2.8
Quality4.2
Difficulty35%
Would Retake98
Reviews35%
Would Retake
98
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
19
4
9
3
21
2
33
1
16
What Students Say
“Exams are hard and meant to make you think”
BIOL213 - 5.0 rating“I loved taking his class so much”
BIOL213 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
38%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.43 avg changeRatings by Course
HBIO213
5.0
(1)BIOL213H
3.5
(20)BIOL213
3.1
(15)BIOL111
2.6
(29)BIO213
2.6
(10)Difficulty by Course
BIOL213
4.4
BIO111
4.2
BIO213
4.2
BIOL213H
4.2
BIOL111
4.2
Reviews (98)
He was an extremely nice teacher and was very concerned with his students grades. The only problem is that his test are ridiculously HARD! I would study about 8-10 hours for a test and still wouldn't make the grade I wanted. Great person, but not the greatest professor.
Nice guy but his exams are extremely hard. His whole exam questions are all short answered and very difficult.
Dr. Erickson’s tests were all extremely difficult written response exams. The class averages for the tests were usually in the low sixties. Hard work does not pay off in his class. Dr. Erickson is much more concerned with his personal research and academic ego than he is at helping students learn molecular biology.
he's horrible for molecular biology. Barely passed for that subject
The course material is very detailed but its the concepts you're tested on, not the specifics. Take good lecture notes, study the figures, and ask questions and you're golden.
He loves the subject and really forces students to learn. Use the previous se,ester exams to get an idea of how he will test you. But the questions will be completely different. His grading scale is not necessarily A 90+ B 80+ C 70+ so don't be worried if you don't do well on the exams.
I loved taking his class so much. I got high A's on all of my exams because I went into office hours to ask questions and understand the material. If you are willing to put in the effort your grade will show it! He is very helpful and kind if you are willing to ask questions and really think when he's helping you solve them. I would recommend him!!
So I had Erickson my sophomore year and at that level he was really hard for me. I spent a lot of time reading lecture notes and going to office hours. He is very helpful in office hours and is very nice, but his tests (which are the only grades in the class) are difficult. If you are looking to learn, I highly recommend this professor.
Exams are hard and meant to make you think. Practice exams are similar to actual exam. He explains topics extremely well in class and his powerpoints are mainly pictures, so it's best to go to lecture. He follows the textbook well. He drops the lowest exam grade and curves.
He taught biology at the 200 level, so you'd expect him to clearly teach at the 100 level. Unfortunately this is not the case. The information he teaches in lecture is disorganized and he takes a while trying to get a point across. His tests are very difficult and the wording of his questions is bad. Be prepared to read the textbook.
Erickson is a great prof. I recorded and listened to his lectures multiple times, read the book, and went to office hours and SI sessions. He gives study guides for each chapter so you know what he expects you to know. This is a hard class; there is no way you can expect to do well without putting the time in. However, Erickson makes an A doable.
Let me start off by saying Dr. Erickson seems like a genuinely nice person. That being said, he is used to teaching upper level biology classes and forgets that this class is INTRO. He also skips around in the chapters of the book, so his class is never on the same material as everyone elses. He does give extra credit.
Dr. Erickson gives VERY unorganized lectures. His tests are extremely difficult. He doesn't understand that an introductory biology student does not have the background knowledge required to answer some of the extremely complex questions. If you get stuck taking him make sure you have the book because that is the only way you will learn.
Erickson is a cute old man that is too smart to explain things on a simple level. He makes the simplest things seem very complex. He tries to trick you on the tests and always words questions in a very confusing way. He seems super sweet but I would not recommend him for an intro level course.
Professor Erickson is a decent professor. He goes in depth in his lectures but sometimes it is hard to pay attention because he can be a little monotone. If you read the textbook, you'll do fine. You have weekly quizzes (you have three tries to take them, but they are difficult), and he does random in-class quizzes for participation (not accuracy).
Dr. Erickson was a nice and passionate professor, but I believe his past teachings of bio 214 greatly affected how he taught bio 111. He went into very little specific detail in lecture, but that was majority of the tests. I would study for 8+ hours and still barely pull a B. Extremely difficult tests, would recommend another professor for intro
If you want to feel like a failure, I recommend Erickson. I learned nothing and was confused the whole semester. When I asked questions I got no help. He often says one thing but test on a different answer. I am a biology major, but this class made me reconsider my love for the topic.
He is a very passionate and caring man, but he is a boring speaker. It was very hard to pay attention in class. Also, I study for days for his tests and still make B's. I would not recommend him just because his tests are so hard and sometimes the questions are worded in a confusing way.
Lectures are hard to follow and learned from the textbook 100%. If I hadn't read the textbook then I would not have passed. Averages for tests are really low.
Dr. Erickson is a mediocre professor. He takes his powerpoints from online and other people and does not seem prepared. His tests are extremely difficult and in order to pass you have to get outside help. Without A+ plus tutoring I would not be able to pass this class.
If you did not take AP biology in highschool than I do not reccoment Erickson for Biology 111. He does not go in depth and expects you to know so much going into the class. He lectures ALOT and I had trouble paying attention. I always felt dumb asking a question cause he wouldn't really help.
Dr. Erickson was an okay lecturer, he could be tough to follow at times. You get the most out of his classes by going to his office hours. He does a good job at explaining the material in dept in his office hours. He gives chapter study guides for the books which were very helpful. He gives extra credit through learning catalytics.
I take back some of what i said, he curved the grade a ton at the end of the semester my grade calculates to a 76 and he inputted an A so he probably gave around a 15 point curve. I still wouldn't recommend him though - avoid taking him if possible.
Erickson is a very hard professor. If you havent taken a bio course in a long time this class will definitely be very hard. Reading is a must and attending office hours is the way to go. He doesnt go much into detail in lecture and expects so much out of you on his test. He did give a pretty big curve at the end though.
Average run of the mill prof. Interested in his craft but not the best teacher. Mostly goes over PowerPoints in class (good thing since I skipped class frequently). Studied the night before the tests and typically beat the average by 1-2 letter grades. Tests are tough but heres a HUGE curve at the end. (570/700 was an A)
I did not take AP biology in high school so don't be intimidated by those saying do not take the class if you didn't. The tests are extremely difficult. GO TO OFFICE HOURS! He helps you clearly understand any material and will help with understanding the quizzes before they are due. He gives a huge curve at the end. He cares, but he is challenging.
I took AP Biology in high school and this class was still a challenge. Dr Erickson is a nice professor but he moves extremely quickly and it is difficult to understand the material at such a quick lecture pace. He gives weekly quizzes on ecampus that are extremely difficult. His exams are extremely tough as well but there is a huge curve.
the only reason why you should show up to lectures is to answer the LC online quizzes that count for 30 points extra credit. Other than that his class is a waste of time because he does not stay on topic and clicks through the slides way to fast for you to write anything down- so don't bother trying.
Erickson was a really nice man, but his class was just impossible. I would read the textbook, do the online quizzes, and study a week in advance; however, still not get above a C on any test. I was never sure what to expect on the test because each one had different style questions. Knowing general concepts is not enough, know everything.
His lectures drone on and on and I didn't find them that helpful. The important part of coming to class is his participation points on Learning Catalytics. This can save your grade, and take you from a B to an A. Go to his office hours, he's not out to get you. STUDY THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES WELL. Tests will mess you up, but he gave a massive curve.
Dr. Erickson was, in my opinion, a very nice guy. He wasn't mean or rude or anything of the sort. However, his grading style was, if I had to say, one of the toughest out there. His quizzes and tests were extremely difficult and without the textbook, I wouldn't have really understood much on the exams. Very challenging professor.
Really sweet professor - he WANTS you to learn. But he's the type of professor who probably understood everything from the beginning when he learned it, and therefore doesn't understand how anyone could possibly NOT understand certain concepts. Basically, he tries to dumb stuff down when you ask for help but just can't explain it in an easier way
Erickson is a nice guy but this class is extremely hard. The tests are the most difficult bio tests ive ever had to take. Going to class is a waste of time just read the textbook and take notes on the powerpoint on your own time. I would definitely recommend taking bio 213 with another prof if you can.
I took him as a summer course. This class is hands down the hardest class I have ever taken. You really have to work hard for your grade, and you have to teach yourself most of the materials. Go to office hours to let him help you with explaining questions. He wants to help you to do good, but he just doesn't know how to always teach it to you.
He is a fine professor, he goes quickly through material and the class averages were consistently lower than usual. however, he is very passionate about teaching students and also curves his grading scale to compensate for the lower test scores. for example, an 85 would be an A, and a 70 would be a B, so on and so forth.
At first I thought that this class was going to be so hard. I was very scared since I didn't took any AP bio or dual credit biology. However, it has all turned out to be fine. The exams are tough. Doing the exam review, going to SI, reviewing slides, and going to his office hours is key. A+ also helps if you are REALLY lost but it's not ideal.
I know Erickson wants his students to learn, but his lectures are very boring. Reading and taking note of the powerpoints are all you really need. His tests are similar to lecture, but he adds things that were not discussed in depth or at all. He lowered the set number for letter grades (A85<, etc) and he does LCs (up to 30 pts) which help.
Heres what you need to know, Erickson is hard, but it is doable. Do not be scared, I read these reviews and literally thought I was going to fail. Erickson is a nice guy, but his tests are hard and he goes out of order. Go to a plus and read the book, anything you don't understand ask him in office hours. You have to work for it!
His lectures aren't very interesting, but it is important to go and hear him explain things his way. The tests are based on critical thinking and applying what you've learned rather than just knowing simple biology, so be sure and study hard and be able to explain to someone else what you've learned.
Erickson is a nice person but as a professor, his class was very demanding. The tests are very difficult and you must completely understand every concept. It even felt like some of the test material wasn't actually taught before too. The basics are not enough. However, there is extra credit, fortunately, and an 85 is considered an A.
Erickson comes off as a nice prof who cares about his students but his tests say otherwise. Most of his exams are applying critical thinking instead of just knowing facts WHICH IS FINE but he expects you to know every single concept and frankly that's just not reality. If given the chance choose another professor because the stress is too much.
Erickson loves biology. He seems like he caught on to the subject easily and tries to explain it his way, but he makes it more complicated than it is. His tests consist of things off the PP slides, but it's a lot of application problems. He gives LC for extra credit, and he lowered the points required for letter grades(A85). Still, don't take him.
Dr. Erickson is a caring professor but his class and tests are very difficult. You must master all the material because they are application questions instead of just memorization. Getting an A is very possible but you have to work very hard for it.
Erickson is a super sweet guy, but he is so smart that he struggles to convey the information to his students. If you read the textbook and take good notes during lectures, you'll be able to pinpoint the specific questions you have regarding the material. GO TO OFFICE HOURS and ask him all your question- it will be a HUGE help
Erickson is intelligent and cares a lot about what he teaches but his lectures are quite difficult to understand well as a beginner. He cares about his students and offers extra credit with learning catalytics so GO TO CLASS. Only studied from textbook. Final replaced lowest test grade. If you study and do well in lab, you should get an A or high B
have your hearing aids ready
His material and expectations are more rigorous than other professors, however his way of asking questions and presenting material will stick with you far longer than the duration of the course. All in all, my favorite professor at A&M. Read the book and do the practice questions concluding each chapter. The difficulty is representative of exams.
He goes way too fast in lectures or has some missing details, so read the textbook for clarification. Attendance doesn't really matter unless you want the extra credit. The lab is more work than the lecture aspect of class in my opinion. He's really nice and curves the test by a lot if everyone does bad. Self-study, curves, extra credit will help.
He is a sweet man but he isn't a good teacher. I tried my best in this class and despite my every effort, was never satisfied with my grade. It feels like no matter what you do you will never understand what is happening. His tests are by far the hardest out of all the biol 111 professors. You will need to go to 4.0 or A+ tutoring for this class.
Erickson is an amazing PERSON, super sweet and caring, but his exams are awful. You think you know the material until you take that test and then you realize that you're the dumbest person ever. I even started studying as we went through the chapters, went to A+ and even talked to him but I had to Q drop because I did not pass a single test.
I've gone to all the 4.0 tutorings offered and still am dealing with a B. He does not curve tests anymore so the grade you get is what you get. I am working VERY hard for my 84 in the class. He does not know how to explain material and he teaches the basics but expects his students to know the specifics of everything. Would not recommend.
Dr. Erickson is extremely intelligent in his field of specialty. However, his biology lectures were extremely boring and sometimes difficult to grasp. If you want a good grade in this class, you'll have to study the lectures and the content on your own and UNDERSTAND, not just memorize it. Overall, it was a difficult class, but definitely possible.
Erickson's class seems like it goes on forever but he does offer extra credit through LC and really makes you second guess yourself. It is a tough course, but he understands that many students struggle so he really does try to help out where he can.
Dr. Erickson isn't the most pleasant lecture to sit through for most days of the week, he is super soft spoken so probably sit up front, he may crack in a few jokes but for the most part he is there to teach and nothing else. His tests aren't the easiest but going to SI sessions or A plus tutoring helps a lot with biology in general
Office hours are key! Erickson is a HARD professor b/c he doesn't care that you just know the material, you have to really think deep to be able to answer questions. If you can figure out what will happen if something is missing or not working then you know the material. His old exams are GOLD, use them. Overall, I learned a lot but it was tough.
Dr. Erickson is intelligent & a wonderful professor. He is easy to get along with & great at explaining things. His lectures are intense, so make sure to be alert and pay attention. His tests require more than mere memorization or knowledge, but holistic understanding/inference skills. My favorite class- learned the most I ever have in one class!
Dr. Erickson had pretty tough exams, but they followed the book. He definitely cares about his students and will help you understand if you put in the time to go talk to him. His lectures would sometimes put me to sleep but that may be just because I was having lecture 5x a week for 90 minutes with him (summer class).
Exams are the majority of your grade. Hard exams, read the textbook, even if you think you don't need to. I recommend Professor Erickson to anyone who knows biology very well and/or took AP biology classes throughout high school.
Professor Ericksons lectures are very fast paced and you need to pay very close attention to fully understand them, since he speaks more like he's discussing the concepts instead of teaching them. His tests are extremely hard, you need more than just a basic understanding of the concepts to pass this class. Read and go through practice tests.
Dr. Erickson was a good person; however, he NEVER answered emails. I emailed him multiple times across a 3 week period and he didn't answer. I had to get on his office hours during my math class for him to be able to answer a simple question. He went way to fast during lectures and wasn't good at explaining when it came to asking questions.
Dr. Erickson is not very thorough. Lectures are very fast paced and only cover the bare minimum of what he expects you to know. He is hard to reach, and not good at answering questions. Tests are ridiculously hard. Does offer extra credit which was helpful, but not enough to give an extra push you might need. Requires lots of teaching yourself.
It is a difficult class. His exam questions can be worded weirdly which doesn't help. He does curve the exams and there is a chance for extra credit, but it won't help if you don't understand the class. I believe he is very knowledgable, but he doesn't explain concepts well. He never answers emails. Please don't take this class.
I don't know how I passed this class. I got nothing but 50's on exams and nothing higher than B's on quizzes and such. However, he does seem to have a built in curve to most assignments which really helps. His tests make you think CRITICALLY. You must thoroughly know the material. If you want to learn, take his class. If you want a good grade don't
The class is made to make you think, reading over the chapters lectured on in class or getting outside tutoring is probably one of the only ways to get a good grade. Exams are challenging, and he is very blunt about what he thinks. We also lost our SI leader halfway through the semester and almost no effort or attempt at reconciliation for this.
The tests were mainly application based and focused a lot on the details. I found this frustrating because I feel like the lectures didn't go in depth enough to apply to the tests. SI was helpful, textbook if very helpful (can find online free). Drops lowest test grade. Unclear on depth to study and lecture schedule was messy didn't adhere to it.
Lectures will put you to sleep so its hard to pay attention. Tests are really difficult so to do good on them you should know how to apply all the info you learn. This means try to understand everything front to back. Go to SI Bc It will help you a lot! I didnt read the textbook but it would probably help. Quizzes once a week with 3 attempts.
hardest class ive ever taken and it seemed harder than other bio profs. lots of info in each lecture& exams are tough-look at past exams& chapter reviews. he expects a lot which can be stressful but ended up lowering his grading standards which helped. go to class for LC extra credit. if you can take a different prof do- if not get ready to work
If you are attending his classes online, don't bother. Half the time you can't hear him, and the other times you can't understand him. His lectures aren't very detailed, while the exams are highly detail-oriented and application-focused. If possible, take another prof. If you can't, then hope you can use other tutoring and the book to learn.
Not a good professor. He just reads off of slides and is really unnecessarily passive aggressive. His tests are super specific but he tends to drop hard questions on tests. I had to teach myself everything and never listened to the lectures. Class was a waste of time and I definitely put in a lot of time outside of class to pass.
This class is not that difficult. Felt on the same level as my hs bio class. He stresses the concepts you need to know for exams, but reading the book helps for a deeper understanding, and bc theres no hw its really not a lot of work. His old exams are almost exactly like the new ones. He can get kind of monotone but gives a lot of extra credit.
Don't be like me. Do the extra assignments and go to the SI. His exams and quizzes are very concept based and require a deep understanding. Don't cram for his exams, because it won't work. Diagrams and flashcards help, and you should read the book. Ask questions; he is very kind and understanding. Go to lecture in person because he's quiet. :)
Professor Erickson is a good professor. He reads off of the powerpoints, which makes it easy to stop paying attention and it feels like a drag. Go because there might be LC points, read the book, and attend SI sessions. I pulled through with a B and that was possible because he lowered the grade cutoffs.
He's a very smart guy that forgets he's teaching an intro level course. I was fine because 111 is basically the same as AP Bio. His tests are unnecessarily hard and you really have to be able to apply examples to greater concepts. He does throw out questions too many people missed and give partial credit and extra credit via LC.
The professor just reads the power point and barely answer emails and will tell you he will not answer emails if he is getting to many from students.. He does go over material and will explain extra in class if needed but always show up to class or the TA will give you a -10 even if you just missed the lecture and turn in the lab on time Goodluck
Prof. Erickson is extremely knowledgable and has difficulty lecturing to students who aren't. I would take again because I liked that he had high expectations for his students and I enjoyed teaching myself. If you'd rather be spoon-fed, don't take his class...
Dr Erickson is a really knowledgeable teacher, but this class is one of the hardest classes i've ever taken. He's an honors professor, and he teaches at the speed and difficulty of one. However, Dr Erickson is a very sweet and engaging professor, and he will curve or adjust difficulty. GO TO CLASS and read the textbook or you will fail.
Really liked him as a prof, such a sweet guy but this class made me so so sad. One of the hardest classes I've taken thus far.
This was by far the hardest class I've ever taken. Get ready to eat, sleep, and breathe the textbook. He goes way too fast in lectures so you'll end up teaching yourself from the book. I've had critical thinking tests before, but his are on a whole different level. I learned a lot, but would not recommend. Nice guy, but teaches it like 400 level.
I loved this class. The exams were difficult and very in-depth but what I expected from an honors course. He was very kind with grading and would give partial credit even if you got the question completely wrong if you showed you knew the material. He was very kind during office hours and in class and brought cookies for the last day. Love him :)
Dr. Erikson is a very nice person, just not a super great lecturer. His lectures go very quickly, and a lot of material is from the textbook. I definitely needed the book to supplement lectures. The tests are very application-based on the concepts learned in the chapters being tested on, and use the study guides he provides!
This honors class was definitely hard and I struggled at times with the amount of material. Professor Erickson was very nice and willing to help. Attending lecture is a must to understand the topics and know the depth he will test you on. Office hours were really helpful and he made sure students had lots of opportunities to come and ask questions.
I can see how other students have complaints about Dr. Erickson, but I loved his class. Small (12 questions max) weekly quizzes were the only homework, and the rest of the grade was from the tests, which were open-note. The class is mostly lectures and you have to pay attention, but if you understand the topics well you'll be fine.
This ended up being one of my favorite classes. His study guides are super helpful because his exams require understanding not just regurgitation. Make sure to take notes because he tends to put a diagram up and just explain it (which helped my understanding so much). So glad I took this professor!
Dr. Erickson is an extremely knowledgeable and caring professor. The exams seem daunting, but if you really understand the previous exams, you will do just fine. Please go to his office hours as that is where you'll receive the most help and get to know him a little better. Read the textbook, trust me. Great prof, great lecturer, great person.
This was my first honors class at A&M, and the tests were as hard as I had expected. If you don't follow the study guides and read the textbook, you're screwed. Lectures go fast, so go to office hours if you are confused.
Dr. Erickson is a fantastic lecturer and loves engaging with the class. The tests are HARD; all FRQs/application that goes beyond lecture discussion. There are detailed guides for every textbook chapter that you pretty much have to read if you want to excel. There are also practice exams with keys. An A is 100% possible, just takes a lot of work.
He made the most DIABOLICAL test questions, genuinely near impossible to study for and totally application based. His lectures are boring and a bit difficult to follow since he talks softly and too fast. He also doesn't include all the necessary information in his lectures clearly listed. Exams are too difficult and count for too much of the grade.
Horrible. His lectures and slides where both awful as he goes very fast and is not a good lecturer. Majority of information is taken from the textbook. If you take this class you need to do the previous year exams that he releases and read all of the textbook. Exams where harder than they should be. he did have lots of office hours which was nice
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
Dr. Erickson is very intelligent and kind, but his class is very difficult. pretty much 85% of your grade is based on exams, all of which are very difficult. The exam questions are super application based, and require you to think very critically. Definitely read the textbook, do the old practice exams, and pay attention in lectures.
Prof is a great person, but his lectures are way too fast. he posts very detailed study guides on what to focus on in the textbook (DO THIS) and reading text is ESSENTIAL for exams. Exams are super hard and very application based but he grades more leniently than you'd expect.A was an 86. His final wasn't as bad either. Expect to put a lot of time.
Very nice guy, and generous with partial credit and is available to help outside of class, but the exams are extremely difficult. While you have practice exams for each section, the quizzes and textbook problems he provided aren't always super helpful. Pay VERY close attention in lecture, and read the textbook. Total grade is worth ~84% exams.
Dr. Erickson is a great professor with challenging exams that test understanding, not slide memorization. Helpful for MCAT. DO HIS GUIDES: time-consuming but reading parts of textbook he emphasizes is much more helpful than rereading slides. Study 4+ days before exams (tough, but graded generously). Exempted final for those with high grades. A=86+
Kind professor but his lectures & slides r useless; I tuned out the whole sem. He has study guides referencing the textbook which is the most optimal study tool to perform well but is very time consuming. Exams are FRQ & HARD w application based qs and lots of inferences & critical thinking. Can be VERY generous w partial credit.
No idea why his rating is not higher. Dr. Erickson is one of the most patient professors I have had, and he has many "safety nets" with his grading: lenient partial credit, a project that is intended to be ~30 free points, and 86 = A. Exams are difficult but doable, even fun. He is always open to questions; his class is great prep for upper levels.
Sucked my soul. He is really sweet but lectures did not help. Slides are a good way to know WHAT concepts to focus on (they're all pics). Get the textbook. A is not impossible, definitely feels that way. His exams were all FRQs and felt impossible to know what he's asking for. have one group project at end. Definitely go to office hours.
Nice guy but often mumbled through lectures. Exams were pretty difficult, FRQ, and very application based. Study guides and textbook readings highly recommended as the lecture slides often do not give the full picture needed for the exam. A=86. Material seems to come in handy for MCAT prep though and will do a good job preparing you for the future.
Dr. Erickson is deeply knowledgeable, passionate, and caring. His lectures were deeply interesting and he is very generous with grading. While I found it necessary to read the textbook, this is made clear from the start. Exams were challenging, but in a fun way. Possible to be exempted from the final, he also brought us cookies the last day :)
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
38%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.43 avg changeRatings by Course
HBIO213
5.0
(1)BIOL213H
3.5
(20)BIOL213
3.1
(15)BIOL111
2.6
(29)BIO213
2.6
(10)Difficulty by Course
BIOL213
4.4
BIO111
4.2
BIO213
4.2
BIOL213H
4.2
BIOL111
4.2