Interesting and very helpful

He's awsome! Best teacher on campus. Take him if you can. Clear lecturer, makes all his notes available, and is very helpful in office hours.

This guy is amazing. He could rule the world if he wanted to. He is very clear and focused. Don't graduate from UCSC without being taught my Prof Tamkun, you'd be shortchanging yourself.

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He's hard but very reassuring about grading.

Nice guy, very informative. He also brought us Upper Crust pizza on the last day. Super chill, very reccomended.

Online lectures we're useful for studying, but still read the book because he has a a few tricky problems on the test that go a bit more in dept. Wasn't too boring. Drops a lot of hints to help you out with test, you just have to listen for them and accually study. Doesn't curve but drops the grading scale; its helpful since he doesn't grade easy.

(This is for Bio 20A) Many people had difficulties with his class, but if you do the work and pay attention during lecture and READ THE BOOK, you'll be fine. He's quite amusing, he has jokes about his 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Indicot. Good guy.

If you like dry humor, you'll love this guy. Easy to figure out what is important to him when he lectures because he literally hands out test questions and highlights the important parts for you. Doesn't mean the tests are easy (I got a B+, doh...), just means you know what to study. Oh, and my T.A. Steph was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo hot!

The class not graded on a curve, which is what made it hard. He posts the lecture notes online before the lecture, which is useful if you can't/ don't want to go to lecture, or just so you don't have to take notes (or add your own notes to his).

He is a pretty good teacher. He said he didnt curve but at the end he curved it a little. The test are kinda hard so study a lot!!

He was a good teacher. Very funny guy, not boring at all. His tests are kind of hard, but if you study, it is impossible to not pass.

Good Class interesting, very honest teacher who lets you know what you have to do to succede

awesome!!

really funny in a nerdy way. annoyingly nitpicky about noise level in class. the class was graded on two raw test scores ONLY! no curves or hw to cushion so STUDY STUDY STUDY! he's fond of essay questions and are graded pretty strictly so make sure you don't just spit out correct answers but show complete understanding of the question.

In all honesty, yeah his class is hard but he's a strict believer in what you get is what you earn. His dry humor is somewhat entertaining and kept me coming to class. And if you did all that you were suppose to do, i.e. read the book, go to lecture, note what's important and really take time to learn the material, then the tests wasn't hard.

Excellent professor, makes ~2 hour long lectures interesting. The class is incredibly difficult for people who suck at memorization, but the textbook (Campbell) is amazing and helps a ton. He only gives 2 tests, a midterm and final with no homework/quizzes so make sure you are constantly on top of the material.

very difficult class. make sure to do the homework because many test questions come from there. this class is a lot of work! so do not slack off

The best professor I have had in college so far. He was quite clear, challenging, and had a lot of background in the subject. Great class, overall.

Tamkun's exams are really challenging, but the self-assesments he gives are great tools for preparing yourself. He manages to teach a huge amount of information within a relatively short period of time. And he keeps it interesting with his strangely morbid sense of humor. Overall, I think he is a fantastic professor.

One of my favorite professors, kept the freshman from talking non stop (which is obnoxious and distracting, fyi), clear, reasonable, helpful in office hours, easy to talk to and very willing to help students. Expects a lot--this isn't a slacker class, but you'll come out really understanding biology. I spent a fair amount of time studying.

So far, the best teacher I have had in college. He is serious about teaching what you'll need to know, but also has a good kind of dry sense of humor and doesn't take himself too seriously. Although the tests are harder, Tamkun prepares you REALLY well for them with the assessments and class notes.

Best professor ever, hands down. It is a privilege to take his course.

Tamkun is absolutely fantastic professor and a genuine, sincere person. He is funny, and so brilliant! John Tamkun is an amazing teacher; the absolute best teacher I have ever had at UCSC. I only hope to be as great as he is one day!!! Professor Tamkun, you are awesome! You make my college tuition completely worth it.

A fantastic professor.

A great lecturer and you can tell he really cares about you learning the material. That being said, this is not an easy class, he makes you work and doesn't curve at all. I studied my butt off and got a B+, but I really enjoyed the class and his lectures.

Bio20A is very valuable - I learned so much! Overall, my experience in the course is a positive one. Professor Tamkun is a brilliant professor and a wonderful role model for aspiring scientists. Very fair and sincere. You won't be let down if you take this course. Best course I've taken at UCSC.

Great professor,very clear and concise, generally cares about the progress of his students.He tests exclusively from material on his slides.I have heard that he is the hardest of the BIOL 20A professors, I took him in the summer and honestly it wasn't that hard and tests were fair as long as you studied.

He emphasizes the subjects' essential details and sufficiently explains them. He makes the lecture interesting by using applicable examples and speculations. The text and readings assigned were helpful and relevant. The exams prioritize if you understood the main concepts. They're quite hard but taking the practice exams make them easier.

Overall, Tamkun is a great professor. He's very knowledgeable and clear, and has a dry sense of humor that makes the class more interesting. However, I struggled a lot in his class. I heard he's the hardest for 20A. Tests on concepts, not memorization. Go to MSI and section, especially if you're struggling; tests will only get more challenging.

Tamkun is actually a great professor. He tests on his lectures slides to the tee. His tests are...could've been absolutely aced if it was all multiple choice and if you've studied the lecture slides material very closely. BUT he gives short answer essay questions that friggin killlll your grade. :( but honestly hes great.

Very knowledgeable and helpful . This class is hard by itself due to the large amount of memorization required. His teaching style is relaxed, you get breaks. His exams are very hard. Not so much the multiple choice but the essay questions require more and kill your grade.

This class is tough. Tamkun is a great professor and his exams are pretty decent. His essay questions are pretty difficult. Overall, I learned a lot from taking this class.

Definitely a doable class. All the information was in the lecture slides. He is a great person too, I went to almost all of his office hours and found them helpful. His tests are fair but require a lot of studying so start studying a week in advance. Got a much better grade than I thought I would, probably because he knew my name by the end.

I loved this class, he's easily one of the best professors I've had. Super cool and funny, and tells you exactly what you need to study for. Tests were challenging, but if you pay attention during lecture and understand what he wants you to know you'll be fine. Such a good class

Hard tests. Read the book if you want to pass.

Professor Tamkun is the real MVP! I walked into his class not knowing anything about Biology, and left his class knowing lots about Biology. The materials in his topic is tough, but he simplifies them really well. GUYS, this is not a slacker class either, so please study! That is the only way to not fail as a student to an awesome teacher!

Definitely take biology with Tamkun if you can. He tells you exactly what he expects you to know for the exams and all of the material is organized clearly on his lecture slides. The only downside is he doesn't curve his exams but if you do all the self assessments and use his slides you won't need one. One of the bestfunny professors I've had.

Tamkun is the real MVP! He really knows his stuff, explains intense topics in a simpler way, and is helpful as well as available if you need the extra help. Tests are not that bad; well the multiple choice isn't. He can trick you with the "all of the above" choice but if you know it that won't be a problem. Free response is something else.

Tamkun is an amazing professor. He is very knowledgeable on the material he teaches and make his lectures very clear and straight to the point. He encourages you to read the textbook for clarification but he makes his midterms straight from his notes. Midterms are only hard if you don't have a clear understanding of the material

Tamkun really cares about how well his students understand the material. He is understanding. His personality is just amazing and makes lecture that more enjoyable. His tests are appropriate for the subject. Overall, Tamkun made Biology a lot more fun and enjoyable to learn.

Tamkun is an overall amazing professor! He is hilarious in lectures and makes you work hard for your grade! He is really good at explaining the material. I was frightened to take his class because I heard he was tough but I am glad I took it. He really challenged me as a student. Study the lecture notes and know everything for the tests.

John is a great professor and it is a privilege to take a course with him. He puts a lot of time into extra office hours and review sessions which are extremely helpful. He really cares about students' progress and it shows. He lectures clearly and makes it clear what the exams will test on. Exams are fair. Overall, a fantastic teacher.

By far the best class and professor that I have taken. This class is difficult mainly because of the amount of stuff you have to know. Also, he's really trying to prepare the students for later upper divisions. If you want to pass you have to put in the time commitment. The tests are tough, but not impossible. Know the lecture slides.

Tamkun is a very down to earth professor. Lectures are interesting but if you don't attend you will fall behind. Keep up with the material, memorize the lectures and actually UNDERSTAND the material and you should be fine. No curve but if you study, the tests are rather straight forward.

Best Bio professor by far. Took the whole Bio series and he is still the my favorite. A lot of memorization and a lot of thinking. Do the practice problems he gives you as many times as you can, they get you thinking and force you to understand the material and not just memorize it. Study flashcards everyday and ATTEND LECTURE makes life easier.

He really knows how to get the important information across to his students. Regularly do his practice quizzes because he tends to recycle questions. Go to lecture because although he posts his notes online its easier to understand when he explains it along the slide. Don't waste your money on a textbook, the slides are your textbook.

Cool guy, definitely funny. If you study for his tests, you'll be totally fine on the multiple choice, extremely straightforward. His essay responses however are extremely difficult and he makes you work for it. Forget one little detail and you'll lose a point, really tough grading on free response. Gives extra credit 0.5% if you shop up to class

Tamkun's lectures were pretty straight-forward, and he made sure to emphasize the more important topics. No curve. The multiple choice section of the tests were pretty straightforward, but the essay questions were more challenging and definitely tested your understanding of the material. Going to discussion and MSI helped a lot.

He was my favorite professor so far. He was really funny and he added some extra topics that made the material more interesting to learn about and more tangible. his tests are hard especially the application material. make flash cards

I did this course during the summer, he was a great professor, and absolutely hilarious! But make sure to stay attend class and be engaged.

Class isn't over yet, but Prof. Tamkun has been great so far. He is really funny and engaging, and has great stories and tangents. Tests are hard but fair, you can need to put a lot in to get a good grade. Just study what he shows in class. Great bio prof! Also, get Emily as your TA if you can, she is super helpful and sooo nice!!

Likes to put the laptop case on his nogin

super nice guy, very approachable. goofball for sure he's definitely at the top of my list of favorite professors and i'm honestly kinda sad the class is over

Hands down the best biology professor i've ever had. John really cares about his students and he makes hilarious jokes in class to keep everyone entertained during boring topics. TESTS ARE HARD, don't get me wrong but they are manageable as long as you do the self assessments because the exams are basically carbon copies of those. LOTS OF EXTRA CRE

Funny guy. Obviously cares for students. No homework and no curve, so tests are your only grades. Studying alot before final and midterms is recommended. Makes lectures interesting and fun for students. DO THE PRACTICE TESTS! Easily best college professor I've had so far.

This has to be the hardest class I've ever taken and enjoyed. Tamkun is hilarious, smart, and seriously wants every student of his to do well. Although he read off slides for lectures, he managed to make some extremely dense material interesting and sometimes even funny. That material though.. well it's not an easy class. Tests are hard, but fair.

Things really start to pick up after 1st midterm. Section will be helpful if u have Michelle as a TA. Make sure to get the MSI practice exams down, MANY ARE SAME EXACT QUESTIONS! must put time into memorizing material, but he's clear on what u need to know. supposedly no curve but there is extra credit. i hear he's easiest out of all the 20a profs.

I really enjoyed his class and I'm honestly sad it's over. I always looked forward to this class. Tamkun is hilarious and makes difficult concepts easier to understand. He also really cares about his students. Tests are based on the notes and self assessments so if you pay attention to him in class and do those, you should be fine.

Tamkun is easily my favorite professor I've had so far. His class is challenging, as most of the bio series is. It's detail heavy, but he gives you self assessments and opportunities to clarify what you don't understand. You have to work hard since the tests are the only thing that count toward your grade (with no curve).

Lectures are heavy so be sure to take notes and understand all the self-assessment quiz questions. His tests are a bit challenging even though he makes you think they aren't. Amazing person and really cares about this students. Get all the help you can if you want a decent grade.

Tamkum main focus is making sure you pass. He's a great professor and you can only saw that about few of the ucsc teachers. He's cares about your progress, and he really does try to make sure you get the info. The class is VERY DENSE regarding the material, but he condenses the info by relating it to stuff we already know or like. He's amazing,

He's a great professor. Take him. He posts all his lectures online, he gives a lot of extra credit and the material is interesting. The last half of the quarter is more rushed. If you go to his office hours and talk to him, he's very understanding about giving you more points or other things. He was great.

This man is amazing. Take his class.

Biol20A is a really dense subject, but Tamkun makes it as easy as possible. Though he does not curve, he does love to see improvement in students. Go to his office hours. Go to section. Go to MSI. He takes all of these things in account when calculating your final grade.

John was an amazing professor but the class was pretty difficult. He explained everything well, posted lectures online, and had extra credit opportunities. Test questions are similar to canvas quizzes and he is very clear about which diagrams you'll need to draw on the tests. You need to study a lot for this class but it's really interesting

This was my second time taking this course and my first time taking it with Tamkun. He's a better professor than the others and clearly wants students to succeed. Lectures can be boring, but he's a really funny guy. Getting a good grade is hard, but MSI is really helpful. He does not curve tests. If you have to take this class take it with him!

This class involves a lot of memorization, but Tamkun does his best at making the topics easy to learn and tries his best to explain them. His midterms are basically what he puts on his lecture slides, and he often gives a lot of extra credit opportunities.

He is a great professor. Caring and helps his students. He reminds me of that one highschool teacher that everyone likes or a cool dad. He's very mellow but at the same time does badass research. 20A is a course that contains new information that is difficult to understand unless you ACTUALLY study and put in the work - GO TO SECTION & OH!

20A is pretty much AP Biology. I don't understand why people think the class is that difficult, especially if you took AP Bio. I also don't understand why I can't skip this class with a 4 on the AP exam. As for Tamkun, he is knowledgeable about the material, and cracks jokes all the time. Exams are straightforward and I never studied for this class

Tamkun did the best he could with the amount of material needed to be covered for this class. The pace was slow at first but sped up immensely. Video lectures were posted when he did not have time to cover the topic in class but the topic would be on the tests (so you HAD to watch them). Overall, a very nice and passionate professor!

enjoyed him as a lecturer with his jokes and warm personality. He sometimes skips over certain things or vocab, definitely recommend office hours to clear things up. He also gives explanations not on the lecture slides and tells you what concepts or terms are very important, aka will be on the test. Do quizzes, EC plus v good prep for test prep!

He's a great professor. A lot of people complain about him, but there aren't many biology professors who will be as clear as he is about what is expected of you. He has review powerpoints before every exam so you know what's covered, and he's an entertaining lecturer.

This is the best class I have taken. I am a bio major and may be biased. Regardless, I believe the teacher makes the class and Tamkun has make this class for me. He gives you a lot of material to learn, but it is doable. There is no homework, but you do need to study. He is a good teacher and his lectures are always interesting.

Dr. Takum is amazing, I really enjoyed this class and his approach to the material. He is caring and will accommodate additional office hours to help answer questions. His lectures are well organized and concise which makes it easier to follow.

Tamkun is the best professor if you really want to learn and take time out of your day to study. The only thing is that the extra credit he offers really doesn't do much for your grade overall. I did all the extra credit and got all the points but there wasn't a significant jump in my grade. Do take the class because he is one of the best bio prof

He provides useful resources for you to understand the material well. Gives many extra credit opportunities. He wont give partial credit most of the time and that can really bring down your test grade. No curve as well.

I am taking 20A online and he has been so helpful and amazing about everything going on right now. He gave us extra credit because of the election stress and anytime we had technical difficulties. He genuinely cares about his students and you can tell! I will say it is very lecture heavy and sometimes we have to watch extra recorded lectures

John is an amazing guy. He has a great sense of humor and cares for his students. He is a very monotone though so watch out in class. His lectures are very clear on what he expects you to know, and on top of that he is very accessible as a person. He cares about the students greatly, and wants us all to pass. But to pass you have to put in the work

Professor Tamkun is by far my favorite professor I've had so far. He was incredibly understanding of the amount of stress everyone was under this quarter (fall 2020) and was quite generous with the extra credit. His lectures were always enjoyable, he's a pretty funny guy. Just make sure to keep up with the class material and you'll be okay.

Two words: AMAZING + WHOLESOME. I'm not kidding, Professor Tamkun is the BEST professor I've had so far at UCSC. Don't get me wrong, my A did not come easy, but he made the class SO enjoyable. He is by far one of the most caring and funny professors, not to mention he is extremely smart and knowledgeable. Super accessible and a real gem! Take him!

Tamkun is an excellent professor, as long as you stay up to date on the material, work hard, do the self assessment quizzes and attend section you should be okay.

Tamkun teaches in summer and fall & highly recommend taking with him. Best 20A teacher. Your grade is midterms and finals only. However, there are extra credit quizzes; similar to exam questions. He's a nice dude who cares about his students. Plenty of helpful office hours. TA's are great and I would highly recommend going to section.

Prof Tamkun is an amazing professor, he covers all the material you will need to pass the class and he is very generous with extra credit. The class is not hard at all as long as you pay attention to lectures and study all the material he gives you.

I could not have asked for a better 20A professor. There's no denying that the course material is heavy- it's a hard class and a LOT of memorization. Don't think it's an easy pass because you definitely have to put the work. However, Tamkun is such an amazing professor and really cares about all of his students. Take it with him if you can :)

Great lecturer but tough grader. Our grades were based off of three midterms and a final, but there was a lot of extra credit offered which ultimately helped my grade a lot. There was no partial credit or curves on any of the tests but he made it very clear what would be covered on every test.

Tamkun is an amazing professor and really cares about his students. His lectures were enjoyable with the occasional pop in of his cats. His exams are tough but really pay attention to his study guide when you study and take note of all his tips during lecture. Even though it was a tough class, I would 100% take again!

This guy really cares about his students. He's not about malicious tricks or anything like that, he just wants his students to succeed. John has an amazingly calm demeanour and a great sense of humour.

Minimal hw is given, but if you have not taken Bio before you really have to work for it. Tamkun is such a good teacher and he cares about everyone in his class. He is always available to meet individually if you have grade concerns. The class was really fun online bc the chat made it enjoyable.

Professor John Tamkun is literally the BEST. He tries his best to help students in and outside of class. He is very caring, tests are easy if you study and go to ACE. I enjoyed his lectures and I would definitely take it again just for the heck of it.

This professor is a great lecturer, and he explains everything perfectly and in a way that everyone can understand. Nevertheless, you have to work for your grade and keep up with the material. Additionally, make sure to study all the learning outcomes and rewatch all the lectures until you understand it, also practice active learning.

You must study your butt off because this class isnt easy if you dont have a solid background already. Your grade is based on midterm examsfinal isnt cumulative. I failed 1/4 midterms and barely clutched a B with the final. It sucked but I did change how I studied. Overall hes a great prof and go to OFFICE HOURS I think that helped the most.

i took this class during the summer and prof tamkun was the only reason why i did. i had some personal problems (hence the c-), but tamkun is a great lecturer that is passionate about biology and very understanding with his students. he covers material thoroughly and made me actually want to be there during the summer.

John is so smart and also very caring. Get to know him in his office hours and the course will be much easier for you. He genuinely cares about his students learning and will take extra time to help you when he knows what you need help with. Don't fall behind in his courses!

The material was difficult for this course but the prof made it a bit more fun. His voice is very monotone and he seems like a mean person but is really really nice. He cracks jokes and has dry humor so don't miss it! His exams are one q at a time and no backsies so keep that in mind. Took him fall 2021. I rec MSI and OHs to help with material

20A was a pretty challenging class, but Tamkun was a great teacher. He holds plenty of office hours and gives you opportunities to discuss grades. Tests are very intense but if you show up, pay attention, and study hard you should do well. Very caring and compassionate teacher, and sometimes cracks pretty funny jokes mid-lecture.

This course has a lot of material to cover, making it difficult for many people, but if you put in the time to study and watch the lectures, you will do well. His exams are very fair and straightforward and he will often tell you exactly what you should expect. His humor makes class enjoyable along with his opportunities for extra credit!

john is a very good professor. his tests are straight forward and he gives you a lot of hints on what will be on the tests. the class requires effort. you get what you put into the class. he offers extra credit and is very kind.

Professor Tamkun is very supportive and gives you all the tools to succeed! He gives numerous quizzes per module (4 modules total) and a midterm on each, the final being a midterm on the 4th module. He has multiple office hours and is helpful and willing to explain any topic. I found that he also tends to give out some exam hints in OH!

John Tamkun explains topics in cell and molecular biology in a straightforward and easy to understand way. If you pay attention to the concepts you're expected to understand and put in the time to learn all of the material, you are guaranteed to do well in this course. He also ties a lot of the material directly to real life experiences and topics.

Professor Tamkun is one of my favorite professors yet. He is a wonderful lecturer, super clear format, well paced, and awesome notes with examples. The class is structured well but get ready to be on-top of your work. This class is hard. There are 4 exams that are basically worth 90% of your grade. They are hard, but he gives great study guides.

Please take Tamkun. His tests are REALLY straightforward, they are one-to-one with his learning objectives so use that to study. This course is heavy on exams but they're not cumulative. Utilize his practice exams and study his quizzes and you will do fine. I highly recommend not just memorizing the material but actually understanding why or how.

I took this class fall 2022 as a freshman, and absolutely loved it. Definitely struggled with exams in the beginning, but Prof Tamkun is extremely organized and clear with lectures and what to expect on midterms. There are plenty of opportunities to gain extra credit - would highly recommend taking it with him.

The people who claim he's bad definitely just never went to lecture. All you really need to pass his midterms is in his slides, which are well-written and helpful. He explains what is on the midterms, and gives extra credit for every mistake he makes in lecture. The quizzes are questions from the slides as well, just actually pay attention lol

Though it is stressful that most of your grade is made of up tests, as long as you study the material it isn't hard to get at least a B on each of the midterms. He gives small bits of extra credit for the mistakes he makes on the slides, which is helpful in the long run. Funny guy and all you really need to do is study his slideshows.

Do not listen to the bad reviews. As long as you actually study, you will do well. Tamkun is a great lecturer and he is very caring. There is LOTS of extra credit handed to you. His practice tests and practice problems accurately reflect the exams. The class isn't easy, but its not hard to just study and do well. 100% best professor at UCSC.

The reality is, this is a difficult class. You will be required to memorize every single data point from each slide if you want to score high on his exams. Tamkun is nice, but is not completely responsible for your learning. This isn't high school anymore where answers are given to you on a silver platter. You are responsible for your own learning.

Great professor who puts a lot of effort into his students.Great at teaching the material and dense lectures.He is really funny, communicative and understanding! He puts out resources that are extremely helpful to make sure you do well in his class.That being said this class is definitely difficult and requires ALOT of time and studying for tests!

I understand all these bad reviews, as it is a hard class but I do feel like he makes up for it by having practice tests that are very similar to the tests. He also posts practice problems that are almost identical to the ones in the exams. He is a tough grader and it can be hard to get partial credit, but he does offer a lot of resources to you.

He's a tough teacher. 4 exams make up 90% of grade + 10% from weekly quizzes. Very memorization heavy, but professor is straight forward and gives you all the materials and more needed to succeed. He gives extra time to study for exams, and is overall a great professor. If you put in the work, you'll do well. go to lecture+Sections and youll slay

This class is extremely difficult, but if you put in the time and work its possible to pass. He can seem very unapproachable and intimidating to talk to, BUT PLEASE attend office hours. He is so helpful and wants you to succeed.

John was a very organized and skilled teacher. His lectures were well structured, but dense. There was a lot of information to learn/memorize, but he gives you all of the info in his slides and videos, and his practice tests/problems were really similar to his tests. 4 tests worth 90% of grade, so def go to lecture and office hours.

Tamkun's class is a very challenging one. It is the first weeder class many Bio majors take before Ochem. He gives you all the resources you need to succeed, and many people succeed if you put the required time in. All lectures are recorded and can be rewatched. If you cannot pass this class you should change your major, it's not Tamkun it's you.

This class was pretty easy as long as you study and keep up with the material. His lectures are very clear and everything on the tests was directly from them. You need to actually fully conceptualize the material to do well on the tests, not just memorize. Overall, this class isn't as bad as people say and it prepares you well for upper divisions.

Class wasn't as bad as people say it was from what I can tell, if you put in the work (not a ton, its an introductory bio course) then you can definitely get an A in the class.

As long as you put in the work, you'll be fine. This is the first "weed out" class for many bio majors bc it requires you to have a deeper understanding of many different concepts. Discussions, practice exams, quizzes, and reviews mimic the exams very well. Consistency and engagement is your bestie for this class.

Biol20A is apparently a weeder class but the only challenge in this class is the breath of information not the depth. John's office hours are VERY helpful and was the single best resource! The only downside is exams every 2wks at the end of the quarter but 75% of the exams questions are copypaste from HW, polleverywhere and practice quizzes/tests.

While the class is very lecture heavy, I felt that if you regularly attended lecture and put time into studying the learning outcomes that were provided, the class was easy to do well in. John made topics clear through demonstrations (by himself or students drawing things out for the whole class, or demonstrations with the TA's).

john is a very clear and demonstrative lecturer. he really wants every student to succeed in his class and clearly tells you how to do well on exams. going to class, drawing, doing the self assessments, homework and practice exams helped me a lot. exams are not cumulative. john is also super funny :)

Professor Tamkun is great! Although the course is lecture and test heavy, it is not difficult at all if you put in the work. Overall great teacher and accessible throughout the quarter. Sections are also great as he provides helpful handouts that are useful for extra practice.

Prof. Tamkun is both a great professor for the large class and the small office hours sections he does. This class is only hard if you come into it not expecting to memorize or retain information. Don't take the class at 8AM though.

Tamkun was a pretty fair professor, decent amount of online quizzes and exams often but they aren't super high stakes. As for the exams, go through the learning outcomes and key terms and do the practice exams a decent amount and you'll be fine. His office hours are also super helpful, and he's generally understanding if you talk to him.

This class is undoubtedly a bio weed-out class very dense and easy to fall behind in. Tamkun has it down to a science though, well written but fast-paced lectures, 4 exams, neither section nor lecture is mandatory but you won't pass if you dont at least go to lecture. Hard class, great professor.

Professor Tamkun is great - he cares about student success and provides lots of resources to help you excel. The class is lecture-heavy but manageable if you stay on top of things. I found Unstuck study and practice exams really useful for test prep.

Dr. Tamkun is one of the best professors I've had during my 4 years at UCSC; he provides clear learning objectives that prepped you well for exams, gives practice exams/quizzes that ACTUALLY match the test format, and talks to students/teaches in a way that makes it clear he genuinely cares. His tangents/stories are funny too :) Go to his OH!

Professor Tamkun was great. Its pretty easy to fall behind in this course, but that's more because of how much material we have to go through. His lectures are engaging and his exams are very straight forward; he never tries to trick you. He is also really funny.

Professor Tamkun is the only person I can imagine going off topic to lecture about how yogurt is made for 10 straight minutes with a completely straight face and monotone delivery. Lectures can be very heavily packed with information so you may need to revisit lecture slides online. Grading is very fair, professor is fun.

John is an amazing guy, cracks jokes, and gives extra credit for every mistake he made during the quarter. Attend EVERY lecture, take a lot of notes in your own words, and do the practice tests he gives you without ChatGPT or help, trust me, you'll do fine. The class is completely doable if you just put in that effort and don't slack off.

Doesn't trick you. Prepares you very well for each test. However, he is very test-heavy, the way he prepares you and grades is very fair. Doesn't do any trick questions, and tests are super straightforward. His lectures are great and explain everything in full detail.