3.0
Quality3.7
Difficulty50%
Would Retake183
Reviews50%
Would Retake
183
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
48
4
40
3
20
2
29
1
46
What Students Say
“Bad notes, its barely possible to study from his slides”
MICR200 - 2.0 rating“Great time this semester in BIOL225”
BIOL225 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
60%
Textbook Required
37%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.72 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOC300MICR200
5.0
(1)BIO360
4.5
(4)MICR200AB
4.1
(11)302
4.0
(1)MICRO200AB
4.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
BIOC300BBIO30
5.0
300A
5.0
BIO225
4.0
302
4.0
MICRO200A
4.0
Reviews (183)
For his first time teaching, Dr. Briant did a really good job. Lectures were either quite interesting or super boring. Assignments and midterms were very easy. Nice guy and you can tell he tried hard to do well.
Super nice guy, terrible teacher.
Dr. Briant improved a lot over the semester and made a really dry class entertaining with his jokes
I won't lie, he was a terrible prof at the start of the course. But he improved A LOT as the semester went on and I would say is actually a really good prof now! I'd definitely take a course with him again.
I thought he did a great job, would definetly recommend seeing him in office hours, he is very helpful and it will defintly clear things up for the midterms if your having trouble. Makes class better with his jokes and is definetly passionate about what he teaches. Nice work.
Improved SOOOO much over the semester! He loved what he was teaching, which showed since lectures weren't that bad. LOOOOVE HIM!!!! xoxox
Pretty good overall. Very funny and makes the lectures quite interesting.
Pretty good prof, notes are kind of useless, need to get a lot from the text as he usually just puts a diagram in the slide. Very helpful outside class time. Test were all SA/LA, so if you're not good at memorizing concepts and details, wouldn't recommend otherwise not bad.
Dr. Briant is a decent prof. His notes are lacking, and I found his test questions to be somewhat obscure. However, if you read from the text and try hard, you'll be fine. Also, Dr. Briant is hilarious, very kind and approachable. I would recommend seeing him in his office hours to clarify things. Came away with a B+ in this class, so not too bad.
His midterms were harder than the final. All written. Material in class can sometimes be hard to undestand, so be sure to see him in his office hours, where he is super nice. Also...he's kind of hot!
He's a nice guy, it's hard to find a nice teacher so it's very refreshing! Midterms were ok some difficult questions. You need to work hard. But he's a great teacher because he clarifies things for you.
Good prof, got better as the term progressed. Tricky midterms, but can do well if you study study study. like he reiterates many times, know your amino acids! Great help in office hours, super nice guy. would definitely take a class with him again. final was a bit easier than midterms :)
Doug Briant meant well, but was highly ineffective in his first try at teaching Intro Microbiology. His notes are more confusing than educational, and often irrelevant. Completely useless at getting the main points across... the textbook saved my life. Tests aren't too bad though.. in hindsight attending lecture was pointless. Nice guy though!
the course was not taught effectively. The notes were all over the place and he would just add random words to the slides. Really nice guy but did not do well getting the information on the course across. The midterm and final were also very hard and extremely detailed!
Doug is a nice guy, but that can't teach you anything if he isn't a good professor. His explanations are unclear. Writing random words on a blank sheet of paper that isn't relevant to the notes is not helpful. Also, he tests on material he doesn't have in the notes, so I found that I had to record every lecture to make sure I didn't miss anything.
Does not know how to teach properly. His review sessions were a joke. His notes are confusing. Plus, he does not tell you whats on the tests and yet he has a few ridiculous questions and a lot of detailed ones. His classes are really boring and there is no need to attend them as you'll have to figure out what he's talking about on your own anyway.
Really nice guy both during lecture and in office hours. It's clear that he definitely wants his students to succeed in this class. Very helpful at answering any questions you have in office hours. Definitely recommended!
Dr. Briant is easily the nicest prof in the BCMB department. However, he is not meant to teach microbiology. Lecture slides are very vague and unclear, the midterm was poorly written, and he tests out of his notes only which is a drag because his notes are poor. If he assigned practice problems, the course would be easier to do well in.
One of those guys that you just want to hang out with...not teach. I really don't know how he got into teaching, like he cannot explain anything. Wrote one of the most frustrating midterms in history, very poorly written. His section on the final was straightforward. He panics when we confronted him about the midterm. Really nice guy though...
Nice guy. BUT notes consist of small diagrams you don't need to memorize and random words that provide NO explanation to the concept. Lectures are boring/useless but go anyway for iClicker credit. Explanations are unclear. Midterms have VERY poorly worded questions, no matter how much you study you can still do poorly on them. Very frustrating.
Had this guy for MICR200A/B as well. Felt like at first his tests were hard, but now that I've had him a few times they're pretty standard. Great at explaining concepts during lecture. 302 doesn't use a text book and he records lectures for us which is insanely helpful. His dry sense of humor's fun too.
Great guy and funny to listen to. Midterms are WAY too hard. I could recite his notes inside out and backwards and still got a bad mark because of his wording. He talks fast so make sure you write quick because you can bet he will test you on what he says. Ended up using the text a lot to make sure I understood concepts. Labs were hard too.
And another year of Doug.The guy has not improved at all.Cannot explain simple topics like Transcription and Translation.Often confuses students. The lecture slides were almost useless because there is absolutely no information on there. His tests are awful, they are not hard but they are worded so ambiguously that many answers are possible.
I thought I would love the MICR 200 classes but Doug destroyed them. Notes are useless and explanations make next-to-no sense. He has a lot of difficulty wording test questions properly so some questions don't even have correct answers! Most frustrating class I've ever taken. I'm dreading MICR 302.
Got better as the year went on. As others have said he is TERRIBLE at wording test questions... but the actual content isn't too bad. He definitely responded to criticism second semester, did much better after he started recorded lectures. Nice guy!
Useless. Doesn't know his material and re-marks his questions "within" the context of other questions. Impossible to know what he is expecting on tests as questions are vague and he doesn't even understand them. SINGLE-HANDEDLY RUINS GPAS. Worst prof ever avoid at all costs.
Amazing prof! Need to attend all his lectures to do well! Would definitely take class with him if got another chance. The most important thing is attending lectures and getting his every word down. Reading notes before class is recommended.
Prior to taking the course I was worried because of all the feedback on here but I absolutely love him! As long as you go to class, focus during the lectures, and write down any extra notes. Then study from the lecture slides and your notes together, you'll do fine! I will definitely be taking more classes with Doug! I will search them out.
I was in this course for two weeks and dropped it in a panic. Notes are practically incomprehensible and impossible to study from. His explanations are VERY vague and unclear. Often confuses students. There's no textbook for this course so you have to go online to find papers to supplement your notes which takes FOREVER. Horrible. Avoid avoid avoid
Doug's a really nice Proff, he's really responsive to criticism and is always happy to answer questions. However his test questions are worded really poorly. His tests tend to be brutal but if you pay attention to his tangents and ask questions they are survivable.
Loves to stand at the front and wave his laser pointer around. Not too much in terms of teaching.
Says he loves point-form format on exams, but takes off lots of marks if you don't explain EVERY SINGLE DETAIL in your answer, even if your answer is logical. Doug, we simply don't have the time to write a page-long answer for every question when we have 50 minutes to write an exam and there's 10+ questions.
Great prof! fantastic & sarcastic.. it'll keep you awake. He posts the audio, so give a 2nd listen to each lecture and retake notes. Do all practice problem he suggests. Go see him in his office if you have questions. Personally, I love his teaching style, and tests questions are "can you think" not "can you regurgitate".
Really great prof! Yes it's difficult and yes you should really re-listen to his recorded lectures if you want to do well but this is 3rd year microbiology, you should expect to work hard. Really funny and actually has some personality. He knows what he's talking about and his tests make you think not memorize. He's awesome.
good prof once you get use to him. clear notes and good video tutorials. genuinely seems like a good guy. very helpful that he records the lectures
Asks abstract questions on test but doesn't mark them himself. The TAs aren't equipped to grade abstract answers. Result is a poor grade for you unless you ask for remark. Do it. And Briant, should you really have to scale every test? Take a pro d and evaluate your evaluation methods. Otherwise a nice guy and good lecturer.
Honestly, he had fun lectures but his testing was ridiculous. He seems to teach too many classes to really do a good job. I really hope to not have him again, I will actively avoid anything he's teaching. Just as a heads up to anyone who has his class you can get your tests remarked by the dean if you get a ridiculous mark.
Worst professor I've ever had. Doesn't understand his material and fumbles through it aimlessly during class, confusing students beyond belief. Takes off marks on midterms with no indication of why marks were removed. Unclear notes and unclear explanations. VERY poorly worded final exam. Nice guy, just a bad prof.
Dr. Briant is amazing! He is so happy all the time, and so interested in what he is teaching. His notes are very good, although you should still read the assigned readings. He is also always available to talk to and ask questions! Buttt.... His exams are very tough. He likes to challenge students with concept questions. But otherwise, he's great!!
Had him for cell biology. His questions initially took me by surprise as they are open ended and difficult to conceptualize, but they grew on me - His materiel requires more than just memorization. He is really helpful. Funny. [-] On the negative side, he stumbles through lectures. Disorganized slides. Difficult to tell what is important.
I've had Doug for like 5 classes now. there's an adjustment period because his questions can be very open ended and hes a little disorganized and the man compulsively bridges all of his sentences with "essentially". once you understand him however his courses are fun and an easy A.
Doug is a nice guy, but a terrible prof. Was better for Micro 200, but really had no idea what he was talking about in Biochem. The textbook was a saving grace for the midterms, but he is all around horrible at writing exams, which was exemplified by the most ridiculous final I've written at university so far.
Overall a pretty good prof with funny lectures. You have to get used to the way he writes his tests, because the questions require you to apply your knowledge to solve problems that may not have been in the notes, but f you study everything and do the textbook problems you should have the tools to answer his questions
You will hate him or you will love him and his testing takes getting used to. He is more interested in his students learning the big picture and how to apply their knowledge as opposed to memorizing meticulous detail (which I find refreshing). However, you do have to put in a lot of effort to do well.
Nice guy, but it was difficult to grasp what was important and what wasn't. His wordings on tests were tricky and so many people have complained about this. His powerpoint notes would not make any sense if you don't go to class.
Doug is awesome, doesn't really ask specific recall questions, more applying facts t problem solving especially for biochem, really fair marker, he's great with the part marks, often if you have no idea just write things you do know about the question to demonstrate your thinking process which is more what he marks. Posts lecture recordings.
Doug is a very funny guy! However, his lecture pacing is good, he stumbles through lectures. Seems to be quite unprepared. Very difficult to detrermine what is important for exams. He is a hard marker, often taken off marks easily on tests. You need to know the material inside and out to even get a B+ on his tests. Not an easy class!Audio Lectures!
Doug Briant was probably one of my favorite profs throughout my entire biochemistry undergrad. He is not afraid to admit when he doesn't know something and is willing to crack jokes to ease the tension in the room. The tests are hard but he tries to make them as fair as possible, as its the amount of course material is what normally gets people.
If you can manage to escape taking a class with doug do it. If you can't then be prepared to be tested on irrelevant information that isn't big in the class outline.
iClickers for MICRO200 so attendance is mandatory. Interesting guy, okay lecturer, tests were tough.
I went into the class super interested and the first professor was awesome but as soon as Douglas Briant started teaching the class it soon became the worst part of my semester. The notes were horrible, he talked super fast, barely wrote anything down and the audio lectures weren't helpful at all. He is the reason I now hate biology
Answers emails and questions, interesting lecturer. You need an iClicker, but they're only for participation marks. Tests were very fair and it was really easy to study for, and it's very intuitive what's going to be tested. If he writes it on the projector, stresses or repeats it, write it down too, it's important. Loved his class
Had him for Micr200A and Biol225. A funny lecturer but his tests can be quite vague and difficult (especially the multiple choice...). He also likes to test on insignificant bits rather than the important stuff. But his written questions were fair.
I quite enjoyed Doug, especially his jokes. I do agree with others that his tests are tough but you will do fine if you know how to study. Just make sure you know the detailed points on every slide. Use his lecture audio and the textbook to deepen your understanding of the material (I find that he uses a lot of textbook info on tests). Good luck!
He taught the second half of Biol 225. Makes audio recordings of his lecture that are extremely helpful to clarify things he's said in lecture, but don't use them to skip classes because he does do other notes, drawings, and skips slides. Fairly understandable, but I had to use the textbook a lot to get the grade I needed.
When I took BIOC 300A, it was split: Martin Boulanger did the first half, Briant did the second half. I went from an A+ in the first half to a B+ in the second -- I found Briant's lecture style to be rushed, difficult to follow, and unclear. Worse, his test had poorly weighted concept distribution, focusing on topics we barely covered.
Doug is a funny guy. Has a lot of witty jokes which are super great. He seems like a super likeable guy and then you get his tests. The tests are super tricky, you will be tested on things that are not in the notes (because the slides don't really have anything in them- which he acknowledges). take serious notes in class- know.. just all of it.
While it is true that Dougs tests aren't easy, neither is the material. His slides are good, but the audio lectures or textbook are the best tool for succeeding. His lectures are really funny and informative and he really tries to foster discussion and participation in class. Overall great prof. Also, the lab is amazing.
I had no idea I could learn so much about biochem in one course -- Dr. Boulanger really packs it in -- a bit of a stretch as I didn't have a bio or chem background but was okay. I learned a TON and the workload was reasonable. Course exceeded my expectations, lectures were fast-paced, assignments & midterms all clear. Great course & prof.
Avoid Doug at all costs. Your GPA will go down! Pros: He is funny He has audio lecture Cons: Lectures are pretty bad Bad at explaining important concepts Tests on stupid/pointless things HARD tests - unfair Doesn't care about 2nd year students Notes are TERRIBLE! Must read the book Must do exterior studying/self-teach to do well
He was funny, but tough on midterms and finals.
Dougie has a very specific style of testing; after MICR 200A and 200B, you should be a master of the Doug Test or you may be in trouble. Very approachable and easy to chat with if you don't understand something; he's a resource, use him to pass a course if you don't understand something first time through. Lecture attendance is mandatory.
Professor Briant is such a kind and awesome professor. He really cares about his students, and is very generous with marking written components. His midterm questions are very fair, as well. Definitely try to take a class with Briant! He's awesome! Hopefully, I'll be able to be take many more of his classes!
Doug is a great professor, he made the material very interesting. The exams are very difficult though so be prepared to study!
Hated this prof and this class. He is very mean outside of class, doesn't give you the time of day for anything. This class was mandatory for my degree, otherwise I wouldn't have taken it.
Doug is great! Really funny guy and so incredibly knowledgeable. He records his lectures, which are great for studying for exams (hard exams). Even though he records lectures, I would not recommend skipping--lots of info and it moves fast! It's super easy to get behind.
Doug is a gem & his awkward (usually self-deprecating) jokes make his lectures entertaining. His tests are fair, but he will expect you to apply your knowledge. He'll throw in some very easy questions, and some tricky ones to make you think. Go to class cause he will throw a fair bit of information at you every lecture and it's easy to fall behind.
Doug is very knowledgeable. His lectures are interesting and funny. Sometimes he can go fast in lecture but that is very reasonable since the material can be heavy- it's microbiology what do you expect? Doug uploads audio lectures which make going through the content easy. If you put in the time and effort the class can be a GPA booster. He's great.
His tests are very hard. He tested on things that were completely irreverent to the big picture of what was being taught. He didn't really seem as though he knew what he was talking about, reading off the paper often in lectures. Wouldn't recommend him if you need an A+ because even when you know your stuff, you're doomed.
Difficult tests but amazing lectures and hilarious professor. Very available to provide extra help and very caring.
Doug is an awesome prof! Honestly, his tests are really tough when you first start out but once you understand the 'Doug Test' you really do well in all his other courses. You really need to go to lectures to do well in the class because his notes aren't the best, but his lectures are hilarious and definitely worth going to!
Not approachable for everyone. Very condescending attitude. He's an intelligent man and knows his stuff but makes some students feel incompetent when asking him questions outside of lecture. Some of his lectures aren't clear but that's the the textbook is there. Overall, interesting class with an arrogant prof. I lost all interest in micro after.
Easy science elective to take but he did a good job of breaking everything down to simple terms
BIOC 299 feels like a rehash of BIO225 and BIO230. Dr. Briant was knowledgable about the course material, and if you payed attention during BIO225 then you will do very well. There are not many graded components so do not fall behind. This was Dr. Briant's first time teaching this course alone, so any issues may be ironed out in the future.
He is super funny. His lectures are genuinely enjoyable to go to. His tests take time to get used to, some of the questions seem a bit odd at first. However once you get used to him its easy to predict what types of questions he will ask.
Doug is smart but very condescending. Dont bother with office hours because he will not give you anything more than trite contracted statements . Trying to engage him in a discussion on lecture content is like talking to a rock. Doug has no time for students In lower level courses it is very disappointing
His lectures are pretty interesting and entertaining and he posts recordings which is good because he goes way too fast to get all the necessary details down. His exams are pretty tough and he loves to put trick questions on there so focus on details when studying because if you just study concepts and big picture you will definitely kick yourself.
Lectures are funny and well-paced, if you miss a lecture it isn't a big deal because he posts audio online. He posts detailed slides, his lectures correspond the textbook, gives you lots of practice material (old midterms/questions), posts detailed summaries of each topic and explains concepts well. Great Prof, highly recommend
Lectures are funny and well-paced, if you miss a lecture it isn't a big deal because he posts audio online. He posts detailed slides, his lectures correspond the textbook, gives you lots of practice material (old midterms/questions), posts detailed summaries of each topic and explains concepts well. Great prof overall
Doesn't care about his students. Makes students feel stupid when asking questions. He marks very unfairly.
A bit arrogant and pompous, but you can ace his section. Just read the notes and add extra stuff from text and lecture talks, you should be fine getting A-. The only way to get an A. Work hard. His questions are difficult if you see them for the first time, but if you've seen them before (similar to textbook ones) you will know how to answer them.
Doug has been my favorite prof so far. Very approachable, explains concepts well without getting muddled down with jargon or coming off condescending. His lectures bring together elements of history and science in a really interesting and accessible way. Very funny guy. highly recommend taking him for micro cell bio or biochem.
This is my fourth and final course with Doug. He is truly the best professor I have ever had during my time at UVic. He does a good job in BIOC 300A by providing lecture audio as usual, and plenty of study questions. He also tests applications of certain ideas not just straight memorization. Overall really enjoyed this course.
Doug is a funny guy and *relatively* engaging during lecture. I like his dry humour and ability to laugh at himself and it makes going to class a bit more enjoyable. However, his tests are a lot harder than I anticipated. He likes to throw in "two of the above" and "none of the above" quite frequently. Need to know the material inside and out.
Bad lectures - he records them but he often speaks in incomplete sentences. Bad notes, its barely possible to study from his slides. Text book is no help. The slides dont match the order or content of the textbook. Test questions are not representative of what was taught. This class was an terrible experience.
Great time this semester in BIOL225. Final exam based on 350 slides of notes, 160 practice multiple choice and 130 pages of a lab manual. I absolutely love and adore listening to his lecture audio for 22 hours to prep for the final exam. This man is the third year gatekeeper.
Doug is a real gem as a lecturer. You can tell that he cares about his students, and although the course is very difficult with a LOT of material to know for each exam, his sense of humour makes it somewhat enjoyable. He posts all of his lecture audio which is a true gift when it comes to studying.
I've now had Doug for 4 years worth of lectures and all in all, he's fantastic. Yeah it might be a bit of a shock in second year, but you learn to absolutely love Doug. Besides 225, he doesn't try to trick you - he just expects you to know the material. Listen to his audio, study, and you'll be fine. Doug is one of my favourite profs at UVIC.
Doug is a UVic legend. As always he records his lectures which is great and would recommend using those to study. The 40% midterm is a dagger but he is generous with part marks. The enzyme section is very difficult and he flies through it which can be tricky. Know your amino acids and try to understand what the heck is going on.
Fairly engaging lectures despite the dry content. Provided good notes and lecture audio. Course was quite thorough, and was by no means easy.
Doug is the best prof at UVIC hands down. Lectures are fun to attend and he's super passionate about the topics. Posts lecture audio which is super useful when studying and pretty fun to listen to (cracks a lot of jokes). Make sure you wright everything down because anything he says can show up on the midterms and finals. Best prof at UVIC.
My class had an unusually high average for the first midterm so Doug decided to make the second one harder, so hard that the class then had an unusually low average. I ended up failing this course by 3%, I did fine in the lab portion but Dougs exams killed my GPA
Doug is a tough grader and it's essential that you attend lectures and review the class material in order to pass. He does give you a lot of resources though, he records lectures, clearly points out where the material is in the textbook, and explains concepts thoroughly. It's really how hard you work that will determine a pass or fail.
Bioc 299 was made harder than necessary. Test questions targeted very specific areas of knowledge and did not encompass general material. The group work (10%) was extremely unfair, just grouped based on how you walked through the door and many members did not study before hand and did not contribute to the assignment.
Tests on specific things that are not relevant to the understanding you should have also makes the test questions more confusing than they need to be
I have had him for like... 4 or 5 courses now? And every time he comes off as unapproachable even in a smaller classroom setting. (As opposed to the bigger lecture hall setting.) Literally thought he had blacklisted my email cause he never replies. Doesnt seem like he cares to help the students.
The lab for 225 is garbage, but thats on Kim Curry. The course itself was a lot more enjoyable, Doug is upbeat, funny, and usually engaging. His tests can be difficult and you have to memorize lots of details, but are usually fair. You HAVE to write down what he says but he posts lecture audio which makes it quite easy. I enjoyed his class
Doug is a great prof, really funny, and truly explains concepts well. I would be extremely engaged in every class. I changed my major from bio to biochem because I realized I loved cell biology. Go to his office hours and don't ask vague questions. If you can try and engage him in a conversation about cell biology or biochem, it'll be worth it.
This guy is an amazing prof. He does have hard tests, but I feel like this class is sorting out microbio or biochem majors, as upper level classes for those will be similar or ten times harder. Listen to his lecture audio, keep on going to his office hours, and connect the concepts to see why cells work the way they do. You can succeed that way.
He makes this class ridiculously harder then it needs to be. I took upper year biochem courses but they were much more strait forward than this class. He seems like a nice guy but his exams are extremely unfair; almost makes me feel like this course is designed to get people to switch majors. Ever since, Iv avoided dougs classes and Im doing great!
Luckily he records his lectures, you still cannot skip the class
Doug is a funny prof who knows what he is talking about, but his lectures are increasingly heavy, difficult, and confusing to follow. He speaks fast and his writing is illegible and notes are terrible, luckily he does lecture audio recordings. The majority of your mark is midterm/exam dependent with minimal study material provided. Goodluck.
Doug made this course a lot harder then it had to be. He went over new and difficult concepts way too fast and did not take the time to give clear and logical explanations. Notes were terrible and missing lots of important information, even if you attend every lecture it's impossible to get it all down. Be prepared to teach this class to yourself.
Dr Briant is funny and approachable. He posted his recorded lectures online which made studying for exams so much more efficient. I found this course difficult but also informative, applicable and fascinating. Dr Briant did tend to go off at a tangent from time to time, but I was never bored in class. I highly recommend going to his office hours.
Take courses with Doug. He is a great prof who explains concepts very well, and is always open to feedback. His tests were hard but he definitely changed them to make it easier for us. Go to his office hours, but ask wisely. I would take more courses with him. The lab portion for this course was unfairly marked, but that's not Doug's fault.
He is a great professor who helps you if you need it, but also challenges you in his tests. He provides a lot of study material before the exam to prepare.
Doug is the worst prof I have had at UVIC so far. His exams were very unfair and hard. This one time, he emphasized a massive topic and told us that we really needed to know it inside out but on the exam, there was only 1 multiple choice question about it and the word problems were all about completely different things.
Love doug's lectures. I find his tests fairly difficult especially for a second year entry level micro class. Its definitely possible to do good in the lecture. Iclicker is used. The labs were interesting, though the lab exams were marked way harder than they should be. No research paper which is nice though.
not a good professor at all, doesn't explain concepts well and makes the test very very hard and difficult. feel like he is setting his students up to fail. by far one of the worst professors at Uvic. not very approachable during office hours either, makes students feel dumb
Dr. Briants teaching methods were non existent. He would just spew out a ton of info during lecture and test you on the tiniest, most specific little details. As much as I hate biol labs at uvic, the lab saved my grade. I have never had a prof who taught and tested as unfair as Dr. Briant does. I hope I never have him again
Should not be qualified to teach, because he doesn't do it. briefly reads through hundreds of slides each lecture and expects students to know the most random stuff instead of having an actual understanding of the concepts. He acts like he will test you on the "big picture" but really, he will give a multiple choice exam about super specific things
I took his Biol 225 in the summer as a condensed course, his tests were fairly hard. I personally do not understand when he tries to explain anything. The lab portion was hard too, but it was fair. Doug is one of the worst professors I've encountered 3 years into post-secondary.
Amazing lectures and really funny. Really brought my level of compréhension up with the course requirements and assignments. He us a tough marker though, because he expects you to study until you know it. If you only use slides or memorize facts for exams, you will not do well. Offers lecture audio, which is a huge help.
I took Bio225 with Doug over the summer and although I found the tests, difficult taking this course taught me how to be analytical when studying bio. He doesn't test off memorization, he asks more application questions which really forced me to try and understand the material. Tough prof but he explains things well and is very knowledgable!
Dr. Briant explains things SO quickly. I did well in this course only by writing down pretty well every single thing he said during the lectures and then using command F during exams. He explains concepts well but does it SO quickly. Like you will have to spend 3 hours transcribing a 50-minute lecture. Its certainly doable though.
You won't learn much in this class, and you're gonna be more worried about learning small specific details than the actual content (which should be the most important)
Hard quizzes and tests. Doesn't explain topics well and puts stuff on the exam/quiz you have not heard him talk about in lecture or notes. Teach yourself all the material and even then it's tough to study and do well on the test heavy portion of this class.
Doug honestly had a great transition to online classes. His lectures are clear, his quizzes are fair (for the most part, and if they aren't he omits questions), and he's really funny. He's not the easiest prof, but that doesn't mean he isn't a good prof. I'm really looking forward to my class with him next semester.
His lectures are extremely, extremely heavy, and tests about all the very little things he BARELY discusses in both his lectures videos and tutorial sessions. Tutorial sessions can be boring and heavy. I am glad that he posts recorded tutorial sessions to look over again tho. Tough grader.. be prepared to be asked about application questions.
One of the worst profs I have had in the 4 years of post-secondary. 10/10 if you can avoid him please do. Feels like he is purposely trying to fail you just so you have to retake his horrible course again and he makes more money off of you!!!! I have literally transferred to a different institution to complete courses that are only offered by doug
Gets an (at times, understandable) bad reputation due to the composition of his tests, but is by no means a terrible professor. He cares about his students and his lectures are interesting. Although I had to work extremely hard to obtain a good grade, I feel like ive learned a lot and I am looking forward to future courses with Doug.
Great prof, his exams were very difficult but after students complained he listened and made the other exams a bit more fair. Unlike other profs he listens to students complaints and suggestions. Good lecture recordings and provides good amount of work for studying.
The course was way too lecture heavy and it didn't help that the prof seemed so disinterested in the video lectures. Tests on very minute details while ignoring the bigger picture so it helps to transcribe his video lectures. The lab portion was great, other than the harsh grading on the formal lab report.
Doug by no means is an awful person but lacks empathy in terms of tests and video lectures. Video lectures (while 2 hours in length/week) took around 6-10 hours to get through because you have to write down everything he says in the video. Youre basically transcribing audio to text. If you even miss a sentence you risk losing a potential mark.
Easily the worst I've ever had. If you don't know every, and I mean every word that comes out of his mouth in the lectures, you won't do well on tests. He tests on the tiny concepts that he talks about for thirty seconds instead the things we actually need to know for the future. Not very helpful in office hours, and often condescending.
By far the worst prof I've ever experienced. I genuinely believe it is his intention to add stress to his students, and see them fail. He tests on obscure details; things he's mentioned for 20 seconds, or not at all, or - questions may directly contradict what he taught. Absolutely avoid his classes - take them at a different institution. Run.
Expect to write down every single word from his lectures, read every single word from the textbook, do additional research online - and then MAYBE you will do well. Maybe not. His tests are outrageously unreasonable, and unfair; the questions are on irrelevant, tiny details, not larger concepts. If at all possible, just avoid taking his classes.
I find Dr. Briant's explanations very difficult to understand. Doug seems to focus less on the big-picture and more on small details. If you need to take one of his courses, make sure you write down EVERYTHING he says.
Exams do not correlate to the readings, lectures, or preparatory material. His teaching is vigorous and irrelevant. The majority of the material taught is not related to the course, or tested on. Questions are based on minute details from optional readings, or the entire exam will be based on a single page from the 300+ slides of notes. Drop him.
GREAT professor in my opinion - He was very clear about his expectations on each exam. As long as you went to class, took notes, and did the practice questions, you're good. I thought he explained concepts very well. He also ended class early sometimes which was nice because it meant that I didn't have to stare at a Zoom screen for too long.
Doug's explanations of topics are quite challenging if not impossible to understand. He definitely likes to test on small details instead of on 'the big picture'. Also watch out for experiment design questions in his upper-level classes as these make up a large portion of the exams.
Doug is... not the best but also not the worst. If you pay attention in class and study well for exams you will do fine. However, there were always some exam questions that went way beyond what was taught and knock down those exam grades which was disappointing. Basically, no matter how well you understand the material, getting A range is hard...
I found Doug to be a very lackluster professor. Like many people have said his lectures are unfocused and rush through the material. If you're a straight-A student you might be ok, but if you struggle with school he will not help you out.
Nothing this guy says makes any sense. The way he explains things is quick and really difficult to follow. This class is pretty much just a memory test for useless information.
Ive never enjoyed biology and always sort of knew I didnt want to pursue it, Doug was the cherry on top of me completely switching out of Biochemistry and into chemistry. His lectures are rushed, I find his multiple choice exams to be very counter-productive. Nice guy, little odd sometimes, glad I wont have to see him again.
I literally transferred to UBC because of Doug lol. All I have to say is terrible, tested us on stuff he mentioned for about a second and often would go on tangents that ended nowhere, just random rambling. You have to tough him out though, sometimes he'll make a final really easy because everyone bombed the midterms. You can tell he's super smart.
Be sure to note what Dr. Briant says about each slide, alongside the slides. I would recommend using OneNote, rewatching lectures with challenging content, AND reading the textbook. It is a tough class and a lot of work, but it is manageable, especially with the lab component. Overall, Dr. Briant was accommodating and listened to student feedback.
Doug is actually amazing. Yes, his slides don't have all the info one needs, but the way he teaches and talks is extremely engaging. He is also always there to answer questions and makes you want to know more about content, why things happen, etc. I think he is totally awesome!
Love Doug. I've had him for a few classes throughout my degree. Definitely look forward to his classes. If you're one to sit down and read the textbook instead of really listen to what he says in class, he probably is not for you.
I did not like this prof very much. The lectures were extremely confusing, and the tests were next to impossible. Definitely avoid.
Doug is extremely engaging and a good person. His tests are a bit tricky but the content in 200B is super interesting and he does a good job explaining it.
Lectures are engaging and genuinely interesting, yet exams are not at all representative of lecture material. Tests had numerous typos, fundamental errors in questions, or were so vague that several answers were correct and corrective measures had to be taken. Fun course to take, but if GPA concerns you, stay away. Most stressful A+ to obtain.
IF your primary course was this Pro. Only one word can tell RUN! Quickly! His lecture's ppt was useless, and the exam was too detailed about the thing he did not mention about. Need to record everything he said, the most important part he didn't put into the lecture PPT and just spoke out during class. Avoid this Pro, protect your GPA!!
I used to hate Doug with a burning passion but since I've learned how to study for his class I've been doing better. You really need to know the nitty-gritty of the topic. If you have everything written down, you'll do great. His multiple choice is easy his written can be quite tricky. Good luck. (go to office hours every chance you get).
frustrating and counterintuitive class. he made large test questions on random topics he would bring up for 30 seconds in class and then never mention again. would recommend avoiding taking a class with him if possible, but he teaches so many classes its virtually impossible to avoid him.
Write down EVERYTHING he says. He records audio thankfully. I found reading the textbook was extremely helpful. Lots of practice problems available, but difficult class with lots of memorizing and understanding concepts. Sometimes he glosses over concepts but will go over them if you ask. Funny guy, gives partial marks if you justify your answers.
as long as you to his lectures, the exams are pretty fair tbh
i love all of his classes
Dr. Briant is a very passionate prof. I recommend taking notes by annotating the lecture slides he posts, otherwise, it's very easy to miss things. It's really important to go to his lectures!! Some of his test questions are hard but if you do the practice midterms on Brightspace, some of the questions on exams are the exact same!!!
He is not a bad guy. And you can tell he is very knowledgeable about what he is teaching... Or trying to teach. But he if an awful professor. I would go to lectures and leave confused because he choses to highlight specific details without giving you context. I would then go over the material myself and understand it. Basically taught myself:(
Attend lectures, take notes quickly and you should be good. Many of his questions on exams are from the practice exam
The most engaging and caring professor I've had at UVic so far. If you write everything he says during lecture and study it well then you can succeed in his course, but it isn't always straight forward material. He is always in a good mood and makes the class laugh a lot. He's also incredibly kind and patient during office hours.
Great prof! His courses involve the same amount of work as others, you just have to study smart. He makes the class laugh daily and is super approachable :) Would recommend! I have taken three classes with him so far and thoroughly enjoy his teaching style. I think he is insanely knowledgable and you can tell he knows what he is talking about.
Put the most time and effort into his classes and have never gotten above a C+. Super hard/unfair marker but never makes it clear what his expectations are when answering his long answer q's. Briefly brings up something in class and then tests u on it so write EVERYTHING he says down. Vague notes and no textbook so you're just teaching yourself.
best prof I've ever had (I'm in microbiology). Just write down everything he says and then the exams end up being very easy. Very good prof
loved him as a prof in 2nd yr but I would say the exact opposite now. He rushes through things, no textbook, & I pay way to much money to have to teach myself all the material. He also has a condescending way of speaking to his 3rd yr students, almost like he's always disappointed in what we don't know already. How that's our fault? No idea.
One of the worst teachers Ive had, he expects you to know the intricate details of concepts he mentions for a few seconds. His first test was relatively straight forward but every test afterwards was hell. I get that he teaches difficult subjects, but he couldn't go further to set his students up for failure.
He doesn't take himself too seriously and is a good prof. The content is just difficult. His online exams are tough because they're open book. In person exams are much easier! His expectations are pretty clear if you go to class, and he provides a lot of opportunity to do better - he scaled up our last midterm by removing and remarking 6/25 Qs.
This was the most disorganized course I have ever taken at Uvic. On one of our exams our class average was 47%. We were not taught the material and his response was to ignore that and scale our marks. My mark increased by 40%!! Thats not normal and shouldn't happen in the first place!! Avoid this prof. I did not learn a single thing in this course.
He's very kind like such a sweet guy so I feel bad for leaving a not so great review but he is a hard as heck prof. Like write down literally everything he says because he tests on such specific things. He always has to curve his exams because they are too hard but it nice he curves them. Just tests are way too hard. Most stressful A I've gotten
Poor slides. After taking two of his classes i can say that if youre paying attention you should find his first midterm easy, but things after will get confusing as he starts to rush through things. Focus on what he SAYS rather than the slides. Avoid if possible.
If you are serious about doing well then there shouldn't be any problem with doing well in his course. His in person exams I found way easier than his online exams. So, if you have a choice ALWAYS choose in person. Doug does tests more on small details so listening to lecture recordings will become your best tool for exams.
Doug is a solid instructor. If you take his class seriously and are willing to study your heart out you'll be fine. I wouldn't take notes during lectures rather just absorb the information and then listen to lectures afterwards to get the small details. Just be actively curious and just give er' and you'll come out on top. Goodluck.
He was an amazing prof, and the reason why I am in science.
Write down everything Doug says, I took notes on onenote over his slides. He posts great resources on brightspace, including slides/lectures and topic summaries. Paying attention to everything he says is vital. The work load can be a lot but is definitely manageable.
If you ask him how to put a stick in a puddle of mud he will go through an 8-step nonchronological process in 2 minutes, then spend 10 minutes telling you about a nobel prize that was won for mud research in 1983 and a couple other things that are related, but not helpful to your understanding. Stick to the textbook/other online lectures.
I find that Doug is a little over hated. You do need to put in time to get a good grade. If you make sure you listen to everything he says in the recorded lectures and go through the practise problems, you should be well equipped to get an A.
You truly need to write down everything he says. Reviewing a 50min recorded lecture takes 3hr for reference, he talks a lot and nothing is on the slides. The midterms were online open book but felt very short on time and very confusing. Didn't help that there wasn't any good review material. Thankfully, the final was a breeze and helped boost.
Make sure to only pay attention to what he says, that's what he will test you on. his slides are useless, only have pictures and no text or anything else. So make sure you go to all lectures. His recording aren't great because they are only audio so you can't see which slide he's referring to.
Doug is great, I feel like a lot of people that compalin about him just read off the slides and don't actually listen to the lecture.
Doug shops at Dan Flashes.
as long as you listen to his lectures you're all set tbh, he tests on the stuff he says in class. don't just read the slide, they don't have much information on them.
The class is challenging, but if you stay focused and use tools like unstuck study alongside the lectures, you can do well. The professor has high expectations, but curves exams when needed. Attendance is a must to keep up with the detailed content.
Instead of making clear and organized notes/slides he makes them as convoluted as possible, missing large chunks of the courses testable information. It seems like this is intentional so he can feel like he provides value to the course, which he does not. Any criticism of this is blown off as "students not paying attention in lectures". Avoid
He is a nice guy, generally likeable. HOWEVER. He talks absolute nonsense without giving any context on what should be noted. Never clear if something is a notable point or just a “fun fact”. Will test on extremely specific things that he mentioned briefly during class and magically expects you to know it's a vital point in on the exam. AVOID.
His lectures are pretty boring however that might just be a result of me not liking Bio. Having that said tests are brutal. They have very specific questions about things "covered in lecture" which if they were they most definitely don't go as in depth as what the questions asks for. Nice guy terrible prof.
Seems nice, but I detest his teaching style. Lectures are very convoluted and we are given test questions that are EXTREMELY specific. He mentions info we must know VERY briefly and lecture slides contain very few words,lecture audio is recorded. He expects you to remember LITTLE details. He over explains topics that will not be tested on.
way to many tangents
Funny prof, but class sucks. Feels impossible to follow and learned nothing from lectures. Assumes a high level of prior knowledge, and class covers a lot of material. Online open book midterms were hard, but final allows for cheat sheet
Doug's class is messy, unorganized, and completely impossible to keep up with. The lectures and slides provided rarely line up with the material tested, and most of the key information is mentioned once briefly by doug in lecture, never to be mentioned again. He has a sinister energy, and is quite literally one of the worst professors I have had.
For anyone looking at this going into Biol 255: Doug is honestly a nice guy, but does not put the info that you need to know on his slides. Most of his teaching is done by him talking, which honestly is a huge switch up for most students. I highly recommend listening to lecture audios after class or reading the textbook.
Doug is a fun lecturer, but I found it difficult to follow his explanations. Definitely recommend spending time outside of class to really understand the material, and take notes during class! The online midterms are hard, make sure you understand in detail and not just memorizing. The final was a breeze though and made up for the tough midterms.
I think Doug was meant to be a comedian in this life. I liked how he talked to us as equal/had a casual teaching style.. DUN DUN DUN his teaching is tough to follow. I made notes after every lecture which took about an hour and a half and still felt unprepared for midterms but I def should've studied more. Exam questions can be effed so study HARD
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100%
Attendance Mandatory
60%
Textbook Required
37%
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