2.6
Quality3.5
Difficulty28%
Would Retake111
Reviews28%
Would Retake
111
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
8
4
21
3
36
2
31
1
15
What Students Say
“Great guy, great teacher, great class”
BIO103 - 5.0 rating“This was the worst class ever”
BIO103 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
15%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO001
5.0
(1)BIOL124
5.0
(1)BIO345
5.0
(1)BIO325
4.0
(1)BIO
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
EECS4404
5.0
103
4.0
GBIO101
4.0
ISCI103
4.0
BIO103
3.7
Reviews (111)
he can not teach at all, tests are nothing like what is said in class
cant stay on topic...tests are hard...but funny old(er) man
he's confusing, teaches random parts of things so its hard to make a connection between the things he saying...he's supernice and will set up study sessions anytime you need to
Awful professor. Lectures are boring.Doesn't teach from book. No attendance policy. Senile and goes off on tangents. Tests material is out of nowhere.
His class is difficult, but if you do the study guides and ask questions its not bad. Read the book for clarity and the cd rom to see some complicated stuff. he is rather goofy and class sometimes makes no sense.
The absolute most random man I've ever met. He'll spend half the class explaining something that "we're not going to get into".
Class is worth going to because he goes off on tangents that are amusing, but random stuff is on the tests, it's hard to study for them. He goes off on so many tangents that he doesnt teach a concrete subject all at once. Hard tests due to randomness.
He is a very intelligent guy, but when he trys to convey his messages, it just doesn't work! Very hard to understand and follow. Without reading the book and comparing my scambled notes to others, I would be lost!
He is nice and willing to help you out but besides that it's awful! I sit in the back and sleep or doodle. His lectures are boring and often lead to certain foods he likes where he'll say, "I'm salivating". Very confusing.
He doesn't teach clearly. His quizzes and exams are HARD! He can help u whenever but the quizzes and exams are still impossible.
run and hide. this guy is horrible...does not know how to teach, is so absent-minded and impossible to follow during lectures. i swear he makes up random questions for tests and quizzes. you better already have a good knowledge of bio beforehand
Great teacher! I thought he was a little absent minded, but the exams were right from the book.
I don't think this professor knows where he is at half the time, but the class is extraordinarily easy. Only need to study notes for tests. Easy weekly quizzes and gives extra points on tests.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR! He looks like he could be your grandpa. His quizzes and tests come out of nowhere. He goes off on random tangents in class and brings in his slides of bugs from his backyard. His study guides are no help either.
Funny guy, class isn't that hard as long as you go to class and pay attention, review your notes too. Some of his reasoning doesn't make sense, and he does go off on tangents. He drops lots of test and exam grades though so it's not that bad.
Smart guy, but has difficulty conveying ideas. Test and quiz questions measure your ability to answer "his" type of questions, as opposed to how well you know the actual material. Average of 7 questions thrown out on each test; makes class reas
Here's the thing with Brubaker, you don't ever use the book, you have to take careful notes on his lectures. Tests and quizes are easy once you learn how he thinks. He could quite possibly have OCD, but he's still really great, he loves making you laugh.
I'm convinced he suffers from ADD. His lectures consist of more random tangents than actual material. His quizzes and tests can be difficult, you just need to learn how to read "his" questions. Take a different professor.
He's the definition of random, but it's hilarious to listen to him lecture. He's really nice, and cares about what he teaches. Drops the lowest test grade, and will meet with you any time to do additional studying. Nice funny guy. Just crazy.
He is VERY willing in helping students form study groups after classes.I go to the study sessions and still end up failing most of the quizes. HE IS RANDOM, likes fungus slides. I would NEVER take a class taught by him again, although he is a nice guy.
This guy has a clue about what is going on. His lectures consist of confusing notes and him rambling on about irrelevant material. If you take this class, get someone to find out the reading assignments and read the book, he just confuses you.
This class is horrible-- can't follow him in class. He doesn't remember what he taught and what he didn't, spends a whole class period going over slides of him exploring this and that. Very hard to take notes...doesn't use the book...exams are confusing!
want to get an easy F?? take him!
Funny guy, he reminds me of my dad. He doesn't give a lot of homework, and tests and quizzes are rather easy as long as you take notes and pay attention.
He is a very sweet old man who knows a lot about biology and is very passionate about it. However, if you don't have any experience with biology I wouldn't take it because he is very random and hard to follow.
He's a nice old guy, tries to make jokes. Quiz every week, so always look over your notes. No book so really go to class and pay attention.
this class is absolutely horrible! maybe if i were taking a class he was specializing in it wouldn't be so bad, but he has no idea about early humors or their created world, which would be helpful in a class listed as Human Ecology. his tests/quizzes are also impossible!
HORRIBLE!!! do not take his class if you can. he goes off on tangents that have nothing to do with what he was talking about five minutes before. if you do take this class don't buy the book b/c his tests are from lecture and if you try to read the book it will just confuse you more.horrible class
He is a nice man- nice doesn't mean good. People that are not science majors- stay away. He goes off on tangents and generally doesn't know what he is talking about. took baedke for 115 and was the easiest class in the world comparatively. The tests are not straightforward and he is incompetent.
animal field bio over the summer- awesome and easy class for bio majors, learn cool stuff. expectations are clear, knows what he is talking about, no homework or reading, he is soooo nice, great class and teacher overall.
People bash on him, expecting an easy Gened class. I didnt do well in GSci 101, and prolly wont in this one. However, he is an interesting guy, and likes to teach. Confusing at times, but, there is a textbook. If you dont care about gsci and wanna get it over with, he isnt a bad option.
He is really nice, and funny at times. However, he is really confusing and does not have very clear lectures. Quizzes every week (only 5 questions on each one) and tests are ok. Overall, a diffucult class because he is not very good at teaching. Nice guy though.
People bust on him, but I don't see why. He is an amazingly nice guy. I will admit that unless you have a strong background in Bio, you might want to latch on to someone smart, because he can be pretty confusing. There is almost no work (occasional quizzes and tests). Plus he tells funny stories.
very random,ambiguous.Goes off on a tangent all the time, esp. if students lead him. Hard to hear.Doesn't teach what other profs are teaching;loves to talk about slime mold.tests consists of questions that you can only get from your notes if there,not in textbk. most failed his tests,curves them.
Nice guy, curves like whoa, and drops bad grades like whoa. Not so clear, but pay attention and it will eventually make sense to you. Has led amazing life, ask him about his time in Africa. Rather monotone voice though.
Such a sweet old guy. He talks quietly so if you are too lazy to actually attempt to hear him then get over it and move on to another class. He loves teaching and will help you out if you need it, though you shouldn't because he teaches well. I've been here for six years now (grad school now) and still adore him
Funny man. Much harder than a gened should be, but he curves and drops grades.
One of the nicest men I have ever taken a class with. Lectures are very ambiguous, however, and hard to follow (i.e., what you need to know verses what he's telling you for supplementation). Really wants his students to do well, however sometimes lets that get in the way of clarity. Not an easy class, but he's an easy professor to like.
He doesn't use the textbook, so there is no way to learn what he is supposed to be teaching. His lectures ramble and lack any organization or coherence. His being a nice guy doesn't make the class any better. Even his review sessions are just more of his rambling and take 20 mins to answer a single question on the study guide.Not a Gen-Ed teacher.
Horrible teacher. Funny man but goes off on tangents so it's impossible to pay attention. Tests and quizzes are hard but he drops some and I think curves at the end. Take another professor if you can.
I don't know why everyone complains about his lectures, I think they're pretty easy to understand. If you don't understand something just raise your hand and he'll repeat himself more clearly; if you are determined to learn what he's teaching it aint' that hard.
annoying, tests and quizzes difficult even when attend every class and take copious notes. nice guy, but not the best professor.
A good class and a good professor. I loved the Brudabaker and all his wacky antics. He makes Bio pretty fun and interesting. Weekly quizzes and good study guides make the class much easier than GSCI 101. I recommend taking him for any of GSCI 103. He's a riot.
Not great gsci class. Boring lectures and assumed a lot of prior knowledge. No attendance policy which was nice, but not class to pick if you want an easy A.
This was one weird teacher... He didn't really seem to know what he was talking about, and often times i noticed most students knew more about the class then he did, we were teaching him. But it was a laid back and easy course, so i guess one cant complain, stupid tests too. Stay away, there are better teachers.
I am shocked by some of these comments. I thought his class was interesting, and very easy to follow, thanks to his helpful study guides. Thanks to Dr. Brubaker I became a high school biology teacher. Thanks for igniting my interest in Bio!!! Ignore the bad comments. He is an excellent teacher, he got his degree from U Penn!
Mr. Brubaker is awesome! He has some funny stories, and really loves biology. However, he sometimes forgets to tell you when things are due and what is expected of you, so you must stay on top of things in his class! Other than that he made Eco. & Evo. lab very fun! (we always got out at least a hour early!!)
SCATTERED BRAIN!!! This guy was truly all over the place. And what is up with his half page 8 pt font tests? AVOID at ALL COSTS... NIce guy but BAD teacher
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. He's a nice guy and all but is the WORST teacher I've ever had. His class was impossible to stay awake for and the tests and quizzes every week are a joke. Nice guy, but the class is horrible.
I don't have a strong background in bio, but i have a high A in the class. He's not that bad, his lectures appear to be disorganized, but there isn't anything on the tests that he hasn't discussed during class. He also goes out of his way to organize study sessions, which says a lot about a professor. He also drops the the lowest test.
Brubaker is an amazing person. He has interesting stories. Although he might be disorganized, he really loves to teach and will help you will anything. He reminds me of one of those cool grandpa's with all the cool stories. I have taken him twice!! Tests are not hard, just go to the study sessions.
If you can, stay away from taking this class. He's a nice guy and attendance is not mandatory. The catch is there is a quiz at the end of every week that are jokes. His notes are very disorganized and usually end up being diagrams and pictures. Randomly goes off topic only to remember at the end of class what the original topic was.
Horrible Prof. Ive gotten high A's in every Gsci until his class which I failed. Im a whiz at science, but he expects you to know waaay more info than is necessary for a gen ed. Seems nice enough, but if you want your easy 1 credit A, go elsewhere aka flyfishing!
ridiculous. the most disorganized teacher i've ever had. tests & quizzes have questions that you never even talked about and theres no book for you to fall back on. goes off on tangents only to confuse us. not an easy class, take another gsci class
such a nice man!..but a horrible professor. his lectures are completely unorganized and hard to follow. i failed almost all of the weekly quizzes he gives. i miraculously got an A in the class, but only because i suspect he gave as all a major curve at the end. again, he's very nice and tries to be helpful, but i didnt like this class at all.
i loved him. He's a quirky little man with lots of stories about africa and interesting ways of explaining things. Needs some help with organization but tries his hardest to help people get a good grade. There is a quiz every friday but he only keeps the grades for 6 of them (he drops 8+) and he drops your worst test grade. Such a good guy.
Wow. Just wow. His tests are completely random, you never have any idea what's going on. The quizzes are ahrd and he gives one every friday. He offers a little extra credit, but it's not enough to save your grade after fialing all the quizzes and getting low grades on the tests. Take only if you are already a pro at bio. East class to fail
The most unstructured class ever. His quizzes and tests have questions that he never mentioned in class and that aren't in the book. He tries to give extra questions on quizzes to help our grades but we all still fail them. Really difficult class for a simple gened.
I thought that Brubaker was a fun teacher. Yes, he was a bit unstructured, but I took notes, and I have a B+ in his class, and I fell asleep! He has review sessions for the tests, which really help. The main thing is to focus what he says into main points, then you won't be lost. If you listen to his stories, you'll be entertained at least.
He's really interesting and his stories are always great so it's hard to be bored. He even entertains you with a few bad jokes, and crummy drawings. He is a little hard to follow sometimes and his tests and quizzes are a little hard, but he has study sessions and gave a lot of freebie points. He's passionate and you really learn a lot from him.
sweet & unique. quiz every thurs. only keeps grades for 6 out of like 12. tells neat stories. class is hard to follow, and make sure you stop him and ask questions if you get lost, he's nice so he will try to help everyone understand -he cares about his students so PLZ SHOW HIM RESPECT. go to the review sessions. hard tests-KNOW YOUR STUFF
he is impossible to follow but he always has interesting stories to tell about living in africa. the study sessions dont help and he doesnt have office hours. find another teacher!
The class is about glucose; you don't eat. 5? quiz every week, 3 tests. He knows so much it's hard for him to dumb it down to a 1 credit class level. Having no book is confusing b/c you may not fully understand & can't check a text. I went to a review session & got a 100% on the test. If you're confused & the quizes show it, ask for help.
hard to follow. tells random stories. doesnt follow syllabus. review sessions dont help at all. if you can, dont take this
For a gen ed class, you'd think it'd be easy. It's not. His lectures are so scattered and he goes off on random tangents. Tests are impossible because the questions are so random. Review sessions don't really help either. Try to get someone else.
Don't take him. Please, for your own good, it's just not worth it. His lectures are scattered all over the place and he does not follow his syllabus. Quizzes and tests often don't relate to his lecture material or are impossible to find in the book. On the plus side, he is one of the nicest guys you'll meet on campus and knows his stuff for sure.
I barely passed the class. I went to all the class. I went to his review session. I even stayed after class to get clarification on his material. He needs to be more organized and don't go in details about his personal life. The exam and quizzes are really out of the box which either requires copious.
I found him to be reallllly confusing. He definitely mad the lab harder than it could be. It's bearable, but if you can, I'd take someone else for this lab..
Very old. He is really good at getting off topic and does it often. I depended on the TA for almost everything. Final was weird and he spent the whole time explaining his answers to the TA which says something. The first couple of labs I wanted to kill myself out of boredom but he got funnier.Let us play an april fools joke on a classmate.
He's a pretty nice guy, and is extremely passionate about biology. Hard to understand because he goes off on random tangents. No hw, but there's a quiz every friday. The quizzes usually have to deal with what he taught in class, but applied in a different way. The tests are impossible and his review sessions don't even help much, don't recommend.
i understand that a lot of these ratings aren't great. he is difficult to understand, but you only need to get 6 good quiz grades (out of ALL the quizzes he gives)and do well on your exams. i got an a because i would only pay attention in class and go to the study sessions. he isn't the best teacher if you want to learn but it's an easy a seriously
Not a very organized guy. Do not even bother buying the textbook - think I opened it twice. All you need to do is pay attention in class. Very dry and monotone but kind of funny. Get 6 good quiz grades and your solid.
his lectures are very scattered and difficult to follow. he doesn't use canvas or blackboard, which makes it impossible to know your grade unless you want to calculate it on your own. quizzes every friday on what is learned that week, but he only counts 6 of them. exams are pretty hard. textbook not required, but you might need it to teach yourself
This class was one of the funnest classes I've taken at JMU. If your passionate about animals and wildlife please take this course. Brubaker is your classic biology professor! He shares his stories and has cast amount of personal knowledge on the subject. While he can be tad slow, who can blame him for his age... hes still on top of his game!
Don't take him. No one pays attention because no one understands what he's saying. Quizzes every Thursday, takes best 7. For your sanity and to not waste your time, don't take him.
He is very smart but does an awful job at presenting information to the class. Does not follow the textbook or syllabus, and sometimes his information does not match up with the text. Very confusing and words the test questions in a weird way that makes it hard to understand.
No textbook, yet impossible topics to know based solely on lecture. No other supportive materials on canvas- tests and daily quizzes based off his tangent driven, confusing lectures. I advise taking someone else for GSCI- the way this class is taught makes it feel impossible to succeed... and it's a gen ed.
This class is basically completely optional. Never takes attendance. You take four tests, one grade gets dropped. Eleven 5 question quizzes which 5 are dropped. it doesn't matter if you show up for class because the quizzes and tests are barely related to anything he "teaches." AVOID
Mr. Brubaker is one of the most helpful professors ever! His quizzes and exams are challenging but if you apply his lectures then you should be fine. A lot of people say he's not clear but HE REALLY IS. Just listen! Critical thinking is required but this is college!
Mr. Brubaker is not on Canvas nor does he have powerpoints or anything that would be helpful. He talks for the entire class so be prepared to take detailed notes. Preparation for tests is difficult with his tiny review sheets. Go to review sessions, ask specific questions (basically like informal class).Go to office hours if youre lost he's helpful
If you can avoid this class, do it. He is a really nice person but he doesn't use any technology at all. Be prepared to take very detailed notes. Tries to oversimplify material but tests on the more advanced version of it. Book is unnecessary as he pretty much makes up things as he goes. Drops 5 quizzes and one test.
Although he is a little old he is such an interesting person this was easily my favorite class i took my semester at JMU. Make sure you go to class, you don't need the book because he only quizzes and tests on what he has lectured. Those who do not do well are the people who don't go to class or even make an attempt. minimal work outside of class.
Must go to class and take notes verbatim out of his mouth in order to pass the tests. really easy to get an A if you pay attention and go to class. Drops lowest test, and give at least 15% curve on all tests, drops 5 quizzes. boring but super easy. people who dont do well dont come to class, or dont pay attention. easy bio class
Great guy, smart guy just not a good teacher. I went to every class, and walked out with a D. If you didn't do well in Biology in high school avoid this class. He doesn't use canvas, or powerpoint, he just talks all class. hardest class Iv'e taken so far at JMU.
Great guy, great teacher, great class! It's not a hard class like others say. You need to pay attention and take notes but shouldn't that be in any class though? To those people complaining about Brubaker, it seems like you just shouldn't be in college. All you guys do is whine and complain that you aren't being spoon fed.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! Brubaker doesn't use technology so you have to take thorough notes on everything that he says if you want to pass. The Tests and Quizzes are extremely difficult. I did all of the study guides and I still did bad on all of them. I struggled to get a C in this class. AVOID.
Do not take*** hardest class ever. I ended up withdrawing because I studied so hard and literally failed everything. Only grades are 5 Q quizzes every Friday and exams. His study guides never help and the exams are extremely difficult. It is all lecture, nothing is online or on Canvas. Avoid
He's not terribly hard if you show up and do you're work. Do nothing and you'll pass. Work hard and study and you'll get an A. I really felt like I learned a lot in his class. Although wherever the information is useful is another question.......
Unless you're the fastest writer in the world, you'll never be able to keep up with his rambling lectures. Avoid avoid avoid. Study guides were confusing and didn't always line up with the test material. No idea what was going on, and nothing online to help. Also no powerpoints to help guide the information.
Not too hard of a class. Need to make sure you study and do the extra credit opportunities he gives you and you should you be good to go.
Brubaker is such a sweet guy. His lectures can be a little bit hard to follow, but he's always willing to answer questions in and outside of class. Just write down whatever he says in class and review your notes. If you go to his office hours, he's extremely helpful. He curves A LOT so it's pretty easy to pass.
His lectures differ from the material on the test. Really nice man and will curve the heck out of each test, but it really doesn't help when he doesn't teach us pertinent material. Will go out of order in the syllabus and the book is strange too. You HAVE to attend class if you want to know what's being discussed. Drops 5 quizzes also.
Brubaker is a sweet and funny guy but he always gets off topic during class and I feel like we never talk about anything. Weekly quizzes. You get a study guide before each quiz/test but they don't really help; the book is pointless too. If you are good at biology its an easy A, but if you're not.... And he doesn't use canvas or email or anything.
First of all, he doesn't use any technology, so theres no way of knowing your grade. He also goes off topic a lot and his lectures don't really make sense. There are quizzes every friday that are impossible and the tests are hard too. Don't recommend this class.
Brubaker doesn't use any form of technology in class, and his lectures are incredibly difficult to follow. The material is challenging, but as long as you come to class every week, make friends in this course, and stay engaged, getting an A is totally achievable. He drops HALF of your lowest grades and gives a bunch of bonus points back
This was the worst class ever. He doesn't stay on topic and bases the quizzes off of only what he says in class and half of it doesn't even make sense. He is a nice guy and will help you but this was a class I got stuck in and I regret taking it.
I went to office hours and almost every class and did all the readings, but I just could not succeed in this class. He is very nice and he drops/curves a lot of grades, but the tests are based solely on the lectures, which are extremely hard to follow. He goes on irrelevant tangents and skips over important things and it's just so hard to do well.
The only grades are 6 top quiz scores from quizzes taken every Friday, 3 exams and 2 extra credit assignments. The quizzes and tests are based solely on the lectures which can be hard to follow and not in depth enough for the tests and quizzes. However, he offers review sessions before every test and curves every test.
Rambles on in class about anything that comes to mind. Weekly quizzes that usually contain info we never learned but he drops a ton. Tests aren't terrible because he gives a ton of points back. Go to review before test, it helps! Pretty hard to get an A, but B or C is easy.... 1 credit class so who really cares
Really easy to get a B, sweet man willing to help and make accommodations if you need them. Drops basically all your lowest grades and you don't need to go to class. Highly recommend this class if you're looking for an easy science gen ed.
Weekly quizzes that usually have questions we never learned about. No real structure to class. Just try, go to his test review, and hope for the best. If you are lazy and don't go to class or have basic knowledge you wont do well
Professor Brubaker is a nice guy, but you can tell that he is not all there in some ways. He comes to class either prepared or unprepared, and sometimes gets tripped up on his lectures and repeats himself over and over again. The quizzes are very difficult, but the exams you can receive a high score because he curves it a lot.
I absolutely love Professor Brubaker, but his teaching style was awful. Sweetest man Ive ever met, but he uses no form of technology at all. Quizzes every friday, but drops the lowest 5, and drops lowest exam score as well. He always held study sessions before each exam, which helped. Offers two forms of extra credit to boost grades as well.
he is such a nice old man but half of the time in lectures he has no idea where we left off from last class. The syllabus is useless because he jumps around so much . he doesnt go into enough detail in class for you to succeed on tests and quizzes.
Horrible professor. total of 11 quizzes (drops 5) and 4 tests (drops 1) but still impossible to pass. He is so disorganized and forgets what he teaches. Doesn' care if you pass and I even question if he knows the material himself. Quizzes do not reflect what we learn but does give back points on the tests. Wouldn't recommend this class to anyone.
I can't stress enough how badly I wish I hadn't taken his lecture! He is too smart for his own good and goes extremely fast through material. There are quizzes every Friday sometimes including things he forgot to mention in class. He also goes off on tangents about things that aren't relevant which makes it hard to know what to study.
Dont take his class if you have any other prof available for BIO103. Dont buy the textbook, its useless. He is a great guy but shouldnt be a professor, he goes off on tangents constantly, forgets to teach things that will be on tests, my class was taught incorrect info on many occasions, and is unforgiving if you miss a test for valid reasons.
Prof Brubaker was such a nice and funny man but not a very great professor. He does not use the textbook and sometimes he would forget what he had just taught. He is super smart and goes over a lot of material all at once and does not really slow down. Quizzes every week but drops the lowest 5. He wants you to do well, so he curves tests.
Brubaker is the nicest man. However, he is terrible professor. He does not have any lecture slides, he is very disorganized when lecturing and goes off on tangents which may or may not be on the test. He goes way too in depth for the class. Quizzes every Friday. I got B's on all of my tests with the curve but the quizzes were very hard. Good Luck.
First off, this dude is like 70 years old and has NO canvas page. I took him for a 1 credit lab and even when I cheated it was VERY difficult to do well. I'm writing this during his assigned final that is online due to corona virus and I literally cannot find the answers anywhere. DONT TAKE.
Lectures are mind numbingly boring. You just sit there and watch him derive math equations, albeit EECS 4404 is a math heavy course. The way he does math make sense but it can definitely be broken down so that it's easier to understand and fun to watch. Assignments are fun. TAs are very helpful.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
15%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO001
5.0
(1)BIOL124
5.0
(1)BIO345
5.0
(1)BIO325
4.0
(1)BIO
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
EECS4404
5.0
103
4.0
GBIO101
4.0
ISCI103
4.0
BIO103
3.7