was a benefit. He is pasionate, inspirational and open to help with questions. Great teacher! You really learn. Take biochem with him and you will like the subject.

Simply one of the best professors at UTEP. He is clearly passionate about the subject and will go above and beyond to make sure you understand. I lovedthe class and the work ethic and dedication of Dr. Xiao. The content itself is a lot so you should be ready to dedicate a lot of time to this class, read ahead of time, prepare for quizzes, etc.

This class was definitely a challenge and you cant expect to coast your way through, but Dr River cares about his students and his passion for the subject really shows. He really goes above and beyond in his effort to motivate students and encourage them to be the best they can be. This class kicks your butt but is well worth it.

Tough subject, but the quizzes kept students engaged and PP slides were helpful for test preparation.

Be prepared to read before every class. He does take attendance using i clicker questions and in class questions. He most definitely knows what he is talking about and is a great professor all around. Do not think the class is easy because he does make you work for your grade, but it is definitely possible to pass the course.

He is a very passionate and caring professor. Few like him in all the university. He respects his teaching philosophy and pays attention to what he covers and puts on the exam. It is a hard class but it is definetly doable. He actually asks students for feedback every semester so he can improve. He is always available.

This is what I call a real college class. All I will say is that if you get an A which is very tough to earn, you really know your biochemistry. Goodluck!

Great Professor, you need to read the chapters and attend the class to pass this course. The PLA's are important but really do your best on the quizes and exams. Xiao can really work with you if you have any problems and he does cut-off grade but you really need to study and put in your part 110%. You will also need an i-clicker for the lecture.

Dr. River is one of the best professors I have had in college. His class is hard and you have to really improve your study skills to do well in his class. He cares so much about teaching that he asks for feedback from his students every semester. He is available for his students, is very inspiring and pushes you to do your best!

If you want to be in the medical field where you need to know your stuff (i.e. doctors) this is the teacher you want to take (gr8 for MCAT) he is really thorough. If you don't read don't expect to pass. You do need to put in the effort to get the grade that you want. If you have questions he is great about office hours also v responsive to emails.

This class requires that you read the textbook thoroughly! You cannot rely on lecture alone. Dr. River is very clear on his grading system and is excellent at keeping students up-to-date on their grades. He cares deeply about his class and puts a lot of thought into how it is structured. If you're looking to be challenged, take biochem with River!

Dr River is an awesome professor, but not for the lazy at heart. He makes his expectations clear and expects students to put in the work. Hes very fair and his passion for the subject is evident. He cares about students and will do his best to help you understand, but is by no means lenient. Awesome professor and super inspirational!!

Professor River's Biochem courses are among the most difficult for science majors, however, if you're interested in going to medical school, I would definitely recommend taking his class. This class will not only set you up to do well in postgrad but also prepare you very well for the MCAT if you plan to take it. Don't be a slacker-it'll pay off!

If you want to excel at your MCAT, then you need to take Dr. Xiao's biochemistry classes. My MCAT score is 518, and I attribute my score to the high standard that Dr. Xiao (River) set for the class. You will have no life, and you will study and sleep with the amount of reading. But if you want to get into medical school, this is just the beginning.

Very fair, very hard, you will learn if you get a B or an A.

River has been the most difficult and best teacher I have taken at UTEP. He is fair, passionate, and caring. Passing is easy, but it is NOT an easy A. You will get the grade you work for. Read the book, watch the videos he provides, review the quiz questions, do the PLA, and start learning the structures of the amino acids

Dr. Xiao's lectures are mostly review this class is difficult because he challenges you to read the book and learn the material your self. However, he is available to meet with you and is always willing to help. He will have your exam score ready by the next class period and you will always know how youre doing in the class through balckboard.

Dr. Rivers BIochemistry 1/2 classes are amazing, especially if you are premed! If you take his classes and do well you will absolutely not need to study Biochemistry for the MCAT which is a huge load off considering its a huge part of the test. If you do well in his class you have learned how to learn and will be ready for Grad/Med school.

Dr. Xiao's class is really hard but if you want to learn this material by heart for standardized exams you should definitely take it with him. I found Biochem 2 material more interesting than the biochem 1 and the class was much more intimate than the first. Overall I would recommend this class if you really want to learn.

The class is challenging and Dr. Xiao will push you to enhance your learning techniques. You will need to work hard a read a lot! The summaries at the end of the chapters are great for mental maps. I recommend reading the chapter before class and if you are having trouble I recommend approaching him. He is very helpful.

I took both parts of biochemistry with this profesor and learned the material as well better studying skills. Biochemistry is a complicated subject For any professor to teach, but Doctor Xiao pushes you to until you understand and use the information in the future, not to just pass an exam. He understand that hard work is needed to succeed.

I took both Biochem classes with Dr Xiao and they are challenging. The material he goes over in class serves as a summary for the topic. People expect for him to pass on the knowledge just from the lecture and never read the book and teach themselves the concepts like a college student. Those are the people that end up with bad grades in his class.

Dr. Xiao make it hard to get an A but not difficult to pass if you follow his advice. Reading the book is essential for his class and he recommends to read the lecture before coming to class which can be difficult to keep up with but will definitely help a lot with your studying. Highly recommend him if you are taking MCAT or exams of that kind.

Let's just get to the point, if you care about Medical School/Graduate School his class is necessary. The difficulty resembles the MCAT and he leads the most thorough class UTEP's biochem department offers. If you don't care about retaining information after the class is over skip it. It's challenging, but it actually has a purpose and he cares.

Dr. River is hands down the best professor I've taken at UTEP. He genuinely wants you to learn. He always emphasizes it, but his lectures are just review. You will not pass just going to class. You need to read the textbook and do the homework. Go to his office hours early on because he's very willing to help you out if you are struggling.

Yeah, Dr. Xiao is a difficult professor. But if it was not for his biochem 1-2 courses, I wouldn't know a thing about biochem. He's thorough, prepares you for professional schools (i.e Med, Dental, Vet, Pharm), and forces you to study.

Dr. River is the best professor I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I was extremely fearful of failing due to the horrible comments I had heard about him. His class is very difficult IF you dont study or read. You have to earn your grade. I believe whole heartedly he is very fair and you get what you earn. He cares about his students.

Dr. River truly cares about his students. For his class, it is very important that you read the assigned textbook chapters before the lectures. Dr. River is always available to his students. He challenges us because he cares about us and knows we have the potential to do more. Keep paddling!

He will be tough but if you want to learn take his class.

Biochem I and II are both heavy courses, but Dr. River is a great professor. He encourages his students to learn how to study rather than just giving them answers. He is very caring about his students and makes it his purpose to help them prepare for their future careers. Be prepared to read, comprehend, and review, not just memorize the material!!

Dr. River is an excellent professor. His class is challenging, but structured to make you learn Biochemistry well! He cares about his students and is very responsive. Many of his reviews state you have to "teach yourself," which is great! Self-learning is an invaluable skill to have in the world and it is important to develop it.

River starts the semester by saying he is not the best teacher for everyone and that is true. For me, he helped me by pushing me to figure out how I learn and to do it on my own. Self teaching is an essential skill that he pushes hard, but really makes you learn biochem. He is a great professor for those willing to learn and put in the effort.

This isn't an easy class, and it shouldn't be. The content is difficult, no matter what professor you have. Dr. River's teaches you how important self-learning is. You can't just memorize for this class, you have to learn, and you will! If you are aspiring to go to any sort of graduate school, take his class!

I took biochemistry 1 and 2 with him. I got an A in both classes. If you are not ready to put effort and time into this class, DO NOT TAKE IT. I needed to study like a week for each test. See the slides to know what material to focus on. Usually, the last slides would connect all the materials. Understand the material, DO NOT MEMORIZE.

Dr. River isn't a conventional professor. He challenges you to understand the material, not memorize. He inspired me in CHEM3330 to change my learning methods which helped for CHEM3332. I have grown as a student because of him and hope to take what he taught me (not only biochemistry) as I further my education. Be ready to paddle in the river. :)

Your grade will reflect how much time and effort you put in the course. I would not recommend this course if you do not have time to read the chapter outside of lecture. The A in this course is not impossible but challenging and requires effort. I would definitely recommend taking this course if you plan on pursuing higher education or med school.

My first impression was "i'm going to fail". The first exam i did horrible, after i met with the professor, he gave me great feedback on my studying methods which helped me get better grades. He's difficult in a good way, he will challenge you to do better. In this class you WILL learn not just memorize. overall, he prepared me for the real world.

Biochemistry is a HARD subject and Dr. Rivers wants his students to learn the content well. If youre a UTEP premed this class is a must take. To succeed I recommend this: read the chapters, review slides before & after class, draw out pathways, and search answers for quizzes in the book not online. Rivers is there to help, be brave and study hard!

Dr. River has high expectations for his students. This is likely the most important subject in your undergraduate. You need to be challenged if you want to master the subject, and mastery will provide you with a serious advantage in the market. Dr. river will do everything he can to help you learn and improve. learn for your future not your grade.

Great Professor! Biochem in general is a hard subject! River challenges students to learn! take his advice from the beginning, dont wait till you fail the first exam. you can definitely pass!Study hard!if you dont know how to study he will teach you. i loved this class bc i actually learned something. Overall I would take Profe River again!

He is one of the best professors I have ever had. you will definetively learn a lot. He would help you as much as he can so you can have a good grade. He makes sure that you learn everything and also get a good grade at the end of the semester. As long as your exam grades are average or below average you will be ok.

He is tough and expects more from students than other profs; but he ushers you to do more self studying as a way to prepare you for your career outside of college (which works !). He is available for help and reaches out to students who seem to be needing assistance. Overall it is a class which is greatly dependent on your skills as a student.

Most people will say Dr. River is a bad professor, and if you are mediocre you are probably one of them. If you want to go to medical school or pursue a PhD or be successful in the science field you need to work for it . Yes his class is challenging, it's biochemistry duh, but it's not impossible just get things done and study with time.

Dr. River is aware that his class is difficult. His priority is teaching long-term, for example, he stresses a lot on how he hopes to prepare you for future careers. If you want an "easy A" this isn't the class for you, you will have to work hard even to receive a C. But, he is still the best CHEM prof I've ever had.

Heed his warning and start paddling the first day of class! Many students put it off and complained it was too hard. I paddled early and it was smooth sailing at the end of the semester. DO NOT purposefully fail the first exam, try hard on the first 3 so you don't worry about 4th. Read the sections before class and it will be clear. Apply yourself!

Biochemistry is a difficult class. I took it twice with different professors. The class is challenging because of the topic not because of the professor. To do well in the course, you must read one subsection a day, do all PLAs and quizzes and do not skip class. Attendance counts for grade so it's a great boost. Read the sections before lecture.

A lot of people don't like this professor, but I enjoyed being challenged every day by this class. He encouraged us to study hard and apply ourselves, he is definitely preparing me for grad school. Definitely take his advice at the beginning and start studying the material. Read the book, make flashcards on his important topics, study early!!!

Though most people did not like him, I thought he was really good. I feel as if his matter of teaching is tough-love. It motivated me to do better with this class and others. There is a lot of reading, so keep up with the readings! The material is hard and he provides the tools to pass, you just need to utilize these tools.

This class will help you decide if you are supposed to be in STEM. River's class may be hard, but that's because you need to put work into the class. The real world will not give you anything, and River prepares you for that. Read the book and try your best.

Dr. River is a though grader and he expects you to actively learn. Although many people did not like his teaching style, he is such a great professor. Dr. River prepares you for what grad school or med school is going to be like. He makes sure you do not find a way to cheat which is good since he pushes you to do your best and actually learn.

The course I took with Dr. River was the fyris lab. One think I will emphasize is that he does care about you learning the material. It took a lot of hard work to earn an A. It is not an easy class. You must do research and study. I am not continuing becuase I switched majors.

A lot of homework. He calls out students at random to question them. The tests are hard to study for. I got a B on all of the exams. He gives you the option of not taking the final. I didn't take it because I couldn't make an A. He only gives letters of recommendation to his top five students. He has everyone ranked by number from first to last.

Dr. River's course is difficult but not impossible. He gives you all the tools to pass it. You must attend all lectures, read, and study (hard). There is a curve. I hated this course, but only because it made me work very, very hard. The lecture wasn't helpful, but the book and studying on my own got me through.

tough class, but it is fun and interesting. it is mandatory to attend. be ready to purchase an iclicker+ remote (allows iclicker app, but eventually you'll need the remote). read ahead of class and study way before exams.

CHEM 3332 is intense, however, he does his best to guide you on how to pass. His lectures are crammed with information, but he stresses asking questions and giving him feedback. There's not much slack on grading criteria; extra credit is limited, so you're entirely accountable for your grade. Not an easy professor, but a great one overall.