3.4
Quality3.2
Difficulty64%
Would Retake172
Reviews64%
Would Retake
172
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
47
4
51
3
32
2
25
1
17
What Students Say
“The slides consist of only pictures with no words”
BSC2011 - 1.0 rating“Slideshows are completely useless”
EVOLUTION - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
57%
Textbook Required
29%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.01 avg changeRatings by Course
ISC2937
5.0
(1)BSC1201
4.0
(1)BSC3016
3.8
(32)BSC2011
3.7
(96)BSC2010
3.6
(8)Difficulty by Course
BSC1105
5.0
ZOO3141
5.0
BSC2011L
4.5
ZOO3141L
3.9
EVOLUTION
3.6
Reviews (172)
EASIEST BIO 2 class!!. never took notes and studied the night before each exam, and i have a 98 avg! i strongly recommend!
Not that bad of a teacher, gives reviews which if you print off EARLY he'll incorporate the answers into his lectures so you get them done early. Tests are JUST LIKE the exams, not bad at all. In-class assignments = easy IF YOU GO. He has a noticeable stutter that somewhat affects your paying attention..
He's a good teacher. He has in-class assignments that are easy if you GO TO CLASS. Also a noticeable stutter, that may affect how well you pay attention. His homework's are just like the test. The book helps. His written assignments ate online and useful with Google's help. Take him, he's pretty good.
Great teacher. Easy to understand. Very knowlegable about animals and biology and incorporates a lot of examples into his lectures. I definately learned a lot in the class. Tests got easier as the class went on as well.
He was a great teacher. This was an honors seminar and he based it all off of what we wanted to study. You can tell he's passionate about biology and really encourages student interaction. Based off of this class I would say if you have the chance to take Dr. Dixon's class you should.
Perhaps I'm easily distracted, but I can't pay attention to him with his stutter. Thank goodness he only teaches 1/4 of the class. Not sure I could deal with him an entire semester.
He's ok. I give him a B- overall as a teacher. His stutter is a bit distracting and he's not the most entertaining lecturer ever, but his tests are fair if you study and he puts his old exams and keys up on blackboard which are very helpful since some of the questions are exactly the same
Amazing teacher!!!...he knows everything about what he's teaching. Offers help sessions weekly, posts all old exams, gives extra PRS points in case you miss a few days, and H.W. and quizzes are very general. occasionally he'll crack a joke during class which is funny. All in all I'd say he's one of the best teachers I've ever had.
Honestly one of the WORST teachers I have had yet. His stuttering is awful, not to be mean but if you have a problem like that you shouldn't be teaching, especially a lecture hall. Honors teacher teaching a regular class, so the test was much harder than it needed to be. Should never be allowed to teach bio for non majors again!!!!!!
He is a great teacher! The stutter is hard to get over at first but after a month or so you barely notice it. The class is sometimes boring but the tests are fair and if you aren't paying attention in lecture you can always go back and read the book. He gives you a lot of tools to help you do well on the tests - homework, practice exams, etc.
He is an overall awesome professor. Had trouble on a few of the tests but he always offered to help and held study sessions to help also. He explains things very very well and definetely knows what he's talking about. Unlike other biology classes, there are PRS attendence and group/home quizzes to outweigh the stress of the tests. :)
Easy A or B. Take his class.
He has a bad stutter but after awhile you don't notice. He is kinda boring and everything he says is in the book. If you review the notes and go to the TA's review session you will get an A.
For easy A come to class, listen to lecture, and take notes during class. He was extremely helpful to students. Multiple choice tests and he drops bad questions. HW was simple and group quizzes. When studying, primarily use the notes from lecture. The book is good to know about topics in more detail. He has what will be tested on his "first slides"
I know some people have a problem with his stutter, but that doesn't bother me. I can't stand him because it seems he's teaching purely so he can do his research. He's not a good teacher. I have learned nothing from his class. I recommend avoiding him.
Let me make this easy for you. This is the most unorganized prof. ever! Nice guy, but his notes = picture gallery. You'll be lucky to find ANY slide with words, and if so, there won't be more than 5 words. His notes will pull pages from random chapters, which means you can't study by simply reading chapters in order from the book. His stutter is ok
To some his stutter may not be a big deal, but if you are even moderately ADD it will distract you highly. In the first week there were 324 stutters, a little over 100 per class. He is a very nice guy though and seems to WANT you to pass, so if you read the book and TRY, this is an easy class. If you really want to LEARN bio, not recommended.
He does indeed have a bizarre speech impediment. It's only with certain sounds, but it can be distracting. As for his teaching, he's a pretty decent teacher. He cares about his subject and his lectures are pretty straight forward.
His class is very easy to pass as long as you attend most of the lectures and complete the study guides, and keep up with his tedious homework assignments.
This review is for Animal Diversity Lab. Every day, he whines about nonexistant talking going on in class while wasting a lot of class time. His lectures are the most useless attempts at education I've ever seen and the class is purely remembering about 10,000 acronyms. Unnecessarily difficult course with idiotic assignments. Avoid.
If you take Dixon for Animal Diversity, be prepared to listen to a very unpleasant man read verbatim off of slides he didn't even create himself. He makes this class unnecessarily difficult and exceptionally boring. Although he cannot help it, his stutter is very distracting and time consuming. Take BSC2011L with someone (anyone) else.
Wost teacher, if you can even call him that. Reads directly off the slides and yells at 200+ kids because they won't stay silent. The lab as a whole is poorly set up. The lecture and lab material/info is not the same (tests do not intersect). Its like taking 2 classes. Only 2 credit hours but my most time consuming class. Would not recommend ever!
I took him for the lab and I literally only went to class for the attendance points. I spent the entire time studying for my lab quizzes instead. Don't buy the text and just memorize the slides. I didn't listen to any lectures and didn't even go the last two week but I got an A on both the written parts and an A overall.
Kevin Dixon is the man. Here is the problem with students at Florida State, and maybe just people in general. Most students I feel like don't ever want to take the time to read their textbook. You will get an A if you just find the picture he posts in his slides and then READ THE BOOK FOR DETAILS. Simple. Go to his office hours if you need help!
He was a great teacher. He genuinely loves what he is teaching which makes going to class easy. Read your textbook to reinforce his lectures or to teach yourself and you'll get an A. Extra credit is built into the class so with studying A's are completely attainable.
For animal diversity lab, Dixon wasnt too bad. His notes are kind of all over the place but his tests werent too bad. They were things straight from the notes even is it was mentioned on one slide. Barley used the textbook. I focused more on what the lab TA went over since we were tested on it more and itll help. Just be sure to keep up with them.
Dixon was alright for BSC2011L. Attend lecture only for extra credit iClicker points. Lecture slides and weekly labs supply enough information to do well on exams and practicals, so no textbook is needed. Study lab notes and an 'A' is more than attainable.
Had him for Animal Diversity. The class itself is pretty difficult with a full course load considering you are constantly needing to learn new material week after week. However, if you study a lot then you should be able to get an A. You just need to constantly study.
He is a very nice person, he cares for his students and wants them to do well. His power points aren't helpful, if you don't pay attention in class, and you NEED to look at the book, if you don't pay attention in class. He does clicker points, which makes sense why people go to his class. As long as u study for his tests, and have a good group for
I found this course to be somewhat difficult but he was an awesome teacher. He was so helpful and spent so much time with me and helped me to understand. Nicest professor out there
The class itself was not difficult. I found he made it more challenging than necessary. Recitiation/attendance seemed completely unnecessary but he made them mandatory. I found it hard to focus on his pointless slideshows since the info could more easily be found in the textbook. Did not enjoy his class, but it was easy.
Well there isn't much to say about him. His power points were extremely boring, in fact I didn't attend class much other then for the times I needed the I clicker extra credit. He posts everything online so just go over those and pay attention in lab and you will be fine. The workload in the class was ridiculous however, and for only 2 credits?
He is a great teacher and a very nice person! In class group assignments & iClicker attendance points are basically free 100s as long as you attend class. Homeworks have multiple attempts and he posts old practice exams. HIGHLY recommend (:
Dixon is an excellent professor! He is very knowledgeable and very helpful as well. He offers a lot of extra credit so it is very easy to get a good grade. His test questions can be very ambiguous at times but if you read the chapters he assigns you should be fine! I highly recommend him!
Professor Dixon was very knowledgeable and able to clearly explain examples. He doesn't just read off of powerpoints which was great! Plenty of iclicker points and the homework wasn't too difficult. This class was not hard at all and with Dixon it was great. No reason to not get an A.
Dr. Dixon is an okay professor. He doesn't seem keen on answering questions often and can come off as condescending. His test questions are very difficult and sometimes he communicates poorly about homework assignments. He seems to make the class a little bit harder than necessary.
Powerpoints are useless and his tests are difficult because of the way he words things. This class is a lot of teaching yourself, I learned nothing in lecture and only went for the group points and iclicker. His test averages are low C's. If you read the book and teach yourself you will get a better grade. Recitation/review session was optional
This lab is awful, and the biggest waste of time. It is a 1 credit hour course yet is treated like a 3 credit hour. You will be told what is due but not how to do it, and then graded very harsh when you do it wrong. The TA's will tell you once you've turned your work in what was expected. This lab is awful, and I feel bad for all majors required.
He is a very friendly teacher but sometimes hard to pay attention to in class. The lectures are not very interesting but do not opt out of the iclickers and group assignments because they will help your grade if you go. Tests aren't the easiest but are manageable.
Kevin Dixon is exactly what you would picture a bio professor to be. He loves what he teaches and cracks jokes all the time. He does have a stutter, but you get used to it after the first couple of lectures. Honestly if I started to zone out it would grab my attention back to him. Hw and group assignments are easy and a great grade booster. Easy A
Good professor his class assignments and homework’s are easy but his exams are hard and you really need to understand the material before the exam. He final is two exams. I am a B student and I just failed this course.
This class was very easy to me. IF you go to class, 20% of the grade is participation (but if you choose not to go, it doesn't count). THe tests are easy. His lectures aren't the most interesting in the world, and beware he has a study. He is super friendly if you need help or go to office hours. Go to the study sessions! They helped a lot
Overall good experience. He is funny and makes things interesting. His exams are very fair.
Dr. Dixon is a good lecturer, you just have to get used to the stutter, which isnt his fault. Hes very knowledgeable about the material and makes the material clear during class. But, in order to get a good grade, you must make biology like 60% of your study time in order to keep up with and learn the material. Thats how I made it through.
Tests are tough. He gave 2 tests on exam day but TAKE DR. DIXON! HE'S GREAT! It's NOT an easy A but if you show him that you're trying and if you put in the work you'll get an A or a B. He's the professor everyone wishes they could have. He's funny, chill and very understanding. All around great guy. Go to office hours and visit the TAs.
If you either don't go to lecture, forget something he said during lecture, or don't own the book, you're pretty much screwed because his slideshows don't help. Most of the slides are uninterpretable and comprise of a figure with no explanations. If you're good with professors, take him. If not, you're better off teaching yourself this class.
Slideshows are completely useless. Even if you have the book, studying for the test is almost impossible since you don't know where to begin looking for his test concepts. I swear to god, I've never had a professor make powerpoints as blank and vague as Dixon's. I don't even know why he bothers to upload them or use them in class.
I personally thought he was a good teacher, although there is a lot of auxiliary work outside of studying for the tests that you have to do, like group projects and practice exams. His tests can be tough but if you go over the previous exams he posts on BB then you should do fine. He also often puts specific examples from lecture on the tests.
Very good Bio 2 teacher. The tests were not easy and you'll have to study but thats what comes with a medium-hard subject. I studied a good amount and received B and I'm not amazing at bio by an y means. He gives plenty of opport. to boost your grade which is why is almost impossible not to get a passing grade.
Lecture is important for grasping Biological concepts, and Dixon's lecture is not helpful in the slightest. His powerpoint are confusing and useless, and going to class feels like a waste-but you lose attendance points for not going. Tests are very challenging, and information on them is not straight forward, and getting used to this is hard.
Biology isn't an easy subject, but in comparison to other STEM type things this class was pretty light effort/easy grade. Yes he stutters, if that's gonna be an issue for you then maybe not the best choice.. didn't bother me.
His tests are full of typo's and misspellings. His lectures aren't helpful and neither is the book. The only way to do really well in this class is to have a lot of prior biology experience. He does have a stutter that takes a little bit to get past but its not too bad. His tests are hard to study for too.
Dixon is a solid choice for a professor. He lectures very well and makes sure you know the material. The tests aren't extremely difficult, but if you go to class and do all the homework you should get A's and B's on the test. He gives a lot of free points that will boost your grades and can give you an A in the class with just B's on the exams.
Amazing professor. He engages with his students in the lectures through quizzes and group discussions. He really wants everyone to learn and understand the material, and not just pass the course. Extremely passionate about what he does, and he is very friendly and knowledgable of the subject material. You def gotta read the book though. 10/10
There are reading quizzes due before every class. He doesn't teach at all; he just reads off the powerpoints that he posts, so there is no point in going to class. There are random group assignments that are done in class. And easy iclicker questions, but tests are extremely hard considering he doesn't teach.
Really great guy! Throughout the semester there were a lot of chances for bonus points, and for a non-bio major like me, it is an incredible way to boost the grade even though the test grades were not the best. So, going to class will be crucial but it will be worth it. Complete all the assignments he assigns and you should do just fine!
If you want to do well in the class, read the book because it will give you a better lecture than Kevin Dixon will. Dixon reads directly off of the power points and only lectures definitions and does not teach you how to apply the definitions to a concept. However he then tests over the concepts and applications, making his tests extremely hard.
Dixon is a very nice professor, he tries his best to help you understand the material. He provides TONS of bonus points, just show up to class for unexpected free points. About 400-500 points comes from group assignments, extra credit and random opportunities, so you don't have to pass all the exams because the class is out of 1000 points.
If you start studying from the textbook (he puts the page numbers for the concepts he goes over,) do all the mastering biology homeworks, go to class for the iclicker, and do all the group assignments and practice exams, you will probably get an A. His lecture style is all right but he gives a lot of extra opportunities. Tests are moderately hard
You have to read the book if you want to pass the tests and the final. I read the concepts the day before exams and I easily made 90+ scores. Really should attend class to get all the points from iClicker questions and group assignments. Overall, he is a good teacher and this is a relatively easy class.
Dixon is a really nice professor that wants his students to succeed. If you just go to class, and do all of the homework, you dont have to do amazing on the tests to succeed. He gives a lot of extra credit, and is super helpful if you go to office hours.
Great teacher, and going to the help session really boosts your grade on the exams. He is an extremely respectful professor even with rude students. Well-respected and well-liked guy. He really knows bio and wants everyone to succeed. 36% of your grade is just iClicker, online homework, in-class group assignments (easy A), and other homework.
I would not recommend taking this professor. The exams were all very tough because the questions were all worded very confusing. You must read the textbook and use outside resources in order to understand the content and study. He was very serious and I did not find his lectures helpful.
Lectures don't go along with the tests. You must be prepared to read the book and teach yourself. His power points only cover vocab, not application of the vocabulary. Tests are very difficult.
He described exactly what was expected. Answer the learning objectives and study for tests and you'll be fine
Dr. Dixon is a very nice man and a very good teacher. His PowerPoints are almost blank, which forces you to go to class. He uses homework, iClicker, and practice assignments in his grading as well. He gives very fair exams.
Dr. Dixon's lectures can be dull but they are necessary to pass the class. If you answer the before and after lecture questions that he provides you should be ok. He does clicker questions that are worth a hundred points and has group assignments and quizzes every week.
Not terrible but not good, would try and take Marks if you can. Lectures are dull and confusing. His slides have no words on them and if there is a graph he takes of axis title and numbers off which makes no sense. Have to really listen to get anything from them. Tests are kinda hard but if you do the reading you should do fine.
Not really a big fan of this guy, come to class and he puts you to sleep but you have to show up for iclicker. The tests are ridiculously hard compared to what you read in the book. Avoid him if possible.
He is a solid choice for a bio 2 professor and it was a pretty easy class. The test are worded a little weird but he gives a lot of extra credit which makes up for it. His power points are useless soi would just get a friend to send me there Terebelski power points as a subsitiute.
Dr. Dixon is a very friendly guy. You can tell he's very passionate about this course and truly wants his students to learn. At first it takes a while to get used to his wordless powerpoints, but he also records his lectures and posts them after class so it's very easy to catch up on whatever you may have missed. He's helpful in office hours also!!
Great teacher! He never misses a lecture and always has office hours. Covers everything through powerpoint but in a very nice way. Explains everything very well. He truly wants all his students to pass so if you show up & put in the effort, you will. Always open to questions and gives so many resources for practice before tests/quizzes.
Loved him for BIO 2. Although it requires a lot of studying, he really wants his students to pass and is a very kind professor. Definitely go to class for iclicker points and the in class quizzes help a lot with the test questions. He gives a lot of extra practice problems to make sure you succeed and understand the material.
Dr. Dixon was one of my favorite professors that I have taken. His non-mandatory recitation is a great way to prepare for exams- if you go to these, he will help you get an A and give you extra pointers on what to focus on. Overall, he is a great guy who respects all his students and their personal views.
Have had Dr. Dixon for a couple classes at FSU, and by far one of the best teachers I have had. He cares about his students, and is really good at teaching the material. If you go to his office hours he makes a point to know who you are, and help you with whatever you are struggling with. Definitely recommend.
Professor Dixon may be one of my favorite professors. While he does give a lot of work, he does so because he truly cares about his students' success in the class. If you attend lecture, read the textbook, and do all the assigned homework, you'll be in good shape. It is obvious that he is passionate about biology and his students.
Kevin Dixon is one of the best professors I have had at FSU. I didn't do well in Biology 1 but I love taking Biology 2 with him. If you attend class and do the assignments on time you will do well! Thank you Mr. Dixon for being such a great teacher!
The slides consist of only pictures with no words. You will have to do lots of studying outside of class because of this. Dixon tries to teach, but you will not learn much in class. I would have taken a different professor had I known this.
He's a nice guy, he's just not the greatest professor. I never learned much of anything in lecture and would just read the textbook chapters to prepare for exams since his slides have almost no words on them. The class isn't a ton of work and the exams are pretty easy.
If you are preparing for the MCAT, then I would advise to take a different professor. Lectures are pointless most of the times. The tests are difficult and there are many group projects that dont serve a purpose.
GO TO CLASS. He is passive aggressively rude towards students in lecture but he is a decent professor. Pay attention in lecture, do the homework well, and study the reviews provided and youll pass.
I love Dr. Dixon. His grading was clearly laid out, and I found it so easy to get an A in his course. His lectures can be pretty boring because he doesn't put much on his slides. He will put up a picture of a DNA strand, then talk for twenty minutes. But, if you do the reading quizzes, homework, and look over the book, you'll pass easily.
I took him for 2011 and it was the worst class ive taken at FSU by far. Went to lectures, office hours, tutoring, and still had to work for the B i got. When I went to office hours, he didnt understand how to help me, and would often reschedule. The textbook is your biggest ally because his lectures are terrible, but will test you on a random fact.
Extremely nice guy but I find him to not be great at lecturing. You have to read the book to do well on tests because you will not get a whole lot out of the power-points. Not the worst class I've ever taken but his class definitely makes it much harder to do well than it needs to be.
So glad this class is over. He is very rude when you ask a simple question. Often gives attitude and thinks his time is more important. Lectures are confusing and often does not explain things very well. Major assignments are time consuming and are graded toughly by TA's. This class was literally a headache.
Given the circumstances of this semester with covid-19, youd hope a professor would understand and accommodate students. This wasnt the reality. For you if you like receiving announcements in all caps about how he doesnt make exceptions, refuses to regrade, or a man with little empathy/tough grading system and some of the blankest powerpoints.
I was initially nervous for this class, but his instructions for assignments were very clear and if you study the practice tests he posts you should be fine. When classes moved to online because of COVID, he made the class SUPER manageable and gave lots of leeway. Taking another one of his classes this summer because he was awesome.
I'm gonna be honest, the class isn't a super easy A, but it's definitely attainable if you take the time to learn the material. I had him for eukaryotic diversity AND experimental bio lab. He was accessible outside of class and was honestly really nice to students. He granted me an extention on my final when grandpa passed away no questions asked.
I loved having Dixon for BSC3016! Although power points arent the best, (not much info) if you go to each lecture ready to take notes youll pass all of his exams. I really like how he does mini exams because it really gives you the opportunity to really know certain topics! He is a fair grader and I would Highly recommend taking him for BSC3016!
Professor Dixon is great. I have him now for BSC3016, online of course, and he has been super considerate of the difficulty surrounding the pandemic. There are in class assignments so make sure to attend zoom meetings. He has mini exams (10 qs/1hr) and quizzes (5qs/6min) once a week. He drops the 3 lowest quiz + mini exam grades. Overall super good
Great professor. Drops a couple grades at the end of the semester so it's really nice. No Honorlock, and just mini exams every week which aren't too hard. Class is definitely not an easy A but it is manageable.
Professor Dixon is super nice and fair. He really cares about his students. Lots of work but very easy assignments and very manageable. Super nice guy. Highly recommend
Really great teacher with clear expectations and appreciation for what hes teaching. Hes super nice and caring and the class material is interesting. I took him online and the class structure was great.
Dixon is very sweet, but his classes are disorganized, overwhelming, and the content is boring. I've taken three of his courses now, his exams are very unfair and good luck trying to find where he might pull a question from because there are 72 lectures, 136 powerpoints, two textbooks, lab briefs, and extra readings. It's ridiculous.
Dixon is a kind man. His lectures are disorganized and hard to follow tho. His course is flex, which has been amazing. The tests are open book and online. The hardest part of the class was the mini exams. The questions are not covered in lectures well, so it leaves you in the dark. If you can make it through the mini exams, you'll pass with an A.
Loved him as a professor. He is very very nice. He has clear expectations for the course. The assignments were open note. Anyone who says otherwise does not know how to use ctrl-f apparently. He wants you to learn and enjoy the biology of the course. He doesn't want to make you suffer. He's great and his TA was too!
Very nice professor. His tests can be quite difficult sometimes, but the class is flex and you are often allowed open notes on most of these assignments. Very flexible class to take and super sweet guy.
I really enjoyed this class! Dr. Dixon was very nice and his lectures were well made. I loved the field trips. They were great opportunities to apply what you learned in the classroom. The exams were not too difficult as long as you studied and the writing assignments were fun!
The class was taught by TAs and they were completely fair. The tests were the problem. There is so much material to learn and some of the test questions asked about the smallest details. That makes it an uphill battle. If you have a photographic memory, then it's an easy A. Otherwise, be prepared for some disappointment.
Professor dixon is super nice however his lectures are super disorganized and hard to follow he often times talks about one thing and then stop talking about it and then talk about it later on in the lecture all of his tests and quizzes are open notes however the questions are difficult so its not much help textbook is definitely recommend
Professor Dixon is a kind man however his lectures and teaching style is very disorganized and not very in depth. All of his tests and quizzes are open note however that will not help you the test are very difficult and even if you feel prepared you are not. He Talk about one subject and then bring it up 20MIN later. TEXT BOOK IS A MUST HAVE!!!!
Nice guy and eager to answer any questions. Boring lectures. Weekly assignments/ mini exams. The mini exams are harder than the tests so if you do well on those, tests are fine. Overall do your work and you'll be good.
Kevin Dixon is probably my favorite professor I've ever had. I loved the field trips we would take each week and he is super knowledgeable, experienced, and kind. Our class was flex and sometimes just on zoom if he was out sick, and it was very interesting, all quizzes and exams were online. Definitely take him, he is the best!
great professor, easy exams.
Insanely nice guy. Tests were not too difficult, focused exactly on the lectures. Simple in-class assignments that r due a day after (if you miss them, they're available on class recordings). A bunch of mini-exam/quizzes, but 10 questions and not too bad. Tophat focused, but his balance between zoom and in-person is really amazing.
Lecture slides are useless, only figures. If you miss class for any reason, good luck. If you mess up on any one assignment there goes your A. Also said the final was non-cumulative and then made it cumulative
Prof Dixon was one of the better major science profs Ive had at FSU! Attendance wasnt mandatory but there was an in-class assignment almost every class and they weigh sort of a lot. 4 exams, they arent curved but theyre very fair and based on the lectures. There were several other easy assignments that helped boost our grades. Highly recommend!
Super easy Bio II Class, some of the questions on his tests are worded horribely, but overall lots of easy work and many open note assignments. You'll need to teach yourself concepts outside of class, but if you put in the work there's no reason to not get an A in this class.
Dixon is a good lecturer. You'll need to read the textbook to prepare for mini exams though, which can be hard. Questions on exams can be worded strangely but are fair since he uploads practice test. Dixon is a fair grader and gives a good chunk of leeway, but you need to attend class to get the participation points to cushion your grade.
1 of 4 lecturers for this class, covered all the material on the test, if you pay attention in class you'll be fine. He also offers extra credit for every lecture. His lectures were sometimes boring but that's to be expected in a science class especially if you're not a science major. Overall pretty good.
DO NOT take Eukaryotic Diversity if you are a prehealth biology major. Why waste brain cells on memorizing information that doesn't matter? If your bio advisor said "a lot of people take this bc they don't want cell structure and function", they need a new job. Taking cell structure and function will help your future more than learning about plants
This professor doesn't reply to emails and is inaccessible after class. He is not very clear on his expectations on exams. He expects you to learn and memorize all content from his 50 slides per lecture for a single midterm that covers 15 courses. Don't know how/why he's rated so high.
Professor Dixon is nice, but I would not recommend him for evolution. His PowerPoint slides are not helpful and I feel he doesn't explain concepts well. All his assignments are difficult due to unclear material explanations, and he grades very harshly. He has good intentions but I would not recommend him.
Nice guy but I won't recommend him for eukaryotic diversity. Two exams online, one midterm, and a cumulative final in person. Expects you to remember 50 slides per lecture and 30 lectures for finals. He doesn't answer emails because he teaches 3 classes a semester. He was highly rated because he used to do all online open-note exams
Very bland lectures, but you have to pay attention and attend every day, taking diligent notes because the midterm and final are both cumulative, and there is no study guide, you just have to memorize everything. He is passionate about what he teaches, but there are too few assessments and he doesn't round because it 'confuses things.'
Dr. Dixon is a gem! I'm a senior and he has been my favorite professor at FSU. I took three of his courses this semester. He is so nice and passionate about what he teaches. He wants you to learn! The material can be dense, especially for ADL, so give yourself enough time to memorize the phylas! I loved his classes! Wish I could take another!
Dr. Dixon is a very nice guy, however his lectures are very hard to follow. If you don't go to class, good luck! Also READ READ READ THE BOOK!!!!!! Because his slides are pretty much useless.
I would NOT recommend him. Slides are useless. Lectures are hard to follow. Assignments and exams are difficult.
The content in this class is EXTRA dense and there are two exams in-person: midterm & finals. Nice guy but this class isn't applicable to prehealth students, mostly learning about plants and insects. Find another professor for this class or take cell structure (applies to prehealth more). Don't take this with Orgo & Anatomy, you'll regret it.
His assignments weren't bad, but he graded really hard. The exams expect you to memorize a ton of details, and only the online exams were open note; the midterm and final were not. Doesn't curve. Attendance is essentially mandatory because of tophat, and if too few people showed up, he would stop recording lectures.
the material itself wasn't hard but his teaching style made it difficult. his powerpoints were actually useless and he just word-vomited in class which made it very difficult to prepare for exams. he had A LOT of busy work with really vague grading rubrics. i don't think the grading of his class was very fair but it was definitely doable.
Wouldn't recommend him for this class. Two exams online that aren't worth anything. Midterm and final are in-person & not curved. Expects you to memorize lots of content for his exams. Passive aggressive & inaccessible outside of class. Plenty ass kissers in the class. Useless class for prehealth. Take cell structure instead to meet req
The class itself wasn't hard but he isn't clear at all about his expectations or what you are expected to know. Personally, he came off as rude and seems like he really doesn't care about how his students perform. I didn't find his powerpoints very help and only think I got an A because I was lucky lol. Also he doesn't bump grades at all
I liked him as a person and have had him in the past, so I didn't think this class would be too hard but it's just so much memorization of random facts that you will probably never use again. only midterm and final really hugely affect your grade and they're really specific questions. If I could go back I would just take cell structure tbh
Kev is a really awesome guy and seems like a caring person. As a teacher though he dumps too much info that is either useless or won't be on exams. 2 online exams that aren't worth much and an in-person midterm&final that are worth everything. You could still pull out a good grade because he gives lots of other assignments. Good luck bae.
Kevin is such a caring and kind professor. He gives so many opportunities for you to have a good grade with in class assignments, pre class canvas quizzes, tophat questions, and short essay assignments. These help so much so your grade isn't just based on exams. The exams were not too difficult if you actually studied. Would definitely recommend!
not too challenging but not an easy A. there are lots of easy assignments to boost your grade, but the midterm and final are worth a big part of your grade and are more difficult. the class covers a lot of information that isn't necessarily challenging but it's not intuitive, meaning it's a lot of memorization. he also posts slides on canvas.
Dr. Dixon was a cool professor. He's fair and this class is not difficult, a lot of memorization. My only complaint is his organization. He is disorganized and changes things on the fly and there's generally too much going on in this course. The lecture slides he uses are overloaded with useless stuff. Hard to pin down what's important.
The most useless class you could possibly take as a pre-med. Way too much random, dense information that is a chore to study for and will never be useful outside of the course, but plenty of opportunity to succeed. Dixon himself is nice though and ways always quick to respond to emails, lectures were a chore though.
Animal Diversity Lab was the 2nd worst course I've taken at FSU. Way too many disorganized class materials. Class in general is totally disorganized and time wasting. They need to throw out the whole course structure and redo it. I went into it thinking it was a cool little animal dissection course. Nope.
Dr. Dixon is a nice professor and is passionate about what he teaches. If you like animal phylogenies this is your class. If not, take cell structure. The amount of information is just overwhelming. He doesn't clarify what's important and often asked in depth questions on tests that were too specific. Also, don't ask him to round up, he won't reply
Professor Dixon seems like a nice guy, but he throws so much information at you. The midterm and final brought everyone's grade down, but everything else was easy points that brought your grade up. He did slightly bump up grades at the end of the semester which I appreciated, but he might of done that because people cheated on the final.
Make sure to get all the easy points to cushion your grade. Focusing on powerpoints is sufficient, but his written chapters are helpful for a more thorough understanding of figures and life cycles. Detailed class and you do need to learn everything; there are no shortcuts. Be able to compare and contrast different phyla.
Bro rates his own rmf lmaooo. Who rates this class a few days into class
He grades unfairly, and whines about attendance too much, where he is talking about discontinuing tophat after we bought it.
Dixon is very nice and respectful, but his lectures are super unorganized and imprecise. The PowerPoints basically have no words on them (he just uses them to talk off of) so if you miss a class, you won't be able to get those notes. Tests were extremely hard as they were worded carelessly & improper grammar. I recommend recording the lectures.
There's basically nothing written on the PowerPoints, so you definitely have to listen to the lecture. The exams are not easy, but he drops some grades
Lecture heavy but there is barley any information on the powerpoints. He will show a slide then talk about it so attendance is mandatory. I find the exams and quizzes very hard because they are worded ambiguously and can be interpreted in different ways. Additionally, there is improper grammar which makes understanding the questions difficult.
I have never had a problem with biology until I took Dr. Dixon's class and had to even get a tutor. He treats Bio 2 like an upper division course when its an introductory class and most of the students are freshman. His lectures are disorganized and his powerpoints consist of just pictures and two or three words per slide.
He uploads the slides from lectures and review slides but really most of the information you need comes from what he says rather than the slides. He uploads past exams and lots of supplemental work to test yourself which I found helpful.
Dr. Dixon is a good professor, he wants the students to understand the concepts and not just memorize facts for this class. Going to lecture or listening to recordings is probably the best way to do well on the exams. Good amount of points to earn besides exams. Provides feedback on assignments and lenient with attendance.
Good teacher only problem would have to be that we are not given many resources to study found myself many times unsure what to study, take good notes in class as it will pretty much be your best way to study for exams. Exams aren't very hard besides the first one all the other ones are quite easy if you put in some time.
Dr. Dixon is one of the sweetest & most genuine professors I have taken at FSU. Gives very clear grading criteria and is generous with dropped grades/curves. Gives resources to make studying easier. However, his lectures are very boring- most slides contain a picture of a graph with no axis titles or bullet points for the entire lecture.
Meh. Haven't seen a review about ADL, so here is what u should know: 1) Quizzes/tests are NOT paper format - it's looking at specimens & rotating around many stations on a timer. They didn't warn us of that before 1st quiz. Take pics during lab. 2) Do well on quizzes and tests. Rest of the grade is completion. 3) Curves rare and minimal (decimal).
I have had Dr. Dixon before but this class felt different. He was often agitated, his powerpoints were lazy, and he didn't check his overzealous TA. He expressed frustration in instances were unbecoming of a professor. Last time I took a Dixon class, he wasn't like this. Poor structure to the course but my easiest class.
Dr. Dixon is an alright professor and the class isn't too difficult. He did complain about students not following instructions on the assignments. I feel like I can't complain too much though since he did give students points back on assignments 1 and 3 and he did slightly curve grades at the end of the semester.
This class is not a hard class imo so it is definitely doable. Dixon does not take many notes nor does he have comprehensive powerpoints, just slides with very vague images he explains during lecture. It is clear he kniws the topic well, but be ready to attend lecture, read the textbook, and take good notes if you want to succeed. Cool guy though!
Lectures are him rambling about examples of concepts but if you want to go back to the PowerPoint slides you will be disappointed b/c they're just pictures with no words on them that are useless. Not very clear on what you should study for exams & doesn't provide many study resources. Go to class to get tophat pts. Exams worded bad but not hard.
The quizzes and exams in this lab are practical style, so make sure that you know how to spell and study the powerpoints. The rest of the grade in this class is completion work. Make sure to do well on the exams though.
All I want to say is that this class is extremely disorganized. My TA was amazing and super helpful but the lab's content itself is really hard to follow purely because some of the powerpoints are from years ago and don't line up with the current class. Content isn't hard, there's just a lot of it.
Easily the worst professor I've ever had. He rambles throughout lectures and his powerpoints contain just pictures and NO information. Reading the textbook didn't help at all. He worded the exams in a bizarre manner that made it much harder than necessary. This is the worst summer class I've taken. Gets frustrated with students for asking questions
His classes are very lecture-heavy and sometimes hard to follow because there is so much information, but as long as you are going to class and doing the assignments you will pass. The midterm and the final were pretty hard, but it won't impact your grade too much if you do well on everything else.
Professor Dixon's lectures are engaging, but his PowerPoints lack detail. Exams are challenging, but he provides resources like past exams to help prepare. Using Unstuck ai alongside the textbook can really boost your understanding.
Really chill guy. Online exams and quizzes every other week. Attendance isn't required but you should probably go. Only two in person tests the whole year. Tests are what you expected them to be!
i honestly really liked this class, Dr. Dixon is very nice and cares about his students, i just had to learn how to study. 8 mini exams (difficult so KNOW the material) & 4 quizzes (easy) that are online, and the midterm & final in person. use the practice exams he gives you for the midterm and final. knowing details is rlly important. TAKE NOTES!
Super nice and caring professor. If you go to lecture, take notes, and READ THE TEXTBOOK you will be fine. 8 online mini-exams that are open note (you need to study for them still), 2 in-person tests (final and midterm), and 4 online quizzes. Mini exams are harder then the midterm and finals.
Dixon is a laid back, caring professor. 8 online mini exams, 4 straightforward online assignments and a midterm and final. Dixon's lecture slides are incomprehensible when looking back on them since they have no text with them, but otherwise decent professor. Study a lot for the midterm/final and dedicate time for the mini exams and you'll do fine.
One of the best professors I have ever had. He explains complex processes like they are simple concepts and is easy to understand. He truly cares about his students, he is funny, and extremely intelligent. Study his notes for the exams and you will be fine. Bonus points if you are taking the MCAT as he explains many of the concepts on it very well.
His lectures consist mostly of him explaining slides of pictures, which I didn't mind but it made it difficult to figure out what was covered that day if you were not there for the lecture. Personally, I liked his lectures. There are in class questions that count as attendance, and the quizzes are online, while exams are in person.
He is great
Gives in-class assignments to encourage attendance, but still accessible outside the course and makes it so you can easily take sick/mental health days without impacting your grade. Really enjoys the Euk Div content and does field trips to talk about plants/animals outside too :] Occasional writing assignments but they're easy
Dr. Dixon is a wonderful professor. He is extremely kind and cares a lot about the subject! Classes are not mandatory, however in class assignments are part of your overall grade, so it is best to show up to avoid missing out on those extra points (a large amount of 0s, or no shows, are dropped though). Only 2 in person tests as well.
Great Professor. Made his own simplified "textbook" that's easy to read & take notes. Was extremely accommodating to individuals &/or school issues. Drops a few assignments. Small 5 question quizzes, in-class assignments, Tophat, mini 10 questions exams, midterm, & final. Always keeps students informed by announcements.
Dr. Dixon is a GREAT professor, very understanding and kind. He is extremely knowledgeable on the subject he teaches. 2 in person exams, and he does in class assignments which overall will help your grade by the end of the semester so show up to class if you . Take him!!!!
Dr. Dixon loves teaching biology. I recommend going on his field trips. He is a very kind man and I found his lectures fascinating. You can tell that he cares a lot about the subjects he teaches. There are a lot of easy ways to get points outside of the exams so it's easy to get an A. Fun class, fun professor.
Dr. Dixon was a good professor. Attendance wasn't mandatory but you should go to the lectures or else you will miss the info. All of the exams/quizzes are online except the midterm and final, so if you take good notes from his lectures you'll easily get an A. Doesn't give much HW.
This was one of the most fun classes I have taken at FSU, although your lab is instructed by soley the TA and not the professor, the TAs were amazing and really helpful. The exams and quizzes were pretty tough but if you take time and study before hand, you will do well. You do dissections every class, and there are 4 assignments that are very easy
good professor but there is SO MUCH content to essentially memorize for the midterm and final. there are a lot of buffer easy assignments which raises your grade. he does care about students and is super responsive to emails. has online "tests" which help your grade but heavy in person midterm and final which are in depth.
it is a very fun enjoyable class but if you struggle to memorize hundreds of specimens and their anatomy as well as characteristics do not take this class. you need to spend hours a week studying for the biweekly quizzes and know the material back to front. if you are able to dedicate the time to memorize then you will do very well.
Dr. Dixon is unprofessional and refuses to help anyone, only telling them to read the book. His slides are all over the place, and he tests on niche information from the slides. He has a stutter that makes it difficult to understand him. He will yell at and single out students in class for asking certain questions. Take at your own risk!
I personally found that he would studder on important topics or words through acting like a verbal highlighter on important words. Take notes, skim the textbook, and attend the lectures, great professor.
Dr. Dixon is very kind and is truly passionate about biology. His powerpoints are a bit vague so attending lecture is essential to pass. Exams and quizzes are straightforward, but you still need to study. His study guides, quizzes, and in-class assignments also help you prepare for the exams. Overall a very chill guy that wants you to succeed.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
57%
Textbook Required
29%
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