2.2
Quality4.4
Difficulty28%
Would Retake325
Reviews28%
Would Retake
325
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
325 total ratings5
60
4
26
3
21
2
31
1
187
What Students Say
“This professor was awful”
BIO325 - 2.0 rating“Here are the reasons: 1”
BIO325 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
51%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
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-1.31 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO325
2.1
(268)GENETICS
1.8
(32)Difficulty by Course
GENETICS
4.5
BIO325
4.5
Reviews (300)
Fischer knows her stuff. She's the head of UT's biology department. But all of the recent reviews for Spring 2019 are true. BUT... it may also be true that she'll change it for Fall 2019. This semester were graded on three things: 1) Quizzes, 2) Her 'Questions of the Day', which makes attendance mandatory, and 3) one mandatory final exam.
30% in class participation which is graded 0 or 1 depdning on if u get her question of the day right u need 25/28 for a 100%. 35% weekly quizzes &35% final. the quizzes are not bad if you do LOs and HW every week. final was rlly overhyped and ended up being very straighforward and doable. its a lot of effort tho. also gives half letter grade bump
Dr. Fischer is going to make you work for it. The quizzes are extremely difficult and there are no midterms, only a final. There is weekly "homework" that is not graded. I did not do it but highly recommend you do to keep up with lectures. The final was fairly hard but not that bad. Make sure to attend PLUS sessions for extra credit.
I'll never understand why someone will post a rating during the middle of the semester. You don't know how the semester will end. I took her this spring... hard af! Quizzes were the death of many of us & we were only graded by 3 things: quizzes, QotD, and a final (which is mandatory). I would say beware Fall 2019, she may change everything.
Dr. Fischer got a bad rep for spring 2019, but her class is really not that bad. She gives you everything you need to succeed, you just have to use it! Go to the TAs with questions as soon as you don't understand something, and find a group of people who are willing to work hard to study with and it will work out.
Dr. Fischer knows her stuff but the structure of the class is the problem for a lot of people. The weekly quizzes were suppose to help us learn the material as we go through the semester but instead most people didn't keep up, thus people did bad on it due to difficulty and time. I only really mastered the material at the end for the final.
Hardest professor I've ever taken. Not only is the material very dense, the professor and the setup of the course works against you every step of the way. Practice problems were not representative of the quizzes and final. The average is failing and the professor does nothing to help you understand the information. Don't take this class, just don't
Honestly, this class has been the hardest class I've taken at UT thus far. The weekly quizzes and QOTDs were tough, and they make up most of your grade. That being said, Dr. Fischer is a great professor. She really makes you work for the grade and cares about you truly understanding genetics. It's challenging, but very rewarding in the end!
Dr. Fischer is a great lecturer, and I really enjoyed her class! Her two weekly quizzes are really tough when you first do them, and her final is also pretty difficult (the only exam in her class). You learn *a lot*, and she's a super personable and quirky professor, and she's very accessible outside of class.
This class is HARD to do well in if you don't read the textbook & do the homework for every quiz - which were difficult for no reason. That's a lot considering most of us are also taking organic chemistry. You can also show up to your 8am and get no credit for being there if you don't get the QOTD right. Do yourself a favor & take anyone else!
I loved Dr. Fischer's class and really enjoyed her lectures. Going to class is important to get question of the day points. Most of the course grade was based on 2 quizzes a week, which were difficult but managable if you do the weekly homework. Dr. Fischer wants people to succeed and you can get bumped up a letter grade for participation.
Dr. Fischer is a good professor. The structure of the class may not be for everyone but the workload is definitely doable. I wouldn't highly recommend taking her at 8am because material is dense but I did and I loved this class. Tips: Keep the lecture slides open in another tab while you are taking the quiz and keep up with the homeworks.
I loved Dr. Fischer! The content is hard, and if you don't keep up with lecture and do the homework, it will be very difficult to do well. Prof. Fischer is very funny, engaging and passionate about the content, and I got the best genetics instruction possible from her.
listen to me, you do not want to take Janice's class. She has the most confusing set up that makes you feel as if you are always behind. She lectures over the new material weekly, then you have 2 weekly quizzes over the info taught the previous week. she canceled our final but I promise her quizzes were always out of pocket and the final would be 2
Janice is a really nice Professor. She is funny and eccentric. Her class was tough and you really need to put forth the effort if you want to get a good grade. Homework was not graded but you needed to do them in order to do well on the 2 weekly quizzes. She had several extra credit opportunities as well. I recommend doing work with friends.
I'm a hardworking student, but this class was too dense and fast-paced for me. Don't take it unless you need to. Even in our discussion class of 30 people, only 1 student knew what was going on. Funny professor. Generous curves saved me.
Dr. Fischer's class is doable, even though it's honestly a lot of work. We had 2 cumulative quizzes every week that were 5 questions each. Participation was also mandatory, and the "Questions of The Day" were tricky and counted towards your grade. That said, she's passionate and lovable! She also did an awesome job accommodating us b/c of COVID.
Honestly one of the best choices for Genetics. She handled moving online after COVID-19 perfectly (dropped more quizzes, gave everyone 100% for participation, etc.) and I'm so glad I had her as a teacher. Don't get me wrong genetics is a hard subject, but I quite enjoyed having all quizzes, no tests, and participation as extra credit.
I really liked Dr. Fischer. Her class was by far the hardest Ive taken at UT, but she really is knowledgeable about the topic and accessible outside of class for help. Grade is only comprised of weekly quizzes, QOTD in class and the final. Overall will definitely make you work for the A bur worth it!
grading consists of QOTD (if effort shown/on the right path youll get credit) discussion attendance, and the 2 weekly quizzes. genetics was hard for me but Aslong as i completely understood the concepts/optional homework before taking the quizzes i was good! Very sweet lady and helpful during office hours. class took up most of my time though..
Fischer constantly changes the structure of the class, so you never know what youll get. 2 weekly quizzes, a QOTD every class and final. THE FINAL LOOKED NOTHING LIKE THE QUIZZES. Fischer told us to study on the final wasnt on it. A big portion of the final is stuff we barely covered in class and the class average was a 50.
Dr. Fischer is so knowledgeable and her explanations were very concise and digestible. She really does make you work for the grade though. She also gave us several opportunities to earn extra points. Highly recommend!
I loved the set up of this class (during the pandemic)! Dr. Fischer has set it up where it is easy to get an A. You do have to attend class and discussion (that's where you'll get half of your points). Other half of the points will be from quizzes - yes you do have to purchase CONNECT to do the quizzes. Theres no other way around it.
JANICE. Was excited for her class, but honestly kind of overwhelming. Easy A bc she gives a lot of bonus, otherwise, I would've gotten a B. 2 quizzes per week, 5pts & 30 min ea, detailed! No exams. Camera on mandatory. Txbk rdg & probs help, but not mandatory. Grading: point system- get all bonus possible. She also talks rlly fast the whole time.
The content of this course itself is not difficult, but Fischer overcomplicates it and seems to pride herself on how difficult she makes her class. Virtual learning is hard for everyone, professors included, but she's been the least accommodating and understanding professor thus far. No exams, but your grade is based on tricky QOTDs and quizzes. GL
She is by far the worst professor I have ever taken. I wish I could give 0 stars. She wants her students to do poorly. Not to mention, she is disrespectful and rude to students in lecture. One time a student was not able to explain a homework problem and she said "you copied good for you." Everyone in my class hates her.
Don't be fooled by the earlier reviews, there is no bonus in this class. Dr. Fischer is very rude and condescending. When students give her constructive feedback, she replies with "it's not my job to care about your feelings". She takes pride in students doing badly. Your grade is solely based on QOTDs and difficult quizzes that are never curved.
This professor was awful. Not only was she incredibly rude but the class was set up terribly. So much of our grade came from daily questions that were way too hard for the material we were just taught and not expected to already know. She really seems like she couldn't care less if you did well in the class or not. Please do not take this class.
Dr. Fischer switches her class from extremely easy to extremely difficult whenever she wants between semesters. She doesn't take students' concerns or feedback seriously and is extremely arrogant. Anyone that rates her well got lucky, don't take the risk with her. The worst teacher I've had at UT. She deserves a 0/5.
I took her class back in Fall 2020 when her grading was way more forgiving. Back then you only needed a 70 to get an A in the class. This doesn't excuse that she is not very good at teaching. Many of her lectures were confusing and difficult to understand. If you take this class nowadays may god have mercy on your GPA.
This class. PAIN. Please don't take it. Here are the reasons: 1. Grading criteria is extremely unforgiving. Quizzes and QOTDs are super tricky. 2. Condescending and disrespectful to students. Concerns/ feedback seem to be disregarded. 3. Lectures are not recorded. Cannot miss a single class. 4. Overcomplicates an an already complicated subject.
Dr. Fischer is one of the worst professors I've ever had at UT. The grading structure has been changed so that it's almost impossible to get an A. Doesn't care about student's input and is extremely condescending when students ask questions. There is no curve or bonus points to help even in the midst of a pandemic.
Would not recommend this professor at all. Grade is primarily based on quizzes (one per class, 4 questions), which constantly had questions that were never addressed in any materials. No drops either, each quiz felt like a punishment, despite detailed notes/ doing HW probs. The professor is rude and does not allow questions except for after class.
Not the easiest class I've ever taken, but much of that is due to trying to learn on Zoom. More so, I feel like I've learned a lot during this class. Dr. Fischer has been great and her lectures are interesting and thought provoking. If you have a genuine interest in genetics, Dr. Fischer is a great choice, but she will make you work for your grade!
She does not care about her students in terms of mental health and in their success. When told that we were struggling she said A) that we were not preparing enough and B) that it was an us problem. I read, do the homework, preparation etc and still get 75s on all of my quizzes, with lectures+content barely associating to the material tested.
terrible professor, i mean one of the worst. disgrace to ut and I cannot believe she has any role in this university. complete waste of time, reading off comments for the powerpoints and shutting down students answering questions. requires mandatory participation??? very difficult quizzes where if you only miss one question you get a C. run. do it.
Stay away - as far away as possible. Seriously. If anyone rates her positive, they got lucky. Plain and simple.
This is the best teacher you can have for genetics. She breaks down the material really well for you to understand that it will have you prepared for any pre-professional test. In fact, a student went into office hours and thanked her for getting a 100% on the MCAT biology portion. Remember to work hard in this class and go to officer hours.
Dr. Fischer kind of ruined my life this semester. She MAY have been a good in person teacher, online she cares so little about your success in this class its astounding. She refuses to do anything other than lecture at you rather than show you how to actually apply knowledge to solving genetics problems. I would literally rather die than take her.
Fischer is a weird prof for online classes in a pandemic. The grading structure was really unconventional with very little room for error. Lectures were very long and questions of the day were hit or miss depending on the group you had. Many students reached out to make the class more manageable and she quickly dismissed them. Kind of rude too...
Had her online and she was a terrible professor. Grades were based off difficult quizzes where if you miss one you're already at a C and QOTDs where half of the time she was surprised when a student would get it correct. She is very knowledgeable of the subject but her rudeness and bad teaching structure covers it up. Would not recommend.
Graded on mostly impossible Qotd and weekly quizzes. Lectures do nothing to help you with the quizzes. Avoid this prof.
Dr. Fischer is the best genetics professor you're ever going to have! She is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about this course and it can sometimes be overwhelming, but genetics is not an easy topic overall. If you get to know her go to OH she is extremely helpful with the assignments. She does care abt you as a student and as a person!
Super interesting and creative professor. Attendance is not mandatory but she gives an extra credit question for every lecture. Quizzes were self paced based on lecture schedule. It's really complex information, so like any difficult topic, you have to read and work for a good grade. I don't like science and really enjoyed Professor Fischer's class
Terrible Terrible class and terrible teacher. I think she thought she made it too easy for the previous semesters so she made Spring 2021 Hell. This is not for Fall 2021, just make sure this comment is still posted as I heard she made her TA's remove the bad ones from last semester. Please just take any other teacher if you want to not be depressed
idk why there's so many bad reviews bc Dr. Fischer was a great and caring prof and person. The topic is hard and it's STEM, so not an easy A like VAPAs, but attend lectures even though they're optional, stay on top of quizzes, go to discussion section, and you'll be more than fine. She grades on a point scale too so I knew I had an A quite early on
Fischers class was a nightmarish caricature of every toxic aspect UT Austins pre-med experience. If students in the lecture hall laugh at another students answer to one of her questions, she joins in with them. She told one student to stop talking. UGTA grading correlated with these discussions. Put down struggling students in office hours.
Dr. Fischer is quite honestly the most caring and knowledgeable professor I've had. You can tell she genuinely wants her students to really learn the material, and she works extra hard to help us love learning. As long as you put in effort to understand the material, she makes it easy to do well. And her lectures are enjoyable- she is quite funny!
Dr. Fischer is so sweet and hilarious! She is so passionate about her work. There are no exams, only weekly quizzes but you get 2 chances to get a good score. Also, every class you get the opportunity for 2 extra credit points so her class is very low stress. Just keep up with the quizzes and you should get an A!
Dr. Fischer is one of the best professors at UT by far. She made the class interactive and was my favorite science class that I have taken. You have to put in effort, but she offers enough extra credit to secure an A without having to ace every quiz. I knew I had an A a few weeks before class ended. Take her if you want to learn about genetics!
Fischer has lots of experience, but her lectures are SO dense and rely heavily on textbook reading prior. No class recording or electronics allowed, 28 quizzes and a daily extra credit. I did all the quizzes at the last minute, but it'd be best to do 1 a week. Bewildering class, but still passable if you make time for it at the end of the semester.
Wow, was it a mistake taking Fischer. It seems like she enjoys making undergraduates feel bad about themselves. Her TAs are equally as self-righteous. I had to get tutored from a TA from a diff prof's class who said that she didn't think she'd be able to correctly answer Fischer's quiz questions. Idk who gave her a teaching award, she's a bully
Easy class for genetics. Uses connect. "everyone should be able to get an A in this class" that's what she said.
Dr. Fischer is a great example of someone who understands the material well but has no clue how to teach
If you want to teach yourself genetics you're better off buying the textbook she wrote and doing the practice problems. She hardly does examples in class and then expects you to learn how to do complex genetics questions from the textbook by reading the explanations in the solutions manual.
85% of the grade comes from 4 question quizzes. Miss 1 question and you have a C. She barely even teaches about how to answer questions, just covers conceptual stuff. Awful
Dr. Fischer has to be one of the best professors I have had. The class is not supposed to be easy. No class is. She teaches interesting subjects and does teach what is needed for quizzes. Discussion sections help me do well and understand concepts better. People need to start trying harder and not expect to have the professor do the work for them.
avoid Fischer at all cost. she makes this class so much harder than it needs to be
Most of the grade comes from nearly impossible quizzes. do not take her class
Dr. Fischer is a very smart woman but she just really does not know how to teach. She lacks empathy towards her students and generally has the attitude that if you don't understand something its a you problem. Youre better off taking another professor who actually explains things.
dont take fischer. her class is a joke and there's absolutely no way to answer her quizzes without loads of practice and even then you'll only get 2 or maybe 3 out of 4 questions right but never all four. take someone else for your own peace of mind
This class is hard but I do think Dr.Fischer makes it easy to understand. Her quizzes are hard but there are a lot of them and if you go to discussion you can do well. Im doing good this semester and her QOTD are extra credit so you honestly have the best shot with her than other genetics course. she has been really helpful when i have questions!
Dr. Fischer is one of the most accessible professors I've ever had as a student at UT. Attendance is not required, but the questions during class (QoTD) are extra credit points. The negative reviews come from pre-meds unable to handle a class where an A is something that actually needs to be worked for. If you put in the work, you get an A.
This class seemed daunting at first, but the quizzes were actually super easy once I started doing the optional HW in the textbook. Dr. Fischer and the TA's were also very attentive in office hours.
I took this class in the Fall. Dr. Fischer emphasizes staying on track through the textbook and going to office hours if there's any confusion. The lecture questions were all for extra credit, which boosted my grade from a B to an A. Took a lot of work to get to that A, but compared to my friends with other professors, Fischer was the best option.
Literally the best professor ever!! Professor Fischer is the sweetest and truly does everything she can to make sure her students succeed. Even if you are not a Bio/CNS major I would still recommend taking one of her classes :)
Fischer's class varies every semester and you never know which version you'll get. Sometimes she makes it too easy for everyone to get an A with extra credit points and then the next semester will be ridiculously difficult. People are getting As bc of bonus points, not because she teaches well so that students can actually understand the material.
I read the textbook, go to lecture, and do all of the hw problems for practice and still struggle with the quizzes. They do not reflect the material at all. If you care about actually understanding genetics take literally any other professor
I am a premed who got an A in this class and can honestly say its the worst class I've ever taken. Fischer just really doesnt know how to teach and the arrogance of her and her TAs makes the class unbearable. Even if you're willing to put in the work you'll be fighting for an A.
please please please listen to me and take anyone but Fischer for genetics. I'm not being petty or dramatic when i say you'll be so much better off with another professor who will actually teach you the material and care about your grade.
I'm finishing up my 2nd semester as a junior and I don't think I have ever had a worse experience with a professor. The quizzes are nothing like the lecture and the Fischer doesn't care about her students in the slightest, usually making snide comments about students doing poor. Do not take her if you have any other options.
She is a nice person, but this class was awful. I am a student who attends every class and discussion section and still am completely lost and stressed out for the final. Fischer says "its because we don't go to office hours", but we shouldn't have to rely on that to succeed. I am busy with other classes. Quizzes do not match lecture. Do not take.
Imagine taking an ochem class where the professor just lectures on theory and then expects you to learn to solve the problems by doing hw problems and comparing that to a key.....that's exactly how Fischer's class goes. I don't know how she expects students to learn to solve complex genetics problems if she doesn't teach us how. Take anyone else.
she makes the class too easy to get an A one semester and then makes it way harder for the next. The only way to get good grades is if extra credit carries you bc the quizzes look nothing like the hw and she doesn't do problems in class. take someone who actually teaches
if you don't understand her teaching style she is unwilling to accommodate, and she wrote the textbook so if you dont understand her youre screwed. do not recommend her at all
worst experience in a class so far at UT... and I took ochem 1 and 2. she doesn't teach what's on the quizzes and only gives you hw problems that have nothing to do with what you're learning in class. her cheery demeanor does nothing to comfort me when I'm struggling to finish a quiz that I was not prepared for at all. take literally anyone else
The negative reviews being written by my classmates, who seem to have never taken a college class in their life, is actually the funniest thing to me. All of your classes should be challenging in order to receive an A. Go to office hours, put in the work, and for the love of god stop crying.
Took this in the Fall and can truly say its the worst class I've ever taken. I got an A no thanks to Dr Fischer. Had to rely on youtube to learn. She just lectures and never actually teaches you how to solve genetics problems. Terrible class
literally the worst professor I've ever had
Dont take this class unless its a degree requirement. If you're prepping for the MCAT you're better off just learning the material yourself....that's what you'll have to do in Fischer's course anyways
Dr. Fischer is the worst professor I have ever had here at UT. I never would have thought that I would encounter such arrogance and lack of empathy for the students from a professor with such a a prestigious background.
Dr Fischer is obviously very smart and understands the material but does not know how to teach it. She's one of those "my way is the best way" people and does not know how to adjust her teaching for individual students needs
honestly the worst professor I have ever had
grade is primarily based off quizzes that look nothing like the hw or the lectures. take a different professor if you can
Dr. Fischer's class is very hard, but you will learn a lot if you put in the work and effort. Listen to her lectures, participate, do the homework, and you will do well. Her TAs are amazing because of what she's taught them. I hope I can TA too. She won't hand you an A, but you'll know more about genetics than other people at UT. Amazing professor.
This class is Hard. But, if you put in the effort, you will learn so so much. The TAs are kind, incredibly smart, and there's so many office hours you're bound to find at least one time that works. If nothing else, this class taught me the importance of being able to ask for help.
She lectures via slides and doesn't record her lecture, so if you miss you only can learn from reading the textbook and powerpoints. If you don't learn well on your own take another prof bc she hardly teaches
Dr. Fischer will TEACH you, she is a pioneer in her field and AMAZING professor. You will be working for you grade. She hands you the keys to success in her class at the beginning of the semester: textbook readings, homework problems, and attending discussion. You are the holder of your success, GRIND. Nothing will be handed to you. ASK QUESTIONS!
Dr. Fischer was a great professor, though her class was difficult, if you are prepared for class and take into account the resources that she gives you, such as the textbook, and homework problems (not for a grade btw) you should be able to do the class with relative ease. She offers up to 12 points of extra credit through QOTD, and helps a lot.
If only the tags included "not caring at all" "uninspiring" and "disrespectful" because Fischer and her TAs are absolutely toxic
Took this in Fall 2021 and the extra credit points brought me from a C to an A. Apparently she changes her grading scheme every semester so don't trust a past student's experience. I def didn't get an A bc of learning the material- i learned nothing
genetics material is dense and Fischer's teaching makes the class 10x harder
This class was hard, but it's genetics, it's going to be hard with whoever you have as a professor. Dr. Fischer is one of the smartest, hard-working, and most caring individuals I've come across. Her TAs are incredible and hilarious as well. I learned a lot from Fischer, and you will not regret taking her class. She will prep you for the MCAT.
This class had a groupme, my peers relentlessly hounded on Dr. Fischer and the TAs just because they refused to put in the work. I understand how taking this class combined with Ochem could cause frustration, but do not let the negative replies fool you. This entire teaching team brought me out of my worst academic stumps. You will learn a lot.
If you don't go to discussions or office hours, you are asking to fail. When you are actually on track in this class, it's a breeze. Dr. Fischer will literally give you the answers to the extra credit QoTDs during her lectures, just pay attention. One of my favorite classes taken at UT to date.
Dr. Fischer and her head TA, Lauren, are the most intelligent women I've seen in my life. You will learn a lot from them, you will laugh a lot with them, and you will definitely have to work hard with them. Go to the lectures, discussions, and do the homeworks even if they aren't required.
theres so many ec opportunities and opportunities to talk with Dr. Fischer and her teaching team. i wish i took advantage of these more and I probably won't be having to bust my ### studying for her final. i loved Fischer and her little quirky genetics jokes. im gonna be called a TA just for writing a positive reply, and that's a compliment to me.
lectures are dense, but you have to go to them for those questions of the day. do the homework problems in the textbook and go to office hours for deeper explanations and you will be fine
Taking this class ensures that you will be taught by the best of the best. Dr. Fischer wrote the textbook, dropped out of a medical program due to her passion for science, and received several awards for her teaching experience. She is INCREDIBLY smart that it can be intimidating. Go to lectures, discussions, and EVERYTHING. Most rewarding class.
The yt privileged pre-meds are back again trying to cancel an accredited professor on RMP. This is what happened with Shabbir as well, and it's the reason why being pre-med at UT makes you look like a clown. Don't be like them. Fischer is the best option for genetics if you actually want to learn the material for the MCAT.
One of the most kind, intelligent, and passionate teachers I've had the honor of learning from at UT. Her discussions are underrated because they're optional, but GO TO THEM! Her TAs are knowledgeable as well and will go the extra mile to explain the material to you. This class IS HARD! You have to ask for help and keep up to make an A.
Genetics is hard, I get that, but I feel like Dr. Fischer makes it unnecessarily difficult. Lectures are extremely dense and not recorded to review later, just annotated on the power points. She flies through material and often doesnt finish her powerpoints. The quiz questions look nothing like the HW and are often briefly touched on in lecture
Dr. Fischer is INCREDIBLY smart and genetics is undoubtably HARD but if you go to all of the lectures, do the homeworks, and attend office hours you WILL still have no idea what the quiz questions are asking. Do EVERYTHING right and you'll still be lost!
Take the bickering with a grain of salt. GENETICS is TOUGH but Dr. Fischer makes the course efficient enough to take while taking ochem and other STEM classes. If you cant make any of her OH just email her and she'll set a personal meeting up. Lecture is not mandatory but extra credit could be earned by answering QOTD correct :) ! 10/10
This class was everything I hoped genetics would be and more. I don't understand the whole "not caring" idea when most professors on campus do not go out their way to be as accessible as she is. Yes you have to put in some work to get an A but what bio class isn't like that? I will always recommend Dr. Fischer to anyone who asks.
I personally really struggled with Dr. Fischer's teaching style. She has very thorough powerpoints but the lectures are very information heavy. I'm an auditory learner, so not having the option to rewatch lectures and having to read from the textbook was difficult for me.
I can see both sides of these reviews. Dr. Fischer is very knowledgable and has a well thought out course, but her teaching style definitely pertains to a certain type of student. If you learn well by reading and are self-motivated to do optional hw then you can succeed in her course. Some of us are just built different, and that's not me.
Fischer for genetics is like Shabbir for ochem...avoid
Don't Know how to feel about the layout of the class. It as mostly quizzes that made up 85% of your class grade and the final which is only 15%. The negative reviews come from the final when she said it was gonna be like the quizzes and in fact wasn't. The average on the final was a 40 and she didn't curve it. That speaks on her teaching
She likes to get to know her students and I loved her lectures and could tell she really wanted you to learn more than just to get a good grade. I personally struggled in the course because the concepts were challenging at times. I went to OH, lecture, did the HW, and went to the discussion. I wish I could have done better.
The class average on the final exam was a 39.8 and she refused to curve . Ended with a 92.984 in the class and she refused to round to a 93 (for an A). wtf kind of bs is that. Most of the grade comes from the quizzes, but they are pretty hard so go to class to get the bonus points. never again.
I only started doing well in this class when I went to discussion, office hours, and did the homeworks. The head TA is amazing and will let you know what info is the most important, which is great if you don't have enough time to spend 15 hours a week on one class. Take someone else if you can't hold yourself accountable to learn on your own
"annoying 8am girl" here, I haven't left a review yet and I figured I'd give some actual feedback on the class :) This class is INCREDIBLY hard but Dr. Fischer truly wants every individual to succeed. She is extremely accessible outside of class and is willing to help any who ask. I struggled immensely but I also learned so so much in this course.
Genetics is hard to understand, but Professor Janice makes it understandable and interesting. She gives clear instructions on how to succeed. Start the homework questions early, and make sure you understand them to get the grade you want.
Hard class if you don't do the readings and don't pay attention to her in the class. Attendance is not mandatory but HIGHLY suggested for good grades. Extra credit up to 12 points (max) from question of the Day counted towards quizzes. Pay attention in order to understand concepts and practice HW to get the grade you want.
Genetics is a hard subject, but Professor Janice is really good at explaining concepts and is very accessible outside the class. She is really caring and if you put effort, she will help you to get good grades, as long as you keep up with the homework and thoroughly understand them.
Honestly, this was the hardest class I have ever taken but I really enjoyed her class. She is hilarious and teaches the concepts clearly and gives lots of details. To succeed in her class, do the readings, come to class, practice HW, and do the quizzes. You can't slack in class and expect to do well.
Amazing lecturer with plenty of extra credit. Most of the grade is online quizzes. Final was a decently difficult test, with questions similar to quiz questions. Fischer is very interactive in lecture with lots of help hours. Didn't need textbook since her lectures were so comprehensive, but reading is highly recommended.
Dr Fischer makes this class way harder than it needs to be. She understands the material but doesn't teach it well at all. You're better off taking a different professor.
I wasn't a fan of only having quizzes and then a final but it did make for flexibility if you plan on also taking Ochem or other difficult prehealth courses. Her lectures are great if you are actually interested in genetics. Don't drop early cause most people didn't realize their grades were high going into the final.
Honestly the worst class I've taken at UT. Dr. Fischers ego blocks her from being ale to actually understand the needs of her students. She teaches with a "my way or the highway attitude"
One of the worst professors I've ever taken. Good luck learning how to actually solve genetics problems from a professor that just reads off of her powerpoints
One of the worst professors I've taken. All she does is lecture from powerpoints and never teaches. Grade is reliant on 4 question quizzes on connect that are impossible, and the final.
Genetics isn't an easy subject, but her class structure just makes it 100% worse. All graded by unnecessarily hard 4 questions quizzes and the final (VERY LOW average). Lectures are barely related to what the quizzes are on. The extra credit questions are really hard and the TA gives you a 0 for the slightest difference.
Go to as many lectures as you can to get extra credit in order to get the max amount of quiz points possible since its 80% of your grade. There are no midterms and it was very hard for me to pay attention during lecture/i would zone out most of the time so I really had to cram for the final, but was still able to get an A in the class.
Probably the worst professor I have ever taken!!!! There are no midterms so you are graded on 4 question quizzes and a final. She barely does any practice problems in class but you are expected to know how to do difficult questions. The average for the final was a 56. That should say enough about her teaching. DO NOT TAKE HER if you want to learn.
You can tell Dr. Fischer is very passionate about genetics as sometimes she'll speak so fast without taking a breath! However, the grading scheme seems to be built against us as students. 80% quizzes, 20% final. The average on the final was a 57.5, but she did curve about 15 percent/points. Wish she would do more practice problems in class though.
Easiest class to get a B. But hardest class to get an A. 24 quizzes are fine. But final exam is the problem. There are extra credits for quiz. So fairly easy to get 90 or 100. Quiz worth 80% so even if u get 0, you get B.
Dr. Fischer is very smart, however, struggles with condensing the content for genetics to undergrads. However, her grading scheme makes it fairly doable to perform well in this class. Her TA, Lauren is so helpful, and the extra credit really comes in the clutch (go to class!!). Overall, decent experience, and would recommend her.
Easy to get an A, but difficult to understand and synthesize the dense material. EC for the quizzes is great! Go to class! Fischer is nice and helps a ton in office hours with solving problems. TA is also helpful!
I had a 4.0 before this class and received a C-!!! I went into the final not knowing anything. Quizzes are fairly hard. You get extra credit for attending class but it was honestly so tough and boring to sit through. Professor Fischer is nice but the class is very hard. There are no exams in the class but tbh it makes you not prioritize the class.
80% of your grade comes from 4-question online quizzes which are impossible to prepare for because the practice homework is nothing like the quizzes. You can earn extra credit points by going to lectures but they're disengaging and difficult to sit through. Knows her stuff but the class is structured to make you do bad if you don't put in 110%
Dr. Fischer is one of the best professors I've had at UT. She is so intelligent and genuinely cares about the material she's teaching and making sure her students understand. This class is graded based on quizzes and the final, but the quizzes are done at your own pace which is very doable with a heavier course load! Highly recommend Dr. Fischer!!
Look man idk why ppl are hating her when she's basically handing you a guaranteed B. You just need a 50 on the final to get an A- in the class. What more can you ask for? Most people did minimal work and landed a B+ or higher. Take Fischer! Especially if you are taking Ochem as well as this class is not very time consuming. Thank you Fischer!
Class was 80% quizzes and 20% cumulative final exam. Reading textbook was very needed for quizzes. There is a lot of optional homework. She has office hours three nights a week on zoom and doesn't use the discussion period. I didn't love her lectures, but you can get extra credit from attending class, basically up to 10 points. She is kinda funny.
This is a great class if you do not care about learning genetics. Most of the answers to the quizzes can be found online and you can take them at anytime. Extra credit is given by attending lectures. Final was very comprehensive and not similar to quiz questions. Most people got a B+ and higher.
80% of the grade comes from online, open-note, 30-minute quizzes with four multiple-choice questions. You can retake the quizzes for half points back, and if you correctly answer half of her in-person Questions of the Day, you can raise your quiz grade by 11.54%. 20% of the grade comes from the easy final exam, to which she added a 15% curve.
She barely teaches and expects you to learn 80 percent of the content on your own at home. Her grading is unreasonable. Do not take her, its a waste of time, you wont learn.
Please look at other professors before settling for Dr. Fischer. Grades based on quizzes w/ 2 attempts max, averaged. To get an A, you can't miss more than 6 ?s on either the final AND the quizzes (4 ?s ea). She does offer up to 9 points extra credit, but that still leaves only 15 ?s you can miss out on 24 quizzes AND a 32-question final. Good luck
Do not take more than 12 hrs if you include this class. Her lectures are so generalized and her quizzes are obnoxious. You learn 90% of the class outside of class. You teach the course to yourself. Also, make sure you do not have a job because you need to devote your whole soul to this class. GET READY TO NOT HAVE A LIFE!
Professor Fischer seems like a good person but not the best professor in my opinion. Grade is based mostly off quiz points that are unnecessarily hard and a final exam. Final was not curved even though the average was a 50%. I went to every lecture, read the book and spent a lot of time outside of class doing practice problems and still got a B.
Even though she gave a lot of extra credit, the quizzes had nothing much to do with the lecture or had weird questions we never learned about. The final exam was relatively pretty simple, but it would have been much better if she could condense the key concepts and ideas for each unit instead of havimg 50+ PPT slides for each lecture.
Taking genetics after BIO 311D or AP Bio feels like putting a middle school robotics team in charge of the moon landing. It's so beyond your grasp that you give up halfway through and don't learn much. 70% of your grade is from online quizzes & 30% is from an easy final (if you learned anything). If you have to take the MCAT, don't take this class.
Fischer's grading criteria may be easier than the other Genetics professors at UT, but if you're taking the MCAT or just actually want to learn ANYTHING about Genetics, I would recommend you take literally anyone else.
Dr. Fischer and her TA Lauren did an excellent job of breaking down difficult topics and making them easier to understand. If you complete the homework, read before lectures, and ask questions during office hours this class is very manageable and fair. Overall would recommend!!
Fischer is a decent prof if you put in the time to understand the material. Easy grade, but if you don't read the textbook or take notes, you probably won't remember any of the course material.
As of the time of writing, the main part of the grade comes from your quiz scores and readings. The material is fairly hard to grasp, but if you keep applying yourself it should make sense in time. Dr. Fischer and her TAs are also very approachable and don't mind answering any questions you have. definitely recommend her course for something fair.
Dr. Fischer functions primarily as a head administrator at UT rather than as a researcher or lecturer and it shows. Her teaching is unprofessional and disorganized. There is little to no connection between what Dr. Fischer teaches and her homework/test questions. She does not show much concern for the individual student.
Class is ig manageable if you do the work. Felt like I was wasting time in lectures, I was fighting for my life and I didn't retain anything. Quizzes made up most of your grade - difficult and time-consuming. If you can, take another prof cause I feel like I didn't learn anything. Easy class to pass (bc of the quizzes) but difficult to get an A in.
just got out of the final and it highkey feels like escaping a warzone. truly the easiest class to pass and the worst class to attempt to get an A in, much less learn anything about genetics. she's a brilliant geneticist clearly but keep this woman in a lab and out of the classroom. no material cohesiveness, no joy in this class. u have been warned
This class is amazing if you don't want to learn anything about genetics, then hope to scramble for a B-. Dr. Fischer is smart, but not a good educator, especially with the difficult content of genetics. The final exam is nothing like the weekly quizzes; This class is easy to pass because of the quizzes, but impossible to get an A in.
The biggest issue with Dr. Fischer's class is the structure of it; 25 quizzes all due at the end of the semester and a final. Passing is essentially guaranteed, and an A is achievable with moderate participation and understanding. Had Dr. Fischer put in more checkpoints for understanding, I feel I would have had a better experience.
Anyone could do well in this class if they actually pace themselves and stay on top of the material. If there were more due dates or checks, I definitely feel as if I would have done better. The (ungraded) hws felt like they were 1000x harder and more unnecessary than the quiz and final questions, so I stopped trying after looking at the first hw.
Entire grade based on one final and weekly quizzes. Gives up to 10 extra credit points for class attendance, which is necessary to get a good grade. You will fail the final, so make sure to do as well on the quizzes as you can by any means. Her grading policy is the only saving grace: I got a 84 quiz avg and a 68 on the final and still got an A-.
I enjoyed having Dr. Fischer as a teacher. She really cared about her students and the lectures were engaging and fun. I liked the format of the class. Weekly quizzes, no midterms, and then a comprehensive final. There was optional homework that I liked because of the extra practice. Would definitely recommend taking her!
Fischer's lectures seem straightforward, but are nowhere near enough to prepare you for the lecture quizzes which make up most of your grade. It is literally impossible to do well enough on those quizzes, even if you read the textbook. Opt to take genetics with a prof who doesn't make you buy her ridiculous textbook and quiz software for royalties.
She is the absolute worst and is of no help during class. Her syllabus from the previous year changed from there being only one final and online quizzes to now in person quizzes, three midterms and a mandatory final. Her exam questions are weirdly formulated sometimes making it hard to understand what she's asking. Her homework solutions are vague
WORST TEACHER AT UT DO NOT TAKE HER. I studied soo intensely and did everything she said including ALL the homework problems and still got a B on the exam with the curve. Daily quizzes that ask the most specific detail about 5 pages of reading. Exams that are all FRQ AND OFFER NO PARTIAL CREDIT. She should be fired for how terrible her class is.
Take any other professor!! She is very rude and gets mad when a person is talking or on any electronic device and calls them out in front of the class saying it's distracting to her. She also called our class kindergarteners once. The exams are open-ended and not based on her book at all which she expects you to read word for word.
Genetics is very hard, so I would recommend taking a good professor. The class is EXTREMELY test-heavy (there are only 3) and the top 2 are averaged to make 60% of your course grade. With that being said the class averages on the test are always 60% or lower. Do NOT take Fischer with how the course is now, an A (or C) is nearly impossible.
Fischer is the WORST teacher I've had. No study guides and class is based on 3 MT and 1 FE; she tries her best to trick you. Fischer said she had no reason to come to work because we can't even comprehend the little things and then says she won't burden us with the details because our exam grades would make us feel worse than they make her feel?!?!
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. PLEASE. TERRIBLE PROFESSOR. YOUR GRADE IS ONLY MADE OF EXAMS. QUIZZES U EITHER GET A 100 OR 0. SO MUCH READING.
Hard exams, lectures are long, and does not help when studying for the 2 exams that weigh 60%. Exams are similar to homework questions. Teacher wrote the course book so be aware that she assumes you know everything about genetics. At all cost, take another professor.
Genetics is difficult, however the way this course is structured makes it nearly impossible to actually understand anything. Lectures are boring and not engaging at all, 3 MTS that are all free response with little to NO partial credit. She expects you to know every detail from the textbook. Get ready to read, if you do not like reading, good luck.
Lectures build a foundation for concepts in class. It will not prepare you to do well on exams. MUST attend OH & discussions as the TAs teach you how to apply the concepts to the FRQ style midterms. Quizzes aren't bad if you read the chapters (primarily vocab); extra credit is offered in class. Learn HOW to take the class and you will do fine.
As someone who did all the homework problems (not for a grade) and took notes over all the readings, I still struggled with the midterms, which were worth the majority of the grade. It's hard to know what answer she was looking for, and even the answers don't seem to be explained clearly in the textbook or the lecture slides. Do not recommend.
She lectures on topics which give you a basic understanding of the course but do not correlate to the exams at all. She assigns homework that is never do but necessary because the tests are based of the homeworks (76 homework problems for one unit and each question has multiple parts). I would not recommend her for anyone.
Grading criteria is exams, quizzes, and final, that's IT. QotDs are "ec" but only boost your quiz avg until you hit limit so if you get max quiz points, they're useless. No partial credit despite all exam q's being open ended so it's useless to argue for points. She'll berate your class if the average is below her expectations. Save yourself.
She changed her syllabus this semester and about half the class is failing. Her lectures are straightforward but have little to nothing to do with test and homework questions. She also is very snarky about the fact that students are not doing well. Your overall grade is only based on three things: quizzes, exams, and the final. Take anyone else.
I think this is one of the hardest classes I have taken. However, after going to her OH, she is a really nice person and if I didn't go I would have failed the class. I think if you do the work, do the readings, and watch youtube videos you'll get it. Quizzes and exams are extremely hard tho, go to her office hours if you want an A!
Fischer has been the most stubborn professor I have ever taken. Not only does she have a strict no electronics policy, she refuses to record her lectures. On top of that, her exams are completely free response and offer no partial credit. I will say genetics is a hard topic regardless, but she makes it 100 times harder for no reason.
Personally, I don't understand why Dr. Fischer gets the hate she does. She is an extremely talented geneticist (she literally co-wrote the most widely used Genetics textbook) who truly cares about the material and sharing her knowledge. Yes, genetics is hard, but it SHOULD be hard. You will learn in this class, that's why you're paying for it! :)
At the start of the year, i was hopeful because she seemed like an enthusiastic prof but she became very bitter throughout the semester. She gives borderline inappropriate announcements & yells at students. Her questions are worded so you can easily misunderstand & no partial credit given. I'm surprised she hasn't been fired from her behavior alone
The first half of Fischer's class was good. The content was relatively easy, and the material aligned with the practice questions in the textbook. However, the second half was not great. Her lectures are decent but not enough to prepare you for the exams. If you take this class, go to office hours to understand the content. Overall, it was fine.
Her class could have been decent with lots of effort, but she made rude comments to students & the class. OH could have made it easier but after 1 rude encounter in one of them you're not likely to go back. Sent out a mass email saying we did so bad on a test she didn't want to come to work anymore & never acknowledged it - very unprofessional.
DO NOT TAKE PROFESSOR FISCHER! Her class started with around 300 students, and by the end, I don't even think there were 100 left. She is very knowledgeable about genetics, yet she cannot teach the material at all. Class averages on exams were 30s - 60s and she would blame the class for it. She doesn't prepare you for the exams at all.
Fischer changes her syllabus every year it seems, so this review could be outdated by the time you see it. I loved her lecture, but the exams came out of left field. Whereas lectures were conceptual (and very good too), exams were application, and it made it difficult to anticipate their content. If you want an A, be prepared to put in the work.
Exams were entirely free response and Fischer would give either all points or nothing. All 3 midterms and the final had failing averages this semester and yet Fischer still made no effort to change her teaching methods when she could see her students were not succeeding. She is extremely rude and does not teach properly; my A is credited to the TA.
Interesting lectures and content! Go to office hours and participate in class. It makes learning the material more easy since it feels more personal. Make a study group, genetics is very content-heavy and is not something to work on alone. I wished the lectures were recorded or that the textbook contained more videos explaining the content.
Dr. Fischer's lectures have nothing to do with the actual exams and she doesn't record her lectures. Exams are based on textbook that she wrote, but you memorize the answers to q's in the book and hope to remember how to solve them for the 3 free response exams. Ironically though, the final is multiple choice and our class average was a 55 raw.
Great class, great professor!
Absolutely terrible! It's a shame she's employed considering all the money we are paying.
I am surprised there are good ratings on this professor at all. She is rude and complains that the students aren't smart enough for her class. I have never written a review before, but this was so bad I had to. At one point she sent an email saying we should feel bad about our grades. Terrible teacher and person, but smart. Burning my notebook.
While her class is pretty well organized, there is a lot of work assigned to the point where it can be a little overwhelming at times. However, asking for help is sometimes pointless bc she has little accountability and blames students for misunderstandings. She sent me a personal negative email as well bc I didn't buy the textbook fast enough.
Took her class online in summer 2024. This version of her class was way better since the system was point based, however she still found ways to be kind of condescending to students when it came to some of the comments she left on exams. The hw was the most helpful piece of info when preparing for tests though since some questions were similar.
Want to learn this course? Just buy the textbook and go study on your own. Very outdated and inefficient method of teaching. No technologies allowed in lectures, so I couldn't reference any of my homework/problems on my ipad. If I took any physical notes, I would have thrown them away just like my middle school notes. In short: Pointless.
Professor Fischer's class is a challenging one, but engaging with the material and using resources like Unstuck AI can help you succeed. The exams test application rather than just memorization, so be prepared to put in the work.
This prof made the worst textbook ever. So confusing and all genetics classes are forced to use her awful textbook. Shame on her for making such a hard to understand textbook.
Relies heavily on textbook reading but textbook is written confusingly. Powerpoint is designed in a disorganized manner. Praises students who do well in class while maintains condescending and judgmental attitude towards those who receive bad grades, no matter the reason. Lacks empathy as a teacher. Holds high expectations but gives low support.
I studied hard and did all I could for an exam but was graded wrong on a question I got right based on the key. I could request a regrade, but she regrades the whole exam, increasing the risk of losing more Pts than I originally did. She gave us extra Pts for a typo, but if I regraded, those Pts are gone. Basically, losing Pts no matter what I do.
If you want to know what she's gonna lecture about you don't have to you already read it in your reading from the night before, she never goes over the math needed to figure out the problems, and she'll never explain something that you read, she'll just repeat it. The TA's were great they're the most helpful in the class.
1 Dropped exam and extra credit for in-person activities. Test is just like the homework except you have a ton of homework that disregards any other things you have. Test will ONLY have things from homework, so don't bother studying the lectures. Good luck.
im so ffr rn, DO NOT TAKE HER. I MEAN IT. total waste of $ and mental health. you will fail unless this is your only class. 0 partial. exams are the hw but there are about 100 hw questions with minimum 5 parts each, so do the math on how much ull need to memorize. her lectures are useless. the textbook is much easier than her Q. take other profs/gl
This class is reading and lecture heavy. We have 3 opportunities (3 questions) for extra credit during every class period. In total, up to 30 points to exam grades. Grading is based on the exams, but DO THE HOMEWORK. The homework problems are her question bank for exams, either with the exact same questions or with a slight modification.
The exams are based on the practice problems, the issue is the amount. For the first exam the practice problems would take me about 20 minutes a question, the second exam 40 minutes a question, third exam the problems were very different from class and explanations didn't even make sense, she assigns dozens a week, DO NOT TAKE HER COURSE!
The grade distribution is terrible- only tests. The homework assignments are ungraded and only for study material. Her lectures are okay, but if you do not do the homework assignments, you will likely fail. Save yourself.
Don't be fooled by the grade distribution, so many people end up dropping this class due to her harsh system. Her grading is inconsistent since it is free response and if you request a regrade she forfeits the extra points she gives out. The tests rely heavily on the textbook and you have no other guidelines besides that. DO NOT RECOMMEND.
if you care about your mental health, just don't take this professor. her expectations are abysmal (recommends we spend 20 hours a week outside of class if we aren't performing to her standard) not to mention the grade distribution (100% tests) midterms are all free response (and if you request a regrade you forfeit the curved points) i'm failing😛
Grade is 2 out of 3 midterms and final.1.5 possible ext credit points per lecture. You must read for this class, and she wrote the txtbook. You must do the hw problems. The hw questions/QOTD can be the test questions. I wouldn't recommend her for BIO325. Go to every class for the ext credit, go to discussion sections, and read. Hard but possible
Do not take this genetics class. There are plenty of other professors that truly care about your success. Fischer is not one of them. Lectures are completely conceptual, while exams (make up your whole grade) are all application. She provides zero study/review resources and only assigns homework (not for a grade). She gives zero partial credit.
Let me start by saying I am a extremely dedicated and motivated student. I received high As in both Ochem I and Ochem II. Bio 325, a supposed to be easy up-division biological science course has become the bane of my exsistence because of Janice Fischer. Do not take this class. Every other Bio 325 class is significantly easier.
Very content-heavy and lectures are redundant. Most of your grade is midterms, with one dropped. It's impossible to catch up if you fall behind, & hard to pass the exams if you don't do ALL non-graded homework problems every time there's an exam, which is time-consuming b/c you'd have to practice ~100 long format problems per exam.
She makes you buy the textbook she wrote herself. Very confusing to follow and not only are the lectures entirely conceptual and based on them, the exam questions are not related to the lectures at all, handpicked homework problems from *optional* 20-30 questions of homework she assigns after every class. Curves are forfeitted for regrade of exam.
I was so excited to be completing an upperdivision class at UT. This class ruined my self-esteem and made me dread the days I had to go to class. I would reap failure due to an inconsistent curriculum. It felt as if this class was designed to see you fail. If you do take this class, do not be disappointed in yourself. Change needs to be taken.
This class will require at least 8 hours out of class to read and do practice questions. She gives out decent extra points on tests and if you get all the extra credit in class she will add another 10 points to your final grade on top. She is incredibly smart and it is not hard to get an A if you put in the time. You will succeed if you want to.
The only grades are tests and quizzes are extra credit but barely worth anything and she puts a cap on the extra credit you can get! Homework is horrible and difficult! She is the worst teacher I've ever taken and if you can don't take her! All tests are free responses and you get no partial credit!
Overall not horrible! Exams are the only grade that will make up your average so it's best to attend class (extra credit given to those who do). Averages are pretty low (60-70) but she curves.
Very time-consuming. Difficult to catch up. No resources outside the textbook(which everyone knows is the worst resource EVER!!). However, if you do EVERYTHING she says(spend 12hrs+/wk on this class) its possible to get an A. I dont recommend her but I heard Brock is worse. If you take this class you MUST take it seriously(harder than ochem)
Plenty of extra pt opportunities, required attendance. Apart from that, only tests matter (2/3 midterms 33.3% each, final 33.3%). Regrading is stupid, if she makes a grading error you get your points back at the expense of you forfeiting the curve. Arguing is impossible, she's incredibly difficult, doesn't even listen to other professor's opinions.
DO NOT TAKE !! Worst professor i've ever taken !! All her grades consist of free response tests and she grades them herself and is very inconsistent. If you request a regrade she drops the extra points she gave. TAKE ANYONE ELSE
Dr. Fischer is a condescending professor. Lectures are long & boring, gives out too many HW problems & everything she does is from HER textbook. Only thing that helps are discussions, but she doesn't tell TAs what's on the exams. Don't trust her syllabus; said midterms were MC & FR; were just FR. DON'T take her, & if you do be prepared to STUDY.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR AND IF YOU ALREADY DROPPED THIS FROM CLASS, DON'T RETAKE IT. Lecture is boring and not useful for exam. She won't record lecture at all cost and you can't take note on your ipad. This is so inconvenient. We have the textbook, I quite like the textbook, but the explanation to the problems are so wordy. Not worth it.
If you are reading this do NOT take Fischer. Tell your friends too. Spare them. Terrible teaching style. No way to prepare for exams unless you do EVERY single homework problem she assigns (which is a LOT). No resources other than her poorly written textbook. If you already have her (sorry), do ALL readings and hw every night. Possible to get A tho
the most condescending professor i have encountered at UT. claims to care about her students but is not helpful during office hours and only counts 2 midterms and final for a grade. there are some extra credit points for attending class but they don't do much. i spent 15+ hours a week on this class and still failed. PLEASE don't take.
textbook is very confusing, your grade is only based on 2 midterms and a final + extra credit and she gives very small curves (+5 pts). i was a VERY diligent student and managed to scrape by with a B. she's not helpful and very condescending towards those who don't do well, and does not take accountability. DO NOT TAKE FISCHER IF YOU CAN AVOID IT.
Horrible. Like actually the worst. Does not care about you, will embarrass you for asking questions. Makes lectures basically attendance mandatory because you NEED the points offered but they add absolutely nothing to your leaning and are a waste a time.
this class is unreasonably hard and you can't do well without knowing how to do every single problem she assigns, and your grade is made up just by 3 tests and extra credit that you get from attending the useless lectures. you're not allowed to have technology out in her lectures but notes from them hardly help anyway.
Avoid this teacher at all costs. She is not transparent whatsoever about tests. All she does is lecture off of slides the entire class. You are not allowed to have any technology out or she'll drop you a letter grade. She complains that students don't want to learn anymore, but she can't evolve with how teaching has changed with technology.
Literally the worst professor of all times. If I could give her negative rating, I totally would. She was terrible at teaching, and I learned absolutely nothing in this class. Apparently, she's tenured, and she makes so much compared to other professors that are way better than her. She's passive aggressive and very condescending!
SHE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SUCCEED. I've spent more than 15 hrs a week for the class in discussions,2 (8pg HW), office hours, etc. She doesn't give you any idea what will be on the midterms just hope a HW idea you did will be there she could pick from literally a 100. There was no final review or topics to watch out and the final had no HW questions.
Grade is made up of two midterms (one is dropped) and a final, plus any extra credit from in class activities. Midterms are cumulative and free response. My only advice is to do the homework. All questions from exams get pulled from there. She makes this class so much harder than it should've ever been. Take any other professor for your own sanity.
Do the homework. Tests are straight from the homework problems. They are free response with little to no partial credit. This is by far the worst grade I've ever gotten in a class. She is also a technology free class.
I invested a lot of time into this class, consistently completing the readings before class, staying on top of the homework, attending office hours, and engaging with TAs during discussion sessions. Despite these efforts, I found the class to be discouraging. Exams are really hit or miss and the final brought my grade down a whole letter.
was doing very well in class until the final, which was nothing like the past exams. very few people pass and no curve. tas dont know the content well, and cancel office hours without warning. please dont take it i beg you.
DO NOT TAKE ! Honestly I don't even know how she's still employed. She's the worst professor i've ever had and she truly wants to see her students fail. Your grade is composed of tests only and she gives extra credit points for answering questions during class but they don't make up for how awful her midterms are and for how inconsistent she is.
grade based on 3 free response exams (curved, 1 drop) and 1 multiple choice final + extra credit daily quizzes. you have to read so much + theres hw problems in the textbook but its like 50/50 the exam will be question banked from that. SO time consuming. im sad because i liked the material but i feel like she made it harder than it should've been
Professor Fischer is the WOAT. I studied 30+ hours a week, met w countless tutors, and still failed. Her exams are ridiculous, with poorly worded questions that make it IMPOSSIBLE to understand what's being asked (tutors and professionals can't even understand). The other reviews say it but SERIOUSLY DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS if you want to be sane.
Not only does she take extra credit points away from your midterms if you want something regraded, she did a very poor job at providing any study material for the final. The final was a highly specific multiple choice exam and was very different from the required homework questions/midterms. There was also no curve. Take Kim, Engler, or Moon.
Very difficult if you don't put in multiple hours per week into this class (which I didn't). Grade is determined by best 2/3 regular midterms and your final, at 100pts each. In class quizzes and questions of the day are all .5pts extra credit out of the 300pt total. All questions except final were some form of short answer w/ problem solving
She's not as bad as others say but it's still incredibly tough. The grading scale is higher than normal making attending class for extra credit important. You need to do/study all homework since the midterms are the same questions or slightly different. Make sure you have 8+ hours dedicated to this class each week to do well. Avoid if you need an A
The class content itself isn't hard, I just didn't dedicate enough time to the class. The lectures were boring so I stopped going and just didn't read the textbook but I still did okay. My main issue with the class is that the entire class grades is made up of two exams and one final (plus a few extra credit pts from attendance).
Dr. Fischer's class was extremely difficult, but also very rewarding. I was fascinated by the material she taught, and although I really had to work hard in her class, I found myself greatly enjoying her style of presentation. She was also extremely accommodating and patient with me, especially when I was struggling - definitely would take again!
Her lectures were interesting, but her exams were hard. Spring 2024 was the first time she did all free response exams. I religiously studied the textbooks, homework's, practice questions & still found the exams difficult! She curves to a 75 class average which saved me. Genetics is interesting, but I wish her exams didn't make me hate it.
Worse Professor. Did not care about students. If she made a mistake grading your exam and you want it regraded, you forfeit the extra points she gave from the exam. Better off taking another professor.
Limited word count so listen to me, DON'T TAKE HER. I'm a very dedicated student, did 100-ish hw problems PER test and still had to drop. She gives no partial credit, no study guides, and she's rude. Each test is 3-5 FRQ with randomly chosen problems from the HUNDREDS you have to do. This class was the bane of my existence. DON'T DO IT.
First day of class of the Spring 2025 semester told me everything I needed to know. She was rude in her opening to the class bragging about 50% of her students from fall semester dropped and she assumes we will to after the lecture. Not a learning environment so therefore I dropped. Fischer needs to learn to put her ego to the side and make change.
Do not take her. She is hard, not because she teaches a hard subject or because she teaches the most rigorous version of Introductory Genetics. She is hard because her exams are not connected to her lectures and because she tests with free response questions without any partial credit. This will not prepare you for MCAT or Graduate Biology.
assigns INSANE amount of reading and HW problems for a college class. not graded, BUT without them, there are no resources or practice to prepare you for the exam. exams are NOT related to lectures and are worth the entirety of your grade w/ BARELY any extra credit for in-class questions. you will NOT succeed, even if you usually can make it work.
Studied everyday for hours and still could not keep up. She tries her best to trick you in exams, which are not similar to the homework and lectures.
Girlll do not take this prof. If Fischer is your only choice, take genetics another semester/over the summer because at least then you have a fair chance at getting an A. Trust me. Do not take her bro
She's a strict grader. Her exams are all FRQ except for the final (all MCQ). She enforces strict answer-circling rules—on my first test, I got most questions right but lost full credit for minor mistakes. Ended up with a 70 instead of a high 80.
Fischer is a GPA/MENTAL TERR0R1ST. Insane amounts of readings and homework. If she is your only choice for genetics, you have better odds waiting a semester for another professor.
All the credit in this course is based solely on three tests, with no opportunity for extra points or additional assignments. Additionally, no assistance was provided in understanding her questions during class.
Currently taking her class, I've been trying so hard to give her a chance, but I've spent 30+ hours a week, constantly doing and TRYING to understand the hw problems that aren't for a grade, and still be stuck, her solution manual could be good or very bad. Save yourself pls, LA's don't clarify questions instead they ask "Well what do you think".
This class is absolutely merciless. The daily quizzes and questions of the day barely count toward your grade, the entire course is literally dependent on a textbook with an annoying amount of reading expected every week, there is 0 practice other than the homework in said textbook, and the midterms are comprehensive from the beginning to current.
this is my second time taking fischer and she has genuinely made me second guess my intelligence. mind you i have an a in ochem and stats, but those profs actually do care about you unlike fischer that will give you ZERO credit on a question if theres minor mistakes. avoid for your sanity.
this class is a joke. her exams are all frq with no partial credit, so you're screwed if you make a small mistake. she is pretty proud of how poorly her students perform, bragging about how only 10% of them get at least an A-. if you can avoid her do, if you can't then wait a semester to take this class.
Terrible lecturer. No empathy. Bad person. No exam prep. Bad homework. Bad exams. Bad practice. No practice even. Boring lectures. Uses her own bad textbook. Hope she sees all these reviews and feels terrible about herself. But she has no care for her students, so why would she feel bad.
Worst professor I have ever had. Grade is only based on exams which have practically no curve and are 6-10 questions max. Does not set up students for success and does not allow any room for mistakes. Take at your own risk.
The few exams that determine your grade are only understandable if you complete the hundreds of non-graded practice problems. Lectures are boring and don't go over a fraction of what you'll need to know for the exam. Not worth the effort; you're much better off taking the class with someone else.
Every morning on the way to class I would cross guad without the crosswalk signal in hopes of getting plowed by a car so i didnt have to go to class. and you know what? I would rather take apart welch brick by brick with a fork, eat said bricks, and then jump off the UT tower than take her again. i hated this lady bye
Someone else had recommended me to take her and I did.. worst decision ever. I wish I would've looked on here instead of trusting them. I ended up dropping the course and I sadly have to take it in the summer. I tried my best, but it still wasn't enough however I'm glad to see that others feel the same way. Try to avoid taking her!
Ended up dropping this class after Dr. Fischer pretty much told me I had no hope of passing. She claims all you need to do is do the homework, but doing homeworks/readings will not get you a passing grade. Beware, the drop rate of this class is over 70%, not 50% like she says. Lectures are not helpful and TAs don't know what's going on.
Homeworks are so confusing and nothing like the class, shes so boring its so hard to pay attention especially if u have attention issues and she refuses to record lectures bc shes insecure abt getting made fun of and having her voice clipped. still gonna make fun of her anyways cause her class is a joke
I just heard a girl went crying and she basically called each and every one of her students who don't pass her exam "lazy", so do what you want with that information, I personally do every hw problem, and attend class, but apparently she says her exam are easy and does not understand why we fail. I have a 3.9 GPA LOL, you think I wanna keep trying?
She was genuinely the worst professor I have ever had. The only good thing about her class is the trauma bonded friendships you make. If you can't get another professor I would whole heartedly recommend just not taking the course that semester. Her face, voice, and teaching style make you wish you were a business major. DO NOT TAKE.
she is genuinely evil. do not take
She was weird at times, but her tests are basically just the homework (which have explanations for every answer). There are so many resources to understand the content outside of lecture and quizzes (extra credit) at the beginning of class are over the assigned reading. You will be fine if you understand that this is a math class.
janice is one of the worst professors ive ever had at UT. literally the worst. she is extremely passive aggressive when she answers questions. i would take ANY OTHER PROFESSOR. i thought i could handle it and she has made my life hell. why are you expected to spend 12-15 hours outside of class to get an A?? #dontdoit
do not buy her textbook. it is full of errors and her explanations suck. pirate that stuff. do not give her your money.
Attended every single lecture, did nearly every single UNGRADED hw prob (abt 90 per test and they're tedious), read the textbook, attended office hours, and barely passed. Over half of my section dropped, the other half who didn't drop failed. She has zero empathy. Prioritizes overworking her students to teach a life lesson over students learning.
Going to lecture is useless besides the ec points. There are ungraded homework problems (15-30 questions) for each class and you better COMPLETE THEM. Exams are purely based on homework questions and they're your only hope. Only take this class if you have the discipline to teach yourself all the concepts. My discussion section didn't help.
She's the worst professor I have EVER had. Unfortunately, she is a great person but her exams are brutal & she is the worst grader ever. She gives no partial credit, her TAs are absolutely useless, gives up to 30 homework problems per class, & thinks she can make it up by allowing you to earn up to a 1.5 extra credit points per class. RUN FAR AWAY!
Your grade in this class is 100% worth how you do in exams. Let that sink in. I am someone with terrible test anxiety and I am STRUGGLING. She has unrealistic expectations of her student and expects them to dedicate their entire lives to this class. She is a very sweet human being, but has no concern for her students' well-being. RUN. far away.
Don't take Fischer, if you have to wait another semester to take her then wait. The amount of homework she assigns is just not realistic, and she provides no test-prep or study guide materials other than just telling us to do the homework problems. If you do bad on the first 2 exams, you're likely going to end up dropping anyways
Do not take this professor :)
If you can't devote all of your time to this class, it's hard to pass, even though her expectations are straightforward. Extra credit points do help. Her lectures are all conceptual, while the exams are entirely application, and it feels like learning is done through trial and error. She can be hilarious some days and condescending other days.
DO NOT TAKE PROF FISCHER!!! All of her grades come from 4 exams that are cumulative, and they're all open-ended and she does not give partial credit. If you have to wait, please do. I ended up dropping the class super late in order to save my gpa. She isn't approachable, and does not let students have course accommodations.
Please do not take this professor. Her class is based on 3 exams and 1 final. Your lowest exam is dropped but grading is cumulative, so it just hurts your grade no matter what. She gives no partial credit on her written only exams and her "extra credit" maxes out at 34 points, no help when you fail all your exams anyway. 70% of her class drops. :)
This class was the sole reason for my existential crisis at 19 years old. Literally would rather pluck every single hair off my body with tweezers than take genetics with her again. Save yourself and put it off a semester or take it in the summer.
i dropped for a reason. please do not take this class if you do not want to either get a bad grade or drop. i went to every lecture, did every reading, most of the homework, and was still failing before i dropped. save yourself :)
every time i'm sat in her class i hope a meteor will hit the room and take me with it. do not take.
WARNINGGG guys I'm not even saying this because "I do not study or work hard enough" I DO, my older sister has a PHD specialized in genetics trust me I got help, it is not even because her exams are hard, it's the countless of VERY HARD hw problems that we study and then getting to the exam I expect to test what I am working for, but NO :) dropping
Y'all better start praying or have better learned genetics since y'all were in the womb if you take her😍😍 Don't do it I'm serious. Take another prof or take it in the summer
If you're not religious you BETTER start praying. She is the worst and your grade is made up of only tests that you get no review for and she does NOT give any partial credit. Please avoid at all costs it's not worth it, at the beginning of the semester the class was packed with every seat filled and now basically everyone has a row to themselves.
The tests are all in the practice problems, but you will not have enough time to do all of the problems, even if this is your only time consuming class you will struggle to complete half of the problems. Assigned readings that have nothing to do with the exams, lectures give brief overview but they are not nearly as difficult as the exams.
I'd rather eat spoiled J2 chicken, because this class makes me sick. Don't take Fischer and don't let your kids take Fischer!!!
hard to believe she cares for her student's wellbeing, just save yourself the headache and choose a different professor
grade based on two difficult midterms and one final, free response no partial credit. capped ec points at 34 points. reading and lectures do not relate to the dozens of ungraded (YET MANDATORY) homework you have to do. no study guides or any help on studying for exams. no curve and incredibly condescending to her students asking for help.
Her lectures are glorified summaries of the textbook chapter readings she assigns from the book she wrote. She assigns ungraded homework for each chapter, leading to at least 70 questions per exam, which, if you don't do good luck on the exams. Every time I crossed the street to get to this class, I prayed a bus would take me out of my misery.
As a person I don't like her very much, but her lectures were actually well taught. She assigns ungraded homework but DO IT and you will be prepared for exams. Its just basic genetics concepts built on a whole lot of probability. I got the max e.c. from in class questions and a 110 on exam 1, 95 on exam 2, so I didn't have to study for the final.
She's honestly a terrible professor. She tries to push her own beliefs onto students and seems proud when people drop her class. It almost feels like her mission is to exterminate passionate science students and crush their dreams. I don't know why she does this. Maybe she's a knowledgeable person, but nowhere near a knowledgeable professor.
Dr.Fischer is lowkey not even bad, as long as you understand the homework and focus in class you should be good. She is super hilarious in lecture and overall a very sweet professor. Yes her exams can be annoying but they're doable.
Dr. Fischer is an incredibly intelligent person. However, the structure of this course hinders students; it lacks major proper support for the exams, which are the only grades. To succeed, understand every problem (homework or lecture) thoroughly, attend discussions, and earn as many extra credit points as possible. Highly recommend taking others.
in case you guys wanted to know- a couple of years ago she was on review for too many students failing. the class is fine IF you do the readings and homeworks (which take hours) for every lecture… and its not even graded. super passive aggressive when you ask questions. thanks janice for making me lose my love for genetics!
Literally the worst professor I have ever had and I transferred from a questionable university. Someone on here said she was a GPA t3rrorist - very accurate. She does not want to see her students win and I Will never see genetics the same again.
70% of the class dropped by the Q drop deadline. These weren't bad students either—most of us held on until the last possible moment, hoping we could turn things around. But with each exam, the situation just kept getting worse. To anyone willing to take this, you must ensure a good grade for the first 2 midterms, because the final is horrific.
If you dedicate lots of time to everything, you still can't have more than 2 bad days because exams are 100% of your grade. The final is nothing like the midterms, and the only thing that saves you in this class is her generous extra credit which you can only get by showing up to every single lecture and reading the textbook. Take someone else.
I survived! Yes I made it out but I never should've taken the class with Fischer. I should've waited until next semester. The exams are tough and your entire grade is basically two midterms and one final. I've only gotten A's until now and I've never studied harder just for a C+. If you need the prereq take it, If you need a good grade/gpa, don't
walked into a 200 person lecture hall to take the final, there were 30 people max left in the class. she said “most of you will at least get a 20, if you don't, you're very unlucky”. you are set up to fail, somehow passed the class by a miracle, take anyone else.
If you want a class that solely depends on 3 test grades (Midterms are fully FRQ) and is VERY VERY selective on how you answer the question, you should take this class. The final is multiple choice, but doesn't correlate to anything I've seen on the midterms. Doesn't want you to succeed, and no curve on any exams. Also, the cutoff for an A is a 95.
My hairline receded about 2 inches because of this class. Avoid this class unless you're into academic masochism or have a fetish for GPA destruction.
This class is awful. I took her bc I had already dropped from Brock the last semester and she was the last available (horrible mistake). Grade is based off of 2 exam grades and a final. The final was my last chance of passing I studied for two weeks and still didn't pass the final. She doesn't teach what she tests over. Teaching style is outdated.
If you have ADHD or need to prioritize some other course, do NOT take her. Your grade is entirely dependent on the four exams she gives out, which are FRQ and pretty much set you up to fail. No matter how much you study, if you can't recite the words from her textbook perfectly, you're done for. Take genetics during the summer or with anyone else.
If you're not religious pick one and pray. You will spend the rest of your college career regretting taking this class and what it will inevitably do to your GPA. Fischer genuinely enjoys making things as difficult as humanly possible. ~80% of the class ends up dropping. I'm begging you to spare yourself, do not take this class.
that final was horrific and nothing like the midterms. she says there are no tricks to her exams, but the entire final read like a riddle. i don't know how i passed.
Please do whatever you can to avoid taking this class. Your grade will depend on two midterms and the final. Some of the questions on the midterm are not even questions. The TA is not eager to help at all. Even with all the homework problems, the content is impossible to comprehend. Please DO NOT TAKE this class, she will wreck your GPA.
Do not take Fischer's Genetics class. The class is hard, but not because she teaches the "honors" version of genetics. Its hard because her evaluation/grading system is unprofessional. Tests have minimal connection to her lectures/HWs so you can't prepare.The tests are graded with minimal effort - no partial credit,all points off for tiny errors.
Take any other professor except Fischer. Truly the worst class I've taken in my four years here. If she's the only option honestly wait until the next semester.
Yooo fischer projection
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