3.2
Quality3.9
Difficulty31%
Would Retake90
Reviews31%
Would Retake
90
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
27
4
19
3
15
2
16
1
13
What Students Say
“Ray's lecture can be equated to watching paint dry”
BIOL331 - 2.0 rating“Ray is great at explaining biology”
BIOLOGY110 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
69%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.12 avg changeRatings by Course
130
5.0
(1)SEMINAR
5.0
(1)BIO110L
5.0
(2)BIOBOT
5.0
(1)ECOLOGY
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
ECOL331
5.0
BIOL110
4.5
ECOLOGY
4.5
BIOL120
4.5
BIOLOGY130
4.5
Reviews (90)
No Comments
Knows a lot about plants, nothing about teaching
Hard class, but one of my favorite teachers, very helpful
Very difficult class for students who are not good at science or plants!
Hard class, but a nice guy. Needs to work on lecture clarity.
Hard class, but I think he's a cutie! Love the smile!
beware of the petrie dish
I like 'em.. You do have to work for your grade, though... Class is great-needs to work on jokes...
Hey, come on. He's an alright guy! I did my work, he did his. I got an A. Nice guy. But will tell you what he thinks about you, so if you don't take criticism well don't put yourself in a position to get any from him.
Knows a ton about Biology, hardly knows anything about social skills or teaching for that matter.
This guy was HARD. Yeah he was a nice guy, but I could not pass a test of his no matter how hard I studied.
People in my lab complained, but compared to a chemistry lab, it was a breeze. I read over my notes for maybe 10 minutes befroe class and got an A.
I think he is neat, and a good teacher.
Dr. Ray is somewhat boring, but he gives great notes and his tests come from his notes. The only bad part is the amount of information covered on each test. I recommend him if you want to learn.
I thought that he was very hard. His lectures were very unclear. The majority of the people that I talked to thought the same thing. I would not recommend to take him.
Nice guy! He knows alot about biology. STUDY like crazy. That is what I did. I had an A in his lecture. Just STUDY like crazy.
He was cool. He made the material fun.
He speaks a dif. language if you want a good grade take someone else!!!!!!
Great teacher! Really makes Biology fun, and he explains things wonderfully. You can go to him if you ever need help, and he will always be there! A+ teacher! Highly Recomend
This guy is a good teacher, but you have to literally MEMORIZE your notes. He knows his stuff like the back of his hand, so he expects you to know it as well as he does. My recommendation is to take Pitts or Turner.
His teaching is somewhat unclear.
I did not enjoy his class at all. He did not explain material very well and was boring. If you want to be able to understand the material easily, I would not recommend him.
Dr. Ray is always nice to the students and enjoys joking around with them during class to hold their attention. You can tell he enjoys teaching... especially plants. It's ok that he doesn't like chemistry... CHEMISTRY RULES.
He was a good teacher, but his tests were so hard. I never could figure out what he was going to put on the tests. You will have to study hard!!!
I had him for 110, and I took him again for 120...he is great, but you have to study...i think you would have to study in any other 120 course, so Dr. Ray's course is no exception. Funny Guy! I highly recommend Dr. Ray!
He is a great teacher. I took him for 110 and 120. You do have to study for his tests, but he goes over what is going to be on there and puts time aside in class for you to ask any questions the day before test!! I highly recommend him
very hard test, mult choice but really hard. really boring too. has lame jokes alot, but he is a nice guy
An extreemly good teacher! The best professor I have encountered here at UTM. If you take good notes and look over them often you will do good in his classes! I would highly recommend Dr.Ray.
A little tough, especailly tests. But very knowledgable. Nice guy.
Great teacher! Take him for an 8 am class and his jokes and knowledge will definately keep you awake! He is unbelievable smart and I would definately recommend him because you can not help but learn so much from him and his class.
Want to do Bad?
Dr. Ray is an excellent teacher. His tests are difficult, but if you take notes and study, you will do well. Just go to class and stay awake.
Dry sense of humor..once you learn the way he teaches, you are good to go
huge help! He is great. Sure you have to study, but I brought my test grades up my 1o each just with a little better study habits. He helps durning the tests too.
Very hard professor he doesnt go by his notes when test time comes.
I suggest studying with some of his old tests! There are 2 test(fill-in-the-blank, multi choice, and 2 essays), a paper & a final. You need to study atleast a week in advance in order to make a good grade in this class!
This is a disaster. You really do have to study all the notes. I mean everything in the notes. I don't know what his final was talking bout. He is not funny. This class is BORING BORING BORING. I hated it. He needs to figure out how to teach. I think I've said everything basically.
Very hard class if you don't study. His test are passable but you HAVE to study. If you don't understand something he will help but you hvae to ask.
Dr. Ray is not an easy teacher. He is very nice and helpful though. You have to work for your grade. Study hard and pay attention and you should do just fine! Overall, I would say he is a great teacher, just a little tough. Especially for BIO 120.
I love Dr. Ray, because he makes class interesting and I learn a lot from him.
Dr. Ray is a very helpful professor. You have to work for your grade and pay attention, but he is great. People that expect him to just give you an A are probably those that rated him bad. He is great!!
Dr. Ray is verrry boring and even more unhelpful.
he is horrible. boring...dont take him!
Dr. Ray is a very good teacher. His test are very hard but all you have to do is study and you can make a decent grade. He's interesting and funny. He's not an easy grade though.
Dr. Ray is terrible. First, he thinks he the SMARTEST thing alive. Also, he likes to make students feel stupid. He seems to think he's funny too, when in reality, he is the absolute most boring professor in UTM. Tests are multiple choice that he probably brewed in his witch's cauldron. He's an a*****. Dont do this to yourself.
He is a great professor! His "mini-test", as he calls them, are hard if you dont study and understand your notes. If you read your notes and show up to class you have it made!! He is funny and recommend him to anyone!
If you are looking for an easy grade, look somewhere else. Matter of fact drop out of school and get a job with a fast food chain. His test can be confuseing if you don't know the material. He is very intelligent with a sense of humor.
His tests cover alot of material.No study guide just notes.Homework every week but it does help your grade.Be in class.Dont buy the book just study the notes.Big paper due at the end & doesnt talk about it much.HARD CLASS! I'll get a B (hardest class i've ever taken) Dont take unless you have to, he is the only one who teaches it!
Made me hate biology and that is my major. His tests are horrible!!!!!!!
Dr. Ray's sense of humor is a little lacking, but he is a wonderful teacher. He gets students involved in class and is more than willing to answer any questions. The class is tough, as are the tests, but if you come to class and pay attention, you'll do well.
This was a hard class. The tests were hard and you have to do a paper at the end. However, if you turn it in early he'll proofread it and send it back to you so you can acheive a better grade. He's a wonderful human being, but not that great of a teacher...you might rather take organic evolution if you can.
Very difficult professor...seemed to derive great pleasure from our academic pain. Tests are insane. It is almost impossible to make an A in his class
THIS IS THE WORST TEACHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT MARTIN
This guy is rediculous. He gives 40 pages of notes for one test and expects you to know each and every word by heart. He also tries to show off in class. He tries to show up his students. I have no respect for this teacher but that doesn't bother him because thats the way he likes it. DONT TAKE HIM!!!
Yes this class is hard but Dr. Ray really tries to teach you. He even allowed us an extra day on an assignment so that we could actually learn what we was doing. His test are pretty hard though. YOu really need to go through your notes and study. As long as you Study the you will get the grade that you deserve
worst teacher ever. I studied my ass off and still hardly ade a B. his tests are horrible. u definately need old test to pass the class.
worst teacher ever. I studied my ass off and still hardly ade a B. his tests are horrible. u definately need old test to pass the class.
**** Enough said...but you don't have a choice on taking any other professor. So good luck....
This is a pretty hard class. His tests and quizzes are exactly the same from year to year. No homework. He is very passionate about biology and he can answer any question.
He is a very nice guy but I would not recommend him. His tests cover a lot of information and he is not clear on what will be on the test. Most of the questions are broad or interpretation. Study the cladograms! He uses them as test questions a lot. You have to study a lot to do well on the tests because you never know what is going to show up.
He is a good teacher. The class material is hard and u really need to study. he is kinda corny but sumtimes funny. i enjoyed the class.
I honestly did not think he was that bad. Yes, he did expect you to come to class but if you went, generally you learned all you needed to know for the tests. His grading system was fair and his test weren't too bad if you studied your notes.
Dr. Ray is a great guy and pretty lenient when it comes to turning stuff in which is very helpful! All the information for the tests come from your notes so its a lot easier if you go to class every day even tho attendance isn't mandatory.
Overall, I didn't like his class. I like him as a person, but when it comes to his tests and quizzes he's never clear on what's going to be on them and they usually cover a lot of material from the text book, which he never mentions. I would not recommend him unless you're forced to take him.
He is a great teacher. He enjoys his job. Not boring if you can get into biology. Take notes and understand them you should do just fine.
I loved this class! Dr. Ray is a great professor, and I now want to take more of his classes and do research with him. you have to study, like any class, but his tests are pretty straight forward. if you have the opportunity, take Dr. Ray!
Dr. Ray's class isn't too bad. There is a lot of material on each test and it will take hours to study, but as long as you study until you know all the material, you will do well. Don't expect to get your tests back on the next class day though.
Ok professor, I had a hard time with biology in high school and he didn't make it much better. Tests are extremely hard even if you do study. Class was boring but his corny sense of humor made it a little better.
Ray is hilarious, and his tests come straight from the powerpoint. Pay attention in class and study what he posts online and you'll do great
Very difficult class. He's a nice man, good teacher. The tests are really hard, no matter how hard you study. Take someone else if you can.
biology doesn't come easy to me & it was clear this would be no picnic after the first test...why make the tests so difficult? i managed to get a good grade on 1 of 3 & his "there are no surprises" speech right before the final was absurd as Ray once again shuffled questions & re-worded phrases that I thought I had a handle on-kind of an asinine
Dr. Ray is a great teacher. He gives examples to help you understand the material and no the material isnt super easy but If you know the definitions and can give examples you can make a good grade. I had a D at midterms and after I found that out it got better and I had a high B
Dr. Ray is great at explaining biology. He gives good examples, and he wants you to succeed. However, He isn't very approachable. He is kind of rude, but overall a good teacher. His tests are based on his notes, just about word for word. Go to class and look over notes you will do well!
Rude. Unapproachable. Made me feel bad for coming to his office hours for help. No notes or slides on blackboard. I am a good student who actually tries, but he treated me like he didn't even want to know my name. Very different compared to most UTM professors who are personable and want their students to succeed. Would never take him again.
Dr Ray is a teacher that in definitely crazy about the subject he teaches, however he teaches on a broad level yet his tests are very in depth. You cannot just generally know the notes. You much understand the concepts. He also doesn't put his power points online so you need to go to class even though attendance isn't necessary!
Dr. Ray was a great teacher. What I didn't learn early enough was that his tests come straight from his lectures, near word for word. Just show up to class and start studying your notes for both quizzes and tests a several days in advance and you will come out with a decent grade.
I loved Dr. Ray's class compared to Bio 110. He was very understanding. He kept his lectures interactive, interesting, and understandable. I would definitely advise you to take him if you can, and I'm kind of unsure how some of these people draw the conclusions they have.
Dr. Ray was a great professor. He was funny and never started class too early or got out too late. We got out of class early a few times. His tests and quizzes are easy as long as you study. Be prepared to write at least three pages of notes every single class.
Terrible professor. He lectures the entire time and does not teach from the book. You will never know what chapter you are on and his jokes are corny.
His lectures are very boring, but he is still an interesting person. He tries to make the material entertaining for the whole class, no matter your major. Take notes and study they thoroughly because he is very detailed with his test questions.
Dr. Ray's lecture can be equated to watching paint dry. Lectures are difficult to take in because he doesn't allow you to print the powerpoints so you furiously copy instead of paying attention. Tests material is broad and even more difficult when he gets specific. Taught new material for final LITERALLY a couple days beforehand. Ridiculous!
He makes it easy to take notes, but tests are pretty hard. Attendance isnt mandatory, but day he gave everyone an extra 10 point pop quiz just for showing up because so many skipped that day. Each test is set out a little different so be able to use different techniques (matching, true/false, multiple choice). he makes dad jokes.. just laugh
To sum up, he once said its been proven that the lecture style of teaching is extremely ineffective, students retain almost nothing because theyre trying to multitask. He then proceeded to teach the semester lecture style. Its hard and youll need to study a lot, but hes really decent. I passed with an A, but it definitely stressed me out.
Dr. Ray was a great professor. It's definitely an upper-level style of teaching but it wasn't impossible. Would take again.
Cocaine could not even keep you awake in this class. He literally taught new material right before the final. The worst professor Ive had here at utm. I will not take again at all cost. He thinks hes the funniest smartest human on earth and makes students feel dumb while trying to learn. I could go on and on but Ill leave it at that.
during class he makes the material seem super easy but when the test comes it is extremely difficult. He rewords questions to where they don't make sense or just puts stuff he never taught. I have taking a nursing class and this class is just as hard. I recommend taking a different professor or taking bio 120 instead.
Dr. Ray is something to say the least. He will say he isn't political but then will talk about getting vaccinated for 10 minutes. I don't care what your opinions are, just teach my about the environment.
Hes not the worst bio professor ever but it takes a while to get the hang of how he grades. All I can say is study for his exams and you should be fine, ask him questions and lots of them, he is more than willing to answer them so use that to your advantage.
The class was very mundane and he didn't help make it better either. He likes to assign a lot of spreadsheet and problem set homework that he barely explained so everyone is either overwhelmed or confused. It is hard to stay awake in class, bring caffeine.
Despite not doing the best in his class, I appreciate Professor Ray's dedication too and enthusiasm for the material and how hard he works to make sure people understand the material. If anyone reading is set to take his class, PLEASE don't take advantage of him posting slides online - you'll still need to hear the explanations for the material!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
69%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.12 avg changeRatings by Course
130
5.0
(1)SEMINAR
5.0
(1)BIO110L
5.0
(2)BIOBOT
5.0
(1)ECOLOGY
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
ECOL331
5.0
BIOL110
4.5
ECOLOGY
4.5
BIOL120
4.5
BIOLOGY130
4.5