3.1
Quality3.3
Difficulty60%
Would Retake104
Reviews60%
Would Retake
104
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
27
4
24
3
14
2
29
1
10
What Students Say
“He puts an occasional joke into his tests to lighten the mood”
PDBIO120 - 5.0 rating“I would highly recommend taking this class from someone else”
PDBIO120 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.19 avg changeRatings by Course
AGRHRT100
5.0
(1)HONP260
5.0
(1)AGHRT100
5.0
(1)BIO
5.0
(1)BIOSECT
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
BIOSECT
5.0
AGRHRT100
4.0
BIOLOGY120
4.0
BIO340
4.0
PWS340
4.0
Reviews (104)
Bro Jellen is a great guy. He's nice and enthusaistic. The class can be kinda boring and tests are killer. If you get a TA that's willing to help you with the tests, you'll be good to go.
This dude was so excited about the topic. Boring subject.
No Comments
BORING? Are you kidding? I don't care much for biology, but Dr. Jellen's lectures are FASCINATING. Everything is in the reading; the lectures move beyond for a unique perspective and good discussion. Break out of your high school mentalities.
Great professor. He is very spiritual and knows alot. He is very passionate about the subject material. Wonderful guy!!
Very helpful.
He is not that interesting. The class is a simple one, but he makes it seem complicated and confusing. The information is all jumbled up and in no pattern so it's like learning a bunch of things in random order.
Basically you have to teach yourself the class cuz you can't understand a word that leaves this guy's mouth. He uses words far too complex for Bio120.
He is NOT the right teacher for this class. "Nebulous" is the word he uses to describe both the class and the tests. His TA is inept and not very helpful. The class, while potentially useful as an intro to biology, is confusing and frustrating due to the presentation. Loves his own voice.
Bro Jellen is the best EVER! I loved every minute of class and looked forward to it every day. He brings a great spirit and great amount of background knowledge and insited.Helped me look in a new way at the Book of Mormon. Tests are not bad if you go to class and study. I HIGHLY recommend him!!!!
Very good teacher, has extensive knowledge and experience. He isn't the most directive speaker-he always finds great ways to share other stories and add'l info. Book reading is proper, powerpoint has the stuff you need to know. Nature of the class makes tests shady and difficult but ok. Good for 120
the guy is the nicest guy you'll ever meet. hes very smart as well. but he is a pretty bad lower level teacher. his tests were retarded too, half the questions didn't make sense or have answers. overall he helps your grade, so its not too bad of a class. study on your own and you'll do fine
He is horrible!! Cannot teach and definitely cannot write tests! DO NOT TAKE BIO FROM HIM!
Great guy. But he should not be a teacher. The Average on our first test was a 47%. Lectures were disorganized, tests were poorly written as was the homework. "Do you really think medical schools and dental schools are going to care if you got a B in Bio 120?" -not a good attitude for a teacher.
Hated this class. After taking this class i started looking weird at religion classes at BYU. his tests suck and he sucks. makes you memorize maps and stuff that you don't need to knew to eb a good member of the church.
I agree with the previous BIO 120 post. Jellen IS a great guy, but when the class average on a test is a D+, something is clearly wrong. The students in our class are intelligent, so I have a hard time believing scores this low are representative of our understanding of Bio 120 concepts.
Dr. Jellen is really cool, and he is always willing to listen to you and help you understand the subject, but his tests are unbelievble. His teaching skills are not the best and he is so smart that he goes too in depth on subjects. Good man, but teaching just isnt his forte.
Dr. Jellen deserves better reviews than the ones I've read. This class is hard, but if you study and ask for help/points back, you can improve your grade. I agree that Dr. Jellen is not the most adept teacher ever; therefore, always do reading/extra credit, ask questions, and study, study, study.
loved it
going to lecture would be just as helpful for taking his test as watching beavis and butthead marathons. the only good thing is that he gives study guides with answers. however, there are 50 questions on the study guide and 25 on the tests. only about 15 of the 25 test questions come from the study guide. the other ten come from the cosmos...
he's a really nice guy-always makes a big effort to be available to help/talk, but that doesn't help my grade that much. he isn't good at lecturing and his tests are really wordy and hard. He only gives us 25-question tests and I put in 8 hours of studying before the tests. i hate how i still get a B because i only got 3 wrong but i know the stuff
The readings are long, the lectures are confusing and don't make sense. His tests are confusing and terribly written. He tries to help but doesn't really just says continue to read and study. I was disappointed really. IN FreshAcad, no help!
He's a great man, but he's not a great teacher. His lecture is way boring. The reading drives you nuts.
You can talk to him about anything because he cares more about the students than most professors. I understood the lectures, and if I didn't I just had to get off my bum and ask him in his office. You can also ask the TA. I thought his lectures were fascinating so I don't know if it was just people disinterested in Biology who didn't like him?
Dr. Jellen is very smart, but doesn't do a good job lecturing. He gets off topic very easily and doesn't explain very many things relating to the class. His tests require that you know everything inside and out. He asks analytical questions that require application of concepts rather than regurgitation.
He is really nice and you can tell that he really tries, but his biological blatherings are often hard to understand and his tests have alot of tricky questions. But if you actually read for the quizzes, you should come out ok grade-wise.
DIFFICULT!! Sometimes I did better on the quizzes when I didn't read. The tests are poorly written and difficult to understand. Avoid his classes. When a question was asked, he used huge words to sound smart but ended up confusing everyone. PPT slides available online but he rambled about everything but the lesson.
Nice guy, bad lecturer. The way to succeed in this class is to do the reading, study the slides well, and go to TA reviews(try not to listen to him too much). I also found that reading the chapters on the test before taking it helps alot.
I really enjoyed the class. He is a great teacher, and he knows his stuff. The tests were hard, but I felt like they helped me to learn the material. The powerpoints on Blackboard helped a lot too. If you go to class and take notes and study the PPTs, you'll do fine. I thought it was a great class.
ok kids so here is the down low....dont take him...worst teacher possibly ever, he never teaches what is going to be on the test. His head is pretty big and wont stop talking about his experiment with quinoea for the life of him...really dont take him, i love biology and i was so excited to take this class...he made it beyond horrible
I would not recommend taking Dr. Jellen's class. The daily quizzes are pointless, and he can't even pronounce half of the words that he wrote. He is a pain to listen to because he doesn't know how to talk. He is obsessed with his cat Frodo and his experiment with some dumb plant quinoa. His tests are completely random & the answers are confusing.
They say Utah is a bubble. When the ratings of Jellen prove this. Jellen is one of the greatest minds I've ever met. He is so committed to his students, helping them pass, and reaching their goals. His class is necessary. BYUers don't like Jellen because he dares to venture onto the field of evolution. BYU is luck to have Jellen!
I had to re-take this class and he made everything so easy. There are so many points that if you do poorly on one thing, you can make it up on another thing. Furthermore, you can complain about anything and he'll change it.
I loved this class. Dr. Jellen is a rfeally easy-going professor who truly cares about his students and wants them to do well. His tests are a little difficult just because they require you to have a detailed understanding of the concepts he presents in class. Study the powerpoints and the reading worksheets and you should do well in the class.
Jellen is good guy. The class is hard-no joke. Do your readings and sit in the front of the class so you can ask questions. Go to TA hours and get a study group going right away and you'll be fine. He tests concepts, so don't worry about memorization as much. Daily quizzes help your points quite a bit.
Nice guy. Terrible teacher. Hard and totally random tests. Daily quizzes were easier taken unprepared. Class had very little structure. He ties the gospel into class very well. He has interesting views on evolution. Avoid taking BIO 120 from him if possible. Worst class I ever had at BYU. I hear that Bell is a good teacher to get.
He's the man, if you are really into biology and want to have the concepts right on your head. he's definitely not one of the easiest professors but he knows what he's teaching. I had daily quizzes and they were supereasy. His tests are pain though; hard time to survive. Got an A. He focuses on analytical problems rather than usual book stuff.
Dr. Jellen is a very laid back person. He knows plant genetics rock solid, but he's quite weak on everything else. Throughout the semester, when asked even moderately difficult questions, he would say things like "I don't know. I'm a geneticist. That's why they have me teach the basic class." Very easy, basic class, but really obscure tests.
Dr. Jellen was very interesting. He made the class easy as long as you do your reading.
I would suggest taking this class from maughn if you can. Hes much more clear. Much more helpful and answers questions better. Jellen plays the "you should already know this" card way too much to avoid explaining more things. The tests are very difficult and timed. Some people it comes easy to them. It didn't to me. He goes on some tangents too.
Genetics was the worst class I have ever taken at BYU and i'm in my last semester and heres why: timed tests, boring lectures that go off topic and don't make sense, people who do well on tests have to know tricks to solving trick questions, textbook full of errors, tests have 25 questions so if you miss a couple you are hosed, no recitation, etc..
nice guy, pretty laid back. but he's not the world's greatest teacher. must be in class for i-clicker quizes, blackboard quizes as well. tests are not too hard, but they are not straitforward. usually only 25 questions, tho. read the text, go to TA review sessions, do practice problems. Doable class. VERY fair grading system
Dr. Jellen was amazing! HE was super helpful and I got through with an A! Work is mandatory though, and studying hard will help you get a good grade. I totally recomend his class!
Jellen is a good teacher, I think. Just make sure to do all the readings and then make sure not to fall asleep in class or anything... he actually drops a lot of hints about what he thinks is important and thus what will be on the tests.
I loved Professor Jellen's class. I thought it was very interesting. It was tough, but worth it. He is a very inspiring teacher. I'm very glad I took his class and will take more from him.
I personally think that this class is an easy A. Case in point: there are 5 tests and you get to drop one, I did well on all the first four so I decided to take the last one without studying. I got a 96. Jellen is a funny guy and the material is really interesting.
Dont pay attention to posts here that burn Jellen- they are too lazy to study and wanted their grade handed to them. Seriously - if you study and attend reviews you will do FINE, overall it was an easy class. Daily I-clicker quizzes and weekly Blackboard quizzes(both beyond easy if you read) He tests on concepts, not memorization. GREAT CLASS!
Dr. Jellen is great! He's really helpful and a lot of fun. There aren't really any assignments--just quizzes and exams (one small writing assignment). His class isn't too hard if you've had experience with biology in the past. If not, you might get frustrated. An AP biology review book helped me a lot.
very helpful and cares
He was a good guy but taught over my head ... I had an extremely difficult time understanding the way he taught.
Very cool guy, nice, and approachable. however he teaches off topic half of the time and most of the time it is about quinoa(you will find out). he is a plant biologist so he does not know a lot about other things and asnwers questions as "i dont know". tests are super hard, but good curves. no homework, daily iclicker quizzes for attendance.
He's a nice guy, but an awful teacher. He reads power points and his tests are very hard. Don't take his class unless you have to. (If you had AP Bio you should be fine)
Not good at teaching the fundamentals of biology, he goes off about quinoa or random experiments all the time
Dr. Jellen gets a lot of mixed reviews, but i liked him. he is very invested in his students and wants to help you. however, you can't slide by in his class. read the textbook and do the mastering bio assignmenst before class, come ready with questions, and you will learn a lot. Dr. Jellen is a very intelligent man. be diligent and you will do well
He's a cool guy, but his lectures are boring, and class is repetitive. Tests are rather difficult, and his teaching style leaves much to be desired.
Dr. Jellen is an awesome professor. He truly cares about his students and is willing to meet 1 on 1 to clarify difficult concepts. Very approachable, and very knowledgable. All it takes to do well is to attend class, do the reading, and study well, as in any worthwhile class. And to those that don't like the quinoa discussions, deal with it!
He was a really cool guy, but his classes were very boring and not at all helpful. I often had to learn the material on my own. Has some good stories but mainly, the class was a good nap time. A quiz is given everyday at the beginning of class so you must attend. Waste of time.
He's a good teacher, don't worry, at least in PDBIO 120 it's definitely possible to get an A. He goes over everything you need to know lots of times and makes sure that you understand everything before he moves on to the next concept. Fridays are optional, but going helps you out a lot!
Good guy, really cares about his students. He is willing to help one on one if you go see him. However, he gets sidetracked easily and talks more about quinoa than the actual subject. Tests have nothing to do with lectures or the textbook, so good luck on those. Overall though he is pretty good.
Worst class ever. Pretty much pointless. Take it because its a prerequisite and not for anything else. Material is dry and boring and Dr. Jellen isnt the best at teaching it. He's a great guy and cares a lot about us, but the class was seriously a burden throughout the semester and I found it hard to motivate myself to attend class.
Loved his class. He explained things so well that it helped me throughout all of my other biology classes.
His lectures were often confusing and hard to relate to the readings and homework he gives. Really cool guy and remembered me when we met at Walmart once. I felt like I had to learn most things from the book so if you rely on the lecture a lot this may not be the Professor for you.
class subject was interesting!! His tests were SO HARD.. Had nothing to do with lecture but you were required to be there for a daily quiz!! Went on random tangents about nothing for most of the class!! Also very hard to know what to study for the tests.
Read text book and finish assignment before class because he gives us everyday quizzes. His exam is not easy, but if you understand basic you can get points even though it's talking about unknown materials. ppt and test review are on BB. Helpful TA. The class average (about 90 people) of 1st exam was about 82% and 2nd exam was 76%.
Dr. Jellen is a great guy, with a lot of enthusiasm for his field, but that does not translate well to this class. His exams are EXTREMELY difficult! He asks for application; intuition that is not a given, nor should be at this level. If you don't know the basics, you're screwed. Tests explicated too obtusely for the average prereq class. Tough.
Professor Jellen means well but does not teach effectively or prepare his class for the tests. The tests occasionally cover material that does not appear in the readings or notes. Do yourself a favor and take the class form someone who can teach. He cannot answer many questions about human biology, but this is understandable. Good luck.
All of these people are think that Jellen is really hard, but if you just study and do the assignments like you are supposed to, it isn't that bad. I think he is very fair and an awesome guy.
He means well and is quite knowledgeable about the subjects matter, but his classes are death by powerpoint. He never finishes his lectures and has his TA's take between 50%-80% of the stuff he didn't cover on review days. I was always unsure of what material was going to be on the tests. Recommend a different professor for PD BIO 120.
Ditto: Professor Jellen means well but does not teach effectively or prepare his class for the tests. The tests occasionally cover material that does not appear in the readings or notes. Do yourself a favor and take the class form someone who can teach. He cannot answer many questions about human biology, but this is understandable. Good luck.
He is decent at teaching concepts. Not the easiest class. Too much work for 2 credits. He is a really nice person but just not the best teacher. The tests are ridiculously detailed for the most part.
I loved biology, and still do, but dang! For real this guy frustrates me, he's really funny (like legit hilarious) and nice and everything, but his test are ambiguous to the max! He words things in such a way that it takes you forever to understand what he's asking, I DONT recommend, if you must take pdbio and all other classes are full...... wait
Quiz at beginning of EVERY class. Don't miss class. You can't make up the quiz. Two useful things: different grading rubrics and PPTs available online.
professor jellen means well, and he's a great guy, but it's just so hard to learn. it's hard to focus in class day after day when you do the SAME EXACT THING every day. powerpoint everyday and he just talks the whole class. read before class or else you will be completely lost. exams are tough because he doesn't prepare you well for them in class.
I had Rick Jellen for PDBIO 120. Dr. Jellen is passionate about his subect (and very passionate about quinoa!) but sometimes he gets distracted during the lectures. However, he is very helpful if you go in and have a personal chat with him. He is very spritual and wants students to do well, so I definitely recommend him.
He prepared optional homework for us. I remember doing them all and that made lectures much easier.
Dr. Jellen is a really smart guy, but he is just not suited for teaching. His lectures are scattered and don't make sense and his tests do not correlate with what you "learned"...at all! I do not recommend taking Dr. Jellen for PDBIO120 or anything.
If you have had any sort of Biology prep such as AP or Bio 100 this class should be easy with him. However if you don't I recommend someone else. He knows his stuff and is very approachable but he does not always get through the material putting a lot of responsibility on you. Tests require some application but it is good prep for later classes.
Brother Jellen is a great guy and very fun to have a class from, he is passionate and good-humored. He also really brings a spirit to science that is amazing. I enjoyed this class a lot, however it was sometimes not always obvious what test questions were about, and so you really have to read diligently and go to class.
Dr. Jellen really knows his stuff when it comes to biology. His views when it comes to religion are a bit...different than many BYU professors, but I enjoyed his class. You MUST read the textbook to do well on the tests. Also, do the optional homework that Dr. Jellen gives you - it will really boost your grade.
Dr. Jellen is hillarious! He puts an occasional joke into his tests to lighten the mood. He takes every student's question seriously and explains things very clearly. Highly recommend him.
Brother Jellen is an amazing teacher. He is passionate about genetics, and incorporates it into the Book of Mormon. I really enjoyed his style of teaching. You will get an A if you pay attention in class and read the text (Book of Mormon). Weekly reading quizzes are easy if you read.
wow! a best professor i ever had. he is loving research and classic for his depictions. Best to Dr. jellen and 100% thumbs up. keep it up dr.
Very poor class. I am a junior here at BYU and have taken numerous science classes (ie anatomy, physiology) and done better in those classes. Dr. Jellen means well, but his lectures are so scattered. He goes off on tangents all class. He does not prepare you for tests whatsoever. I would highly recommend taking this class from someone else.
Dr. Jellen is an excellent Biology teacher. I thought biology was my least favorite science based course before taking this class. He made it interesting and easy to understand. Dr. Jellen is a down to earth guy who makes you earn your grade and wants the student to use his or her brain. Critical thinking a big part of this course.
Dr. Jellen is smart, witty, funny, and makes his lectures as enjoyable as possible (including a few jokes on the exams). FOREWARNING: His tests are HARD and his lectures don't prepare you for them. Critical thinking is necessary in order to get a decent grade.
There are teachers that offer this class with open note finals. Take them. Jellen is good if you scored really well on the ACT and by really well I mean 34. His tests require that you are able to analyze and recall minute details that you don't get at all in class. I did EVERYTHING and I'll be lucky to pull a B. Try to take someone else.
His tests are really hard, but go to the TA reviews. The TAs usually cover what is on the tests. The tests if you study enough are easily manageable. Take your time on them though, he asks tricky questions. READ THE TEXTBOOK. He gives additional readings online, be sure to do those to. Talk to him as much as possible if you can. It helps a lot.
Dr. Jellen is a nice guy and all, but his lectures do not prepare you for the tests. To do well in his class you almost have to teach yourself from the book and his online worksheets. However he makes attendance mandatory through daily quizzes. There are also 5 midterms and a final. I would recommend taking this course from another professor.
Professor Jellen is a great guy, but I STRONGLY recommend taking this class from another professor. HE does NOT prepare you for his tests. This is not a Biology class it is a data analysis class. So if you want to learn Biology take it from a real Biology professor who will prepare you for the DAT ir MCAT I tried so hard and still only got a B.
Dr. Jellen would obviously rather be teaching a class more suited to his specialty, but overall a good teacher to take the class from. It's clear-cut: do the readings, go to class, take notes, take the 5 exams and the final. The exams are not very well correlated to lectures, but he curves enough to compensate.
I took AP Bio in high school and that's the only reason I did well in this class. The TA's for my class were not helpful. At all. The class just seemed really scattered to me. Lectures were based on reading assignments, but then some topics in both reading and lecture were deemed "unimportant". Dr. Jellen is cool, but I wasn't a fan of this class.
Dr. J is one cool guy! His lectures are fascinating! However, they can be off topic and confusing. Be prepare for this. His tests are hard and require critical thinking. I thought I was going to do poorly at first but then I did studying beyond the textbook (youtube videos were a huge help) and the curves helped me. Overall, I loved the class.
Great professor.
Tests can be a little random and confusing. You have to know how to interpret graphs and data, but honestly it's not as hard as people say. Lectures are interesting, Dr. Jellen is a great guy!! If you come in with a solid foundation of biology knowledge you'll be fine! Great class.
Dr. Jellen's lectures were fascinating, and his enthusiasm for Genomics is obvious. He really does well at making the subject personal. The course material builds off itself, so if you don't understand something, don't hesitate to ask. If you're interested in Genomics, I highly recommend this professor.
Dr. Jellen is a great guy and really is passionate about teaching and genomics. HOWEVER, he is the worst test-writer I have ever met. The tests are ridiculously hard for the material and you don't really have much to go off when it comes to studying. Pay attention to his tangents- they are what show up on the tests.
I wouldn't wish this class upon my worst enemy. It was so unorganized and no one had any idea what was going on. His tangents show up on the tests. He doesn't know how to use Learning Suite so grading was a nightmare. Our final was take-home, open note, but it took me hours because I didn't recognize half of what was on it.
Dr. Jellen is a good choice! This is a one credit class, but you will learn lots! The guest speakers are really interesting and helpful. Tests are pretty straight forward, but make sure you understand the lectures. Dr. Jellen provides a lot of information to help you succeed in the GGB major, so don't be afraid to reach out!
This was a one-credit class that actually felt like a one-credit class. Dr. Jellen's lectures were good, although he did like to go on tangents (that ended up on the test). There were two tests that were basically the same questions. There were a few writing assignments but the criteria were very clear. The guest lecturers were very inspiring.
Great intro class for the major! Start with some general knowledge of genetics, genomics and biotechnology, then hear a lot about research opportunities, graduate programs and potential careers. Weekly prompts in the second half of class, but they are easy. Dr. Jellen is very knowledgeable and friendly- though he does go on tangents!
Not a great class. Not going to ruin your life (it still is only 1 credit), but Dr. Jellen was all over the place. Lectures didn't make a ton of sense and included random tangents. Learned a bit about genetics. Guest lecturers were great. Midterm was great, but final was terrible. Will not be taking another class from Dr. Jellen if I can help it.
I would not recommend this professor at all to anyone ever. I am trying to give him the benefit of the doubt with my review of his class but it was a truly terrible experience. Just take it from Maughan, you'll end up watching all his videos anyways and you'll learn nothing from Jellen's lecture. Please don't make my mistake.
PWS188 with Dr. Jellen is a solid intro class. Lectures can be tangent-heavy, but engaging guest speakers make up for it. Tests are straightforward, and assignments are manageable. Definitely use unstuck study and the free textbook to stay on top of the material.
Dr. Jellen is great! He is a very enthusiastic professor who is happy to answer questions and meet with students. Genetics is a tough class, but if you commit to practicing, you will succeed. The problems in the lectures are exactly like the problems on the homework and on exams. Exams are also open note!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.19 avg changeRatings by Course
AGRHRT100
5.0
(1)HONP260
5.0
(1)AGHRT100
5.0
(1)BIO
5.0
(1)BIOSECT
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
BIOSECT
5.0
AGRHRT100
4.0
BIOLOGY120
4.0
BIO340
4.0
PWS340
4.0