Gives amazing lectures, but he goes really fast sometimes. His powerpionts barely have any information on them. His tests are based on the lectures, so you need to go to class to do well.

He taught the bacteriaprotistfungi portion of BIO 120, which is hard to memorize in general. He is very clear, but he talks super fast. He just had to cover so much material, because it is a hard class altogether. He is helpful if you ask questions and go to him in office hours. go to every lecture!

Definitely extremely smart, so I would sometimes have to read the book after class to understand the content explained for a layperson. 100% go to office hours because he's really forthcoming about helping. It's a tough class with a lot of material, so reading the book is absolutely crucial. He posts the slides, but lecture guides what to study.

Professor Rizk is very approachable and encouraging. He speaks fast during lecture but he doesn't mean to and you can always "interrupt" and ask questions. (He is actually asking for students to bring up questions). Easy A as long as you love biology and study. Really nice professor. Saved my semester. Don't miss out on him!

Dr. Rizk's lectures move quickly and he doesn't post many words on his slides, so you need to attend every lecture to do well on the test. He explains material very well and is a very engaging lecturer, and he writes fair tests.

Rizk was great for bisc 120. His lectures aren't copypaste from the book like Gracey's were. He actually took time to make really nice ppt that were clear and organized. His exams were straightforward, just study off his lectures. You need to take notes in class though. Very helpful in office hours. He's also hot so great motivation

This class was everything a GE should be- thought-provoking, interesting, hard enough so that you actually have to learn but easy enough to make an A if you're willing to put in a little effort. 2 midterms, 1 presentation. If you go to lecture and pay attention tests are easy as pie.

Rizk was my favorite professor last semester. I took this Evolution class for GE 4 credit, and I am so happy I did. His lectures were always interesting and he was great at explaining things. Doing the easy readings before each class definitely helped though. Labs were very fun, and he was always available for office hours. A fair grader as well.

Taught the middle section of bisc 120. the average on the test was 52%.

He loved answering questions and did a great job of it. His material required lots of diligent studying, the test average for his midterm was almost 50%, but if you put in lots of work it's possible to get up into the 80% range.

Rizk was the best professor of BISC120 - he explained the material very well and really cared about us learning it. On the negative side, his test was very difficult.

You should go to the lectures and take good notes. Very helpful in office hours. In the office hours I saw him repeating a part of the lecture for someone 4 times until she understood. I read the book but I think some people were not reading it. I don't know their grades though. I recommend taking his class.

Rizk is a good lecturer and everything you'll need for the tests is in the slides. You'll only need the book if you're unclear on something. Personable guy who's easy to talk to. He wants to see people succeed, his tests are a little tough and can get specific but just make sure you know your stuff.

Take him if you can!!!

5-star prof! Creates his own slides for lecture and goes into detail about so much interesting topics. I am never bored in his class and am always taking notes studiously on my laptop because of the interesting material. He is not picky and works hard to communicate with us. Very accessible and friendly. One of the best in my USC experience so far!

Very intellectual and good lecturer! Tries to keep slides entertaining even when content is not. You need some studying, especially near the end of the course, but I would take any of his classes again!

Amazing prof, excellent public speaker which makes for excellent and engaging lectures. Highly recommend, he has so many interesting things to say and his tests are reasonable, just go to lecture and he will teach you everything you need to know to pass (while still studying at home)

Rizk is a great public speaker and he knows his stuff; he explains concepts well. His exams are purely lecture, so make sure to go to class so you understand the more difficult stuff and then study off the slides. His exams can get specific and are very application heavy, but the averages end up low so they get curved up a lot.

Dr. Rizk is a wonderful lecturer for a class that many students struggle to get through. He is very easy to understand. One of the greatest things about Dr. Rizk is his willingness and enthusiasm to answer questions during lecture. He constantly checks to see if anyone has any questions and will clarify anything if needed.

Best bio professor at sc. the good thing about professor Rizk is that you actually learn the material which will help you a lot if you are a prehealth major. I took the mcat and I did really well on the bio section. Just do yourself and your time a big favor and take Rizk. He is the best in helping you get where u want.

Class material is not incredibly interesting, but Rizk is a great lecturer. Do not need textbook as tests are 100% based on his lectures. While lecture is not mandatory, you need to go because he emphasizes what he thinks is important and adds additional information that can appear on tests. going to SI to stay on top of material is helpful.

Professor Rizk is a great lecturer, and he does a brilliant job of explaining the material in the most understandable way, he is always open to questions and helpful during office hours. There a 4 midterms, and they are graded hard since the class is a weed-out for prehealth students, the material isn't actually that hard. Wishful curving, I hope!

Rizk is a great lecturer and his public speaking skills helped me stay attentive and engaged during class. Textbook not mandatory but it's good to clear up some confusing concepts. The tests are extremely hard, though - the averages were always around 65-70%, but the curve helps as long as you stay on top of it.

Rizk is a great professor! His lectures are very interesting! I looked forward to going to his lectures! His tests are on the hard side, but if you put in the work, you will get a good grade. He is very accessible outside of class and is willing to help you if you are struggling at first! I definitely recommend him!

Amazing lecturer, always patient and understanding of students' questions. Knows what he's teaching so well that he doesn't even read off the slides--everything is coming out of his head. Really nice. Memorization nothing more than expected for a biology class.

Rizk is the best bio prof take him if you can, I rearranged by schedule just to have him and it was worth it -- everything you need for the tests are on his slides which are super dense w info but still easy to understand. I barely used the book, only the slides. His lectures are amazing so go to class if you can but not mandatory

Fantastic lecturer - he is so great at explaining things in ways that normal people can understand. he is also very approachable and wants nothing but to see you do as you possibly can. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in his class and wish I had him for other classes in biology and science as well. Thanks Oliver!

One of the best lecturers I've had. Very receptive to student questions during lectures and explains concepts well. Wish I went to his office hours more often - he answers questions about the weekly quizzes or just general questions about the content. You can explain certain topics to him and he will spot holes in your understanding. Luv ya Oliver!

Oliver is the best professor I have ever had at USC. His lectures are clear and super interesting, labs are super easy and fun. He is extremely approachable and caring to students. He wants to see students succeed so go to office hours. Lecture isn't mandatory he doesn't take attendance. Take him! Easiest and most interesting GE I've taken.

This is one of the best classes I've taken at USC. Rizk is a great lecturer so I was almost always genuinely interested in what he was talking about. He gives study guides before the midterms/finals that tells you what'll be on the exam and always posts the slides online so attendance isn't mandatory for lecture. Just need to go to the labs.

Professor Rizk is an extremely nice guy, and lectures things to the point. He also clearly demonstrates what will be on tests.

Rizk was an amazing professor! I definitely had some skepticisms coming into this class but Rizk definitely is a great lecturer; he tries to make every lecture engaging and interesting. He encourages questions during and outside of class(he even encourages you to come in and explain concepts to him as a way to study!). Study slides for exams!

I love his lecture style, only problem was the speed. He went very fast through information, so SI is very helpful to fill in those gaps. The only info on the test was whatever he said in lecture, so go even though not mandatory. Definitely possible to get an A even though Chem midterms were always the same week. Study early to get good grades

really solid professor, go to lecture b/c though he posts his slides, he explains them so well during class. don't be afraid to ask questions because he does a great job of answerign them. he gives lots of practice questions before the test and those are the best prep

while lectures aren't mandatory and rizk posts his slides EVERYTHING that he says in lecture could be on the exams and his test questions are super specific. risz is a great lecturer and explains things well but he goes super fast so i recommend recording lectures to listen to them again and fill in the gaps. SI is also super helpful; go to it!

a nice professor. explains the material and wants you to understand. granted, i never went to lecture. attendance is VERY optional. as in like I went to less than 5 lectures the entire semester maybe and still got Bs on each midterm. posts all lecture slides online so I just self-studied for all tests. great for a non-science major and easy p/np

The best professor I've ever had. He can literally give the entire lecture without taking a single look at the slides and he knows every single thing he teaches like the back of his hand. The tests are harder, but he's SUPER accessible if you need extra help. As long as you go to lecture and study, you'll be fine. There's no better teacher!

The tests are often comprehensive, thus you must know the "big idea" of the content as well as the details to do well. I would study throughout the course in order to ensure that you are successful. Don't rely on the curve because there might not be one at the end of the semester if many people drop/high scorers.

Rizk will move through slides quickly if no one stops him but will reexplain concepts if someone asks. He is nice, v patient, not judgmental. Curve puts the average at B-. He also has a cute baby thats his background if u ever manage to peep it. Only thing is the tests are actually kinda easy so if u mess up one question it could affect ur grade

Great lecturer. Study hard and you'll do fine. It's all memorization.

I'm sure his course is one of the best GE courses at USC. Attendance on the lecture is not mandatory, but you need to show up on lab. Labs are easy, and tests are also not that challenging so you can just study by yourself with ppt slides. His lecture is good and he answers your questions so well. Highly recommend his course.

Wonderful lecturer. He covers really everything necessary and nothing more to understand general evolutionary biology at a conceptual level. Tests place a heavy weight on MC, but if you pay attention during lecture or review slides/other people's notes if you're ever sick or don't go to lecture, you'll be fine. Iconic speaking style.

I would take his class next semester simply because he's such a great lecturer aside from other reasons. Besides, he posts his lecture slides at least one day before the lecture (i.e. you can preview them and decide whether you want to go to today's lecture :) but I go anyway). Go to his office hours--you can feel yourself to be welcomed.

Professor Rizk is the ideal professor. He is very clear and says things to the point. It's so easy to takes notes and be prepared in his class because he posts all presentations online and goes through everything in a concise yet thorough way. Also grades are as follows; A -86-100, B: 76-86, C: 66-76. What else could you ask for. Highly recommend.

Really good lecturer, he makes the 1hr 20min lecture interesting with videos and example. He is always willing to answer questions before, during or after lecture, and he helps make connections to outside of just the class. 10/10 would recommend.

He makes all the lectures engaging, encourages questions, and provides very detailed answers. Tests are based on lectures which he posts online.

Professor Rizk is very animated and a great lecturer. However, Bio 120 is weeder course hence the tests are hard with tricky questions. I recommend attending all the exam review sessions and working on all the practice questions he posts.

Rizk is a great professor, but be ready to work in BISC 120. AP Bio helps a little. There is a ton to memorize, but he makes it interesting. Curve can be a little scary because it constantly changes (finished with 89.8 which ended up being an A, but it couldve easily been B+/A-). Rizk is very accessible in office hours and really nice.

This is a really easy GE. I skipped almost every lecture and still did well. An 86.7 is considered an A- so they technically don't curve exams. The exams are kind of funky; sometimes rizk says a specific fact in class that shows up on exams but isn't on his slides. I imagine that going to class and taking notes pretty much guarantees an A

Rizk is a great choice for BISC120. The material is incredibly boring, but he is extremely passionate about it and he is very clear about what will be on the tests. Not the easiest class, but I received an A without going to lecture very often because I read the presentations and heavily relied on SI sessions

Awesome lecturer, interesting class, you'll get a good grade if you go to class and do the study guides before the tests

Very nice and solid lecturer. Best things about him are that his exams are (mostly) fair and you get what you get, and he gives you lots of practice questions. BISC120 sucked and learning about jellyfish and plant cycles sapped the life out of me, but you get to appreciate how straightforward it is compared to BISC220.

REally nice guy

All of his lectures prepare you very well for the lecture quizzes/exams. You don't have to look at the textbook very much since he gives more than enough time in class to answer your questions, and he goes at a speed students understand. He's very accessible via email and office hours, and gives a bunch of practice questions for prep.

Probably as good as you're gonna get for bisc120. No complaints, he is a good professor and will answer all questions no matter how long it takes. Only grades are weekly quiz and 4 mideterms. They are 100% lecture based, and anything he says in lecture is fair game. I never touched the textbook and got an a in the class. Defintely have to study tho

Professor Rizk is very helpful and always makes time to answer students' questions. You definitely need to study if you want to get an A, but even then a lot of students didn't do well. I recommend reading the chapters in order to get a better understanding of the subject matter.

All of his tests were based on the lectures, not on the book. But keeping the book with you for help is a good idea. In my opinion, he explained things well and allowed us to ask questions whenever we got confused. Emails back pretty fast as well!

I think he is a solid choice for bisc 120. Super nice guy and answers questions super well. He does talk kinda fast but I would just rewatch lectures to make sure I got everything. The grade is pretty much just the 4 exams but theyre not cumulative.

For BISC120, Prof Rizk is probably the best you're going to get. The course is very lecture heavy and your grade is primarily based on 4 midterms. WARNING: this class is VERY stressful in an online learning environment and the biology department provides NO assistance. I would recommend waiting until in-person classes are available for this course.

Prof. Rizk is a really nice and respectable person and I've really enjoyed being in his class. He's very articulate and clear even though he has to cover a lot of material. He frequently holds office hours, responds to emails, and is always open to students' questions. Definitely recommend him for BISC 120

really nice guy and good lecturer. His test and quiz questions are REALLY specific so make sure to pay attention to what he says in lecture and not just what's on the slides. He gives helpful practice questions before each exam and holds a lot of office hours. Definitely recommend him for BISC120

Rizk is an amazing teacher and friend. His lectures are so interesting and he is clearly passionate. That being said, this class was the hardest I have ever taken in my life. As someone who has never dipped below a 4.0 in my life, I was struggling to get above a D- in this class. Beware if you aren't incredible at biology, these tests are SO BRUTAL

Professor Rizk is an excellent choice for BISC 120. He makes a seemingly daunting class very doable because of his clear explanations and willingness to make himself available outside of class for questions and clarification.

Professor Rizk is one of the best professors at USC. His classes are hard. No need for textbook the test is 100% lecture based. Anything he says could be on the test. ALWAYS accessible outside of class. Most genuine professor and good for freshman. Rizk also makes a point to correct racism and gendered violence in classes. So much respect.

He's a solid professor, he's so amazing at explaining topics and will articulately answer any questions you may have. However, this class/professor is no joke, although he teaches really well the tests are really difficult imo. No curves on individual tests, they say they'll curve final grades but we had no curve this semester. REWATCH Lectures!!!

Class was difficult but I'm glad I took it. It made me love biology even more than I did coming into this year. The tests require lots of studying and have very specific questions (REWATCH THE LECTURES TO STUDY!!) but his lectures describe everything clearly and are very interesting. You might not get an A, but you'll truly learn biology.

I think Prof. Rizk is very good at explaining concepts and his lectures were generally not as boring as others. He also gives out practice tests/questions before his midterms - definitely take advantage of this! The only bad thing is that his wording on quizzes and exams are a bit tricky/confusing. Highly recommend him though!

Great Lecturer! He seemed to really get that 150 is a GE course and taught very accordingly to a GE audience. I was easily able to follow the course material with his lectures.

He'll make you work for that A, but its generally because the class in content heavy and midterms are application based; heard the other class had it easier with a different professor. He's willing to help you out, just ask. Last minute .com wont work because there's always so much covered and lab reports are usually due just before the midterm.

just for reference, i got a 4 in AP Bio (2020), and i got an A in my high school class. with that said, rizk is an amazing professor. he records his lectures, so attendance is not mandatory, unless you want to ask questions during his class. he's readily available through a simple email and in office hours. tests are pretty easy imo.

Best lecturer out of the 120 professors, but his exams are the HARDEST. I felt like the PE's reflected our understanding of the material well, but the exams were WAY harder since ig he ran out of normal material to test. He tested conceptually and often made arbitrary scenarios of the concepts we learned. Better off taking Gracie for an easier A.

Rizk is such a caring professor. He explains concepts clearly, and is not afraid to stop and answer any/all questions. Exams tend to be quite difficult. I honestly feel I would have earned a much better grade in the class had it been in person (I took the class Fall 2020).

Take Rizk and don't look back. He's by far the best option for BISC120. Grade is mostly determined by midterm tests. Tests are only based on the lectures so the textbook isn't really useful. Watch the lecture recordings since he goes over some stuff not explicitly mentioned on the slides. Tests are hard and you'll probably want to study a bit.

Key to doing well: rewatch his lecture recordings religiously (ik it sucks ass but trust me) and remember EVERYTHING he says!! Don't use the textbook. IMO much easier than Trond b/c he doesn't make you memorize as many meaningless details - his tests just seem harder b/c he really tests your understanding of a few core concepts. Stick with Rizk!

Great Professor that encourages questions. Grades are entirely based on tests and labs; no homework, but you have to study a lot for tests. Make sure to start studying at least 3-4 days early! He answers emails quickly and is super accommodating :)

Rizk was a great lecturer and solid choice for BISC 150. The other prof was not too good, but rizk made up for it with the additional help he provided us. Study guide is given before each test

Professor Rizk was great. He explains difficult concepts really well and encourages questions during lecture. However, the tests are pretty difficult because any detail mentioned during lecture may show up on the exam, so it's absolutely necessary to rewatch lectures to study.

BISC 120 is a tough class, but I really appreciated how straightforward and clear Prof. Rizk made everything. The lectures are super organized and he explains concepts thoroughly and well. He will tell students exactly what they need to study and what they don't need to memorize. He is also very open to questions. I never regretted choosing Rizk.

dude was a beast for ge classes. Def a recommend. Really easy to skip stuff and learn on your own time. guy is a good speaker too

This professor is awesome. I hate evolution with a burning passion, but he makes it a lot more interesting. He is always available for help, and the lab portion of this class is super easy. This class is also super flexible because if you can't make it in person, you can always go online. If you need a science GE this is a good class to take.

Professor Rizk was literally the best! He's super flexible and accommodating, especially for those who can't make it to class or lab in person. His lectures are super engaging and the exams are also pretty easy if you take good notes and pay attention during class. You can tell he truly cares about his students and what they have to say!

I loved Professor Rizk! STEM is usually intimidating for me, but the content was really engaging & I understood everything well. He genuinely cares for his students; he's flexible with deadlines & attendance, & exams aren't cumulative. Lab was fun too; we took a trip to the museum, watched documentaries, & got to handle skull replicas :)

I love Prof Rizk. His lectures are the best and I could listen to them for hours. He does extremely well at explaining concepts and taking questions, and he is quick to answer emails or be in office hours for questions. BUT, his midterms are the hardest out of all the BISC120 profs, as they are more complex & application based, so be ready to study

Had him as a lecturer for 120, and was lucky enough to have him teach my BISC 220 lab section. Like always, he was very thorough and helpful. He was understanding and cared about not wasting our time and us actually learning the material. He also sent us class lab data on spreadsheets made lab assignments so much faster. Plus his shoe game is fire.

Pretty decent lecturer who actually managed to make biology interesting. The exams heavily reflected the lectures and reading. The grading criteria and expectations were as clear as possible. To get an A for the exams, you really just have to memorize all/most of the content in the lectures and slides. It wasn't an easy A, but it was manageable.

Rizk is a great lecturer and you will learn a lot in the class. However, there is a lot of memorization required for his exams. The exams are more challenging than the exams are for other professors.

fairly easy GE, the prof makes it really fun and the grading criteria is very clear!

Rizk is a fantastic lecturer and a super chill guy. He made bisc120 very engaging and interesting. However, tests are incredibly tough, so much material to memorize and I feel he could have prepared us better for them.

BISC120 is a hard, memorization-heavy class with awful exams no matter who teaches it. But Rizk's lectures are great and he keeps you engaged with the material. His tests will humble you, but the curves are a fairly good safety net. Study off his lecture slides and you'll make it through.

Really interesting professor and lecturer. A guy where I could listen for hours. But given it being a lower div, material was kind of tough. Overall, solid but needs to put in a lot of effort in studying.