What can I say? Onkar is da man! His lectures were entertaining and very relevant to what is going on around us. Guest lecturers were a good idea as well. BONUS-He is definitely a hottie!

Wow! Onkar's got it all going on. He is smart, young (I think he said he was 25), and definitely handsome. His course is a real eye opener to what is going on in environmental toxicology. Lectures will clear and exams were very fair. He really wants you to learn. The bandana adds character.

Onkar is a great prof. His classes were very informative and fun! If you get the chance take a class with him. It will be worth it!

awesome prof. Very interesting to listen to but I must admit, sometimes its hard to pay attention because he is sooooo damm hot. Hes such a dream boat.

The Onk is unreal! And what a butt! It was so round and firm, it often distracted me in class, though. A great prof and a snappy dresser...and don't even get me started about the doo-rag.

He's an awesome guy but HOT?????? I mean he is alright, and good looking enough, but HOT?? uh no...and what is with that Butt comment....!!! Onkar, was that you??? Yeah but great course. BUT in order to do well you MUST MUST MUST memorize all the stupid things cause he does exam you on them

Onkar rocks!! He is a GREAT teacher and his notes were very straight forward. His way of teaching and the topics really kept me interested in the course [oh yeah, being so good looking helped too ;) ] For a young guy teaching a large class for the first time, he did very well.

Great teacher. Easy/straight-forward/organized notes and exams. For exams, just memorize notes.

Onkar did a super job teaching 312 last semester. Hopefully he teaches again in the near future. Exams were very fair. Gotta love the smile =:)

Onkar rocks my socks. I really learned alot from this hard core gangsta. However I would like him to remove his dorag when teaching as it was a distraction.

The most fun that I have had in any of my classes (Oh Yeah, I learned tonnes of stuff too!!). Onkar is a great teacher and he really cared about the students!! Easy to learn from and definitely easy on the eyes (goodlooking with a capital "G"). Everytime he smiled, a group of us girls simply melted. Hope he teaches again. The TAs rocked too.

Onkar is the best teacher I have ever had so far. He is so patient and will make sure that you know the concepts STEP BY STEP!! As an arts student, I took BISC 101 as an elective. Let's say my fear of science is now gone. He's just so adorable!!!!!!!!

Dr. Bains totally makes the lab worth attending. He breaks difficult concepts down so that it's easier for first year students to understand (sorta like the human version of Coles notes for Biology 101..ha ha ha). Also, the random questions that he asks during lab keeps students on their toes (which is a good thing!). Need more profs like him.

I enjoy how Dr. Bains uses the different concepts taught in BISC 101 to real life applications. Finally, a professor who really wants ALL the students to do well and does not play favorites. Also, he is so handsome (yes, I admit it!!!!)

Without Onkar's help, I would have struggled in the lab. He is extremely patient, and will make sure that you understand the material and experiments. I was a little skeptical at first since he is young, but he definitely knows his stuff (guess I should have known better since he has a PhD). Love, love, love his sense of humor.

So far I agree with everyone that Onkar is all I want in a teacher. He is patient, understanding, approachable, and funny. In lab, Onkar does approach students to ask questions about the material being taught in order to see if we are doing our readings. To the people who said he is handsome, I agree whole heartedly (very yummy indeed)

OMG! Onkar is amazing! He helped me increase my confidence to do well in the course. Super helpful! Super patient! Easy to talk to, and definitely willing to answer questions. I love his "go out there and kick ass" motto.

Gotta agree with the posts about Dr. Bains. He is super helpful, super patient, and super likeable. He does question students during the lab. Unlike other profs, he genuinely cares that students understand the material, and will go step by step to make it easier to understand. Finally, he has a super cute smile :) (had to mention that).

The coolest instructor that I have dealt with. Thanks so much for all the help during the lab. HIGHLY recommended to any student who plans on taking first year Biology.

One of the best teachers that I have ever had. He was extremely patient with the many questions that I had about the course. You do have to put in the effort to do well since there is a lot material to absorb. He gave great tips on studying effectively, and so far it has worked. On behalf of myself and my friends in BISC 101, you are da BOMB!

Even though Dr. Bains was only in labs during Tuesdays and Fridays, he was willing to answer my questions. I didn't start off well in the course but after he gave me some good ways to study properly, I ended up with an A-. Thank you so much!

Dr. Bains is amazing! He's so social! He can keep up an interesting conversation for so long. I feel he entertains me more than he teachs me. He's also so helpfull when I'm stuck! Thanks bra.

Dr. Bains is so patient and approachable. No matter how silly the question was, he was willing to answer. Thank you for all your help in the semester, even during the plants part of the lab course. I hope that most profs are like him.

I shudder to think how I would have done without Dr. Bains being there. He does not put students down for asking silly questions (even though he still says there is no such thing as a silly question). The course was intense and so you gotta put in the effort to do well.

I gotta say that Dr. Bains is so cool!!! He really helped my friends and I do well in the lab part of the course. The lab final was more than fair but you must attend the labs to make sure you understand the results. Thanks again for putting up with the many questions we had. Onkar = awesome

Onkar is one of the reasons why I was able to do awesome in the course. I did not have strong biology background, but after talking to him, I am thinking about pursuing Bio as a minor. Very nice instructor, and yeah he is cute (one of the main reasons I attended the lab).

To anyone who plans to take Bisc 101, make sure Dr. Bains is there in the lab!! After seeking his help, I was able to recover well following the first exam. His words of encouragement really helped me get an A- in the course. Overall, Dr. Bains definitely makes my Hall-of-Fame when it comes to teaching.

Perfect for this intro course. Presents all the material using PowerPoint notes (you get copy via email weekly). Those notes are successive, understandable and concise. I'm amazed at their quality. They contain ALL the info for a A+(=easy to skip). But don't simply because HE IS A MACHINE in class.Plows tru ALL the material and gets his job done!

Dr. Bains was just awesome. The course opened up my eyes about what is going on in environmental toxicology. The exams and quizzes were fair. If I wasn't so lazy, I could have got a higher grade.

I really enjoyed this course. Dr. Bains is an awesome teacher. He takes complex things and make it very simple to understand. Overall, I highly recommended.

Overall, the course was intriguing. The sample trivia questions were helpful. The quizzes got me well prepared for the midterm and final. Dr. Bains was a good teacher, and really helpful whenever I had questions.

Lots of cool stuff covered in the course! Dr. Bains really cared that his students did the best they could. I would take a course with him again in a heartbeat!!!

My friends and I really liked Dr. Bains as our instructor. He was funny and very approachable. The notes were straight forward (so a textbook was not really needed). The sample questions during lecture and quizzes prepared me for the midterm and final. The group in class presentation was a little overwhelming, but it was a novel idea.

There's an extremely long list of adjectives I can use to describe Dr. Bains...AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, AWESOME, think that should about do it. But seriously, he's the best. Had him as a TA in MBB 222 and he's th eonly reason the class was bearable. Always willing to help, crystal clear, super easy to talk to. Just an overall super nice guy!!!

Thank god Onkar was TAing the course. He is the best TA EVER! Without him I would be so lost.

Dr. Bains provided extra help and encouragement to my friends and I during the semester (finally, a teacher with heart). He made complex concepts simpler to understand. I believe he should be the one teaching courses full time rather than being a TA. On a side note, he loves his hockey!

Where would I be without Onkar being there to make the concepts crystal clear?! He is a lifesaver and should be the one teaching the course. He is very approachable and is will to answer questions. Thanks for your hard work (my friends and I really appreciate it)

Best TA ive ever had

The best TA I've ever had. Definitely taking another one of his classes again in the future!

Made everything clear that the professor didn't! One of the best TA's I've ever had in my years of university!

He was my TA and made everything so much easier to understand! I learned a lot in tutorial and his office hour. He also has a cute smile :)

Dr. Bains was a super helpful prof who really made the material easy to understand and interesting. His midterm and lab exam was pretty intense with the amount of info that we had to know but his tests are fair and he lets you know in lecture the important things that he thinks you should know which show up on his exams. Highly recommend this prof

Loved this prof, very helpful and clear. Midterms and final were fair and grade earned depends on your effort. Second time taking this course and he taught the material very clearly. Always available for help. Very approachable. Take this class with him if you he's teaching that semester!

Amazing prof! Easy to talk to and actually cares about his students doing well. Wish I could take all my courses at SFU with him!

Amazing prof, probably my favourite so far at SFU. Would definitely take more classes with him if time allows. Knows his stuff and helps students so makes studying SO much easier.

I have to say that out of all the profs that I have had at SFU, Dr. Bains ranks as one of the best. During lecture, he lets you know the important things that will be examinable. It also helps that he is approachable, funny and handsome (yeah I said it!)

Had him for Bio 101 Lab during my time at SFU as a first year and he was extremely approachable, helpful, and made sure that students understood the material. Lab can be tough, so prepare to study hard. He makes you work for your marks, but he is SUPER FAIR! Miss him already.

Had him as a TA for BISC101, and I honestly wouldn't have gotten through it without him! He's awesome! So knowledgable, easy to approach and really wants students to succeed.

Onkar is the absolute best. He's extremely knowledgeable and does an excellent job of conveying that knowledge. He provided so many practice questions and prepared us really well for the lecture and lab final. He's a genuinely awesome person: funny, approachable, patient, helpful, and encouraging. I wish he taught all my classes.

Onkar best instructor that I have ever had! Thank you for all your help last term. My friends and I really appreciate the effort you put in to helping us learn the material, especially the lab.

I took BISC 101 with Dr. Bains and he happened to be both my lecturer and my lab instructor. The material was easy to take in because of how well Dr. Bains was able to explain it and made everything so interesting. I wish I had him as my professor for every class.

Onkar is the best biology professor I've met. He covered quite some interesting topics aside from what the 101 curriculum had, and opted some of the boring-er stuff out. Study the student learning objectives and take note of what he says in lecture about what might come on exams, because they WILL be on there. Lots of hints; no surprises on exams.

BEST PROF EVER! Makes such a daunting course seem so easy! His notes are done beautifully and he tells you exactly what he will test you on for midterms by preparing SLO for each lecture. SO funny and overall such a caring prof, definetly the best prof I have ever had. If you have the option to take a class with him, TAKE IT YOU WONT REGRET IT!!!!

Best prof at SFU, HANDS DOWN. - He loves his job, knows his stuff! His lecture slides are SO DETAILED, throw out your textbook. If you care and have an interest in the course- EASY A. His midterm avg was 72% !! Not too stressed for the final! Hands down my favourite prof!!

Had him as my BISC 102 lab instructor during the summer semester. The Mad Scrambles were very helpful in making sure that my friends and I kept up with studying for the lab exam during the semester. Very fair lab quizzes and exam.

Enthusiastic and easy to understand. My lab partners and I agree that Dr. Bains is one of the best. We appreciate it when he mentions common mistakes made by students in exams from previous semesters so that we do not make the same errors. More than willing to help out but you do need to show that you are putting in the effort.

Superman of teaching!! Super helpful, super encouraging and a super sense of humor. The labs were a little on the tough side, but Onkar just made things simpler to understand. Thanks for being a super lab instructor! To be honest, I wish he was teaching the lecture too!

Onkar was by far one of the best profs i have ever had at SFU,he made the lectures very interesting.

Perfect introductory course for ppl without any biology background.

Funny, knowledgable and approachable. Dr. Bains made biology cool. Now I am taking his BISC 101 class because of how intersting the topics are (and yes, I have a greater appreciation of plants!). If you have not done so, take a class with him. You will not regret it!!!!

Exams are 90% written but they are straight from slides. I only opened my textbook like twice the whole semester. Even if you don't do so great on the exam, there's a lot of room to pick up free marks like labs and assignments which are weighed the same as the midterm.

most amazing prof i have had so far at SFU. not only are his lectures super interesting, he is a cool dude himself. he obvs cares about his students and his exams are very fair, just make sure u pay attention in labs as well as lectures and study for the lab exam ahead of time. follow the student learning objectives and ur gonna do really well!

The BEST prof ever! He makes his slides and student learning objectives straightforward. Also, if you pay attention in class he mentions what is likely to be on the exam.

Hands down, the best Instructor! Dr. B makes things clear in lecture, and at times he is hilarious. The sample questions given in lecture (along with the midterm and lab exam) were a big help, and I like the tips he gives to make learning concepts easier. The online Mastering assignments were fine since there was plenty of time to complete them.

so he is a good prof, I'm not gonna lie, but his exams are hard. And yes, there are student learning objectives and the exam is fair since it is out of the SLOs. However, if you wanna not have to work AS hard for your marks then don't take him because hes fair but he Makes you work for your grade. Too much info to review for the finals too.

Awesome prof!Study his student learning objectives and you should be more than prepared for the exams. His notes are quite clear and easy to follow. Make sure to dedicate a significant amount of time reading.

Great professor, with awesome lectures that make the subject quite interesting. All of his exams were extremely fair with everything coming out of the notes and nothing unexpected. Expect to read a fair amount and know content in detail to get a good grade.

Dr. Onkar Bains is an incredible professor. If you have an option to take any course with him, I would definitely recommend doing so. You will have to study hard to have a good grade b/c exams will be reasonably complicated. My recommendation to future students - study slides CAREFULLY, he will ask really specific questions. Loves comparison ques.

Onkar is very enthusiastic, approachable, and a genuinely funny guy, which makes some of the more dull parts of biology, like plants, more bearable. He makes clear what is going to be on the test through his student learning objectives and everything you need to know is within his lecture notes, which makes an excellent study tool.

AMAZING PROF!! I had him for my first semester at SFU and his tests are hard (but fair), however, if you study the SLOs he gives you they are much easier. This class is an easy A if you put in the effort and study effectively. He is super knowledgeable and you can tell he loves what he does. He's also very realistic and humble. RECOMMEND!

amazing prof! really cares about his students. His exam was hard. very smart man ! love him ! take bisc with him!!!

His lecture slides are very helpful as he alternates between fill in the blanks and ones that are already filled in, keeps you engaged in his lecture. Lectures are filmed and there are no iclicker questions. Very straight forward exams, complete and memorize his Student Learning Objective and you will 100% pass the class. Tutorials are mandatory

Onkar is a really good prof. I had him for bio 101 and he gives all the information you need in his slides. You have to go to lecture bc he uses fill in the blanks but lectures were v helpful anyways. Difficult in the sense that you had to know literally everything but you were set up to do very well as long as you put in the effort!

Fantastic professor. I was truly fortunate to have him for both bio I and bio II. Super straight forward in terms of what's on the exams, no surprises at all. Couldn't have believed it when he told us that this was his first time teaching BISC102 when his lecture notes and the way he explained concepts were exceptional already.

Professor Bains was awesome! It was my second class with him and I was extremely fortunate to be able to have another class with him! I would not hesitate to take a class with him! His student learning objectives are golden, his slides are clear and concise, and he is extremely caring about his students! 10/10 would take again! Onkar is amazing!!!

Amazing professor who would kindly listen and respond to all your questions during office hours and labs alike. Although one must understand almost everything that is on the lecture notes to succeed, Onkar makes it easier to do so by creating an extremely clear and concise set of notes.

Dr. Bains is just the best teacher I have had so far. He is very patient, encourages students to do well, makes lectures easy to follow (although perhaps tone down on the number of fill in the blanks for some lectures), and asks fair questions on exam (especially when there are student learning objectives provided). Highly recommended!!!

I love Dr. Bains!! he's honestly the best lab prof and his midterm's arent even hard if you do the SLO. Highly recommend. Got C in bisc 101 with another prof and got almost an A with onkar in bisc 102. Wish i had him for bisc 101 too

This was my second class with Onkar and has made the course 10x more enjoyable. He's an amazing prof. He cares about his students and emphasizes on what to study through a set of learning objectives. 100% would take ANY class he teaches.

Had Onkar as a lab instructor, and he is exceptional at giving informative, easy to follow explanations. He makes the material engaging even for non-bio students. Would love to take a class with him as lecturer.

Although there was a lot of content covered in the course, Dr. B. did a great job. The SLOs (objectives) and assignments made it easier for myself and my friends to study the material. Textbook was not needed since the lecture notes were clear. Also, Dr. B. is super understanding, and is willing to assist students with their questions.

Overall, Dr. Bains did a great job BISC 305, even though there was a lot of content to cover. The student learning objectives were an asset, and made it easier to study for quizzes, the midterm and final (class averages were typically 70-75%). Even having the practice questions in lecture and tutorial helped me understand the material.

Super friendly and everything is covered on his lecture slides. The slides are make with incredible detail and give you nearly all you need to know, however he does mention some extra key points during lectures so be sure to attend or listen to the recordings.

All you have to do to succeed in his class is to memorize EVERY SINGLE WORD on the lecture slides. No textbook. He did give youtube videos to watch and some odd questions were from there on the midterm. He does scale but makes the midterms and quizzes and final very detail focused and on a time crunch.

Dr. Bains has been super helpful this term. I would rather have weekly lab worksheets than a lab final any day! I like the fact that we get one freebie when it comes to lab worksheets which won't count to the overall grade. He and the rest of the teaching team have done a good job with transitioning the course online.

Taken online during covid. He does a good job of communicating in and out of class. Does his best to make things visually interesting and lifts the mood. This course has a larger load but prof manages his lectures relatively well, and provides YT videos and optional textbook readings. All labs and tutorials are synchronous and labs require a mic.

Plenty of practice questions and practice sessions (plus!), choice questions on exams (plus!), takes students feedback seriously (plus!), very engaging and overall positive attitude (plus!), nice animations on PowerPoint lectures (plus!) - BISC 101 is a tough course with the content covered and labs, but Dr. B makes it easier to understand.

Taking BISC 101 remotely, and this course is efficient and well organized. Dr. Bains (and the TAs) provide plenty of practice questions that are super helpful for the exams. Besides the lab component, there are 3 midterms that are not cumulative (each with bonus and CHOICE questions!). Textbook is optional. Highly recommend this prof to all.

Taking it online during COVID time. He is a really great professor which tries to make things clear for everyone. His lecture is a bit long and they are all pre-recorded. Love his student learning objectives for every chapter which allows me to know which is his focuses in each of the chapters

Quizzes and exams are very detail oriented and wordy, very easy to get confused with what his questions are asking. Always feels like I don't have enough time on exams. Lectures are good and make sense. Tutorials talked about subjects after the quiz on it though, wish the quizzes were delayed by another week so we can talk abtit in tutorial first

BISC 202 is a challenging course but Dr. Bains (and his TAs) did a good job to make it easier to understand. Always on top of responding to emails and setting up office hours throughout the week. The real life examples used in lectures were interesting. Also, the practice sessions really helped me to do well on the exams.

onkar is a really good prof. his lecture notes are exactly what u need to study. no filler. textbook was not mandatory, i ended up getting it but ended up barely used it because the course is VERY tailored to his lec notes. Exams were tough sometimes but if you studied the lec notes you will do well.

Dr. Bains is a fantastic and kind professor. His lectures are great (albeit they're sometimes long) and learning objectives were useful. The supplementary videos under the lectures were helpful in understanding each topic. I would take a course with him again if I could.

I really enjoyed this course especially when there was plenty of time to review the lectures since they are recorded. Practice sessions and tutorials were helpful and exam questions were fair. The lecture final had similar questions to the midterms which was nice! Dr. Bains was very understanding and responded to emails (even at night!).

Really good and clear lectures; gives plenty of practice questions; Reasonable exam difficulty. I feel like I actually grasped the concepts of genetics taking the class with Onkar.

Onkar Bains is a fabulous biology teacher! His classes are lecture-heavy but if you're in BISC202, this isn't your first Bio class and you'll know this is to be expected with any bio class (lots of memorization). His exams were all very fair, no questions came as a shock and overall he is very friendly and approachable. Would happily take it again.

This was Onkar's first time teaching BISC202 and I thought he was great! He's incredibly kind and his lectures are simple and easy to understand. I really enjoyed taking this course with him and would do it again in a heartbeat! The course itself wasn't easy, but he did his best at making it easy and fair on us!

I really enjoyed the course. Lectures were recorded and easy to understand (especially with the learning objectives). The practice sessions were super useful in helping me prepare for quizzes/exams. Also, the prof always made time to address questions. The course is a challenge but the tools were given for students to do well.

Finally, a course where application matters rather than just memorization. This was the best course that I took online so far. Plenty of practice questions and my TA was awesome. Dr. Bains was available (even during the evenings for office hours). I liked the animations used in the lectures and exams. Just a positive learning environment!

BISC 202 is a course that requires students to put in the work to do well. Luckily, Dr. B did his best (and succeeded) to make things easier by having detailed lectures and hosting practice sessions for students to work on sample questions. I really appreciated the online office hours during evenings/weekends. Great experience overall!

Onkar is an amazing prof. Hiss lectures are very clear and easy to understand and hes great at explaining. His quizzes and midterms were fair, although the likes to put in a few trick questions and details. If you know everything on the lecture slides your set but pay attention to the little details. Hes very willing to help if you go to OH.

Dude is a teaching all-star! Made a difficult easier to deal with. Recorded lectures were thorough (plus the animations were a nice touch). Learning objectives were super helpful. Made time to answer my questions. Lots of practice questions given in lecture which made it easier to do well on exams. Most positive Instructor Ive had at SFU.

Amazing prof

One of my favourite courses so far. Dr. Bains is just a breath of fresh air. Love the practice question sessions, the laid back teaching style, and positive attitude! The student learning objectives are helpful when studying along with the YouTube video links for each lecture topic. The online lab worksheets coincided well with the lecture.

Great professor! He made me enjoy biology even though it was tough at times. I would take his courses again!

Best prof that I have had so far at SFU. Plenty of practice questions in class and he does scale the grades if needed. I liked that he added animations to his notes. There are some concepts that require extra effort but he does break things down into simple steps. I would definitely take another class with him.

I really enjoyed BISC 102. Dr. Bains is a very good Instructor and you can tell that he wants his students do their best. Lots of practice exam questions. The YouTube videos and student learning objectives made studying easier. Also, Dr. Bains was very accommodating (he even had office hours on the weekend!!).

Dr. B is one the more entertaining lecturers I have had. He goes the extra mile to help students with YouTube links, lecture recordings (for those unable to attend), learning objectives, practice questions, and office hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Most questions were expected, but some involved applying what you learned rather than memorizing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lecture format with lots of practice questions. Dr. Bains rekindled my love for biology! Thank you for being a great lecturer and listener. Always willing to help whenever there was something I did not understand.

Amazing prof! I loved how he uses real life examples and I felt super smart applying plant genetics when I went to a nursery. I talked about co-dominance of rhododendrons and environmental influence on hydrangeas with the employees. Overall, he has fair exams and is clear with clear notes.

Love, love, love, love, love this prof! Dr. Bains rekindled my passion for Biology. Always answered questions I had (and even replied to emails on the weekend). Had many practice questions during lectures which helped big time during exams. I wish we had more profs like him!

Took this course a second time and I have to say Dr. B. was a WAY better teacher. I like the format of listening to pre-recorded lectures (which had its own practice questions) and then meeting in person to work on more challenging questions (helped with the exams). He has a passion for biology and is funny! Love the gifs used on slides.

Onkar was such an awesome prof! He really cared for his students and was always available to talk or answer questions. The midterms (we had two) were okay (both 50 min) but the final I found was super difficult. Also lectures you really do not need to go, but he was super funny in them!

Dr. Bains is a gift from God. I have regained my drive during this semester, mostly because of this professor even without interacting directly. The quizzes and group assignments are scheduled at an optimal pace without causing stress. I never felt overwhelmed. His friendliness, and the comprehensible lectures nudged me to gladly put in the work.

Onkar is a fantastic lecturer, and a very fair instructor overall. Bisc 333 has been content heavy, and relatively complex, but Onkar releases detailed student learning objectives for every lecture. With consistent feedback, fair marking, and all the tools to succeed, BISC333 was a breeze.

Dr. Bains just exudes positive energy! The way he set up the course made it easier for students to do their best such as having team assignments, individual quizzes (in which the worst mark was removed in the end), practice questions during lectures, SLOs for each lecture topic, and recorded lectures just in case students were unable to attend.

Had Dr. Bains as an Instructor last term. I appreciated how he listened to requests/feedback and recorded live lectures (which were informative and fun). BISC 333 is information heavy but Dr. Bains made things easier with his practice questions in lecture and student learning objectives for each topic. I would take another course with him again!

I took his course bio110 in CC.. all I can say is Onkar is amazing! He boosts you up if you know what you are doing! If any student says Onkar is bad,trust me, it's the student's fault not Onkar! Onkar, if you see this i just want to tell you that you are the best instructor in CC. Thank you!

Super nice guy, def wants the best for all his students. Beware, this course is content HEAVY. study for weeks in advance to prepare for midterms + final. follow learning objectives, understand the examples KNOW THE SCIENTISTS! AND WHAT THEY DISCOVERED cannot stress this enough lol, just memorize everything

I LOVE this prof. Course material is heavy but he gives a lot of practice questions which helps you a lot. I would 100% recommend this prof.

Onkar is a nice prof who cares about his students and makes his presentation slides funny with gifs and pictures; however he also reads completely off his slides which makes it very disengaging for me. Don't show up to lecture and u will be fine as long as u read the slides on ur own time

Onkar is a good prof who clearly has a passion for teaching. His exams were fair, and lectures were not mandatory as everything was recorded. Course material was pretty easy and fun to learn.

I took Bisc 101 and Bisc 202 with this professor and his lectures were amazing. He could explain the concept in detail. His exams were fair and some of them were straight memorizing. He is very caring and passionate about biology. He gives good feedback to students and tries to accommodate students' needs.

Dr.Bains is an awesome teacher who understands what it means to be a student. The exams were really fair and not that difficult, the labs were fun, and the lab exam was also extremely fair. Honestly, one of the best courses I've taken at SFU.

Found the midterm to be a bit harder, but the final wasn't too bade. Exams are fair and all based on lecture material. Never went to class and he posted the material online so I was able to listen to the lectures at my own time. Most important thing for him is looking at lots of examples and understanding them, which will be seen on exams.

One of the best professors. He will do everything which will be in favour of the students. 1 midterm, 1 final, 1 lab exam (open book- you can score great if prepare for it correctly even if it is open book), 1 assignment. Definitely recommend Professor Onkar. Exam questions were more difficult than the practice questions.

Had Dr. Bains as both the Lecturer and Lab Instructor during the summer semester. He uses a flipped classroom method of teaching which really helped in preparing for exams. I enjoyed his sense of humour and cool gifs on the lecture slides. Exams (including the lab) were very fair.

It is clear that Dr. Bains wants his students to do their best. His step-by-step explanations in the lecture recordings has helped me and my friends address practice questions in class. I do like the gifs used too! Also, the tutorials so far have complemented the lectures. Lots of practice to help students get ready for exams, which is great.

My friends and I have really enjoyed his class. There are many questions to go through which really helped with the exams. Dr. Bains does incorporate application questions (so it is not only memorization). The recordings have definitely helped in preparing for the in person lectures (plus he now includes reviews of concepts in the lectures).

As a student registered with CAL, Dr. Bains is the first prof who contacted me to see if my accommodations were met and came to check in on me during the midterm. He does challenge all his students, but that is what I came to university for. Practice questions and the learning objectives are super helpful. I would take another course with him.

PROS: Understanding and accommodating, positive attitude, breaks complex concepts down step-by-step, lots of practice questions in class, checks in with students with an online survey (and even makes adjustments to the lecture based on the feedback). Not a lot of cons (perhaps the lecture recordings are a bit long). Fantastic teacher overall!

I absolutely adore Dr. Bains!! His lectures (and practice questions) are informative and I enjoy the animations on his slides. He does listen to student feedback which makes me feel important as a student. Yes, there is a lot of material to learn, but his positive attitude gives me extra motivation to put in the effort.

Really enjoyed the lectures. Dr. Bains was super helpful in addressing my questions. If you come to lecture and do the practice questions, they appear on the final (but in a different format). Totally would take another class with him in the future.

During all exams Dr. Bains came to CAL to address any questions (so far, the only Instructor to do this during my time at SFU). Yes there are recordings to watch but the practice questions in class gave me confidence to do well. He is very understanding and challenges his students to do their best. Lecture final was very fair!

Onkar is a very good prof, his lecture are mostly practice question and problems, he say that you should watch the lecture recording before you come to class to understand what is going on but I never watched them and all the questions on exam still made sense. Just go to class participate in lecture and you should do fine.

It's a reversed method of learning ie you watch the lectures before you come. Make sure to not get too behind because it is A LOT of content - not necessarily all hard but hard. His exams were fair and quizzes were fair as well except his wording can be a bit confusing at times.

BISC 202 is not an easy course, but I was lucky to have Dr. Bains. The amount of practice questions we went over in lecture helped me big time in the final exam. Overall, the course was very fair!

Dr. B is one of the best profs I had at SFU. He is very accommodating and establishes a positive learning environment. The flipped classroom method worked for me, especially with the exam questions. Some of the course material is challenging, but Dr. B did a solid job at simplifying concepts. I hope he teaches courses in third/fourth year.

Dr. Bains is amazing! Not only does he truly care for his students but he does absolutely everything he can so that you succeed. Some of the concepts in 202 are new but overall, it's not hard if you put in the work! Highly recommend taking with Dr. Bains!

Skipped lectures early on in the semester - big mistake! When I started to attend lectures, Dr. Bains did a good job at explaining concepts and going through the answers in detail to difficult practice questions. I got a B, but I am kicking myself since it is likely I would have ended up with a higher grade if I was more devoted.

If you get confused, Onkar is willing to explain more than once. He's fairly quick with email responses and will help you do well in the course. Genetics was not an easy course, but you do have to put effort into getting good grades. I'm truly grateful to have him as he slightly changed the grading scale which was a GOATED move

My friends and I were super lucky to have Dr. Bains teaching a difficult course. He made things easier by providing a lot of practice questions and explaining answers step-by-step. The course was set up for students to succeed; however, you have to attend lectures and put in the work to get a higher grade.

Retook the course and improved my grade from a C to a B+. The flipped classroom method really helped me understand the concepts more. Professor Bains was more than willing to explain things (even in different ways if I didn't understand the first or second time). Also, he is really good at replying to email messages.

He covers lots of concepts but also offers lots of practice questions that were very applicable to the exams. Lecture videos are long but he has good slides and explains concepts well. Definitely recommend taking the course with him!!

ONKARR MY MANNN!!! Cant appreciate you enough for making genetics a class I actually enjoy. Thank you for restoring faith in considering a BISC minor. Please teach upper division courses and I might actually not consider giving up! Thank you for everything! THANKS FOR YOUR FLIPPED METHOD THE BEST EVER YAS! not an overstatement

Onkar is one of the best profs I have had in all of my BISC courses. He is very calm, and lectures are fun with interesting content. Onkar does all he can in his power to help students succeed and learn.

Each lecture has an hour+ long pre-lecture that covers the material. All of the actual lecture is just working through practice questions. Pre-lecs are interesting, actual lecs are not. Lots of material on the exams. Claims he will only curve the final grades in our favour.

The first prof I have had who understands what students of today are going through. The flipped classroom method works for me. Lots of practice questions with some similar to the ones in the midterm. Removes weakest quiz at end and gives greater weight on final exam if it's better than the midterm.

Incredible style of teaching. The lecture slides are amazing. Quiz and midterm questions arent sneaky and stupid. Highly recommended

Very understanding and accommodating. So far, I really enjoy the practice questions which has been a big help in the exams.

For me, the flipped classroom method has worked well. I like that Dr. Bains goes through the harder material and practice questions step by step. Yes, some of the videos can be long but at least I can review them multiple times. He does want his students to do their best, which helps to motivate me.

Really enjoying the course so far. Although the video recordings for lectures are long, they have helped in the understanding of major concepts. Student learning objectives and practice questions during lecture are a big plus! Clearly, Dr. Bains does his best to help students out (even if you have to work harder to achieve a better grade).

Super helpful lectures so far with all the practice questions done so far. Like the option of having higher percentage on final as a way to make up for midterm. Gives plenty of hints about the type of questions on exams. My TA also has been a big help in office hours.

I love having both Dr. Bains and Dr. Punja as Instructors this term. Both have different teaching techniques, but my friends and I are enjoying them. Dr. Bains is clearly passionate about biology and he provides plenty of practice questions for the midterm and final exam. The online videos are informative (but may be a bit long at times).

Dr. B. is one of nicest profs I had so far at SFU. He does challenge students to strive for their best. During the semester, he has been accommodating to my needs as a CAL student (plus, he does go to the Learning Center to address questions while I wrote my exams). Practice questions during class are a plus which helps to prepare for exams!

Uses a flipped classroom model where you are responsible for learning beforehand and the lectures are full of practice questions instead. Very difficult if you aren't adjusted. Practice questions were helpful and the lectures weren't bloated.

Dr. Bains is a very caring professor and all the topics are well explained. I am not a huge fan of the flipped classroom method as I tend to struggle to keep up with pre-recorded lectures, especially when they are fairly long. That being said, lectures were high quality and always enjoyable.

Best prof, best teaching method, genuinely good takes pride in his job. And cares about his students.

Onkar was a great prof provided so many resources to study the course itself has sooo much content but just keep practice important course for mCAT and stuff. Best prof for this course. Midterm was easy final was a bit harder but doable if you study

Flipped classroom in lecture worked for me. All the practice questions we went over helped big time for the short answer section of the final exam. During the midterm and final exams, Dr. Bains came to the CAL office regularly to address any questions that I had. He replied to my questions via email right away. Thank you for being awesome.

Practice questions during lecture were super useful! Student learning objectives helped big time for the midterm and final. Also, enjoyed Dr. B.'s stories related to different human organ systems - especially the ones he had to deal with related to the circulatory system. Finally, he is super approachable - always willing to answer questions.

I heard about this course being tough but it is safe to say I was lucky to have Dr. Bains and Dr. Punja. Dr. B taught most of the lectures and I found the flipped classroom method a huge help. His practice questions during lecture were similar to the final exam. Without this, I don't think I would have ended up with the grade I did.

Onkar was a chill prof. The flipped lecture class where you watch lectures on your own time worked for me but i know it wasn't great for others so beware of that if you take a course with him. Overall he makes the content easier to learn however and gives you a decent amount of practice to understand concepts. Would recommend

There is a lot of material covered in BISC 202, but Dr. Bains managed to explain concepts well. Yes, there are recorded lectures, but that left more time for practice questions in-person which really helped when it came to the quizzes and exams. I liked that he gave choice questions on the final exam. My friends and I enjoyed the course.

Goated prof. Take him if you have the choice.

I really enjoyed bisc202 with Onkar. He made the course material interesting and engaging and exams were fair. Lectures are online videos and class-time is spent doing practice questions, which was really helpful in solidifying the content. You definitely need to put in the work to do well but overall amazing prof who cares for his students.

Love Dr. Bains!!!! He gave chances for students to raise their grade by allowing best three of four quizzes, putting more weight on final if you do well, reducing total of exams to help all students, and having choice questions on the exams. He does expect his students to put in the work for a better grade, but the pay off is worth it.

Enjoyed the course, Dr. Bains is a great teacher. He was always available to address my questions. The practice questions in class helped for the short answer part of the final exam. I would definitely take another course with him.

Flipped classroom worked for my friends and I. Lots of practice questions to help prepare for the major exams. The videos to view before classes may have been long at times but very thorough in explaining concepts. To the comment by the student who got a C, class average on the final was 67%. Majority of the students did better than you say.

Dr. Bains is the best. He uses a different teaching method than most profs, where lectures are pre-recorded and he does tons of practice questions during lecture. Personally I really enjoyed his method of teaching since BSIC 202 is more about understanding concepts rather than memorization. He is very fair, but exams are long.

Uses the flipped-classroom method where in-person lectures were beneficial to preparing for the exams. Is pretty concise and very consistent, exams heavily aligned and is direct to what is taught. Explanations in lecture videos 100% made sense to me because he made it sound so simple. You can tell he is well-experienced in his career and education

Thanks to Dr. Bains and my TA, I was able to recover in the course after a not-so-good start. Dr. B. was willing to assist me during office hours to figure out concepts that I did not understand. The practice questions in lecture that I got right gave me confidence in upcoming quizzes and exams. I hope to take another course with him.

Although BISC 202 has a lot of information, Dr. Bains made the experience easier on everyone. He does use a flipped classroom method which allowed for more practice questions in class. These questions definitely helped when it came to exams and quizzes. Also, he was more than willing to address questions in lecture and office hours.

There is lots of preparation for this class because you need to watch his online lecture videos before going to lecture. During lecture, he goes over questions related to the videos. Best way to study is to make Anki cards while watching the videos and go over the Anki cards regularly. Exams reflect his lecture ppt, videos, and questions.

Its easy to fall behind in his class, but if you keep up, his practice questions that are reviewed in lecture are very similar to the tests and quizzes. He's very nice and the exams are difficult but he gives you enough study material to do good. May be a bit hard if you didn't do well in BISC101 and 102 because he doesn't spend much time on them.

As a bisc major - hand's down best bio prof at SFU. Yeah the lecture videos are long as hell but the flipped classroom method was the best kind of practice and motivation. He attended ALL Labs to see his students and stopped by all the desks to talk to us. Really funny and great at explaining ; also dense but helpful slides!

Really enjoyed the course. Dr. Bains explains things in a step wise manner very well. He really cares for student success and was very open to addressing questions in class. I would be up to taking another course with him again.

Dr. Bains, is the best professor SFU Biology has to offer. He was always super kind, and considerate for students when it came time for exams (choice questions, bonus marks). To study for his exam, memorize everything included in the learning objectives. He is easily accessible by email, and office hours. SFU, please Make him permanent.

Second time taking a course with Dr. B and again he doesn't disappoint. You can tell he spends a lot of time creating lectures and plenty of practice questions. One of the few profs that really cares about student success. SLOs were a major help in studying. I hope that he teaches third year courses.

GOAT of SFU Biology! Dr. Bains is always enthusiastic about biology and always willing to answer questions. Plenty of practice questions to help prepare for tests. Student learning objectives were gold! He did give many hints on the types of questions that would appear on the midterms and final exam. Loved his "choice questions" on exams.