One word: clickers

Clear teacher. Definitely do homework sets and practice tests to prepare for exams. One of the better young professors.

One of the best professors at UCD. If you ever have to take BIS 104, take it with Dr. Starr because he is not only really helpful, he will make you love that class. Clickers and previous exams that he posts are extremely helpful, exams will be similar to it. Overall, there is no regret if you take cell bio with Starr.

Starr is a great teacher who loves what he teaches. He is very clear, but can go very fast so be sure to get classical notes and bring them with you to class since it's the same thing mostly. Practice exams are helpful, be sure to get the ones that he doesn't post. I really not the microbio kind of person, but he made this subject enjoyable.

he is a good lecturer. he is very clear but just too fast. clicker questions doesnt help much and even bring your grade down. the book is useless, listen to audio help much better. Practice exams are helpful but then on the actual exam it is just SIMILAR but not the same.like he will change some words on the questions on the old one to make the new

Great Teacher. Clear, funny, and willing to help students. Go to office hours of you will miss a lot of information, read the text and GO TO CLASS. It is impossible to figure out what is going on if yo don't. His class had about as much info as bio 103 but not as hard. good luck!

Uses clickers to make sure his explanations are clear; they contribute a small number of points to the grade, but you miss out if you miss class. His multiple-choice exams are very hard, make sure you know the way systems interact very clearly, and read the book. Easy to ask questions of, keeps an online forum. Tough but good.

Great Professor. YOU NEED TO GO TO CLASS since he writes everything on the board. Tests made you think of the answer. Some Q's on the test looked almost exatly the same as som on the actual test BUT THEY WERENT so be careful he changes the wording and if your rushing its hard to notice. Go through the practice tests bc this will give you at least 3

Starr is a GREAT prof. He knows how to deliver the material well and makes it fun to understand. The mean for our class was 61.3/100 C+/B- for all exams including the final. Study the practice midterms , HE WILL put 15% of it on the midterm pretty much cut n paste. know your stuff and you'll do fine !!

If you have to take Bis 104 (don't if you can avoid it), Starr is your best option. He makes the material as clear as possible, even though his lectures are dense and move very fast. He puts his lectures on podcasts; listen to those if you want to do well. He gives a generous grading curve, which is nice.

Definitely take Starr for Bis 104 if you have to take the class. He does move fast but he podcasts so you can always go back and recheck your notes. His tests are challenging but he does reuse past test questions verbatim. All of his tests are MC and avgs were around ~60

Starr is an awesome professor! He's a great lecturer but he does move at a fast pace so podcast! Tests were MC, more conceptual rather than memorization. He's very clear and OH and review sessions are very helpful. Material taught is not extremely difficult but definitely put in the extra effort to understand it such as draw out the pathways, etc.

He suddenly got harder, and his tests are tricky! He is NOT easy or helpful during office hours at all, although he is okay as a person I guess...honestly, I'd rather have an A than a nice person, so I wouldn't recommend him.

Took him over summer, he was great :) Lecture was always interesting. Tests are multiple choice, homework assignments help with test.

Starr goes over a TON of material in each lecture. He also uses clickers, so it's probably a good idea to to each lecture. However, he does podcast which is helpful for reviewing ALL the material. His tests were OK, some answers straight from practice exams. He's a good lecturer but this class left me exhausted and felt like a 5 unit class.

Professor Starr is a pretty good teacher. He uses the chalkboard to teach, though his notes can be disorganized and sometimes confusing. Nonetheless, you should copy down everything he writes, review lect. slides, go over ALL practice midterms (because he recycles MANY questions), and understand ALL clicker questions (in midterms too). MUST STUDY

Starr is a solid professor. lectures are very clear and he's funny. His exams are all MC. He gives clicker q's and has online hwquizzes. Tests arent bad if u repeatedly do the hwquizzesclickers. His online reader is also really helpful. Class is 3units but feels like a 5unit course. not easy but the course is curved. Definitely recommend him.

He's a great lecturer but his ebook was more useful for studying for tests. He's goofy but very knowledgable about cell bio. test questions are sometimes out of nowhere but are fair for the most part and his clicker questions and homework are similar to the test questions. I definitely enjoyed this class more than i expected to

He is an awesome professor. I loved his lectures. The online ebook is exceptional (minus some errors). He was funny, highly knowledgeable and most of all very approachable. Study everything and you will be fine. Class is curved and clickers are a must (5% of your grade). Will miss this class :(

Starr made this class very enjoyable. He's funny and really gets you interested in the subject. Gives hw, clickers, and online quizzes. The exams aren't easy but to do well simply read the text and know how to do ALL hw, quizzes and clicker problems. He goes through a TON of info in each lecture but he podcasts. Definitely recommend him!

Starr is very organized and clear. Not a bad class at all. He tells you what you need to know and tests directly out of the online textbook. Just make sure you really understand the material because he can write tricky questions! Clicker questions and homework are good study tools.

I thought Starr was a little disorganized at times, but overall, very clear and simple to understand lectures. There are clicker questions and homework assignments, but all are found on the midterms and final. He likes to recycle questions as well so understand the questions that are found on his online assignments too.

Dr. Starr is fantastic. He is forthright with his expectations and reuses questions from the homework. If work hard, read his well-written textbook, and get your questions answered in office hour, you will do well! As a side note, he uses clickers, which are very helpful.

Lectures were very clear, informative, and interesting! Exams are tough but doable. The book he wrote is really good to understanding the material; complements the lectures well.

Dr. Starr moves fast in lecture but the material is presented clearly. He wrote the textbook which is great because it is very streamlined for the material. Tests, however are very difficult which was made even worse by the fact that two instructors taught the course this quarter.

Dr. Starr is an AMAZING professor. He taught cell biology straightforward and managed to apply it in real life settings, from cancer to listeria etc. His textbook is also great and aligns with the teachings. I def recommend prof starr. You can tell he cares about his students education, and want them to be passionate about cell bio.

His lectures and notes are messy and disorganized at times, but his textbook is written well enough and he draws most info from it. I didn't feel like there was enough practice material for the first 2 midterms, but he borrowed from the those and the homework for the final. He uses clickers very effectively (as a learning experience).

So glad that I took Starr. He wrote his own textbook, which is normally a red flag, but in this case it correlates perfectly with lecture & helps a lot. DO THE READING BEFORE CLASS. Clickers are worth 5% , but he gives a lot of hints & re-do's if people are confused. Tests are hard, but look over homework + clicker q's and you'll be fine.

One of the best professors I had at UC Davis. So knowledgeable, friendly, and an amazing lecturer. Handwriting was definitely legible, and he CLEARLY explained every concept. I found myself loving Cell biology, and wanting to read his textbook. Truly a passionate guy and amazing professor. Tests were challenging, but doable. TAKE HIM!!!

I've taken this class twice. The 1st time it was taught by 2 different instructors and the 2nd time with Starr. He was by far the better teacher and explains things way much more clearly. But this class has no structure to it. Topics don't build off each other and facts will be thrown at you all quarter. Some questions are straight from the hw,

A lot of HW & quizzes. i-Clicker participation. Too much work. His lecture notes can be confusing at times because he has an abbreviated syntax. It would be nice if he wrote in complete sentences. Dislike how he lets students keep exams, while refusing to post practice exams. People with many friends will have access to a large test bank.

Really cares about his students but does makes you work for it. Only teaches in Winter. Lectures follows through the textbook exactly. I really recommend doing the readings before lectures, printing them out, and annotating them during lecture. He also includes HW, Quiz and Clicker questions on the tests as well. One of my favorite professors!

I took him for 104 and a grad class recently (not a grad student). He is a great resource, is nice, and inspirational. I unfortunately turned in my final late because of a family emergency and he was nice enough to accept it without knowing the details of what happened. the class was challenging but definately worth it for those in research.

Dr. Starr is an amazing professor, especially for the difficult topic of BIS104. He sets us up for success with his textbook (mandatory, but actually useful too), clicker questions, practice exams, and great lectures. There is an undisclosed curve and he knows when he makes a test too hard and fixes it. He is wonderful and tries his hardest for us.

Personally the best BIS professor I've had. Although the material is hard, his lectures made it seem easy. He wrote the textbook, which is pretty much a lecture outline, so I would suggest reading the chapters before class. Also, get ready to use those iclickers. Final exam was pretty much a collaboration of all the practice and actual midterms.

He's my favorite professor at Davis and I am sooo happy I took this course with him. He's a really humble, kind, and approachable person. Tips: read his book (clear & concise), review clicker questions & go to office hours! He write pretty fast but he post his notes afterwards so focus on explanations in lecture. Highly recommend!

One of the best professors I have had. Wish I had taking the class sooner- his class made me want to switch to cell bio. Found the class easier than Biochem and BIS 101 because of how good he lectures. Lots of HW- helpful for midterms. He writes everything while lecturing but I found that it really helped retain the info instead of copying slides

I really enjoyed this class. Best class I have had at Davis, and I'm a fourth year. Professor Starr is a really good lecturer, I really understood the material, but I did have to study! He gives practice tests, does clickers, and HW- all of which helped me study for exams. don't know what else to say except that I thoroughly enjoyed his class!

best professors at Davis. He really knows his stuff, I really like his lecture style, & he's friendly not intimidating. I like that he wrote his notes instead of doing slides & explained concepts very clearly. I ended up loving cell bio bc of his class. He really cares about his students. Study well & you'll do well on exams. 15/10 take again!!

he wrote the textbook you use for this class, so his lectures follow closely to it. i honestly didn't like the material that much (but loved him!!) which is why i didn't do as well as i could've, but it is doable to get an A in his class. he is funny, woke af, and fair with his tests. a sweetheart.

Wow wow I dont know were to start, first of all professor starr is a real gem. Please do yourself a favor and take him if you have a chance. He clearly cares about his students, I mean he wrote his own textbook, worth every penny. Super approachable and super understanding two things that very few professors at Davis have.

He teaches a very hard class but teaches it well and encourages you to think outside the box and draw connections. He's incredibly clear in lectures and gives tons of helpful practice that exactly resembles exams. The textbook follows the class closely and is very well written. He's a gem: an amazing researcher and caring instructor.

One of the best professor I have ever had. Dr. Starr teaches very difficult material in a easy to understand way if you put in the work. He literally will use CQ, practice test, and HW questions on his test and just change a couple words so make sure you know those concepts. He really is great & the class is so interesting that its worth the work.

Was incredibly accommodating for an online class. Really passionate about what he teaches, making the lectures more enjoyable. Material can be difficult because it is BIS104 afterall, but he made this class bearable.

Difficult class, lots of memorization, but Prof. Starr managed to make it okay. Clear grading criteria, although the exam Q's were hard at times, requiring you to stay on your game the whole quarter. I felt like I learned a lot of useful information in this class, as we frequently learned about medicine & other interesting applications.

AWESOME professor. Seriously one of the best at UC Davis. The class covers a lot of info but Dr. Starr makes it really interesting. He's a great teacher and the homeworks are basically like practice tests. His exams are super reasonable. If you study and keep up with the info you can do very well in his class.

dont fall behind and make sure you always understand his clicker questions and homework and quizzes because he puts stuff like it or related to it on the exam

BIS104 is objectively the HARDEST Biology course I've EVER taken. But Dr. Starr is SUCH a gem - this man literally wrote his own textbook with is soooo helpful! Stay up to date in lecture, do ALL practice and clicker questions, and you'll be fine. This mans a gem and if you can TAKE HIS CLASS!!! Love you Dr. Starr!!

It really takes a while to get used to his teaching style and his exam questions are crazy smart/hard. Once you get the handle of his style though, this class makes a lot of sense. Study the practice tests and quizzes for sure, there's some repeat questions on the exams. Final was also a lot of repeat questions from MT1 and 2 and practice final.

The good - easily one of the best classes I've ever taken, made me really appreciate cell biology. Dr Starr is a wonderful lecturer. The bad - textbook purchase is mandatory for HW/Quiz, which is not fair in my opinion when they can be administered on Canvas.

One of my favorite classes I've taken at Davis! Dr. Starr's a gem, HIGHLY recommend going to OH - he's super helpful. Style of test q's are very similar to example probs from lecs - do all the practice probs you can find! Tough class but very fair and really helps you appreciate cell bio! Adjusts grade cutoffs as needed, but doesn't disclose curve

Dr. Starr was great. I didn't read his textbook ever because he did a great job of explaining everything in the lectures. Review all homework, clicker questions, and practice exams to study for the exams. Exam questions are usually either exactly the same or only slightly different.

Pay for book which was decent and is very similar to lectures. He writes his notes during lecture on paper and projects it. Lectures are pretty clear and he makes content easy to understand, also recorded. Exam questions werent the best written and definitely lots to memorize but over 50% of questions are recycled. Learned a lot from this class.

He is a nice professor. It's just that the material is really challenging; it's true that he recycles some of the questions; however, the new ones are really challenging; the average for our class was in the mid-60s. The final was mostly questions from previous quizzes and midterms. Get ready to put in some work if you're trying to get an A.

The material is difficult, but the professor is awesome. Some of the questions on the exams are recycled from old practice exams or questions asked during class. His lectures are good, and his textbook explains concepts more thoroughly. Take good notes, READ THE TEXTBOOK, and try to understand the hw + practice exams and you should do fine.

This class is hard but Professor Starr does his best to make dense material decently understandable. The material is presented in a concise and organized way. Lectures follow the book so if you need clarification just read (it's short). Requires a lot of memorization and critical thinking to do well on exams but if you study you should do alright.

Class has a lot of material but exams reuse many of the same questions from practice exams and quizzes but the questions focus on application of material rather than memorization. Only thing that I did not like was that the textbook homework and quizzes do not connect with canvas so you have to keep track of dates to avoid missing an assignment.

Actually great lectures, but tests can be difficult. Some questions are exactly from the practice exams but others were tricky and required full understanding of the content and applications. Enjoyed the class and wish I could've learned how to study for it earlier. Go to lectures, rewatch the videos at 2x, then rewrite his lecture notes

The lectures are good and follow the textbook almost exactly, which is great. Tests are pretty hard though. He told us during OH that you can get a B if you memorize everything (a lot!) and an A if you can apply the things you memorize. This seems to be true. Cell bio will never be easy, at least take it with the guy that can explain things (Starr)

Grade based on 2 midterms, a final, and iClicker questions. iClicker questions were good practice for exams and easy to get all points. Wrote his own textbook that was very similar to lecture material. Tons of practice questions & previous exams, super similar to real exams. So many repeat questions on exams. Put in the work & you can do well.

Probably the best lecturer I've had at Davis. Exams, which comprise most of your grade, are difficult and involve a lot of memorization of complex systems, but they mirror practice exams accurately. Reading and homework are brief and help a lot. I highly recommend the class, but only if you have the time to dedicate to it.