No Comments

His class is demanding, but interesting. The amount of information you need to know is somewhat overwhelming, but it is feasible. For all exams I studied the night before (ok, I pulled my first all-nighters) and got the top grade in the class. Lab exams were a bit harder to master, but he does curve. I know because I got an A I am proud of.

Dr. Brown is the best bio professor I have come across. He is a bit fast-paced, but NOTHING he says is irrelevant to the subject manner. He is very interested and knowledgeable. I am not fond of biology, but his class flew for me. However, tests can be ridiculously difficult, especially if you don't keep up in class/readings.

Brown is a great lecturer. He speaks clearly, but the class covers a lot of information, so hardcore studying is essential. The test questions can be unclear, but I asked for clarification and it helped a lot.

His tests are ridiculously difficult! People study for days on end, and still only make a D! He is nice, however, and will certainly help you if you ask.

Professor Brown was a wonderful professor. His lectures were crystal clear. And the people who did not do as well (our exam final average was 47%, which he does define as good), did not come to class and read the book. He tells you not to read the book, but this is not true. Go to class and read. You will do well if you understand. Great class

seems like a nice guy but EXTREMELY difficult tests for those who did not take AP bio in high school.

Ridiculously tough course. Tests will be very hard because they are based on Brown's lectures, and since he is a molecular biologist his lectures get more in depth than the textbook...take notes on everything he says in lecture, go over the notes A LOT before a test, and you should be okay

Definitely not an easy class, but if you keep up with the reading and pay close attention in class, it's not hard to pull off a B or even A in the class

Good professor. Class is tough, but Study Hard and you will be fine

I found Professor Brown's class to be really hard, but he is a wonderful teacher. He is invested in his students and he truly wants you to understand the material. He is great during office hours and if you can't make them he makes time outside of them. I would definitely go to class and read the book.

This class was pretty tough. I'm a bio major and took AP Bio in high school yet this class is still pretty difficult. You really have to take good notes and understand the material twice over if you want to do well on the exams. Study hard and you'll be alright.

Professor Brown is an excellent teacher and though his tests are near impossible, a lot of the material is taken straight from his lectures. Take notes in lecture and consult the textbook only you don't understand a concept. The class is based on a huge curve because our test avg was usually around a 50.

Brown is one of the best teachers I have had at GW. Taking this course solidified my interest in biology at GW and I look forward to taking more of his clases in the future

Professor Brown is so smart. Read and take notes on the textbook, but pay attention in class because his exams are based on the lectures. The class requires a lot of studying and his questions are hard, but there is a scale.

So, I was scared at first to take the class b/c of the ratings on here. And yes, the class is tough. Yes, Dr. Brown's exams are extremely hard and you should keep up studying. I loved his topics and lecture! I got a decent grade; what I did was record the lectures and retype notes meticulously. It definitely paid...looking forward to more Dr. Brown

Browns a good professor. Its hard material but he tries to make it as easy as possible. GO TO CLASS, he explains things well and you at least know all the material thats going to be on the exam. This is an intro class but its for science majors, its not supposed to be easy and if you cant handle it, change your major.

Hands down the best professor I have had at GW. The avgs on the exams are usually around 50%, but he curves the class avg to 75%. Go to class, take a ton of notes (the way brown writes them down in lecture) and start studying about 2 weeks before the exam. He does take some questions from Iclicker and A LOT from the study guide and online program

Explains things very well and in depth. Overall, a nice guy and very approachable when it comes to asking questions. he understands that the material can be complicated and boring sometimes which is why he tends to cut lectures a little bit early. tests r hard so study a lot, this class should b for bio majors only

Very difficult class. It is difficult because it is meant to weed out the pre-med kids who aren't really committed to the long haul. Exams are very difficult, but there is supposedly a massive curve at the end of the class. Brown is very nice and willing to help students. He loves teaching. The lab for this class, however, is horrendous.

Prof. Brown is hard but fair. If you want to learn you will and if you don't care then you can't expect a good grade. Make sure you go to class. His class notes are what he tests on.

...bring your iClicker and bring your A game

His tests are incredibly tough. You really have to give it your all if you want an A in Brown's class. He has excellent power-points, and the homework assignments help, but somehow everything in this class is hard...

Brown is BRILLIANT. i had never taken bio before this class and was terrified. i attend EVERY class and take notes exactly like he does. Despite his advice i also look at the book. i review my notes every day after class. its hard but im not a science person and will finish this course with an a. you can do it.

To be blunt, if you're not good at science, you will not do well in this class. Prof. Brown is hard, but fair. He is EXTREMELY flexible with office hours and will work with you to get a time that works for the both of you. He makes class interesting, and if you like science, you will find him funny. He tests on the notes, so go to class, I missed 3

Brown was a great professor! He really tries to help you in office hours and he tells you how you should study. I studied only my lecture notes and referred to the book if I did not understand something. Everything else I went to his office hours to learn. Just go to class and study at least 4 days -week before the exam and you will do fine.

Brown gives really tough tests. But if you attend class and take good notes you should do fine. You will need to put in a good couple of hours of studying to get good grades. BISC 1111 is NOT a class you want to blow off. I got an A- overall in the class. The lab portion is horrendous. It did not line up well with the lecture.

This was a really great class. Dr. Brown is engaging--but it's really important that you do more than just take notes during lecture. I also advise that you record your lectures, because although Dr. Brown is great, I couldn't write as quickly as he was speaking (he's usually very good about this). Tests tested on lecture material. Go to class.

While not the most engaging professor, he really knows his stuff and covers a lot of ground every class. if you read through the chapters before class--even skim--and come to class, pay attention, get brownie points from answering the in-class questions (you don't have to get them right), ask a question here and there, you will easily do well.

I highly recommend reading the book as well as attending his lectures. I definitely would have done much better had I known how important the book would be. He is a nice guy, but depending solely on class info will leave your grade a little lower than expected

Professor Brown is a very good lecturer and uses power points which are helpful. He sticks to the syllabus and his grading policies, no extra credit. Overall, great professor -- go to office hours! He knows his stuff and is great at explaining hard concepts. Challenging course but absolutely worth it!

Fantastic professor and very intelligent biologist. As other commenters have said, he is difficult but also very clear about his expectations. All tests were mult. choice other than a short answer on the final. Couldn't be happier that I took his course.

All of the tests are on his notes- I rarely opened the book. All I had to do was record his lectures (but I still got 60s on the tests - but that was the class average on each test anyways). The thing that saved my grade was the 26 point curve and my lab grade. Sadly, he is no longer teaching at GW and left for Michigan.

Without a doubt, Brown knows the content; its obvious that he's knowledgeable in what he has to teach. BUT, the catch comes is that all his notes are NOT online, they are merely outlines of his powerpoint and unlabled diagram from the textbook. You have to study for more than just one night for an A student . This is hard for any student.

Ken Brown really knows his stuff! You gotta work hard for the grade, but I thoroughly enjoyed his class.

Brown is a very knowledgable professor. It's really important to show up to every lecture and take good notes. His test aren't easy, but they're definitely not "impossible." Most of his test questions require you to not only know the information, but be able to apply it to theoretical situations as well.

This class is college biology, not high school AP biology. The faster the students realize this, the easier it will become for them to do well in this course. To do well on his exams, STUDY his notes, not the textbook which only provides the basic information.

Brown has high expectations for his students. This class is not impossible but you have to really prepare for his exams. Do the book practice problems and go over iclicker questions he gives in class. All multiple choice test and curved final grades. Final is pretty hard. Definitely not an easy class but also not terrible.

Brown is great! However, his tests are super difficult and he only tests on his lectures. He really does care about his students though and is really helpful outside of class.

Honestly one of the best professors at GW. His lecture style is straight and to the point, and if you follow what he says in class, then you're guaranteed an A. Also a really cool guy if you get to know him.

Professor Brown is a great professor! He is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about biology. He explains concepts well in lectures and will test from those lectures, not from the book. Pay attention in class, take good notes, and soak in what he has to say - you'll do well in the class. He sets you up with a good foundation of biology.

Professor Brown primarily uses lectures to convey information, which can be dry at times. However; he is incredibly knowledgeable and will elaborate if asked. The course requires a lot of outside reading, but a good grade is very obtainable.

Dr. Brown is a great lecturer. He always answers questions. This class definitely the most difficult class I've taken at GW thus far. Labs are long and the tests are super hard. Be prepared to work hard and study a lot.

I don't recommend taking BISC 1111 with Prof. Brown. He is lecture heavy and talks very quickly but expects you to know everything to the detail. He only grades you on a few homework assignments that are based on accuracy. There are 4 tests and the averages are roughly 60 - 70% each time. The average for the class was 75%.

Pay attention to every lecture slide no matter how outside-the-box it may be (hint: it's on the test). Homework is graded by accuracy not completion so be careful. Very lecture heavy and can be dry at times but Brown is very knowledgeable and passionate about cell bio.

Prof. Brown is a brilliant researcher and great to talk to. I will say his methods are a bit old school. His lecture style is fascinating, but difficult because it's so fast, detailed, and tangential. The most minute detail could be on the exam, and recordings aren't available. Tip: print slides ahead of time so you can annotate them. It's easier.

Professor Brown was a fantastic lecturer who was undoubtedly knowledgable and passionate about the material. Though he doesn't count attendance, you never know when there will be iClicker questions in class, so definitely do not skip as these count for participation (not accuracy). Most of the weight is 3 (fair) exams, everything is in lecture!

Old school professor but very fair grading and a knowledgeable lecturer. Grading is based on easy and helpful online assignments, participation through iclicker (not for accuracy), and 3 fair exams, with a very gracious curve at the end of the semester. No prior knowledge of bio is needed for this class, just put in some effort and you'll be fine.

I loved taking intro bio with Prof. Brown. He is a very fair prof and though he is lecture-heavy, you can always go to OH for clarification on the material. I think reading the book also helps, but the tests are 100% lecture-based unless otherwise stated. He is such a kind professor if you take the time to interact with him. He also curves well!

Dr. Brown is an incredible professor. This class is VERY hard w exams avg 50% but he does scale. Advice: take super in depth notes, study a lot, and know the info well bv you will need to connect 4-5 separate ideas for EACH QUESTION on the exams. Definitely go to office hours and ask questions. If you put in a lot of effort you'll do perfectly fine

grade is calculated practically off 3 non-cumulative, all multiple choice exams. iclicker every once and a while (free points), online homework assignments (use quizlet!!). does curve every test, helps A LOT. prof brown is very educated, but certainly old school. go to office hours every week so he learns you by name!