He is an extremely helpful and caring professor. He makes time for his students and makes sure things are clear and understandable. He is a great teacher to have and he is highly recommended

Dr. Soto is one of the few professors who is actually interested in his students succeeding..I found him to be very nice and helpful.

Once you figure out how he'll test you the class is easy. Gotta know the material. Real nice during office hours.

He taught bio 3 the first time. His tests were difficult and specific. He cares about the students success alot and he was holding study Q&A sessions for us before tests. I didn't pass, but I think he's still a good teacher.

I took his class Spring'04 and I think he's a really good teacher. He knows what he's talking about. However what people say about his tests are true; they are hard. Just keep up with the reading and you'll do fine.

Soto was challenging.. but was one of the best profs. i have ever had. His lectures DID correlate with the exams, but you have to REALLY KNOW ur material and read between the lines. 2 words for u: RESCUE POINTS. Don't give up on the class. good luck!

Got by w/ B's on all his exams. I figured out how to get an A. His main points are on lecture slides. If he spends a lot of time talkin bout it then he's gonna ask a question bout it on the exam. This class will definitely help for future Bio classes. Rescue points bumped me up to an A.

I disagree to most of these ratings.One of the best professors I ever had. Helpful.Test questions are research-based and challenging,but as long as you tape-record lecture and study,you'll do well.Lecture and book go hand-in-hand pretty well.Great guy, cancer section is interesting.Responsive to students' questions. Lectures are well-organized.

I agree that he is a difficult professor, but he is very knowledgeable and clear as to what's on the exams. Must go to lectures, follow ppt slides, office hours, and read book on your own. He is really nice and always willing to answer questions no matter how fundamental it may be. I got an A, so believe me folks, it's possible.

I think Dr. Soto gets a hard time just because he is such a good teacher and a lot of students aren't used to thinking critically. He is always available for help in his course and his teaching method will set you up for success in future courses. He is not easy, but this is what you are a scientist for, to learn!

He will help you out as much as he can with extra credit points and you have a choice to make up for an exam by taking a cumulative final.. I was struggling at first but then ended up with a B+. :)

Class is very easy and you actually learn something. Posts exactly what he wants on his website for papers and allows you to redo assignments with his corrections for full credit. The research proposal is long, but you learn how to do it and if you follow the guidelines it should be no problem.

Dr. Soto is a superb instructor. He demands excellence, but he delivers it too. Office sessions are great. Active discussions on cell biology among students with Dr. Soto moderating them are conducive to learning the material. It is prudent to do the problems in the book. Essay let you strut your stuff - if you've done the work.

class is diffucult, but professor is available to help

He is very helpful when you go to office hours and he seemed nicer once he knows who you are. I like his powerpoint lectures & the fact that his exams are challenging. He does try to make life easier on his students by giving extra work for points and being flexible for the final. I highly recommend taking a class with him.

Dr soto want to help students, but he has high expectations!! i do not recommend him for undergrad students..!!! i studied hard for this class and i got a C!!! most people failed the class..!! the tests are EXTREMELY HARD..! even if u study and memorize everything in the book, u still can not answer the questions completely...!!!also very unorganiz

I heard all the horror stories before taking Soto's class. Yes it was hard, and he does expect A LOT

I heard all the horror stories before taking Soto's class. Yes it was hard, and he does expect A LOT for a lower div course. But he's not so bad people! My advise is record lectures, know his power point slides in detail, and see him during office hours. It will indeed consume your study time. Best of luck to all!

Like what others have said, this class is difficult but not impossible. Dr Soto, however, is a great professor despite what everyone says. If you attend his office hours, and he sees that you are making an effort, it will reflect in your overall grade in the course. Class participation and attendance are a must to do well in this class!

Dr. Soto is an excellent teacher. I had him for Cell Bio and Molecular. He is challenging but fair and passionate, not impossible because I'm a procrastinator. but I still got solid A's in both classes.. and NO.. i did not kiss ass.. just crammed like hell. You need to UNDERSTAND the concepts. Show up in class and understand the power point slides.

Dr. Soto is the best professor for Biol 3. I learn a lot from Dr. Soto. He made Biol 3 interesting and fun. Just study hard, listen well to lectures, good at office hours for helping students. He is cool and great.

Soto is a great teacher! He is clear (except for his accent sometimes) and will explain any concepts you want to know to you. Great in office hours and very approachable! He is a wonderful teacher and his Bio. 3 class was not hard if you put in the effort and studied- and I procrastinated and still got and A, its not impossible.

Yes Dr. Soto is hard, but that's what makes him a good professor. He doesn't just hand out A's, and you'll need to put in hours to understand the concepts. Read prior to class, IT DOES HELP. Record his lectures and know EVERY detail about every topic he covers. This will also mean using textbook and outside resources to understand his exams.

Patience is the key with him and this class. He's tough but it makes you that much smarter! Record each lecture, rewrite notes, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't even think about procrastinating. Exams are based off lecture, not the textbook. Read for background knowledge but don't use it for study material.

He's a great professor! He's tough because this is class is the basic foundation for all the other classes. Don't be intimidated by him. Make sure you go to class, keep up with the lectures, and have a positive outlook in this class. Do all that and you'll be fine!I worked my butt off for my A so it's not impossible!

Hard to understand sometimes. Pay attention to questions asked in class. These show up on exams. Go to office hours to make sure you understand the main concepts.

I heard horror stories about this class, but I actually really enjoyed it. The concepts were interesting. His tests are really hard, though. All written, so you have to know the material well. He has a little bit of a rough and blunt exterior, but he really wants you to pass his class.

DO not buy the book, go to lecture, write down all the questions asked in class...these are his questions on exams. know the material backwards and forwards. go to his office hours, ask specific questions and he will tell you want you NEED to know, dont ask, "do we need to know this"

So many papers, to READ. This is cell biology folks. Dr Soto doesn't hand out A's until the end of the semester. Tough grader on first 2 midterms to set a fire under your ass. If you don't crack under the pressure and just hang in there he will ease up on the grading.

Dr. Soto at first was a very intimating man. However as the semester went on, I realized he's just pushing you to do better. He gives a lot of advice and feedback on your work so you can improve. If you're not passing the class then it's honestly just you.

Must've turned himself around this semester because he was a really excellent teacher. Very patient, gave good feedback. If you don't like his feedback, suck it up, don't take it personally- he's trying to help you and wants you to succeed. Even asked students at the end of the semester if he held up his bad rep and he definitely didn't.

Complete 180 in his teaching style for the first time ONLY MC exams, extra points & is curving the final grades. Heard negative things for YEARS about Dr. Soto even from my colleagues that took his class 5 years ago. Go to class, study hard. I am considering asking him for a letter of rec, & he is one of my fav professors at SJSU, he cares a lot.

Makes grading guidelines very clear. His feedback on your assignments, while they can be blunt, are made that way to help you improve your writing. He's not going to hold your hand throughout the writing process but will help you once you have your own ideas. Only real flaw is that he doesn't always reply to emails promptly (never on weekends).

It is not the easiest class or the friendliest teacher but he does give a really good feedback and is fair. You get what you work for. Overall learned a lot and would recommend.

He cares about his student, wants them to do better. Sometimes it can come off as rude but in the end, you do come out of this class learning a lot. Highly recommended.

Go to lecture, otherwise you will not understand the slides. His teaching format has changed from years past, he makes it an easy course if you show up. Exams were multiple choice and some wording was hard to understand but if you take good notes during lecture and memorize, you will do fine. Mostly memorization, not much critical thinking req

He changed his ways teaching this class 180. He says you need the text book, however all his exams are made from his lecture slides. If you come up and take really good notes, you could pass with an A. 3 exams no final + 1 presentation. Last exam is hard because theres so much material, but its an easy class if you come .

If you are a biol major, you should definitely take dev biol. It was one of the most profound classes that I have taken at sjsu. Although the topics are dense, Dr. Soto does an amazing job of explaining each concept clearly. Don't be afraid if asking him to repeat something you don't get. Once he explain a research to us 4 times :D always RECORD!

He might be scary at first but he's not. If you want to be a better writer take his class.

While this is a "do the work and you get an A" class, you still have to do it right. Once you get your ideas in order, writing itself just takes time. If you take a while to write, get ready to put a good amount of time into the class. Make sure you get the rough drafts done on time, he gives you an A if you correct everything for the final draft.

Dr. Soto is a wonderful teacher and person. He has straightforward grading system, and helps provide meaningful feedback on projects. His 100W assignments helped me learned a lot about scientific research and proposal writing. The in-class presentations seemed intimidating but helps build confidence through public speaking exercises. Recommended!

Dr. Soto was great. Do as he says, follow directions for assignments carefully and make sure your writing is revised and follows HIS guidelines and you will get an A. A lot of work, so you have to work for it. Not hard just a lot.

Dr. Soto is a wonderful professor. He truly cares about his students. Yes, he is strict; but it is for the best. If you are looking to slack off and get by, his classes are not for you. You genuinely need to try and put effort in, he definitely notices those that are trying. I recommend him for 100W, it wont be easy but hes the best for that class

Dr Soto is a fantastic teacher. I found him professional and helpful. He is very clear about what he wants. Listen carefully and do exactly as is asked and you will get an A. He wont hold your hand, once given instructions he expects you to work autonomously. The content of his class is invaluable for a future career in research or academia.

Dr. Soto was really intimidating and hard to approach for advice but he still helped a lot with my scientific writing. There are three main assignments: literature review, research proposal, and presentation. Put in work, just follow the feedback he gives you exactly and it's an easy A.

A lot of people think professor Soto is mean because he can come off as blunt, but if you take the time to get to know him through office hours and meetings he is actually really nice and makes it clear that he wants his students to succeed. I had him for both 100w and 105 and got an A+ in both. As long as you do what he asks for you should do well

Dr. Soto is quite the legend at SJSU, he is respected and feared by many bio students. He knows his stuff extremely well, he treats his students like adults and expects them to behave as such. If you are there to learn youll have an easy time. No filler, he just wants the answer. Get prepared to read papers as thats his favorite media to teach.

Dr. Soto focuses on complementing his lectures with his heavy reading assignments. I originally wanted to give up on pursuing biology in general until I took his first course. This gentleman shows dedication to his students and definitely sheds a new perspective for those who have wavering doubt in the biology. Just do the tedious readings = A.