2.6
Quality3.3
Difficulty44%
Would Retake247
Reviews44%
Would Retake
247
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
29
4
46
3
57
2
51
1
64
What Students Say
“I cannot stand this guy whatsoever”
BIO152 - 1.0 rating“Prof is rude and DOESN'T want to answer ANY questions”
BIO152 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
88%
Textbook Required
65%
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Predicted Grade
B+
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BIO550
4.4
(10)BIODIVERSITY
4.0
(1)BIOL312
4.0
(1)BIO101152
4.0
(1)CHEM112
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
BIOLOGY
5.0
BIOL152OR101
5.0
BIO100
5.0
BIOLOGY152
5.0
BIOLOGY153
5.0
Reviews (247)
worst professor i ever had. very easy. But lied to our class told us the final was cummulative and changed his mind at the last second. Avoid him at all costs.
He could sometimes be confusing, but he was able to clear up points of confusion in the end. I thought he was very interesting, knowledgable, and well prepared for class. Hasn't had much experience teaching larger classes, but I liked him regardless.
nice guy, although you can sleep right through his lectures and he's a bit unclear. He's never taught Bio 101, so he makes a lot of mistakes, and he REALLY throws out a lot of the questions if they don't make sense. He likes story-format in his tests...
It's easy to see he's very interested in the material he teaches and wants to get the class interested as well. I think he is very clear in the lectures, just needs to get over his nerves. Class is easy when you take an interest and pay attention.
very interesting, tests are EXACTLY as he tells you, no surprises, very fair. best teacher ive had in the bio department
Nice guy. but really slacked off all semester and tried to cram 4 chapters in a week before the final. Isn't very helpful outside of class. doesn't answer emails or even have office hours..take the class with someone else
He Sux
He showed an sincere effort to help his students. The most enjoyable class I have had. Will be a really great professor after building a few years of experience of teaching.
NOT trained as a teacher - sounds bored as he lectures, not animated. Materials is average - tests are rather vague - make sure you ask a lot of questions so you know what's expected of you.
HORRIBLE. He does not know how to teach, he even said once, "sorry my tests are so bad, they say it takes four years to learn to make a good test, so i still have a few years to go" Cannot make good tests, does not give good lecture notes, goes WAY to fast, uninteresting, does not teach well at all!
No Comments
Pete is a good guy, pretty easy in intro bio terms. His tests however are incredibly badly worded, which can cause confusion. He is fair, and will recall a question if really bad. Overall, good prof.
This was the most pointless class ever...Houlihan somehow made biology more boring then it is already..it was hard for me to stay awake in this class. Tests sucked, he sucked..worst bio class ever.
It was his first time teaching the class so that probably has a lot to do with why he wasn't that great, but he's really easygoing and laidback.
He was a nice guy and helped out when you needed it. Very laidback and interesting...sometimes.
A great teacher but his tests are aweful .
Wow, this class is so boring. Pretty easy though. Houlihan is very boring in his lectures, i always want to fall a sleep, and maybe i have, he puts up the slides on the website (so i've heard, not at yet). Well if your looking for an easy bio class and can afford spending 50 minutes or so of a boring lecture take this class.
Not a hard class to get a good grade. It is, however, a hard class to make yourself go to/stay awake. Looking for an easy bio class, take bio 108. Looking for a challenging bio class, dont take bio 108. Simple as that.
Okay it's boring class, but it's pretty easy to get a good grade in. One thing I don't like is that he gives tests and they have like a billion typos, it's hard to tell what he's asking and a pain to bring it up and ask. If it's one typo then fine, but the tests are littered with them.
I could not stay awake ever in class. If your an average student who only misses a few classes. You will probably get a C+ to B- cause the test are pretty hard
No Comments
this class is really easy if you attend most of the lectures. tests are pretty easy and there is little to no homework, besides some easy reading.
he lectures right out of the book for the most part. His exams can be tricky because of the wording. He is boring and it's hard to stay awake during class. There are definitely worse bio profs. He does try to help you as much as he can, but sometime he seems to unaproachale
omg terrible
OKay guy, but very confusing. His tests are worded weirdly which definitely hurt my grade. To get a good grade study from the book, his lectures aren't very helpful.
if u can stay awake in his class u will get an A
Avoid this teacher if you can, the material was really boring, but the worst was his exams. He had so many errors in grammer and wording, and a typo on the FINAL changed the whole meaning of a question. I went into the class thinking it would be easy, and it wound up being my worst grade of the semester
you have to give this guy a chance. he's actually quite funny. doesnt try too hard to help you though, youre mostly on your own if you have a problem. but really his lectures were dec.
No Comments
if u attend the lectures and pay attention to wat he says is important u ll do just fine - u just have to reading very few things
If you're going into 108 thinking "easy A," make sure you go to the lectures. The whole class is lectures, with three exams for the sem, and they're pretty difficult. I've gone to maybe 10 lectures all year, and I'm getting a C. But if you actually go it's probably pretty easy. He puts the slides online, but DO NOTTT rely on them to help you pass.
Never take one of his class's. its a waste of time to come to class b/c the lectures are so boring. The exams are diffucult too b/c he picked on the smallest details he could find. Even though there was almost no readings, the course sucked.
HE USES THE OLD EXAMS from the previous years so get ahold of them if you can. He is not the most helpful guy. He assigns thing last minute. He is notorius for not showing up to arranged appointments.
He Stinks!!!! He is awful!!!!! DONT TAKE HIS CLASS IT SUCKS!!!
makes even the interesting subjects sound extremely boring! Hard exams because of the wording. Make sure to find the last year's exams!
Professor doesn't know the subject matter well. Powerpoints contain inaccurate information and spelling mistakes. Tests are rather difficult because they are poorly worded and not proofread. Lectures are not interesting although the topics could very well be.
Extremely boring lectures. The only reason to go is for PRS, which doesn't work half the time because he doesn't know how to use it. Terrible wording on exams. Duck quizzes are a joke. Does not fully understand the material he is teaching, and frequently makes mistakes on fundamental concepts.
Material isn't too hard...teacher sucks. he has no organization and scatters through material. no outlines for tests and never complete everything on syl. so very unclear what to study. not good teacher
He is really nice and lay-back. You have to attend every class because exams are mostly based on the notes and class activities. Office hours are not really necessary, but u have to read the book.He also gives you old exams to study from which sometimes has questions that he will recycle. Despite all of that he can be really boring at times.
disorganized and boring, tests are all multiple choice and he recycles questions from practice exams. uses prs, but not very well. the material is 90% stuff any decent student should know out of high school. doesnt know how to do common sense stuff, like email actual exam dates, so go to class once in awhile.
Real nice guy, if a little awkward/disorganized. He has good intentions and is always trying to improve his class. You MUST go to every class, tests are based on the notes, particularly examples he goes over. The textbook isn't great, but you still need it to study from. He can be dull sometimes, but I've had much worse profs.
Not bad. tests are very similar to sample exams he gives out. In-class handouts and studying sample exam will get you an A. Class consists of 3 exams.
He's pretty helpful during class, but can be quite disorganized with this presentations. When asking outside topics/questions about class, he seems to be clueless as to what to answer. But in general, very nice guy. We use another book by Carroll along with the big Bio text. We have Friday quizzes too.
Disorganized, vague, boring, wordy. pretty much unsure of everything he says. if you need organization and a professor who actually knows what they are talking about...DON'T TAKE HIS CLASS. I have taken multiple biology classes and this is the WORST ever.
GREATEST BIOLOGY TEACHER AT UMASS. Extremely clear and his tests were very straight forward. If you are looking for a class where you only have to do work 4 times for 4 tests the whole semester then this is the class FOR YOU :)
Exams are terribly worded - even if you know all the information, expect a mediocre grade. He clearly would rather be teaching an ornithology class than Bio 101. Take this with someone else if you can.
Peter has a hard time keeping control of a large class. He also, though perhaps not knowing, treats us like little kids. The tests were worded pretty badly, which is sad. The tests also seemed a little too unrelated to material covered in class. I also found him a stickler when it came to policy, ESPECIALLY e-mail. What a pain! Average class.
Houlihan knows a lot but gets restricted to an intro bio class that's way too large to be teaching... he did the best he could. I got an A, and his exams WERE poorly worded, even misleading. I recommend buying the textbook study guide, as he used some q's from it on exams. He gives out plenty of freebies and I owe my grade to his extra credit.
This class was weird. He treated us like little kids and his tests were confusing. He doesn't care about his students either.
Professor Houlihan gives interesting lectures, thorough exam reviews, and is supportive and understanding to students' individual academic concerns
He lectures clearly. If you take notes, you'll ace it. He gives exam review questions and extra credit exam questions. It is a fair class. You can miss a class or two without falling behind. You don't have to be a bio genious to understand him.
Attend lectures and take notes and you WILL get an A in this class. Lectures are interesting and exams are a breeze.
Lectures are usually very interesting, and cover a lot of current environmental issues. Examples in lectures are often relevant to the Western Mass / New England region. Exams not too difficult, but sometimes poorly worded... usually scaled a great deal, though. Plenty of extra credit opportunities.
Houlihan is sooo adorable. If you go to class than you will get an A. There is no homework just three exams. And he gives A LOT of extra credit. The class is about animals. You just need to study notes and powerpoints and its an easy A. I recommened this class for anyone trying to get an easy A for gen ed
real relaxed teacher, very understanding of conflicts, easy grader. sometimes can be very disorganized so make sure to pay attention to what he wants you to do. Makes class useful because you do things that YOU want to do.
Houlihan is one of the worst professors I've had at UMASS. His tests are worded badly. He does not know the material very well and has alot of trouble explaining it. He reads directly off the slides in lecture and gives NO extra (needed) information. He treats the class as if we are children and it's extremely annoying. Don't take this class.
Ugh. He makes the worst tests but he's lazy and does them makes the test late. His wording is confusing and difficult to understand. I self-taught from the book. He's boring. Thing is BOTH bio 101 profs suck. Your outta luck with whomever.
He's a good guy but he has no idea what's going on. The material is easy but between his slides (which he re uses for every class he teaches)and his horribly confusing tests you'll be very lucky to get an A. I've never seen such terribly written exams in my life.
I dunno why everyone left bad comments on him. I didn't find him boring. Once in a while he throws in funny pics with his slides. You also watch documentaries. He makes note-taking easy by putting most of his slides online. The exams are not bad. Plus, he curves them a lot and gives extracredit. Just go to class and pay attention and you'll do fine
Houlihan is not a very effective professor, and he is incredibly boring. His exams are so terribly worded that despite hours of studying, you still do poorly on them. It reached the point where I stopped going to his lectures because he gave the same lecture each class and taught virtually nothing. Unfortunately, he sucks as much as the other profs
LOVED this class. Pretty funny when it came to lectures, though he will pull the high school teacher card on you if you're disruptive. Narrows the exams waaay down if you go to review. Material is pretty easy - study slides and read the book, you'll do fine.
He is really laid-back and understanding. His exams are mostly based on his lectures even though the book is really useful. Clear about what he wants you to understand and review sessions narrows down the material that will be on the exam. Really approachable cool type of dude.
good course matter. decent guy. terrible professor and representation of umass profs. does NOT return emails EVER unless it's the very beginning of the semester-even ppl in the department say he's a nitemare to get a hold of. ughh. one of my exams was lost-took forever to find and he took FOREVER to respond to me, this was a serious issue for me
Go to class, take good notes. Absolutely do the extra cred at Amherst's museum, it's easy and interesting. He kind of sucks at email, but he was pretty understanding although the course isn't flexible. Go to the review sessions! They're the reason I got an A despite his tests being a bit poorly worded. Very little homework, pretty good gen ed.
This class had impossibly long group projects (20+ hours a piece) where we were offered no direction and your grade depends on other people's willingness to contribute. The lectures were a combination of his 550 notes and his 100 notes. If you've taken Animal Behavior, this class is very repetitious.
boring. If you don't love the topic already, you will be falling asleep. 3 exams on which he picks at the finest details in the class. The multiple choice answers are all the same, except for a word or two. Has a hard time grading exams in an appropriate amount of time. Avoid buying the book.
His lectures a pretty interesting. His tests aren't easy but they're are based off of his lectures so if you go to class you will be fine. He is straight forward and fairly easy to understand.
Easy class. Some answers seem too obvious but are correct. Prefer houlihan over the other teacher. if u read the book and go to the lecture the class will be easy for you.
His exams are worded kinda hard but read the book and come to the lectures...and DO THE EXTRA CREDITS (very importnat)...and u can get an A
Houlihan is worst teacher that I never met before. His wording for exam, final and PRS questions are impossible to understand. I got A on my English, but I can't even understand him. He made a huge mistake on my grade and gave me a C+ on Spire, but I got A on Spark. He did not rely e-mail that much and very not responsible and not patient. DO NOT T
Houlihan was a decent teacher. He's a nice guy who cares about his students learning. His powerpoints were a little dry at times but his class was fun. Going to SI regularly really helped me pick up on stuff I missed in class. Reading for this class was useless, spend your time on his slides and going to SI.
This class was easy. Houlihan is a decent guy who is a bit out there. His lectures do get a bit dry at times, but his tests aren't too difficult. If you actually go to class and do at least some of the readings there's no reason you shouldn't get a decent grade.
First and foremost: don't buy the book for Bio 108. You won't use it. Houlihan is generally a good guy who is pretty passionate about what he teaches. Show up to lecture and take notes, and you'll do fine on exams. They're all multiple choice, anyway.
Class is all project based. You will need to spend a lot of time outside of class working on them however he grades really easily. If you do the projects and take to exams you should get an A, however you will be spending a lot of time on them. Don't buy the book.
He is kind of weird, but really into what he s teaching. He tries to make it interesting and sometimes it is. His tests are worded very misleadingly. you can get an A if you put a little bit of effort in.
He is a horrible professor. Sooo boring and very smug. Needs to understand his class is just a gen ed.
PHouls is the man. He may be a little disorganized but he knows the material. Go to class, take notes, skim the book and you will get an A. As a gened professor you can't do any better. He's a good and reasonable guy, he puts on exams what he has covered in class, all multiple choice. No curve balls. Interesting and simple material. Overall A
Great professor, definitely the better choice for Bio 101. He loves what he teaches, though is a bit disorganized. Has a really big interest in your success. Textbook isn't really required but if he assigns another text be sure to get it. I also took Animal Communication with him, best 500 level Bio course on campus. Go to class, you'll get an A!
Definitely the better Bio101 teacher. He posts almost all of his notes online but go to class for PRS. Occasional Friday quizzes but nothing surprising. He is pretty clear and his tests are straightforward from the material covered in class. Also let's you contest some test answers for more points which is also helpful. Would recommend him.
Houlihan's tests are easy. He posts lectures online, allows for students to fight questions on exams for points back and has many grades so it's hard to do badly. He also gives a few extra credit opportunities. There are quizzes almost every Friday which are super easy, PRS almost everyday for attendance and a few exams through the semester.
Taking his Biodiversity class now, the first exam was a breeze. Second one was a little more difficult, but he's going to scale it. I have no opened the textbook once since I bought it. No quizzes. There are online lectures to fulfill the fourth credit from the course. Few written assignments. He's very passionate about what he teaches. Recommended
Biodiversity with him is really easy, and he's such a nice guy. Really knows his stuff. Lectures aren't too dull if you're interested in the topic. The quizzes are easy as long as you at least read the lectures, and they're all multiple choice. You can definitely get away with skipping a few classes too.
He's a boring professor, but the class is easy. Tests are fair if you go to most classes. You don't need to buy the book.
Tests are pretty easy if you pay attention most of the time in class. I didn't use the book and still got an A, but some people might want that extra support, especially if they don't want to go to class. Only a few of the online lectures (as opposed to weekly discussion). Really didn't like that he assigned something during finals week though.
Few in-class and take-home assignments, online lectures (online lectures are given after Thanksgiving break) which are easy. The exams comes straight from lectures. No need to buy the book. Attend the review sessions. He's glad to answer questions and help.
Houlihan gets frustrated when anyone talks in class, but he's a good teacher who gives out fair tests that tend to be on the more challenging side. You'll definitely need to study for tests, but not excessively. If you're interested in life sciences this class is extremely rewarding. This is coming from a bio major.
Really a disappointing lecture overall, boring as hell, irritable, and Houlihan doesn't pronounce any of his "H"s. Not too hard but just so much more boring than it should be. Your alternative is taking this class with Zane which is no better unfortunately. I'd just suffer through it though.
Okay so houlihan is very boring, he never gives points back on exams, his grading is unclear and overall he made bio101 miserable...it is very easy but he is an awful teacher...stay away if you want tolearn anything..i still got an A but hated him
I thought I was going to like his class, but it was awful. His grading made no sense and his tests were intended to trick you. His lecture was extremely boring. He is very slow to get back grades for most things. He wastes time complaining about TAs and SPARK. Never willing to put the blame on himself and give us a break with points. Disappointing.
Houlihan is a good teacher. Clearly has an interest in what he is teaching. The exams are tricky as hell, but not impossible. If you study hard and print out the lecture slides you'll be fine. Don't expect much help from him though, he's kind of an ass. But a smart man who knows what he's talking about, definitely better than Zane's course
peter has some tricky exams, but he is definitely the better of the bio 101 teachers. You must go to class because the slides he puts online are not sufficient enough to do well on the tests. most of what is on the tests is what he lectures and rambles on in class. He gives multiple extra credit opportunities and the material is really interesting!
Simple material, but he cannot write exams. The organization of them is terrible and many of the questions end up being omitted afterword because they have no correct answer. He also openly admits to trying to trick students on exams. The questions are paragraphs and are still ambiguous. He requires essays for rebuttals on exam questions.
His exams are tricky b/c they are badly worded. Although I was more interested in bio II than bio I, he made the material seem so dull. He speaks in a monotone and his lectures are not well organized. He is the better bio101 prof, but not by much. If you pay attention and take good notes on what he says during lecture, the class won't be too hard
His tests will make you crazy.
He is a good teacher, but he does not know how to right a simple exam. You will go crazy while taking his exams. His slides are never consistent, and extremely disorganized. If you do not go to class, expect to be COMPLETELY LOST!!!
Material is much more interesting than 100, but he makes it so dull and difficult to understand. His exams are tricky and difficult and offers little help to student. He is so unorganized it drives me nuts. Avoid taking 101 with Houlihan.
Exams too wordy and you end up not understanding the question. Easy concepts but teaches them in confusing way. Not recommended for BIO101.
Houlihan gets a bad rap on here, but I think he is a really effective teacher. The way he teaches makes concepts easy to remember and grasp. It's true that his exams are tricky, but if you go to class and take notes than you'll be fine. The class itself is also very interesting.
Definitely one of the worst professors I've ever had. He doesn't care about his students and he doesn't respond to emails. The questions on his exams are very confusing even though the subject matter is not that hard. Do whatever you can to avoid taking this or really any class with him.
Just awful. Even worse at 8am. Intends to trick you on exams, and just is so unengaged with the class. Avoid.
Honestly the worst professor I've ever had. He doesn't answer questions, his tests are unclear and poorly worded, and his point system is completely absurd. If you can avoid taking his class, do so at all costs. I loved biology before him and now I want to never see the subject again.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. You will end up hating biology. He doesn't answer emails, doesn't go to office hours, and refuses to help his students. He is sarcastic, intentionally tricky, and overall one of my least favorite professors.
AVOID THIS CLASS LIKE THE PLAGUE! Hands down the worst university class I have ever taken. Houlihan is unkind, unhelpful, and doesn't care about his students. I went to every single class, went to tutoring sessions, studied for the exams a week in advance, and still did poorly.
Terrible class. Ruined my entire semester and made me hate my life. Don't take it.
STAY AWAY! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! Worst professor to have ever existed.
I SIT IN THE FRONT ROW, ATTEND EVERY CLASS, ANSWER A QUESTION IN EVERY CLASS, AND EMAIL HIM ONCE A WEEK AND HE NEVER EMAILS ME BACK AND HE DOESN'T KNOW MY NAME. THIS CLASS IS AN ABOMINATION
It's managable to get a B in the class. It's possible to get an A it's just hard to do. The material in the class is relatively easy but his exams have conceptually difficult questions
The worst professor I've had since I've been at UMASS. He is not only rude, and useless, but super lazy. We didn't get our first quiz grades from the 2nd week of classes until after spring break. You will hate this class there is nothing else that will happen.
This is the worst class I have ever taken. I got all A's throughout high school and college up until I took this class. No amount of studying or preparation will prepare you for his exams. I studied for weeks in advance and managed to get 70s on two of his exams and that's it. He intentionally tricks students on exams.
I got an A in calc 132, A in chem 112, A in english 112, A in bio 153, and barely managed a B- in this class. Never answers emails and could care less if you succeed in the class. The course material is easy but exams are abominable. Do not take this course unless you're looking to hinder gpa.
The worst experience I've had so far at UMass Amherst. I have an A in all of my other classes and I'm currently struggling to pull a B- in Houlihan's. He is incredibly rude to his students and makes it seem like he doesn't care about any of us. I have sent countless emails to him, only to receive a one-sentence response.
Terrible teacher, try to take the class with someone else. He intentionally tricks students on exams. I try daily not to sleep through his lectures.Does not pronounce his "H"'s.
He is absolutely horrible. The questions on his tests have "two right answers." You are expected to pick the "more right one." I have gotten an A in every class I have taken at UMass and I can honestly say that I will get below a B in this class. He creates the worst tests that do not test your ability to retain information taught in the class.
There was no reason for this class to be as hard as it was. It's an general level bio class. I can't even get a B- in this class but I got an A in orgo, and A in bio100, A's in both calculus classes, and never below a B in all my other science courses. Avoid this teacher at all costs. He's rude and terrible.
I regret taking the class with this professor.... he doesn't want his students to succeed... ! My gpa will most likely suffer. Half of the questions on the exam make NO SENSE... ! The q's will always have more than one right answer but he will never tell you in class which is "more correct" This class made me hate biology... Worst professor!
In retrospect, I learned quite a bit from this class. He moves VERY fast through material and covers way more than other sections. However, he really does NOT CARE about his students or their success. He doesn't respond to email, provide grades until the last week of classes, or really show any initiative to assist students.
The only class Iv'e yet to take at umass where getting a good grade does not correlate to amount of time spent studying. In all fairness he is a good lecturer, he ruins it by making 50% of his exam questions trick questions, or questions where the right answer makes no sense based on the context in which the material was taught!!
he is definitely one of the toughest teachers i've ever had. the material isn't hard at all but instead it's the way he writes the test. VERY tricky and you have to think extensively for the multiple choice questions. there were typos in every exam that i had. unless you like trick questions and want to think deeply about every one, don't take him!
He's a great lecturer but his tests are an abomination ... Really a shame ! Says he's there for his students but he really just wants to lower the exam average , because "too many students have gotten a's /b's in the past " His exams are tricky in terms of the key not matching up with the answer you would think is right based on the lecture! Avoid!
Took this class last semester as part of my major requirements and found it too be a challenging class. He is pretty strict about the how the course is run (grading, etc). After attending the SI sessions however I saw dramatic improvement in my grade so would highly suggest those as she covers both the material and hints to get good grades!
He purposely tries to trick you up on tests. He holds review sessions before tests, but they are useless. He also doesn't provide any study guides or practice exams. He really doesn't care about the students and doesn't express any interest in biology. The only reason I did well in the class is because I spent a lot of hours studying for the tests
He's actually a decent lecturer but his exams are atrocious and beyond the scope of his material. The typos and lack of clarity, mistake duplicate questions etc. are numerous. You don't walk out of an exam feeling like you took a tough test, it just feels unfair as well as hastily written and not really an indicator of what you know. I'd avoid him
I really like Houlihan and this class. He makes it interesting, but as others have said, his tests are rough. Typos galore, and the layout makes them tough to read and follow. Two right answers where one is "more right" than the other. Go to the SI sessions, they help you get accustomed to his question style.
Easy Class. Large Extra Credit Opportunities. People Just Do Not Try In His Class, Give Up Easily. Work Hard And It Will Be Okay
Don't take Bio with him, his tests are awful. I went to class and SI and knew the material but the tests don't test you on material, it's more how you do with poorly written questions. He does this for a living and he can't even come up with a fair way of evaluating his students. I have a 3.8 gpa overall and I hated his class.
One of the worst Professors I have ever had. He shows complete and absolute disregard for his students' learning and success. He expects that we are able to take on an amount of work that is unrivaled by any class. Professor Houlihan is an awful teacher.
He is a excellent lecturer but his exams are tough... not in the sense that the material is difficult.. but the wording is INTENDED to trick you. It sucks when you study a lot.. understand the material well, yet do not understand what most of the questions are asking of you. He presents the material one way in class and another in the exam x.x
I disagree with the comment of people giving up easily, you can work your butt off but still fail
Easily the worst professor and probably one of the worst people I have encountered. It does not matter how hard you work, you will struggle to get a B-. This is because his lectures are disorganized, his tests are riddled with mistakes, typos or simply nonsensical. AVOID HIM.
A horrible professor. He truly does not care about his students. He also does not show a true understanding of the material he teaches. He makes so many mistakes on his assignments, exams and in lecture which is just pitiful.
He may be an intelligent person, but he does not come across that way. He doesn't make sense on exams. It does not matter how well you understand the material, you will not be able to understand his tests. He also is the laziest most unhelpful professor I have had.
If you want a fair grade don't take this class. By far the worst professor I've had. Doesn't care about his students and never answered emails. SUCKS.
He doesn't care what grade you get. He writes awful tests, I'm an almost 4.0 student and this guy sucks. I'm very interested in the material in spite of him but do take this class. Not w/ Houlihan. It's fascinating material but he doesn't care about teaching, just wants to feel smart about biology/evolution/ecology. Avoid him if you can.
Avoid him. He wants to feel like he know things and writes AWFUL tests. He doesn't care how his students do, you never know what to expect on a test. I'm like a 3.8 student overall and I hated his class. I'm very interested in the material and have never been more disappointed in spending my tuition money. I hope he reads his reviews on here
He messes up all the time, writes hard tests to compensate for the fact he is unintelligent. Extremely sloppy, doesn't care about his students and writes the worst tests ever. Makes Biology a nightmare. Honestly, one of the worst classes at umass.
The coarse material is great but he does not test you on it. he tests you on what he didn't teach in class! he's tries to trick you on the test. I have a 3.8 GPA(not after this class) I'm a junior, attending EVERY CLASS and doing poorly. for tests, does not matter what you learn only if you are good at answering trick questions
I thought Laura Francis was the worst biology teacher ever...Well let me tell you I was wrong! This guy wants his students to fail. His exams are near impossible and he does not care, in fact I think he gets a kick out of it! I had a 3.2 gpa and i literally am going to get an F in this class.
I am a 3.8 gpa student (taking mostly science courses) and this class was atrocious. He really does not test on the material he teaches, nor the material in the book. He genuinely does not care about his students. I have taken four biology courses and this is hands down the worst biology/worst class ever. He is horrible.
This man is unreal. He blows the material way out of proportion on the exams. Does not care about answering emails or attempting to help his students in any way. Is clear in lecture, but makes sure to be nice and cryptic on the exams. You know, the things that determine your grade?
Where do I begin. Let this be a warning. RUN .... RUN as far away as you can... for the sake of your GPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dont be fooled by his clarity in lecture... his exams are heinous
Prof is rude and DOESN'T want to answer ANY questions. Arrived 30min late to his own exam because he forgot it. Content is easy, but he CAN NOT write an exam. The exams are hard because his questions are extremely vague about what they're asking. Sometimes they are paragraphs of description with no actual question. Exam typos impede understanding.
Horrible exams that are meant to trick you! Rude in lecture, and does not teach the material that is actually on the exams.
Exams are ridiculous, expect to be blow away by how confusing and riddled with errors they are.
One of the worst lecturers at Umass. Lectures are an exercise in patience and tests look like a third-graders' first draft but are fairly easy. Don't expect your questions answered either.
Houlihan is not nearly as bad as everyone is making him out to be. I've been to office hours once or twice, never utilized the SI sessions, and I go to class and take notes using the slides he makes available online. It is an easy course, so long as you pay attention in the lecture which is not that difficult to do. Overall a good class.
The material is really interesting and Houlihan is a really cool guy. You have to pay attention and go to every lecture because the exams are basically entirely based on the material covered in lecture. Overall this class was really interesting and you actually learn a lot if you pay attention.
One of the worst professors I've had. His exams are not very indicative of material talked about in class, and are meant to trick you. They are never straightforward. He bases quite a few questions on material we cover outside of class, which I never seem to be able to learn. (He did provide study guides.) Disorganized, stubborn, and rude lecturer.
Professor Houlihan is a decent lecturer and the material was interesting but his test were RIDICULOUS!!! He purposely trips you up on the way he words things. The tests read like they were written by a foreigner. Also he asks test questions that cover extremely tiny details.
Peter's lectures are just okay. he's not super clear but he gets his points across. His exams however are pretty tricky; his exams are all multiple choice, but his answers can be extremely ambiguous. Also, just memorization isn't enough: if you can't apply his concepts, you will fail his tests. Also, the textbook isn't vital, but the novel is.
People complain about him because they don't want to put in any effort. If you go to his office hours, he is very helpful. His lectures are interesting and easy to follow- so try to pay attention and you'll be okay.
His exams are easy but there are trick questions making it an easy B but a tough A. It can be a challenge to get ahold of him I emailed him twice and he never responded.
I re-took Bio152 with Houlihan and he was much better than my first professor, but not great. Tests are hard because he covers a lot in classreadings and it's impossible to know what will be on the tests and what will not. He also tests on examples he lectures about that are not in the book. Getting his old tests from a friend will help a lot.
Great professor, but he can assign so many assignments. Three exams and a final. As long as you go to the review right before the exam they basically give you the same questions that are on the exam, just different numbers. A lot of extra credit at the end of the semester in assignments.
Professor Houlihan's class wasn't that hard. If you go to class and take notes you'll be fine. He can be rude sometimes and he likes to lecture until the very last minute of class so if you're planning on leaving early sit in the back.
Houlihan has a really bad reputation with people, but so far this semester I haven't had any issues! I'm the notetaker for the class and he's been very understanding when I need to post notes late. He also posts all of his lectures to echo360 so you don't have to go to class, and study guides before every test.
HE is impossible to contact through email. The class its self however is pretty easy and the exams always have a few trick questions.
I'd definitely recommend taking him if you have to take biology 152. Houlihan was intimidating at first, but now I can confidently say that overall he was a great proff. Pop quizzes are okay (it's clear whats on them), gave out 2 extra cred assignments, mandatory attendance for sure though, if you want a good grade. Lectures posted online.
I actually prefer Pete over Caleb Rounds because Houlihan's exams weren't true false and made to trip you up with answers like "not enough answers". There are soooooooo many exam errors so try not to get tripped up
He has a bad rep, and I think its because the class is mostly freshmen. You have to put in the extra time to study. He gives you all the info you need to pass. Power points are posted online, lectures recorded, study guides, extra credit, curves testquiz grades... Put in the effort and you'll be fine!!
He's an awesome professor who wants you to do well, and gives every opportunity to succeed. You need to show up to class and study a lot, but he gives you all the materials and I loved his teaching style so had no problem with attending class! He's a hard teacher, but it's worth it because you learn a lot and it helps in higher level courses!!!
He really isn't as bad as everyone says. Just study the material and actually go to class and you will be fine. Actually some pretty interesting material presented in a cool way.
Exams rely heavily on examples he uses in class, found the exam questions to be made specifically to trip you up which can be frustrating since the material is fairly easy, yet he makes is obscure. Stay on top of the material through out the semester and you will do fine
The material in the class itself is really interesting for the most part. However, his exams generally cover obscure examples and details that he mentions in lectures and his questions are meant to trick you. He's very helpful if you go to his office hours though. Stay up to date on the reading and studying and you'll do fine.
He seems like he doesn't care about his students at all. I'm just grateful for the amazing SI otherwise I would have struggled. He does post his lectures online and gives extra credit, so you should be able to do well as long as you have the time to put in a good amount of effort.
He is pretty clear which i liked. There are always a few questions on tests that are tricky but you can still do well overall. He gives out extra credit and curves. Overall it was a great class, and I learned a lot from it.
Good luck with him
His exams are tough, you have to pick apart each and every single question. Multiple choice exams although all four answers could be correct.. but only one of them makes a bit more sense than the others.
All multiple choice tests with like 40 questions. Pretty easy if you do what's asked of you/listen in class/review. Posts videos of lectures online, which is super helpful. I usually get As. This class was pretty easy, but you have to put in some effort. Possible quiz every Friday. I liked it, because I ended up studying every Thursday.
Pete Houlihan seems like a nice enough guy but his class was terrible. DON'T take it. Tests are really long multiple choice and are so specific to small things he says in lecture. WAY too much room for error. He's also not that clear when he teaches on what exactly we'll be tested on and the tests count for a huge portion. Steer clear, trust me.
Really don't like Houlihan. His exams are really tough and I struggled a lot this semester. He is also very arrogant. He is responsible as a professor though. His lecture slides are not very helpful. There's also supposed to be clicker everyday. And potential quizzes every Friday. He does not give you enough problems on exams and quizzes to do well
Requires a lot of note taking and you really have to go to class and pay attention because he adds a lot that's not in the powerpoints. Tests ask for random specific information and sometimes have tricky questions. Overall though not as bad as some of the other reviews say, just kind of nitpicky. The Carroll reading comes up a lot on exams.
Houlihan is so condescending and arrogant, and is not helpful even during office hours. His exams had unusually specific questions and awful wording which he tries to purposely trick you. Overall, because the subject itself is really easy (with the exception of some chapters), it was an OK class. Go to class - the audio for the online lecture sucks
Avoid him if you can. His exams from previous years are exactly the same as his current exams so try to find someone who took the class previously. Got A's on all exams and still managed to get a low grade in the class.. He gave me a C+ and was .4 away from a B-.
His class was interesting but there are a lot of notes to take. His exams are very specific and there can be questions on things he says in lecture, so going to class is a big part of doing well. The Friday quizzes were easy and there is extra credit at the end of the semester.
I cannot stand this guy whatsoever. The course material isn't too difficult, but he makes it so unnecessarily complicated by asking trick questions on exams in addition to referencing incredibly specific details mentioned in lecture. Hard to study for because you never know what he is actually gonna throw at you. Pretty nasty guy. Very arrogant.
Very condescending but probably one of my favorite professors. Great guy with a really interesting life and is crazy smart. Material is common sense, just read through the powerpoints before the exams and youll do perfect. Easy A if you enjoy the topic. Highly recommend him.
I graduated, but looking back his class was probably the worst. Was the only class I got a c in my 4 years at umass. Not sure if he has changed since then, but good luck with him.
I had him fall '16 semester and he's awful. The material shouldn't be as complicated as he tries to make it and asks absurdly specific questions on exams. His final is the only bio152 one thats cumulative. His slides aren't helpful and he leaves important info out on purpose because he wants you to pay attention but then goes way too fast. Avoid.
Houlihan has a pretty sucky attitude. I'm sure he's here to help but he just comes off with a negative vibe. His class is very lecture heavy, so go to all of them. Be on time, he gets distracted easily. Exams are pretty tricky but if you study a lot you'll be fine. Puts up grade super fast ! Lots of technical difficulties.
Honestly you just have to study and take good notes for Houlihan the lectures are online and the quizes/exams can be tricky but it's not too bad
Houlihan is pretty good at explaining things in lecture but his slides have minimal words on them and he goes fast so you have to take good notes. His exams don't always correlate with what he stresses in lecture and wording of questions can be very tricky and long. Overall a good professor but exams are difficult. Gives extra credit
goes way too fast through lecture material. expects a ridiculous amount out of students taking at least 3 other classes, expects you to know everything from the book AND lectures. ridiculous class wouldn't be here if i didn't have to be. don't skip class, read the book and pray to someone. better yet dont take his class.
Houlihan was a great professor I really don't understand all of the negative comments. If you understand evolution his class is an easy A. He offers extra credit which is super easy and is very understanding.
In the beginning of the semester he seems like a great guy. As the semester goes on you'll see how big this man's ego is and how awful his exams are. No matter how much you study, this idiot's exams will make no sense either way. Definitely try and take Bio 152 with literally anyone else. A rock could have taught the course better.
I was really excited to take this class at first. The only think I hated about this class was that he barely wrote anything on slides so it was extremely hard to study for his exams which were full of very specific questions. I would watch the lectures from that section to study which isn't even that helpful but he doesn't have practice questions.
The good thing about this class is that it has a lot of assignments counting towards your grade and you have an extra credit assignment at the end of the semester. Very lecture heavy, pay attention to what he says rather than whats on the slide. Exams were confusing and unnecessarily tricky. I'm gonna retake the class for a better grade smh.
He made this class seem like it was going to be extremely hard but it wasn't at all. Very easy grader, took a while to have things graded though. Don't buy the textbooks, you don't need any of them. Class assignments are just graded by turning them in. All group work for the three major projects he assigned.
Bio writing was very straight forward and simple. If you just go to class and hand in the projects you will be fine. This class is ALL group work and you will be with the same group for all the projects so if you have a sucky group then change right away! There is a big digital story telling project which is could take some time but was fun.
The lecture slides have little information on them so you have to take notes based on what he says. His exams require you to recall very specific information that he may or may not have stressed during class. Believes that students should "struggle" and hardly gives any help at all when students have questions. Multiple textbooks are required.
His class is really easy if you just listen and take notes. Print out his lecture slides or have them on your computer so you can just add what he says in class on the side. If you have the old exams, he uses a lot of the same questions. A lot of the stuff is common sense too. Don't be afraid!! This class is 100% NOT hard.
Above average difficulty tests, make sure to really understand the concepts and not just memorize them in order to get an A.
Houlihan's a decent professor. His lectures are pretty good and I never had a problem staying awake for this 8 am class. Sometimes his test questions are confusing, but he'll let you argue any answer and removes questions if too many people got it wrong. There's an extra credit assignment you can do if you need it. Gives iClickers in class.
This man is one of the most boring lecturers you will ever meet. He also clearly recycles his slideshows from previous years, which means when he posts them on Moodle, you scramble to find what he is talking about because it does not match. Annoying, because he somehow moves so slowly that it's boring, while also too fast to write notes.
His lectures have a fast pace to them, he switches slides to the speed of him explaining things, not the other way around. Be prepared to write fast. He has possible pop quizzes every Friday, and there are 3 exams plus the Final. He uses animal (usually birds) as examples to all the concepts he teaches. He's a good lecturer and you won't get lost.
I was a little afraid of taking his class after reading his reviews on here but honestly he was a very good teacher. He is very clear about what he expects of you and grades fairly. He is just a no nonsense kind of guy-he's not going to put up with anyone's crap and I respect that. As long as you study you'll do fine.
Houlihan puts up the lectures online through ECHO, so you really cant have an excuse for not getting the class notes. Hes not the best professor Ive ever had but hes alright.
lectures are very fast paced. unless you can write at the speed of light, typed notes are a must. come exam time he tells you to "study everything." but he gives many examples in class that help you understand concepts better. slides do not have many words on them so you have to pay attention to what he says in class. offers extra credit
Amazing teacher and person. His lectures were very engaging and his passion about the subject was inspiring. The reviews on this teacher do not match up to his actual class. It is a completely manageable course. As long as you attend, listen, and take notes you will be fine. He records the lectures too. Don't be scared at all to take this class!
If you like biology and are comfortable in a quick paced lecture setting, this class will be fine for you. I picked this class because it fit the best into my schedule, and I don't prefer it as much as my Bio 151 class, but it's doable. If you struggle in biology or class in general, this class will probably stress you out. Definitely not easy...
Houlihan is nice enough, but his tests aren't really fair. Some kids cheated in my class so he rarely scaled tests because he saw that some people were getting really high grades. Lots of errors on his tests that he won't correct. His lectures are important because his slides don't have many notes on them, so you really have to write what he says.
Only randomizes questions on quizzes/exams so they're available online. Allowing effortless 100s for those without a soal. Especially because they boost the class average so he's less likely to curve. Not his fault they cheat but what teacher is that ignorant that they don't change the questions each year especially in an exam heavy class like his.
Houlihan is hands down the worst professor I've ever had in Amherst yet. The combination of his slides not having any notes, the unfairness of his class with the unclear questions on tests, and the fact that so many people cheat to prevent an accurate curving makes this class awful. Do not take if you don't have to.
This class was a lot of work, but as long as you're willing to actually do it, you'll be fine. There were 2 exams and a bunch of smaller group projects, in addition to 2 large group projects and a presentation. You need to STUDY for the exams, and definitely go to the review session because he gives hints about exam content and the essay question.
tests are difficult (based on both lectures and certain textbook info not covered in lecture). does genuinely seem to want to help students, but that really doesn't make up for the exams. attendance isn't mandatory but you're gonna want those iClickers to boost your grade. one extra credit assignment is available at the end of the semester.
Rather unorganized, very slow but repetitive lectures. Sends a good 10 unnecessary emails a day.
Professor Houlihan is a pretty alright professor. The content of the class if fairly easy to understand but the test are pretty hard. Keep in mind that he does scale almost everything so don't be too concerned about your raw test grade. He also offers super easy extra credit so that should help boost your grade
Prof Houlihan loves to make dad jokes and is a funny guy. If you study then you'll do good. He gives extra credit at the end of the semester, and he is very willing to help and encourages everyone to go to his office hours. Very good professor!
Doesnt seem organized but that might have been the case because it was online. Has plenty of office hours but not very good at answering questions or giving explanations. He gives extra credit. The textbook is not necessary but helpful. He is fine but not my first option.
I'm still waiting for this guy to respond to my email...
He is pretty awful, hours worth of lectures per week ALONE for this class. I don't know how he made ecology difficult and awful to learn. Not very informative. If you watch his lectures make sure to put it on 2x speed because he takes 20 minutes to get through 2 sentences of information. 10/10 do not recommend. There is no chance for a break.
Over 5 hours of lectures in a single week to takes notes on, plus textbook and supplementary reading, weekly attendance and various worksheets. FOr a 3 credit class, I did way much more than 9 hours of work a week Bombards you with emails and then won't respond to yours. Quizzes are incoherent at times and usually have mistakes.
PROBABLY the worst professor I have experienced so far. If you miss even one day of taking notes, which can range from 2 to 5 hours, by the way, you'll fall behind. I wouldn't even mind if the notes were on a PowerPoint, but he makes video lectures for you to listen to, and it seems if you don't take notes on every word, you fail. Horrible
This class takes up as much time as my other three classes do. The average time spent on watching lecture videos a week is 3 or 4 hours and his explanations are often lacking and take a long time to get to the point. I recommend watching lectures at 1.5 speed. Quizzes and tests make up almost the entire grade and are both poorly worded and unfair.
This guy is terrible. Lectures are ridiculously long every week. Test questions are worded horribly and very unfair. He does not give any points back even if you make the effort to reach out explaining yourself. You have a quiz on Tuesdays from the week befores material and a prequiz on Thursday from this week's material making units overlap often.
Prof Houlihan is a decent professor, but didn't hold any live lectures this semester. He uploaded all of the videos of previous semesters. With that, exams and lab have been slightly easy if you have the textbook and watch videos, but it is hard to communicate with the TA and professor at times. Only lab is synchronous.
These other reviews are trippin, Houlihan was a great professor for Bio 152. Also gave quite a few extra credit opportunities. I even argued a few points back on a couple of test questions.
Lectures r amazing. Tests arent bad and some questions may be on quizlet. He is a nice guy but isnt great at responding to emails. Would give a 5 star rating except he moved the final to 9am.
Houlihan is a great professor and clearly explains material. Sometimes it's hard to reach him but if you have a question he usually gives a clear explanation. His exams are easy if you watch the lectures. Textbook reading wasn't really necessary. For other assigned readings, you only need to skim to be able to do well. There's easy extra credit too
Dr. Houlihan tries hard to keep up with grading and student needs, but often falls short. He didn't adapt well to the partially online format, and struggled to make expectations clear for assignments. He's also obsessed with COVID. That said, he's a good, highly intelligent person who makes an effort; more than most professors can say.
Professor Houlihan is the most unorganized professor I have ever had at UMass (and I'm a senior). Uses the fact it's a 500 level course as an excuse for everything wrong in the class. Midterm and final completely short answers and essay questions. No study guide and won't narrow down information. Grad TA was the only reason I think I passed.
He's a nice guy, but his assignments are a nightmare. He was often fairly unclear about deadlines, his Blackboard was hard to navigate and missing important things, and his exams, quizzes, and assignments frequently had major typos. The exams were much more difficult than the course material made them seem like they'd be and were very confusing.
He curves the grades on tests often, which is helpful. I didn't find him to be the best lecturer, though; I prepared more for exams by reading the textbook. On quizzes, he would sometimes phrase things in a vague way and it was difficult to know what he meant. Overall, an okay professor.
Prof.H can be very nice at times, however, the majority of his students fail the exams this semester and he curved them to excuse how unorganized and inefficient teachings are.He excused himself saying,"I have been teaching the same for years, nothing changes. You gotta work harder there is something not being done." Basically blaming his students.
Horrible lecturer. Reads off presentation most of the time and his slides are basically only pictures. His exams are almost never related to things you go over in class plus are extremely hard. HIs exam reviews were bad, he always answered with vague responses. He presents too fast, always moves on to the next topic immediately.
VERY disorganized. Sends like 2-4 emails a day almost every day, often names files incorrectly, is unclear about assignments, and despite sending so many, never answers his emails and does not follow through with things he says he will do if he does. He is willing to adjust things in the course if the whole class struggles though, which is good.
Nice guy but bad professor. Taught ridiculously fast and expected us to do way too much work outside of class. Was always doing something unnecessary. Weren't allowed to leave the room until time was up with quizzes, which always ran late. Typed an exam in a weird font for no reason. He was always doing something like that for no reason
If you have taken evolution before, this class is pretty much structured almost the same in terms of how lectures go. At the end of the unit, video recordings of the lectures are posted and you can review/rewatch material. Lab component is super fun and partner based. Tests are hand written, but very very doable. Go to class take notes and review.
I don't get why his ratings are so low. I suppose it is because I'm not taking 100 course with him, but 550 was very enjoyable. Attendance wasn't mandatory but I recommend going to take notes. Lectures were uploaded before the test so you can review. Lab was very straight forward and partner based. Exams are hand written and easy if you study.
Was looking at my grade on blackboard all semester and my final grade ended up being a whole letter grade differently. Do well on exams because those are the most heavily weighted. Lectures were a lot but if you review after class you'll be fine. Exams were in a super weird font so they were awful to take
10/10 do not recommend
Honestly, my worst professor here. His lectures are super dense and his grading for participation is always inaccurate, you always get a lower score even if you attend every class. He goes on tangents about his experiences that won't help you with the course. Tests are crazy hard, the average of our second exam was a 68%. Do not recommend him.
Guys been here for decades and is very old fashion. Lectures are super dense and exams cover material that isn't in the lectures. You essentially need to memorize information from two textbooks to do well. That being said, the material is mostly pretty intuitive, the dude's super knowledgeable, and adds points for low average tests.
Unprofessional. Cannot answer questions outside the previously outlined material. Extremely late on grading--blames technology as the issue. Required attendance and decent lectures but contain unnecessary info for exams. Exams are formatted to be indirect paragraphs and a time waster. He sends at least 10 unnecessary, contradicting emails per week.
Lectures can be dense, but engaging with the textbook and using resources like unstuckstudy ai for study prep really helps. Tests are challenging, but the professor is willing to adjust if the class struggles. Overall, an okay course.
Very easy homework. Quizzes were really bad. Lots of random readings outside of class just for it to make up like 1 or 2 questions out of like 50 on the exams. In his exams a lot of the questions were verbatim things he randomly said out loud during lectures (he doesn't write much useful info on his slides), and he talks A LOT each lecture.
He is a bit old fashioned but an awesome professor. He is super knowledgeable on the topics and always wiling to help and further explain. Exams are semi tough, a lot of writing and no multiple choice, but if you study and go to class you should be able to get at least an 80. I think he's fun
His course material is not organized at all. There is about 8 or 9 PowerPoint slides just for a week and he does not say which one he is going over at the beginning of class. He speaks fast, I can't handwrite my notes without having to skip a section to keep up with him. By the way, the slides are useless because his quizzes are about what he says.
VERY disorganized. Quizzes are verbatim what he says in lecture and puts nothing on slides- just pictures. Course material is also ALL over the place. Must take notes fast (so very hard to study those notes, it's hard to tell what is important for exams). Does not pinpoint what from the assigned book is important to know for exams. Don't take pls.
Completely disorganized. Slides are not helpful. He doesn't teach all of what he expects you to know for exams, just gives you handouts to memorize without teaching. Has no idea how technology works and doesn't use the echo360 system. He doesn't give a practice exam or study guide just a list of 200 terms and concepts for you to memorize.
This professor should be an absolute last resort. His slides are arguably the least useful tool in this course as he expects you to take notes from what he says in lecture directly and that wouldn't be as big of an issue if he didn't go so fast. You are essentially expected to teach yourself a good chunk of the material. There is almost no help.
Knows his stuff but is a really bad teacher. The slides are horrible, and you're expected to learn everything from just what he says in class. All his PowerPoints and homework are years old, and he's either too lazy or doesn't know how to fix them. The class isn't too har,d but still wouldn't recommend
Knows the material but is a bad professor. Talks too fast, uses outdated, confusing slides, and his lectures aren't organized well. Exams are difficult and you're expected to learn everything from lectures alone. Bad with responding to emails and there is only one TA for 250/300 students. Overall not to hard of a class but would not take with him.
I would overall recommend this class. Lectures weren't the best, he basically just read off the slides but definitely take notes. Told us the exams would be extremely difficult and intense, but as long as you study you'll be fine, he's an easy grader. Two in person exams and the final is a reflection and a short research paper, again easy grading.
slides don't include everything he goes over in class. attend the lectures
3 exams over the semester each based on recorded lectures. you're allowed to reference notes on exams, just take down key points/stats and you'll be fine. no cumulative final. instead you write a 5-8 page paper on a biodiversity related subject. easy enough overall. responds to emails.
Very kind, super chill, and willing to work with you if you need help. Lab is super light and never took too long, minimal assignments, 3 exams total that are a little bit tough, but he gives a study guide and the exam has only what was on the study guide so if you study it's not terrible. Super lenient grader everyone gets over 90s on exams.
The goat, amazing and super understanding human being. The class averages on the exams were 90%. As long as you do the work you get 100% on all of the assignments. Genuinely the most easy going and coolest professor I have ever had.
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Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
88%
Textbook Required
65%
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