2.3
Quality4.5
Difficulty25%
Would Retake149
Reviews25%
Would Retake
149
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
149 total ratings5
24
4
18
3
14
2
24
1
69
What Students Say
“Absolutely horrible professor”
BIO1570 - 1.0 rating“I'm taking this class as we speak”
MICROBIOLOGY - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
71%
Textbook Required
89%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.06 avg changeRatings by Course
MBIOAAA
5.0
(1)AAAAAA
5.0
(1)MICRO1570
4.7
(3)BIO271
4.0
(1)S1504
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
1570
5.0
MICOBIO
5.0
MICROBIO
5.0
MICRO
5.0
MICRO206
5.0
Reviews (148)
First off, I think Dr. West is a very smart individual -- he just has great trouble explaining things clearly.Being the first micro class for most students,he teaches like its our fourth or fifth.His test are VERY hard,although he offers lots of bonuses to bring grade up.Also, he is VERY SLOW on returning test/homework!
Wholeheartedly agree with previous rater's comments. Also, only 3 exams were given covering the entire semester, so each carried enormous weight against your final grade...with an absurd amount of material to memorize. Lastly, Dr.West doesn't "lecture", he reads slides for 3 hours.
WOW, THIS MAN IS JUST BAD AT HIS JOB, THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION GOING ON WITH HIM AND HIS STUDENTS. YOU WILL LEARN NOTHING IF YOU MAKE IT THOUGH; RUN DONT WALK OUT OF HIS CLASS!!!!!!!IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO WELL,HE WOULD BE FIRED IF HE WORKED FOR ME.
He was very hard, I had to drop this class because it was so hard even the SI couldn't help that much because he said West was teaching above our level. I DO NOT recommend Dr. West!!!!!!
Smart man for his knowledge that he carries, Teaching wise, true, he does read off the slides but does give interesting stories time to time. Labs you'll never understand but ask a lot of questions to understand. Exams are challenging but 50% are from the sample study questions. MEMORIZING and BONUS points is the KEY in achieving an "A" as I did.
I DO NOT recommend Dr. West at all he is very smart but he wants you to be as smart as him at micor when it's supposed to be an INTRO!
At first I thought it was going 2 B alot 2 absorb but he test on what he lectures. Always giving extra bonuses so take advantage. They can never hurt you. I would take him again. He is fair and if you strive througout he will take that into consideration when giving final grade. Good instructor and I've had worse.
This is a hard class due to the fact that most of us have not studied Micro since 1st grade like Math, English Comp, History, ect. This is the BEST & FAIREST Professor you will have for this class PERIOD! Do all the extra credit, and u will come out ahead. If you think you can do better than Dr. West then I DARE u to take Bidol @ Orchard Ridge.
he was helpful most of the exams comes from the power points. you are getting better David!
Lectures are boring but right to the point. DO NOT buy the book. He gives you ppt and supplement material. He makes his class sound impossible at times but if you do the practice questions he gives for all test you should get an A. The lab is good for skills. This class requires a little effort but I would recommend it to everone.
This class was extremely difficult for me and I had some medical background already! His lectures were so boring that I had a hard time staying awake. All he does is lecture off slides. Tests are off slides but in order to get the info, he makes you go to IIC and print them up yourself w/a print card. Gives bonuses, most were only 2 lousy points!
I thought he was a great teacher. Probably one of the best I have had. For all of you the gave him bad reviews, try attending a actual university. There they don't answer questions, or offer EC. You should be lucky to have taken this with a teacher who actually likes what he teaches and cares if you learn. Participation is big with your grade
Dr. West was an awesome instructor!!If you came to class, you learned. I must agree there was a tremendous amount of material. Dr. West was extremely helpful as well as very enthusiastic about the material he teaches. I would not hesitate to take him again and would highly recommend him to other students.
Very Very INTELLIGENT man don't let his brain intimidate you!!You Don't NEED the textbook at all unless you personally feel you need too..Pay close attention to all the powerpoint slides and practice tests because those questions on them WILL come back to haunt you attend every lab and lecture & you can acheive an A as I did..Thank you Dr. West..
Dr. West is a very smart individual but as far as his teaching to others go? He's horrible! He expects you to know just as much as he does He puts a million topics on these powerpoint slides & doesnt specifically pinpoint what we should focus more on He seems to think that Microbio is our life as it is his & that we dont have other classes! HORRIBL
Dr. West is very knowledgeable, and his lectures are somewhat advanced for this class, but all the material you need to know is on his powerpoint slides which can be printed out. Also, over half of the questions from the tests are presented to you in practice quizz format. Lots of extra credit available DO IT! take home tests help boost your grade.
Mr. West class appeared to be hard but if you did you homework, the slides and the take home test, or good to go if I got a A then you can also. Just do all the work and do the EC and you will come out on top. He loves this subject and he is willing to work with you, but please go to every class it is so important to do. Have a great class!!!!!!!!
Dr. West is brilliant yet accessable. Lecture is advanced but amusing. Read the chapter before lecture so you understand what he is talking about- he doesn't hold you hand. The lecture exams are tough but fair. DO ALL OF THE BONUS (EC)and the take home exams. Lab is fun but make sure you understand the underlying concepts- the lab final is tough.
EXCELLENT!! Don't miss a class! His leture slides seems to be huge but all of the material wont be on the exam! Do all the extra credit and ask questions! Be productive in lab and you'll do great!
He is wonderful-u get your $$$ worth with this class! I felt like I was taking a class at Wayne State again! he is a brilliant man and u learn a lot here!
He's very intelligent, & very nice as well. Pay attention in class, read the book for extra clarification, & do the practice tests. His tests are hard, but not impossible. He does have a habit of putting some Q's on the tests that he doesn't cover in lecture, so be prepared. Take Dr. West!
This professor is knowledgable, but he shouldn't be teaching. He is horrible, talks very fast, lectures are boring, his tests are very difficult and taken from the slides not from the book. There is a lot of material to memorize. If you make it, you will not learn anything from his class. He is very advanced for beginners. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!!!
This instructor is difficult to comprehend! He talks way too fast and run on sentences are terrible especially not knowing the vocabulary. His lectures are extremely boring and you won't use the book. He is helpful in lab with clear instructions. His test are difficult and tricky and I don't recommend anyone take him. One good thing is the xcredit.
There is no doubt there is a lot of information to know. But he gives you TONS of extra credit, so much so if you average a C on the tests you'll get an A in the class, as long as you do well on the take home exams which are not hard. He is VERY understanding and nice and fair.
Not a blow off class. Mr. West is extremely fair and he gives a lot of extra credit. Very plesant instructor. Do the work and you will come out on top.
There's a lot of information covered. Lecture test are difficult. Take home exams are pretty fair. Do all extra credit because it will help you in the long run and attend every lab and lecture. Read the textbook prior to lecture to get the full understanding of the lecture.
HE IS GOOD AND BRILLINET, I LEARN A LOT IN HIS CLASS
I enjoy his class. His in class lecture tests are mainly based of his lecture notes (which are pdf) and his pre-test (hint-which some test questions are directly taken from) Labs are interesting, but really feel rushed. If you do the work and understand it, you will do well. Professor West is a real good guy and makes class fun to attend.
Tough class, but an A is possible if you study the lecture slides, go to class, do all the Study Questions and Bacteria lists as soon as you get them and do all extra credit. I didn't use book for anything. Tests are from lecture slides and some questions are directly off study questions. Labs are rushed, but really interesting. I learned a lot!
Tough class, mostly based on lect.slides(ambiguous).Unclear &difficult to get a straight answer from.He is brilliant in Micro,not in teaching!He only gives 3 lecture exams &there is a ton of material on them.He is so busy that you will be bombarded last min with extra credit opps-good luck if you make this poor choice for a prof
At times this prof is enjoyable, but extremely unreasonable.Doesn't use text-focus on lec slides.Only 3 tests on lecture-heavily weighted and very difficult.Will offer EC-- EVENTUALLY, while you are trying to prepare for an exam.I have to say he is just not my fav prof. too difficult for an entry level bio course-expects far to much in a short time
While Mr. West is a brilliant man, his teaching practices are so out of touch that he's at times incomprehensible. If a professor voluntarily defends his own teaching methods on a daily basis, then it's obvious there's a problem. For an entry-level class, his readings are ridiculous and his exam questions are way too confusing. PLEASE RUN!
Dr. West is good person and a brilliant man but he's not a teacher you want if your looking for an easy A. For an entry level class it is way to difficult especially if you have other things going on in your life like a job, children, eating, etc. You must invest lots of time in order to do well. No book needed. Must do all extra Credit. Run!!!!!
I am a very good student. My GPA is 4.0 after 5 semesters of full time classes. W/that being said, please do not take this prof. I don't know how clearly I can put it. I am not exaggerating when I say he expects you to treat this class as your only job. Understandable if I want to be a Microbiologist but not as a prereq. RUN - FAST - NOW
Dr. West is a very brilliant man, however if you can avoid taking his class, please do so! He expects the world from his students, and he makes it very clear that this should be your only priority. I was attending classes with a full time status, working and taking care of my family, and he encouraged me to drop the class. I should have listened.
Excellent Instructor if you are willing to work and want to learn the material. Challenging but fair.
If you want to get an "A" - you will get it! This class is not for lazy students. If you do all extra credits and will study his material - you'll get an "A" ! Good luck!
I am a 4.0 student; this was the HARDEST class I've taken yet, was sure it'd blow my GPA. You are expected to know A LOT of material and this class will push your limits. Study continuously, not just prior to exams. Read text prior to lec and do ALL extra cred. Hard class, but an A is possible.
The course is tough, but the professor is excellent and is an expert. If you attend the lectures, pay attention, study, and do the extra credit, it is an excellent course.
Don't sweat this course. It will seem like Mr. West is the hardest teacher you've ever had. However, he give so much extra credit and so many at home online assignments, that it is quite easy to get an A in his class... if you take advantage of the extra credit. It is quite possible to get an A without ever getting an A on an in class exam.
Mr.West is very knowledgable about Micro and he loves it. Although,I believe that he is almost too smart to teach. You are expected to know ALOT (expecially vocab) before taking this course. You need to be able to understand on HIS level, not that of a student taking this course for the first time. He is very unorganized which drove me crazy!
Very smart man, but not a "good teacher". Lab was interesting and learned a lot - but not due to his teaching. Lectures are a nighmare. I wound not recommend him and I sturggled to get a B in this class. It was a retake, in which I received an "A" the first time with a different professor. Don't take his class - expects way too much. Unrealistic
One of the more fair Micro professors overall. I found his exams to be extremely tough, but you must read your books and do any EC assignments if possible. He is a bit late with his notes, but Dr. West is a more better professor in my opinion for Micro than any other. Take him without any other courses - focus well on all EC assignments and exams.
He is a confuse guy talking himself, change schedule and test date plus point system. totally unorganised.
He definitely knows his micro, but expects that you already know everything also. Will not give out any notes or any help until right before exams. He cannot seem to bring micro down to the level of the students. I have a 4. and this was the hardest class I've ever had. Good luck if you make this poor choice of a professor,half of class dropped.
The course is difficult, but the prfessor follows the books and will give out notes after completing the lecture; yes he expects you to read and come to class prepared. He is knowledgable and challenging... and you LEARN
This professor expects you to read the text and come to class prepared (wow). Many of my fellow students complained about the amount of work and speed of the class, but many did not read or prepare. If you prepare, utilize office hours and ask questions, you will Learn AND get a good grade. Very clear and complete, if you prepare.
Professor West started off good. I just think that he is all over the place. Lab was good but those lectures exam was not. He makes you print about 200 pages an you studying these things. Have of the things that you are studying for is not on the exam. So please ask students cause he is no joke. My whole class was stress out. Be careful
He knows his stuff, but he really is confusing, unorganized, cannot pay attention when you ask questions, he thinks very highly of himself and never admits the mistakes he makes and you can't argue your points with him even if you are right. He gives lots of online quizzes but if you miss it he makes no exceptions. I got a B and I was a 4.0. :(
By far the worst teacher I have ever had. The ratings on this site are VERY accurate. Lectures are disorganized, confusing and boring. TONS of extra required work. Tests are written poorly and confusing. 3 people out of our class reported him to the Dean because how bad it was. You need to know ALL lecture material, text, bacteria and virus lists.
Mr. West is the worst teacher I have ever had.He talks for hours with no interaction with the students(hes so arrogant I think he likes to hear himself talk)Half the class dropped after the first test.Offers no help,will not reply to emails.Tests are confusing.He is unorganized.IF U VALUE YOUR GPA DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!Stressed me out!
I always felt that college is hard and to be on college you have to be prepared to study long and hard, regardless of the course your gonna have to work! But this Guy, nah he reads from slides and isn't supportive at all. The rating are TRUE drop it if you care about your GPA!! I've never dropped a class but Mr.West is a NO GO!!! TURN AWAY NOW!!
Expects you to be responsible and WORK, but treats students as if they should know everything already, even though it is an introductory course. Has difficulty relating to students. A bit unrealistic with his class rules. Reads from slide lists in lecture, but doesn't "teach". Knows his stuff but is a poor teacher for this course. BEWARE.
Dr. West is very smart, but maybe too smart to teach this class. He assumes we know topics when half the class doesn't. He makes up his own test questions that are tricky. Half the class failed the first time and he told us "study more". This class is more like Mircobiology rather than mirco of health and disease. Choose another teaher, if you can.
Mr. West is very brillant but he is so brillant that he doesn"t understand that this is a pre-req class, not an advanced class. He doesn"t realize that his students come to class to learn. We don't know the material like he does. We want to learn the material but he doesn't know how to teach it. He should just put on a lab coat and stay in the lab.
If you can NOT take the class with West, do NOT. As Bio 1570 is Micro, it is expected to be hard, but he does not compensate for it as others would. He does not curve, writes purposefully tricky questions, is not sympathetic and quite unclear in lecture. He insultingly insists we spend extra time with the material, but his material is full of typos
If, and I do mean if you are determined, proactive, prepared and willing to put in the time, this class and Dr. West will teach you more than you would learn with any other professor, plus give you a boost of confidence like nothing else. Dr. West respects and values hard work,and determination, he dislikes people that make excuses.
This class is VERY time consuming! If you don't have an 10 extra hours a week( not exaggerating) to study,read, take Pre and Post lecture test, memorize microorganism lists than DON'T take this class.
Brilliant man, awful teacher. He doesn't care if you learn, he's the definition of boring lecture, and refuses to correct his mistakes on online quizzes - you have to answer them wrong to be right. Even said he won't fix mistakes the scantron makes. Only reason any of us passed is his S.I., Henry. NOT recommended unless this is a refresher course.
SMART man. You can tell he loves Micro. Great in lab, awful in lecture. We were the first class in which attendance did not count and he gave lots of extra credit to those who showed. Be prepared to do ALOT of D2L work. My advice, if you can, attend the SI sessions or buddy up with someone who will share notes. You WILL need the.
Dr.West is a brilliant man as a teacher he is not the best. You have to work really hard in this class to get the grades so taking it with other hard classes isn't well advised. If you work hard, participate in class, and READ the text you will do fairly well in the class.
Dr. West is a very smart man - and a horrible teacher. The only way that I had a chance to pass this class is by attending every SI session offered because I learned nothing in Dr. West's lectures. He intentionally makes tests tricky. He says a 70% average is good. I am a straight A student - that is not ok with me. Avoid him at all costs!
Dr. West is a great instructor. You have to really be prepared and read the material before going to lecture. The class is tough, but its what you make of it. I have not been in school for 6 years and received a B out of this class. I learned a lot..
The book is very detailed and you will need it. Professor was HORRIBLE. His test were 4 chapters long each chapter 14-20 sections long. He don't give study guides, says everything in chapter. Doesn't lectures. We do questions in bk of book and went over them. No extra credit given. Just study and do quizzes online. S.I was a better teacher Goodluck
Dr. West is brilliant. However, he should not be teaching at this level. He assumes a level of background knowledge that is unrealistic, and he DOES NOT TEACH. He will assign "busy work" during class time and then not go over it. He also has a habit of telling you you are wrong without ever telling you the right answer. Take someone else if you can
he is a terrible teacher, neither responsible nor competent, and he does not care for his job or students. He does not know what a teacher is for. all of what students have to teach themselves by reading the textbook. he does not know what students should get from his course. he just test all the details in textbook, even he can not do it
he was terrible. he never prepared his teaching. he never knew what was in textbook or PowerPoint, for teaching ,before classes. he told us to do online 3 tests during thanksgiving break, but he forgot posting them until the holiday ended. there was only a week to end the semester. everyone had to prepare for the last exams all of their courses.
WARNING!!! If you TRULY care about your GPA, DO NOT IGNORE THE BAD REVIEWS!! As a formal doctoral student, I KNOW preparedness. He talks very fast and he only lectures on what he wants to address. His teaching style is appropriate for people who are well seasoned in biology… 3000-9000 level courses. Want 2 gamble with your GPA? Then take his class!
Intelligent, but refuses to lecture. Disorganized because of too much material & no lectures. He relies on his SI & gives pre-assessments & post assessments D2L quizzes. His Questions are very tricky as if he lectures about them when he doesn't. He focuses on Lab, but most grades r about lectures. Study on your own because he won't teach you!
He was extremely irresponsible and didn't care his jod at all.He listed 13 chapters(Chs)in syllabus,but he totally taught only about 4 Chs and examed us 9 Chs. he taught and examed 2 Chs,easy parts,in first one and half months.Then he taught about 2 Chs,but examed students 7Chs,which were very difficuit and important parts,in the last 2 months.
Refuses to lecture. He considers D2L material is enough. If he feels like lecturing, he focuses on one point out of 200 and gives the trickiest questions. The only way to pass is by revising his assessment questions which he may use in exams (note that you will memorize answers without understanding at all). no one learned from his class.
This is my 3rd year in college. By far, West is the worst professor anybody will experience. All comments here speak the truth and they are shared by students why have been deeply effected by West's failing technique of not teaching. I advise whoever takes a class with him to report to the dean to promote finding better bio professors.
Is Dr. West a good microbiology teacher? Yes & no. He was genuinely sweet and nice. Out of all of the science classes i've taken, I feel I learned the most in his labs. However, his tests are purposefully tricky and he doesn't lecture AT ALL. If you can depend on yourself to learn dense material, then take his class, if not- don't bother.
Absolutely horrible professor. Very incompetent and unorganized. He does not lecture during class at all- he skips around from topic to topic in no particular order. Everything I learned, I taught myself from reading the text book because he does not teach. I would not recommend him to anyone.
This class is tough. To make it out alive you must read the chapters before lecture, study his slides (this is where he gets his test questions). Also every single point is VERY important so do whatever is needed to get 100% on each hw assignment. This is what saved me as his tests are worth 100 each and the hw overall only 70 points.
The most difficult and unorganized!!! It's so much of reading online and books. Which none of those readings actually ever makes it to the actual exams!! PLEASE BEWARE if you are considering him!
I'm taking this class as we speak. ITS HORRIBLE.! he does not teach. he jumps from topic to topic which is confusing. When you ask questions he's not helpful at all will just tell you your wrong.! YOU HAVE TO TEACH YOURSELF.! BUT BECAREFUL... TEST ARE HARD and tricky.! You need a lot of background knowledge. WE NEED A BETTER TEACHER.! ITS HORRIBLE
The dumbest and most unorganized class and professor ever!!
HARD CLASS! Make sure you can be dedicated to studying! Dr. West lectures from his slides during class and does tend to skip around to different subjects, talking as though you should already know things, which can be quite hard to follow. There are not many tests or points in this class so every point matters. Tests are VERY tricky!
This is a hard class, but it is possible to get an A if you try. If you don't want to study you will not like him, but he is fair and straightforward. He is nice as long as you don't talk in class. Lab is fun and he will tell you exactly what to know. Most students who put in the work got good grades.
Dr. West is no nonsense. You learn his way or take the highway. I found him to be very knowledgeable and intelligent, but you have to visit his office to obtain help and start early. Don't arrive to him late in the semester or he won't help you. Dr. West places every details in his exams. You have to very much learn from his lectures.
Don't do it. Failed and he didn't care. Expects you to know, but will not explain.
He talks, he does not teach. he expects you to have a solid biology background and talks as if everyone knows what he's talking about already. best way to get good grades on tests: learn his lecture notes. by heart score good on the tests, and if not, try your best to get all A's on the Pre and Post lecture assesments. very tough class.
This class is hard, so you really need to study hard. You need to study the chapter before coming to class ( which i think it is normal for being a student) so that you can understand what he teaches. To me, he is a fair professor. His tests arent tricky. If you study, you can always do well on the test. Lab is very fun, and i really learn a lot.
Dr. West is terrifying. He is extremely smart in the subject of microbiology. He is a no nonsense professor that expects alot out of his students. We all complained about this class up until the last day. Looking back, I actually appreciate Dr. West's style. He pushes you to your limit, and then some. Do the work, and you'll survive! Promise!
Dr. West is no nonsense! He is tough, and expects a lot from his students, but an A is still very possible if you study his slides for the exams; and get all of the points on every other assignment. EVERY SINGLE POINT MATTERS and will boost your overall grade.
Do NOT take him! I should have listened to all these comments about him being difficult and tough! Don't make the mistake I did. He depends on his SI to teach his students, he randomly jumps from one subject to another. Barely ever lectured the whole semester. claims to be nice, but he is everything but polite.
Dr. West makes his students put the work into his class but if you do, you'll get a good grade. He gives pre and post lecture assignments/quizzes and only gives 3 tests. If you can't read the text and ask questions, you won't do good in this class. He is there to help but only after you've put the max amount of work in that you're capable of.
Dr. West is very brilliant but not a great teacher. You have to work extremely hard to get a B. I am a fan of working hard/ being accountable to the material, but Dr. West just made things seem tricky. He does not give good overviews of concepts, too in the weeds with details you don't need at this level. Fair to students who put in effort, though.
I have never had a teacher as bad as him. Everything is so backwards. We would have a lab on chapter 11 and wouldn't even be done with chapters 9 and 10. ( same with connect assignments) PowerPoints are never in sync with the book. Grades are never on d2l on time. His questions on exams are vague. I love bio, but not with him NO NO NO
I have never had a terrible professor as Dr. West. He doesn't teach, jumps on chapters. He quiz u on chapter he does not teach. he makes everything hard. He is the kind of the professor stands behind his desk and doesn't care if you are doing the lab the right way or not. He is terrible .. He is very rude... Run away from him seriously if I new :((
His class is hard for sure, and yes that is because microbiology itself is a tough subject. If you don't study before coming to lecture, it makes sense that you will not be able to catch up with him because his class is more like a discussion than a lecture. If you plan on going to graduate school you need to be able to handle a class like this.
Do not take. The class itself is ok, but this professor doesn't teach at all. Assignment are due before lecture. Exam extremely hard and tricky. Never takes attendance. Not organized at all. Quizzes on chapter that he never went over. Run away.
his expectations are insanley unrealistic. our first exam was supposed to have 8 chapters. he refuses to speak normally to us throwing out nomenclature no-one understands all the time, and gets angry when you dont understand the meterial, blames it on you for not studying enough but somehow cant make slides that anyone in the class can comprehend.
WORST CLASS EVER!!! Don't waste your time or money!! He's very knowledgeable. Not organized and very hard to follow. First and last time taking him for anything!!
Dr. West is a great professor, He makes sure that you learn the material properly, and ensures that you put in your best effort to get the best grade you can. He has high standards and therefore, if you want an 4.0 in this class, you will have to work as hard as you can.
Tough prof. You will need to teach yourself quite a bit. Be prepared for tests that offer a, b, c, a&c, all of the above as your answer choices on every question. If you work hard you'll do well, though with a bachelor's degree already in hand I would consider this one of the more stressful courses that I have ever taken.
One of the worst professors at OCC. Run away and don't take Dr. west. He doesn't care about students at all. His exams are nothing from the lectures very hard. He doesn't care if you are doing good or bad. Labs you are on your own working with chemicals. DO NOT TAKE HIM
I took his class even though I read the reviews on here stating not too. Be advised, he's very lecture-heavy. I read the book & I was lost because he speaks as if we know the subject. Pop quizzes are common and confusing: choose a, b, c, or d&e. Doesn't like students coming in late, coughing or using the restroom in the middle of class. Stay away.
The first 2 exams were the hardest exams Ive ever taken. He writes his own exams. I barely passed.
Dr. West was one of the hardest teachers I ever taken. He is a teacher the doesn't give study guides so re basically on your own when trying to prepare for exams. He gives pop quizzes on freshly learned material. His power point are unorganized and have a lot of material. AVOID HIM !
Professor West teaching skills are very off. He chooses to just recap things when his students have NO IDEA of what's going on. He teaches like we automatically know the material, but if its our first science class then how are we? Not to mention if I fail the class or drop it, he is the only professor at the Southfield campus to teach it!
Horrible! Absolutely horrible! His lectures are all over the place. He expects you to know everything before lecture, which if I already knew, then why would I be here? He is rude, and al-though very smart, he is arrogant. Random quizzes, no study guides, hates answering questions and really makes you feel like you do not belong there.
Honestly, I would take him again. You have to read chapters every week and get pop quizzes. If you know the material then you will get A/B's. His class doesn't allow being lazy or expecting extra credit opportunities, it's a science class. Get ready to read the textbook and you will do great on the exam. He's a very intelligent and nice person.
Firstly, after reading previous reviews I was apprehensive to take this course. I was surprised to find Professor West was approachable and friendly. He had a cheery disposition throughout the entire semester. That is critical considering the course and its material is very dense and detailed. There is so much to remember and so little time.
His exams are very difficult! You definitely have to work hard for your grade. This is not the type of class you can slack off and cram for. Professor West is nice, and although gets off topic sometimes does his best to guide you. His grading criteria is clear and he wants you to pass. No extra credit. Expect pop quizzes, and every point counts.
This is an extremely difficult class, so be prepared to work. Dr. West is VERY smart. Read the chapters and preview the lecture slides before going to class that will help you a lot. You can expect pop quizzes but if you read a head of time, you will be prepared. Lab is fun and interesting. Make yourself a good study group and you will get that A!
Class was difficult but doable. Be prepared to read and review notes daily. Not a class that you can cram for. If you are not able to dedicate the time for this class you will not do well. Makes you work for your A/B. Pop quizzes are given and exams include A&B only and all the above type questions, so simple recall of the material wont be enough.
He is a very tough grader and makes you work hard for it. Although he says he knows alot of material but he doesnt explain much and u have to rely totally on book to pass this course. So good luck.
Was okay, definitely not as bad as the horror stories made him out to be. You will be reading the textbook and getting pop quizzes for every chapter. Extra credit is given a lot, make sure to take those opportunities. Get ready to teach yourself, because although he's very lecture heavy he speaks as though we already knew the material.
I liked West as a professor. All these people complaining about him making you work for it? THAT'S HIS JOB! He doesn't spoon-feed you answers or material. Grow up and take responsibility for your education. West always answered my questions - you have to be specific though. Yes, lots of reading. Attendance not required but you might miss a quiz!
Do not take him. He was the total Pits!!! Uses big words, thinks he's high and mighty... Run away fast
Came in here with a 3.96 GPA. Thought the horror stories were made up folklore by disgruntled students, too lazy to put forth any effort. Wish I would have listened to my gut. Formed a study group with other serious science driven students, felt confident, yet continuously bombed quizzes. Prof is vague with test questions. Felt so defeated.
This class was pretty tough! I was investing at least 3-4 hours 5 days a week. Material is dense and exams are tricky with more than one possible correct answer. Dr. W definitely helped me out when I visited his office hours. Wouldnt recommend taking this with another science course, I took it with A&P.
Dr. West belongs in a lab, not in a classroom. He does NOT teach, he rambles (just fast enough for you to lose track). He lacks realistic understanding of Comm Coll level edu. He is not sympathetic towards education, only biology. He lacks basic and effective communication techniques. My recommendation is to TAKE ANYONE ELSE BUT HIM. RUN FAST!
This professor made me HATE Microbiology. I love science, I love microorganisms, I find this stuff fascinating. I'm a straight A Kid, I take it seriously, but this Professor needs to get out of teaching. He made 4 months of my life miserable for ZERO reason. ALL IT TAKES IS ONE BAD APPLE. Picking a random prof would be a 100% solution. Run fast!
West is a natural scientist, but he expects you to be putting time into this class almost daily. Even high functioning students still had to devote at least 4-5x more time/effort what the school expects you to devote to a "3-credit" class. It was the hardest class I've ever had, and I've had this same class years back. What a disaster.
listen, if this man scares you... you may not be cut out for more serious universities. He's a bright and wonderfully educated man who was actually really nice and tried his best to reach out to his class. He may forget hes teaching at OCC but i appreciated his hard class. It kicked my study skills back into shape and humbled me.
Definitely will give pop quizzes, puts a lot of critical thinking questions on quizzes and tests, attend his office hours and tutoring for extra help. Hes a really nice man, and hes funny. He really wants you to learn and understand the material
Terrible
He's so nice but his exams are very tough and you need to memorize the lecture slides and narratives. I used the book a lot to further understand the material. Only complaint is sometimes he doesn't give you a straight up answer to your questions. Try your best on the essay part of the exams since you can get 10pts. Gives extra credit and curves!
Dr. West is super qualified and I'm not sure why he isn't teaching at a university level. You cannot fall behind in this class. Keep up with the lectures and read the book! The material is manageable but there's a lot of it; prioritize this class!! Lab is enjoyable. Don't take him if you aren't willing to put in the hard work. Would take him again.
He is a very smart man but he does his job well and you will work hard and learn a lot biology is a hard course and it does not get easy just study hard and communicate with professor west he will work with you he does not set you up to fail he sees your hard work as well
Should NOT be teaching. He is a smart man, but a horrible teacher. He makes the class so much harder than it needs to be and just gives SO MUCH busy work. Also, just not a nice man. Snappy, rude, belittling when answering questions. And then is surprised when the class average on an exam is 48%. Avoid at all costs.
I attend a University now, but when I did attend professor West class I could not keep up! University professors are not even half as bad as this man is. Please listen to reviews!! I have never failed a class or dropped one and I had to drop his!! 10/10 worst professor I've ever had.
I graduated with BS in Neuroscience from UMICH and took this for PA school. This course was definitely not for a community college level, and was challenging to say the least. His exams were very difficult and his lecture slides did not prep you for exam. YOU MUST READ THE TEXTBOOK. There are graded labs. Take advantage of the e.c. Earn your grade.
Took him for bio 1511 definitely one of my favorite professors
I don't even know where to start. Due to Covid-19, this class was taken online. He provides little to no direction. The syllabus I printed, is just wood, he doesn't follow it. His content on DL2 is lacking and he does not answer questions in a timely fashion. Still awaiting an answer to something. Lectures are powerpoint and pointless read book.
Absolutely terrible. Does not provide timely feedback. Vague. Makes class unbearable. He uses a different textbook from other professors teaching this course and he "writes" his own exams. Some exam answers have to be answered in essay form. This is not a typical basic biology class. Avoid this professor. He is absolutely HORRID...
Terrible experience. The content is difficult enough without a professor who neglects to provide any instruction. He was impossible to make contact with. He does not care about providing an education. We all know exam week is crazy and you really have to plan out your time, well he changed the date of the exam on the date of the exam, 7 hours after
I dont even know whats going on. Dont take this course please I beg you. Hes smart and thorough but is hard to understand. Theres way too much information to study for the exams. I contemplated my whole degree first day of this course. Ive never struggled in science but this class makes me feel stupid. Hes makes the test too.
This box wont contain all that I wish to say because its really much. Just talks through slides and doesn't explain well. Its best to avoid him.
Terrible professor! run! he is all over the place, his lectures are confusing and disorganized. He uses a different book than the one suggested for the class. His test and quizzes are designed by him and purposefully try to trick you and make you question everything. Especially don't take him online!!! HE is extremely technology illiterate.
do not take this class unless you are going into the science field.He don't help his students, give off a figure it out yourself attitude.NEVER enough time for his test and when you ask him anything he ignores you. He's all over the place and expect you to know what's going on.He makes mistakes and don't like to be called out on them. terrible!!!!!
this man is not the best. RUN! take another class if you can. Believe these reviews. I didn't and took it anyway. boy was I wrong
I decided to retake this class due to my grade in the previous semester, however this professor makes it extremely difficult to learn. He grades harshly and ignores students. Do not take.
Do not take this professor! Believe the reviews
This was the only class left to register for and I should have waited until the next semester
Professor West is by far the WORST professor I have ever taken. He is extremely rude and not very helpful either. His weekly quizzes are very difficult and he also assigns quite a bit of homework. Not tech savvy. Definitely listen to all these reviews before taking a course with Professor West.
Professor West should NOT be teaching an online class. Not even a little bit tech-savvy and doesn't seem to understand how online submissions even work. Doesn't give feedback in a timely manner, his lectures are LONG, he tends to ramble, and the audio quality is HORRIBLE. Skipped most of the lectures and read the book instead. Save yourself and RUN
Professor was completely awful from day one. RIP my 3.8 GPA
Terrible. Just awful. His lectures are confusing. His tests are extremely difficult, because he throws questions in there he never touched base on or not found in text. First exam, he had to throw questions out due to so many low grades. Class average below a C. Beware! Took online and regret.
This class was horrible! His lectures are very hard to understand and he does not care if you are failing or not. His exam/test questions are not learned in the class, you have to learn everything by yourself. He also takes weeks to respond to emails. Do not take him!!
This is a difficult, content-heavy class on its own. Cancelled a month's worth of class and never responded to a single email. Now I understand emergencies happen but I paid $$$ to take this class and had to skip 4 labs because we ended up behind. Communicating with students is the bare minimum. Choose someone else, your money is worth your time.
There is no way to retain the information for testing. I watched the 3 hour long lectures, reviewed the power points, even printed them out for additional studies. The test and quizzes do not correlate. Their in his wording and correct answers are not given once submitted. I missed the drop class date now I have to suffer through just to retake
Avoid this professor if you can - his lectures are confusing, exams are tricky, and he's not tech-savvy. However, Unstuckstudy can help you prep and stay on top of the material.
This class is lecture heavy. He just reads off the slides. He is against study guides, but he does provide " Chapter Information Sheets" which really don't even help because the information provided wasn't on the exams. Plus, I made the mistake of choosing a 12-week course instead of a regular 16-week one so that made it faster and harder.
AVOID THIS PROFESSOR. Doesn't respond to emails. Confusing and hard tests. Does not grade anything until the end of the semester. Will give you a 0 on an assignment 2 months after you submitted it, just because he "couldn't download the file". Meanwhile, he makes you buy software like adobe just to be able to download class assignments. Mercy.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
71%
Textbook Required
89%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.06 avg changeRatings by Course
MBIOAAA
5.0
(1)AAAAAA
5.0
(1)MICRO1570
4.7
(3)BIO271
4.0
(1)S1504
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
1570
5.0
MICOBIO
5.0
MICROBIO
5.0
MICRO
5.0
MICRO206
5.0