2.9
Quality3.4
Difficulty31%
Would Retake105
Reviews31%
Would Retake
105
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
18
4
27
3
25
2
19
1
16
What Students Say
“Posts lectures on Blackboard”
BIO151 - 3.0 rating“" The tests, lecture, lab, book don't mingle very well”
151 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
44%
Textbook Required
31%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL199
5.0
(1)BIOL
5.0
(1)BIOLOGY1
5.0
(1)BIOL4
5.0
(1)BIO446
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
BIO153
5.0
BIOL446
5.0
BIO6ALEC
4.0
BIOL199
4.0
BIO6
4.0
Reviews (105)
boring, but easy
No Comments
He makes this class so unbearably boring that it is hard to stay awake long enough to learn anything. Plus his tests are ridiculous.
ARGH! Tests are impossible. Lects (powerpoints) are straight from the book (his notes are on webct), no sense even going to lect. Possible to pass only showing up for tests & labs. You're basically teaching yourself anyway. Nice guy, just not a decent pro
LOT'S OF BAD ENGLISH HUMOR DURING LECTURES. NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO WAKE YOU UP. TESTS ARE EXTREMELY TRICKY.
Dr. Blee is the best instructor I have had. Freshmen in the begining 6A class do not understand his intellectual humor. Too Bad for you. His knowledge far exceeds that of what he has to teach, How frustrating for him.
Blee is the most boring professor that I have ever encountered in my academic career. He is un-original; his powerpoint presentations- according to him- are not his own. I learned more skipping class than sleeping in holt 170.
blee is horrible, he doesn't explain things at all and teaches by reading his powerpoint. its incredibly boring
He is quite enthusiastic during his lectures. He likes what he teaches. As long as you read the book you'll be ok.
Someone save me from the boredom. This man is so unoriginal. He WILL put you to sleep every day by reading directly from the powerpoint that he also publishes on the internet so there is really no reason to come to class. Go to lab and read. no class.
He can be a little unclear sometimes and his lectures do come from straight out of the book, but he is very helpful if you come in during office hours. I had him for lab too and he was much better as a lab instructor.
This guy is a joke. His lectures are all powerpoint right out of the book and his tests are ridiculous. You don't really learn anything b/c he doesn't even teach at all. Sometimes it barely seemed like he knew what he was talking about.
He puts the class to sleep with his powerpoint lectures and for a plant biologest he can't even get photosynthesis right.
good luck trying to stay awake in lecture he is really boring
Blee is quite possibly the most evil man while somehow being the most innocent. It's almost as if he were unaware of his inherant evilness, and as such you can't possibly say something bad about him without feeling horrible... I'm feeling bad about this right now, but someone had to say it. Boring.
Mr Blee is great... I wish I had him for every bio class.. His humor is great....Very helpful.. I love this class...I have had 5 bio classes I enjoy this one the best...He puts notes on the web so you dont have to be a writing fool and you can pay attention to the lecture..Keep up the good work...
Blee is a huge strong man. If I passed him in a dark alley I would fear for my life. He's an amazing (published multiple times over)plant biologist, and an inspiration in my study of biology. Somehow he has a hard time teaching though. He's a reasonable grader and I enjoyed his class anyway.
This is quite possibly the worst class I have ever had. I was a Bio major before I had his class. Classes are pointless, notes are on the internet, and then the tests try to trick you. I tried to go to class but could not stay awake to his monotone voice and powerpoint presentations.
If you can stay awake through the lectures, you should get a good grade. if you pass out you can look at his online notes tests were a little hard but if the class as a whole does bad, he will raise scores so that the average is around 70.i found it hard to get questions answered but didnt have many
some professors were born to teach, other professors were meant to sit around do reaserch all day and publish articles and never interact with people or see the light of day. He is a brilliant man but probably would not be able to teach a a two year hold how to sh*t his pants...
Dr. Blee is a nice guy that tries very hard to teach his students as much as he can. It annoys me that some wimpering, snotty-nose 6a kids have written such bs about him. He is a good teacher that cares what his students think.
The class is alright, but the powerpoint lectures are boring. Blee is a good guy and will help you, but the tests are ridiculously hard, and weekly quizzes online are tricky. I was a bio major before taking this class, and have since changed. if you study and try hard, you should do alright
Dr. blee is a cool guy who really is interested in the students learning. unfortunately chico students are not the brightest and because he wants students to learn the class seems hard. in reality its not that bad and he makes it as easy as possible
It really depends if you attend class and pay attention.. that class could put you to sleep.. but overall the teacher if clear and fun class.. online quiz are hard but you get to use your books for help.. notes are printable..
he is the nicest guy ever! I love Dr blee, he is always willing to help and he is a fair grader
No Comments
I'm currently half way through the semester, and so far I have nothing but positive things to say about Dr. Blee. He's very knowledgable, super nice, and the class is interesting if you like Bio, and if you put in some time (which most people don't), its really quite easy (compared to Physics or O-Chem).
Unless you have a good background of biology, expect to do some serious studying for this class. Lectures are primarily from his powerpoint presentations. Do yourself a favor, print them out and take good notes. Online quiz is a bit tough but you do get to use your text/notes. Tests are mult choice and he does curve them if the class avg is low.
i dislike his teaching style and tests
Read ahead and then go to lecture. Grasping the material this way will benefit you. Because other instructors taught our class when, Dr. Blee was absent- I was able to compare. Dr. Blee is an extrodinary professor... there are too many details in Bio to go over in class so he sums it all up pretty well.
Wow, wat a teacher. I think he is awesome. Recommenned for new student.
OK, his lectures DO suck, but if you read the book ahead of time, you will understand them better. He is easy to approach and will answer your questions clearly. His tests are odd, and a little difficult sometimes. He didn't explain photosynthesis very well, confused the hell out of me, but maybe that's because he's a plant guy. Overall, B+ rating.
Lectures definitely put me to sleep, but he's a nice guy, and is very helpful when you ask him questions, especially before lecture. The Citrate Synthase stuff is REALLY confusing, and you may just have to make sure enough people in the class don't get it before you ask him to go over it for everyone. Give him a chance, he tries to have a sense of
Contrary to other comments, don't take him if you are a new student. He is a nice guy but his lectures are horrible and he gives unfair online quizzes. He knows his stuff and I'm sure for some he is helpful, but his style of teaching doesn't represent that of the department.
i thought he was great. the lectures can be boring, but he is pretty funny most of the time. he is really nice and helpfull during office hours too
He is a great teacher, his lectures are very clear and interesting!
Like other comments noted, he is a very nice guy. However, his style of teaching is the worst i've come across. It is extremely important to read chapters before attending lectures. If possible, dont take.
hes a nice guy, just kind of hard to explain stuff sometimes. hes trying though
Nightmare tests and the on-line quizzes are really hard. Somehow when combined with my lab score I passed this class, with a higher score than expected. Blee is a nice man, but his lecturing style leaves much room for improvement. This is a difficult subject to teach because it's so general.
Class may be boring at times but if you just do the readings, quizzes, & show up for tests then you'll do fine. He curves generously so it makes the class quite easy.
Dr. blee just isn't good w/ students. He doesn't know how to relate his info well. He teaches way too much stuff in way too much detail. Tests are inconsistent. lecture material is obscure, but you can still do okay in the class. Take Dr. Wolfe for lab, he is good! Lab exams are much better, just do the work, and understand it, you'll do fine.
Absolutely terrible as a teacher. He is a piss-poor lecturer and lacks all the attributes of a good teacher. His lectures are inconsistent, poorly-developed, and just plain lousy. Some people should never have gone into teaching, and he is clearly one of them.
Dr. Blee's class can be very hard and time consuming but he is a great professor. Way too hard, he wants his students to do well, lectures can be very boring and notes are online but you should take your own in class, there are a lot of little details. tests are hard and quizes can really help, pay attn in lab. Ask a lot of ? he fails 30% of stdnts
I took Blee for 151 and 153. He is a genuinely nice guy and is always willing to help. He cares a lot about his students and wants them to do well. Although the class is really challenging he really knows what he is talking about. He also curves grades a lot.
#1 Lectures required #2 Memorize Every word #3 Read Online, Book, and look for extra bio stuff for fun and retake after graduating with your PhD #4 Momentarily I thought I was a Stanford Student, ~Business Major
This class was very difficult. I thought that I was well prepared for the tests but managed to barely pass. The labs and the quizzes save your grade so make sure to do them as well as you can. Even though I failed every test the curve helped alot and if I would have done alittle better on my quizzes I would have got a B.
He's a nice guy but he makes the simplest concepts very difficult to understand. However he does curve his tests so its pretty easy to do well in that respect. Attending class is a must because its hard to catch up if you don't attend class. I wouldn't avoid this guy at all costs but if someone better is available, take their class instead.
I bet he is cool in person, but his class his TOUGH! Not a very clear guy, expects a lot from you! Lab class is even HARDER! Make sure you ask a question ever minute. Most of the times, the professor will use a term you've never heard of and have never been introduced to you..so do lots of research. If I had another option for 151, I'd take it
Blee is a great professor who is passionate about biology. You need to read the chapters before you go to lecture to understand his slides. Majority of the time his exams is off of his lecture notes. The book is more of a reference. Blee is always willing to help!
Lecture is boring. Most of the times he reads the notes to you, which the notes are online. I hate how he skips chapters AND sometimes only covering certain sections on a chapter when he expects you to know the sections he didn't cover. I think it wouldnt hurt him to make students do homework for points. It would help out their grades.
He does not teach from the book. He tests at a rediculously high level and has to double curve his tests because otherwise he would have to fail nearly everyone. His online notes are incomplete so that trying to use them as a study guide will lead to confusion and anger.
Really good professor, knows what he's talking about. His class is hard like any Bio class. Just go to lecture, take notes, and pay attention; you should be fine.
Great lectures, funny and engaging. Tests difficult, but with a generous curve. You will learn a lot in this class.
Blee is a great professor who cares for his students. Just go to class and keep up to speed. Textbook is useful for clarification, but lecture exams are based on the in class lectures. If you are having trouble, having a tutor really helps. Loved his class.
Good class. Go to lecture and take notes.
Very soft-spoken, makes it hard to stay awake in HOLT 170. Loves his plants/drawing diagrams on the board to help visualize concepts, which helps. Definitely the most difficult introductory class I've taken. Study any information he references to you, it really benefits to know more on his tests. Curves all tests. Offers extra credit. Smart guy.
he is pretty chill, i mean i fall asleep everyday and I have a B he posts everything online so its chill. exams are chill but the lab is like crazy confusing but fun if you pay attention
GREAT professor! Really enjoyed his lectures and drawing diagrams, they were very helpful. Exams are basically based off of lecture, so if you attend and take notes, you'll be fine. Best Bio teacher I've had so far. I would say the hardest part of this class is lab.
Interesting class. You will benefit from taking some college chemistry first, but it's not essential. The lectures are clear, and attendance is needed if you want to do well on his exams (which include some extra credit). The lab is confusing at times, but you get through it okay if you show up and try. P.S. Online quizzes are ridiculously hard!
He is a good teacher, very clear in his lectures.
He is an awesome professor. Very clear on his lectures. He has some funny stories. Tests are pretty straight forward and he has a lot of extra credit, it's the quizzes you need to look out for. I thought the labs were extremely easy and fun. I would definitely recommended him to others.
He's a good teacher. Clear in lectures and gives LOTS of extra credit on exams. I would recommend him.
DONT DO IT. I felt like he went super fast and class was so boring i would fall asleep. Reading the book made everything much more easier to understand. Hes cool but the lecture..... boring
Kris is funny, awesome.. and kinda cute...
Very rude, unclear, high expectations without even explaining things. Not even there during office hours. Goes off on tangents without any clarity or purpose. Quizes and exams are difficult, so much that he has to give us extra credit. You don't know what will be on the test until you get it.
Very well spoken. easy to follow. made class very interesting. Lectures are important to show up to. follows the syllabus to a point. Recommend taking this class. alot of fun!Read your book before class
Blee is incredibly cynical, however he's really nice when you actually talk to him. He is very smart in the subject, but it's just a very hard class. The tests are hard, but if you do all the work and do decent on the exams you could prob pull a C. He doesn't teach lab, Masters students do. Overall hard yet interesting.
All I did was show up and pay attention, the quizzes are definitely best done open book style. The tests are literally more than a 3rd extra credit. you can get 35 points on a 25 point test. most bad reviews are from freshman who don't know how to learn in college yet.
Don't be too intimidated by Blee. He goes through content quickly and is overly detailed. But the tests aren't too hard, IF you study. Attend lecture and pay attention and you will do well with minimal review. Not the hardest class ever, but does require work.He curves the class at the end.Keep up on small assignments; quizzes,lab presentations etc
I thought his class was fairly easy to pass...but I attended most lectures & studied. The quiz and exam questions are hard, but he puts a lot of EC on the midterms which make it hard to do poorly, assuming you know the material. The most difficult part of 151 is the shear breadth of material. Knowing some statistics will help a lot with lab!
I'm reviewing 151 from the perspective of a graduating senior. 151 provides a very good introduction to cell biology and genetics. In fact, many of the topics covered are re-covered in only slightly greater depth in 360 and 409411. What this means is that 151 covers a lot of material, and that it is all important. Study hard but enjoy his EC.
180 points of super easy hw points do all of it and that will raiseyou one letter grade. Quizzes due few days before every exam. Lots of extra credit. Go to class and STUDY you will get an A. If you're a slacker don't plan on it. The professor is not approachable and gives too much info so go over your notes and make news ones that you can follow.
He goes off on tangents that last the whole class, writes stuff on the board, so you will be writing stuff in your notebook, then he will say, "But you don't need to know any of that." The tests, lecture, lab, book don't mingle very well. Study hard if you take if with him, but don't expect to take tests on stuff you have learned.
Dr. Blee is a great lecturer but he is not approachable at all. Don't bother asking questions or going to his office hours. 4 online quizes that are really tough but all exams are easy. If you study, you will get an A.
Loved Blee as a professor, he tried incorporating humor into the subject to make it as enjoyable as biology could be. Definitely knows what he's talking about so attend lectures as much as possible because exams are basically based off of that. Take great notes and do your learn smart modules!
Dr. Blee is a GREAT professor who is well respected and wants his students to succeed. I would recommend anyone who has the chance to this class to get him as a teacher!!
Dr. Blee obviously knows his subject matter very well and enjoys teaching. He makes lectures fun and interesting. My class was the first semester with the online text, and you will do TONS of reading, it's basically your participation points. I did not find him helpful during office hours and opted to use YouTube videos instead.
Really chill guy but so smart. He really breaks concepts down for you and uses a lot of chalk illustrations/diagrams. This might not be the best for those who want to monotonously copy words but if you are trying to grasp a concept and fill your head with knowledge (a little something extra in your "tool box") Blee is great!
The lab for this class is very unorganized, no one knew what was going on most of the time. He offers about 25 extra credit questions on all of the tests. The tests are mainly focused on his lectures. He does homework through learn smart and there is one due before every class period (usually about 40 questions each so it can be a little tedious)
He's a very good teacher. His lectures are funny and he seems very passionate about Biology. However, the online assignments are time-consuming and material in them rarely show up on exams. Labs are difficult if you have a rude instructor and bad partners. I ended up loving Chemistry 111 over this class.
The online assignments are tedious and the exams aren't really based off of the readings or the assignments. He gets all/most of his questions from his lectures. He explains things very clearly make sure to pay attention to his drawings cause they explain the stuff he wants you to know. Lots of extra credit on the tests! Not hard if you study
Posts lectures on Blackboard. Learnsmarts are 24% of your grade. Blee is not approachable outside of class. He offers a lot of extra credit on exams. He's an okay teacher overall. Very passionate about his subject , however, doesn't really know how to explain for students to understand.
This class seemed pointless to attend. His tests seemed more reliant on whether you wanted to read the book or not, but with the amount of extra credit it he gives its kind of pointless. Also, he has these 80+ question reviews due before the test that don't help you learn anything. Its weird though because his final was hella easy.
A lot of easy points in the learnsmart readings but none of it on the test. Had to go to tutoring to grasp the subject because it was hard to keep up, labs are a mess but easy points, a lot of ec on tests but tests aren't weighted (thank god), I was able to bring my grade up from a D to a B+ in a month, take advantage of all the points he gives!
I went to his office hours for help and he told me that if i didn't know it by the time lecture was over then i have no point tying now. i went to tutoring which helped a lot more than lecture did, and i never skipped a class, passed bc his class isn't weighted
Funny teacher, but lecture heavy! This class is tough and I was so dumb to take it as a G.E. course. I recommended if you aren't in the bio field take simpler courses! A lot of learn smart reading homeworks + practice tests + quizzes. 4 exams total, but study alot for them not easy! Sometimes he will curve the exams, but still review your material.
Blee is very knowledgable in his subject, but he isnt great at teaching this class. This class, although it is not the easier biology class, is still considered a lower division biology course. He doesnt treat it that way though. My sister, who is graduated with a cell/molec degree, said that he was teaching upper division material. Do not take.
This was the first bio class Ive taken and it was very overwhelming. I studied very hard for this class, but still struggled. His tests are ridiculous plain and simple. The questions he puts on the tests are so overly complicated. He puts about 25 extra credit questions on the test and the average is still about a 60%. Very challenging class.
The class is very difficult if you don't read, or do any of the HW. You have to be really dedicated towards the class and you can pull off at least a B.
Blee is one of the few Bio profs that actually seems to care about his students. If you have only taken his intro 151 course give one of his upper division courses a chance and try to get him as your lab instructor because he is way better in a smaller setting. He was the only faculty member that made me feel like I was valued at Chico.
Lectures are a bit confusing and he teaches extremely fast
You can tell he really loves the subject of molecular biology but dang it's hard to keep up with him sometimes. Especially at the pace he teaches.. Thankfully all his points in the class are worth the same so if you do good on your homework, online quizzes (which has answers all over google), and pre-tests then you should pass the class.
I took Dr. Blee for Bio 446-Plant Pathology he is great. Such a smart individual. Cares for his students and is willing to explain anything you don't understand in a much simpler form. Good sense of humor and always made his lectures interesting. I recommend him!
Blee is not that organized and his lectures are very easy to get lost and distracted in. Tests are 25 questions but at least 10 questions of extra credit on tests and they are curved if the average is low (curved 3/4 of our tests). Homework is online and a bit excessive with the 80 question quizzes before a test.
Attending lectures and SI sessions are a must for this class. This can be an easy class, but you HAVE to keep up with everything. He covers everything in really intense detail so missing just 1 class will be detrimental. Also there's a lot of extra credits and learnsmarts so if your really on top of everything you'll get an A. Attendance is not ma
Blee's exams make no sense and are nothing like the material he teaches. It is impossible ti study for the exams. The only good thing is that his class is point based so as long as you do the homework assignments and pretests you can pass the class.
Weird guy, likes to ramble and has a peculiar way of lecturing. Lecture longs and slow, I skipped many and then half way through the semester he started handing out sign in sheets. Could fall asleep during lecture, don't take him for lab, it's even more unbearable. Lab attached is fun material wise but the lecture will drive you crazy.
Such a bad lecturer all he does is rambles and powerpoints are so unorganized. Before taking an exam he makes u do these pointless practice tests online with like 80+ questions that dont even help since they dont tell u what questions u got incorrect. No one even bothers going to lecture cause he doesnt teach anything Get ready to teach urself
BIOL 151 students give this professor a bad wrap. He is awesome in the upper division courses where you can have him one on one. He is great at being able to describe things in great detail, and has a great sense of humor. Enjoyed this course with him, he is very knowledgeable on the subject. Did his best considering the online environment.
Professor Blee is a horrible teacher to take online. His lectures are all over place, messy, and hard to follow. Labs are just as horrible and pointless. Professor Blee decided to make us do our labs at home and had us go out and buy lab materials. He also makes us do these pointless practice test and study guides. Do not take him.
He gives a lot of busy work. The class felt like high school all over again. He definitely was passionate about the material and if you do the work you will totally pass, but it felt like I never got a break in this course honestly.
I dont recommend Blee. I took him before it was online but I know people who took his 151 class, and it was awful. I recommend taking Dr. Parameshwaran, a new professor, in the bio department. I took Blee with the class introducing bio students to campus.
Great personality, not great professors. Lectures were EXTREMELY long and full of rambling off topic. Doesn't understand how to manage time. Goes too in depth on one topic won't cover the rest of the lecture then puts that stuff on the exam. Requires you to be professional on the topic. No exam feedback. Cannot be reached over email.....ever.
Do not go to him for pre-med advising. He is not helpful and will give you bad advice.
Tough class, but the professor's teaching system works if you engage with it. Unstuck ai was a lifesaver for study prep - definitely recommend using it along with the free textbook.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
44%
Textbook Required
31%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL199
5.0
(1)BIOL
5.0
(1)BIOLOGY1
5.0
(1)BIOL4
5.0
(1)BIO446
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
BIO153
5.0
BIOL446
5.0
BIO6ALEC
4.0
BIOL199
4.0
BIO6
4.0