2.3
Quality4.1
Difficulty38%
Would Retake169
Reviews38%
Would Retake
169
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
23
4
19
3
25
2
46
1
56
What Students Say
“ANYTHING, to get out of going to that hell”
BIO204 - 1.0 rating“The only good thing I got from taking this lab was realizing how great life was before I took this lab”
BIO204 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
78%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.10 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO328
5.0
(1)BCP487
5.0
(1)BCP403
5.0
(1)BIO34
5.0
(1)BIO207
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
20408
5.0
BIO201
5.0
BIO204AND205
5.0
BIO203
4.5
BIIO204205
4.5
Reviews (169)
I love love love this class and this teacher. H makes the material very entertaining, and allows you to ask questions and tell him about concerns. He's one of the greatest bio teachers ever. Take him if you can, you will definitely enjoy it. oh and he's hott too
Class is an absolute waste of time. Labs have nothing to do with BIO 202 corec. and has unreasonable expectations - 12 hour a week preptime just for me to do the bare minimum (for a two credit class!). I wouldn't mind if we were learning, but it just is busy work. Definitely the worst SB lab. He really needs to change the material covered
this class is the worst class ever. I mean u need to put ur life in this class. every day studying for this class. Some TA is not helping at all. the u have to complete huge among of assignments before lab, during lab and after lab. even we need to learn stuff, but not in this way. Spend all ur times in if u want get good grade
A lot of work for just 2 credits, the pre-labs are longer than the assignments. One of the worst labs, there are midterms and a final for a lab class which is about 50% of the grade. Maybe if the workload is cut in half it will be a better 2 credit class. I spent my whole semester basically on this class. You don't learn anything because you're str
It's typical Stony Brook lab courses taken during fall and spring. It works the same way for Chem labs too. Just too much work for such 1 or 2 credit courses. and also this is the first time that they made the bio labs 2 credits. So my suggestion is just wait a semester or two see how they change it around, and then take it.
OMG HATE HATE HATE this class its 2 credits when it should be 6 credits ahh they should really warn you if your about to waste your life while taking this class
waste my time..
The class sin't exactly hard but there is a fair amount of work for it. Still better than the old lab classes when they were attached to the lectures, of so I've heard. O'neal could also be really helpful when asked
Although I respect him very much being so young and accomplished and all, this course is a mess! He should just stop with all these stupid little extra projects he gives us and treat this class like what it is...a 2 credit Lab course.
Out of the 17 credits I was taking this semester, the most work I have done was with this bs of a course. The course is a mess, very unfair grading. You wind up working so hard for this two credit course and you don't get the proper grade at the end!!..you have been warned!! if you are pre-med like me or any pre-health, theres no going around it!
The most hated man among Stony Brook Pre-Med sophomores. The workload for Bio 204/205 is ridiculous. A poster presentation, seriously? The most time out of any class is usually spent on this 2 credit course. The TA grading system is completely different for each TA. I'm so happy I'm done with this class.
Worst class I ever took tho I did pretty alright. I dreaded goin to class, and I was always pissed off during the class. I hated lab reports and exams. I hated 204 and 205. If you hav a good TA, then you will get a generous grade. The class is too stressful. O'neal is not accessible and his podcasts are boring.
This class was SOOOO stressful. What were they thinking!!?? Its a lab and you find yourself doing more work in this class then any other. The podcast are LONG, PACKED WITH INFORMATION, UNCLEAR...and you have to watch them every week in addition to studying for your weekly quiz, lab report, project, whatever the case may be. The exams are tough
wayy too much work for a work for a 2 credit course, but its enough credits to mess up ur GPA,and whats with making us find hardcopies of journals when the even teh libraians ask, "why don't you use the website?" Bottomm line- bad professor.
This class is so unbelievably hard. Do not take this class if you don't have to. The workload is completely unreasonable and the TA's have no mercy in their grading. Taking this class is like dating a murderer, just not a good idea.
This class was a complete waste of time. Some how, they found a way to make 5th grade material into tedious busy work. The grading is completely nonsensical and O'Neal is an arrogant s.o.b. Unfortunately for a lot of people, this class is unavoidable so you need to really dumb yourself down to get a good grade. I hope this class burns in hell.
I don't know what he was thinking when designing this course. They took easy concepts and made you slave over it. Your grade basically depends on how generous your graduate TA is. Grading is RIDICULOUS. No true system really. Hated this course and I NEVER saw his face anywhere. When I went to his office he acted as if he was too good to talk.
OMG!!!! I think he is crazy. Hell lot of stuff to study just for a 2 credit class. Test are very hard. Terrible Prof.
Most stressful course in my life. Hate it, dread it, and most of it is completely useless bs anyway.
Look,the workload is tremendous for a 2 credit class,but if you want to be a med student and you can't handle this then drop out now and go to HVAC/ cosmetology school.The issue with this class is gross disorganization,last minute changes and shrouds of secrecy as to what is expected.Lots of conflicting info provided.Sucks the love 4 bio out of you
Nice man, the class is completely bogus. It has the work of a 5 credit class, but is only worth 2. Most of the time, the work is menial. Not very much is learned from the activities and there is a lot of wasted time.
Good Professor, he knows his stuff if you go to office hours however I will not disagree that the class has a ridiculous workload for a 2 credit lab course, and is ridiculously unorganized. If you are pre-med, and are complaining about this class, change your major. Best advice about lab reports; have your TA read it before you hand it in, that way
Big waste of time, I wish he would get fired. The course was so bad and for only two credits. I did so many of the labs in high school. Learned nothing from him but how to do lots of busy work.
Students who take bio 204 and 205 dislike Marvin Oneal so much, that in an Email to all of his students concerning an instructor evaluation form students were supposed to fill out, Oneal boasted that he had memorized each students hand writing from last semester so as to identify all students who were most angry with him!
WOW I really don't understand his problem. This is a 2 credit course and it is sooo difficult to get an A. I really worked my butt off in labs, all homeworks, lab reports, exams and he gave me a B. MY WHOLE SEMESTER REVOLVED AROUND DOING WORK FOR THIS CLASS. He is horrible and ridiculous. Material is repeated from BIO 201, 202 and 203.
yes, too much work for a 200-level class, but it was helpful especially taking any bio 203 since it touched on similar topics.
Easy professor if you pay attention. I got an A in this class. It's alot of work and alot of studying but it pays off. He is a great teacher. I'll recommend him to anyone who wants to learn about BIO.
Professor O'Neal is the worst professor at SBU. His course is just ridiculous. I wrote this on his instructor evaluation form: "your incessant efforts to break our spirits through this overly competitive, excessively demanding and thoroughly useless laboratory course are futile; you cannot weed out persistence; epic fail sir!" I got an A- too! ;-)
A great man. Profound impact on my education and life. Thank you.
talk about sour grapes. bottom line, if you do your work and don't fall behind and you take the work seriously even if you're a pre-med and think it's "beneath you" - you'll do fine. gradTAs and undergrad TAs(most) are helpful durin goffice hours. even faculty are very open to talking to students. stop all your whining.
WORST TEACHER EVER HAVE IN STONY BROOK.WASTE TIME ONE USELESS ASSIGNMENT. VERY TIME CONSUMING. AVOID AT ALL COST.YOU WILL END UP WORK YOUR BUTT OFF AND GET AN C. NOT CLEAR. DEMANDING FOR 2 CREDIT. I HOPE HE CAN BE FIRED
If this class accurately illustrated what it means to be a biologist, I do not want to be a biologist. Lots of ums in this class. Tedium, delirium, Um...Why am I measuring fish scale number for three hours and then writing a difficult lab report in 15 minutes? The class may reflect the process of being a biologist, but none of the concepts.
The instructors are bogus. 1 instructor made a mistake and graded my friend's paper twice and the difference between the grades was 20 points out of 100 points(rolling dices?). Random test questions. Too much work. Doesn't explain the work required well if at all. every night before bio class, i'd take time to curse him out :) and some at lab.
Not really able to rate the professor so to speak because the only time most people see him are in the podcasts. As for the class, it is indeed an incredible amount of work for a 2-credit class, but as some people will tell you, if you stay on top of it and do what you are asked of, you should be fine. A cool TA doesn't hurt either, pray for that.
he intentionally made the course and lab manual confusing and lengthy lab activities so that most students will be discouraged to further proceed into bio major. sometimes lab activities r not finished due to so much to be learned and done in 3 hours, u need to rush to finish lab work. the course is overwhelming and stressful. most ta r horrible
for a 2credit into lab course he actually expects us to learn or already know stuff taught in bio 201,202and 203 class.thats y the class is so difficult. there r lab practical, midterm, and a final for this bs course and most ppl dont learn or remember much from this stressful course. if u have a helpful ta then u wont b as confused as most student
O'Neal is the 1 of the worst in stony brook. he actually made us hand in the final exam sheet with the scantron, in every other course u get to keep the exam paper but not in bio204.most ta dont care, does not want to help-a few r willing to clarify and explain things. i hope he's fired ASAP. and he is a very discouraging but pretends to b nice
STUDY EVERY DAY FOR 1HR FOR THIS COURSE N KEEP UP WITH THE ASSIGNMENTS, THEN U WILL BE OK BUT IT IS A VERY DIFFICULT COURSE. HE DESIGNED BIO204 AND 205, SO THERE'S NO WAY TO AVOID IT IF U R REQUIRED TO TAKE THESE LAB COURSES. GOOD LUCK AND STUDY FOR IT EVERY DAY FOR A "B" OR HIGHER. IF U HAVE A STUPID TA, U R ON UR OWN.
Did not have to interact much with this professor but he seemed to care about students. I agree that there is way too much work for a 2-cr lab. There is no organization in lab - a lot of time wasting by the TA for the most of the lab and then rushing to finish at the end. You truly need to devote a lot of time to this lab to get a good grade.
Great Teacher
Great course. Hard because it's innovative teaching. U actually have 2 think for urself in this course. No cookbook lab here. For those of you who say he's inaccessible, try teaching over a 1000 students a semester and see how accessible u are. If u get in his calendar you can get super help from him. He really does want you to learn.
I haven't learned anything that i didnt get from high school bio lab. I did better in my Organic chemistry class with half the time then I did working for this course. O'neal is terrible, he much rather have you writing a "poster presentation" known as a pre-k science project with research conducted in the 80's then relavent experiements. FIRE HIM
A useless course, haven't done so much work for a class that is only two credits. O'neal is terrible he makes believes he cares but in truth he couldn't care less. Useless work and a wasteful experience. take the lab course somewhere else, it's not worth it here.
Waste of your time. Take this course someplace else believe me!!!!
ATTENTION STUDENTS: YOU'RE IN FRIGGIN' COLLEGE NOW!! A LOT OF YOU WHO TAKE THIS COURSE ARE PRE-MED...GET USED TO DOING A LOT OF WORK THAT REQUIRES THINKING. I can't stand when people complain that this is too much work for 2 credits. Don't take it then. This course is pretty well organized and gets better ever semester. Chill.
This class has so much writing involved that I lost all feeling in my testicles from sitting so long and went to the emergency room. Do not take this class. And if you have to, do it over the summer. A short burst of pain is beeter than a prolonged one.
BIO204 sucked, BIO205 sucked less. The labs were much more clear in objective, and the lab report and poster projects were useful for those who wish to further pursue science in a laboratory setting. If they fix 204, I might actually recommend this course sequence.
this is one of the most useless and annoying class i have ever taken. a lot of stupid and tedious work that teaches you absolutely nothing. grading depends heavily on your TA. TA does not seem to be consistent with grading. overall a horrible class.
your attempts to break our spirits are fruitless, your face seems to chiseled from an Adonis-like cantaloupe, and your labs are insanely demanding, unnecessarily competitively, ultimately failing at teaching us biology competently. No matter how hard you try, you cannot weed out excellence.
THIS CLASS IS SOOO USELESS!!! The labs are designed to confuse you and cause grief. He goes out of his way to make things difficult. There's entirely too much work for a lab class and it's ridiculous that this class has a final
Believe it or not, he really does take an interest in his students' understanding of the material. Majority of the people complaining here DIDN'T STUDY AND PREPARE FOR LAB. It's real easy to blame the professor and complain about the workload. Competitive class, make sure you spend a LOT of time on your out of class assignments. That is all.
He's more useless than the class itself. He structured the course to make it seemed like this is an important class but it's a 2 credit intro course. He assigns more work than a 4 credit class, but he's really just a glorified high school teacher who wants to feel important. Don't try to get an A. It's not big deal, just 2 creds
He's not that bad, he really does want students to understand the material. He's nice and funny, but the class in gen. is highly competitive and requires a ton of work unnecessary for a 2 cred course. But the info learned it useful for your other bio classes. Also, grading depends on the TA, who are indeed inconsistent. Unreliable grading.
This class was a little better than 204, but still a lot of work nonetheless. He's actually a good guy and does want everyone to learn the material, but he wants people to earn their good grades. You absolutely have to prepare in advance for this class, don't save projects for the last minute. The grading is also pretty shady, pray for a nice TA.
If you don't have to take this class, save yourself the agony and don't. It's a waste of time, effort, and brain power. Even if you do all the work you're still not guaranteed even a B. For lab you need to look busy, for tests/exams know what you're doing. Beware of competency exams, they take off points for every little thing you do wrong.
OK FOR THIS LAB COURSE STUDY THE LAB MANUAL AND ASSIGNED READINGS THOROUGHLY AND DO THE PRELAB AND WATCH PODCAST VIDEO B4 GOING TO LAB SO THAT U WONT BE **AS CONFUSED** AS U WOULD BE OTHERWISE**1LABPRACTICAL 2LABREORTS AND 1 HARD FINAL--STUDY WELL AND --GRADING FOR EVERYTHING OTHER THAN THE FINAL IS BASED ON UR TA IF U HAVE HARSH GRADING TA UR*****
So tell me, why are you guys in college if you don't want to do the work? If you don't want to do the work then get a job at a bank. Marvin O'Neal is a great teacher who cares about the students and learning. That's all too rare a thing these days, believe me. You people should count yourselves lucky or quit school and stop complaining.
we hardly saw him, he seem like to be the guy behind the curtains that is driving everything. i took this class in the summer, he actually gave people nice curves on grading and stuff. altho all comments on here about the work load is justified, its pretty bad for a 2 credit class lol.
One of my favorite class last fall. Learned a lot from hands-on work. If you want to be a scientist/researcher you need to love writing the lab reports. I think there should have been more reports. He is a role model for people who want to be "somebody" in the biology field. Nice person also, I don't know why people complain.
O'Neal has very progressive ideas about what intro bio labs should be like. The moral of the story, despite what others have said, is that the work is NOT hard. There's just a ton of it to do. As long as you put in a reasonable amount of effort, you can do well. If you set aside enough time for bio lab, it's not hard to do well in this class.
He's not that bad. Yes you will very rarely see him and yes it's a lot of busywork for a two credit class, but it's not as bad as everyone makes it seem. The labs actually make you learn, not like the "cookbook style" intro chemistry labs, and the dept tries to make the podcasts/labs at least a bit funny and interesting. Didn't regret taking it.
Workload is way too high for a two-credit course. Almost impossible to finish every lab in the time period. Quiz at the beginning of each lecture but there is always at least one answer that contradicts the podcast. Grad TAs never know what is going on, mine complains about the instructors never preparing her enough. Grading completely subjective.
I've only seen him once or twice, does not seem to make an effort to get to know the students who are taking his classes. Work is not hard but very time consuming and tedious. His exams are the most ridiculous, some questions require you to look at tiny fuzzy black and white pics printed on the exam for the answer.
First off, I'm not lazy, HOWEVER, almost all of the labs are too long to be finished in class. You will go home after every class with at least half of a lab to finish plus a prelab; it gets to be a lot for 2 credits. It is definitely treated like a 3-4 credit class. For the last 3 labs you need to know stat and excel, which aren't taught in class
complete waste of time and all just busy work...
the only time you really see him is in podcasts (lab lectures posted online) and at the tests. this class is a lot of work that isn't necessarily hard, just annoying. labs are long so work efficiently. my biggest problem was that i think he made impossible tests (2 tests to see if you can use the lab equipment, a midterm and a final).
istudents usually do not finish and rush to finish in almost every lab.all that confusing work does not help us "learn to think like scientists". unnecessary and confusing work that students forget after the semester is over. It hurts other classes because u put 2much time into this ridiculous 2cr lab class.
Basically, he's useless to students. He's never around. Made one appearance first lab to introduce himself, then you only see him in person at tests. During his open office hours after asking if he was busy, his response was "When am I not busy?" Doesn't seem so inviting. Lab itself was do-able, just really gotta stay on top of your game.
Beginning of 204 was HORRIBLE! I was lost-no help from my TA. Went to yell at oneal. he really helped me-spent over an hour in his office. Now I understand the class...very different from typical intro lab...you must think!
I just want to say that i have nothing against working hard. Its what gets you ahead in life. HOWEVER, gratuitous work only makes you go crazy. this class is the most chaotic, unorganized class ive ever had. Every pre-lab has a large laundry list of things to do, and it makes you ignore all your other 3 or 4 credit classes. its not worth the hassle
Most unorganized class I've ever taken. This course is a disgrace to the school's science department. Every lab is basic(I've done every single one in high school bio and more) yet the list of 5-10 things that must be completed for it is ridiculous. Almost every other week ontop of the prelab, quiz and others, there is a major assignment.
Very knowledgable and approachable guy. The only downside is that he can be a little too sarcastic which makes him repulsive and mean at times. Most of the TAs in this course are terrible and not aware of deadlines or expectations for the course (not O'Neal's fault of course).
The most useless biology class at Stony Brook University. It was a waste of my time and it was way to much work for a two credit class. The TAs are also useless. Most of them were always talking out of their ass
This class is a pain in the butt. Non doubt about it. Sad for us pre-meds and bio majors that have to take it. Its not the course material, its all the useless stuff u have to do. Jus fight through it. Push for your A, its definitely attainable.
Ok, fine. I learned to write a lab report, and use some lab equipment. If there was less work the class wouldn't be so bad. It takes up so much time that you will dread going to this lab. I genuinely hope upper division labs are not as bad. O'Neal is an okay guy, but the amount of work ( especially outside work) needs to be toned down.
Yes this class is alot of work for 2 credits and most of the work is nonsense. If you try and stay on top of your work you will do good most likely but the staff in charge is horrible. Most of them have no idea what they are doing and this doesnt surprise me considering who is in charge. The practical and final is hard because they dont prepare u.
this class was awful and useless. insane amount of work for 2 credits. nothing like lab classes at other colleges. such a shame that it's required for pre-med. i didn't learn anything that i will ever need to know. the final exam was ridiculously hard and based on things we never learned in class
I never spoke to him or saw him in office hours because you pretty much go to your TA for everything. However, you can tell that he put an insane amount of work into this class from the podcasts to the lab manual. Definitely knows what he's doing. Only downside of the class is that it's on a bell curve or something so many people have to fail.
He is one of the nicest guys in stony. If you go to his office hours he is super-nice and helpful. He will answer any questions and has a sense of humor. Took 204,205 and did research with him. He is really awesome. Yes lab is hard, but it depends a lot on which TA you get
Doing new stuff with bio labs. Really knows his stuff
It's the only bio lab worth taking. He really makes you think. Must read and keep up. pray for a good TA
literally worst class ever. he tries hard but he doesn't understand that it's an introductory lab course, not an actual research lab. i spend so much of my week doing work for this class. quizzes every week. ridiculously unfair exams
As far as the class goes, it was not as difficult as I expected but the amount of work put into this class was absolutely ridiculous and for just for 2 credits. How you do in this class depends a lot on the amount of effort you put into your work especially lab reports and how your TA grades. The final was also extremely difficult.
Grade dependent on TA
Take 207 and skip 205. Go to ONeal for help, if you can find him-he's crazy busy but spent lots of time with me. 3D printing is awesome-ask to keep your model. I hear they trow them away.
He's a super nice guy and very approachable. His class is very tough and really depends on your TA. But if you go to his office hours, you can talk about things you think are unfair and he'll look into it. It also seems like he really wants to make the class benefit the student and he isn't out there to get you.
Possibly the least organized human being on earth. I had to email him to ask him for assignments that were not posted and sometimes he didn't know what I was talking about. I feel lost in this class as to what they want from us and some TA's grade ridiculously hard. There is also a written midterm and final and many out of class projects.
Good guy, but ridiculously hard class..
A hilariously difficult class where everyone does a ton of work and no one gets a good grade.
I cannot deal with the overwhelming pressure this class has put on me. The pre and post quizzes are tough enough but also throw in multiple projects and lab write ups! Countless hours spent studying for the midterm and nearly nothing appeared on the midterm. It's rather impossible to get a good grade. I say it's too much work for a 2 credit class.
Words cannot describe how obnoxious this class is. So much work, so little reward. I had the chance to place out of this class but chose not to because I thought I would learn something. Turns out I didn't really learn anything. A lack of effective communication between professors, TA's, and students really, really shows. I'm glad I got a good TA.
This class is actually not as bad as people say it is. if you actually put in the work and do all the pre-labs and videos, you will be fine! He is pretty easy this year.
Would be fine if they could just not post things up on blackboard at the last minute. And having 4 different rubrics for a paper is a great way to confuse your students. Class isn't much of a problem except for those papers and the unnecessary poster project. Also, there is nothing taught in this class that isn't covered in high school.
Easy class, my ta is also a very nice grader so that is a plus. This year BIO 204 is almost as easy as the summer that my friend took the year before. Getting an A- so far.
Way too much work for a 2 credit class. The material itself is not hard, but the class it so disorganized that you do not know what you have to do for lab reports/projects. Basically have to know everything in order to do well on the pre/post lab quizzes, as well as the midterm, which you couldn't even properly prepare for. Pray for a nice TA.
Just a ridiculous amount of work, I usually have no problem putting in a lot of effort or work but this class is just too much for an intro lab. Since this is my first lab ever I found it too challenging and has made me really dislike labs.
These comments are spot on. Test and clicker questions are tricky and unpredictable. Only 2 or 3/20+ students in each class receive an A. You need a STRONG background in biology and writing to succeed. Effort is hardly rewarded because there is no effective way to prepare for exams. For a few credits, this class asks and expects for a lot.
If at all possible I highly recommend taking this course at another school. All tests are on obscure pieces of knowledge that half the sections don't even learn and it is almost impossible to get an 'A' without the curve. Save your time and your sanity and avoid at all costs.
I got an A so let me explain: a)Professor himself is nice b) there is no 'set'way to study for exam. MUST TAKE BIO 201/202 b4 you take this class for background-I did which is why I got an A. No need to take this class freshman/soph year. O'Neal himself is cool. But he doesnt affect your grade- the TA does- some TA's are nice, while others are not
WORST CLASS EVER! I decided to take this class with orgo and bio 201... worst decision of my life! because of this class, i couldn't spend enough time on my more worthy classes like orgo. Turns out i get an A in orgo and a B- in this class. The amount of work i put into this class didnt correlate with my grade. its a nightmare
I took 204 last semester and now I'm taking 205. I have literally never seen such a horribly run class. I'm a transfer student and every other University I've been too has labs that actually teach you not just rush you through every experiment and then have test questions designed to trick you, not see how much you know.
Pre/post lab questions are very poorly written, usually not a complete sentence and completely irrelevant to the course.The lab tutor, written by him provides the worst instruction ever. No one understands what to do. He does not respond to email well and reluctant to admit his mistakes. *Note: You must take Bio 203, or you this course is very hard
Upper level biolabs r better designed n run n relatively less confusing than these bs n useless labs.Some/most TAs r confused/ dont care/n some r even uncooperative when students need clarification. THESE LABS R PURPOSELY DESIGNED THIS WAY BY ONEIL. MOST STUDENTS RUSH TO FINISH LAB WORK N THE EXAMS R ALSO ANOTHER TRAP. STUDY HARD FOR B or C.
This class brought upon type II depression in me. Would attempt to swallow the chemicals in the class to end the misery.
every morning that I drive to this class I never put my seatbelt on; I'd rather crash and die than go to this class...
Marvin O'Neal does not understand what a laboratory class is; however, it seems as if he uses this class to keep the students busy. Nothing from 204 & 205 is tested properly, neither is science at all tested. It is merely impossible to study for these classes. If you have the opportunity, take your bio labs ELSEWHERE if you actually want to learn
This lab just depends on who's inur class. If ur lab has a lot of not so bright ppl and u do better than them then u will get a good grade. But if its the other way around good luck
Bio 205 is a hard course. I highly recommend you to take Bio 203 prior to taking this course. Trust me, it will improve your pre/post quiz grade a lot. Prof.O'Neal is not good with emails, and it is best to contact him in person. He isn't tht bad. As always SBU BIO classes are relative grading, which means, if your friend mess up, youa are golden!
I am taking this class in the summer currently. First of all, there's WAY TOO MUCH WORK for a 2-credit LABORATORY class. Secondly, the pre/post lab quizzes are too heavily weighed. Thirdly, although the course does teach us things step by step, most people have no idea what they're doing most of the time.
There's a little stretch of road between the center of molecular science and HSC, and each day before lab I would take my time walking across at, hoping, PRAYING that a car would hit me, or the earth would suddenly spilt open, or that the sky would fall...ANYTHING, to get out of going to that hell
The class itself isn't hard. Workload is doable. However, grading sucks; it all depends on how lenient your TA (mine didn't know anything). Would've been a better class if their grading format for lab reports wasn't so inconsistent. The final is much fairer than 204's though (no nonsense "which species wasn't present in the greenhouse?")
this course just doesn't make any sense
Horrible class, poorly organized. Way too much work for a 2 credit class. You are constantly confused, there is no actual direction, and they think students have all the time in the world for one 2 credit class. Avoid this class.
The class is just disorganized, confusing, and unfair. Some TAs are more lenient than others, and each grades in their own way. The scientific literature project is completely unfair, as some articles are easier to understand than others. The paper on the poster presentation is useless too...
Actual material is not hard. Thy whole class is disorganized and there is very inconsistent communication between professors, TAs, and students. TAs grade inconsistently with each other as well as give inconsistent directions. Very difficult to learn anything in lab because everything is so rushed. If you don't need it, don't take it
expensive+annoying+helpless+gpakiller
No matter what grade you will get, try to avoid this class or keep it for the last semester. A LOT of misleading instructions, always have to spend at least 1 hour just to figure out WHAT they want us to to in assignments. I really like prof. O'Neal, he is nice guy. But course is far way too frustrating.
This class is horrible. Sections are taught by TA's who have no idea what they are doing, some more than others which makes it unfair. The content itself isn't rocket science but everything is so unorganized that it makes it hard to understand what's going on. Not to mention that it's IMPOSSIBLE to get an A and the grading system sucks
The only good thing I got from taking this lab was realizing how great life was before I took this lab
It was so frustrating that you work so hard for a class and end up with a bad grade. I have a B+ before the final and the second lab report, but now I will possibly get a C.
Honestly, just do the work and stop complaining. Engulf yourself into the biology and work hard! It's not impossible to do well, most people just don't care enough to try and do well. Biology is taught in many ways, and this is just one of them. I got an A by just doing what I was supposed to do and tried my best at it! You'll be fine!
I think that there are some positive and some negatives about Dr. O'Neal. First and foremost, he cares about his students and wants us to learn biology. He alters the course to match what we students want. Granted, the course is organized and makes everyone want to die. I wish the final wasn't so tricky. I also wish he remembered this is a lab.
The weight of the clickers this semester destroyed me but retaking bio lab and undergoing the torture again would be the last thing I would ever do.
Very ambitious course. Take it in the summer. Though exam questions are confusing, glad that they curve the grades. In quizzes/exams you would encounter things NOT covered in lab manual. Also, now it is already July 10th (final on July 3rd), but grades haven't be input on SOLAR yet. Disgusting course; team work all the time (team mates matter)
Yes, this course is demanding, but it's possible to do well. I got an A w/o taking any BIO courses since 9th grade. Take advantage of the TAs at office hrs. (I would see no one there.) They help guide you through reports etc. Be on top of things and always review LM, vodcast, quizzes. Tests are tricky, but if everything else is solid, you're good.
Let's just say... he's a very interesting kind. This class demands a lot of work, responsibility, BUT it's disorganized[?]. However, it is DOABLE. From my experience, if you go to TA office hours, go to BLC, join FB page, etc. you will get a decent grade. I'd recommend taking this course over the SUMMER.
He genuinely wants everyone to learn and do well, but that doesn't mean he will give out free As. He has studied tactics to make students retain the information presented in his class. That's why there are so many assignments, it forces you to actually learn throughout the semester instead of cramming for a week and forgetting the next. Work hardA
He is extremely unorganized. This class was the worst class I have taken at Stony Brook. It is not treated like an intro class. There are quizzes every class that make a huge difference and you must read and watch a vodcast for each one. I did it and still usually got a 25. Your grade totally depends on which TA you get.
Dr. O'Neal is the man. The guy cares very much about the students that take his course(s). The class does depend on the TA you get. He only grades lab write ups along with your TA. The class is an overall easy class as long as you do assignments and show effort and follow directions.
The class a whole is very disorganized and the tests are pretty poorly written. That being said, Dr. O'Neal himself is probably one of the nicest, most understanding professors there are at Stony. It's possible to do well in this course as long as you make an effort to understand what you're doing and make sure you know your TA's grading style.
The Intro Labs at Stony Brook are both poorly organized, but they seem to be improving that a bit. Dr. O'Neal himself is a great guy, and will help you out if needed, and has extended deadlines due to student requests. The test material is easy intro bio stuff that you probably already know. Lab reports are annoying, but there aren't many.
The whole BIO 204-205 system is disorganized and does not actually focus on teaching concepts. It's mostly tedious busy work and irritating lab reports. The final is weighted too heavily; I've had As going into each final and for 204 I got a B+ coming out of it and 205 I can only hope to keep that A. The 205 final was slightly better though...
Marvin O'Neal is a great professor, objectively speaking. He really cares about teaching his students, constantly revises his syllabus based on course feedback, and is a great lecturer to top it off. On the other hand, the BIO 204-205 sequence currently needs a lot of improvement in terms of organization and clarity. Wish he taught other classes.
Dr. O'Neil is a very caring professor who is very concerned with making sure his students learn but still, BIO 204 is the worst class I have ever taken. You learn almost nothing from the seemingly random labs and the final is very difficult as it seems to be a random exam of BIO trivia you might have picked up from other classes.
Is the course unorganized? I followed the syllabus of the grade breakdown meticulously. To get an A, you need 933 points of 1000 or more. With 15 points of extra credit, you have 82 points to mess up and still have an A. Have your instructor proof read all lab reports before submitting, visit the learning center, and do not miss clicker points.
Let me say this. I've worked in labs before, but this man made me start to dislike ecology and evolution. He constantly allows his leftist political views to spill into the class. Dr. O'Neill is better off teaching AP Biology or Regents Biology labs in a high school. The recitations are useless and the only point is for clicker questions
This guy makes bio lab a living nightmare. He makes you relearn all the theory from BIO 201/202/203 so it is like having all those courses compacted into one. There are so many stupid assignments and quizzes, like there is a quiz and assignments each time you come to lab. And you actually have to team up with people you don't like. Worst class ever
Fantastic person, great course
You can tell he's a good guy. The problem is the TA's teach the course, the TA's determine your grade, the TA's determine everything. You need some luck to get an A in this class. My TA was always confused and did not speak english well.
While he is a nice guy, the course is completely disorganized. Hope you have a good TA because grading essentially depends on them.
JOKE. The TA's are so damn confused during lab its laughable. Incredibly disorganized course, the grading is so irritating to follow, I mean there is 0 feedback and I actually wanted to learn biology. If you have to take this course, kiss up to your TA, don't talk to O'Neal (he can hurt your grade and will), and follow everything to the T
A truly unique experience that I will never forget, 1. Worship your Lab TA, 2. Do not go to O'Neals office hours to discuss grades (talk to your TA - he will deduct points) 3. NEVER miss recitation 4. The Final is ridiculous - it's way to in depth (study early) 5. Fly under O'Neals radar as much as possible
He gives participation points for going to recitation, and quiz points for answering clicker questions correctly during recitation. Expect a lot of group work in lab. This lab also has a final, and a competency exam for lab equipment usage. Overall, O'Neal is a cool guy, and I liked recitation. His lectures were interesting, and interactive.
Best thing I could describe it as was a dumpster fire
Extremely disorganized course. In order to successfully prepare for labs you have to go out of your way to string together information to have a proper understanding. I cant stress that enough, you really have to go through loops and holes to figure out exactly what it is you should be doing in lab. Theres simply no clear or consice instructions.
Epitomizes prof's who use their own textbook. Every1 forced to purchase HIS online lab manual that unlocks sections as sem goes on. Forget getting ahead and don't expect the manual to help w/ rec quizzes. Guy def ruined what could've been an enjoyable course. Worst SBU experience. Wish someone else also taught it! Literally no1 enjoys this course
Listen, he's a incredible prof. and admirable man, but I wish he'd get his labs in order. I never been more confused, frustrated, and lost in all my life. His hand-picked lab instructors aren't much help, they're learning things with you. It is a lot of work for 2 credits; I usually like lab classes, only if they're organized. Ask UGTAs for help!
As someone who took the class and is a UGTA I can say Dr. O'Neal is a horrible person to work with. He thinks of himself as "king of the jungle" and treats the TAs and UGTAs like less than. TAs don't receive instructions and so students don't receive instructions. AVOID THIS CLASS IF YOU CAN.
The amount of work done in this class is completely unfair for a 2 credit course. It is completely unorganized and grading is very aggressive. This course is a shame on SBU.
Good guy, horrible professor. Poor structure, mysterious grading personnel, no instructions on anything. If you ask for instructions or help you will be guided to the rubric. Dr ONeal also doesn't have time to respond to emails if you are having trouble. He will say on first day of class that 204 is easy A and all instructors can help. UNTRUE����
So, he's not a bad dude and he's really interesting /passionate about bio, but his downfall is he is very disorganized. Also, don't expect a prompt response to your emails, ask a TA instead. Make friends with your UGTA's and ask them for help, attend recitation (I can't stress that enough), prepare for lab, and pull your weight in the group project
Professor O'Neal has the unfortunate burden of teaching one of the most dreaded classes at SBU. It is notoriously difficult and as a result, he starts off fighting an uphill battle. He does his best to make the class fun though, and his elimination of the final and lab reports was a huge help. I disliked his class, but I likes him as a person
Chill guy in recitation but course is a nightmare. Workload isnt too bad if students work on it every day for 2 weeks. But that is unrealistic when most students have orgo 1 and physiology at the same time.
He doesn't "believe in" curves. There is a weekly pre recitation quiz, clicker questions during recitation, 3 hour lab, lab notebooks submitted weekly, excel competency exam, in-lab tool competency exam, two midterms, 3 week long lab report, 3 week long final lab project (group project thankfully). A LOT of work. Become buddies with your UGTA / TA
BIO 204 is a 2 credit class but its got the workload of a full 3 or even 4 credit course. Other lab courses were definitely not this much work, but it was all for a good reason. The course was very well organized, albeit the grading criteria left much to be desired. Not a terrible class. ONeal has been doing it for ages. Lots of work though.
While the assignments for BIO204 were manageable to complete (big stuff was one presentation, one paper, and final), the grading is so harsh it's crazy. If you get lucky like me and have a good lab TA you should be good, but some TAs are known to take off points just for a wrong colored dot on a graph. The final is designed to be hard and weed out
Dr O'Neal is nice, funny, and smart. I don't believe the absolute monstrosity that is this course is necessarily to be blamed fully on him as a professor, but unfortunately he is the main lecturer. I'll just leave it as this: very unfair, mixed expectations, nit-picky grading, and a hard final on topics we never had enough time to fully address
Professor O'Neal was a nice guy who wanted to get his students involved, but this class was difficult. We got clear grading criteria but were not really showed how to do it. We had to do a lab report but were not really showed how to do it. I never got any feedback back for the lab report and only received my grade on BB on the last week of class.
Very ignorant
Marvin has a much nicer demeanor than his counterpart, Spikes. Do not let that fool you, however, Marvin is the course director of the god-awful introductory bio labs at Stony brook. Everything wrong with the class comes from him. His utter ignorance of student feedback is detrimental to undergraduates who have no choice but to take this class
he is very funny
Marvin is a tough prof, but putting in the work pays off. Engage with his specific teaching system, and you'll learn a lot. Unstuckstudy was super helpful for my study prep - saved time compared to other resources.
Marvin is great guy, very funny, learned alot during the recitations. Although the content is pretty scrambled, and assignments can be roughly graded, he clutched up at the end.
Very good professor and admirable man. Lots of people clown on him because the course is bad, which isn't his fault. Makes labs fun and would take again
This course is so unorganized, and there are such high expectations for a two-credit, lower division course. If you can take the equivalent of this class somewhere else, please do so. It is as terrible as people say.
O'Neal is a great lecturer, funny, and he's great at keeping students engaged. The course, however, is not very great, and O'Neal is in charge of the organization of the course, so he's to blame. There's completely unreasonable expectations set for students to learn for a 2 credit, lower division, intro bio lab.
Ok, marvin's a great guy if you get to speak to him. He's what you call a performative male w/o being performative if you know what im even trying to say. As a professor, the course will be hard, it's expected. But as a person, oh my gosh; i would pay to be his friend. He's your outdoor boys yt channel type. Very sociable and outdoor-sey.
O'Neal's BIO204 is okay but still unnecessarily hard. Grades feel like they are pulled out of a hat, and who you get paired with in your lab determines how well you do. Information to study for the final is really hard to find. It is possible to pass if you put in a LOT of work; O'Neal's 204 is still infinitely the better option for this class.
Thoroughly goes over labs, making his lectures engaging with a few jokes and references here and there. Each recitation includes several clicker questions and may have a corresponding worksheet, so make sure to complete the pre-recitation each time. Sometimes hints at the correct answer for the clickers. Grading may be harsh; hard work may pay off.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
78%
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