2.4
Quality4.3
Difficulty30%
Would Retake112
Reviews30%
Would Retake
112
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
7
4
21
3
21
2
30
1
33
What Students Say
“He's a funny guy so the lectures aren't that bad”
BIO121 - 3.0 rating“He is the worst teacher I have ever had”
BIOLOGY131 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
66%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.13 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL131LAB
4.0
(1)BIO120
3.0
(13)BIOL120
3.0
(1)BIO121
3.0
(1)BIO131LAB
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
120
5.0
BIOLOGY131
4.6
BIO131
4.6
BIO231
4.4
BIO113
4.2
Reviews (112)
Hard material but he puts all the answers to his tests in the online quizzes that you can take as much as you want. He is very interesting and loves to talk about beer and zombies. He hands out bonus points and extra credit like candy so if you come to class and do the extra credit and do bad on the tests you can still get an A. GPA BOOST!
Awesome professor. i usually hate biology and at first i thought i would fail this class. but he uses online quizzes as the way for you to study and they help your grade. you can take them as many times as you want. gives extra credit like crazy too. As long as you come to class or have someone write your name down youll get all attendance points
Killen can be overwhelming when he talks over your head. He really knows his stuff and you can tell that he is very passionate about science. The first test is hard. Almost the entire class scored below a C average, with only one (out of almost 200) getting an A. But don't get discouraged. If you come to class and study, it gets easier and more fun
I was really dreading Biology, but Dr. Killen made it really interesting. It's so easy to pull out an A if you take advantage of your resources. You can take online quizzes over and over and get most of the questions to the test. So just study the quizzes. He also gives out a lot of extra credit for showing up. I definitely recommend taking him.
He is very knowledgeable and if you actually go to class, you will do better. If you take the online quizzes a lot, you will do great on the test. The first test is difficult if you don't do the quiz many times but the following tests aren't as bad.
DO NOT TAKE BIO WITH THIS PROFESSOR. I read all the great comments on here and thought the class would be easy but it has changed. He is very difficult and over 3/4 of the students fail his tests even if they studied for 20 hours. He deliberately makes his tests hard and DOES NOT hand out extra credit very often.
Do not under any circumstance take this teacher for bio 113. His class is basically impossible. Last test we took 111 students go an F and 1 got an A. You will not get an A. His lectures are SO boring. The homework is super easy but then the tests are impossible. He is also not very nice. Do not take him. If you have him drop it ASAP.
Do not take Dr. Killen if you want a good grade. His class is basically impossible for people who are not Biology majors. His homework is easy but test are horrible.. He is extremely knowledgable but is absolutely terrible at explaining concepts to students. Hardest General Ed class I have taken by far. 111 people failed our last test..
He is helpful when you specifically ask for it, he knows what he is talking about but exams are awful
His tests are extremely hard. If you are looking for a class that you can get a good grade in DO NOT take this class. Tests are so hard
His class is very hard. The only thing is that he does give extra credit and curves grades. I go to class every day and do the homework so I get full extra credit and the max for the curves. It was very stressful until he told me this. If you ask questions he will answer them but most people never talk to him so they don't know.
he do not response in emails
Have to really pay attention! Tests are hard, but online work lets you keep your grade up. Takes quite a bit of time.
TESTS ARE VERY HARD.
Lectures don't help. His tests are totally different form them. He gives a lot of homework so you only have to make 75 on tests to get an A. Make sure you do the homework. It will save your grade. Read the chapters and study what little he does give on the powerpoints. 1st test is hardest.
His lectures are long and he goes through the power-points really fast. His tests have nothing to do with the what is in the book or what he teaches you in class. Do all the homework and attend class because that is where your points are going to come from.
Tests are very hard and nothing like the lectures
As me and my buddies would say to each other before we went to take our tests, "May the odds be ever in your favor." Dr. Killen is a tough teacher when it comes to the tests. He does curve them, but they are randomly generated from a pool of questions, so it is possible to get the hardest test out of everyone. DO THE HOMEWORK, IT WILL SAVE YOU.
Lectures are long. On average one chapter is about 70-80 slides long. A lot of homework (easy part) . The tests are not consistent with the notes.
I honestly liked him. He was very helpful and if you do your work, it will show it.
Killen's class was hard. His lectures was long and he moved way too fast on the lectures. His test have nothing to do with what he discussed in class. He does curve his test, but the class is hard in general. The homework basically saves your grade in this class. He did give extra credit this semester, which was very helpful.
He pretty much refuses to email students back, and all of the tests were proctored in the testing center. He give you the information you need, but it is just a lot of info, which isnt his fault. He curves the tests, which doesnt help much when the average class test grade is barely passing. The homeowkrs are long, but they will save your grade.
His class was pretty tough (test wise, all the homework is done on LearnSmart). He's a funny guy so the lectures aren't that bad. He allows 7 absences for the whole semester but he doesn't take attendance every class. So you could miss more if you really wanted. Pay attention to the power points and ACTUALLY study the textbook and you should pass.
ONLY REVIEW YOU NEED. Lectures are chapter summaries and cannot solely be used for study. READ THE BOOK before class and tests and you will understand everything. Test questions are very similar to his post lecture review quizzes. DO THE QUIZZES MULTIPLE TIMES before tests and you will ace them. I averaged 100% and you can also. I believe in you!
He will return your emails. He is a funny guy! His lectures are just the main points of the chapters. Tests are specific, but they are just like his post lecture reviews. The test questions are randomly generated BUT are all of equal difficulty because there are a specific number of questions of different difficulties on EVERY TEST.
Tests are incredibly difficult but the homework helps save your grade. The lectures move very quickly and he talks more than he actually teaches. Would recommend another teacher if you can the tests make it way too hard. He curves them all 10 points if that says anything.
Test are very hard. Power points/ lectures dont really help either.
HIS TEST ARE SATAN! Killen is the hardest teacher I have ever had EVER! Test are from nowhere and he gives no study guides and does not tell you whats on the test. His homework is the only thing that keeps you afloat in the class!
He is the worst teacher I have ever had. His tests are impossible and he does not add any extra points to tests. I asked him multiple times suggestions he had for studying and he never gave me anything useful. There is entirely too much content on each test and not enough time to study it all. Also, he takes forever to post grades.
I am typically a 4.0 student and try to give tough professors the benefit of the doubt, but Killen's class what the most unpleasant academic experience I have ever had. He is not very nice, not a very good teacher, and expects way too much of his students compared to the effort he puts into teaching. Would never recommend taking him.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. HE IS AWFUL. HE RARELY REPLIES BACK TO YOUR EMAILS. TESTS ARE NOT EVEN DIRECTLY FROM THE POWERPOINTS. OUT OF ALL THE TEACHERS IN HIS DEPARTMENT HE IS BY FAR THE WORST
This was by far the hardest class I have taken. You HAVE to read the book. Read, read, read. That is the only way you will be successful on the test. If you fail the first test, don't freak out. The homework adds up to a test grade, so do not forget to do it. He is difficult but it is not impossible. P.S. I cried half the semester but made a B.
Dr. Killen gets questions from both lecture and the book. If you havent put the time in, you wont do good. I read the chapters 2 times and studied the powerpoints. I barely pulled away with a B. I would not recommend him, but if you go into office hours, show up for class and show that you care, he'll help you. DO AWESOME IN LAB, its a grade saver
The lectures were long-winded and boring at times. Some exam questions were so vaguely mentioned or came from sections we weren't even assigned to read . Often times it was impossible to derive a correct answer from your knowledge of the subject (by the admission of Killen himself). Doing well in lab is your saving grace in this course.
The tests are very hard, and lecture is boring. Studying for the tests is nearly impossible because the test questions are vague and some aren't from the powerpoints. Doing well in lab will definitely help, and the homework helps your grade too. He did give us a chance to earn extra credit by writing a paper, which was very nice. Good luck!
I am in love with Dr. Killen.
Killen is a very hard teacher. However he gives you the material you need to study which will be on the test. He's not a bad teacher when it comes to lab just make sure to definitely pay attention to specifics he points out.
Dr Killen makes a gen ed course way harder than it should be. For each exam, there is a quiz over each chapter which accumulates to a couple hundred questions. It's a very time consuming class and even though attendance isn't mandatory, you won't pass the tests if you don't go. Nice guy, just makes it harder than it should be.
I had Dr. Killen for Bio 131 Lab and really enjoyed it. He's very well respected and straight forward as to what was expected. You will have to work for your grade.
The LearnSmart quizzes and homework saved my grade. I did very poor on three out of the 4 exams, my highest score was an 86. I love biology, but he is just very tough and you really have to work hard in the class. Homework is easy though.
He is very tough for a gen ed biology course. I would not recommend for first year students. If you show up to every class and actually pay attention to the long, boring lectures you can do well, but that is not always easy in this class. He is very knowledgable but a bit arrogant. I did not enjoy this class.
If you are not interested in Biology or need it for your major, do NOT take this as a gen ed class with Killen! He is very knowledgable, but has no idea how to translate that to people without a passion for biology. Your grades are only based on 4 tests and online quizzes, but the lectures are truly painful to sit through.
Dr. Killen lectures very heavy and the test are very in depth thinking. You are expected to study 40+ hours for each test.
Dr. Killen is a very cut and dry person, so what you see is what you get. His class was interesting and but also hard. If you skip class YOU WILL NOT PASS he doesnt take attendance, but trust me he knows. I really enjoyed taking this class because I truly feel like I learned a lot and I have a lot of respect for him as a professor and a person.
Knows what he is teaching very well but teaches at a fast pace. Must take notes and study for his tests in order to pass. Show up to class and pay attention and he will help you out
Difficult class, but not impossible. Homework and online quizzes will save your grade big time. He technically doesn't take attendance and has hundreds of people in each class, but trust me, he knows who attends regularly and will help you out if you do. DO YOUR HOMEWORK, SHOW UP TO EVERY CLASS, READ THE TEXTBOOK and you will be alright.
Definitely the hardest class I have taken, the tests are over 5 chapters and it makes it impossible to study because anything could be on the test. You really have to pay close attention, attend every lecture, read the entire chapters, and do all the homework to pass. He is very knowledgeable but expects that everyone knows all the material.
I definitely recommend taking him over other biology/anatomy prof. He is more challenging, yes, but he makes it even out between the other classes. If you show up to class every day, he notices and you will be rewarded. He tells you what he gets into detail about on tests. If you are taking the class for your major, take Killen.
He teaches like students are supposed to already know the content. He only goes over certain stuff in class and then expects you to read the rest on your own. Very hard if you don't have someone with you in the class. even at that point I don't know if that would help. definitely do not take first year of college unless you go in with knowledge.
Dr. Killen is so challenging but he does it to better you! You have to read the book to pass the class. His tests are usually over 5 to 7 chapters, but some he expects you to know the whole chapter or just what is on the powerpoint. DO NOT MISS CLASS!! He starts giving extra credit towards the end of the semester that helps boost your grade!
He lectures right off the PowerPoint and you learn nothing. The tests are nothing like the powerpoints and attendance isnt necessary but if you skip you miss a lot. If youre really into bio Im sure you could learn a lot from him but if you have to take it for your major and its not bio then i highly suggest someone else.
Dr. Killen speaks to students like they should already know the material. He is not approachable and enjoys degrading students telling them "they will not make it." This is by far the hardest class I have ever taken, he expected us to study 40 hours for a test as if his class was the only one we were taking. Do yourself a favor, take someone else!
I took this as a freshman Honors student and thought I was capable to getting an A, I was so wrong. My highest test grade has been barely even a C (70%). Read the book or you'll fail the tests. Show up to class because he will randomly award 10 points extra credit for attendance. Drop him if you see this before add/drop ends and take someone else.
Dr. Killen lectures heavily with lengthy, detailed powerpoints that are not always easy to follow. For this course, if you don't read every chapter then good luck on the exams. Exams are very difficult and you receive no feedback. However, Killen is highly knowledgeable about his material and is very fair.
Very fair but a difficult class. If you go to class and do the work you will be okay.
This class was the hardest class I have ever taken. I did not get higher than a 54 on any test. He does not give enough info about what is on the test, so the chances of you knowing everything is a long shot. He does not take attendance, but he will count how many kids are there and if barely anyone comes he gives the kids who did come extra credit
I dreaded having Killen for lab this semester and wouldn't suggest him for lectures. However, he is very good in Microbiology Lab besides taking forever to put in exam grades. Make sure you do the questions at the end of each lab and study the case studies and pictures and you'll be fine.
Dr. Killen is probably the worst professor/teacher I have ever had. He came in claiming that he knew more than a physician. Although he might have went to school for the same amount of time, he needs to stay in his lane. I attended every class except one or two and I failed all of the test. He gives occasional bonus for showing up but that's it.
Do not take Professor Killen if you are taking biology as a gen ed. I've never studied so hard for a class and I managed to get a B. He makes his tests very hard and flies through the material in class. He does not take attendence but he knows who shows up to class. Towards the end of the semester he started giving bonus for people who showed up.
Thinks he is gods Gift to teaching. Sadly I think hes tenured so nothing will change. Avoid at all costs.
Awful!
Do not take this professor. He does not care about you or your success, and he will tell you so himself. He will not help you. He is rude, arrogant, and has no place teaching any course at any school. Take your classes from anyone else.
Do the homework! He doesnt take attendance, but he pays attention and knows who comes to class. He will help you out big time with your final grade if you come to class. Tests are hard!!!! my advice: If you dont attend class regularly, dont take his class. If you go to almost every class, TAKE HIM because he will help your final grade.
I didn't have him for lecture, but had him for lab. He was definitely one of the more difficult professors I've had to take, but made me work for the grade so I actually learned the information. Take advantage of the bones to use for studying, and when he says put in several hours of studying, you actually need to.
Terrible. He will not help you and will tell you that first class. Tests are NOT necessarily over lectures or readings. He uses a random test bank and doesnt make tests for what he covers, so unless you are a BIO wizard , dont expect to do well by studying the material he says to Study. He fails more students than any professor at WKU .
Killen would be the perfect professor for more advanced classes but for introduction to biology not so much. I went to class everyday except one and still made a C. He is very strict and expects you to understand everything he says when he says it. He gives you the PowerPoint he goes over during class but you need to be in class to truly understand
Dr. Killen is a great person. As a professor, he is very difficult because he is so knowledgeable. He cracks plenty of jokes and is overall a tough but fair Anatomy Professor
In this class he allows you to view the power points, but they do not help on the test! You can study all you want and only get a 60%. The only way you can pass is if you do ALL the homework! He does curve the test very slightly. The lecture always starts a couple of minutes later and you will be held until the lastest second.
I am a senior and he is without a doubt the worst teacher I have ever had in my entire life. His lectures are sporadic, he jumps all over. He is very intelligent but isn't afraid to rub it in your face. Taking notes is nearly impossible because you never know what he's talking about. Be prepared to teach yourself the material if you have him.
Most difficult class Ive ever taken. Be prepared to study for long periods of time and still only get Cs or fail. If you listen to his lectures hes very intelligent and interesting but also very arrogant. Go to class because people stop showing up and he gave us 40 pts extra credit for going. Only reason I got a B.
WORST professor that I have ever had. I had him for both BIO131 & BIO231. He never gives you the understanding of what to study for his test. Each chapter powerpoint that he gives is about 80-130 slides & you only have a 50 question exam. He lets you know that he is intelligent & disrespectful. Makes me feel like I'm a worthless student.
every class was a lecture. tests were hard but forced us to learn the information (which is good). taking notes and staying organized is crucial; he posted everything we needed on Blackboard which was extremely helpful. he definitely wanted us to succeed -- sort of a tough-love kind of professor. definitely nicer than he seems
Micheal Killen is a very hard professor however you can't expect his class to be easy if its for future heathcare majors. This class requires lots of work but if you study for it a lot you will be fine. he has homework online but overall you just need to STUDY. he prepares you well for the workforce.
Exams aren't very difficult. For what should be a difficult class, it wasn't that bad. Explains material enough to understand. I can see why people would think his class is difficult especially if you haven't taken the first part of the course in awhile. Show up for lectures and you'll do fine.
Very heavy lectures, he knows his stuff but also expects you to be on his same level. I failed every one of his test but he gives extra credit if you come to class regularly and do your homework. He bumped mine and a few others grades up significantly. Cool guy but his class is hard.
If you have another option for BIOL231, take the other professor. His tests are so hard and he rambles during class. Don't recommend
very very hard. he lectures over powerpoints but tests you over the book. you must read or you wont pass. he is very arrogant and will make a fool of you in a heart beat. take a different teacher if you can.
He is a very hard professor but for a good reason. He mentions that the reason his tests are so hard is because he needs to make sure we know the material for when we become nurses, doctors, etc. You have to study a TON to get a decent grade. With that being said, do NOT take this class if it is not a requirement for your major.
I like anatomy, however, he does not teach very well and does not seem to care. He just reads over the powerpoint and really does not elaborate. DO NOT take this class as an elective. If you have to have it, I feel sorry for you.
Everyone talks bad about him but I honestly didn't mind him at all. He engages in lectures and his powerpoints have all of the test questions on them. I have never met a professor that can give you statistics off the top of their head and I was extremely impressed. He doesnt give trick questions . Take him, not bad
Prepare yourself to work hard. I think that killen does a good job with preparing you for future classes and especially for healthcare majors. Yes his tests are hard, and you have to study ALOT. Everyone hates on him a lot, but if youre willing to put the work in, you will do just fine.
Killen is a hard professor, but the class is not impossible. His class is definitely lecture heavy and he tends to go extremely fast. If possible, read the powerpoint and take notes BEOFRE class so that you do not get behind or lost. Make sure to go to class everyday! The tests are hard so study all powerpoints and read through the book.
Dr. Killen was very tough. He is the reason myself and others I know changed their majors. He was never available to answer my questions. I set up 2 appointments to visit him in his office neither time he was there when I arrived. I waited at his door for 10 minutes both times.
You literally have to teach yourself everything. He asks the dumbest, most specific questions possible. You have to basically memorize every single thing in the book to pass the exams. When classes switched to online, he hasn't done anything helpful. No zoom lessons or anything. I'm still having to teach myself everything to pass. Wouldn't take!!
I was very concerned going into this semester as I had heard all the things regarding Dr. Killen. I am very pleased to say however that he is not near as bad as many make him out to be. It is a lecture heavy class, but he makes it to where everyone can understand, and he asks several times per lecture if anyone has any questions.
If you can avoid having him as a professor DO IT. I passed the class but hardly. You will have to teach yourself everything.
Hes not that bad but you will have to teach yourself everything. His lectures will only guide you. If you are not gonna read the book then you will not pass. I read each chapter multiple times. When classes went online he completely stopped doing lectures so all learning was up to you.
He was so condescending. Avoid at all costs. Second week of class he flipped on all of us for not knowing how many amino acids there were. Likes you to know how smart he is. Super unhelpful to email. I taught myself the entire class.
I had Dr. Killen as my BIOL131 lab instructor, & he was very helpful. He used the entire 2 hour period to go over the material & made sure everyone understood it. He even let me go to another lab because I needed extra help. Do not be afraid to ask questions about tests. He is a good professor despite what the rest of these reviews say.
I took Dr. Killen for my BIO131 lab and I had a hard time reading him, but overall, I enjoyed him as a professor. He'll let you know things very clearly and doesn't sugarcoat anything, which can be intimidating, but I appreciated it as a student because it motivated me to work harder. The class isn't easy, but he does a good job of explaining.
DO NOT TAKE HIM. Avoid at all costs. He lectured like he was speaking to a physician and didn't know how to dumb it down for FRESHMEN. He also went off on tangents almost every single lecture. There was a few days he spent the entire lecture answering one question from a student and never even touched the actual material. I mostly taught myself.
He was very nice but never answered emails, and powerpoints were vague. He would often go off topic and seemed to never have a plan of what he was going to lecture (very scattered). He was always bragging about how smart he was as well and if you did not know the answer he got mad. Things that were never mentioned in class were always on the test.
He is okay. You will have to stick your head in the books if you want to pass with a B or higher. There's just so much information it's nearly impossible to understand any of it in class. Spend lots of time studying the specifics.
Knows his stuff without a doubt, but he is not a good teacher. fails to make sensible and logical powerpoints. Means well, but he gets on his soap box every lecture. Often will spend way too much time rambling only to speed through a huge powerpoint afterwards instead of using the entire class to teach. You'll often need to teach yourself.
Gives you an opportunity to learn how to do better. I heard he trades tears and souls for a chance at a C-.
This professor is not as difficult as everyone describes. Slacking off will not get you anywhere in this class. The grade is what is deserved. Study hard because the material is not easy. This course will push you to find different ways to learn. If you need to speak to Dr. Killen about something he will listen. Go to class, it helps.
Do not take Prof Killen if you can avoid him. His lectures are so sporadic, he goes off on tangents, and loves to tell you how smart he is. He does not truly teach any content but then gives you extremely hard exams that have no correlation to his lectures. I got an A in BIO 131 and then barely passed BIO 231 because of him.
Killen is straight forward, clear, and honest about the content on the tests. His biggest issues are that he does not respond to emails, he gets off track sometimes, and late homework. Understand that the class is very difficult and if you do not study you will not pass, but he is honest and well-meaning. My B- was in his class alone (minus lab).
Lectures can be heavy, but tests are okay. A lot of information is reviewed from BIO 131. Tests are based on PowerPoint and lectures so go to class. Overall, a good professor. He will tell you what to study for and what to expect on the test. Your grades are what you EARNED.
The class was difficult. That being said he was always up front with what you needed to study to do well. Yes you got the grade you EARNED. He teaches lecture well for the amount of material but I spent a significant time outside of class also reteaching myself too. I thought he was great and I learned a ton despite my C (lack of effort at first)
He is not the worst teacher but if you want class to start time and actually want a teacher to teach you don't take him. He was always 15 minutes late. He also takes random attendance and didn't tell anyone till the last day that he was going to use it to boost your grade so I would suggest going to every class. Be ready to study a lot.
There is no denying this is a difficult class, but Dr. Killen didn't do much to help it. He was late almost every single time, even on exam days. He never once responded to my emails, but he did boost grades based on attendance, so GO TO CLASS. Also, the lab is a tad easier, so go to lab and study hard because it does help your grade.
Prof. Killen's class is challenging, but engaging if you put in the work. The textbook is essential, and unstuck study proved a helpful supplement for study prep. Attend class, stay focused, and you'll learn a lot.
Instead of teaching the material, he will spend the entire lecture talking about how smart he is. He also does not respond to emails. You can learn the material through his PowerPoints without going to the lectures.
If you're new to AnP 1, avoid Killen. He assumes prior knowledge and rambles, making content unclear. Studying independently is more effective. Yet, he takes random attendance, forcing you to attend lectures.
Terrible professor, attendance is not necessary but he takes random attendance sometimes forcing everyone to attend when he just reads the slides and you have to learn it all by yourself.
Never there on time and always goes off topic
This professor showed up late to every lecture, the only time he showed up on time was on test day. He was typically only about 5-10 minutes late, but his tardiness ranged from 3-16 minutes. I stopped keeping track after that. The first exam the average was a 62%, and he said most years it's a 52%. He's a smart man, but not a good professor.
"you probably wont pass this class"
Absolute worst professor I have ever experienced. This course is set up for you to fail. I have studied 4 hours a day for 2 weeks straight and still failed some exams. He will not answer reasonable emails. I did not find the material challenging but was completing blindsided with the exams. DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE WITH THIS PROFESSOR!
This professor gets off on seeing students fail. If Killen and his 100 students were on a sinking ship and there were 100 life jackets, he'd take one for himself and throw the rest in the water, while talking about how he's smarter than everyone else.
Has to be one of the most difficult class ever. It's lecture heavy but no matter what just show up to class. There is a group tutoring (PASS) available for the course super helpful. He is really hard to talk to outside of the class. He doesn't answer emails.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
66%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.13 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL131LAB
4.0
(1)BIO120
3.0
(13)BIOL120
3.0
(1)BIO121
3.0
(1)BIO131LAB
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
120
5.0
BIOLOGY131
4.6
BIO131
4.6
BIO231
4.4
BIO113
4.2