2.7
Quality3.2
Difficulty43%
Would Retake90
Reviews43%
Would Retake
90
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
9
4
20
3
14
2
29
1
18
What Students Say
“Badly structured class”
BIO1101 - 1.0 rating“The lectures are very boring”
BIO1101 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
92%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.07 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOLOGY1102
3.8
(4)BIOLOGY1101
3.3
(3)BIO1101
2.7
(23)BIO1113
2.6
(55)BIO1102
2.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
BIOLOGY1102
4.0
BIO1102
4.0
BIO1101
3.5
BIO1113
3.0
BIO1100
3.0
Reviews (90)
Calhoon has a dry lecture but if you go to class and listen and take good notes, this is an easy GE class. Exams are easy if you show up to class and go to recitation for the jepordy review game.
While the class itself was not too hard, the lectures were dry to the point of being hard to listen to. In addition, the fact that the TopHat points are graded for credit means you're forced to attend and sit through her reading off of a slide. Pace of lectures was very inconsistent. Some days you're scrambling to take notes, others are slow.
The lectures are very boring. She reads directly from the slides. You have to go to class in order to get Top Hat points. The tests are hard. Do not take this class if you are looking for an easy GE.
This class was supposed to be an Introduction to Biology, instead it turned into 15 hour study days for an average grade. The material itself is interesting. However, Dr. Calhoon ruins that. She reads from the slides; this ends up hurting you on the exams, because they are application. Lectures suck. No missed lab policy. Badly structured class.
Calhoon is pretty boring. Even though attendance is not mandatory, she gives you grades on top hat questions that you can only get in lecture. She literally reads off the slides and that all so it seems pointless going to class. Lab is the biggest waste of my time; you need to go but learn nothing from it. Don't take her if you can help it.
Easy. Go to class to get points from TopHat, but you don't need to pay attention. Labs are ridiculously simple, homework assignments are easy and take less than 15 minutes, exams are also easy as long as you pay some attention and study the vocab. Lots of grades so messing up a few assignments won't tank your grade. Best GE science.
Lectures are INCREDIBLY lack-luster. Good luck staying awake.
Lectures are incredibly monotonous. She reads straight off the powerpoint slide, and this doesn't help you at all on the exams as the questions are all applied concepts. I took this class because it was supposed to be an easy intro, but she made it pretty difficult to keep up.
This class can be fairly easy as long as you attend and take notes. Attendance isnt mandatory, but lots of tophat questions & group activities that you turn in. Lectures can be pretty long and can lose interest, a plus is that she posts all the slides on Carmen. Exams are not that bad as long as you study the material, concept based, but not hard
Fairly easy class as long you take notes and attend class. Attendance is not mandatory but lots of tophat questions and group activities that are turned in. Exams mostly concept based, but easy as long as you study. Lectures can be long at points, but a plus is that all the slides are put on carmen. Easy GE credit class. Labs are not hard either.
Exams are incredibly hard. I memorized the slides and study guide and they are almost nothing like the exams. I spent all of my time studying and could not get higher than a C on both exams. FIND ANOTHER BIO TEACHER.
Dr. Calhoon didn't have very interesting lectures and its pretty much mandatory to go because there are a lot of in-class points. However, if you review the main point slides and make flashcards for the bold terms she tells you to know-- the class is a breeze!
The exams are rough and she words the questions weirdly.
Crazy boring and too hard for a GE course. Don't even get me started with the useless labs. If your looking for an A, although not impossible, I would chose another class or professor.
This class was fairly easy as long as you attended lecture in order to get top hat points. Labs were really long and usually boring. Lexie was my TA and she helped me out tremendously!
Incredibly hard for just a GE. Exams are extremely difficult and unlike any material we discuss in class. Very difficult to obtain an A.
Easy class with boring lectures. Show up to class and pay attention and it'll be an easy A.
Class was okay. Liz wasn't very helpful to talk to in person. Her tests often have options that read "two of the above" but never specify which two, which is pretty annoying.
She has so many difficult exams and is a tough grader. She behaves like a PPT reader and boring lecture, I almost fall sleep. She never smiles in class and her face is like her students are robots.
Her class is obviously going be be lecture heavy because there was a lot of information that needed to be covered in a short amount of time, but Dr. Calhoon did a good job of breaking up class with different group activities and tophat questions. She also provides a decent amount of extra credit which is really nice.
I took this class for an admission prerequisite for my program and its just an introductory to biology. Its like high school bio just deeper information. But if you decide to have this professor, just know she includes a lot of participation off of top hat&packback which is dumb, 4 reading assignments, lab, oh & her tests are difficultly worded.
By participation I mean TopHat questions. She asks about 4-6 every single lecture so make sure to bring some device with you to class. These questions may seem annoying but they are extremely helpful to study for the tests. Theres about 4 tests including the final, but she complies all the information we need to know into main point slides.
Lots of work but doable, 4 exams, a quiz, a disease project, and participation graded, extra credit included. Tests are tough.
She was the lecturer for Samantha Kelly Herrmann's online Bio 1102 The Class follows a pattern of *15 Minute Video * 3-10 Question *15 Minute Video *Etc It's an excellent format. The lectures are good, and they cover literally everything you need to know, book is optional. Late Work is accepted at an extremely generous -10% per day.
Dr. Calhoon is a very knowledgeable professor who provides the information and resources for you to pass her class. If you're anything like me, you HAVE TO STUDY to pass the tests. You can't pass without putting in effort, doing the homework, and studying for the tests. This class is hard, but she's a great professor with a lot to offer!
While she is SUPER smart and knows a ton about what she's teaching, this class is way too busy work oriented, and the wording on her exams are insane. It's like trying to decipher latin without a dictionary. For being a Gen Ed class, it is far too much effort, and not worth it for how much stress it causes. Find another professor.
Dr. Calhoon gives all the resources to pass her class. It is by no means an easy A, but she tells you exactly what you need to know for the tests and compiles it into one study guide for each test. She knows a lot about the information in this class. I loved every minute of having Dr. C!
While Professor Calhoon is a very nice and easy to access if needing help, her class is really hard you if dont watch the lectures and do the participation assignments . Her exams are super hard and worded in a way for you to fail.
Professor Calhoon is a great lecturer. Bio 1113 is not an easy class, but professor Calhoon made an A very possible. She gives you all the resources you need for the exams. She is incredibly organized. Attendance isn't technically mandatory, but there are top hats every class that ARE taken for a grade, so come to class!
She is one of the worst professors I have ever had. The information on the slides that she gives in class is different from what you would see on the exam. The lectures are very boring, she just talks and gives you questions in between. She grades her assignments to hard, she expects you to be a professional scientist. FIND A DIFFERENT BIO TEACHER!
Only thing bad is that attendance is basically mandatory. In-class activities/top-hat questions for points are given in each lecture. Other than that, the tests are straightforward and are exactly what she says during lecture. No need to read the textbook. She's a good lecturer and her slides are easy to understand and provide enough information.
Dr. Calhoon reads of powerpoint slides during lectures. Tests are relatively easy as long as you study the Top Hat questions given in class. Attendance is based on Top Hat questions and in class activities as a group. Boring class but not terribly difficult.
Lectures are somewhat excessive with a lot of in-class points. If you aren't a morning person like me, don't choose an early section that you'll sleep in past. In-class points make up more than 12% of your overall grade. Tests are lab quizzes are easy if you study, and labs are never bad. Workload is decent, but not terrible.
I loved the way she explained content. She encouraged us to think for ourselves but guided us when we got stuck. Provided us w/ clear organized notes and there were no surprises on exams.
Dr. Calhoon is a great professor who really knows her stuff. She is lecture heavy and a lot of points come from in-class tophat questions and lecture questions, but this provides opportunity for easy points. Textbook is not required.
Lectures were very excessive and an extreme amount of Tophat questions per class. Personally, didn't like the note slides because they were filled in already. Posts study guides/main concept sheet for every exam. Lab was definitely a grade booster, lots of projects, quizzes, assignments for lab. Exams are easy and straightfoward if you go to class
She knows her stuff, but the organization of her modules is horrible and she gives out way too much homework for an intro course. There were times where I found myself struggling to keep up. The exams were worded in a way that can trick you if you're not careful. She puts extra credit in the class, so take advantage of that if you take this.
I was surprised by the low score for her, she wasn't the best teacher ever but she also definitely wasn't bad in my experience. Just pay attention in lectures, take notes, and have a good study strategy and you should be okay. She does tophat every class, so attendance is taken through that alongside ICAs but I learned in her class.
I found the class enjoyable and informative. Attendance for lectures is mandatory, and there are weekly homework assignments. She explains the course material and provides the slideshows used during lectures. She was also clear about what would be on the tests. However, the grading system is heavily based on exams, so it's important to study.
I was initially very scared because many people said that the exams were the worst and hard to prepare for, but its not that bad. There are MANY slides for each exam, but to be honest the only ones that matter are the main point slides. She does MANY tophat questions in lecture, but they are easy points which helps a ton. Start studying early!
I loved Dr. C! She certainly wants students to succeed; she provide main point slides, records lectures, study guides, and practice questions before exams. Exams aren't hard as long as you study a bit in advance. Labs are also pretty easy. There's a discussion post every week and lots of in class points, so your grade is more than just exams!
I had no issues with her! It got a little tough since I had an early morning class and you really need to attend lectures for the Tophat/ICA points, but overall it wasn't too difficult. It is very clear what content from lectures are going to be on exams which I love, I wasn't studying material I didn't need.
Doctor Calhoon was very well organized. Lectures can be a little boring at times but are very clear and prepare you for the exams well. Exams were easy but AP Chem (Chem 1210 equivalent) was super helpful background knowledge. Make sure to do the Pearson mastery and the Tophat extra review, questions are very similar and sometimes the exact same.
Dr. Calhoon is the most boring lecturer ever. I think I would get the same out of sitting in my dorm reading through the main point slides. The only reason I attend lecture is because she grades TopHat and In class questions. She also reads directly off the slide. She leaves no room to write on the slides so good luck fitting any notes.
Information in lecture doesn't match recitation, none of which match the test. She teaches behind the mastering assignments and is very dry in lecture delivery. Felt like I had to teach myself.
Not awful just not very engaging lectures and very easy to not pay attention. However, as long as you answer all the in class questions and look over the slides before exams you should be fine. exams are fairly straightforward.
This is the worst professor I've had so far. She's not at all interesting in lecture, and almost no one pays attention, but you have to attend for a grade. She has weekly homework assignments with questions about things you haven't learned yet, and then she teaches after the homework is due. I taught myself everything. Would not recommend.
Most unenjoyable lectures I have ever had to sit through. Considering lecture is about comparable to and boring as sitting in your dorm or the library, reading off the slides to yourself, it is an easy classes to skip and feel comfortable with material. Too bad you are forced to go. Cares more about students talking then having engaging lectures.
Dr. Calhoon's bio class was the WORST bio class I've ever taken. She only reads off the slides, but attendance is mandatory. I don't think I ever learned anything from her. Her tests are also way too hard for someone who doesn't teach. The class averages were never great on exams. Don't take her if possible; there are better bio professors.
This class is so impersonal, that I don't have anything to say about Dr. Calhoon because, despite being in her class for 4 months, I don't think she ever had a 1-1 convo with any student. She reads off of slides (that you have asses to), but attendance is mandatory for TopHat point. I solidly say that this class was mid at best.
Lectures had graded assignments so attendance is mandatory. Labs were not very hard. The tests were very hard.
Has tophat questions during lecture, goes through content very fast and not very in depth, be prepared to study and learn outside of class to gather a clear understanding
Lecture is the most boring thing in the world, I watched Netflix everyday. However, the in-lecture assignments and TopHat questions were easy points in the class, so as long as you go everyday you'll be fine. Lab is easy, and as long as you study the main points from lecture for the exams for a couple hours they're pretty straightforward and easy.
Dr.Calhoon is an overall ok professor who mostly reads off of the slides. The lectures are pretty boring and you have to spend time outside of class to actually study to ensure you do well on the exams. Exams are pretty straight forward if you study and understand the concepts outside of class. Lab is definitely a grade booster but is also boring.
Attendance is mandatory, but her lecture is amazing. She encourages group works and explains everything very well.
GO TO CLASS. No seriously, go to lecture, listen to what's going on, do her TopHat questions and you'll be fine. Her lecture slides and TopHat questions are SUPER HELPFUL for the exams. If you go to lecture and do the TopHats consistently, you can pretty much predict what's gonna be on exams. Also incredibly accessible outside class.
The content of Bio 1113 is not terribly difficult, however Dr. Calhoon is a seriously boring and monotone lecturer. Her slides are filled with yap information that is not easy on the eyes, and speaks as if she needs to take a nap. You will most probably fall asleep in lecture
so boring and not passionate about topics. lectures are boring and so are labs
Dr. C is a good professor, but her tests and homework are a little bit heavy, and every week discussion questions. But you will receive a good score once you work hard in her classes.
While her reviews are low, Dr C really isn't as bad as people made her seem. Attendance is mandatory and seats are assigned. A LOT of inclass work with mandatory tophat questions and in class questions within groups so you essentially MUST be in class. Her exams are very straightforward and from her slides, nothing is ever a shock on exmas.
Lectures are boring and mandatory because of tophat questions, but her exams are over the exact stuff in her slideshows. She gives you lots of tophat review questions before the exam and some are even the questions found on the exam. Overall the tests are a majority of memorization in my opinion. AP bio in highschool was harder than this.
Shes mono-tone, reads off slides, uninterested. Shes not a professor, she does the bare minimum and does not expand on concepts. I am disappointed in osu they could pick someone better. Class is not hard. Attendance is mandatory, she gives assigned seats in a 600 person lecture hall.
Not a horrible professor; her class is just boring. Attendance is mandatory if you want a good grade. The lab is boring but not that difficult. It's hard to pay attention in her class because it is a big lecture, and she is very monotone throughout. Compared to chemistry, biology is not too bad; you just need to spend time outside of class.
Her wording on tests is so bad, and her lectures are horrible. She made this class harder than it needed to be.
Most boring lecture ever. Assigned seats in a class of 600. Reads off the slides word for word. Ask her a question she can barely answer it. Not invested in students success. Like a robot.
She's fine. Her slides are very confusing (uses way too much technical language) and she basically just reads from them the whole lecture. As long as you devote time to studying, you'll do well. The majority of her test questions are memorization or explicitly asked in lecture. Lab is easy.
Her lectures are extremely boring, she grades labs harshly and takes off fractions of points that add up significantly, her tests focus on hyper-specific things that no other biology professor would even think to ask because they're useless. She makes biology 1 way more difficult than it needs to be. Avoid her if you can.
Her rating is crazy low, I treated the class like a blow off and was able to pull an A. You do need to be in class for top hat questions and she takes off dumb points for lab, but the material is not super heavy. As long as you really dedicate a few hours to studying before exams you should be able to pull at least a B easily.
Class makes me question my sanity
She is very lecture-heavy, but all she does is read off the slide. Attendance is mandatory, so you have TopHat and In-Class Activity (ICA) that count as points. You can only miss three attendance points. All the bio TA are critical graders. This class genuinely tested my patience. I studied for her class, but the wording tripped me up on the exam.
Terrible exams all the questions are worded terribly. The TAs grade so harshly and the only resources you have to study for the exams are her slides tbh.
I DEFINITELY would avoid this professor at all costs. She requires attendance using top hats and in class assignments so you're almost obligated to attend lectures even though all she does is read of the slides. Her exams are also worded weirdly and more complicated than it needs to be. You could study for hours and still not do well on the exams.
if you dont have a religion pick one and pray
Avoid at all cost. If you have her as a lab instructor especially, I would rather drop and take it some other time. My test grades are solid and the whole reason I am struggling is because of her grading system. She takes the most effort to make everyone in her lab to make sure they get the worst grade possible.
Despite the overall rating she has, I don't believe she is as bad as people make her to be. Her exam wording can be difficult at times but studying what she offers should do you just fine.
You should go to lecture, there are TopHats and In Class Assignments worth a decent chunk of your grade. Plus it's just helpful. Honestly I didn't think she was that bad just study and you'll do fine.
Unfortunately, she made biology very confusing and boring (which it shouldn't be) and she is VERY boring. She reads off her slides and a 50 minute lecture feels like hours has passed. Her exams are worded weird so you have to really study. She does give good study material but that's about it.
AVOID HER AT ALL COSTS. She makes General Entry level Bio way harder than it needs to be. Her lectures are painfully boring, but you can't zone out because TopHats count for 10 percent. She has assigned seats, her exam questions are hard for no reason, and if your TA for lab is a Dr., DROP IMMEDIATELY. I had to retake Bio even with a 4 on AP Bio.
She makes biology boring and so much more complicated than it needs to be. She spends the entire 55 minutes reading off the slides and does not make class very engaging and stimulating. Her exams are extremely difficult and very wordy for no reason. Her top hat reviews are inconsistent with the exams.
She gets a bad rep but I really dont get it. She has the class structured in a way that often feels tedious and annoying, but ultimately really prepares you for her exams. She also gives you EVERYTHING that will be asked on the exams on a "main points" doc which I felt was INCREDIBLE. Had her for recitation as well and she was a really coo person.
Her lectures are very boring and the slides she provides are not helpful. I found it really challenging to do well on her exams as I had to teach myself all of the content and then figure out how to analyze/answer her wordy exam questions. She is very smart but does not seem interested in teaching. I would avoid her if possible.
I am distraught about Liz... I feel like she made the class much harder than it needed to be with confusing test questions. Liz seems like a nice person, but I never usually talked to her because the class had 500 people. If you get this professor, you should be fine. Her lectures are also kinda boring
Dr. Calhoon was a fine bio professor but the class moves very fast and there is so much material. Her slides are filled with a ton of bullet points that she usually just reads straight off of during lecture. Her office hours are helpful and she is very nice when asked questions. The class has 4 midterms so it feels busy but definitely manageable.
Dr. Calhoon has a very traditional style of teaching. She reads from slides and posts in-class questions to keep the student engaged. Attendance is almost mandatory. However, it is very easy to review and study for her exams given the amount of review questions handed out. Would recommend her if you want an easy class that requires minimal effort.
Reads off of slides and incorporates tophat and in class activities for credit-very easy points tho. Everything in this class is weighted the same. She was very good at answering questions. Office hours are very helpful. Her review packets and tophat review questions for exams are very good for preparing. Grades lab assignments sternly tho.
There's 4 exams, 1 partial cumulative final exam, lots of tophat questions and in class assignments every lecture, assigned seats based on your lab group, so much stuff on the slides, she reads straight from the slides, and the exam questions are worded difficult. The material isn't bad, she just isn't the best. If you study well, you'll be fine.
I strongly believe that Dr. Calhoon is truly a great professor. She made the notes bearable by ensuring it wasn't too complex and made it so that her students had all the information needed for the exams, which I felt were easy and just like the Tophat questions.
I don't think she gets enough credit. I really don't think her class was hard compared to chemistry. I had her as my lab TA aswell and the only thing i'll say is she's a harsh grader. Other than that her slide shows and lectures are informative and if you study well you'll be perfectly fine. Definitely doesn't deserve a 2/5 rating lol
I think she is overhated. Her lectures are sometimes boring; however, the class is incredibly easy, and tests are based on information in a key points document. You will either love the assigned seating or hate it. For me I enjoyed everyone in my lab group, so the assigned seats were not too bad.
Just a really Boring experience. I didn't pay attention during the lectures at all and really didn't get much out of the lectures. But you have to attend them because of TopHat assignments. The only reason I'm not saying 1 is because the final exam study guild she gave was very helpful and the notes are a good way to prep for tests.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
92%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.07 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOLOGY1102
3.8
(4)BIOLOGY1101
3.3
(3)BIO1101
2.7
(23)BIO1113
2.6
(55)BIO1102
2.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
BIOLOGY1102
4.0
BIO1102
4.0
BIO1101
3.5
BIO1113
3.0
BIO1100
3.0