2.7
Quality3.6
Difficulty53%
Would Retake210
Reviews53%
Would Retake
210
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
44
4
37
3
31
2
45
1
53
What Students Say
“The class itself is easy, but would never take any one of her classes again”
BIOL10 - 1.0 rating“Professor Duncan was one of the least helpful teachers I have ever had”
BIO10 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
77%
Grade Predictor
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Predicted Grade
B+
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+0.18 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO
5.0
(1)BIOLOGY10A
5.0
(1)BIO01
5.0
(1)BIO1
5.0
(1)BIOL1D
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
BIOLOGY12
5.0
SORRY
5.0
BIO101
5.0
1A
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BIOLOGY
4.5
Reviews (210)
very nice and helpful, classes are fun, labs are fun, full of energy
if you want to be in her take good notes..tests are very straight forward
She took extra free time to help us. Very straightforward.
She gets angry at the class when she is called on her mistakes! She also moves at the slowest persons rate...aka, you get no where, until she tests you on everything on the final
No Comments
Her final is right from her notes
an interesting class!
No Comments
Teacher doesn't answer questions directly. Very unorganzied at times. You have to learn all by yourself
Teacher has a very complex personality. Workload for course is like 1.5-2 courses. Expect to teach yourself much of it. Tough break, but at least the exams are fair. Massive time sink.
Very nice person, but a terrible teacher. Makes the subject much more difficult than it should be.
No Comments
DUNCAN has her days. Sometimes she is REALLY AWESOME and other days she is really pathetic. You have to keep up with her lecture and make sure to ask questions. As long as you see her one on one frequently, you should be alright. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TIME!
The subject matter is very interesting if you can follow the lectures - I found this very difficult!!! There is too much terminologies in the course to remember. She sometimes gets upset at students when things arent clear to understand.
I definitely would not recommend this teacher EVER!!! It was so hard for me to follow anything that she lectured in class and the exams were more hard that it was for me to follow the lectures! Good luck to you if you decide to take this class anyway.
I agree with the last person's comments.
moody instructor, generally kind though. her teaching is just unorganized, and you have to get used to her "one word" teaching: writing a new word on the broad without explaining it. Her office hr is the best time to learn or pick the stuff up.
it's true that her lecture is disorganized. but i dun think her quizzes are hard, coz the questions come from her lecture and the notes(if u take notes) and she is a nice person as well
The course is interesting when you can understand the lectures. Its true that the exam questions come directly from the lectures, but your pretty much doomed because the lectures are extremely hard to absorb information. Take another course-TRUST ME!!
She is a nice lady but a rotten teacher. Her course is hard to follow because she is very disorganized. She gets very upset at students if they need clarity in any of the material. She does not keep decent office hours. Good luck pasing her course.
Ms. Duncan was pretty nice, but she could get pretty snotty with students. Her tests were not hard what so ever, if you studied the objectives, the test questions were exactly the same! Her lectures were not as bad as everyone is saying...boring maybe.
Sometimes nice, but she does get angry at students for stupid stuff. Tests aren't that hard, just study the objectives and take decent notes and it's easy to pass. People who had a problem with this class either never paid attention, or didn't do the objectives.
duncan is a bitter mean old lady who favors students and is inconsistent...you can have two students do the exact same thing and she'll say one is right and the toher is wrong. She freaks out alot about insignificant things. If ur not about kissing butt dont take her!
No Comments
the class was tough, but if you went to class everyday, took decent notes and studied, it wasnt too bad. she was very helpful during office hours and her study sessions. i would highly recomend this class for those interested in genetics.
she is very good although she is emotional. if you have sth unclear, go to her office and she will explain very clearly to you. very good teacher. learn much from her.
knowledgable teacher, but kinda weird. she snaps every once in a while and could be very nice once in a while as well. class is very interesting, has a good grading system where not everything relies on tests but also on labs, hw, quizes. hard on tardies and cool on abscences.
Well I came maybe 1/3 of the time to class and passed with a C. I didn't see the attitude that others mentioned. The final is big portion of the course grade, lets just she could have really nailed you with hard stuff, but she didn't. You can pass with minimal effort, for A more time is required.
Contrary to everyone elses reviews, I havent had such a bad experience with her. I have her for lab, and she is clear with the material. She does get on some students' case but i dont blame her, especially when these students lack common sense.
No Comments
knowledgable teacher,but tricky.she can teach u sth, but when it comes to exam/quiz, she wun tell the real answers. She's also weird, not nice and kind to student . I think she doesn't understand students and also herself, that's y she is like an enemy to students.
she is a very very mean old lady. though i'll have to say, she's always willing to help with questions. But i feel that a lot of times she is trying to take her angry out on students.
No Comments
She overloads information into the couse and she is very wierd and condensending. The course is tough and your whole grade is based on a few test. I felt like every time i put my pencil down i missed 10 terms she taked about.
Her class is easy, but much work to do. She is usually so mean and not kind to students. I hate this teacher even i got an A. And, I hv my final exam at 7:15(<--crazy?). On the whole,she really makes the class so depressing. If you wanna hv some torture in ur college life, take her class.
Jus wanna tell her to fxxk off.Overall is easy,but needa stick on her schdule.
This teacher does not care for her students. When you ask a question, she will get an attitude with you. She lost some people's homework last quarter, and told them "oh well". There are many complaints against this woman. She seem's nice but she's not.
No Comments
She was good. She didn't sound like she liked answering questions but she always did and she gave clear and concise answers whenever possible. All you have to do is go everyday and take meticulous notes. It sounds hard, but it's not too bad. Make sure to study, the exams aren't easy. Overall I enjoyed her and her class.
This teacher speaks so rudely to her students, it's apalling. The more I tried to listen to her lectures, the more distracted I was because the whole time all I wanted to do was tell her to show some respect, after all we pay for this. If you ask a question, she replies condesendingly. She should not teach.
No Comments
wonderful teacher, very helpful. she was very good at explaining things and was always willing to help you out. plus she made the classes interesting and is a very fair grader.
you can smell her a good 10 feet away. she marks you off for not writing in a perfectly straight line and if you abbreviate words like with, because and temperature. she's mean and will act like you're stupid if you don't understand
No Comments
No Comments
great teacher and grades easily too. the tests are very simple and straight forward, since she explains everything in class. doesn't make bio difficult but accessible to every one. easy to get "A"'s
Her notes and office hours are really helpful. You will get good grades in quizes and Mid-terms if you have studied. Remember to take notes during classes, she loves to exam on things not on study guide, especially the names, years things which we might consider as "extra knowledge".
No Comments
Everyone who gave her a bad rating doesn't know what they're talking about. She's a very good professor and answers everyone's questions during lecture. She wants you to learn all of the data, she gives out study guides, worksheets, and other helpful papers. She lets you do a second scantron on the midterm (open book at home). She's very, very nice and a great lecturer! I look forward to her class because I really enjoy it as does the rest of the class.
Treats all her classes as kindergarden students, very sarcastic and picky. She's the type of teacher that believes only 10% of students should get an "A" while the bottom half should fail, regardless of what they accomplish.
i didn't have her for lecture but i had her for lab and she was horrible! she's really rude, treats you like your five, and she smells AWFUL especially during the spring time when its hot out. she marks your quizzes wrong if you don't write in a completely straight line or if you abbreviate words like and or becuase or with. everyone i know got a C
One of the most dedicated teachers I have ever met. Really wants her students to learn about a fascinating subject. She is very accessible and, even though she does not have to, creates a huge amount of learning aids for students. She has strict rules, but I suspect this is because of her intense desire that everyone learn the subject.
I really worked my ass off in this class. I actually enjoyed the subject matter, and really tried to learn it, but to no avail. She will not budge when it comes to rules (homework 2 minutes late is a zero). I have never been so frusterated in a science class. Tests cover a ridiculous amount of material.
This instructor has issues!She is superficial & tangential. Doesn’t explain but expects tons of self studies, I bet anything that she’ll soon market her lab & obj. handouts to be published in the future.She treats students like children. DON’T take her, you’ll fail, as evidenced “the most drop-out Bio 10 in the recent yrs”.And she questions, why?
If you are taking her class next quater, prepare to fail!!!!!! Prepare to be treated like a kid, be humiliated and revolve around this teacher, because according to her, she world revolves around her ways.
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No Comments
rude rude rude............and tests on picky little details instead og the bid picture
If you go to lecture and pay attention, her class is very very easy. She's kind of mean if you ask questions, so talk to your peers before you go to her for help.
No Comments
SHE IS AWFUL. I knew 4 people in the class and we all ended up creating a D club- the grade we all got. She refused to answer the only question I asked all quarter because it was something she felt "I should already know". She posts objective sets online but doesnt know how to actually help her students.AVOID AT ALL COSTS. she makes you feel crappy
she sucks..too mean to be a instructor....she should be fired...
Horrible teacher. Class is unreasonable. Very discouraging. Most of the material is from her General BIO class, probably to make it easier on her. Puts material she doesnt go over on her exams. Dehumanizing. Avoid this teacher at all costs.
Please take this teacher, so that my grade won't look so bad on the curve. Tests were unreasonably extensive and sadistically specific. Make sure you memorize over 300 marginally useful facts or you will fail miserably.
Her exams cover A LOT of material, but she tells you exactly what's going to be on them beforehand, so how well you do is proportional to the work you put in. She often incorporates historical background to each topic, making lectures interesting. She was always very helpful, whenever I went to her with questions.
Easy class if you do the study guides and go to class
she treats students like there were in grade school. she talks down to students if question her policies and she has a chip on her shoulder that she bring to class with her every day. but she knows biology!
Yes she smells if you get too close. Exams are ridiculously hard - you do actually have to review your notes each day, read, study etc. But she really knows her stuff. Overall I thought she was pretty nice, I think if you take general bio you're in for it because most people just take it to take it, not because they're actually interested.
the class absolutely sucks........... wondering the previous ratings are made by herself
If you took Biology during highschool and remember any of it you will pass this class. Just show up to lecture, let it wash over you again, and you'll pass her tests. Her tests are multiple choice and you can easily eliminate 3/4's of the obvious wrong answers. I'm not the teacher and I hardly go to class, still have a B.
Not bad, but not great either. Her lectures were sorta confusing- the sub (Holcroft) was much more organized and on topic. She likes teaching, though, and I always found her very helpful if you come to office hours and don't approach her after class. The tests are not unreasonable- she gives study guides and her expectations are clear.
I didnt like her at first. She is MEAN! But, then I went to her office hours a few times and she was suprisingly NICE?! I think one on one she is great! Very helpful when you are alone with her. She really helped me understand things during office hours.
took genetics class with her and was extremely dissapointed. unfair and very very impolite teacher and treated her students very cruely. DO NOT RECCOMEND
smelly smelly smelly. Teaches the most mundane details - who cares about half the stuff she talks a bout when there is cool stuff to be taught.
Please never take her class, u will regret. ALL GOOD RATINGS ARE WRITTEN BY HERSELF. Nobody likes her ever. 2/3 students stop coming to class. Never teach biology except force you to memorize some minor stuff in her study guide letter by letter
u should take Kendall at any rate. Or take some Human bio class if u need lab. do never take this frickin' teacher. she deserves to be cursed on this website. Too many people lost thier interst to biology because of her. she should quit at once and pay all her salaries back
instructor goes too fast and her questions in most of the exams are not too straight forward.....
ditto
DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER!!!!she is evil, and when u ask a question during class she always makes students feel dumb, or she will say, "the anwser is in your lecture notes"hoorible instructer
she is the worst teacher ever!! if i ever see her on campus i will trip her or laugh at her...she has the worst smell as well...she has the worst BO...trust me and other DO NOT take this teacher!! you will regret it for the rest of your life!
Her Final will kill you.This is a damm GE glass and shudnt be that hard.This class sucks
I actually learned a good amount of Biology from her class, it reinforced some of the things that were taught to me in high school. It is not an easy class, but if you attend every lecture, complete the study guides, and attend the labs, than you will do fine. The class requires hard work and consistency, she's a great instructor.
She gives you a lot of the material on the tests as long as you do the assignments, read and go to labs. Her lectures are pretty much useless and her test questions are very confusing. The final was cake but overall I don't think I would take her again.
I actually got an “A” in this class, BUT not learning from her. I am an advanced licensed healthcare practitioner (she doesn’t know) that is planning preparing fro MCAT. The instructor is sarcastic, treats students like children which I find to be unprofessional and irritating. She is short tempered. I’ve actually made 2 appts w/ her during her
The class is actually not difficult, but the instructor made it more difficult than it needs to be. Frequently falls behind lectures. Overall bad attitude. I got an "A" by self-studying. Question, why do people who hates students teaching?
In attemps to make the material relevent she goes on tangents about global warming, cancer risk, nutrition etc. Thus she fails to cover simple bio basics. For people who know bio, it is boring. Those who don't, she doesn't have enough patience for. Fall 06 she had a death in the family thus was often absent- thus hurting students by schedule issues
Helpful and always explains and clarifies uncertainties
I found her to be very help full and kind although a little distracted because of a loss in her family(which is understandable). Always made sure you knew what what on the tests and lectures were full of information.
She asks a lot of you, but if you follow all of the study guides she provides and listen WELL to her instructions, you'll ace the class. It's a lot of information to learn, but I feel she makes it really clear what you need to study for and what you need to do to succeed in her class. She's always willing to help if you need it.
ugh...the only good thing I can say about her is that she knows her bio material and is passionate about it. However, if you have a question she'll be happy to make you feel absolutely stupid before answering it (which she'll most likely do). I really didn't like this professor :(
Common guys! The class was great! There are a lot of health issues that are very important in every day life unless you don't like yourself and don't want to live longer. I absolutely liked this class. She is not rude or something. If you don't do your work properly, what do you expect? Be fair with yourself!
I found class to be extremely easy (got an A) but maybe its b/c my HS bio class covered everything ('cept I didnt do well then). I didn't touch the textbook, only her handouts & lecture are necessary, never studied. She's sarcastic to students who asked questions b/c they weren't listening. Otherwise seems very willing to help. Don't talk in class!
OH MY GOD! I WOULD NOT TAKE HER CLASS - PERIOD! I'll have to admit, she seems to know the subject well but the amount of work it takes to memorize all of that material borders on insanity. On the other hand there isn't homework assigned. Sometimes she can be like Jeckle and Hyde, one minute she nice, the next she seems to be downright rude.
She seems kind of hard, but her clarity and guidance are invaluable, and I wish all professors would give study guides as clear as hers. If you listen and follow everything she says to do, you'll get an A in the class no sweat!!
She's a horrible profressor. She wants students to fail.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!! IT'S A PREVIEW OF HELL. ALTHOUGH SHE WILL HAVE LOOONG SPEACHES ABOUT HOW HELPFUL SHE IS, SHE WILL NOT HELP U WITH ANYTHING! SHE IS RUDE, MEAN AND JUST WAITS FOR THE OPPORTUNETY TO MAKE EMBARRESS U. SHE CALLED A GIRL A JERK ONCE SHE MADE FUN OF AN OTHERS ACCENT!SHE RARELY GIVES BREAKES AND KEEPS U IN AFTER THE CLASS IS OVER
This teacher is a nut job. All of the comments on her are absolutely correct. It seems like she enjoys making students feel stupid when asking for help. There is a tremendous amount of info to memorize for a GE class.
Human Genetics, Fall 06. I am an A+ student who loves this topic. She was an interesting lecturer but scattered. Family issues may have been a factor that quarter. Syllabus was old and out of date with book. Long exams concentrated on small details. Too much time on testing. Lots of reading, book was good. Learned quite a bit; still love genetics!
I had to go out of town for a week and she was happy to give me the time of day to take the exams early. She can sometimes come off as blunt, but I never had a problem with any of the material. There's extra credit she gives out, and that already is a luxury. So basically you need to be a mature adult to handle this class... it's not high school.
Not clear giving instructions...very desorganized
Bio 10 definitely wasnt a bad class, but it seriously could have been better. Duncan really knows biology and is more than happy to help you, but wow, watch out on her tests and homework. Not hard, but omg shes so picky about details! She also requires you to print out pages and pages of worthless labs and notes. Such a waste of paper!!!!
very helpful and knowledgeable professor. You do not really need to read everything in the textbook, just pay close attention to the labs, pre-labs, and homework. It may seem like a lot of work for a GE class, but I learned so much, it was a great class and everyone should take it!
75% of her final was based on things we had learned less than 4 days before. Too much material in short time, I was there everyday took notes thoroughly worked with other students and still didn't pass the class, all because of the final! She's a nice person, but u basically have to be a bio major to pass her class! Either u get an A or u get F!
that u will thank her later.And that we shud take gud notes in class for tests but then she goes off tellin personal stories and random stuf thats not even related to the subject or topic during lecture and you dont know wht to take notes on. keep copies of everything cuz she loses stuf and will try to giv u a bad grade. very disorganized,
Duncan is knowledgeable of Bio but she doesnt know how to teach the material.Yes, this is a college course so cant expect it to be easy but she needs to realize 4 most of us, its a GE class.Its not that the class is hard, its General Bio. Shes just a bad instructor.She tells you tht every single thing that she tells u will help you in life and
This class made me want to be a college student. She was so helpful and informative, her lectures were clear and to the point but also very practical and enjoyable. I am now on the road to becoming a College Professor because of Professor Duncan. This class is well worth the work.
I took her general biology class even after reading all the terrible reviews. I went into her class with a positive outlook and it paid off. I learned so much! It was so interesting and whenever I had any question she took the time to make sure I understood. People going in there expecting to fail will. You need to want to be there to succeed.
I loved her class...I got an A
Let me put it this way...i got a good grade and i still hate her!!!! She is awful and the fact that she thinks that she is soooo good makes it so much worse! she know the material, but she has no teaching skills at all. She's just rude and smelly.
WOW cant believe some of the comments you kids made..so much immaturity.I am 37 and studied my butt off and did as she instructed..got an A in class,if you are a spoiled brat who thinks it should all be spoon fed to you..then dont take the class.if you are a mature adult ready to do what it takes G.E. or not you will do well..hard work pays off. JB
She knows biol., but doesn't know how to teach! She has her favorite and unfovorite students! Discriminator! No interest in having a good relationship with students,arrogant, stinky, stiff,sneaky, with atitude, self focused person. Gen. biol. class should be eassier and more undestandable, than what she is teaching. I hate her!
Her lectures are boring and wander all over the place. Make sure you have lots of paper to waste with all the mandatory printed labs. She knows material well,but she is confusing when trying to convey that knowledge. Keeps the class after it should be let out. Her tone is often rude, and she smells. Her answer for everything is cancer.
She's not as bad as everyone is saying, but she can come off as rude when speaking to students. It's like she seems frustrated to answer students' questions; annoyed really. There is a lot of work to do, and is definitely possible to get an A or B if you go to class daily and do all the homework.
Possibly the most tedious class I have ever taken. The material isn't hard, but it really feels like she's out to get you- making assignments unnecessarily hard. Not an enjoyable class. If you attend every class, keep up with all the assignments, and ignore that fact that she's incredibly rude then you'll most likely get an A.
Duncan really knows her stuff. She gives study guides with was too many questions, it's hard to keep up with, but if you do all the exercises you'll surely get a good grade. I thought she was very insulting many times and was not respectful of students' different views on some controversial matters. Felt humiliated by her many times.
Everything that is expected from you is stated at the begining of the class. She uses a comprehensible point system for grades and has extra credit. Always willing to make time for students who are respectful and have visibly put an effort prior to seeking help. Lazy, immature, and disrespectful students will not mix well with her.
This class is both hard and easy. Hard in that there's a lot of work, paper and cross referencing of materials/quizes and tests. Easy in that Duncan has gone through much effort to make sure you have to be diligent in the course with many little quizes and homework assignments. Lazy students need an attitude adjustment to do well (contd>>>
I don't understand everyone's problem with prof. duncan. She's very nice and it's very clear that she truly wants everyone to succeed. If you have a problem with the material, go meet with her and within 10 minutes you'll understand the material. The class is challenging but if you do all the hw and ask when you have questions you'll do fine.
I think Pr. Duncan really wants everyone to succeed. She does make herself available and tries to answer any questions. Only concern I would say is that she coddles the students too much. Tell us no more than twice, and if we screw it up then that is our fault. She should not have to repeat the same instructions every single, these are suppose to b
I thought Pr. Duncan was a fair and competent instructor. She really seems to want to make everyone succeed. Lots of homework, test and quizzes. Needs to make sure that errors in homework (ETUDES) is fixed as it can be quite tedious to try to figure out why you are not getting the right answer only to find out the tool is loaded wrong
Took for BIOL10. Very knowledgeable of subject. Instructions, due dates and grace periods are clear. Assigns tons of work, you'll get buried if you miss an assignment. Is pretty nice but not good for introductory biology.
My human genetics teacher. Shes a very sweet lady, but can get aggitated easily at times. She definitely knows what shes talking about, knows how to talk about it, and will never say no to helping you, so as long as you approach her nicely, u'll have no problem.
She is an evil woman, if you ever get on her bad side watch out. She failed a person right in front of me for asking someone for a pencil during a test. She is nasty, and smells worse than anything you will be dissecting. Worst professor at foothill.
She's a very tough teacher when it comes to exams, but she's also incredibly helpful! She set up this independent study class where she would go over stuff such as chromosomes for the labs in biology and she would make them out of these things called Wikistiks. She made the labs so much easier! Overall, one of the best teachers I've had for bio!
There is a lot of work in this class so if you have a class like math or English I would advise you not to take her class. If you need help she is good about setting up times to meet with her.
This teacher is alright. Aside from being angry with the class most of the time she is pretty helpful, with setting up additional study times for students. but if you fall behind you are screwed. and do not get on her bad-side or she will try to fail you.
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE HER!!!! She's fabulous. She pours her whole heart and soul into teaching and demands the same from her students. She's what every teacher should be. My fave teacher ever!!
I absolutely dislike her...really mean..!!
My FAVORITE teacher of all time.TAKE HER! I learned so much in this class! She is very inspirational, and cares deeply about the success of her students. She taught me things about nutrition and biology that I will remember for life! Always available,great/organized labs,quick responses, and the poor thing works her but off for her students!
Minimal textbook use..Chaotic when it comes to assignments; she'll have you turn in assinments online, in person, or do assignment on paper and turn in online (never consistant)..very heavy workload..Do not take if you are a full time student.
Please do not take this class! She is very unorganized, gives papers back way too late, and stuff that was due the first week in the quarter we still haven't got back. Yes, its easy if you study her 38 objective sets! Too much info to know. If your taking another hard class like science or english or math. Do not take it!
You have to be very much on top of your game to do well in this class. Ms Duncan puts a lot of time, effort, energy, and love into teaching. She wants you to do well! Yes, she can be a bit disorganized, but she does have a lot of students and material to cover. If you put in the effort, you will like Ms Duncan and this class :)
Mrs. Duncan's BIO 10 class is difficult to begin with, students usually get pretty overwhelmed with all the class readings, lab quizzes and online homework. But eventually you will realize those things really do pull your grades up. Mrs. Duncan is a very professional teacher that she want you to do well in this class, and you will learn so much.
She is good at explaining things . She is also willing to help and trying to help you get an A. However, her class is very unorganized. Many quizes are due right after the quiz is opened(sometimes she will reopen them). 30 quiz is upload in the last week of the quarter . I printed 1200 pages for this class and she never used the book.
It is in your best interest to attend every lecture and take notes. I do believe her lectures can be slightly biased, however still interesting. If you make every lab and lecture, there is no reason you should not attain an A. She DOES NOTICE whether or not you're putting in effort, and presents those who try with better opportunities to do well.
Ms. Duncan is really nice and wants you to succeed in her class. Her course is challenging and you need to put in a lot of time for studying in this class. The people that complained about all the work need to grow up. This is a 5 unit course. I was enrolled in 20 units while taking this course and still got an A. She is disorganzed though.
Class is disorganized, excessive, & full of drama. There's about 50 online quizzes, 10 lab quizzes, pop lecture mini-quizzes, 2 major quizzes, midterm, & 200 question final. Also, you'll be doing journal essays, 3week experiment (includes presentation & paper), & about 1,500 pages (book & Objectives). Forget about a life, there's not room for it.
I took her class to fulfill a GE requirement and I was less than impressed. She not only has a huge workload, she is incredibly uninteresting and at times confusing. Not a fan. Search for another Bio teacher if you have to take a class.
(Rating her for her lab.)No, just no. She takes ages to update your grade, the quarter is almost over, and I still don't know what grade I have at the moment. She'll give you a hard time, if you're not understanding something or don't know something. Doesn't teach the lab at all, expects to know everything on our own. Pointless labs.
This instructor is by far the worst instructor I have had my entire community college (SJCC) and university (UCD) experience. Its not a difficult class beginner bio, but she gives a ton of busy work, and anywhere between 4-5 midterms. Her assignments are not always posted up on time. She makes you lose interest in the course, and is rude Stay away!
This was the worst quarter I have ever had. She expects a lot from her students, but doesn't post assignments or quizzes on time. Finals is next week and she just posted eleven late study guide worksheets (which take at least an hour each to finish) and assigned 5 homework packets. She's also very condescending and belittles students.
I loved her. I am definitely not gifted when it comes to science, but she made it easier to understand and was always willing to help people when they asked or visited her during office hours. I did only have to open the textbook once, but it might be more helpful to others.
I've been thinking about the comments about her a lot, and simply cannot understand why she has such low ratings. Maybe she treat Bio 10 students differently from 12 students? She is such a sweet lady. She offers so many chances for you to get a good grade! Because of her low ratings, I was hesitant to take her class, but I love her.
You have to do a lot of work in her class to pass & it interferes with other courses. She doesn't always teach from ground zero on a lot of topics. The only thing i HATE is that she is so disorganized, and doesn't grade things on time, so it's hard to know what grade we have in the class, even though she says she will grade on time. So frustrating!
First of all, a whole lotta work. A LOT of online quizzes and activities. TOO many study guides and activities to study from. If you're a full time student, this class will take up a lot of your time. She's REALLY rude when a student does something wrong or doesn't know an answer. I get SCARED to ask her every time I need help. Very disorganized.
terrible teacher. slow grader. she smells bad. kinda hot tho. i got an A but i still strongly disliked her and the class. fails to make class interesting and has unclear expectations.
Kathleen Duncan is the BEST professor I have ever had. She really cares about her students. You can talk to her anytime she's around. She is obviously a passionate teacher as well as biologist. I hope I have the privilege of having her as my professor again. She does take a while to grade things but you always have enough time to clear things up.
WAY TOO muchworkthat's required 2 do well intheclass, but notincluded in the grade. This class takesupalot of time. HIGHLY disorganized which hurts students grades, makes it hard 2 learn&know when things r due. Her scatterbrain makes me NOT recommend taking this course w/ her. never lets u kno of ur updated grade, so u dont know how well ur doing.
Claims to want to help students in the beginning, but turns into a condescending, pompous jerk towards the end. Gave a full lecture TWO DAYS before the final. She really piles on the work load and is not helpful at all. Very unorganized, which leads to confusion and all out chaos. I highly recommend to NOT take any of her courses.
Don't take this teacher she expects a lot from her students, but she does not perform the same way. She is late to half the class and is very unorganized. She makes it difficult to pass her class. She gives tons of work, which isn't necessary. She's also likes to call her students out in front of people and belittles her students, which makes it
Very BAD teacher,also stinky so bad,I believed that she no shower at all.She like made to much activities like grow a litle plant for a whole month,it is a ggod teacher,I dont thingso.Dont take class with her if you want to learn some.Very bad teacher.
Ms. Duncan is very nice and very helpful, but her class is very hectic. She has WAY too many things to catch up on and a lot of unnecessary activities and worksheets. It's hard to catch up on her work if you have a job or you're a ful time student. She is very unorganized and wil not clarify etudes on what is due and what needs to be turned in.
Half the class drops within first couple weeks because the way she teaches is so confusing and unorganized. Feel like you learn nothing in class. Have to self teach but dont have proper textbook to do so. Wastes time with discussion online forums she wants u to participate in. 180 mc 5 pg free response midterm and final 200 mc and 5 pgs free respon
Recommend avoiding this class and teacher. Should take this class after transfer. Big problem with textbook situation. Really should pick one textbook and follow it like regular classes. Boring and confusing lectures. 90% of stuff learn isn't on test so waste time studying them. Gives false promises on assistance/study guides. Nit picky on test.
The course was very challenging, only because there was a lot of material. She gave objective sets of every topic and everything on the objective sets showed up on the tests. There are 3+ textbooks for the class, but use them to answer the objective set questions in junction with what was covered in lecture. She is overall a very caring professor.
she really is one of the best teachers at foothill, if you show up and try she will pass you, also what is teaches is actually very interesting and she makes it easy to understand
She straight up gave me a panic attack with her attitude and makes an easy class harder then it should be. Mrs Duncan I hope you see this and change the way you run your class
Mrs. Duncan is hard, but she is super helpful and if you put in the effort, she will do her part to make sure you understand the material. I had her for both BIO10 and BIO12. She can be a bit disorganized, but it's worth it.
Mrs.Duncan is one of the best teachers I have ever had. You will leave her class with knowledge and it will help you in future classes. She uses different approaches and this way the educational process is not boring as Biology is not an easy thing. Exams are based on study guides; no surprises. Plus she is a very caring person. I really miss her.
If you can avoid taking a class taught by her, do it.!! She is SO disorganized and caused stress for absolutely everyone. The content of the class itself I didn't find difficult, but the way that she decided to format her class was insanity and really hurt my other grades.
Avoid her class! All her reviews are very accurate. Highly disorganized specially towards the end and the amount of work load is just unnecessary and confusing with quizzes every week,pre post labs,homework,in class work. the material it self is not difficult but with all these other things it makes the class 10x harder.nice lady DO NOT TAKE HER!!
Avoid her at all cost!! Disorganized, rude, exams are extremely difficult, tons of homework. I regret enrolling on this course :(
Very disorganized !!!!! Avoid her class... put in so much effort but didnt get a good grade. A lot of hw, and quizzes!!! Midterms are extremely long and hard (150 mc and short questions)!!! Dont know how to teach!!!! DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS
No matter what don't take her class!!! She is terrible and extremely disorganize. She will drive you crazy! Unreasonable amount of homework and tests which you can hardly finish them on time!
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Prof Duncan is EXTREMELY disorganized and can be very unpredictable. Unreasonable amount of homework and other work. I regret taking this class. She can reprimand you in front of the class and laugh it off. The midterms are extremely difficult and the only study guide provided are objective sets which are 30+ questions each.
I took her class and that is true - there is a lot of work to do but she is a great teacher, and if you know her objective sets well than you will do well in all of your quizzes lab tests. The truth is that Biology class requires a lot of memorization regardless the fact whether the teacher is good or bad.
She is VERY disorganized, and she assigned a lot of unnecessary homework--so much so that I didn't have enough time for my other classes. I found this class to be really stressful and unnecessarily difficult due to Ms. Duncan's disorganization and unreliability. If you have a choice, find a different teacher.
I really enjoyed this class! Ms Duncan is the most caring and nice professor ever. She explains hard material in a way that's easy to understand. The exams are long so be prepared. She can be a little disorganized at times but it's not too bad. As long as you attend lecture, it's totally fine, she tells you everything that's on the exam.
She is probably one of the nicest professors you will ever meet! The down side is her lectures don't cover all the material needed to know, the homework is optional, which only adds to the confusion, and the tests are pretty hard. She is very disorganized, but if you are nice and try hard, you can patch things together.
Not the easiest class and her website is a bit confusing to navigate, but she is pretty fair about what she wants from students and if you read the material you will do just fine.
Best teacher I ever had. Not an easy grader but fare. She will assign a lot of homework but if you come to class and do the work she assign, you got your A. Before picking this class realize that this is a very time consuming class. Be fare to yourself and your teacher by making sure that you got the time. Mrs Duncan goes out of her way to help you
Incredibly RUDE to students. Makes you feel really stupid. She's not afraid to humilate you in front of class. VERY DISORGANIZED. The class itself is easy, but would never take any one of her classes again.
This class requires a lot of work, not always hard work. Lectures are long and lab is short but runs a bit over time. Be on top of online stuff! READ AND DO YOUR LABS B4 CLASS!you never know if she will put you on the spotlight. She's sometimes confusing,but She can be helpful(very sassy when doing it). If you take this class make it your priority!
Great Teacher
Make sure that ur easy on the credits when you're taking this class!! Very time-consuming, but REALLY rewarding if you study for this class every single day and do every optional practice quiz online. She's super helpful but impatient, and I definitely suggest you pop in for office hours. 1st week of class confusing but u'll get the hang of it :)
It's like she does not even care about teaching. She would tell us the homework the night beforehand. She did offset her lateness by allowing us to turn in things late with no penalty. She comes to class without a plan and does make you stay in 10 minutes past class ends.
Professor Duncan was one of the least helpful teachers I have ever had. She tells you to ask questions but then continues to make you feel stupid for asking. She's contradicting and harsh and I would not recommend this class at all.
First I'm an chem major. Dropped this class because aparently I was "determined to get an F"(Duncan) the first four weeks into the course. I don't see how that's possible with all the work I put into the class. Well lets just say the teacher has flaws. I retook bio in the summer, passed no problem with an A. Students: DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS!
Do not ever take her class. She is basically a monster that will haunt your days and will never let you sleep soundly. Bottom line, do not waste your precious time by taking her class. You will regret it
She assigns a lot of work, sometimes at the last minute, and she is disorganized. Labs run late often. However, the work itself is not that hard. If you show up, actually do everything she assigns, and ask for help when needed, it's really easy and straightforward. She tells you what will be on the tests and she gives lots of extra credit.
DO NOT SIGN UP FOR HER CLASS!!!!! If you need a bio class and she's the only option I advise you to wait until next quarter because you'll absolutely regret it!
Taking her class is one of my biggest regrets. DO NOT TAKE HER! She is very disorganized and unhelpful. Messaged her a couple of times and never got a single reply. Tests are super long and her final exam is insane. I put in a lot of effort, never missed a class, did all the assignments and quizzes on time and it's still not enough for her.
Amazing Lectures!
Duncan is a very demanding professor. She claims she does not give busy work but she gives as much homework as she possibly can. She likes to keep her students on their toes and might humiliate you in front of the class. She seems very intelligent in her field, but treats her students as below her because of it. I personally hated going to class.
If you're taking this class as perquisite, you might want to think twice about taking this class. However, as a bio major(nursing), very informative class. It's a lot of work but I can say that I left bio 10 knowing and understanding 95% of the material. Do all recommended work and extra credit. I feel prepared for my next bio classes.
Now this is a professor that can teach; she gives one hell of a lecture. Ask questions and go to office hours if you need help; she's always receptive and is great at clarifying concepts. Not to be taken if you have a heavy course load as there is quite a bit of reading. You need to work in the class for your grade; there's no easy A.
I feel I must emphasize that help IS there if you ask for it. Confused? ASK!! She is more than happy to answer any questions. Many complain about the workload -although it IS optional. She won't check if you're reading the extra material, but geez! It helps! My tip: DO the practice quizzes because they might just save your butt in the quizzes.
She is good
Don't take the class!!!! Terrible professor...
terrible teacher
She is the worst professor I have ever metshe doesn't respect student and humiliate student in front of everyone else
She is extraordinarily unorganized. Her website(etudes) is a mess. Everything is jumbled up and she does not give clear dates for when things are due. In class she is always talking about how people should behave in order to do well like "if you don't study, you'll fail" that kinda thing. But IF SHE IS NOT ORGANIZED AT ALL NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND HER
1. very condescending + rude 2. doesn't believe in learning diabilities; generally ableist 3. instructions are not clear 4. claimed people on here just hated her b/c they didnt want to do work... i never payed attention or studied more than 10 minutes and i (currently) have a 95% in the class.. 5. don't take this class unless you have to
She is incredibly sweet and means well. However, she runs this course like a high school class. Condescending towards her students and assumes they are not responsible adults. This is college, folks! Logistically makes the course too complicated for herself to manage. Etudes is a mess. Offers extra credit and opportunity to meet with her at OH.
Don't take her class, seriously. She is sometimes very harsh on students and she gets angry easily. Once you made a mistake, she will keep an eye on you and bust you every time you make mistake. Sometimes, she makes you feel like you know nothing at all.
The ratings on here are so bad and she is not deserving of it. Ms. Duncan can come off as pretty harsh but that's just because she's a no-nonsense type of person- which I respect. She is so helpful if you take the time to come to office hours and cares deeply about the success of her students. She can however be nitpicky when it comes to grading.
I was a bit hesitant to take this class with Duncan based off of the negative feedback she received, but I was happily surprised. I enjoyed her class and learned a lot. She sets you up to succeed by offering tons of useful resources. If you show up to lecture and do the optional practice quizzes, you'll do fine.
She's a fantastic professor but she's tough. Be early, be prepared. Take notes. There is a lot of reading so don't expect to breeze through this class. She has no patience for people that aren't prepared.
I got an A. This was the most frustrating class I have ever taken. She is one of the most condescending people I have ever met. Embarrassed students in front of the class, graded on the dumbest most nit picky things, unrealistic expectations, and very disorganized. I never once opened my textbook. She does provide lots of practice work.
Shes a pretty fair grader, lots of extra credit. Multiple choice and practice exams. This class is crammed with too much material however. She is disorganized and halfway through the quarter it's hard to keep track of everything she's assigning you.
Please, do yourself a favor and DONT TAKE HER! She REQUIRES people to come into class on the weekends, and if you don't you will fail. People work on the weekends! Many, many people complain about her, she is probably the WORST prof at foothill I've ever had. No one is as bad as her. Please don't get entangled in this mess, it will save you!
First off, she's VERY condescending. I mean she won't be afraid to announce to the class that you are a "failure." Second, she expects students to show up on the weekends even when there is no class that day. It's almost as if she decides who passes and who does not pass! Most unorganized and unprofessional professor on campus.
She's a tough grader and she has no patience for people that are not prepared. I loved her class. Prof. Duncan is also willing to go above and beyond with offering extra help if you are trying. She expects as much as she gives. She is one of the best instructors I've had at FH.
Are you familiar with Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter? Ms. Duncan will go out of her way to embarrass her students and she DOES pick her favorites. I took this class with my little brother, week two we were already on our tip toes. She is a super tough grader, managed a B purely due to study groups. More than 3 minutes late? Stay home. Mean rude
I don't even know where to begin with how terrible she is. She is so unorganized its ridiculous, her due dates are not consistent, she makes you feel stupid when it her fault that students aren't understanding. Her lectures are confusing and although she does offer extra credit but she never got around to grading it so it wasn't added to our grades
She's very understanding if you talk to her, she understands that life happens and will work with you. Knows her stuff, very intelligent. However, she is condescending and can make students feel "small." Not the hardest class; so long as you take her advice and do as she asks you will pass. Will work hard to make sure you understand the subject.
She is very intelligent teacher. She knows what she talks about her subject, but she is the most meanest teacher I have met at Foothill College. I wish she could be a little nice to students and treat them like adults.
Took this class 2 years ago & don't understand the low rating. She's caring-provides materials if you can't afford. Straightforward- like high school biology. She didn't make fun of anyone- only scolded those who were disruptive. There were online quizzes that were helpful for in-class ones. 1 con: nitpick microscopes in lab but easy once u get it
Very helpful and understanding. She went out of her way to help me study and pass the class. Grateful I took her class.
Years ago I thought she was not a good instructor. Looking back, I see how organized she was in comparison with other instructors. I believe that I focused on negative aspects then. She apparently took time to prepare for a quarter that would benefit the students. I wish she had not retired as I could not see the class for its quality back then.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
77%
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BIO
5.0
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5.0
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