3.6
Quality3.2
Difficulty63%
Would Retake107
Reviews63%
Would Retake
107
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
64
4
2
3
6
2
9
1
26
What Students Say
“She is a nice professor and seems very willing to help”
BIOL2111 - 2.0 rating“All around just horrible class, wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy”
BIOL2111 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.62 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL2111
3.6
(107)Difficulty by Course
BIOL2111
3.2
Reviews (107)
She is very nice but does not use a proper teaching formats for a large group setting. The lectures are mostly group work and content was somewhat incomprehensible. Labs correlated with second half topics. Would have been nice to know first.
Absolutely loved her. She is so available for help and provides a lot of resources to help with studying. She actually cares about you. The group projects really helped me learn and were great grade boosters. Great that your grade is not just dependent on exams.
My favourite prof -- cares so much about us students. Super nice and fair. Gave many review sessions. You do have to work but this is a second year class.
good prof, graded by a lot of things and is very fair. sometimes incomprehensible during lectures
Such an amazing prof! She cares a lot about students. Never had a prof yet offer two review sessions and so much help. Clear classes and your final grade doesn't just depend on midterms and a final. Loved her and want to take more classes with her.
This was an amazing class! Dr. Barrette really wants you to succeed. Always happy to meet. Favorite class so far! I hope to take another class with her.
She was a hot mess. Tried to assign way too much group work and spent the majority of the lectures having us sit there and discuss with peers instead of explaining concepts and taking up problems. The midterm was so poorly written she had to give the class marks for questions that were not solvable.
I loved this course! We were not tested only on memory, and I loved the group work. I really helped me learn. Exams are super fair, and she is so approachable. Looking forward to another course with her.
This prof goes above and beyond for us students. From review sessions to extra practice to lots of time to meet with us. The material is not easy but she does everything she can to help. I learned a lot and now like genetics.
I hated this course. So much wasted class time by having us discuss our answers with each other for like 15 mins rather than explaining and put us into groups to work on assignments both in and outside of class which no one had time for. She is super sweet as a person and will gladly help if you ask, but you definitely have to self-teach a lot.
I have never had a prof care so much. I loved her class and actually got a lot out of it. The group work was new, but I found it super helpful. Would take another course with her!
The class content was straightforward, and she curved a lot, but that was the only good part. The group work seemed to be designed so that lazy students were paired with hard-working students so that everyone got a free pass. She posted a video lecture after the course was over, which perfectly sums up how organized she was. Avoid if possible.
By far the most caring prof I have ever had. She goes above and beyond to make sure that you are successful. Her classes were actually helpful, and she was super clear on what to focus on. I absolutely loved her. Fair, caring, super helpful -- take any class with her!
Amazing class! Her way of teaching the class really helped me learn. There were tons of ways to practice. Really caring and will meet with you to help. I love this prof!
Most disorganized class I have taken. She's a nice person, but that could mean less when I am not learning properly. She loves group work, in and out of class. During the midterm review session, she spent 40 minutes making us work on one question alone, which was a waste of my time. I wish she would teach rather than use group work as a replacement
Best class I have taken so far! Such an amazing prof. She gave us so many strategies to help us learn. We actually had time in class to do problems and get help. I learned so much! I really hope that she will teach more classes in my program. LOVED HER!
Puts u in a group of people u never met before to do group assignments that totals worth 20%.The class assailments are similar to exam questions.U were able to recognize her mid-term questions on the exam to the ones u did in class but needed to add 5 extra steps for the finial solution, she did curve by 25%, finial was similar to practice finial.
Puts u in a group of people u never met before to do group assignments that totals worth 20%.The class assailments are similar to exam questions.U were able to recognize her mid-term questions on the exam to the ones u did in class but needed to add 5 extra steps for the finial solution, she did curve by 25%, finial similar to practice finial.
Loved her! I don't think I would have been able to do so well in this course, or like the topic. Go to her for questions -- she will always help you. I met with her so many times. So caring. I really liked my group in this course -- I made new friends. Really great class and prof! She teaches really well, and does not just run through slides.
She was one of the best profs I had last year. Still remember the material. Lectures weren't a waste of time like others. Fair exams — just do the practice questions she tells you to do. Caring and approachable. I asked her many questions and she was super helpful.
Great prof -- she will provide you with a lot of extra study material to help. Go to class, try the extra practice problems and you will be fine. Fair prof. No complaints.
She is hands-down the worst professor I have had this semester. The laboratory portion of the course is extremely disorganized, her tests are infinitely harder than her practice, and her notes are so vague that they are almost useless. She also forced us to buy a 100$ textbook that doesn't help you at all. Avoid this professor at all costs.
Midterm is so bad and nothing like lecture material, and she doesn't even teach well in class. Acts like this is our only class giving us so many assignments and labs. Worst prof I have ever had. If you can somehow avoid taking this class with her, PLEASE DO.
This prof is awesome. Actually cares and works through problems in class. Midterm was super fair — basically similar questions to those we did in class/lab and from textbook. Love the labs too — they actually match the class. Never seen this before.
Lots and lots of work, have any extracurriculars? Too bad. Get ready to prioritize this class in favour of others (spoiler: not worth it). Disorganized and late, behind labs so you dont even know what you're doing when you get there. Midterm questions are riddles and need to be read like a haiku to grasp the meaning of it. Save yourself
This prof really cares — never had someone like her before. The other ratings are just lies. This is a second- year class and the workload is fine. No more than others. She gives you tons of chances to do well — even after writing the midterm. We need more profs like her.
Some of these ratings are a joke. Barette-Ng is awesome. Repeating this course now and love it. Labs are great — actually learned stuff from this course.
Had to come on here after reading some of the other posts. She is awesome — organized, caring, respectful.I actually learn during class. Yes, you have to do work, but it is a second-year required course. And the workload is reasonable. Some of the midterm questions were practically the same as ones we did in assignments and labs.
I have NEVER had a prof so incompetent and a class so poorly structured. She REFUSES to post her slides, so if you're sick for any reason yikes. Class is always behind and all over the place. She teaches the content so simply then hammers you on midterms which she doesn't curve. There is so much workload to keep up with. EXHAUSTED! Save yourself.
Barette-Ng is amazing great prof. She cares about the class and actually spends time working on problems with in class. Class is not a waste of time like other courses. Midterm was fair, but you need to study. If you do the practice questions, you will be fine. Go to see her with questions — she is super helpful
Love this class! Barette-Ng gives us so much material to help. Super approachable. She even held extra review session before midterm so we could get help. I want to take more classes with her.
WOULD NOT RECOMMEND, DO NOT TAKE
Coming to site because of some ridiculous comments. You are lucky if you can get Barette-Ng as your prof. Loving this course
B-Ng struggles to communicate with her students. Her lectures are handy but she doesn't test us on these lectures. She also doesn't post slides and her labs are not correlated with the midterm material at all. I went after class to ask for help and she treated me like I was dumb and wouldn't help me out. If you have her GOODLUCK
Isabelle is one of the worst professors I've had at the U. Her lectures are so inconsistent with the material. She doesn't post slides, she isn't helpful in class, and her midterms are nothing compared to material seen. If you are taking this class for a credit I suggest you wait till she retires.
Barrette-Ng is one of the most caring profs I have ever met. I have gone to her office hours so many times this year and she is so helpful. Her classes are super clear and she gives you so many resources to do well. Highly recommend this class!
I love this prof! I never thought I would love genetics this much. So helpful and the labs in this course actually align with the lectures. Midterm was super fair. There was no reason not to do well. The questions came from class and the labs.
Yes this course is not easy but Barette-Ng will go out of her way to help you. I really liked the in-class work and the labs. Take this course if you can!
One of best profs at U. No question is ever dumb with her. She will give you as much time as you need for help. Lectures are super clear and she makes it fun. Love her!
Professor Barette's teaching lacks alignment with her exams; what she covers in class doesn't reflect the midterm content, making it hard for us to study effectively. She rushes through concepts without practical examples, leaving us confused and feeling unprepared. Clearer instruction would greatly improve our learning experience.
She is an amazing prof! The best I have had yet. Super helpful and clear. Will give you as much time as you need. Never thought I'd like genetics
Please do not listen to the good reviews, they're all lying. STAY AWAY from this class, it's awful.
Yes genetics is hard, but Barette-Ng will do everything for you to succeed. Super approachable. Just go meet with her. You need to study, but it's a second year course. Love her!
Barette-Ng is a great prof! She is one of my favourite profs this year. I love the class and the labs. She expects you to do work, but she will help you so much. Great class!
Dr. Barette is a very nice prof. If you are able to catch her in class or during office hours, she is willing to help and likes doing it. However, she doesn't respond to emails. There is a required book that doesn't have topics covered in class. There is a ton of lab work that always seems to be behind. The class is structured in a confusing way.
Barrette-Ng does not post her slides. Textbook, exam, and lecture material do not correlate. There is a lack of communication among her and her students. She does not curve and would rather the students complete an assignment as to "where they went wrong" for extra credits. The class is not structured in a traditional manner. Be careful.
Dr. Barette-Ng is an amazing prof. She will help you if you ask. I've been meeting with her and she is super helpful. Posts so much material to help us, including the lecture notes. Those saying she doesn't are lying. Great class and amazing labs.
My favourite prof by far! Workload is average for second-year course. The labs are amazing in this course — they are actually relevant to the class. Pay attention to them — they help you with the exams.
Coming on here again since some ratings are a joke. Barette-Ng is excellent prof. Class is great and well organized. Yes, you need to do work. But she is fair and her and the GAs do do much to help you
This course is not easy, but is super doable if you actually try. You get so many chances to do well. Your mark doesn't just depend on midterms and finals. Barette-Ng really cares about you too. Will miss this class.
This is a great class with a really caring prof. Barette-Ng is super helpful and friendly. Really interesting material and projects. Loving it!
She is a nice professor and seems very willing to help. The class overall is a very poor experience though, so much work outside of the laboratory which just piles up on top of the online quizzes and in class group assignments. She also rushed through 3 topics in the last lecture which is worth like 30% of the final exam grade. She gets a doom.
Dr. Barrette-Ng is my favourite prof so far. Super helpful and clear. Workload is manageable. Organized class and labs. Assignments really helped me and I loved my group.
You are lucky if you can get Dr Barette as a teacher. Super approachable and nice. Organized class, helpful study materials, extra review sessions and lots of office hours. I never thought I'd like genetics. Ignore the lies on here. Workload is super manageable, she does NOT rush, and posts her slides.
Please Please Please do not listen to the people on here giving her a 5. Only reason I didn't give her a 1 was because she is genuinely really nice, however her class was absolutely abysmal. Labs were a complete disaster and it was stupidly easy to lose track of what was due. All around just horrible class, wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
To echo the neatest rating, please, please, please don't listen to the ratings giving her 1 or 2. Dr. B is great prof. Super caring and helpful. Gave us 2 extra review sessions and offered to also help on weekend. Labs were great and organized. There is a schedule on Brightspace that shows all deadlines. You have to read and work, but second year.
First things first, she is a very sweet person. However, she is by far the most disorganized professor. Due dates can change on a whim. She was weeks behind schedule with an additional lecture AFTER classes had ended. Errors were found in the lab WEEKLY. Modules only posted days before final and some material was posted
Coming on here due to haters. So many lies from them. Dr. Barette is great. Clear lectures and labs. She gave us 6 hours of optional review sessions to help us prepare for the exam. No extra lectures after class. The sessions were REVIEW. Fair exam. You need to do work, but if you do, you will do well.
Dr. Barrette is a very caring prof, but she is super unorganized and inaccessible outside of class. Her course timeline changes throughout the semester and she never gives marks back in a timely manner. She doesn't answer any student emails, so you have to find her in person to ask any questions. She's nice but I wouldn't take her course again.
Dr. Barette-Ng is a great prof. She is accessible and really cares about her students. Please don't listen to the lies from some of the other ratings. I met with her every week for extra help and she always made time for me both in person and through email. She did change the due dates of assignments -- because we asked her to give us extensions!
Isabelle Barrette seems like a nice person, but she is really bad at teaching. This is surprising considering that she only teaches and does not have a research lab. It's really disappointing that the U would hire a teaching faculty that is completely unable to teach. Her lectures are disorganized and she is the worst Prof that I've ever had.
Sure Dr. Barrette is super kind, but she is missing all the qualities that you look for in a professor. If you're taking this class, prepare to teach yourself everything. Quizzes/exams/lab problems do not resemble the lectures what so ever. I got a good grade in this class, but that's because I put hours of work teaching myself the course material.
It's hard to believe she's a 3M National Teaching Fellow. She's the worst Professor I've ever had. She's terrible at teaching and treats students like we are beneath her. Never take a course with her.
Dr. Barrette is an amazing prof. I loved this class and learned so much from it. She is super clear and offers you so much help. The labs are really interesting and match the class very well. Offered so much extra help for the exam. Final and midterm were super fair — many questions came from the textbook and in-class assignments.
I had such a great semester with her! The negative ratings on here are complete lies. Final grades are not even out yet. Go to class, try the problems she gives us, actually do the labs (so many people just copy), and you will be fine. Midterm and final had questions taken directly from labs, textbook and class.
Super fair class and super caring. Always checked in with us about what she could do to help. Loved her! Never thought I would love genetics. Go to class and ask questions. She is clear about what she expects you to know. You can't just memorize stuff though — you actually need to make sure you understand it.
Dr Barrett is a great prof. She gives you lecture notes you need to fill in during class, and the labs really help with understanding the subject. You need to go to class, but it's worth it. She actually works through tons of practice questions during class. Study and you will do well. Similar level of work to other courses.
Super fair prof. Loved how the midterm and final are not worth your whole mark. So many chances to get points and do well. Lots of group work, but you get to choose your team. Fair exams similar to labs and textbook. Would take another course with her.
This prof is so enthusiastic about what she teaches — made me really like the class. Loved the labs — you get to do so much, even work with fruit flies, which was fun. Fair exams, and easier than organic.
Some of the negative comments are really unbelievable. This prof will go out of her way to help. I had such a great semester and loved the course. Some people in the class just want 100% and to do no work. Fair class and easy to do well if you put in effort.
Dr. B is my favourite prof so far at the U. Super caring and listens to her students. She gave us additional review sessions for the final exam when we asked -- who does that! Ended up giving us 3 sessions. Those posting negative reviews are ridiculous. Fair prof and great course.
I love this prof and this course -- now looking at going into genetics! She is super clear in class, posts her lecture slides for us to fill during class, and really cares. I was one of her class reps and she is amazing. I've never had a prof care that much about students. Great course
Loved this class. Great prof and she provided a lot of resources to help us including great review sessions. She does expect you to do work. If you keep up, you will do well.
Dr Barrette-Ng is an amazing prof and I would absolutely recommend her for Genetics! Her lectures are very clear and she provides loads of material for review. The course is very lab-heavy as well, so as long as you pay attention to lectures and labs, you are guaranteed to do well! She also gives lots of opportunities to boost your mark too.
Decent lectures. Lots of lab work to take home. Exams are difficult but huge curve. All short answer exams.
Dr. Barrette-Ng might be an amazing person outdoors, but she needs to be more organised. She is not great at replying emails, but gives irrelevant assignments. Practice questions are useless. No exam practice questions, making the students under confident. She curves her exams because students don't do well due to over complicated assessment.
Dr. Barette-Ng is an amazing prof for genetics. Just go to class, try the practice questions, and do the labs. She gives you a lot of extra practice, including old midterms and final exams. Super caring and helpful. I loved going to ask her questions. One of my favourite profs.
Dr Barrette is so kind but her midterms and final are brutal. Her labs are hectic and will drain your will to live. Her lectures are simple but her midterms are crazy hard. She does post practice midterm but they aren't even similar whatsoever. This course took more time and effort than any course I was taking that semester. Finals were curve tho.
This class was taught to me entirely by myself. The exam was an eldritch horror beyond anyones comprehension and completely different than the course material. Dr Barrett appears nice but is also a horror of lovecraftian amounts. please beware
Dr. Barrette is an amazing prof -- I took genetics last year, and I loved the course. She really cares about you and gave us students a lot of extra exam material. Go to her review sessions and do the old exams. You will be fine if you keep up, do the practice questions and go to class.
Such a heavy class, makes super hard exams and then gives ways to earn extra credit after to make up for the bad class marks. Stupid labs with no time and extra assignments outside of lab with no instruction super time consuming.
Amazing prof! I laugh at other comments. Seriously, this is a second year class. Do the readings, go to class and do practice problems. Labs really help you with the course — never had that before. Loved her!
Outside of class was super nice and approachable. However, the class itself was not organized well. The labs were very hard and often covered topics that had not yet been taught in class. The lab quizzes were weighted very high and were often hard.
Barette-Ng is a great prof. I love the course so far. Super helpful, caring and available. Fair midterm — go to class and the review session. Do the practice problems, pay attention in lab and you'll be fine. Lab questions super helpful and similar to exam.
Run .
Barrette-Ng is a great prof — she is super kind and she really helped me with preparing for the midterm. Exam was super fair. You just have to keep up and do the work. Very manageable
Super fair and caring. Do the textbook questions she recommends, the old exams and review the labs. You'll be fine. Midterm was super fair and doable.
I don't understand these positive reviews. EVERYONE from previous years warned me about Dr. Barrette-Ng and they were soooooooo right. She's terrible at teaching and won't even answer emails. If this course wasn't required for every Bio program, nobody would take it.
Seriously I don't understand some of these negative ratings. Dr. Barette is a really good prof who is teaching a hard class. She gives us so many ways to do well. If you choose not to study, that is your problem. Don't blame her. I really appreciate her. Never had a prof help me so much. Actually learning. 10 people got 100% on the exam — doable!
I understand some of the dislike for Barrette, but she definitely cares. She'll host review sessions and cover lots of practice problems. Lectures can get kind of annoying, especially when she alternates between slides. Labs are group work, and can be hard/tedious. You will often be there for the full three hours.
I'm so grateful for this prof as I'm studying for the exam. Super helpful and caring. Feeling really prepared. Gives a lot of review questions and review sessions and will meet with you also to help. Amazing prof for challenging course. One of my favourite profs
Very very weird. The whole class the way its laid out is dumb. She teaches basics and then makes the midterm/test 3 steps harder. Makes lab worth 40% and labs are pointless nothing to acc be learnt. She does so many practice questions in the lectures but almost 80% dont relate to what she acc tests you on. You can definitely get a good mark still.
She tells you to buy the textbook, (DONT listen biggest waste of my money). You can do well but you have to put in more time than if anyone else taught the class. You have to email her 3 times to get a response sometimes. She does practice questions that you think would like what the midterm or practice should be but she always makes it a riddle.
Seriously some people have to grow up and stop attacking an amazing prof just because it's a challenging course. Yes you have to work, but it's a second year course. If you put effort into it, you will do well. She gives you everything you need to succeed
Idk what the comment below is on. The class isnt difficult you can def do good its that she is weird prof. We do SO many questions in lectures and during the midterm its a whole different type of qs. She can def make it easier if she wants and not waste our time with things we wont be tested on just to go home and practice what we acc need to know.
Dr. Barette is an amazing prof! She is not weird, the class is not weird. She cares a lot and even had class reps working with her all semester. I love genetics because of her. Great class!
Barette is an amazing prof. Lectures and labs are really aligned and give you a chance to get more practice on old exam questions. She is super caring and replies to emails. Spend your time studying for the final on Tuesday instead of bashing a great prof.
She is a really good prof and I am glad I took genetics with her. I learned a lot and she really cares. Loved this course and the labs! Her concept maps are super helpful and the labs really helped me.
Super fair and sweet prof. Really cares and is awesome in office hours too. I loved her concept map — really helpful for final. Fair exam and great class
This class was not good, but it was not great either. Her lectures were fine, she just added a lot of fluff in her explanations that left me confused. She is sensitive to feedback, and is hard to reason with. However, this class had the best labs I've ever done!
Great course and prof! Really approachable prof who truly cares about us. I never thought I would like genetics, but I did. It's not an easy class but she gives you everything you need to succeed
E E E E E E E E E
Super sweet prof who made hard class easy. So approachable and caring. Pay attention in class and do all her practice problems including labs and you will do fine. Final was fair and similar to practice final
While Dr. Barrette Ng was nice when talking to outside of class, the way she organized the course made no sense. Labs were wayy too hard and often covered and quizzed on material we had not learned yet. She often would skip through example problems in class leaving us confused. Her exams were pretty fair though and their were grade boosting options
Super caring and friendly prof! I only got the grade I have because of her. I was afraid of this course being hard, but it was not bad at all. Just show up to class and be engaged, do the practice questions she suggests and pay attention in lab. Labs follow lectures super well and prepare you for the exams.
Dr. Barrette seems super nice, but her teaching style is not helpful. She goes over many questions in class that are not representative of questions on her exams. Labs are not useful and do not allow us to learn actual genetic lab techniques. Despite these issues, the course is very doable and you can get a good grade, if you teach yourself.
Dr. Barette is a great prof who makes this course fun and doable. She's super passionate about the subject and really cares about us. She includes old exam questions in lectures and in labs, which really helped with the exams. Show up to class and be active, prep for the labs and go see her in office hours if you need help
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.62 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL2111
3.6
(107)Difficulty by Course
BIOL2111
3.2