I hated bio before taking this class. She is an excellent teacher that cares about what grade you are getting. She is very clear on what she wants you to know and has a great way of teaching, plus shes hilarous :)

Mrs. Cottrel is the best tacher I have ever had. My brother also had her and feels the same way. Her lecture exams are very hard so be ready to study your ass off. Her lab was fun and the exams weren't bad. Get her if you can.

I really liked Katie she is such a dork. She enjoys biology and can teach it very clearly. I enjoyed the class and i suggust her if you can get her. Remember to write in complete sentences though!

I've had her for 2 classes and LOVED her both times. Lectures are very clear (yes, buy the book) but her exams are difficult so just STUDY. The best part is you definitely walk out knowing you learned a TON! Always helpful, clear and very willing to listen to students. You can tell she LOVES biology and teaching tons!

She's kind of crazy, but she knows what she's talking about. I had her for a summer class, and she dropped unnecessary content for such a condensed semester. She was very clear with what she expected, and I'd gladly take her again.

Katie has an outgoing, loving personality that she defintely plays with to keep you interested in the class. Although this is do her test are very difficult and her class requires a lot of studying. My suggestion to anyone who takes this class is to take it with a schedule that you are at ease with instead of a full schedule.

Bio isn't the easiest for me, but after 2x of having her, I am able to laugh at it. You WILL learn from Katie, but you will work for it, too. Worksheets helpful, notes, lectures, exams, few quizzes = helpful! ALWAYS willing to help and hear our opinion on how she can help. Very caring. She loves Bio & cute, too. Recommended & would take again:)

her test are difficult. but she is a good teacher, i would take her again in a heart beat. shes very interested in the material and i didnt mind going to an 830 class at all.

This class is definitly a tough class but Katie makes it fun. She's very energetic and intereting to listen to. She makes the class easy to go to. You have to really study and do your work but i really liked her. I had several personal issues throughout the semester and ended up withdrawing from her class, and she was very understanding with me

Best teacher ever! the books not really mandatory just study for quizzes and tests

She's a really good teacher. It's really obvious that she knows what she's talking about and she's very good at describing things. You have to read the book to do really well on the tests, but she really does her best.

Kate is AWESOME. not the easiest teacher i've ever had, but if you work hard, it will pay off. she is VERY clear about what's on the exams. USE STUDY GUIDES FROM VSPACE!! she is funny too! i've had many long nights studying for her exams, which are frequent, btw. she outlines EXACTLY what to study, and there are never any surprises on the exams!

Katie is awesome. She makes class fun and interesting. You laugh all semester long if you have an active class. You wont get by without reading the chapters and studying. You have to do both but if you do than you can get a good grade.

Great teacher would take another class of hers anytime! Need to read and study to do well though. Katie makes class funny and interesting

Katie was such a good teacher. She was funny and very enjoyable. I would take another class with her any day. Tests are hard and require alot of studying and reading to do well but if you do, it will pay off

Good teacher, very funny, best I have had at SVSU. Tests are hard but study and you will be fine. Didnt put enough time in and missed a few labs so I didnt get the grade I wanted exactly but nonetheless a great teacher

By far the best teacher I've had. I had her for my biology lab, and she helped me all the way through it. She is very funny and sweet. I would take her classes again any day. The exams aren't too hard; she gives you everything you need to do well, if you study.

Professor Cottrell was my zoology lab professor. She was a great teacher. More than willing to help. Really nice to everyone.

She is a great teacher who made lecture fun and interesting every day. The tests were hard and needed a lot of studying, but the quizzes and weekly prelab assignments were easy points. I'd recommend her to anyone, she's a great teacher.

Katie is an amazing teacher. Knows bio and loves to help her students understand it. Will go out of her way to make sure you understand. She makes sure you work for grade. I would take her as a teacher any day. 4 test and 4 quizzes makes for a lot of point opportunitiesLOTS and LOTS of studying needed for the class hard class no matter what.

Katie was an excellent Biology professor. She was helpful, took time to make sure all students understood material if they requested help, and was very lively in class (no monotone). I would definitely recommend her and would take it again!

Katie is an awesome professor who will go out of her way to help you if you don't understand something. You can tell that she really loves what she's teaching. Although I find the exams difficult, as long as you study, you'll do fine. I would recommend her as a professor to anybody that needs to take this class, you won't regret it!

This is a easy class if you study and really put the work into it. Most of the test is from the notes we take in class, but some is from the book. You need to study for the tests because they are about detailed information. She is pretty funny and tries to make the class enjoyable! She's super helpful and tries to explain stuff if you don't get it.

Katie (as she likes to be called) is probably the best professor I've had yet at SVSU. She's extremely helpful, cares about her students, is hilarious in class, and makes Biology interesting! Recommend a thousand times! Be warned though, no curves. You must study hard to do well, but she'll help with anything!

Katie was the best professor I've had at SVSU! The class was unbelievably hard but she still did everything in her power to make it work and help me to pass the class. She was so entertaining and made Biology fun ... it's possible. Be prepared to take notes and read the book before the exams no matter what she says; it's much needed.

Katie is fabulous! Bio is hard, but she does a great job explaining things. Very helpful!

Katie is one of the best teachers I have ever had. The class is very challenging, but she does an awesome job explaining things. Her tests are hard, but she is always willing to stay after class and answer questions. I recommend going to her office hours to receive assistance. I would definitely recommend taking Katie as a teacher.

Katie is a fantastic lady and her class could not be easier! She is the best teacher I have had at SVSU, I went in her class knowing nothing about bio and I learned SO much from her! She gives chapter guides and lecture outlines for every quiz and test, it was nearly impossible not to get an A! I would highly recommend taking any of her classes!

She is my favorite professor so far! I really enjoyed her class, because discussions are very fun and I learned a lot! Tests are a little hard so make sure you study, but she gives a lot of time on easy assignments so anyone can still get a good grade!

I loved her! I will say for the tests you do have to study. She gives you everything you need for the exams. I would say that you cant miss class though. What's covered in notes is what the exam is. I loved her way of teaching and she is very fair. I had to do like two, one page papers over like a video or something. But no regular homework!

Katie's lectures are interesting, clear, and packed with info. She's funny and very willing to help. Some of her test questions are tricky, so make sure you remember things she says in lecture. However, she's more than fair when it comes to assignments (which there aren't many of), and gives a few extra credit opportunities. Take her!

This was my second time taking bio 111 and Katie definitely made it easier. I had Katie for both lecture and lab and any time I had questions she was always there to answer them. She also seems very passionate about what she does. As long as you go to class and lab and study you will do fine.

Katie is a great Professor I loved her. Very helpful easy to follow along in lectures. Test are a little tough but she is great.

Katie is one of the best professors I've had at SVSU! Her Zoology course is tough but, it will truly teach you good study habits and if you put the work in you can pull out an A. Hardest part are the Labs. She's humorous and easy to talk to.

Katie was awesome! She was definitely the best professor I have ever had. The class was not easy, but it shouldn't be. It is not a Biology elective; it is required for a Biology major. If you actually put in the time and effort, you can definitely get an A. She was extremely helpful and understanding. I loved her!

Made lectures entertaining! I will be taking Biol111B with her also. The only reason I got a B+ and not an A was because of one exam (where a different professor was a sub for one lecture) therefore I didn't understand correctly that other professors notes. Katie's lectures are straight forward and all of her slides are exactly what is on the exams

I am a Bio major and she is by far my favorite teacher. She is amazing, funny, always there for you when you need help. All around wonderful professor and perfect for any freshman looking for a biology class.

Katie is the best! I was never good at Bio in high school, but she made it really easy to learn and understand. Relates lectures to real life situations. READ THE CHAPTERS and STUDY!! You will do great!

Katie has a bubbly and fun personality that makes class fun. I loved coming to class because of it! Her lectures are easy and her tests are pretty much exactly what is on the lectures. Reading the book will help, but it's not necessary to get a good grade. Typically exams are over 4 chapters with a quiz in between. Definitely recommend!

Katie's my favorite BIO professor so far. She has a great personality and loves the subject, which is really motivating to the students. Both lectures and labs are taught very well. She is always there to answer questions or provide extra help. The lab manual is essential and I recommend getting the textbook as well, but you might survive w/o it.

Katie is seriously the best professor I have had at SVSU. She wants to make sure her students understand the content. Some people think that the exams are hard, but she provides "Chapter Guides". If you make flashcards for all of the information on the chapter guides, you will do well on the tests. Takes time, but well worth it. She's hysterical!

Katie is a great professor here at SVSU, she is very clear about what will be on tests/quizzes. She is also very understanding when it comes to extra help and will work with you the best she can. The textbook is online (which means free), but make sure you actually skim it as some of the test questions come from it verbatim.

Before every test there is a quiz and she will take some questions off the quiz and put them on the tests. There are 4 quizzes and tests. Pre lab quizzes before each lab. She is a great professor and if you have questions during the test don't be afraid to go up and ask. She provides chapter guides for each test. Would take her again!!

Professor Donahue is easily one of my favorite professors I've ever had. She's extremely funny and is the only person I know that can make learning human biology fun. The class is not that difficult and she gives outlines for her class notes. If I was a science major I would take her for as many classes as possible!

Katie is my favorite prof of all time. I loved her class and she made learning so much fun. I took zoology during the spring, so it was really difficult, and I definitely had to work hard to pass, but I did it. If I had taken it in a fall or winter semester, I think I would have really excelled. I would never take this class with anyone else.

Katie is a great professor, she cares about her students and she makes her lectures fun. As long as you attend class, take notes, pay attention to her lectures, and study for the tests you will do well in the class. I would most definitely take this class again.

Katie is by far my favorite professor at SVSU she is so caring and so much fun to learn from. Bio is a typical bio class but katie makes it fun. This is a good high school transition class.

Katie is the best biology professor in this department. The class itself is difficult, but she makes it more enjoyable. She is a very caring person, and cares about her students. Go to class, take notes, and pay attention to the lectures.

Amazing professor! Would highly recommend. I hate biology and she made it very easy to understand. She is hilarious and is very normal. I would definitely take her for any level of biology because she is so great!

Katie is one of the best professors Ive ever had at SVSU. Im not the best at science but she makes it very fun and easy to understand. Lectures consist of PowerPoint/note taking and she cares about all of her students questions and concerns. Theres online homework as well but its easy. I would highly recommend this professor!

Nice professor. She explains everything clearly in lecture. She gives both multiple choice and open ended questions in test. Tests are difficult but not impossible if you study. Lab practicals are difficult as there's a lot to remember. She won't give a lot of extra credits but max 5 points in each exam. Her class is challenging but you'll learn.

Katie was my favorite teacher this semester! She is so funny and really cares about her students. She responds right away to emails. She has extra study sessions near exam times. Make sure you read the text before the exams and take notes. Exams are pretty hard but easier than other BIO classes.

By far my favorite professor. She does everything she can to make sure you understand content in this tough course. Bio has always been a tough subject for me and she was always willing to help outside of class at anytime. Strongly suggest taking her if you struggle with math or science.

Katie is an awesome prof! The class is hard, but if you go to her office hours she is more than willing to go over anything with you. She is very nice and funny. It was tough, but Katie helped me every step of the way.

She is AMAZING!!! She knows how to make the material fun and enjoyable. She cares about her students and is very respected. She is great about putting grades in (1 week from when exam was taken) she is VERY approachable and you can tell she loves her job and biology. Would take her a million times over again!!!

Katie was my favorite professor this fall semester. She is super caring and is always willing to help! Very funny and makes the class interesting so you never get bored. If you pay attention and study thoroughly throughout the chapters you will do fine for her tests. I highly recommend taking her!

So amazing!! Katie taught biology in a way that made me fall in love with it! Shes a spunky fiery wonderful woman! Respect her and shell do the same, and ask questions, she will never make you feel dumb! Absolutely loved having her as a prof, and would ALWAYS take her if she teaches your required course!

Katie is a great professor. Unfortunately, some portions of the exams did not correlate the best with her lecture because they are exams required by the department. She is always willing to help students. Although exams are a lot of points, she offers a lot of 10 point assignments to help boost your grade & extra credit.

Katie was a great professor. Her grading scale was fair with some EC. Exams were a little difficult, but if you look over the objective she posts on canvas and understand those concepts you are all good. Lab practicals were intimidating, having to remember so many different taxonomic groups and structures. If you study enough it is not too bad.

Katie is great. BIO 111A is hard in my opinion but once I started seeing her in her office she made Bio fun when I hated it. She also was determined IF you go see her in her office regularly to get you on your way to pass which was a struggle for me but she pushed me through it.

Zoology is a hard class but with Katie, it is not impossible. Her tests come right from her lecture, and there are never any surprises. Her lectures are funny and keep you interested the whole time. Online homework to help to pad your grade and some extra credit here and there. No papers or busy work, that will waste your time.

If you are not a science person and need to take one for your General Education requirements TAKE THIS COURSE! It is so easy and doesn't require a lot of work. Her lectures are amazing as well and keep you engaged. All tests are multiple choice and as long as you attended classes you don't even have to study much to get an A.

Katie is such an amazing professor. She takes what is a surprisingly tough subject and teaches it in a way that is so easy to follow. This is a class where you need to put work in on your own time, though. She is always willing to help and it is very clear how much she cares for her students. If you need zoology, I would really recommend her!

Katie is one of the greatest teachers at SVSU. She genuinely cares about her students and it really shows.

Katie is so funny! I really didn't think I was going to like bio but her class was so interesting! She makes things easy to understand. I would definitely recommend her for someone who isn't super great at bio!

Katie is hilarious and is very entertaining to listen to. It is important to attend most lectures as a lot of the lecture material is on the tests. The lecture portion of this class was fairly easy, but the lab was really hard. However, Katie was always open to questions and really helpful in showing us where things are located/what to do. 10/10

Katie is literally the best teacher I have probably ever had! Lab attendance is mandatory, you are only allowed to miss one lab, but if you go to all the labs, you get 5 points extra credit. She gives lecture outlines which is sort of like a fill in the blank situation going along with powerpoint.

Being a poor student for quite some time, a B in this class helped my GPA as well as my confidence. Katie is helpful and funny; makes learning fun, she made us understand the concept and repeated the difficult ones instead of just lecturing and moving on. The lecture wasn't mandatory to attend but note-taking is very important for the exams.

Grades are weighted heavy towards test which makes it hard to get an A if you do bad on one. 55% lecture exams. 20% lab practical. 25% Homework and Quizzes. Lab practicals are VERY hard. All short answer and spelling counts. Take pictures of slides and utilize open lab time. Study in groups. Loved her as a professor, but very hard class overall.

Katie is super funny and willing to help students! Do NOT wait until the week before to study for practicals, they are HARD and not multiple choice. If you don't understand something, ASK. Exams are about 40 questions multiple choice and a few pages fill in the blank/short answer. Super organized teacher and makes the class fun

2 connect assignments a week and a lecture prep assignment for every class is a lot of work however all those assignments can balance out the very difficult lab practicals she has. great professor and loves what she does. make sure you get access to the connect assignments from the textbook when you get it or else your in trouble!

Katie's wonderful & makes Zoology fun. BUT, beware, her tests & lab practicals are hard. Lectures are fun & she's approachable so you can ask questions to without feeling judged. For tests, in the book DO THE OBJECTIVES. Don't just go off lecture notes and draw, draw, draw in lab! Even though the class was hard, Katie is a great professor!

She was AMAZING! Very kind and understanding with everything going on this year. The lectures were very clear and interesting. She genuinely cares about her students. If you have Bio with her - TAKE THE LAB WITH HER! Very helpful and always happy to answer questions. Exams are easy as long as you study. Never tests over anything that isn't covered.

My favorite prof so far! Very understanding and helpful. Lab is pretty easy, but you have to show up. Make sure to ask questions, she is more than happy to help and genuinely cares about her students. DO THE PRE-LABS!! Overall, fun class. Try to take her for both BIOL181 and BIOL181L if you can.

Katie is a wonderful professor who really wants you to do well. I had her for zoology and she always gave clear criteria for grading. The exams heavily reflect the class notes so study those to do well. Lots of extra points are given besides the exams so it is not fully exam based. She is hilarious and really wants her students to do well.

I really loved Katie as a professor and would highly recommend her. Her lectures are clear and thought out and her labs are great. All and all a great prof

Katie is an amazing professor. She is always understanding with students, and her lectures are always enjoyable. She is extremely passionate about biology, and is always willing to help students outside of class. Katie expects high quality work, and you have to put in study hours to succeed. She is very respectful and kind toward students.

Very approachable and makes class interesting. She is organized and wants her students to succeed! 4 lecture tests 2 lab exams and quizes and homework due sunday that is easy.

She was one of the best professors I've ever had. Anybody who says the tests are hard just doesn't study. The questions come straight from the notes you take in lecture. You have a lot of extra credit opportunities in the class so take advantage of it even if you have a good grade. Quizzes are equally as simple if you pay attention.

She cares about her students & wants to see you succeed. Her lectures are interesting and relatively easy to follow along with. Learning objectives and lecture outlines are provided so use them! Test heavy class and exams are difficult so make sure you put in the work studying. Ask questions in and out of class and take advantage of office hours.

Katie is so genuine and sweet. I was nervous about taking biology, but she made it so easy to understand and is so approachable. I would 100% take her again.

Katie is amazing! She loves her students and is helpful if you visit her office hours. I had her for 182 and 212. Both classes are very lecture heavy but so is basically any biology class. I felt that Katie's assignments and resources were very helpful for studying as she uses them to make exams.

One of the best professors I've had so far. Do the learning objectives for the quizzes & study that and you will pass easily. Attendance isn't mandatory but there are a lot of in class graded homework assignments. Allows for 2 assignments & 1 quiz to be dropped, 2 extra credit questions available on every test. GREAT PROF!!

Although her lectures encased a lot of information, she explained topics in a "fun" way. When it came to memorization of things like cycles, she made sure to draw them out with the class. Her tests are about 1/4 written section and the rest is mult. choice so when studying, keep in mind you may have to write some things out.

This professor taught zoology, which is a large memorization class, in a fun and memorable way. Although this class is test and quiz heavy, it's do able. Her study guides are spot on! The lab section was a bit more challenging, but it's doable if you ask questions and put in the work. She cares about her students!

This class was work, but the professor was always super nice and willing to answer questions! As long as you do the work and follow her lecture outlines (godsend) you'll do well.

The sweetest soul!! Would recommend her to anyone! I was worried about taking Biology as science is not my strong suit, but she makes sure everyone understands!! She also understands that most people taking this course are not in a STEM field. Gives lots of extra credit, and the quizzes align perfectly with the learning objectives. 10/10

I took this class two other times and Katie was the only one able to help me understand the content. Her lectures are straightforward and taking notes is necessary. She doesn't post the lectures online so while attendance isn't mandatory, you need to show up to class to get the necessary info. Her exams are exactly the stuff covered in lecture.