3.1
Quality3.4
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake92
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
92
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
17
4
32
3
16
2
16
1
11
What Students Say
“Be prepared to relisten to his lectures”
BIO445 - 4.0 rating“Workload for this class is very small-no stress”
BIOL445 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
60%
Textbook Required
97%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.00 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO151
5.0
(1)BIO431
5.0
(1)BIOL151152
4.0
(1)BIOL151
4.0
(1)BIOL152
3.6
(40)Difficulty by Course
NEUROBIO
5.0
BIO431
5.0
BIOL410
5.0
BIOL431
4.5
BIOL151152
4.0
Reviews (92)
only problem i have with him is he doesnt use blackboard for notes
No Comments
This teacher can bite my ass!!
doesn't use blackboard and talks about toad fish way to much
No Comments
Doesn't use blackboard. Talks way too much about his specialty. Uses nasty metaphors in class, you can count on getting sexual comparisons that just make you want to go eeeeewwww!
Is he on tenure or something? Because he totally doesn't teach what he's supposed to, but then tests us on all of it. Doesn't explain terms in class, and just throws information at you without fully explaining it. WORTHLESS.
Excellent teacher -- tests are fair.
Very unclear.
No Comments
nice guy, just has a bad way of teaching. try to find someone who has had him before, he likes to repeat test questions
he has a pretty good sense of humor but wants you to stop taking notes and listen to his lecture, however, you can't do that without forgetting what he said, etc. Throws out too much information at one time.
Tests are worded so they seem to be made to trip you even though he says he doesn't mean to. Covers notes with his hands so you can't read them, both intentionally and on accident. Voice can knock you asleep pretty fast if you're not careful.
Dr. Fine gives you all the material you need to know for your exam. Memorize his notes, don't touch the book. His test are VERY tricky. Make sure you ask him what he means on all of the questions. Go to his office hours. He is very helpful. Good class
He's a good teacher, and seems really nice, but his tests are killer. When he says to start studying a week after just taking a test, do it. You will need all the preparartion time you can get. I suggest flashcards for the millions of terms. Good Luck!
He's alright... Tests are killer though
He's smart and funny and a really great teacher. Go to all lectures and take really good notes. I suggest typing the notes because he talks so fast that it's impossible to keep up with him otherwise. You don't even need to read the book, but make sure you know the material cuz tests are hardcore.
Not the greatest individual teacher, but he definetely knows his stuff. Be sure to find a very good set of notes and pay attention, because 1 class missed and your grade is done for.
He is a very knowledgable teacher and when you take the time to see you he will explain till you get it. He tries and he is brilliant but maybe a little awkward as a teacher.
Great teacher...knows his stuff...class isn't too boring, he's a nerd and he knows it and makes sure you know it...tests are tricky, focus is on application concepts and not memorization of facts...if you go to class, take notes, review here and there you'll do fine.
Very helpful and always willing to answer questions... class sets test dates
I loved him I thought he was a great teacher.
A very fine instructor, even in a large scale class. Very interested in his students. Stop by his office.
very hard class, notes help but questions are very tricky. know them backwards and forwards, study the book too if u wanna get an A
Personally i liked him as a person, but profesonally he sucks as teacher. He gives curves and he is very nice, but that don't help people who are already confused in his lectures. He should think about making his questions a little bit student like...Rest god help those who help themselves...
No Comments
No Comments
Overall Dr. Fine is a good and easy teacher. You don't need to buy the book because he even says to not read it and the study guide questions aren't similar to his. His notes are those kind of filler notes where you have to listen and write more in. Study notes and get a recorder so you can relisten to the lecture and you should at least get a B.
He is a very nice man. He is always willing to answer questions. Makes corny jokes and has a tendency to ramble on about stuff you don't need to know. Make sure you are reviewing your notes and that your not memorizing but understanding the material. Also, taking HUMS helped me alot.
I absolutely loved this class. If nothing but see what weird thing he's going to say next. It also helps if you take the SI Sessions with the class, if you can't do the HUMS class. Between Fritsch and Turbeville, you can go wrong with Dr. Fine.
horrible professor, his notes are so freaking unclear that you NEED si sessions or hums to understand anythign of what he says. avoid his class!!!
horrible professor... unclear, doesn't test on his notes... SI will help you get a C if you're lucky
Fine is a good teacher who wants his students to do well. His tests are NOT "worded trickily" if you actually know the material. A good technique for me was to record his lectures and then type/organize them into notes and read them over well in advance of the test. You can't cram the material. Take it in a little bit at a time and you'll do wel
I have no idea why there are so many people complaining. Dr. Fine is the one of the best teachers I have had. You have to take clear notes and go to the SI sessions, or HUMS, or heck even set up your own study sessions. This is not an easy class, you actually have to work!
Awesome teacher. Very interesting lectures. I studied a lot for the first test but thought the questions were extremely straightforward and not at all tricky. Take this guy.
Dr. Fine is a great teacher and has very interesting lectures. Although his notes don't fall strictly in line with the book - they complement each other. Dr. Fine is straightforward. Highly recommended.
Dr. Fine is a great biol professor. He is enthusiastic about his subject and makes class interesting. He is sometimes goofy... ok he is goofy a lot =) His notes are concise and to the point. Some of his notes on screen are lenghty BUT he specifically summerizes them for you if you LISTEN and not madly write. Tests are ALL from his notes.
Avoid this teacher. He teaches from memory and goes on long tangents and tests on items he should have covered. Tests are rediculously hard. Left for a week before finals and is impossible to reach out of class.
Unbelievable teacher. Tests very fair (borderline easy). He gives four or five extra questions so you can score 108 if you get every one right. Curved our first two tests. Responds quickly to email, very helpful, and really really entertaining. I loved his class.
He was extremely enthusiastic about the subject, which made me very eager to learn it. Tests were not hard, but not easy. I found that recording his lectures helped alot. I would recommend him.
neurobio, his lectures are very random, can't follow speedy and messy notes. His notes are probably 20 years old, and it almost looks yellow from distance. Anyhow, you willnot need a book, but will help if you have it. most of the questions are directly from what he says or writes. Not too hard, but be prepared to memorize irelvant random thing
Dr. Fine is a brilliant man. He is very enthusiastic about his work/hobby. He LOVES the fish he works on, and often relates the material being learned to that species. If you find him in his office, you will not be surprised by the mess. He is confusing at times, but overall, if you PAY ATTENTION and STUDY...you'll get a good grade. Great guy!
His notes are ancient and can be dated back to the days of the dinosaurs. Notes are not organized well and does not use alot of visual examples that is personally helpful to me. Throws in a bunch of random complex words that you have not heard of. Goes on tangents that seems to make topics much more complex and advance for my class. His thoughts se
I have recieved good grades in every bio class i have ever had but this man has to be the worst teacher ever for a biol class!!! He is a nice man and fair but he his notes are so under explained that it makes learning all of the material difficult espcially since his tests are only from his notes
Good teacher,has sense of humor, give curve on tests. A bit obsess about toad fish. His test is fair, heavily based on the note. He go over the note extremely fast during class, I suggest to have a fast designated typer and record his lecture.
Nice guy and he tries really hard. Hard to pay attention. His notes are ancient and refuses to post even the TA's powerpoints on blackboard. You'll need to teach yourself a lot and look at diagrams out of the book and not his. He got less organized as the semester went on.
I went to class maybe once a month, just studied what was on the study guides he put on blackboard using the textbook, and did fine. Lectures are about on par with any bio class, tests are very easy if you know what's on the study guides!
He uses notes and lectures from a book that is about 6 editions older than the one you are required to buy. You think that you might be able to figure out how to study for his exams, but you never do. If you can, avoid this teacher.
worst teacher ever. My first C in college. 3 test 20% each, 1 final 40%, horrible teacher, goes by his old notes, tricky questions, etc.
Boy, When he says that his test are not tricky, THEY ARE! If you read the book (even though he still uses the overhead with old versions of the book, his notes sort of correspond to the book) you should do okay
...continued from prior rating. We have not seen or even discussed a brain. He says, "I don't care if you know the cranial nerves." 1/2 way through the semester he says, "we're done with the brain." Unorganized, unprepared lectures. VERY ADD. He basically improvs. He only lectures about research by him, his friends, or his old professors. Avoid!
Horrible professor! I went to every single class and studied my butt off... and still barely got a B. No sense of organization to his notes, completely worthless...
I dont know where his reviews went, but do not take him.
Do yourself a favor and do not take Fine for Biology. There are so many easier teachers out there. This guy talks about religion and tries to convert you to atheism more than Biology. He says that everything that you need to know is in the notes but it's not. DONT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!
Class is easy. Just GO - and you can get an A just by studying from the lecture notes. Or you can try and learn everything in the book and do poorly because you don't get how to study. Great intro class, and separates the idiots and morons from the people with at least half a brain.
Dr. Fine is an amazing teacher. Just come to class all his tests are from his notes. He is funny and very into Bio.
The material covered in this class is not incredibly difficult, but Fine's lectures are all over the place. I had to take notes on my laptop to keep up with him and they still made no sense at all. At least he's entertaining... the most awkward professor I've ever had. You can't help but chuckle at him.
This class is *horrible*. Fine's lectures are scattered, to the point where, despite the seemingly moderate degree of difficulty of the material, you become lost in disconnected concepts. Tests focus on the most minor of details and point values are skewed to the point where not having memorized random formulas quickly plummets you to a C. RUN!
An average professor. Has an adversarial attitude.
He is one of the smartest people I have ever meet. He loves Biology and you can tell from his lectures. I absolutely LOVED his class and I learned so much. He is one of my top three professors ever! No doubt though, he does expect you to go to class and take notes. If you ever have any questions he is super helpful.
As others have said, Prof Fine's lectures are very scattered. He does not use powerpoint (he uses transparencies), which bugs me. His notes are often hard to read/understand. Luckily, the material is pretty easy, and his tests are straight from his notes, so if you can keep up with his lecture, you should be fine. Also adds points to tests if asked
ugh... Does not use powerpoints. everything is overhead transparencies. 2nd half of the material he hand writes everything (can i say TERRIBLE HANDWRITING?) everything is scattered and UNORGANIZED! Does not give you enough time to write (record!!) He places info under wrong places making everyone miss one question. Tests are broad questions. g'luck
Oh goodness where to start with this prof. as a professor he is very interested in what he does and is damn good at it,he just cant get the point across easily. Highly highly educated man and quirky, wud love to get a coffee with his goofyazz one day, but as a teacher not so good. he wishes the best for students, just go to class and take notes
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!! The class is boring and the lectures drag on. The lab is pointless and a waste of time. He doesn't have any office hours and tells you not to come to his office. His tests are very vague and makes you infer information from your notes which is very difficult since his lectures are scattered...RUN!!!!!!
You must take notes. Everything comes from the notes, however his notes are not always clear. If you are a Christian, you may struggle with him as he is clear in his stance and can be very disrespectful. Over all not too bad if you go to class.
uses hand-written transparencies from probably about 1970 that consist entirely of sentence fragments and single words with no particular organization, had the biggest d-bag TA I've ever met and didn't put anything AT ALL on blackboard. I'd rearrange my schedule if you get stuck having to take his class :/
Good teacher, 152 is a hard class so it requires a lot of studying.. Listening to his lecture and studying right after every class were helpful.. Tests are fair
Dr. Fine is an incredibly bright man. However, there is something in the way he teaches the course that prevents students from actually 'getting it.' Summer course is especially difficult and since there is an exam every week, each covering up to 8 chapters. If you must take this course in the summer, prepare to go to class every day and study!
While his lectures are pretty clear, his tests are not. Does not have a high test average. I know all the material and still struggling to break out of 'C' range. Do not recommend. Not helpful in office hours either.
Yeah the way he teaches isn't so great. Most of the material consists of memorizing rather than understanding. He's kinda funny in a weird way...professor NOT recommended
Lectures consist of powerpoints only. Attend every class and record the lecture or you'll regret it. Tests are multiple choice but difficult even for those that study way in advance. Only 3 tests plus the final, so every grade counts. Do the extra credit if he offers it. Nice guy and funny in an awkward dad kind of way.
Funny & endearing demeanor. It's great to have a professor who is excited about the material. The tests aren't hard; go to class, then you'll know what to study v. skim over--tests based on lectures, but everything is in the text for review. Very reasonable guy, gives an optional E.C. paper on "Your Inner Fish." Cool guy.
Very funny guy... completely weird sense of humor. Be prepared for toadfish impressions. Sometimes a little unclear during lectures but definitely passionate about the subject and willing to clarify when asked a question.
Passionate about his subject, nice guy, very intelligent, but lacks social skills. Notes are very difficult to follow and assignment expectations are unclear. RECORD the lectures. That will be your saving grace. You do assignments not worth a grade, but he adds extra points to the exams. Failed 1st unit, but pulled off a B. RECORD the lectures!!
nice guy, doesnt put powerpoints online so prepare to write/type everything down and record. Test questions come from lecture notes so attendance is a must. Exam questions can be tricky but not overwhelming. does EC which helps.
tests are hard and not clear confusing questions regardless of what he says
Nice teacher, super knowledgeable but VERY tough. I did way more studying than I ever had in any other BIO class. It's a ton of information and he goes quickly. GO to the SI sessions and ask him questions. Keep up with the reading/notes and don't skip lecture. It's possible to do well but his tests are killer.
Workload for this class is very small-no stress. This class is NOT difficult. Attend lecture. The exams are straight from the lecture and they are NOT tricky at all; he's very generous in grading. People say he only teaches about frogs, fish, and birdsong, but he does so because they are model examples that we can apply to other organisms like us!
He is great & the class is not hard. Took it this summer & he was very generous (gave extra points, posted slides online) The tests were not tricky at all. It is a lot of info to know in 4.5 weeks but I studied for each test the day before & got A's on all of them & the final. Don't need the book just his slides. Record the lecture too! It helps
I studied, attended all lectures and still got B-high Cs on his test, they are very hard. Sometimes he will have 5 slides on a subject and it will not be on a test, but one bullet about something and it will be. His lectures are just him reading the notes that are posted
Out of all the 152 professors, I would take Fine. For his tests, just study from his powerpoints. Also, it is important that you attend lecture because some of the information he says in class is important if you want to do good on his tests. He gives out extra credit if you read this book and write a report about it and extra credit questions.
He's not the most interesting person to listen to, but he's the best. His tests aren't tricky, that's what I loved. All you have to study is the powerpoints, which are given. But you need to go to class. He goes into detail about the information on the powerpoint so either take good notes on the things he says or record his lectures.
Professor Fine is an excellent teacher who explains things very well.Don't sign up for his section unless you're willing to go everyday He will start rewarding those who come to class if attendance drops, but if it drops too low, he will take privileges away from the entire class (no ppts posted online) His tests are fair, but you must attend class
Literally the worst professor I have had in my four years at VCU. His notes are not helpful and lectures are unclear. He tries to explain things but ends up going into a tangent about something else. Save yourself the wasted effort and take this class with someone else.
I think Dr. Fine deserves more credit. Be prepared - this is a traditional lecture course - you're on your own. He talks, you write. If you come to class, scribble notes like mad, clarify notes later, understand concepts instead of memorizing bullet points, talk to him outside of class - you'll be fine. He grades fairly. I would take him again.
Dr. Fine is literally the best 152 teacher available at VCU. He is very straight-forward with letting students know what he wants from them, his tests are very fair (and he usually drops hints to those who attend class), and he's just an all-around awesome guy. Take his class. I promise you will NOT be sorry! :)
Record lectures! Be prepared to relisten to his lectures. You'll be surprise how much you missed and it will make so much more sense if you do. Read the articles he posts, that will totally prepare you for some of the tougher questions on the exam. Memorize ALL the examples of animals he talks about, in a way that you can write about them.
On the first day of class, he specifically makes it a point to announce that he does not try to trick his students in any way. THIS. PROFESSOR. WILL. TRICK. YOU. ON. PURPOSE. Example: I met with him 1 on 1 and he told me to memorize all of the functional groups for an exam. Mind you this takes a VERY long time. Not 1 question about it on the test
He doesn't give out his power points so write things down feverishly. He'll tell you not to worry about writing it all down but do it! That saved my grade on more than one occasion. He's got a good sense of humor and is a pretty nice guy. My only complaint is that he takes a lot of cheap shots at people who believe in God - not cool.
Just take Fine. Many people who rated him low were most likely expecting an Easy A with no effort. This Professor is amazing! You don't know what you're missing; he is LITERALLY the BEST 152 Professor! He's funny, and yes, he believes in Evolution & teaches it willingly. His "cheap shots" are tame compared to other professors (just you wait).
I loved this class! He teaches you everything based on examples, so memorize them like a story! Record his lectures and try to perfect your notes on a day-day basis, if not, recordings will pile up. Collaborate on notes with classmates, you'll be surprise how much you missed! His exams are thorough, so make sure you know your material.
Fantastic class, Dr. Fine teaches you from scientific literature, not a textbook. Most of the information you get is directly from journals and he uses them to backup the general information. You really need to understand everything in this class to do well, not just memorize bullet points to do well. It's a lot of fun material. Record lectures!
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
60%
Textbook Required
97%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.00 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO151
5.0
(1)BIO431
5.0
(1)BIOL151152
4.0
(1)BIOL151
4.0
(1)BIOL152
3.6
(40)Difficulty by Course
NEUROBIO
5.0
BIO431
5.0
BIOL410
5.0
BIOL431
4.5
BIOL151152
4.0