2.5
Quality3.6
Difficulty24%
Would Retake125
Reviews24%
Would Retake
125
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
125 total ratings5
12
4
23
3
28
2
26
1
36
What Students Say
“I avoided asking questions because home boy would basically laugh in humor that you didn't have a Botany Phd”
BIO131L - 1.0 rating“He will go out of his way to make you Feel like an idiot”
BIO121L - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.37 avg changeRatings by Course
BOTLAB
5.0
(1)BIO121L022
5.0
(1)BIO025
4.0
(1)BIOL1306L
4.0
(1)131L
3.8
(5)Difficulty by Course
121
5.0
BOTANY131LAB
5.0
BIOL121
5.0
BIOL024
5.0
BOTLAB
5.0
Reviews (124)
Must be ready to study
Class is a lab. Grad students teach it. They are awful at teaching
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TA's taught and were awfel...very hard lab
he is never there. ta's teach the class, very hard quizzes....
Horrible class. Go somewhere else to take it. No one cares about helping you.
Very hard class study!!!
SAw him 2x all semster, TA s teach...quizzes are over small details. VERY HARD
Try to get into the lab Melissa Long teaches. She's great!
ta's teach the class, very hard quizzes, never are prepaired!
Hard class, TA's were obnoxious and rude - made you feel stupid for asking questions - Sullivan only came in the second time we were in class, and that was only to gripe and criticize us. Never saw him after that.
TA's teach class; loved M. Long- she tried everyway she could to make you understand material. Final is the only time you'll see him- tries to orientate each slide so there's less confusion.
Great class. Uses TA's, but they were great. He & TA's were very helpful - guiding you to the correct answers. Mr. Sullivan does go over material fast - he knows it inside & out - but forgets that students may not know it that well. Was a good class.
He is a great teacher. He is very helpful, just ask, you don't even have to go to his office, just stop him after class. Just study the pictures and label them and read over every lesson before and after class and you will do great.
The experiments were things we did in Jr. High! It was boring. Some of the quizzes were VERY hard, but some were ok. Mike Hitchcock is a good TA. Very helpful!!
Good professor. Knows alot. is laid back and easy going. Will help you step by step with labs if you get confused or need help. Never had a TA except once when he was out of town. I would recommend him.
Knows his stuff. Good teacher. Always willing to help. Lots of info so you have to devote more than 15 minutes before the quiz to do well.
Sullivan looks intimidating, but he is really very nice. Can joke around and is happy so long as he knows you're trying. Quizzes can be difficult, must study for atleast 30 mintues to get a B. USE WEBCT slides!!! They are very helpful.
NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Simply stated
He is never in class and the TAs give the quizes. Make sure you study the slides off of WebCT and you'll do fine. The lab final is comprehensive and requires an excessive amount of studying but if you understand the material you should do fine.
he wasnt even there, he had his assistance teach and they didnt do a very good job! quizzes are too hard and you cant understand what they lecture on half the time. no good!!! i do not suggest this teacher!! :-(
VEry hard course, must study alot. Passible
This lab was extremely hard. The quizzes are too hard. You do good in the lecture and then this lab brings your grade down. Hated it. Passible but too much time and effort must be put into it. In other words dont take it.
Did not see Mr. Sullivan this past fall but had teaching assistants. One was very difficult and not patient. Tests were very hard..and experiments too rushed. Make sure you work for extra points..Got an A but it was tough.
Really, this guy is not that hard. I took it during a SUMMER session and got an A! And it was my first SFA course! Go to class!!!! If you do your part you will do fine. Quizs are not hard. Had TAs but Sullivan was more helpful!
Very cocky, the lab is not fair, if he is your teacher good luck, try and get a TA they grade much easier. Excepts you to dedicate all your time to his lab, study Webct slides, acts as if you are not in college with outher required courses to take, hello!
He's never in class. He has TAs teach the entire lab. The quizzes are pretty easy because you know exactly what to study each time. Yes you actually have to put some effort into it, but its not that hard. Don't really know what to say about Sullivan since he's never there.
hey the guy is firm but nice. Too mant lazy students have too take the course. He encourages students who are willing. Students who are lazy will always complain. Go Sullivan!!!!!
Sullivan is a pretty cool guy. His Lab isnt too harsh but the thing that will kill ya are the quizes. He doesnt teach much in my Lab considering the TAs run the place. The teach the lab and help out throughout the class...not too bad of a bio lab
His class is extremely difficult. He tries to be funny and answer your questions but it gets so boring in his classes. If you don't like Bio, do not take this class. He makes it so hard and there is no extra credit for people who try but just don't get it.
This class is so boring. I didn't have to luxury of TA's because i took his class at 6 pm. He has a very funny way of explaing things and when you ask a question he give a smart ass remark. i didn't enjoy at all.
He's never in class. He has TAs teach the entire lab. The quizzes are pretty hard. Don't really know what to say about Sullivan since he's never there.
Has his assistants teach. Saw him for 10 minutes on the first day. Really depends on which TA you get. Mine was really nice and helpful, but the quizzes were hard. Didn't learn much. Just don't be absent and make sure to study; passable.
Great Professor. Always in class. If I needed help he helped.
Sullivan's class is the biggest joke if you actually want to learn something...quizzes are exactly like taking a test each week...study yourself stupid to make a C.--I made high A in lecture.
he is never there you will get a ta and if they are new you stuck out READ YOU LAB BOOK you have to you will fail if you don't do this you will be ok!!
His class is not as hard as everyone says it is... as long as you can memorize then youll do fine in his class. I usually only studied like an hour before lab and I always did fine on his quizzes. If you can keep your quiz average up then the final is not so stressful.
he is never there!
I HATE LAB..they talk to fast and they make fun of me when i dont know what i am doing..thank god i have a smart lab partner!!!!
i fell asleep in his class EVERYDAY. i got a suprise B, how? i have nooooo clue... NOT recommended...
the quizzes are not easy and kinda confusing i guess you have to study the book a lot more than i do but the actually labs arent too bad. he will help you fi you ask question but he might make you feel a little stupid first
Where is he?
Not only have I never seen this man before, his Teacher's Assistants don't speak very well english!
He's never there!! Who is he ?? If you take him you will probably get stuck with a TA and hopefully not Olga she doesn't speak english very well!
He expects you to know what he's talking about doesn't spoon feed you the answers challenges you. Overall ok teacher.
If you have a night class, he will be there. Gives a quiz every week, and you have to study for them. Gives extra credit a lot. Will help you if you ask. The class overall was a little challeging.
He is a grumpy old man. He is never in lab and he never helps his TAs, whom never know the material and are late and unprepared.
The only time I ever saw him the whole semester was on the first day when he read us the sylibus. So I can't really rate him because I don't even KNOW him, but he leaves 3 TA's to teach. My TA, cindy, was super nice and willing to help. there's a quiz every week, so just go over the info before class and you'll be fine.
The quizzes really aren't that bad, as long as you are able to memorize. I studied for 1 hour before every quiz and I never failed one!
No Comments
He set foot in the classroom once, and that was the first day. He's very intimidating. He doesn't seem interested in the students at all. The grad students who teach the actual labs are nice for the most part. A few aren't very helpful.
Professor Sullivan almost never came into my lab section. He is kinda intimidating, but if you have a problem he is more than willing to help. If you need to miss lab, be sure and let him know, see if you can make it up, and get an excuse! He is a really nice guy if you give him a chance. The TA's are kinda arrogant and snooty.
Dr. Sullivan is an intimidating individual. I see him as he circles the room answering questions and sometimes you're so afraid to say anything for fear he'll think you're a moron, but as soon as he gets to your table all the nerves disappear because he's so helpful. He smiles and laughs and cuts up-granted he keeps it to a minimum-but is still ver
Fairly clear and easy to understand, will repeat or re-explain if you do not understand. Main problem is that he isn't a very inspiring professor. (read: boring) If you can pay attention to his lectures and study ok then you'll be great. It really isn't a very hard class, just not very interesting.
I only saw him like the first day of class but was a nice guy... My TA was GREAT!!! very helpful and started a study group w/us! The first couple of quizzes were difficult but after i figured out how to study for them I did fine.--flashcards worked best for me! :D LOTS of "participation" points given...
He is never there and his TA's are horrible and they did not know what they were doing!! Worst experience I ever had!!1
I apparently had the only class where he showed up. He was there every day and was very knowledgeable on the subject. Did not seem overly friendly and was not willing to let me make up any quizzes because of prior labs running long. The TA's for the class were of little use and made no attempt to help students.
This class isn't too hard if you study for the quizes. The final is terribly hard. Study your heart out for the final.
You meet him on the first day and never see him again! The TA's are great! The class really isn't that hard; participation is key!
He showed up for the first ten minutes of class on the first day. Didn't see him again, except in the hallway. If you don't know the material you're wasting his time when you ask him for help. Rude, and disinterested in the students in general. The TAs try but he doesn't support them.
ITS TRUE!! you meet him the first maybe 10-15 min on the first day of class and the you never see him again... and if you do you will learn that he is not the nicest person out there. if he is not going to teach the lab then why is his name on the schedule?? HE DOES ABSOLUTLY nothing!
An Okay teacher. Just make sure you study your slide because that is where all the quizzes come from.
OMG!!!!! THIS CLASS IS SO BORING AND HE DOESN'T EVEN TEACH IT! I think i seen him a couple times but that was only to fix something.
Ol' Gene actually taught my class. He insulted me one time. I was crushed...not. but he really doesnt want people to do good in his class. i made an A in lecture and i have a C average in Lab. his questions are random and really hard. he expects a student to know how to spell really long and hard words...he will count off like .2 pts out of 15 tota
This is my second semester taking botany lab, and this semester I understood the material much better. Last year one of his TAs did the lessons and i didn't understand what he was doing, but this semester(when Sullivan teaches) he is much clearer. However, some of his TAs still do some lessons and they suck. Go over the notes 1 hour b4 class.
Good ole Gene is not mi amigo. He really knows his stuff, and really is a good lecturer, but that's about where it ends. His quizzes are not bueno and he tries to trip you up. They measure your ability to predict the questions he will ask, not your knowledge on the subject. If you end up where you have to take him, good luck. Just study a LOT!
I saw him on the first day of class that was it.
I don't know why he has such a bad wrap. He was my TA, very helpful and was there everyday. He might make you feel stupid, but it's only because he's trying to pull the answer out of you. He always helped whenever I asked and seemed very nice to me. He makes very hard quizzes, though, so study hard.
If you care about your gpa i would not take this class. he has student teachers who gave you the wrong answers to the lab manual and never knew what they were talking about. There are far better teachers at SFA. They do not prepare you for the final at all nor all the quizzes they give which determines most of your grade along with the final.
I am surprised at all of the things people have said about Dr Sullivan. He was rarely in the classroom, but he was kind to me when he was there. He even tried to help me locate my lost planner, and seemed sincerely sorry when we could not find it. Don't listen to people who say he's too hard, either- you just need to study. I got A's on every quiz.
Lab class. He never teaches. His student assistants always teach and they are alright. You have to go to every class because there is a quiz every meeting. This lab is 1/3 of your lecture grade. STUDY FOR THE QUIZZES. you can only miss 2 labs before failing and he drops the lowest quiz grade. Labs are boring.
Sullivan does not teach his student teachers do. I had April Harkness and she is really nice and helpful. When Sullivan does come to class he helps but he seems stand offish. But if you take BIO121 you have no choice but to take him lol it's lab.
He does not teach his class, as stated before, but he is very involved with his TAs. In class he is very to-himself, but if you happen to run into him outside of class he is a very nice guy who pays attention to his students [even if you didn't know he was]. Make sure you have your lab manual everyday and follow the syllabus. Study your manual!
Mr. Sullivan is very involved with the lab environment and laboratory tech and much less with teaching. His TA's and the Course Instructors handle the teaching part of class. The majority of your class will be filling out a lab manual and taking lab tests. He isn't extremely amiable, but he is friendly and helpful nonetheless. He runs a tight ship.
He is never in lab! I seen him one time this semester and it was the first day of lab. He lets other instructors, which I believe are students to, to conduct the class. I guess not having him around is a good thing but I rate him as a professor, bad.
Mr. Sullivan was never in class. He had 3 student teachers teach you and present the assignments. The quizzes are generally difficult. YOU HAVE TO READ AND STUDY AHEAD. My average started off really low, then I started studying a lot more. I improved. I would recommend someone else for a lab supervisor.
Helpful sometimes but very vague and sometimes gives no hints as to what he wants on the assignment.
No tests in lab. Just quizzes for each lab (not hard). The thing that is unusual is that the teacher IS NEVER THERE. I've seen him maybe twice. He has graduate students instructing the class. I have an Indian instructor, and he helps us when we need it but he is hard to understand sometimes. Labs are long so make sure you know that! (not always)
He is a very tough grader but is always there if you need some extra help. Make sure you go to all of his labs because there are two quizzes per class and you will fail if you do not go! He is extremely knowledgeable and I wouldn't mind taking him again! MAKE SURE YOU BUY THE LAB BOOK
His attitude makes you hate him, his class is fair. However he acts as if he is almost to good to answer your questions. By far the most arrogant individual i have ever met and literally walks with his nose in the air. I would never take him, pray that you get the lab student teacher for botany and not him!!
He is very particular when it comes to spelling and will take points off for typos. He is not interested in babying students, especially if he sees you not putting in the effort. However, if you honestly try your best and don't goof off, he is a great professor. If you study the material and read the required information, you will get an A.
Quizzes are three questions long. Need book to pass.
He doesn't teach the lab.
Students teach lab but is very easy if you study for quizzes. Three question quiz every week over the chapter you are starting. Make sure you spell everything correctly or he will count off points. Assignment are easy. This lab helped me when it came to test for lecture.
Sully was a great guy. He explained everything and didn't waste time on too much lecture. He understood when a student really did not like biology and was there for the credit which is refreshing because every other professor acts like Science is the best thing that ever existed
He is a pretty great lab instructor, if you take him during the summer he is in the classroom everyday. He seems intimidating at first but once you ask the question he will help guide you, and help you better understand the material. Overall he is great and knows what he is doing.
Not descriptive when teaching
Dr. Sullivan wasn't really around. We had a student teacher who helped us way more. When you ask him a question, you almost feel like he's judging you because he has a constant sour face and he snaps at you like you're dumb sometimes. If you don't have to take him, I definitely would not.
3 question quizzes at the beginning of every single lab, miss one and you fail! He doesn't run the labs, 3 ladies do, and they do so pretty efficiently. The labs themselves aren't too hard, but the quizzes will bring you down fast.
Each day is worth 220 points. 100 points 3 question quiz, 100 daily assignment, and 20 participation. Labs are easy. Quizzes are NOT. My advice: type up the important information for the quiz the night before to study. Assignment grading is EXTREMELY SUBJECTIVE with no rhyme or reason so ask him for help a lot. Keep track of ur grade throughout
He's willing to help if you have trouble with an assignment.
This class is absolutely ridiculous! All lessons and assignments are taught with the assumption that students should know random upper-level biology material that we've never been taught. Lectures are unclear and often the diagrams presented do not look anything like the ones in your textbook. Lab instructors can be meticulous about spelling.
The hardest part of this class is being quizzed before going over the material. You get 3 questions and they count for almost half of your daily grade.
If you study prior going to class, you will find the subject interesting. Mr. Sullivan is always there to help you. Prepare for the quiz before you go. You can make an easy A if you study the materials properly.
I don't think I have ever met someone who was as arrogant and as rude as this man. He will go out of his way to make you Feel like an idiot. He has an idea that he is too good for what he is doing but reality is he's a terrible intructor and does not care about student success
The professor never shows up. The class is taught by student instructors. Each week you get a quiz with only 3 questions so its either pass or fail.
Dr Sullivan is very arrogant, judges the students, and tries to make everyone in the class feel dumb when they ask questions. Not a good instructor at all.
Been seeing this a lot, but Dr. Sullivan really does kind of make students feel dumb. Not a good feeling.
It was taught only by the TA's. It is easy to assume that the quizzes at the beginning of lab won't be worth it, but they definetley can bring you down. Your grade will most likely be determined by how nice your TA is and there is no way to figure that out beforehand. The lab manual is helpful for quizzes but you don't use it elsewhere.
The TA taught the class, the quiz at the beginning of every class is worth 10 points (5 questions, 2 points each) and the worksheet at the end on the class (last 20 minutes of class) is worth 90 points, the combination of both grades is your overall grade for that week. So you can bomb the quiz but do awesome on the on the homework and still pass
Very rude. His TA's teach most of it. He requires an incredibly expensive workbook. Overall just... terrible.
He isn't nice to students and insults their lack of knowledge on the subject. Does not help if you ask a question and leaves you to figure it out for yourself. I would have loved to take a different professor but he is the only one who instructs this lab. Prepare for the quizzes and bring the book to lab and you'll do okay.
My TA wasnt bad but sullivan hardly helped, he acted like were botany experts & should know literally everything. I didnt do too hot on the quizzes but still made an 85 for lab so if you do well on assignments & study for the quizzes itll make a difference when calculating your lab avg. An A is very achievable even tho its such a boring class.
The teachers assistant for the class was not bad. However, Sullivan would be very rude and cocky when you would ask a question. He was not very helpful and there would be a quiz every class. So make sure to read all of the chapters beforehand. Class is mandatory and very hard to get excused even for a doctors appointment.
Oh Gene... Unfortunately the comments below stating that he is demeaning and makes you feel stupid for asking reasonable questions is true. I avoided asking questions because home boy would basically laugh in humor that you didn't have a Botany Phd. Random quizzes that are hard to study for. Didn't learn much from this lab. However, it isn't hard.
There's a quiz every class but he tells you exactly what to study. If you ask him a question he doesn't just give you the answer, he asks you questions that get you to the answer yourself. The assignments often have lots of drawing and can keep you there after lab ends by 20+ minutes. He can be funny at times and gives you plenty of info to do well
Only saw Dr. Sullivan once at the first class for only 10 minutes. The TA's are nice and helpful if you have a question. There's a quiz over the lab manual every class but they're not too hard if you study the objectives. At the end of the lab there is an assignment but you can work together with your lab table to complete it.
This lab is ran by 3 teaching assistants rather than by Gene Sullivan, you will see Sullivan the first day of class and that's it. The lab isnt difficult but can be tedious, it is honestly going to depend on which teaching assistances you are assigned to. You take a 3 question quiz at the beginning of each class regarding your lab manual.
This class was for non-science majors and wow it was hard. I saw the professor like two times the whole semester (it was taught by grad students) and the experiments were so particular, it was hard for you to do it right. Pop quizzes are three questions and can get you too so watch out. Show up to class or you get a zero for that lab that day.
You only see Sullivan on the first day of lab. My lab instructor was not very helpful at all. You have 3 question quizzes every lab, so if you miss one, you fail it with a 67. Use quizlet to study for the quiz because its pretty much all vocab. The labs were difficult and sometimes not very clear. You'll do fine if you do well on the quizzes.
He can be very rude and make you feel like you're stupid when you ask a simple question. He was in my lab throughout the whole semester and was not of much help. He is a tough grader on assignments and doesn't help much. Luckily, there are no tests in the class.
DO. NOT. TAKE. HIM. Sullivan is the worst, does not show up to the lab and when he does, its only for a minute. Makes his student teachers do all the work while he stays in his office.
Really tough grader. It's difficult to get an A in here. Really study the exercise packets before each lab period and try to do well on the reading quizzes. There's a lot of activity packed into a 2 hour period. He will help you if you ask, but sometimes answers questions like you should already know the answer.
His lectures hold most of the info for your assignment each class so just pay attention in the beginning. Half of our class was graded by the TA and another was graded by Sullivan, he takes off for the simplest things, so you're in luck if you don't sit in his section. He's cranky, but'll give you the answers, just a SUPER harsh grader.
Sullivan does not show much concern at all for his students. He grades very harshly and has three question quizzes every day so be sure to prepare for that. He does not accept questions or opposition and is very unhelpful and often condescending. Will not take this class ever again.
Dr. Sullivan is the worst professor I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Mediocre teaching skills at best. Extremely condescending towards students. The type of professor that makes you feel dumb for asking a question. The class itself is of moderate difficulty, but Dr. Sullivan created a toxic learning environment.
Dr. Sullivan was a tough grader. He counted off for misspelling of plant anatomy, which could be very aggravating. Be prepared for quizzes over the labs every class. He was very rude to his students, even pointed out to me once that I was reading too slow. I wish there was another option for botany lab teachers at SFA, but there isn't. Good luck!
Dr. Sullivan is a little tough but is a pretty funny guy. Keep all your lab papers from previous ones because he will refer to them throughout the semester. He might seem a little off putting or rude but thats just how he is, he means no harm. the TA's understand him and are easily accessible. He really cares about botany and wants you to too.
He never actually teaches the class or even shows his face in class, he makes his TA's teach it and I think I've only seen him once this semester when he introduced himself. His TA's are very good at what they do but he himself hasn't taught us a single thing. There are quizzes every class and an assignment due at the end of class.
Labs are taught by TAs. Both were really sweet, but Sullivan's grading criteria was really annoying. I get that it is important to challenge STEM majors, but he treats everyone like they're a biology major (like they aren't required to take the class). It was fairly challenging and the daily quizzes never felt very fair.
The lab never has anything to do with the graded assignment they give you at the end of class and is way harder than it has any right to be. I don't think that is necessarily the professors fault though. If you ask for help he wont really answer your question because as he says he doesn't want to give you answers to the assignment.
Tough grader, be careful with wording!! Do the reading and make sure to put in the effort on the labs and you should be fine.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.37 avg changeRatings by Course
BOTLAB
5.0
(1)BIO121L022
5.0
(1)BIO025
4.0
(1)BIOL1306L
4.0
(1)131L
3.8
(5)Difficulty by Course
121
5.0
BOTANY131LAB
5.0
BIOL121
5.0
BIOL024
5.0
BOTLAB
5.0