2.3
Quality4.1
Difficulty29%
Would Retake163
Reviews29%
Would Retake
163
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
17
3
21
2
26
1
75
What Students Say
“Overall an enjoyable class”
BIOL107 - 5.0 rating“Study guides are not available”
BIO107 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
55%
Textbook Required
17%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
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+0.15 avg changeRatings by Course
BOT308
3.4
(8)BIOL107
2.3
(115)BIO107
2.2
(37)RENR120
1.5
(2)BOT205
1.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
RENR120
5.0
BOT205
5.0
BIO107
4.2
BIOL107
4.1
BOT308
3.4
Reviews (163)
Changed assignment/exam weighting week of midterm without warning. Couldn't trust him when it came to study as he would tell us explicitly to study A and then test B. Answers questions in riddles - extremely frustrating trying to get help. Insane work load. ***DO NOT TAKE IN FIRST YEAR FIRST SEMESTER
Really hard course because we had no idea how we were going to be tested! Damian constantly changed things throughout the year, didn't clarify anything, and posted incomplete notes on to eclass which made it really hard to study. Would suggest not taking 120 with him, if you have to at least don't do it your first year.
Very helpful 1 on 1, great personality, friendly, super smart. Textbook was dumb but had good pics. Tests were reasonable, no surprises or tricks. TA (Carla) was a gem. They were both great at walking around and helping students find structures. Prelab quizzes were kinda dumb but often retroactively gave back marks. Labs were fun but long.
Great class, I enjoyed it a lot. Labs are fun, and he's really helpful. The exams were well made for the content we learned, and he taught it really well
Came in really scared with zero knowledge of Botany, but he was really helpful both in class and during office hours. Feel like I bugged him a bit too much, but he was really receptive to my questions. The labs themselves are pretty chill and the exams are really fair. Thank you Dr. Cirelli!
If you are not ready to learn all the stuff by yourself, dont take this course
Damian was a pretty alright guy. I was very very nervous going into the midterm because of the huge difference between lecture content and participation questions. His ePoll questions had little to no correlation with the lecture material we literally just covered. His midterm was fair though so I have let those quarrels go...
BIO107 is an extremely content heavy course and his lectures drag on without captivating any form of curiosity or understanding. He talks a lot in lecture about things that are "interesting" but you don't need to know. Exams are HARD. Study guides are not available. From personal experience, he's completely useless when reaching out to him forhelp
Up until the final, I believed the course was pretty fair and reflected what was said in class. However, when it came to the final he only tested on random facts and topics he said in the lecture that we did not need to know for the final. As well, the lecture notes are not helpful when it comes to understanding concepts.
Honestly the worst lab coordinator ever! Never available, ignores emails makes the content way too difficult and overall just haven't heard anyone say something positive toward him
Did not enjoy this prof. He was unhelpful and had extremely long unengaging lectures. The tests were unfair and mostly tested on random information. There was no study guide and he spent a lot of time in class talking about things that didnt really matter.
I'm not sure what was worst, the skeleton slides (diagrams with little-to-no annotation), the South Park references, or his tendency to say "Proteins can be used for transport, but you need to know all the other functions from the textbook." Just be glad he uploads the lecture videos, even if not on time. (Dropped due to scheduling)
The professor overall seems nice and funny at first, but will not take criticism or give you help when you disagree with something and provide good evidence to it. His lectures are bland and he likes to ramble about the knowledge that will not be on the exam. YOU MUST LEARN EVERYTHING YOURSELF FROM THE TEXTBOOK.
By far the worst Professor Ive ever had. His lectures lack engagement and his notes do not help. You will need to teach yourself everything from the textbook as the lectures and notes do not help with much. Tests on specific things he says that cannot be found in textbook or notes so be sure to write down everything he says.
In my opinion, the people complaining about Damian's teaching are ones who have never been to a higher level university course. Yes, his tests require more understanding than if you were to memorize the notes he gives. You have to enhance your understanding by skimming/reading textbook sections. His lectures are boring, but doable.
Damian is very kind and funny. If you have taken higher lever courses, you may be able to do very well in this course. His style: Skeleton slides with long lectures that are hard to follow bc it is hard to tell what is important. You might need to transcribe all his words in order to know whats important. Exams are quite abstract NO memorizing!
Very accommodating to online school. Takes a lot of time editing zoom live lectures to be posted later and is frequently on discord to answer questions. The class has a lot of content but it is fairly straight forward if you keep up with it. Overall thought he was a great prof.
by far, he is honestly the best prof i've had for online. his exams are a bit different and more abstract than memorizing, but they were also open book. he is one of the few professors i have noticed who actually tries to help make the transition to online teaching more endurable.
I would not recommend this proff if you rely on their notes. His notes were not helpful at all; he would test you very difficultly and based on random things he said in class that were not mentioned in the notes. His quizzes are fairly easy, but his midterm and finals are way too hard. Studying his notes won't guarantee you a good mark.
don't take this prof AT ALL. his notes are absolute garbage, there is barely anything on the PowerPoint slides and everything that's tested is what he verbally says. The final was horrible, he blames the students for getting horrible grades when he just doesn't know how to properly explain concepts. This is coming from a straight-A student.
Read the following excerpt from Professor Cirelli in the discord chat: "rely on spoonfeeding all the way through your professional degree and then realise that your grades are worth exactly **zilch** when you must resolve situations on.." He refuses to take responsibility for poor teaching. Exams and midterms ridiculous and unfair.
he would be a good prof for higher-level courses but for first year bio he needs to chill with his exams. there was no preparation for how hard the tests were going to be. Made us believe that the exams were going to be easy when in fact they were quite the opposite.
Worst Prof of my first year and easily so. His tests were abstract, his notes useless and wandering, and his format terrible. If you are someone who is very visually focused, this class will be almost impossible unless you are willing to read the entire textbook, as everything important you need to know he says in lectures but NEVER writes down.
He is a very good and kind teacher if you listen to his tips and tricks. The tests were focused on the concept/processes more than memorization. He is not a tough grader, and is not hard headed and recognizes when there is a mistake on the test. His lectures slides do not have much information in them but he does explain (its just not written).
His notes are very barebone, had to watch some lectures twice to get the important information. Not accessible by email, didn't reply to any of my 5 time-sensitive emails this sem. Very funny and lectures are enjoyable, but when the final exam average was super low he sent a long and condescending message claiming that few of us studied.
Presents skeleton notes in unengaging lectures. Makes a lot of weird and random unfunny jokes/references. I stopped attending and just used the textbook. Very unresponsive to emails. Insists on exam question types that are not compatible with eClass. Has a chill demeanor. Can be incredibly condescending at times (eg. response to low class average).
Cirelli is a pretty relaxed professor. His exams are very abstract and although he says "don't focus on the details" you should 100% focus on the details. Whatever specific example he refers to in his lectures, remember that because it'll definitely show up on the test. Regardless, he does a good job of explaining the concepts in a concise way.
Damian has engaging lectures and is overall a good prof. The only critiques I have is that his exams are unconventional (and thus confusing) and, despite what he says, they focus on specific details and examples that he's mentioned in his lectures. So definitely make sure you're paying attention to that.
Terrible prof. Changed our midterm format two days before it was to be written. Told us we would have the whole day to write it but neglected to mention we needed to start at 9:30 for some reason. When I messaged him to get access, he sent me a condescending reply implying I was lazy and was not acting in accordance with my goals.
He is a super nice guy but has terrible notes. Does not post notes before class, just post old notes and has a bunch of slides missing from what he is going through. His notes are super bare and barely have words describing what is going on just diagrams. Doesn't record lectures, or post practice exams.
Doesn't do zoom or recorded lectures, and is not totally clear about what is going to be tested (he says everything is important). He is very knowledgeable in the course material however doesn't always explain things clearly. No skeleton notes, just incomplete PowerPoints. I would avoid if possible.
Absolutely run away from him at all costs. He has a lot of knowledge in the course, but has absolutely no idea how to teach. His lectures contain practically nothing, and his tests focus on the smallest and most abstract details you wouldn't have even thought to know. This class literally made me switch my major because it made bio so unenjoyable.
Prof Cirelli refused to offer zoom classes or anything for students who missed classes for health/medical reasons which made it really difficult to succeed in the course. There were virtually no assignments besides the exams so everything was weighted really heavily and he often had to retcon questions from the tests because everyone would fail
Test questions focus on tiny details. Knowing the main points is not enough to pass. His lecture slides are difficult to follow. I stopped trying to learn from him two weeks in. Instead I learned the main points on Khan Academy and YouTube, then looked to the lecture slides to see if there were any seemingly important points I was missing.
This professor is very underrated! Yes, for a 100-level course, this class is a lot of work and information but the prof does an incredible job at explaining things and is more than willing to help out if you ask. Memorization won't get you far, you need to truly understand the concept and how things work, do this and you'll get a great mark!
It is possible to succeed if you study, given all the information necessary the lectures were not bad. This class is not about memorization, you must truly understand the concepts. My only complaint is that he is fairly passive-aggressive when taking feedback/criticism and does not really seem to care about students.
Explains everything clearly and breaks down the more complex topics to be easily understandable. Heavy emphasis on applying knowledge and not so much on memorization, but all application questions are fair and generally easy if you understand the topic.
He's a nice enough guy but just not a good teacher. if you miss a class, you're screwed because he doesn't post completed notes in eclass or recordings, and there are in class one question surprise quizzes that count towards your grades. It is very difficult to keep up if you miss anything, which isn't fair to students.
I went into this class having averaged high 90s in past bio courses. His lectures teach you nothing, but you have to attend because he has random 1 questions quizzes. He has no skeleton notes and only provides incomplete power points. When you ask questions he is condescending, and if you attend office hours he is not helpful. Study your textbook.
AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS! he is very unhelpful when answering questions and just reads off incomplete slides. some of the slides just have pictures and no explanations at all. He acts as if we should already know the new content that he is teaching.
cirelli definitely IS NOT THAT BAD as others here say... but he is by the very definition what you would call mid. textbooks are nottt really needed i did just fine barely looking at it. just go off the notes he provides
I mainly used AP from high school to help me. His notes are skeleton-like, not enough detail if you want to go back and review. He also doesn't put practice problems for midterms and the final which didn't allow me to find a good review method. My advice is to read the textbook, write a lot of notes down in lecture, or take a different prof.
Dr. Cirelli was an engaging lecturer, but his slides are not very helpful so take notes on what he says! I found taking textbook notes to be very helpful. He tests heavily on examples, so pay attention!
I thought he was quite good. He does a very good job of explaining concepts and answering questions. His lectures are great, although this slides use a lot of diagrams, as opposed to written notes, so it's important to come to class, listen, and take notes. But I think his teaching style is very good, and he is easy to learn from in my opinion.
his format of exams is a joke. worst midterm ive ever taken in my life and im 20 credits away from graduating... AVOID
Worst prof I had first year. The way he scales the grades is ridiculous even when the average is low, an A+ isn't even a thing. His slides have pictures on them with pretty much nothing else. Tests are either abstract application or a very specific reference from the textbook that he easily could've included on the slides. In short, just don't.
Damian Cirelli was a nice guy, and he ansered questions if you had them, but he was a terrible teacher! His slides consisted of useless diagrams, and examples that do not apply. His exams were unfair, as the answers were either related to something ver specific to something he briefly mentioned, or something he said you won't have to know!
This teacher made bio my favourite subject in high school and turned it into my least favourite; his lecture notes include no information and are very confusing to read. It consists of random diagrams with no information. The tests format is absolutely ridiculous, as it has no relation to what is learned in class
This teacher doesn't know how to teach. His lecture notes are completely useless, and they consist of random diagrams with no notes. There's also no expectation of exactly what to know for tests, and the midterms are ridiculous because they have no relation to what is learned.
He's making me rethink my entire program. The way that the midterms make no connections to anything he "teaches", I say this with air quotes because he can't teach, period. Reads off his lecture notes and makes no sense; "4 and 8 because 2"?? The entire lecture hall is failing, his position as a professor should be criminal.
Really bad at teaching. Material was interesting enough but the slides SUCKED, barely any information. Exams were almost all application questions that he did not demonstrate how to approach, and focused on tiny details unrelated to the slides. Office hours were largely unproductive and he wasn't super respectful to learning struggles.
I was skeptical about taking him due to the reviews, but I guess the reviews are wrong. His way of teaching is old, he uses the blackboard and has no slides. The only problem is that the exams use words I cannot understand, lol. Apart from those, he is actually a nice and caring professor. I don't know what those other reviews are yapping about.
Great professor. If you come into the class with knowledge of botany, you will do fine. If you come with no prior knowledge, expect to work. The final exam was genuinely *fun* and I had a blast doing it. Useful practical skills to learn and build upon. Don't listen to the other ratings, they're from pansies (Violaceae, ha!) that expect to coast by.
Definitely not the greatest professor but he makes it clear on the first day that his slides contain minimal knowledge and that the textbook is mandatory. With an intro bio class, there is a TON of content so he goes fast without going into too much detail, the textbook making up for that. However, his slides definitely should contain more info.
I switched out of my biological sciences minor after this class. Do with that what you will.
The textbook is needed to pass, his lecture slides include almost no information
The prof seemed knowledgeable but had little notes and the lectures seemed random.Most importantly when I had missed a midterm instruction he emailed me back implying I was lazy and would never succeed. He knew nothing of me or my life but chose to pass judgement. I never had a prof so unprofessional. I truly hope he is kinder to future students.
Mumbles A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Coming to class doesn't do anything. Would NOT recommend
I am not the type of student that expects to coat by I do all the practice exams an study a lot throughout the semester. His exams are just plain unfair! I work so hard memorizing just to barely pass the exams because we are tested on tiny details.
Wished his lecture slides contained more information, spent his class essentially teaching myself with the textbook rather than his notes. He does let us know that textbook is required at beginning. His tests are ridiculous due to the fact that they often test you on minor details.
Literally the worst prof in the uni. His exams are so irrelevant to his lectures, info so useless and he goes through them so fast you cant even understand or grasp anything. I spent DAYS studying for the midterm, memorizing every minor detail, just to end up with some random questions i never seen or heard about. Genuinely the worst.
When I got into university, by no surprise, it was more difficult than high school. I never expected what would come out of this class. I have never hated something more in my entire life. This man does not know how to teach. He is not a good teacher and I dislike this class very much. It has crushed all my hopes of pursing a career in biology
He obviously knows a lot about biology but his slides contain many out of context pictures with little information. You will need to read the textbook in order to understand what's on the slides. The tests are DIFFICULT, containing very specific information that we don't discuss in lecture. You are mainly graded on these tests, except a few quizzes
No matter how much you study his notes or attend his lectures, every moment spent is truly a punishment. He is not helpful, not his notes nor his ability to answer questions. Exams are full of trick questions, and depending on his notes feels directly detrimental to your grade. For the love of god, please just read the textbook.
He writes exam questions designed to trick students into picking the wrong option, and they are almost all conceptual application questions that have never been discussed in class. On top of that some of the slides he shows in class are missing from the digital slides he posts but you are not allowed to take pictures or record his lectures.
Very average professor Reviews are a bit too harsh, he cares about what he does and has enough passion to pass it onto his class, with enough respect and fun for me to come back every lecture. While notes are minimal and tests are hard, what do you expect, this is university lol. He does what he can and with a textbook its easily passable.
Don't take his class. He mumbles and is a terrible teacher even though he seems to be knowledgeable. His exams are ridiculous because of how hard and irrelevant the questions are. He will test you on the most obscure topics and details. His class was a joke and you'll spend most of your time confused.
hard tests but good lectures respectful as well and clearly knows his material and is interested in it! you do not need the textbook if you show up to lectures and take notes on the slides posted
he's setting you up for failure don't take his class💀💀 Slides have no info at all and he rambles about irrelevant things
Most people absolutely hated him, and I can see why, but he only thing I REALLY wish he'd change is his testing methods. His test are very application based and focused on the bigger pictures, but doesn't teach that in class (only the details, which are also tested on). If you can, avoid taking this class with him (especially if you enjoy biology)
In high school, biology was my favourite subject, up until I took his class. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, but his lecture notes have no detail on what he actually tests. He doesn't put helpful information in his slides, and his tests are extremely difficult. In my opinion his testing methods did not reflect well on what everyone learned.
Lectures aren't recorded and he doesn't make any answer keys for the practice midterms/finals. The slides that he posts on eClass are different from the ones he shows in lecture. There will be a diagram that I find helpful, only for it to not be in the slides he posted. Midterms test on the most random things that set you up for failure.
Classes can be interesting but he doesn't spend a lot of time on important things in the exam. He'll say "this won't be important for the exam" and then go on and on about it, but then spend a few seconds on important things. It's a very content heavy and it doesn't help his exams go into the smallest details.
Slides are vague and unclear. He just rambles on and on about things that aren't even tested, and spends no time on important material. Lectures aren't recorded, posted slides are different than the ones he uses, practice midterms and finals have no answer keys given, and little to no feedback is available. Don't waste your time and money on him.
I think that Professor Cirelli is a great professor, the course load is just really heavy. Be prepared to be doing a lot of studying outside of class. He advises at least a 1 hour and a half of studying notes from class. If you don't you might struggle. Overall, the Professor does a great job of explaining, the course load is just heavy.
Damian Cirelli is alright as a professor sometimes. In some lectures he does a good job of explaining the content, especially the content about photosynthesis and cell resp, but for majority of lectures he rambles about unrelated content that has no use for the course. His midterms were extremely difficult and the questions had terrible wording.
dont take his class. exams dont really make sense, his lectures are boring, slides have no info, the textbooks barely help because of the way he makes his tests. he makes his tests so that HE can only answer them and just overall hard. drop out of his class even if it's your last option
It's not at all impossible to get a good grade on his exams if you take notes of what he says. Personally, I struggled a bit because I lacked discipline and didn't study often. If you review your notes consistently you'll be good! And Mr. Cirelli's a really chill professor, he was always happy to answer questions, so dont be afraid to do so!
Oh boy, where do I even start? My biggest advice is to NEVER take one of his classes! His slides are useless with little info, his tests are VERY difficult with random facts & application questions, he mumbles during lectures, etc. Cirelli's most common phrases are "similar but different," "hopefully that's confusing enough," & "that I don't know."
his notes are so vague, and he tests on the little details mentioned once in class. he contradicts himself and just rambles about random things. save yourself, never take a class with him, he curves an A to 94%
He is a very nice man but he likes to test on things that are barely covered in class. Also the midterms and final are very tough
Frustrating experience with Cirelli. His teaching style was confusing and disorganized, leaving me absolutely lost. Lecture notes were never explained clearly, as they had minimal/nonexistent info. Need the textbook to teach yoursef. Tests consist of trick questions!!! If you like biology, DON'T take his class. Not suitable for a 1st year course!
Incredibly difficult exams. The midterms were very difficult, but the final was absurd. The information that you're expected to know far exceeds anything that is taught in class. The lecture slides are almost entirely diagrams and lack so much explanation and information. Under absolutely no circumstances should you take Cirelli.
Cirelli's class was definitely the hardest out of the 5 classes I had in the first semester, however that isn't to say it's impossible to do well in his course. Midterms and finals were devious in terms of difficulty but everything on it was technically in his slides/said verbally. I personally never used the textbook and did alright.
DO NOT TAKE CIRELLI. Lectures were hard to follow, and the notes weren't helpful. Exams were filled with unexpected trick questions that focused on tiny details he didn't cover in class. The only way to do well was to read the textbook on your own thoroughly. On top of that, he wasn't very understanding or respectful of student's struggles.
pay attention to what he says because he will put tiny details and tidbits on the midterms/exams. the textbook was my saving grace when studying for the final because he offered no practice/review resources besides one past final exam with no answer key. slides were very minimal as well. nice guy but def would not take again, ruined bio for me
would not recommend at all. lecture slides are nearly useless except for small almost-irrelevant details that you need to memorize for exams. you had to basically memorize every single thing in the textbook. the final exam is unfair and very hard. if you have no other choice, preread before lectures and write thorough textbook notes
DO NOT TAKE CIRELLI! I'm normally an A student, and I've never struggled so much in a class, considering it's an INTRO-level course. He does not curve anything even if most students are failing. His lectures were unclear, the slides were bare, and the test questions were evil (especially in the final exam). Save yourself.
Cirelli's teachings were purely off the slides. There was minimal explanation. A few of the examination questions were worded unfairly, which deterred a large portion of the class from getting it right. This would later be addressed in class after the exam. Overall, the course was okay. If I had invested more time I could have done better.
Seemed to simply read off the slides and give only a short explanation after. Can at times seem like a nice person, but at others he can be quite rude, even insulting the class about the majority getting a specific question wrong on the second midterm. Grades heavily on hyper specific details about things. Not an enjoyable prof. Do not recommend
Dr. Cirelli isn't as bad as he is made out to be. Its difficult course in general, and he does sometimes rush through some topics but if you put in a little bit of effort to make sure you understand everything you'll be fine. His exams are difficult, Id say give yourself at least a week to prepare. If you want to put in the effort you'll do good.
Never in my life, have I met a difficult prof like him. I wasted my money and time on a course that I could have taught myself better. Practice Midterms were nothing like the actual exam, I felt scammed and betrayed. Attendance is mandatory because the notes are vague.
all I have to say is A V O I D !
Threw me into a state of genuine despair. Slides had minimal information, knowledgeable about topics but explains them too quickly in a disorganized manner or goes off on tangents. Exam questions were loosely based off slides or were hyper specific. Released practice questions with no answers "for our own good." Take the course with another prof 😕
I would highly suggest not taking this prof for biology 107. His slides are super bare, have little to no information on them and useless pictures. His test questions were random, only tested you on fun facts he said for 2 seconds and sometimes not even related to course material or general understanding. Im pretty sure the final average was 40%.
Do yourself a favour and PLEASE avoid him at all costs. His lecture notes: terribly vague and unhelpful; his tests: extremely unfair as he tests the most unreasonably cliche things related to something briefly mentioned in class (not on notes/textbook). The wordings on his on tests are also horrendous, and he does not speak clearly in lectures.
He is a nice person, and he answers questions, but his lecture slides contain very little info, and his tests are very specific and not very related to lecture material.
Don't do it. I had a 96% in Bio 30 (got 90% in the diploma) and ended BIOL 107 with a 79%. I started off strong with a 90% in the first midterm but the final was horrible. I got 61%, I don't know where he gets his questions. It made barely any sense.
Horrible. If want a good grade go away. Like literally bro doesn't know how to explain. Final was better but still.
READ THE TEXTBOOK! the slides are very vague and contain complex diagrams with minimal explanations, if you're not jotting down everything he says you'll miss out on the majority of content from the course. exams were very wordy and contained trick questions. practice questions and exams were not posted with answers. :/
How I got A: understand slides, diagrams, do sample tests, conc on the difficult, testable material. Understand big picture, then details (use videos). Most suggest memorizing the textbook, but I skimmed and skipped to prac q. Make q's or generate w ai (helped A LOT) get rlly g midterm and lab marks bc final is TOUGH. Don't skip class! GOOD LUCK!
Adding to other people's ratings, diagrams in his slides differ from the ones in the exams. MC in finals are longer than A-E. Recommend studying the quizzes before an exam as some questions from the exams were in the quizzes. Doing well in the lab assignments will contribute to passing the class. TAs are older students and they typically mark fair.
Cirelli isn't as bad as people say he is. You don't really need the textbook, except maybe for the quizzes. The key to do well in this class is to always be actively listening and to annotate his skeleton notes with everything he says. Make sure to attend every single lecture, because missing even one is costly.
Go to class, and actually lock in! Read the textbook, get help and clarification if you need! His tests can be tricky especially his final was disgusting el o el. He seems very sweet but he can be your enemy girl.
Do NOT take this class even if the other classes fill up. Taking his class just seems like he wants you to fail. He gives no help for preparation on exams. Going to his lectures he just expects you to know every single concept. 80% of the things he talks about isn't even on the midterms. If you're in his class, better start praying.
This class made me think I was dumb but I am actually a genius
ADVOID ADVOID ADVOID
very very interesting and quirky guy... never met another professor quite like him
Really wanted to get in to another prof but he was the only one available. I can see why now, don't let his demeanour fool you this man is a super villain in disguise. Bro will not give answer keys to midterms practice midterms and tells you not to ask for them. Slides are a couple of words,CLASS IS NOT CURVED,told us we need to put in more effort
doesnt give answers to sample midterms. notes are terrible, they dont explain anything its just a whole bunch of diagrams and youre expected to know whats happening. participation quizzes are dumb and irrelevant.
I took this class with him after having friends warn me about him, but unfortunately I couldn't switch out. His notes are awful and get ready to spend several hours a week watching YouTube videos or reading textbooks trying to understand the concepts. He also doesn't give an answer key to the sample midterms he provides…. Super super great… not.
avoid if possible - Mike Harrington is 100% better
AVOID! I know I sound like a stereotype, but plz listen. I'd rather fight a gorilla then take him as a prof or bio in general. Course is very lecture heavy, but he could have given 1-2 stupid questions but NOPE. Exam would have things mentioned briefly and was so hard like bro this is an intro level course. He prob thought we all want phd's in biol
MT1 avg. 63.8. MT2 avg. 57.7. Don't know final avg. Lecture notes are vague and must be heavily annotated. Lab is manageable. I've taken plant bio, animal bio, genetics, ecology and many behavioural sciences, but left this course overwhelmed and as if I unlearned the subject. I suggest avoiding this course with this prof if possible.
I didn't think he was terrible as the midterms were somewhat reasonable and the notes are ok if you annotate them and take time to understand them. But after midterm 2 things went downhill, he would spend a lot of time on one subject and then speed through the next. Final was diabolical. I would not recommend this prof, get into another class.
Damian Cirelli teaches his lectures well, but his class is unbelievably difficult. Midterms were above average difficulty, but aren't too bad if you studied. The final exam was horrid, extremely hard with things we never learned. Slideshows required lots of annotating, difficult to keep up or understand if you miss class. Professor himself is nice.
Make sure to come to class LOCKED IN AF because the notes are pretty much BARE without the additional info that he adds during the lecture. There's a LOTT of annotating that needs to be done but most of the time he talks pretty fast or expands on uneeded topics. Midterms seemed pretty okay if you studied but the final was horrific. like goodluck fr
He posts practice exams but doesn't give us the answer key for "our own good", so how will I know what I did was correct? Also, he doesn't believe in curving grades even though the class average is always horrendously low. Do yourself a favour and switch out NOW IF YOU CAN!!!
Teaches with absolutely no cohesion whatsoever, speeds through topics without bothering to link them together or present them in a way that student will actually understand. Midterms and especially the final are not reflective of course content whatsoever, infinitely harder than Harrington's tests. Avoid this guy at all costs.
How does this guy still have a job here. This class is infinitely harder than harringtons. I don't know how he comes up with these final questions. Avoid at all cost.
Lectures were unhelpful and tests were not very reflective of what was learned in class. Lab will save your grade if you put in the work however.
Midterms resembled high school difficulty (I don't know why everyone's malding lol) and the final was ok. Some of the questions on the final are just fun fact trivia questions, but if you acc go to lecture you'll probably answer them just fine. The midterms are exactly what you learn in class. It asks what something is and u answer it.
I thought he was a very by the books professor. One thing that was not great was the fact that lectures arent recorded or live streamed so in the event that you could not make it to class and you have no friends then its ggs. Tests however were fair, and I found the midterms easy. The final was meh, and grade brackets are large and easy to get an A
He's really not as bad as people say he is, but there's a lot and he can't teach it all in class so you definitely need to go do work outside of class. Some exam questions are kinda odd, but other than that, he's a pretty nice guy and is kinda funny. Most reviews definitely exaggerate, he's not a bad prof.
I'm more of a science person, took bio 30 AP etc. He's nice but a BAD prof. I personally found the lectures unhelpful with little to no content but tested on his lecture notes?? He talks fast, hard to understand, doesn't post the answer keys for practice exams (says we should know the answer), and doesn't record lectures. Avoid him if you can.
his midterms and final were genuinely not bad. i just didn't study enough so I did bad. fully on me. had i properly studied, i would have done well in his class. his teaching style isn't ideal, because if you miss any classes you're cooked. but he is not as bad as everyone says. he is a very kind person, always willing to help and answer questions
JUST DONT. Trust
He's not that bad in my opinion but you really have to study consistently.
Cirelli hates his students trying his best to make it as miserable as possible for them. For such a lecture-heavy course, no videos are provided as supplementary material to study from. He tries his best to put as little as possible on his slides so good luck if you miss a day. Final exam was a joke. None of his students respect him. AVOID.
Egotistical prof that hates his students and spends more time about talking about his research and interest rather than the course at hand. Before taking him I though he wouldn't be so bad. Now I can conform that all the negative reviews are all valid and 100% true. PAYCHECK THEIF. AVIOD.
if you're not religious, choose a religion and pray.
Cirelli isn't a bad prof, biol 107 is simply a difficult course. If you have his type of humour (dry) he is absolutely hilarious. His exams are fair (doesn't mean easy) and going to lectures is very important if you want to do well in his class, I wish I had better attendance, though everything is posted online.
i am not the kind of student that slacks off and genuinely put so much effort into this class. Its like he intentionally wants his students to fail and puts in effort for the exams to be unfair.
I genuinely just cant with this professor
I belive Cirelli has changed up this year, his midterms were SO easy as they were lower than highschool level questions. He also has slides so you did not need to pay attention or attend, however in lectures he would explain in more detail which I personally appreciated as some of his slides were a little confusing without context. Cute cats too!
Maybe he changed something from previous years, because his midterm exams were very fair and representative of course content. His notes are sometimes a little bare, however during lecture he explains everything in detail and in a way which puts everything together and makes sense. Overall an enjoyable class.
I was so scared to take this class for my first semester of uni after reading the reviews but don't be. (taken I haven't taken the final yet) He enjoys his work and teaching, and is very open to questions. Active recall in class (not for marks). and midterms were average - only down side doesn't post videos or zoom his lecture + notes not very full
Save yourself
course content isn't much more than high school bio, midterms were mc and fair. he can seem a bit annoyed when getting asked questions sometimes, but most of the time he's respectful. he might call on you in class, so be prepared, but study and listen in class and you'll be fine (bonus points for cute pics of his cat in slides, shout out jasmine)
He's a good professor and explains things well. Idk about other years but assessments were definitely fair and he encourages questions. I would say I didn't really like how post midterm 2 content was presented - it felt dull and boring. Overall a good prof tho.
He primarily does most of his tests based on his lectures, but there is assigned readings for a reason. If you do notes and read on the textbook, it will give you background information that is very helpful to understand his class. It is just a hard class and you have to be willing to put the effort into it.
wallah don't even think about it im actually begging u hope this helps!!!!!!!!
Such a good prof that actually made me focus in class. Midterms are very easy and the practice final really helps with the final(some question were copy and pasted). The goat
Funny guy, engaging, very open to question. As long as you go through all the learning outcomes and know them well, you'll do fine. Midterms were super chill, final was decent too.
Really cool guy with his awesome dry humor, good professor too but you do need to focus in class to really understand the lecture slides. Light midterms and decent finals, the exams contents are basically all on the slides, slide examples and learning outcomes.
you are screwed if you skip any lectures cause this man doesn't post any notes or record lectures. also did not teach for the final very well, there were a lot of things istg we didn't talk about. having said that he's a really nice guy, and has a good way of explaining things and uses fun examples in class, but missing this class IS NOT an option
The most detailed professor I've ever had. All his lectures started with an active recall. His lectures were organized and he would take his time explaining the same concept over and over again. His tests were fair and tests your critical thinking ability. If you're here to really learn Biology then I suggest you take him.
If you want to hate biology, take this class with him. He genuinely seems like a prof who doesn't want students to succeed. Honestly, if Satan were reincarnated, it would be him. His slides are vague, useless, and overcomplicated everything. I had to teach myself the entire course. It truly made me change my major in bio.
Course/lecture is just fine. Honestly what you would expect from entry level uni courses. But this guy's voice is so dry and I could never understand his diagrams. His jokes are charming, and I like his slides. Wish he recorded lectures I always felt ten steps behind, despite doing readings ahead of time and attending lectures.
just dont do it
I believe in more recent years he has changed his exams to be more simple and straight forward. Had lots of fun, immersive demonstrations. His slideshows and explainations were for the most part easy to understand. He is a much better prof than other reviews say.
Let's get this review started by mentioning the wicked braid, it's almost as awesome as gluconeogenesis! Honestly, I don't understand the hate; it's a really straightforward class. Midterms were fair, despite being in a class full of sweaty premed students. If you put in the work outside of it, you will do fine. 🔥😎
He's a good prof, i understand where some of the bad ratings come from but you just gotta put in some time to studying and paying attention in lecture. Just don't skip all classes and take time to review
He was funny and tried to get us engaged. The lectures were alright, if you miss one you might miss something niche he says that will be a test question, and the posted slides were sparse. Midterms were easy, but the final was pretty difficult. Do the assigned chapters, and attend all lectures.
I believe Cirelli has improved over the years and he's changed up his exams due to the previous ratings. He's honestly a great professor his slideshows are amazing, his test material came directly from his slideshows so that was all you had to learn. The midterms were light and the final was pretty fair.
bruh those who are saying this guy is bad are not made for university that's the reality of things. This professor definitely changed things up in the past years and this professor has to be now the easiest first year biology (much easier midterms and final than harrington at least). The only bad part is the weight of assignments (lab)
Was not as bad as the previous reviews and warnings I had made him seem, however, you have to follow along with each lecture. Midterms and finals were fair if you studied. My only grievance with him was how far behind we were, and he did nothing to address it, even when we had quizzes due on material we had never learnt.
not sure what happened in the past, but I think he had a change of heart this year, because he was a great professor who explained concepts well and encouraged questions. the midterms and final were genuinely highschool level. don't fall behind in the material because most of the knowledge is cumulative.
He posts the slides which have everything you need to know but he clarifies and explains in lectures. Exams easy if you actually study. Yes he does test on the little details, but again, they're always in the slides. You'll have to study but it is a university level course after all. He's very caring and wants you to succeed so go to office hours
Previous reviews dont do him justice--He is an great professor and his exam are incredible--like suprising how easy they were and like you can get by with minimal studying, his lectures are great as well, notes are very aesthetically pleasing, simply a great professor!
Professor Cirelli was actually awesome. He made the lectures interesting and fun. However, they are really content-heavy, which is not his fault, but it does mean that you have to study. There are some niche things that you have to remember, but overall, he made it a really fun course.
Like the new reviews say seems like he was much better this year, his lectures and slides were amazing, shoutout to the learning outcomes could easily predict what was on the midterms. Final seemed pretty fair, tested on all units some specific questions, the deviation however was huge just below 20, and about 25% of the class did fail, so study!
good luck...
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
55%
Textbook Required
17%
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