VERY nice guy. Makes powerpoint slides to write notes on during lecture. Group assignments. Tests are very tricky. He loves his job and is very helpful.

Dr. Bates is the best! He love Genetics and you can tell everyday. You can ask him ANYTHING and he'll help you with it. He's very approachable and it's impossible to fall asleep in class because you'll be intrigued the whole time. Also makes jokes to keep things interesting. It's really tough though but you learn a lot!

Bates is awesome! He is a really cool guy and a great teacher. I took Genetics with him so it was a really really tough class but learned a lot and he always kept it interesting. Very helpful during office hours also.

Very good professor, the class was easier then my high school bio class, I think because that teacher was a tougher teacher and taught at a college course level. He doesn't have crap loads of stuff on the power points which is good, assigns reading in little chunks, and finally gives out ec outside of class for tests!

he's just a good guy who has your best interests at heart.

good teacher. Bates is very interested in his topic and cares about his students' learning. he goes over things quickly because he has a lot to cover. understand the general message of things for tests. his many tricky clicker questions are frustrating.

Bates is an awesome prof. He really knows what he's talking about and even if there's a question hes not sure about, he'll look it up for you. I recomend him for any class, he keeps you interested even if you dont like the subject!

Professor Bates is pretty awesome. She knows so much about his subject, and he's really personally invested in his students. Very helpful. Teaches in a variety of mediums to keep things interesting. Quality of the lab course however, is completely up the the TA. Bates is always available to help as well. I definitely recommend.

very good professor. knows his stuff, but doesn't go into unnecessary detail. has lots of clicker questions that are useful in the end, also has extra credit opportunities. highly recommend!

For a biology prof he's pretty good for being new

His tests are very straight forward and he is very clear and concise. He is a really good professor.

He is my favorite professor! Very easy to talk to if something isn't clear. Very fair and straightforward.

He can explain hard material so it can be understood by anyone. Open to answer any questions. amazing

Such a cool man! Really a great professor and has a pretty funny sense of humor. You'll enjoy it. I promise!

made class extremely interesting & I am not a bio major. would HIGHLY recommend

I'd say that he is a nice guy who is able to do a good job of explaining things. He is approachable and more than willing to give his time to answer questions(kind of a hippie lol). His tests are somewhat challenging and it can be difficult to figure out what to study. Overall,I really enjoyed having him as a professor.

He is very nice but you MUST go to class and actually listen to what he is saying and take notes on that. Do not rely on notes that he puts on the slides, those are very broad compared to what is on the tests. You will have to study in detail to get a decent test grade. He wants students to come up with "applied" thinking when anwsering questions

Bates was a really fun genetics professor. Lectures were interesting and tests were difficult, but not impossible. I highly recommend taking any course he is teaching.

Bates is amazing! You really have to read the book and study hard for his tests but if you do so and know how to apply the info you'll do great. The first test of his I didn't really read n didn't get the grade I wanted so I studied super hard for the last one and got only one wrong!! Doesn't try to trick you at all... HIGHLY recommend him.

He is a professor because its something he loves and he wants his students to actually learn something. He will go out of his way to help you. He is by far one of my favorite professors. Don't get me wrong, the class can be difficult. But it's college, you've gotta expect to put some effort into your classes. And he will do whatever he can to help!

Dr. Bates is a great guy, I have him for a lecture with 200+ other people and he actually knows my name - which can really make a difference is how involved you feel in the class. One of the best professors I've had so far!

Bates is a phenomenal professor. He makes a huge lecture course seem personal and is incredibly helpful outside of class. He is passionate in what he teaches, and it shows.

Bates was my favorite professor last semester. Even though the material was review for me, he made it interesting. His jokes are dorky, but he manages to pull them off pretty well. He is very approachable and very kind if you go to office hours. His tests are straight forward and don't throw you any curveballs which is nice. Great Teacher!

He was a great professor! I am not a science person but he made the class easy and enjoyable. Funny professor, keeps you interested in lectures, and tests aren't very difficult

I am a biochemistry major and out of every science class i've ever had this was my favorite and that is all because of how awesome Paul Bates is. Greatest teacher at UMD

Best bio teacher at umd by far! he knows so many of his students by name which is cool and he is very fair and you should know exactly what to expect on his exams

Amazing teacher and ALWAYS very helpful. Genetics should be a 4000-level class, so it is hard, but you couldn't wish for a better teacher!!! he's funny, very smart about his subject and explains hard concepts very well.

I am truely amazed by this professor! He is so easy to understand and very open to questions. He makes class interesting and cracks good jokes all the time. His tests are pretty easy if you do the homework. One of the best teachers at UMD by far! Take his class if you can!

Dr. Bates is an excellent biology professor. He is very helpful, open to questions, and does an extraordinary job of explaining difficult topics effectively. He likes to crack some nerdy jokes and tell some short stories from his own experiences. I highly recommend taking one of his classes.

Genetics with Bates was awesome. He was so helpful in and outside of class. His lectures use powerpoints, and he does ask clicker questions. Go to class, pay attention, and you will do well on the quizzes every week. The exams are difficult, but start studying early and ask for help. I did not attend the SI groups, but heard they were helpful.

Bates is a great prof. Granted, his tests are very difficult, but what do you expect...it's genetics. Go to class, pay attention and do the practice problems and you will do just fine. The book is good for studying, but must of his tests are based off of lecture. Dr. Bates is super funny and keeps class interesting!

Bates is one of the best professors at UMD. He's very good at explaining things and he makes the class interesting and fun. Genetics can be tough, but go to class, actually DO the practice problems and you will be fine!

Bates is a good guy - he teaches the section of BIO II on plants and ecology. His passion really comes out in ecology, which is nice, except that most of the chapters are on plants. And I hate plants.

Professor Bates makes the lectures interesting and throws in little jokes for those who pay attention in class. He really cares about how students are doing and is willing to answer questions. Getting a good grade is simple if you pay attention in class, take notes, and study for the exams. Would definitely take a class with him again!

Prof. Bates is a great Professor. He keeps class entertaining with his witty jokes. Genetics is a really hard subject, but he makes it fun. Go to class, print out the lectures, go to SI when you can, and go through EVERYTHING when reviewing for the tests. He did a curve that was 90% was an A and such. Highly recommend!

Paul was a pretty good professor. His lectures are long and dry, but it's a fairly easy class. The most difficult part was the labs and even those weren't that hard - pretty much just had to show up. The tests were pretty easy too, sometimes the material was hard to remember, but the lowest score I got on a test was 85% & idk crap about science

Bates is a super nice guy! He covers as much information as physically possible each day, which makes tests rather difficult (covering 7-8 chapters each) Both he and Shannon (who teaches the first half of the course) offer a little extra credit each semester to boost grades. Class is also on a curve because they recognize no one gets all the points

Exam material is all from lecture and book. Be prepared to just know everything he covered in good detail, ignore parts of chapter he did not discuss. Would take again. I actually did better on his exams than with Lyle Shannon who teaches the 1st half of the course. Print the slides. They curve the class, raising grades by .5 to 1 letter.

Worlds greatest.

Paul's half of the GBII course packs in a lot more material, with about 7 chapters covered on exams. He's really smart though, is passionate about the subject, and has interesting things to share. His jokes are pretty bad though. Read the textbook and this class is not too bad.

Lectures went by pretty quickly, and were pretty interesting. His lectures are very clear, although sometimes I wish he'd go into more detail. He teaches the plant half of GB2, so some people may find the material boring, but he definitely makes it bearable. I enjoyed him as a teacher, and I enjoyed asking questions. I recommend him, hes a good guy

Fun, fair, straightforward, clear... I could go on for a while. He is one of the best teachers at UMD.

I had bates for my lab/discussion section and lector for second half of course. He is big on tough love, but really likes when people show interest or go an extra mile for class. He is very informative and knowledgable on his stuff. His slides are pretty sucky, so take notes on what he says! W/o lectures, the book will pass you.

He gives great lectures which are crucial. Without this you will not be able to pass. I read the books before and after class to understand it well. Tests can be somewhat hard.

Prof. Bates is easily one of my favorite professors at UMD. If you have a basic understanding of biology, his classes (especially Gen. Bio 2) don't take much extra work to do well in. Great guy, always throws in jokes and stories into lecture to keep them interesting. Would highly recommend taking his class. Also offers extra credit.

Very good lecture. He engages the students very well with humor and interesting facts and videos. His test are pretty hard although; they are 50 multiple choice. I 100% recommend taking him!

Dr. Bates definitely made class fun with his dad jokes. If you pay attention in lecture and study the diagrams, and understand the processes and concepts, you will do well in his class. This is not all memorization, the key is to know how things work and apply that to specific situations. Do the online homework, and extra practices to study.

You don't have to go to class if you read the textbook. i learned a lot, but there are better profs at this school for this class.

Great professor, really cares about the material he teaches and makes it both relevant and as interesting as possible. Class is fairly normal structure with 4 tests a semester and graded clicker questions and online HW. Book is online and mandatory for the online HW aspect. Labs are decent with a few graded, fairly straight-forward lab papers.

If you attend class and give solid effort into studying for exams its a fairly easy class to get an A. Curves and offers extra credit.

I had Prof. Bates for GB2, genetics, & cellular & molecular bio. He's my favorite professor at UMD! Going to class is easy points; sometimes he has in class work so I recommend going. His lectures compliment the books, & his study guides tell you exactly what you need to know. He's also understanding of personal issues. He's honestly the best!

Honestly a great professor. GB2 made me switch majors as i was not cut out for the science life, but Bates cared and was beyond helpful. At one point in the semester my clicker broke and when i went and talked to him about it he borrowed me his personal clicker to use for the rest of the year. His lectures where interesting but exams extremely hard

Print off the PowerPoint slides and fill them in to study off of, (I hated this and prefer to take notebook notes) but trust me I started doing better on exams after this, as everything is strait from lecture. Bates is a good professor and made lectures interesting.

Paul Bates was an exceptional professor. He was very fair in his grading, offered extra credit, always answered questions during lecture, posted fair deadlines, and told dad jokes in class that kept me engaged. I highly recommend him.

Bates lectures a lot, and the material is very difficult. Pay attention and take good notes in class. It also helps to read the textbook or at least skim it. The exams are tricky but directly reflect the lecture material. Lab is interesting and discussion is boring.

Bates is one of my favorite professors, he lays out exactly what you need to know and he explains everything using examples that help you remember them for the test. He is overall a really good professor and he makes the class enjoyable.

Really great professor and really great class. He offered extra credit first and second semester and his lectures were always interesting.

Thinks he is funny, but he is not. He was a decent prof. I never opened the textbook up. Review old homework and quizzes as he puts some of the questions on the exams. Just print out the packets for lecture. It makes it easier as he has a lot of figures. Lab exams sucked. Make sure you study. Lecture exams were not bad.

Great Professor, he makes lectures interesting which helps you remember the content of the lecture and is extremely knowledgeable about the subject. You need to go to class and pay attention, otherwise you will not do well. Study from his lectures and keep up with textbook readings, then you will have no problems on the tests.

If you don't like reading, don't worry! Paul gives great lectures and almost all of his test questions are exactly out of his lecture slides. He keeps lectures and fun, and you really should show up to all lectures for info and to get clicker points. Highly recommend if you get the chance.

Great professor and interesting lectures if you like biology. Print off the packets that he tells you to use for notes, and take good notes. Do the online homework, which doesn't take very long, and study for lab exams. He's well versed in the realm of biology in relation to current events and gives examples that relate to the world around you.

Paul is a great professor. He explains all of the material in a way that's easy to understand. He is also just a great guy who tells a lot of dad jokes. We had weekly homework and we did have to read the book, but I didn't mind. He uses clickers so I would show up to class. I would highly recommend Paul.

Paul was AWESOME!!! He cracks a lot of jokes during lecture and keeps the whole class engaged. He covers information very fast during lecture, but always makes sure no one has questions before moving on. He is willing to help outside of class and truly cares about his students. Definitely recommend taking his class!

I've had Bates for bio 2 and genetics. His classes are tough but he is an amazing professor, I can guarantee you will do better in his class if you stop by his office during office hours and get to know him. Also go to SI sessions, these will give you a huge advantage.

Paul makes it easy to pay attention in class and explains topics really well. Great dad jokes. Exams are still difficult. Go to class for clicker points because every point matters in this class. Print out notes are handy. You put in time and studying and youll do fine. Would recommend Paul to anyone taking Bio 2, best bio teacher around.

Really funny guy and professor. He cares about his students and genuinely wants everyone to understand the material and succeed. He does a lot of powerpoint presentations and goes through them really quickly, but has printouts of the slides for us. He tries to make things easy by giving examples in class and relating subjects to what we know.

Great lectures that you can actually understand. His tests are difficult and you can't just go by memorizing the information you must actually understand it and apply it to different circumstances. Actually cares about his students succeeding and understanding what he is teaching. Wish that he taught more Bio classes.

Paul is a nice guy, throws in jokes a lot. Class is challenging and he was never super helpful when I went to get help but overall a good professor who know's what he's talking about.

I appreciate his "dad jokes" and his style of teaching, but because it's a general class (gen bio 2) the tests cover a ridiculous amount of material. The lab exams are incredibly difficult. I have heard from others he is not very approachable. All in all, I would say take his section if you can.

Paul is a great professor and knows the material very well. His exams are very hard but can be manageable with a large amount of studying. Lectures were very informative and office hours were helpful. 10/10 would take this class again and hopefully Paul teaches more upper level bio classes.

My favorite prof at UMD, easily. I'm actually excited to go to class when he's teaching. Very friendly, cracks some good jokes, and great to talk to after class. He's obviously passionate about the subject (Food Science), and even baked some bread so he could show us the process himself. Wonderful. 10/10.

I loved GB2 with professor Bates! The lectures were recorded and usually had a few questions for participation points. Every point counts! The exams are difficult and really require you to apply your knowledge, but most of the questions come straight from the lecture so if you take good notes you should be fine.

Bates was a better professor than most. He definitely gives you enough practice questions to the point where you should know the material fairly well. The exam is timed so that you can't cheat by looking up the questions. And about 1/4 of the exam questions are either homework questions or the lecture questions. So just attend and you'll do fine.

Great professor and very fun class!

Bates is a very good teacher that has a good sense of humor. He is passionate with what he does and is always in a good mood. The weekly quizzes and lecture quizzes are where a lot of the points come from besides tests. There were four tests and all only about 50 questions with 55 minutes to complete them. Overall I would totally recommend him!

He’s a very nice and funny professor but tries to cram way too much information into your head at once. This class has single-handedly destroyed my mental health.

paul was a great prof to have for GB2! his lectures are pretty in-depth but helpful because then you don't have to do as much reading. tests aren't too bad but subject matter gets tougher later on in the semester. he makes lectures more engaging and has pretty clear expectations and lets you know what you'll be tested on.

He's a great person and knows a lot about the material. His lectures are incredibly dense and some material on the tests was only mentioned once briefly. You can get away with not reading the book as long as you are a good studier but a lot of the homework is based on the next reading.

Professor Bates was a wonderful professor, he cares a lot about the material and is helpful when you ask him for help. He basically only tests on lecture material, so most of the time the textbook is unneeded. My only major problem with the class is the fact that there are lab exams, two in total, that do not really have any material to study with

Took the course as an elective and it was really fun. He gave some great lectures, sometimes he can go fast, but he's willing to slow down if you need it. Exams were somewhat tough, but he's a very fun teacher altogether

Great professor! He is very knowledgeable and delivers very good lectures. I had him in Spring of 2022 (I say this because I think things will change) and noticed that he had a hard time as a teacher. He seemed irritated/on edge at times when students needed help, which made the class more difficult for the less intrinsically motivated students.

Paul is a very good professor and has a very structured class. Being in class is needed for clicker questions but he posts lectures if you miss. A good amount of work is required but overall a good class.

Paul is a professor who genuinely strives for his students' success. His lectures move quickly, but he provides his lecture slides beforehand, which makes taking notes far easier. Exams were 50 MCQ and he provides many opportunities to deepen your understanding.

Very kind, will respond to emails very efficiently and genuinely cares about you learning the content because it is a very difficult course for a 1000-level. The only complaint I have is how fast he talks in lectures, but you can either print out the handouts from Canvas or get a device you can write on, like an iPad. Other than that, study hard!

Good lectures, knowledgeable, difficult tests. Good variety in course grade with a few extra credit opportunities.

I really enjoyed Paul's class. He has the class structured well, where incomplete notes are posted (and you fill in the rest) before lecture, lecture recordings posted after, and clicker questions throughout. He teaches all the subjects in the course well. Homework and other assignments are very reasonable. Tests aren't too difficult if you study.

Paul is a great professor who clearly knows his stuff. His lectures are entertaining and he makes you want to show up. The class itself covers A LOT of topics so make sure to go over notes every day or you'll end up not doing the best on exams such as myself, but don't stress too much because there's a lot of other factors that go into your grade.

Paul Bates is one of the best biology professors at UMD. I made the mistake of not showing up to class on and off for a few months, but when I did start showing up and actually paying attention my grade did improve. Although I got a C, I can tell you that reading the textbook genuinely helped, which is why I got a C and not an F.

Paul Bates is a great professor that clearly enjoys what he is teaching. The lectures can get pretty dense, but he always finds a way to sneak humor into them. He occasionally offers extra credit, so if you're able to do it, do it. Clicker questions every class so make sure that you try to attend as regularly as possible.

Paul is a really great professor who knows a lot about what he is teaching! Overall a difficult course, but if you go to lectures and review the notes you should be able to get by. Going to lectures isn't mandatory but if you want points for clicker questions you should go. He is also really great at answering any questions at hand.

Posted lecture slides that you could annotate on Canvas, very helpful. Had to attend in-person review sessions to get practice tests, though. Okay at being responsive but kind of felt like talking to my boss or something. Wish he would switch from clickers (attendance not mandatory but clicker questions every lecture, small portion of grade).

Great professor and class. Lecture-heavy, with in-class participation points, pre-class assignments, weekly homework, and other discussion/lab assignments. Lab and lecture exams were manageable if you genuinely paid attention in class and reviewed well. There is a study guide and excellent test extra credit opportunities. Engage yourself and enjoy!

Tests are hard to study for and will have at least one question about something he mentioned once. Overall, a fun professor, I've taken three of his classes to far and I keep coming back, definitely one of my favorite classes to go to; participation points are pretty huge thought, and there's almost always extra credit somewhere.

Lots of reading before each class, but he covers the same stuff in lecture. Exams are tough, you have to study a lot beforehand. I got 80s-95s on them, but I had friends who really tried get from 60-80. In-class participation is annoying. Kolasch is the best ta, FOR SURE get him if you can, hes SO chill and lenient with deadlines and being late.

I LOVE PAUL!! attendance is mandatory for discussion and lab but missing lectures is not much of a problem as he records them and posts them on canvas for you! he is funny and likes to play funny videos relating to the content or songs to help you remember! he is very kind and understanding about any absences or if you need help with assignments :)

Mr. Bates was a great teacher! He is passionate about biology and does a good job teaching. His lecture slides are easy to follow and are posted online after class. There were four exams throughout the semester and the averages for each were varying C's. Homework is pretty easy with a couple of tries per question. I recommend Bates for sure!

Paul really cares about his students! He's very personable and helpful. The class can be difficult but his lectures and the textbook prepare you well in my opinion. He's very good at answering questions. Every class there are clicker questions and a group worksheet. Do the practice problems from the readings for this class!!

Paul is a great professor, and kind to his students. However, the amount of work is kind of overwhelming! Readings and quizzes are before each class, in-class questions, ~50 question homework due once a week, lecture exams, and lab has multiple quizzes and exams on top of everything. SO much time spent on this class.

Paul is a great lecturer. You learn a lot from his class, and he makes it entertaining. That being said, his exams are very difficult and lengthy compared to the rest of the class, but each one was only worth 12.5% of the total grade. Study the homework questions and you'll be good to go.

He is a gem I have no complaints. He is clear in his expectations and has amazing, engaging, and funny lectures that really keep me interested. He is one of those professors that makes me excited for class and excited about my major. Overall, I am disappointed that this class is ending and I do not have him next semester.

Tough exams and you need to study but he is always willing to help and makes time. Wants students to succeed and gives lots of homework. Show up to class and pay attention you will be fine. Do not fall behind cuz then its hard to catch up.

Paul is by far one of the best professors I have had yet. He has a hilarious dry humor. On the other hand he is also very serious and takes a lot of interest in his subject. He conveys the information very well and expands upon his notes rather than just reading them. Definitely take him for Gen Bio II!

He's great, makes jokes, but never miss an exam because the make up exams are 10x harder and not multiple choice. Also attendance is clicker questions and graded for accuracy. Other than that he's very friendly!