2.8
Quality3.9
Difficulty39%
Would Retake107
Reviews39%
Would Retake
107
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
30
4
11
3
8
2
25
1
33
What Students Say
“I did not enjoy genetics with her”
BIOL3832 - 2.0 rating“Her "lectures" she posts online aren't even her lectures”
BIOL3611E01 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
33%
Textbook Required
22%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.25 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO2071
5.0
(1)BIOL4024
5.0
(1)BIO2051
4.3
(4)BIO3410
4.0
(4)BIOL3832
3.9
(16)Difficulty by Course
BIO4144
5.0
BIOL3611
4.4
BIO3611
4.0
BIO2051
4.0
BIOL3611E01
4.0
Reviews (107)
Truly cares about her students gets the point across. Knows alot!!love her
The exams are long and completely short answer. You must work quickly to finish the exams on time. There is three or four parts to each question, so don't take them lightly. This is a tough class, but she will help you every step of the way. Go to her office hours, but she does get sidetracked in her conversations sometimes.
This is one of the hardest classes I have ever taken, and it is not because of the material it is all because of the professor. She doesn't know how to teach genetics. She is a nice person but that doesn't help my GPA! She doesn't have a say in writing the exams which makes it unfair for the students. I DON'T recommend taking a class with her!!!!!!
Genetics is a tough class--lots of reading. Homework, recitation work and quizzes all correlate with tests very well. Dr. Johansen is great about following up with students on her own time,and is easy to speak to and get ahold of. she is fun and brings a lot of laughter to her lectures. Very tough, detail-oriented class.
Tough material but very enjoyable class. if you need help, ask for it and you will receive. Took time outside of class to have reviews before exams. Would definitely take another course with her.
I found Dr. Johansen to be very helpful. I'll be honest: this is NOT an easy class, but she did make it interesting. At the end of the semester, I was really inspired! I am glad she added the epigenetics part (the other instructor of this course at UCD didn't). Do the homework, go to recitation and office hours! The tutoring at LRC was valuable
She is a good lecturer! Tests are all short answer or small paragraph with 10 questions per test (10 points each). Quizzes almost every recitation. Homework due almost every recitation. Read one primary literature paper and answer questions. Textbook is needed for homework questions and for review of some material; otherwise powerpoint is all.
Dr. Johansen was very nice this semester. I truly enjoyed her class. However, there were way too many mistakes made during lecture. When she realized it, she would then send a clarification email which most of the time confused me even more. Overall this class is hard so you need to study on your own. She's is an alright professor.
I did not enjoy genetics with her. She is a nice person but she doesn't help at all. The lectures are not clear and she did not have a say in the test grading. There were way too many mistakes made and the TAs were useless. They did not have an understanding of the material and didn't know what they were doing. Take Genetics at another university!
I really enjoyed Dr. Johansen's class. It is clear that she wants you to succeed. Sometimes the quizzes were not reflective of the letters but she just wants you to read the book. Would definitely take another class with her!
Dr. Johansen doesn't teach. Her policy states she will not answer questions on assignments. Answers are accessible for only 24 hours after quizzes, and not at all for tests. Only a text book is used, no lecture material. The same day of a test, a quiz is due on new material. HW is vigorous, and not enough time given for quizzes. Very lazy "teacher"
Specifics!!! So much involved in cell biology. It's GENERAL cell biology! Online lectures were uninformative. The quizzes and exams are VERY detail oriented. You totally get lost in the details and thereby miss the big picture. The book gives too much extraneous info, it is impossible to know what is important.
This class was ridiculously hard for a general cell biology course. I took it during the summer and online (which was a terrible idea) but the professor made it 10x worse. I was studying more to pass the quizzes than I was to understand the material. She does reply fast to you but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE DURING THE SUMMER ONLINE
This is the second week of class. This professor is ALREADY the most pompous and condescending professor I have ever had. If I could drop this class without consequences to graduating on time I definitely would!
She is a professor who will not teach the class but expects you to do so much reading and working within a week. Understand the material like the back of your hand only by reading the book . Her "lectures" she posts online aren't even her lectures. They are another professors video lectures. I would not take another class with her.
She is terrible. The lectures she gives lack any kind of structure or coordination and it is supremely hard to take notes and understand the material. Several of the power-points just have blank slides and the rest just have unhelpful pictures. Trying to complete the homework with the book is a nightmare. Would not take another class with her.
She does clicker questions and you get points just for participation, all the points are curved at the end. Many extra credit opportunities in the second half of the semester! If you show up and take notes and pay attention you will do fine. I never read the textbook and got an A in the class. Her quizzes are online and she drops the lowest two!
Dr.J is a good professor, I had her for GENERAL BIOLOGY 1. Many students complained about her tests but I honestly feel that if you are good in biology than this class will be a joy for you. Shes very funny, constantly makes science jokes. DONT BE ABSENT! She does clicker questions every lecture which count towards 28% of your grade.
She was very confusing. Her canvas page was extremely unorganized, her lectures were all over the place, and she made us watch separate lecture videos online rather than fitting them in the class period. Her tests were very difficult. She forced us to do group work. Otherwise she was very sweet, but she is not the reason that I passed the class.
Online Cell Bio is horrible! Not only that we have to read a lot, the quizzes have random details. Her multiple choice are tricky as well and you have to read it really carefully. Yet, she only gives 35mins for quizzes.
This is possibly one of the worst courses I have ever taken. It was supposed to be a microbio course and her entire focus was on writing papers and article reviews and discussion posts, with an emphasis on English and ability to write at a grad level but with word limits. Her grading is horrible, I've never wanted to drop a class so bad, horribl
First it is so dumb to take this class as a pre req to physiology. She makes this class much harder than it should be. She has homework assignments that she expects to have the tiniest little details and are super long but you can do those with a group. Her quizzes are soo hard!!! You hardly have time to finish them and 4 exams total.
Don't be an idiot and this class is easy. Dr J is incredibly nice and caring and really wants you to succeed in her class. SHE GIVES OUT EXTRA CREDIT ALL THE TIME. The people on here saying she's awful clearly don't appreciate a professor who cares more about you succeeding and understanding than they do the difficulty of their course.
Dr. Johansen is amazing. Her lectures are easy to follow and understandable. She grades by what she expects, which is pretty standard level. There are clicker questions every day that count for participation. There are quizzes in the beginning and the end of the week and homework every other week. Lots of workload, but helpful for the exam and quiz
Dr. J is not very organized, she makes mistakes consistently while teaching and grading and then tries to make up for her mistakes with extra credit. It is easy to pass the class due to the weight of the assignments (tests aren't everything) but the load of assignments is almost overwhelming.
Where do I even start, I freaking love Dr. J. She is such an amazing professor and I don't even like biology. I was so nervous coming into this class because my biology background was trash. But Dr. J makes it so understandable and her drawings and diagrams always make sense. If you show up to class you will be fine and will understand it 100%.
Most of the reviews on here are negative, but personally Dr. J is one of my favorite professors. Her lectures are very easy to follow and she always posts copies of the slide shows on canvas. There are lots of extra credit opportunities too! Just make sure you don't skip class (too often) because she does clicker questions almost every class :)
Dr. J was an amazing professor and made this class really amazing. She knows what she's talking about and makes sure everyne is on the same page. Genetics is an upper division course and the material shows that. Dr. J is always avaliable for questions and tries to make the class more enjoyable. Best professor I've had so far.
She 's a nice person but I did not think her teaching skills were very good, she's pretty disorganized and often makes mistakes with grading and creating assignments. Her tests are usually quite long, as well, so watch out for that if that's not something you'd be able to handle.
Lectures are pretty easy to understand, test reflect clicker questions she uses. She uses the clicker questions as participation points/attendance for the day. She offers SO much extra credit it's ridiculous. Genuinely nice woman, cares about her students' success. Definitely taking her for genetics!
Top 3 profs at UCD! Dr. J puts in A TON of work outside of class to make sure we have enough resources to succeed. She's notorious for typos, but they're always fixed quickly and she provides us with more than enough extra credit to make up for any lost points. Never had to use google/youtube as a crutch b/c she explains everything extremely well.
Dr.J is the best professor I have ever had, I will take any class I can with her for the rest of my time at UCD. She truly cares about her students and wants them to succeed. She offered a ton of extra credit and her homework assignments don't feel like just busy work. If you can take Dr.J, then do.
She is funny and good at teaching. She isn't very picky about which textbook you use - I didn't even have a textbook for that class. You will have opportunities for extra credit. Take her if you can! 9/10 recommend.
Dr J is a very frustrating professor to take, at least in terms of an online course. Her online lectures are sloppy and disorganized, she rushes through grading (made several mistakes on mine) and doesn't take her time to read what you actually post. She also expects you to log on and participate Monday-Saturday, very unreasonable.
Doesn't give much feedback. Does all or nothing grading. Not good with technology and doesn't understand statistics. Assignments were mostly time-consuming busywork that didn't serve any pedagogical purpose. I didn't learn anything new in the course. She's a real nice person, but I didn't get anything out of the course.
You have to learn everything on your own before class every week (she posts video lectures online) and class time is used for very little lecture and some practice. Works for some definitely did not work for me. Homework is busy work and not very helpful for tests. No textbook is needed and she is a fairly easy grader.
Dr. J is one of the best professors at UCD she truly cares about her student's learning and is available to help during office hours. Her expectations are straightforward and unlike other professors she uses class time to practice the concepts being taught. You will have to work hard but will learn a lot and be prepared for higher level classes!
I had Dr. J for Biology 1 and honestly she's the best professor I've had. There is a lot extra credit given in this class such as clickers and random assignments. You have a few homework assignments, but they aren't difficult just time consuming. She started doing a flipped classroom so if thats something that works for you then take her class!
I have taken 3 classes with Dr. J. She has been a wonderful, caring professor. She is very knowledgeable about biology and does her absolute best to help you learn. The assignments are all there to help you be successful. If you don't understand she is easily approachable. She grades fairly and gives feedback so you can learn and be successful.
Do not take this class! Dr. J is rude and disrespectful towards her students. I asked her something via email and she answered by making an announcement to entire class which was unnecessary . Very tough grader on her assignments and gives littler feedback. There are journal article write ups, news and views (based on the article) and discussions.
I personally enjoyed the class. Yes, her lectures may have some bumps but in the end, she gives us a lot of details that we need for the quiz. Must also read the textbook to take the quiz! Do your learning objectives!! These help 100% for quizzes/HW/Exams. The class was hard but you must work for it, it's not supposed to be an easy class.
Asks for too much for too little of a credit. Shes fun to talk to but the work load is too much. There are also too many to read, its not consolidated. Theres a, b and c and you have to watch a, b and c then you have to read the book. Syllabus is very clear so everything is organized.
I love Dr. Johansen. She is a very nice woman and is very passionate. She has great lecture videos, they're a little long, but useful. Her tests can be a little challenging with some confusing questions, but she provides practice tests, exam wrappers, and extra credit for attending office hours. 10/10 recommend
Lisa is a nice woman, but with my class she did not do a good job. I took the class for a core requirement, and she was grading me like I was a med student. I went to office hours and still had trouble with the homework. I even went to learn from the TA, and he taught me stuff that we didn't even use in the class. This class was not for me.
Dr. J is great! She makes an effort to ensure students are learning and have the resources to succeed. Attendance is mandatory (through Zoom) and there are weekly quizzes that are easy is you understand the content. There are many opportunities for extra credit on exams.
Dr. Johansen is an amazing professor! She really cares about us (students) and wants us to succeed. She is available during office hours and really cares! The other students whining on here should probably switch majors.
She's terrible and one of the rudest professors I've ever had. She's the least considerate person. Each class is worth 20 points so attendance is 40 a week. We only do worksheets in class and with the LAs, she records all the lectures. I've had issues with clicker but would talk to her and she still marked me off points knowing I was in class.
Incredibly lecture/book heavy, but if you take notes and join the LA meetings, you'll pass. While you definitely need to show up to stay on track, you'll learn a lot and the information will stick. If you ask her questions, she'll fully explain it and make sure you understand the material.
Absolutely love this professor. I wish she was my professor for all things biology! She is a caring, nice, easily approachable, and makes you feel welcome and acknowledged. 10/10 recommend.
Prof Johansen was one of my favorites! I really enjoyed taking her course so I signed up for another course offering she had the next semester. Put in the extra time and effort to do the extra lecture notes and read the book and the rest is smooth sailing. There was a lot of work to get done but it was manageable.
Dr. Johansen is a very good professor for teaching an online class. Cell Biology with her was fun, the usual amount of workload and all of her quizzes and exams were open resources. The lectures were sometimes fairly long but you get extra credit just for filling out the guided notes. Take her if possible!
Dr. Johansen stated that there would be No Exams in the class, making you think it would be easy. The written projects and discussions she assigns are not difficult per se, but they are super intuitive and I think I learned the most from her class out of any at UCD. She does count participation, but if you want to actually learn, she is the best.
Get ready to read and watch like 1-2 hour lecture videos every week or you're not going to pass this class. Not only does she do multiple and LONG lecture videos every week, but you are also expected to read the textbook on top of that as she doesn't cover everything that you are being tested on in the various videos. The homework is also hard.
Be careful of her pickiness. Incomplete sentences will get docked off and there are tricky wordings on quizzes, which I don't think is beneficial on the success of students. Get ready for long guided notes ( extra credits) and lots of reading, which is normal for college courses. All in all, she is okay. Just want to warn about how picky she can be
Tough crowd... She was a great professor. Her class was very organized, and you knew what to expect. She makes herself more than available to assist you in preparation for a quiz/exam. If you care about your grades and find yourself to be at least an average student, her class shouldn't be difficult.
So caring and passionate for teaching and her classes. She wears BIO related shirts everyday! I find it so cute! I wish her the best.
Dr. J is very nice and wants her students to get good grades. Lots of group work but helps to make friends in class. Highly recommend doing both tries on quizzes. She is very supportive of mental health and likes feedback from students. Overall, nice teacher and easy class just more homework.
No supportive in the least, gave me a 0/25 for documents that I submitted on time. Take this professor at your peril.
Does not explain rubrics clearly.
I'll try my best to list the good and the bad objectively: + Extra credit that helps you learn the material - Makes very many mistakes during video lectures (typos, info) - Only teaches 60% of info on HW, quizzes, exams - Multiple 30 min videos every week - Doesn't teach most of the things on her tests
One of the worst professors I have ever had. Anytime I emailed her asking questions, she would tell me to figure it out on my own or send a link to a Wikipedia page. The lecture videos are TERRIBLE and she spends the majority of them coughing, sniffling and having to correct herself. I easily spent 20+ hours on this class each week. Not worth it.
Very negative, judgemental lady.
Don't rely on only the lecture notes. They are lacking in details you need for tests and quizzes. Strongly recommend reading the textbook and teach yourself most of the concepts.
Professor J was decent but her homework assignments were impossibly difficult. She has extra credit built into the course. Overall she was okay but wouldn't take again.
One of the least understanding, condescending and rudest professors I have encountered. Pretends that we are doing her a favor by taking the class. Extremely hypocritical about not wanting to decipher student handwriting but then provides extremely messy handwritten feedback.
Professor Johansen acts like the grades she gives comes out of her own pocket. Homework and quizzes are extremely punishing even if you only miss a few of the questions or part of those questions. There is extra credit, but with the tough grading they don't come anywhere near enough to make up for the points lost.
Does not want students to pass. Gives little to no feedback on any questions, and doesn't offer any points back, claiming that you earn the grade that you get, despite no clear objectives or expectations given. Gives online lectures, but the information given is not relevant to the homework. Lectures are also very boring and she coughs a lot.
She gives EC (only 4 points on exams) but you have to take notes that take way to long. Lectures take forever. Gives little to no feedback on any homework and doesn't offer any points back. When it came to the final, it dropped my grade by 7% which caused me not to do well in the class. She doesn't round up, even if it is the smallest of margin.
She doesn't care about her students at all. She seems like she doesn't even wanna be there and is forced to teach. Her homework assignments are impossible and her graders are mean and just as picky as her. Her final is impossible, so try to do well early in the semester. Quick note: she does not round. Even if you have an 89.999 she will not round.
Dr. J is very great! She cares about her students learning and gives extra credits opportunities which goes towards each unit exams. Be aware, the final exam is heavy on the homework. So read your homework feedbacks more often.
Please choose another professor if you are taking cell biology. Dr. Johansen assigns a lot of homework that is crazy difficult and hard to complete. The final exam is extremely hard and it may drop your grade down by a lot if you do poorly. She also has her own plagiarism rules that are crazy too.
This professor clearly states how the class will function and how to succeed. Quizzes/tests are open-note but the homework is challenging since it is application based. There are many extra credit opportunities provided. You will need to take the initiative and ask questions, which she will do her best to answer. Overall, Dr. J is a solid professor
She is a wonderful professor! She has high expectations for her students! I HIGHLY recommend you do the extra credit study notes. The notes will help you with quizzes, homeworks, and exams. Do the notes; you don't really need the book and you will do just fine on the assignments, especially the homeworks!! Put in the work and you will succeed.
She does not care for your future or learning.
Easily the worst professor I have ever had. She excused the final for her in person Cell Biology class, however would not give her online class the same opportunity. The highest grade on the final was a 73%. Literally a C. The final dropped my grade by 10%. I would not recommend this professor to anyone I care about!
Super rude and condescending.
She said hw was graded for completion and it wasnt
Too harsh about grading
This class is doable but not easy. The unit exams are fine but the final was HARD and is worth 16% of your grade, I'd recommend working super hard in the beginning so it doesn't drop your grade. So the extra credit!!! It's the only reason I was able to end with an A-. Class was difficult to keep up with but maybe her in-person class is better
The class was okay overall but wouldn't take it again. She's unnecessarily harsh and isn't very understanding. I would highly recommend reading the book and teaching yourself the objectives, you might do fine on unit exams w/o the book but the lectures are useless for the final and HW. DO THE EXTRA CREDIT
Sometimes hard to keep up with but if you're a disciplined student you should be fine. Don't rely on lectures, read the book, do the extra credit, and review HW feedback. The final is based on HW and is much more application-based than the unit exams, HW is graded for completion but make sure you understand the content to prepare for the final.
She is a very nice person, but a difficult professor. The tests are extremely hard and she is a very tough grader.
Professor uses flipped classroom model and her lectures are very old, I would not waste my time and instead read/learn off the textbook because many of the weekly objectives are in there. Her graders are not the most accurate or helpful so definitely check your work and advocate for yourself if you have to. Professor is nice but not understanding
Lecture videos are awful and need to be re-recorded. Just read the chapter because she won't teach all the material needed for tests. Not empathetic but polite enough. It's so dense and I feel like she doesn't set you up for success. Extra credit takes hourssss to complete.
It was difficult to do all that she expected you to do for the class, including lots of reading (which, TBH I didn't do most of but did fine) quizzes, practice problems, etc. If you do take her class, take it online, and taking a physiology course prior to this really helped.
This class is a lot of work—tons of assignments, quizzes, and requires a lot of outside study time. All lectures are online, making it harder. It's tough to pass; I did everything and still got a C. Exam averages are around 60, even with a 10% curve. It feels like a weed-out class with no real motivation to help students succeed.
Do not take her class, if you are not extremely passionate and understanding of her lecturing style, her exams are nothing like the study guides, or practice quizzes she gives. One exam she gave us a "Trick Question" (the diagram was flipped; everyone missed that point, and was upset) also the grade average was less that 40%. Good Luck.
If you don't test well, DON'T take this class. If students are struggling, she gaslights students about "our mistakes", not hers. She shares the averages & her disappointment in the students, not that the issue is how she structures her class. Practice review exams are not helpful to prepare for the much more difficult exams which make your grade.
In this class, your grade is solely determined through exams. She has this odd exam percentage for our overall grade (Unit 1=10%, Unit 2 =20%, Unit 3=30%, Unit 4 [Final]=40%). Extra credit is offered, but points earned are added to exams. She gave everyone in my class a 100 on the third exam because half of the class was failing. I don't recommend.
The final was worth 40% of our grade. Never had a teacher that addresses the students who failed the class in an announcement, so I'm assuming there were many who didn't pass. Extra credit doesn't add to the grade bc it's part of the overall exam grade. No rounding, no consideration. Even recommended taking a different teacher in her last message.
Material is already difficult and Dr. J does not make it any easier. You do most of the teaching yourself, exams are very difficult and often have multiple correct answers. Final exam is worth 40% of your grade. I'd recommend taking it with Dr. Beck if you can, Dr. J is a nice enough person but not a great professor for this class
By far the hardest exams I have ever taken and honestly so subjective to what SHE HAS TAUGHT. If you answer with the real life answer, wrong. She is rude and inconsiderate at times and has trouble connecting with students. She did give us a 100% on an exam she didnt feel like giving us, but it got held over our heads later in the semester. Goodluck
DONT take Dr.J for cell bio or any class. I have taken her for general bio and cell bio and both were difficult. But for cell bio she was impossible. Our final exam was weighed 40%. More than half the class failed the exam and her class due to the weight. She says she wants the best but doesn't help us and only makes it harder on us. Avoid her plz.
Honestly, do not listen to these reviews. Yes her exams are tough and they are heavily weighted towards your final grade. BUT they are incredibly manageable if you are willing to study hard. With the provided extra credit you get from homework assignments, you can easily get 100% on each of her exams. The more you put in, the better your grade.
She does not know how to take accountability when her questions are worded weird and she doesn't even know the answer to some of them. She also decided to give us all 100% on an exam, but increased our final exam weight to 40% - which hurt more people than it helped them. Her flipped classroom model is the worst I've experienced.
Don't take this professor, never support students and very structured
Truly embarrassing and horrendously inaccessible to students. She saw half the class failing and responded by canceling test 3 and giving everyone 100 on it. Those kids needed an educator and they got absenteeism from their professor. She didn't even respond the next semester when I asked her for the syllabus for transfer purposes.
-Is very passionate about biology, always willing to explain concepts during class and during office hours (which are very flexible) -EXTREMELY difficult exams. Questions seem more like riddles... they sometimes have errors/are subjective too. -Very harsh about final grades and rounding up, often sends message after each exam voicing frustration
Do not take this class. Most inflexible and condescending professor. Weekly lectures 2+ hours, guided notes 12-25 pages, learning activities 5-10 pages, and weekly quiz. Summer class does 2x for two chapters in one week. All assignments are handwritten and are all-or-nothing points. Tests are not bad, but class still averages a 70 on the exams.
This professor is very old school. Everything needed to be handwritten, and hours upon hours of lectures and notes. However, this semester, I took in the summer, was extremely condensed, and I still managed to get an A/B. Her teaching style is not my favorite, but I can tell she cares about us learning. I think she's improving from these reviews.
Great professor! Gives extra credit always available when you need help.
I usually don't write reviews, and I was a bit nervous to take a class with Johansen. I'm not sure if it's because she changed her teaching style, but she definitely cares; her lectures are pre-recorded, and her exams are somewhat "riddles"; questions could be worded better. Yes, her classroom is flipped, but her class has taught me how to study!!
She's a very kind teacher but her homework is very extreme 25 pages thick and plus a learning activity that 15 pages, the work over load is insane and stressful for it to be due in such a short amount of the.
There are a lot of notes, although they help boost your grade and knowledge! I don't understand the bad reviews on her, she is very thorough with her teaching style. I was skeptical about taking this course based on the reviews, but I am glad I took it.
Professor was amazing and genuinely cared about her students' success. She offered plenty of extra credit opportunities and truly wanted everyone to pass, but she won't just hand you the grade—you have to earn it.
Dr. J teaches at a college level and is very professional, which I think is viewed as "strict" but instead this helped push me to work harder. Show up to class, do the notes and learning activities, and you'll do fine. She wants you to succeed and as long as you show her that you want that too, she will help you.
She is a wonderful teacher who does truly care about her students. She will gladly answer emails, questions, and often hosts more than enough student hours. However she assigns long packets that you have to do, they're not difficult but take time. If you won't put the time in to these assignments and studying, you won't pass.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
33%
Textbook Required
22%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.25 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO2071
5.0
(1)BIOL4024
5.0
(1)BIO2051
4.3
(4)BIO3410
4.0
(4)BIOL3832
3.9
(16)Difficulty by Course
BIO4144
5.0
BIOL3611
4.4
BIO3611
4.0
BIO2051
4.0
BIOL3611E01
4.0