2.0
Quality4.8
Difficulty26%
Would Retake106
Reviews26%
Would Retake
106
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
14
4
12
3
9
2
17
1
54
What Students Say
“Worst biology dept in the world”
BIOLOGY111 - 1.0 rating“He's hated by most of the employees at the school and students alike”
BIO110 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
70%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.00 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOLO101
5.0
(1)BIO111AND112
4.5
(4)111
4.0
(1)BIO112
2.5
(11)BIO111
2.2
(71)Difficulty by Course
BIO
5.0
PTKSPONSOR
5.0
BIOLOGY111
5.0
BIOLO101
5.0
BIO165
5.0
Reviews (106)
Great Professor.
Excellent Professor. I like the tight genes too. lol
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No Comments
ego he's invented the phrase, Don't call me Mr. Whitesides, I'm Mr. Whiteside, get off of it, you put your pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us Mr. Whitesides
Bad attitude teacher
Snobby teacher
Treats students like they were invisible. It is quite hurtful if you expect simple human dignity. I would never take his class.
One of the few teachers in GTCC who can teach classes at "college level." The contents of the test is very difficult, but he knows how to teach. If you pay attention in the class, he emphasizes important stuff. He knows the material he is teachi
"it is not my job to teach, it is my job to present information, it is your job to learn it" that is a direct quote when i asked for help. Very hard, and huge ego, dont ever question him if you expect to pass the class; he prepares you for college but that can be done with a smile and some new shir
Not only does George Whitesides not know how to teach, but he discriminates against people's religions, and he is extremely arogant.
Maybe he needs to be teaching at Johns Hopkins or soemthing. HORRIBLE teacher, a girl cried during the final. Did I mention his attendance policy will make you feel like you are in kindergarten?!
The hardest class I've ever taken. I didn't learn a thing. Horrific attendence policy, nice man, horrific professor. I would not advise anyone to take his class unless they are a science major or are a sadomasochist. He gets better as some students drop but his final exam will kill you.
As a professor, this guy is an ass. DO NOT TAKE HIS COURSE...TAKE ANYONE BUT HIM....EVEN IF IT MEANS YOU HAVE TO TAKE ASTRONOMY OR GEOLOGY FOR YOUR SCIENCE REQUIREMENT....This prick loves to fail students....has a huge chip on his shoulders....stay farr farrrr aawwwaaayyyyyy....
Very unhelpful, disinterested.
Great teacher, not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for an easy A this is not the guy for you. Does not tolerate students that don't work hard. Don't be late for his class. If you are a serious science student, his class will get you prepared for "real" college.
Oddly, I have never taken any class with this professor, but in the two years I spent at Gtcc, he was the most talked about @ssh@le. More people complain about him than anybody else I hard about, even more than the math teachers, haha.
he scares me, shoots daggers at people who walk into the door, and is very animated with his expressions. i think he just might eat me for dinner
Don't come in his class late he will stare you down until you get to that seat, will stop the whole lecture and just glare at you; very dramatic. I mean he is alright, he know what he is talking about, but just horrible at teaching. OH and he loves to mumble, so don't sit in the back. It's like he talks normal then all of a sudden he drops down to a real soft mumble when explaining important things.
He is horrible and doesn't need to be teaching anything, not even to the monkeys....you will regret evrey bit of that class. Good luck to you if you take it and pass it!!!
He is weird but, the class isn't too horrible if you study all of the time. DON'T SHOW UP LATE! Unless you want to get the stare not good.
If you thought 111 with this was hard, you've got more coming in 112. In 112, he teaches "Clade" which is hard as hell. Another problem is that he covers 80% of the lecture with "Clades". If you keep attending his class, he makes you start wondering about importance of his lesson, which in my opinion, has nothing to do with biology
I am a junior at A&T in engineering now and I have never had a worseprofessor.I will never forget this nutcase. Never in my life have a attended aclass for an entire semester and not learned a single thing in the lecture. He made no sense at all, very scatterbrained. And his lab class made me think I'd died and gone to hell.
If you are not a serious dedicated student who has alot of time to devote to studying, do not take this class. This is not an easy grade. You will have to know the material inside and out for the exams. Cramming will not cut it before an exam. NEVER BE LATE!!! He will give you a stare till you sit down. He is helpful when you go to office.
Whitesides is a difficult teacher b/c he knows his stuff. He is a smart man and does not deviate. A lot of people do not like him b/c he pays attention to how hard you work. His biggest downside is the way he words the questions on the test. He twists words so that they are easily misunderstood.
Mr Whitesides just does not explain things on a level of understanding. I understand that we are in college but he has to understand for some students this is the first time they have seen the material since high school, many years ago. He also has a problem when students him ask questions.Needless to say I didn't get anything out of his teachings.
THIS PROFESSOR'S CLASS WAS HARD, BUT IF YOU TOOK GOOD NOTES IN HIS CLASS AND STUDY HARD YOU DON'T EVEN NEED THE TEXT BOOK. STUDENTS ARE KNOWN FOR COMING TO CLASS LATE AND IF HE STARES YOU DOWN THEN IT IS YOUR FAULT. IF HE STARES YOU DOWN IT DOES NOT MEAN HE WANTS TO KILL YOU. I HAVE BEEN LATE TWICE IN HIS CLASS. HE IS A GOOD TEACHER.
Very unfriendly and very unapproachable.
Im an AB honor roll student I always take notes and pay attention in class and ask questions this was hands down the most difficult class that I have ever taken! To make matters worse this professor was the snobbiest prick I've ever met, he was very unhelpful anytime someone had a question about something he always replied w/sarcasm. Avoid him!!!!!
DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! save your $$ and time towards another BIO teacher. He doesnt like answering your questions during class...and if you do ask a question he will embarrass you
this is a truly joyless man, who made what could have been a good experience into a real burden. Who would give you eight different choices on a multiple choice test? This guy.
worst teacher i have ever had Do not, i repeat do not take him. he is a disrepectful clown that gets enjoyment when people fail. It makes absolutely no sense that there are 8 choices for each question on the test. He is utterly ridiculious.
he is incredibly intelligent & has potential to be a great teacher, except he doesn't like to help people. he hates questions and hates when you challenge him - that's why we butt heads. i have a BA from a 4 yr college and i have only experienced 1 teacher like him in my career. he belongs at an ivy league school; not community college.
IF YOU WANT TO MISS UR GPA THEN TAKE HIM. HE THINK HE KNOWS EVERYTHING.SAVE TIME DON'T TAKE ANY CLASS WITH HIM. DON'T EVER EVER EVER TAKE HIM.
Does not explain the subject at all. Unprofessional.
The three words I would describe him as is aggressive, hostile and definitely difficult!
Unfortunately he is the only one that teaches this course at GTCC. Go elsewhere to learn.
This guy will manage to turn what should be a good class into the most miserable experience of your academic career.
Don't ever bring journal articles to his office disproving his outdated BIO 112 clade definitions. It was supposed to be a civil discussion, as I was having trouble finding secondary sources for his information. He took it personally, and made it a point to attack me at every opportunity for the rest of the semester. Avoid this man at all costs.
This prof. is one of the hardest I've had. He doesn't like to answer questions and doesn't tolerate students being late. Oh, did I mention that his multiple choice tests have 8 choices?
Very difficult. Study study study. While he has a very bad reputation, most of the class did pass. You'll need to work hard.
HARD. If you want a good grade TUTORING IS A MUST.
Quite difficult and scary...I sometimes have nightmares about him
If you're a hard worker and don't ask bad questions you'll like this guy.
Difficult to work with, always unclear, I would not suggest him to my worst enemy.
Unfriendly instructor! Does not work with you and hates to answer questions. Be prepared to teach yourself.
Unfriendly instructor! Does not work with you and hates to answer ANY question. Be prepared to teach yourself and still fail.
George Whitesides is the worst professor I have ever encountered in my academic experience.
One of the more difficult professors at GTCC. However most of these comments left on here are unwarranted. If you work hard you'll do well, if you think this is just another easy A and plan on not studying or going to class, you will surely fail. Dr. Whitesides is fair and his 8 question multiple choice tests are not that bad.
This professor has incredibly petty rules.
Great Professor! It is a hard class but everything he tests on is the same thing he goes through during the lecture. Also, he is very helpful if you need help but you have to have specific questions. You cannot skate through this class, you really have to study and put a real effort into it.
Like all biology classes there is a ton of information. Had some trouble writing notes because its fast paced. If you have a laptop bring it. He is very helpful. He also gets very excited when talking about certain subject. This is not an easy course but if you put in the effort and study, you will have no problems
Horrible person in general. I can't believe he's a department head. Very disrespectful and talk down to you.
He lectures, he doesn't "teach." You must be willing to go beyond his class if you don't get the material. That being said, if you put in the effort you should pass. I'd been out of school a long while, but still made a B. FYI, record his lectures!
He's the worst teacher I've ever had. We dissected several species in his class. We would have to find parts of the species and compare it to the book, but when we ask him to confirm, he refuses. I could have been pointing to the lung and calling it a kidney and he wouldn't care. How am I supposed to learn when the teacher doesn't care to help?
This is a class you have to put a lot of time into. If you stud you would do great, he is the best professor I have ever had.
He is the worst instructor I have ever encounter, His lessons are usually very ambiguous. Instead of making you love biology DR. Whitesides actually makes you hate it. I have to take that class in order to graduate but thanks to him, I will be taking Bio 111 in another college. His lessons are boring and also worthless, his test are also tricky.
He just lectures and doesn't teach. He expects you to already to know a lot of the material. I love biology but his teaching skills made me hate biology. Its BS that I'm paying for a professor to lecture me rather then actually teaching me the material
His lab quizes are too hard. He doesnt care if you understand the concept. He cares about you detailing your answers to his liking. His lectures are so boring and he moves the slides too quick. He goes off topic a lot and does not teach. His exams are all multiple choice, however its 8 frigging answer choices. He is also the only biology teacher :(
An interesting fellow. It takes half of a semester to get used to his teaching style, if you last that long. A lot of people drop. If you do not have to take this course, then run! If you do, sit back, listen, take notes and study til you can't retain any more info. Then study more. It is important that you know function, not definitions. hard!
Painfully difficult, by far the hardest class I've ever taken. Expect to take notes in great detail, and study them regularly (seriously) because the tests and lab quizzes are excruciatingly difficult and require an inordinate level of detail (miss one specific word in a paragraph answer and expect 1/4-1/2 credit taken off for that quiz question)
Awesome dude. Everybody tries to act like Dr. Whitesides makes the class hard but he really dosn't. He won't put up with people that don't study and he can tell who you are. as long as you study and read the assigned pages in the book you won't have any problem in his class
Before taking his class, I loved biology, but now I hate it. When you enter his class, be prepared to teach yourself.
He's hard but he's great.
The students on here talking about this instructor is awesome or he rocks, is not being truthful. My advice to anyone thinking about taking his class, don't, take it somewhere else because he is the only instructor teaching BIO 111. However, if you plan on becoming a doctor or anything in the medical field, he is the right teacher for you.
He is just fine. If you study and don't miss class, you'll do fine. Tough class (as a Biology course should be)and he has a teaching style that keeps you awake.
If you want to learn the material to be prepared for your next level classes at whatever school you transfer to and you are willing to put in the time, you will be in good shape. He was one of, if not the best, professor I have ever had. Knows a tremendous amount about the subject and works hard to be current. I feel like I am wildly prepared .
He is god awful. He does nothing but lecture non stop, but his test don't always match up with what he teaches. Recording the class doesn't help. He doesn't clarify anything. He TELLS you he doesn't care if you fail. He is full of himself, avoid his class if at all possible. He's head of the science department so you can't complain or anything!
I wasn't expecting this class to be easy. I was expecting it to be a challenge. But with this guy, he thrives on making things more difficult than things need to be. Very scatter brained, doesn't stay on topic. He's ornery and senile and refused to answer questions without sarcasm. He doesn't want you to learn, he could care less. will embarrass u.
Do NOT ASK QUESTIONS. I've seen people moved to tears by this guy. Difficult course to begin with, he just makes it impossible. 3/4 of my class dropped. DO NOT GET THIS GUY EVER.
I hated him in bio 111 but not his fault. I just didnt study enough. You need to study for his class and not the night before. Learn short hand he moves fast through the slides. Study group or sharing notes is key. Lab make sure you know the parts of the animals dissected take pictures of everything including jars.
Bio 111 with him and the class was so hard I dropped it half way through. If you asked a question during class he would give you a mean comment back. The test do not match up with what he talks about in class. I tried everything to study for his test and I just could not pass a test. He doesn't even go by the book. I do not recommend him to anyone.
This is the worse teacher in the history of teachers. He doesn't care about students performance. He will fail you because he can. I had to change my major because I couldn't deal with his class & he is the only teacher that teaches that at Gtcc Jamestown and I needed that class for that program
I saw these reviews online for this teacher so thought I should add my two-cent. This teacher never got mad at me for asking questions, though I generally asked after class. He seemed to really love his subject and I enjoyed the lectures because of that. You may have to study for his class regularly, but as little as 30 mins a day is enough.
I would never take this professor again. He's unreasonable in his grading and his teaching methods are all over the place. He spends lots of time telling you things you don't need to know and refuses to answer questions or provide helpful feedback.
I loved Dr. Whitesides. Don't ask dumb questions and make a point to tell him who you are and he'll like you. Just study and listen to his lectures and you'll do fine. He's enthusiastic and keeps you interested in what he has to say, but be prepared for a lot of lecturing.
Excellent teacher. He knows the material and his class is enjoyable because of it. If you have questions about something he said, it's probably best to ask it after class. If you do ask a question in class, he will answer it, but be prepared if it's something he's just said and you missed it, he will make you look like an idiot.
This guy seems to not care if you can take notes fast or not. He talks about a subject for maybe 30 seconds and moves on. The test are not straight forward. The way they are worded is ridiculous. I would tell you to avoid him but he is the only bio 111 and 112 professor. Take it at another school!!
This professor makes the course unnecessarily painful. There is no reason to have such a degrading attitude that this man portrays. This has been my worst experience of my entire education career. Good luck to anyone who takes this course. It is nothing but a waste of time and a hurt to your GPA. He is the only teacher so take it at another school.
Dr. Whitesides is a great teacher. His lectures are long, but thorough. Expect to take a lot of notes, but also know that if you study and come to class like you are supposed to you will be prepared for any other Bio class you made need. He is not mean like everyone says. Respect him during class ad he is happy to answer any question you have.
Dr. Whitesides needs to be fired. His teaching and leadership skills are so poor that he does not support the college's mission of creating successful futures. Futhermore his ego is so huge that he runs a department purposely designed to fail students. Students that are paying huge money. Worst biology dept in the world!!!
The biology department at GTCC is a joke, and this is the man responsible for the joke. He's hated by most of the employees at the school and students alike.
I normally don't hate anyone but he's one of the few professors that I truly dislike. He's rude, arrogant, and thinks lowly of you, probably for attending community college. I was a bio major but he made me hate the subject and abandon the major altogether. He even kicked someone out of his class for answering a phone call from her doctor. No lie.
Don't. Don't. Dont take this class ever at gtcc, seriously he's that worst professor I've ever seen. I really do mean it. Take at a different school.
HE IS ABSOLUTLEY THE WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD. I WOULD NOT RECCOMEND ANYONE TO SIGN UP FOR HIS CLASSES. HE IS VERY VERY RUDE AND TALKS DOWN TO THE STUDENTS. I HAVE BEEN AT GTCC FOR GOING ON TWO YEAR AND THIS IS THE WORST PROFESSOR OF THEM ALL!!
If there is a word more than worst, horrible that's him! Please my advice for you don't take his class.. I don't really know how he is still teaching, they should absolutely get him out of here!
Mr Whiteside does not give you enough information in his lecture. He talks extremely fast he's not hands on with his students and he goes over each subject only one time. If a student ask for help he ignores them. I believe if he takes his time lecturing and give a little pop quiz once a month and a work sheet every week it would be better class
I took him for BIO 111 my first semester of college right after high school. I guess I didn't know what I was getting into with him. I was signed up for this class by an advisor, bad decision. He basically laughs at students who struggle. His lectures are tough and very sarcastic which makes it hard to follow. He also mumbles his lectures.
Few words to say. DONT TAKE HIS CLASS PLEASE... you will just lose your time. He should get fired
Whitesides is a fantastic professor, incredibly intelligent. Obviously the students who rated him a one didn't know what they were getting themselves into, as his class and lab are no joke. If you take it seriously though, you'll be prepared for courses beyond CC. And a note, take LOTS and LOTS of notes, everything he emphasizes is important.
Taking this class was the worst decision Ive made. That became the first class Ive had to drop. He makes it unnecessarily hard. Doesnt let you look at your textbook and rarely writes anything. I needed that class to graduate so I spent hours and hours outside of class studying and still could not pass. I dont recommend anyone take him.
Here's the deal: Mr. Whitesides imparts a tenor that mirrors a medical school atmosphere. I do not recommend, unless you are competitive, that you take this class in your first semester. Pay particular attention to his lectures and jot notes, study prior to his class and at least eight hours per week, and supplement with practice quizzes.
do not take this professor he is extremely condescending and doesn't actually teach well at all. just please please don't take this class.
In my opinion, the instructor made this course and content extremely complicated. Biology is a difficult course but as an instructor wouldn't you want to help students grasp the material?
Dr. Whitesides gives interesting and extremely detailed lectures. There are four major tests and one final cumulative exam (worth 2 test grades) that are just as specific as his lectures. This class requires good note taking and deductive reasoning skills. I barely made an A in the class.
All things considered, Whiteside is not like most professors I have rated poorly. The man knows his content, and he will prove that to you within minutes of a lecture. But knowledge of content does NOT make a good professor. 80 percent of the class (including lab) is based of tests, and are only supplemented by his lectures. Take with caution.
He makes everything extremely harder than it already is
Very hard class but gets you prepared for top notch universities.
I had Dr. Whitesides for Bio 111. The key to his class is to write really fast or invest in a recorder. Record lecture and lab to be able to do well in both. Rewrite your notes using the notes in class plus the recording. He is not very personable or approachable in Bio 111, but he's much more approachable in bio 112, so just get through 111.
I failed first time around, I personally understood white sides lectures and found him funny. He won't make any exceptions to help your grade though. If something occurred and you missed an assignment, forget about it and move on is his perspective. I got that from personal experience. Even with an A In the course he didn't help me out.
After doing some calculations you begin to notice that in order for you to get a good grade you gotta get 100 on everything. the study guide for tests doesnt help because the answers to the questions are more basic, but the test is more deeper and broad to a point you werent prepared for. Even a University doesnt make Biology become this hard.
This professor grades classes based on only four assignments, all of which are incredibly challenging, even to students who are coming to class daily. He really gears the class towards failure, and in taking the course twice more than half the class will drop out by around midterms. Takes the class way too serious for community college.
This lecture was miserable. Talks about one topic sometimes not even relevant to the class for the entire period. You could probably read the entire book and understand it better due to him jumping around so much. They do not give powerpoints outside of class he talks and will put up a picture for a few minutes and take it down. I don't recommend
Classes are difficult, but not if you put in the time to study the material presented. He tests on exactly what he lectures. Exams are not meant to be easy. His courses are geared toward transfer students (who will take 400/500 level classes at universities). Also expects students on time and without cell phones... like employers in the real world.
He might seem meaner than his is.
If you're going to a top school, a masochist, and want to experience hell & frustration, I would recommend this course. He has an overly serious vibe and lectures are just to cover the basics, which are not on test material. Reading the textbook and having a good knowledge of biology helps. One bad test can ruin your grade. if you dare, good luck.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
70%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.00 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOLO101
5.0
(1)BIO111AND112
4.5
(4)111
4.0
(1)BIO112
2.5
(11)BIO111
2.2
(71)Difficulty by Course
BIO
5.0
PTKSPONSOR
5.0
BIOLOGY111
5.0
BIOLO101
5.0
BIO165
5.0