Very up front and intelligent. His knowledge is impressive and he teaches the class well.

Dr. Sylvester teaches his class well. He is not a push over, so show some respect. He cares about helping you if you take the class seriously. His class was hard but fun.

He is a super nice guy and has some cool stories but he is hard. His tests are long and sometimes tricky. He also hurries through material. Before you have a chance to soak it in you are onto the next topic. Unless you want to study 2 weeks before an exam...get another prof!

Seems like an ok guy bus his tests are long and sometimes hard as hell. He hurries through material. Moves from topic to topic without a responce that really sticks in my mind. Study 2 weeks before an exam if you want an A...get another prof if you can!

Hard tests, poorly worded questions. Going to office hours helps a lot. Homework/quizzes really help your grade. OK lab prof, long winded though. VERY critical grader on lab reports. I would recommend if you like other assignments besides tests.

Good prof. He teaches the material well and is very knowledgabl but very strict and not very flexible. Definitely need to study for atleast a week before each exam.

I thought he was a pretty good prof for being new to campus. He explained the material pretty well. He was flexible in some ways and nice if you actually talk to the guy. Dont expect any curve for exams or makeup exams(unless you missed one). Oh and buy the book even if its not required...he uses it

I love this guy! My favorite teach at GV. Very smart, helpful, and funny. His explanation of things is awesome. He is very strict, but it is a good thing. Exams are fairly hard, but it was a hard class. Gives you lots of homework to make up extra points. Take him if you can!

This class is meant to weed out the people who dont want to work hard. he is strict and not very flexable. The tests are not that hard b/c most are diagrams they could be way harder b/c so much info is given. He treated our class like we were 5 years old and likes to yell sometimes.

Yes, this is a hard class. But if anyone noticed, almost all of the questions in the study guides were verbatim on the exams. There is a lot of material covered in this class. He makes class interesting and if you study hard you'll notice how many points he tries to give away.

The class does make you think and not just memorize. He is an awesome prof and I strongly recommend him...If you do not understand phys...consider and diff. major :( Its supposed to be hard, but if you can, go talk to him...he uses great analogies. More concepts than facts.

Good professor. He did a good job for his first semester here. He knows the subject well. His tests are not that hard and his final was easy. He is a good guy with some very funny stories.

Hard tests, questions are unclear and poorly worded. You can know the material well and still get a C easily. Homework and quizzes are easy though he didn't give as may as the he said he would.

i like him. he's a really nice guy. his tests might be hard, but they're all diagram so they could be lots harder. he is strict with grading, that's definitely true.

Sylvester is the best prof that I have had so far at GV. You can tell that he genuinely cares both about the subject matter and his students' understanding of it. Will always meet outside of class and comes up with lots of different ways of explaining complicated ideas. He's hard, but worth it.

Ok, ive had this guy for two classes now, he is a great guy.He uses the same analogies over and over but thats ok.His tests come directly from the outlines that he gives you.You will get a B if you go to class almost every day, and study the notes, you will get an A if you read the book also.

He takes class time to tell some of his off-subject stories and then gets mad at us for talking when we don't get through as much as he'd like. He is a nice guy, knows his stuff. tests are a bit difficult, but just study and you will be fine.

Awesome awesome awesome! Best professor I've had at grand valley so far--made the class so fun; very understanding and helpful; genuinely cares about students. Any class that he teaches, take it! :-D

It can go without saying that this guy is smart. He knows his stuff and comes up with good ways of explaining. But his tests are very hard and questions are complicated. He is so type A it's funny. Wont budge with grades which screwed me in his 208 class, but I must say, his confidence is sexy!

Really good proff. Clear,occasionally dorky comments. Lots of extra points to help boost the grade. Took him for 208 and made sure I got him again for 290.

I really enjoyed him, I had him for anatomy and physiology, very good professor. Great analogies, and no suprises.

Dr Sylvester is an awesome prof. His class is definately hard especially if youre the type that needs to study a lot. Concepts in class are complicated, but hes more than willing to help especially in lab. very approachable guy

Great prof...uses analogies a lot to help understand concepts...his tests suck b/c they're full of trick questions, but he's better than other profs I've heard, DEFINITELY don't take Burg for this class!!!

Awesome professor!! You have to take him! I had him for lab and lecture and I actually liked going to class. He was always willing to help outside of class and answers any unclear questions. Best prof at GV so far. You do have to study though, it's not easy!

The first 4 exams are cake, the final however....watch out for...WOW. Quizes are hard to, and they are timed. Overall he is a great prof. uses great analogies and pulls many exam questions from quizes and sample exams. The man has some guns on him as well!

Tests have some tricky questions, but if you know your stuff well, you should do fine. The final was tough and not like the practice test he gave. Still, very nice guy, willing to help if you ask. Don't talk in his class though cause he'll yell! Cares about his students and wants everyone to do well, despite his no-curving policy.

Good guy. This class is lots of fun, no matter who you have it with!

I've had Dr. Sylvester for 3 classes & enjoyed them all. He is certainly not a powder-puff professor, but he isn't tricky. I found his teaching & exams to be consistent. There are always some detailed questions that require you to really know your stuff, and there are some easy ones too. He is always willing to help and cares about his students.

arm muscles: very nice

Tough class but that's what BMS 208 is- lots of memorization. Go to class. It is nice that he gives quizzes and hw assignments to boost grade. Nice arms and butt!

This class is really not that hard at all. If you study and know the material, you will do just fine. Sylvester is a very good professor. His lecture can be dry at times, but he is often funny. He makes anatomy very interesting, I had this class at 8am and I actually wanted to go.

Sylvester is a great teacher. Cares about students and is always willing to help. Enjoyable and funny...makes the physiology lab not so bad! Take him!

Sylvester is one of the best profs I've had during my college career. He presents the information clearly and concisely. He is also very prompt with grading. "You make crap and then you store it." -Sylvester on the digestive system, specifically the large intestines. And my fav acronym for the bones in your hand. Not PC but helped me remember.

AMAZING PROFESSOR!!!Actually enjoyed going to my 8am anatomy class. Makes the class simple and interesting. Doesn't hurt that he has amazing pecs and arms. Gets the blood pumping in the mornining.

Sylvester is a very good teacher. He is helpful and clear as to what he is going to be testing on. I'd take his class if you have the chance. I thought it was going to be horrible to have anatomy at 8am, but he always plays music to get us woken up in the morning!

AWESOME PROF. the class is a little hard, but he makes it so much easier to understand and memorize. TAKE HIM. even though its early in the morning

I hate labs, but Sylvester is the best prof to have for one. Lab goes quickly because he makes it fun. He's funny, encouraging, and spits a little when talks. hehe. Great prof.

If Frank was a animal he would be a sexy one... I'm thinking a centaur. Did you know that giraffe has 7 cervical bones? Frank did. Rumor has it Frank doesn't sleep. He stays up at night wrestling kodiak bears and training for the Kumite (if you don't know watch "bloodsport"). But that's just a rumor.

Great professor! So helpful in office hours if you take him I highly suggest going if possible he clears things up so much for this challenging course. Work hard! :)

Excellent prof, one of the best lab teachers ever. If you can take this guy. He's always in a good mood and was very clear in his instructions. Never hesitated to help students, in class or out. Overall a great guy.

This professor was very helpful. The class is difficult because there is so much info, but he has good examples and is patient enough to explain a concept more than once, if needed. I highly recommend him for this class!

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Very very very hard class but if you ask him for help he's more than willing to explain everything to you. Extremely difficult class but Dr. Sylvester is really nice.

Very interesting and fun professor for lab. He was very helpful and understands students. I would take him again in a heartbeat. Great guy and professor!

Great prof! Makes class entertaining with random stories and really tries to get to know his students. Always willing to go out of his way to help. Very personable and an overall great guy!

He is a good professor, a bit tough when it comes to grading, but nice otherwise.

Great professor, knows what he's doing. Easy to follow.

This prof was by far one of my favorites! He made class enjoyable with his random jokes, questions from the exams were taken right out of his lectures and study guide, can be hard on grading, will not round up but overall great prof, take it with him if you can!

Great Professor, grades a bit tough (didn't round my 93.8% to an A, his cutoff is 93.99%) but makes up for it by asking very fair questions on the exams. He is also incredibly easy to understand in class and makes even the boring stuff somewhat interesting. Very willing to help if you go see him. My best prof. at GVSU yet.

ez A. just go to class b/c u have random 10 pt. quizes which can hurt u in the end if you miss them.

Come to class b/c he gives random quizzes in which you work in groups and can use notes!! Very nice prof and willing to answer any questions. Tough grader so study the material and don't miss class. Read the textbook!! Very clear about what will and will not be on the exam.

Very easy A. Go to class, take notes, study for an hour before test. He did what he could with such a boring topic. Group project was graded very generously. Also, there's no point in buying the book for the class. Tests are based on lecture alone.

He did an amazing job, highly prefer him!

Sylvester proves that there is a correlation between head size and brain power! Great Professor... maybe he'll stop complaining about no new interesting ratings on here now :P

Yeah, Prof. S is great. Who knew you could take neurons from your lips, insert them on your glutteus maximus and when someone kissed you on the lips you'd think they were kissing your butt? Talk about food for thought! I also enjoy the analogies of body parts to food as in: These come in three different flavors. Yeah, it's always an adventure. :-)

Pretty interesting class overall. Tests were fair and he was always willing to help. Really tried to get to know each of us personally. Great prof! Friendly, helpful and funny!

Interesting prof. he likes food and cars. talks about them a lot. did you know that "nasal cavity" is the same as "snot locker". yup. and a pen dropping moment!- roadkill is sticky so if you ever have to shovel it off the side of the road, throw hard!

if you like working on cars take this class. Thats all he talks about! overall, he is a good pro. His test were a little hard- so be prepared!

Great professor. This class is extremely easy. It's mostly common sense. I had him for 308 as well which was very challenging. But overall, a very good professor. He is very eager to help and get to know his students.

Great prof, knows his stuff. It could have been a really boring class but he kept it entertaining. Lots of analogies and jokes, very straightforward with expectations and grades.

He was an awesome professor for BMS 309. Although 309 was a difficult class he was helpful. I am glad I had him as a professor.

Definitely one of the best BMS professors at Grand Valley. He is a genuinely kind and understanding person, and he is willing to do everything in his power to help students succeed.

I had him for lab and he was great. He was laid back yet I still learned the stuff. Not an easy class simply because the lab reports are difficult, but that's the same with all of the profs. He was extremely helpful and accommodating when I was sick for a while which I greatly appreciated! If you put in the effort, he will do anything to help.

This class is too labor intensive and time consuming for a one credit lab but that's unavoidable and true of all of the phys. lab professors. Dr. Sylvester was an excellent instructor and it's true that he is very willing to help his students succeed. He's just so nice. Probably the only professor I'm not afraid to talk to in office hours :)

started the year with well written exams and was always helpful when he was asked. he kept class interesting and tried to be everybody's friend. then we took the impossible final (class avg 70%) that dropped the overall class average by 8% points. the final was very different from the other exams and much much harder.

There's no doubt about it, you have to study to do well but the tests were very fair. Actually, I thought they were easy but I put in my time. No tricks. Just straight forward questions.

Loved taking this professor. Phys lab is a lot of work and takes a lot of time for a 1 credit class but he made it enjoyable. Makes funny sports analogies. Easy to talk to and helps in office hours. His requirements for lab reports are much less strict than other profs and for that reason I would highly recommend Sylvester for BMS 291

I really enjoyed Dr. Sylvester. He is very approachable and very helpful, especially during tests if you have trouble interpretting a question. If you learn everything from the lectures, you can get a B. If you want an A, be prepared to read a little because he asks several advanced questions on the tests.

I enjoyed this lab. He makes it very clear why the lab is being done, and he will personally explain stuff to you if you don't understand it. Overall, a pleasant experience.

Very straightforward in what you need to know for exams. Exams are straight out of the study guide.

Always willing to help and will take the time to talk to you and get to know you. I would definitely recommend taking him to make your lab experience a little better.

I had Dr. Sylvester for BMS 291. I thought he was the most approachable prof I have had. He is very open to helping students and sincerely wants his students to do well.

Even though they're not mandatory, if you go to the lectures and pay attention to his slides, it will guarantee you at least a B. However, if you're looking for an A, you're going to need to read. Ask questions on the tests-he helps alot if you're confused about something. Very straight forward, and though not easy, I would def reccomend.

He is one of the best profs that I ever had in college.:)

I LOVED SYLVESTER! He was so helpful and approachable. I was late for an exam and he let me take it earliest convenience NO PROBLEM. I wish he was teaching 251, i would take him again in a heartbeat. He made class interesting and funny with his personal stories. GAVE TOOONNNSSS of examples! GREAT PROFESSOR!!!!!!!!!

Sylvester was a great anatomy professor. He really understands the material, and brings a lot of real-world examples to clarify. You really need to pay attention in class though, to understand the examples. He is very approachable and wants you to understand the material. I would defintiely take him again.

Professor Sylvester was an awesome professor. I really wish he was teaching 253.He enjoys conversations about a&p topics. EXTREMELY HELPFUL. If you don't understand something, just ask! The material is tedious,but having this professor will be to your advantage. He lets you know what the highlights of the exams will be. GREAT GUY! TAKE HIM!

An amazing teacher, he is very helpful and wants to make sure you understand it. If you go to lecture it will help with exams because he drops a lot of hints in class and emphasizes certain material. Tests are straight forward and I wish he would teach bms 251! He also will give out quizzes to boost your grade..will even look over before you turn i

great professor! would take again. makes funny references. easy to understand, helpful, friendly, and made the class enjoyable.

Great Prof. really liked how he tries to relate class material to everyday life. He tries to make sure you understand the material and is really helpful. Tests are challenging but if you go to class he gives out hints to what will be covered on his exams.

He was very clear in his lecture, and the exams exactly followed the lecture material. He grades fairly and was funny and engaging during class.

Overall pretty good professor. He tells a lot of stories that might help but might make you more confused. Exams are pretty straight forward, right off the powerpoint slides but can be tricky at times.

He is a tough teacher, but Anatomy is a tough class! You really need to study the book and the lecture notes (which he posts online) and attend class. Be prepared to memorize a lot, such as things from the muscular system and the skeletal system. Overall really nice guy, I enjoyed attending his class! Tests are hard!

People that say he is impossible and doesnt care a thing about his students obviously did not go to class or visit him in his office. He is a great teacher, he just expects a lot of you, well its college, get used to it. I just found out I have him for BMS 375 this semester and I am thrilled

Great Teacher. Its a difficult class so obviously many challenges will come with that. However, he is a very helpful teacher who when visited in office hours is extremely helpful. His tests and exams are very difficult and he surely does test your comprehension of the material, significantly deeper than just memorization.

He's a fair professor. His tests can be challenging, but if you ask questions he's VERY helpful. Besides, anatomy is a hard class to begin with. It is a lot of work and a huge time commitment, and you really can't miss a lecture. The slides have just about everything you need to pass the test, even though he says anything in the book is fair game.

He is a great professor. He is very fair in his grading, but if something is messed up, he will be very willing to look at it and change it for you if it is a mistake. If you go to class, look over the note, and do the reading you will be fine. He had lots of assignments and dropped the lowest 3 quizzes and lowest exam. Great professor!

His class is tough only because it is a lot of material to memorize. He breaks down information so that is really easy to comprehend. His grading is straight forward, and he will not budge because he wants to be completely fair, and objective as possible. His personality made me want to attend every lecture, he's down to earth and funny.

Great Prof. He is very straight forward with his grading and will not budge. However he is very down to earth and very helpful, especially when you ask him questions either in lecture or his office hours. Touch material, but that is the course. Work paid off for an A.

Sylvester taught in a clear, easy to understand manner. He was very fair; it seems that many people complain that if you earn a 92.9 you get an A-, and not a 93% A. I appreciated that you got a grade that you earned. This class used tests with a mix of true/false, fill in blank, multiple choice and short answer.

Best professor I've ever had at Grand Valley! Would take him again and recommend him to anyone..if you do what he's stated is expected, you will do well. Awesome professor! and a very nice, down to earth guy.

very helpful

Dr. Sylvester is a great man. He truly cares about his students and wants us to do well. He used great analogies to clarify confusing topics, and I thought his exams very very fair. He was always very clear about what we needed to know. Take him!

He was a very nice guy but he graded pretty hard. midterm was easy but the final was brutal. Get as many points as you can on the lab reports and quizzes and you will be fine.

Pretty good prof! Funny, nice, and helpful. Talks a lot before experiments though. A little long-winded. Quizzes aren't too bad and he grades pretty fair on lab reports. The final was intense but that wasn't his fault, every lab takes the same final. But seriously, horribly long final. The lab reports take a ton of time also. Good prof though

Really great guy! He managed to keep the class fairly interesting and simplified the material. There are a lot of little assignments, but they're all super easy. Exams are straight-forward from the notes he gives in class. He's definitely the professor to take for this class

Great professor, willing to go over things with his students. Provides previous exam examples for students to study and get a feel for his teaching style. I would recommend him.

This professor does a great job at keeping his research class (BMS 301) interesting, which is an accomplishment because the material itself is quite dull. This guy is very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable on the material he teaches and I highly recommend him for both BMS 301& 208. The exams are very straight forward as well as the grading.

This guy! This guy has a great personality! He's a bit of a cynic with a sprinkle of nerd on the base of a down-to-earth friendly guy. He makes everything clear-cut. The amount of material in this class isn't very much, but he expects you to know it well. I enjoyed this class, even though the material was rather dry in nature.

Extremely nice guy, who follows the syllabus to a tee. There are a lot of in class assignments, however they are very easy & you can always work with classmates on them. 1 group presentation, which was very straight forward. The notes are exactly what the exam is over so study those, show up every class and it is an easy A!

Sylvester was excellent for Biology of Aging. It was a straightforward class, but was heavy in genetics and physiology. A background in these classes is helpful. The class was interesting, he definitely knew his stuff.

Sylvester is an awesome guy. Genuinely cares about his students and it's obvious that he really enjoys teaching. His grading scale is difficult, yet fair. No extra credit, everything is point for point so you have to do well on everything to do well in the class. Going to every class is important because there are worksheets almost every class.

One of the best professors I have had at GVSU. Sylvester is a great guy, passionate about physiology, gives great analogies, and has a sense of humor. He genuinely cares about his students, and wants you to do well. The majority of this class was exams and research article worksheets, and everything is point by point. Top notch guy.

I was nervous about this class but if you just put in the work you'll do fine. He explains things pretty good and the exams come right from the notes. He's a very fair grader which is good because exams are all short answer. Final exam was NOT cumulative which was awesome. Points come from 4 exams and a few homeworks based on review articles.

Has real good sweater game. Still convinced he's Frank Sinatra in disguise.

Awesome prof. Only downside is that he talks forEVER. He's very caring and encourages you to see him in his office to look over your work before you turn it in. He gives you every tool to succeed and makes the class much simpler. He's very knowledgeable and very funny!

Sylvester was fantastic for 291 lab. He gave great pre lab lectures, had very clear and fair grading criteria, and was very helpful with the lengthy lab report assignments. I would definitely recommend for this class and any other class you can take with him.

Prof. Sylvester gives so many quizzes and group assignments that your grade is so padded it is impossible to fail. But because of those quizzes/assignments if you skip class you will not pass. He understands this is dry material and tries his best to make it interesting. He is also super understanding and willing to work with you.

This semester was his first time teaching BMS100 & he did a great job. He told a lot of stories that kept the class interesting & was always willing to answer students' questions. My class was large (it's a GenEd) so he didn't know most of us, which was fine. Tests can be difficult so don't try to cram the night before & you'll be fine.

He is a great teacher and person. This class is incredibly difficult, if you take BMS 250 be prepared to study very regularly. His quizzes aren't too hard if you go to every lecture and listen. He made everything very clear, sometimes he explained things too much (be prepared for funny similies). His lectures are always interesting, amazing prof

Sylvester was a great prof for BMS 250. He hand writes his notes usually, and tests over the material he writes down. He does not post lecture notes, so you must attend class to pass. You will need to study to do well, but it's not tougher than any other class with a decent amount of effort. Tests were easer than expected.

Prof Sylvester is a very intelligent guy, he knows what he's talking about. Attendance isn't mandatory, but go to every lecture because whatever he says in class will most likely be on the exam since he doesn't post lecture notes.

His notes in class are kind of unorganized but follow the book. I would use the notes from class and info from the book to make my own notes and study guides. Tests are really easy and exactly what he covers in class. I worked hard in this class and it is definitely not impossible! Also very helpful at office hours.