Despite the class being huge, he was able to get us to participate a lot better with the PRS. He uses the PRS as more than just an attendance device, and it really really helped me understand the concepts. And he's post all the explanations on the website for the PRS questions in case you missed them. Go to class, participate, and you'll do well.

Solid teacher. Offered review sessions for everything, which in most cases was helpful.

I thought Randy was great. His classes were never boring and his tests were fair. Go to class and you should be fine.

tough teacher, good teacher, sense of humor, really wants students to suceed

He's a great teacher. His method of teaching actually makes you think. Otherwise I'd be sleeping through the lecture with him droning on and on about whatever. But you really have to go to class though otherwise you will miss something. One class can throw you off if you can't get anybody's notes.

I really liked Professor Phillis's class. I was confused at first because his teaching methods and tests are very different than anything I've ever had, but I really liked it becauuse it made you think.

Harsh humor

AWESOME! Had a sense of humor that kept most interested. Can be confusing at times and to do well i suggest taking notes from what he says. He assigns readings from the text book but i didnt find them necessary. it definately helped that i had some background in bio, but overall i think randy was great.

Best professor I've ever had inspired me to be extremly interested in biology. takes time out of his schedule to help students. GO TO REVIEW SESSION he has reviews every thursday, go and learn. great sense of humor, can go fast at times. he really is an amazing teacher, uses a different style than normal I really liked it. great professor!!!

You Will Either hate or like Randy. I found him to be very easy. Class is basically about diagrams he puts up in class. Tests will be modified/combined versions of those diagrams. So as long as you know the diagrams inside and out, you'll be fine. Test format of multiple true/false makes it even easier. Go to class, dont even need to read textbook.

Great Professor! He challenges his students to think in ways we are not used to. This will definitely help us in the future biology classes.

Great Professor! He challenges his students to think in ways we are not used to. This will definitely help us in the future biology classes.

He is smart and funny.

A down-to-earth guy. Multiple true/false tests are a drag, though.

Prof. Phillis is an excellent teacher. He is helpful in clarification, clear in his teaching, and wise beyond the subject material. This class was much more than a standard Biology class for me. I highly recommend Prof. Phillis. His wisdom extends beyond the classroom.

Randy's class is all about logic and interpreting diagrams. There is basically no memorizing. He rarely gives feedback on grades, especially on quizzes, but it makes you focus more on learning than on the grade. I learned how to think in this class instead of just being fed the material. Classes are very interactive. Overall, a good class.

Genuinely wants to help people learn but not clear on answers and scatterbrained explaining things. Uses PRS to track attendance. Extremely late on grading, does not hand back tests. Almost no assigned homework.

You need to go to class because the clicker questions are on the exams, but as long as you question him you will learn a ton and he wants everyone to get the good grade but more importantly learn from it. An absolutely wonderful professor because he doesn't make you memorize, he makes you THINK!

Pretty cool guy. Studies flies, doesn't afraid of anything.

A great professor that gives interesting lectures and prepares you well for exams. You have to go to class due to clicker questions (although since his lectures are interesting this shouldn't be an issue) His tests are somewhat hard but go to SI sessions and you should be fine. Don't bother buying the textbook as its never used. Better than others.

Amazing professor. His lectures consist of multiple iclicker questions. The only prob is you have to listen carefully 2 what he is saying when he goes over the questio because he sometimes doesn't give u the answer He wants you 2 figure it out on your own. go to discussions. si sessions mos def people think its hard because they suck at studying.

Does not respond to emails. EVER

Randy is an awesome person if you get to know him. If you read the textbook BEFORE the lectures this class will be very easy. I hated being left in the dark about my grades though. Love Randy but I don't know if I'd take his class again.

Took his BioTAP class and it was great! Really amazing stuff - we cured cancer, came up with gene therapies, etc. He knew he gave us difficult projects, but graded accordingly. He's very understanding and helpful, and I really liked him.

Great class. Awesome prof, he brought food for us! Three big papers (team papers), but the guidelines were loose so we could do whatever we wanted as long as we put a lot of effort in. Also took intro bio with this prof, unconventional teaching style but much more interesting than your typical 'read 40 pages and memorize the bolded words' bio class

Randy is a nice guy who really wants his students to do well. He does not spoon-feed you the notes or what he wants you to know - he expects that you are in college now and you will pay attention to lecture and write down what you think is important. If you take his class be prepared for his unconventional teaching style.

Extremely interesting class. He is some what hard to follow at the beginning of the semester but once you get used to it then it isn't hard. His office hours and reviews are extremely helpful and almost necessary. He wants the you to learn and will help make sure they know what they need to know as long as they reach out for help. Real good guy.

His class was definitely a challenge at first because he mainly only uses diagrams and true/false questions on his exams. But, by the second month, it turned into one of my favorite classes because his teaching style started to make sense and the class seemed easier. You should attend every class, and he gives weekly, easy Friday quizzes.

Professor Phyllis was great! Although I didn't have any prior knowledge or interest in biology his lectures were understandable. The review sessions that he does is also really helpful. He answers questions for as long as you want. I think if you have an interest in bio he would be an awesome professor to have.

Phillis is a great professor despite being unpopular with some students. He would rather students learn to problem solve and think analytically than memorize facts. All exams include diagrams so you don't need to memorize. He is readily available to help students, runs weekly reviews. GO TO CLASS. He does NOT teach from the book. But read it anyway

People who complain about the difficulty of the course just need to put in more work. He's an extremely helpful, friendly professor who is deeply passionate about the material, so of course he wants to go into detail. It doesn't hurt that he has a great sense of humor too, it really brightens up the class.

I liked this professor. He knows a lot about genetics in which I am interested. He sometimes throws some random information at you. Cyclin D, Angiotensin etc. I love those random stuff. some don't. I highly recommend it. His exams are tricky tho.

GO TO CLASS. I'm telling you now you will get behind after missing one class. He uses the iClicker for participation too. Every Friday he gives a quiz so you better not plan on going home on Thursday. He does drop your three lowest quiz grades though and averages the test grades out to be best for you. I really do like him as a professor.

This is not a class you learn out of the textbook for. He creates his own questions and focuses on critical thinking. He lectures like it's a small class and there are plenty of opportunities to ask questions. The discussion section is unhelpful but required.

Randy is a funny professor! He really tries to make the material as interesting as possible. However, his class is pretty tough, making us apply the knowledge we learned in class on exams. Plus he never really gives you the answers to any of his iClicker questions in class, so going to class is pretty important.

Randy really is a great teacher. His classes run very smoothly and he tries to make biology as fun and approachable to the students as possible. While his unwillingness to give away answers for any clicker questions and his sometimes vague responses of "yeah, maybe" could be frustrating, his methods will grow on you and i very highly recommend him.

He holds review sessions every week which really helps clearing up small details that he just mentions in class. He really wants his students to understand and is willing to help out a lot. His tests are tough and his lectures can be confusing because he never really answers his own questions but its a great class. I would recommend.

Randall Phillis is one of the best biology teachers I have ever had in my educational career. Taught the course better than my AP Biology teacher from high school. Allows you to ask questions and holds reviews every Thursday night for Friday quizzes. Also holds review sessions the night before every exam. Clicker questions in class are the key.

Randy is a great guy and is there for you. However, you may never know for sure what your grade is prior to the end of the semester being that he never gets papers back. BioTAP is very difficult, but also very rewarding. If you put the work in, you'll notice that you've learned more than you would have in a normal class. Completely project-based.

Interesting professor, I enjoyed his teaching style very much. You need to go to class for Randy though, most of them are built off of the last lecture. Gives quizzes every Friday, usually scantron at the end of class but will change it up once in a while to do it during class as clicker. Loved him, wouldn't mind having him again.

I liked him a lot, he really seems to like his students and enjoy teaching. He encourages critical thinking instead of memorizing. I did wish we had a slightly clearer way of study besides just listening very carefully during lectures, but for the most part he was great and I enjoyed the class.

He is an amazing professor if you like to work with diagrams. He is all about application and less about memorization. Just a truly amazing class, he is basically the only good teacher for this course based on what I have heard from my friends. 10/10 would recommend.

The man is the reason I can actually understand Biology. His lectures are engaging and his comfort in front of and control of the lecture hall is truly remarkable.

He's good just go to the SI review sessions, they really help a lot. Hard to pay attention the whole lecture but it is a must if you don't want to get confused.

Randy is an awesome guy, don't get me wrong, but there's no way an intro Bio class should be this difficult. He focuses to excess on cell biology and mutation without really teaching about the normal system first, so unless you have a strong background in biology, this class is gonna be an uphill battle. Weekly quizzes and 3 exams (no surprises)

Randy is my favorite professor this semester. I have never really understood or liked bio until his class. He is funny, his lectures are pretty interesting. The material and quizzes and tests can be hard but if you go to review and SI sessions you will be fine. Definitely recommend taking, he is a great guy.

Prof. Phillis' class was challenging yet rewarding. He cares more about how biological systems work over straight-up vocabulary. This is reflected in weekly quizzes and the exams, but go to lecture because he doesn't teach out of the textbook and gives iClicker questions to help. If you go to his review sessions and tot SI, you will be successful.

Randy is hilarious and a really nice guy. He expects you to know basic biology and builds on that in his Bio 151 class. I couldnt imagine taking this class if I hadnt taken AP Bio in high school. The class isnt easy but exams are only worth half of your grade and there are plenty of opportunities for extra help. Challenging but rewarding class.

I loved Randy's bio 151 class this year. He's such a great guy and seems passionate about what he's teaching. Theres 3 exams plus the final which are tough but if you put in the time and utilize the SI sessions you should do ok. He gives quizzes every friday but they are pretty clear cut. Overall I really enjoyed his class and would recommend him.

He's such a nice guy but his tests are difficult with a lot of true/false and he uses a RIDICULOUS amount of diagrams in class. He uses the iClicker and has (pop?) quizzes on Friday but sometimes allows group quizzes (depending on how much you push him).

Randy is the kindest man with great humor and he really does want everyone to succeed. He's obviously passionate about Biology and makes class real-world applicable. His teaching style is tough to follow, though. Take the best notes you can (struggle) and GO TO ALL THE SI SESSIONS if you want an A.

Awesome class, great professor. As long as you focus on what he says during lectures, it's pretty clear cut. He's very conceptual and teaches you the concept, expecting you to be able to apply them. His exams are mostly true or false questions and can be tricky, but if you look over the lecture slides a few times, it's not hard.

I struggled with this class at first, esp. being my first semester of freshman year, but definitely attend every lecture. His powerpoints are directly related to his exams, and you can only understand the material if you pay attention in class. If you tend to zone out or it still does not click in, GO SEE GARBIS at the LRC! He is the best tutor!!

I love Randy! Randy is not rude/ not unhelpful whatsoever, his class is extremely difficult and requires a lot of outside work and reading, but he is always prepared to answer your question. He holds review sessions (be grateful, not all college professors do this) and his exams are True/ False and can be confusing but it sets you up for BIO152

Randy really is awesome. If you're taking Bio 151 just to fill a requirement and don't actually care about learning the material, maybe skip taking it with Randy. If you are really interested in the material, though, he's great. It's different from any bio class you'll take because its all application but it's so worth it and truly prepares you!

Randy is amazing, he's considerate, funny and kind. His class isn't for slackers; you'll need to attend every lecture and discussion to do well but he's worth it. He takes quizzes weekly but he changes his grading if he sees people aren't doing well. He once missed a quiz day so he automatically gave us all 100%. He's great, take him for bio 151.

Randy is absolutely hilarious and makes lectures bearable. He really tries to make the concepts as comprehensible as possible and genuinely wants students to preform well. The Friday quizzes are typically easy, but multiple true false exams can be confusing at times. Overall a great class and awesome professor!

Randy is a great professor and wants you to do well in his class. He challenges you, which some People don't like, but he has taught me a lot and has an amazing personality.

Randy is without a doubt my favorite professor starting off my freshman year. He is passionate about biology and makes it his goal to instill the same appreciation in his students. His lectures are rarely boring and he can makes a lecture on signaling the funniest part of my day. Exams and Fri. quizzes aren't too difficult consisting of mostly T/F.

A professor that alters my view to biology completely. I appreciate his patience and caring for students who seek for help.

If you pay attention, you will love this class. You need to go to class to learn the material and iClicker, but he gives you 2 or 3 "freebies" if you miss class with clicker. Kind of funny, exams are multiple true/false. Quizzes every Friday.

All the tests & Friday quizzes are multiple true/false & the discussion assignments are T/F & free response so you have to be able to understand concepts and ideas to do well in his class - not just facts. He goes pretty fast so use a laptop or record it. If you pay attention and go to all SI sessions it's an easy B and a kind of difficult A.

Randy is a great professor who really cares about his students. He will do everything in his power to make sure you succeed. YOU MUST ATTEND LECTURE. Seriously if you just look at his slides and don't attend lecture all you'll find is a bunch of pictures that make absolutely no sense. Study for Friday quizzes and exams a lot and you'll get the A.

Hes very kind and truly invested in the students learning. He activly changed the grading policy through the semester so it was easier to get a better grade.

wasn't the easiest class. he really cares about students and what he is teaching. go to lecture, take good notes and you're all set, i never touched the textbook. Wish i had randy for bio II . he made the grading policy easier in the end of the semester for us to do better. lots of iclicker

Professor Phillis is the nicest (and downright best) professor I've ever met. He genuinely cares about his students and wants them to succeed in his class. However, he expects you to put the work in. Practice clicker Qs, strive to learn the concepts well, and immediately clarify anything confusing. If you put the effort in, he will be on your side.

Professor Phillis really cares about his students understanding the course content and actually holds his own review sessions, where he has/takes the time to answer everyone's questions. It's a tough course, but if you're willing to put in the work, you will definitely learn from his class.

Randy is the best! He makes sure everyone understands the material before moving on to the next thing, and he has office hours right after class, as well as a weekly review session he leads himself. There are weekly quizzes so you should show up for class to learn the concepts, but he's very understanding if you have to miss class for a good reason

He definitely cares about his students learning and holds his own weekly review sessions. He takes the time to answer people's questions and tries to get to know people's names, as well.

After watching all of my friends take Bio 151 with different professors, I'm so grateful for Randy. He really prepares you for the exams in class and holds review sessions before quizzes. There are clicker questions, quizzes every Friday, 3 exams, and a final. Definitely the best Bio 151 professor at UMass

Randy's style of teaching is very lecture-based, and it is very important that you go to class and pick up the diagram handouts that he gives. They will be the exact diagrams and that will be on the quizzes and exams and they are very helpful. Also, he practices with clicker questions that are very similar to the quizzes (every week) and exams.

Randall is a great man and is super passionate about Bio. Go to lectures, SI sessions and his reviews and you'll be good. Friday quizzes can work as a grade booster if you study for them. Know your diagrams inside and out.

He really wants his students to succeed, holds his own review sessions, and seems to genuinely enjoy his job. His lectures are very important, as are the handouts: the diagrams are everything.

I really appreciated randy's class. He is very thorough in his teaching, which is annoying when going through the class but two years later I still remember what we've learned and its helped me in multiple classes. In this class you must be engaged, learning and participating. He wants students to succeed, to do well and to learn. Diagrams are key!

Randy really cares about his students. Loved his class but it is very important to put work in. SI and review sessions helped out a lot. Also, dont be afraid to ask questions.

He's a good guy

I took Randys course 2 years ago and wanted to come here and inform people of how helpful his class was to me. He teaches you so that you LEARN not to memorize. I recount information he taught me in almost all of my classes, I think about the way he taught it and can understand it when my current professors fail me. HIGHLY suggest randy!!!!

Randy is one of the most exceptional professors I've ever had. Yes, his class was challenging, but I highly encourage you to take him IF you are up for that challenge (studying hard, attending most lectures, etc.) If you're looking for an easy gen-ed 'A', look elsewhere. If you're pre-med, Randy is a MUST!

Take Randy's class if you're serious about biology/pre-med, or any science career. If you're not really into it or not dedicated, the class will be extremely difficult. Pay attention, take notes, go to SI sessions. His review sessiosn on Thursday nights are basically mandatory, as they help prepare for Friday quizzes. Lots of work but worth it!

Really gunny guy, don't understand his teaching style at all. Probably wouldn't want to go if he wasn't such a nice guy. I got a C on the first exam, when I am generally an A student. I attended SI sessions and other things, but I really can't get behind his teaching style of weird quizzes and strictly lecturing.

Phillis is a very passionate professor. He wants you to understand and if you put in a lot of time, you will succeed. However, I cannot stress enough, you need to put in many hours on this class. harder than what a 100 level course should be.

You will not pass the class if you do not show up for lectures. No homework and weekly Friday quizzes. Most of the quizzes are open notes, clicker quiz Friday after the test. He speaks quickly but only pay attention to the important points, aka explanations for his diagrams. His class is not based on memorization, more understanding for sure!!

Randy's BIO151 class is hard, but I learned a lot. The only way to pass is to go to all of his lectures and review sessions. There are weekly quizzes which vary in difficulty but the exams are reliably difficult. This class requires a lot of thinking about possible scenarios and analyzing situations.

Amazing Professor. You couldn't miss a class, but his classes were engaging and super helpful. His entire course is very cumulative, and you never have to study back much because you're constantly revisiting topics and incorporating them into new ideas. He has weekly review sessions+office hours which are very helpful because his course isn't easy.

This course requires a lot of time. Questions require critical thinking. Find a study group early. Collaboration will allow you to explain & better your understanding. Lectures consist of diagrams & verbal explanations (there are some summary slides). Randy offers office hours & Thursday night review sessions- use them! Ultimately, I learned a lot!

hard class but randy is a great choice to take it with. Funny, nice, understanding. Shows pics of his great photography at the beginning of lecture which was fun. Tests are fair but not easy. Interesting but difficult material. No homework. Known around the country for his teaching methods.

Hard class, but if you show up to lecture you should be fine! Very, very sweet man. Also we never had any homework.

The sweetest professor I have ever had!! Had him for the last section of Biology 105 and he was by far the easiest of the 3 professors for this course!! Very approachable and final exam was all true and false!! Shows fun pictures he has taken of birds in Amherst area.

I loved Pr. Phillis' class! He tests your critical thinking which is tough but it really prepared me for upper level classes and the MCAT. It is imperative that you attend lectures because he thoroughly explains the material and even gives clicker questions to test your understanding. He is super fair with test questions! Would highly recommend!

Class is formatted around PowerPoints with mostly diagrams. If you don't go to class, you won't be able to figure it out on your own. Weekly quizzes on Friday can be rushed, so make sure you are well prepared. Class is all cumulative, and Randy incorporates lots of old material into new. Class is more logic based than memoization based.

Randy is very caring and understands that the course material is difficult for the majority of students. Go to the review sessions for his Friday quizzes. The exams are cumulative but so are his lectures, so there is no need to look at notes from months past. He is very fair and loves what he teaches- so don't be afraid to ask him to clarify.

I believe his class depends on the kind of person you are! Hes really sweet and blows through the lectures so make sure you study! He hands out a lot of packets and has tons of practice that relate to his exam.

Randy is a gem of a professor. Clear and concise lecturer, interesting personality, and with a knack for somehow empowering minority groups in the middle of class without missing a beat or sounding preachy. Plus, excellent photographer. Given a 4 for difficulty for the sole reason that BIO151 is NOTHING LIKE AP Biology. Don't expect to know it all

Very good lecturer

Take notes based on what Randy says, the slides don't help if you aren't taking notes. If you skip a class you will be miles behind and it's hard to catch up. Topics are difficult but Randy is very helpful and has great lectures.

I really liked Randy's class. He explained the subject in a clear way, and as long as you kept up with the lectures you would know exactly what would be on the exams. The exam questions all rely on being able to work with the system given rather than rote memorization, so you have to have a good understanding. Overall, I enjoyed the class.

Randy is a caring and diligent teacher that wants his students to truly and deeply learn about Biology. The content is definitely hard but through many practice problems, studying, attending SI sessions, and asking him questions, the class should be fine. His lectures and tests are a bit unconventional/difficult but you will adjust.

His coursework was very cumulative and I enjoyed his class thoroughly. I was in his biopioneers rap class and he just had such an amazing personality and you could tell that he cared for the students.

Randy is the absolute best professor. While the material may be challenging at times, if you rewatch the lectures (assuming BIO151 is still fully-remote) you should be able to catch up. There's weekly quizzes and discussion quizzes but otherwise not much homework. Just make sure to keep up, but Randy is super funny and interesting.

I loved Professor Phillis's class. He is a great professor and does a good job at making a hard class a little bit easier. If you take his class be ready to study a lot and go to every lecture.

He was my favorite professor this year! He adjusted to online school perfectly! You should attend class because he uses iClicker but he records all of his lectures and posts them so you can always go back to rewatch. Also he does review sessions once a week which are very helpful. You can get by without buying the textbook! Best professor!

Randy is a great professor. He wants every student to understand the material. His review sessions were very helpful, as he offers practice problems and answers questions. Exams/quizzes are straightforward, and his class is very logic-based. He wants everyone to have an equal chance at success, so people who took AP bio did not have an advantage.

I loved Professor Phillis. All exams are true/false, but you need to know the information. If you pay attention in class he gives you all the information you will be quizzed on. Doesn't really give any outside work other then to individually keep studying the information you've learned each week.

Randy is an amazing professor. He cares a lot about his students and makes sure his students know what they are doing. He has a total of 3 tests and a final exam which make up a lot of your grade, but he does reviews before every test and quiz and makes sure you know the material. You cannot miss a class though or you will not do as well.

Professor Phillis is good, but his lectures are content-heavy and they go fast. Your grade is based off of tests, weekly quizzes, and the discussion section. Best way to succeed in this class is to attend every class and review sessions

Professor Phillis is such a sweet soul. Sadly, my first semester of college ever was online, but biology 151 was great with him. His explanations are pretty clear, even though the subject can be tricky at times. Hes clearly good at what he does.

Randy is by far my favorite professor I have ever had. I am a junior biochem major and I took his class my first semester of freshmen year; I find that now, even in my 400 level courses, his class is the most helpful class I have taken. He teaches in a way that, if you pay attention and engage, will allow you to retain the information throughout.

Randy is so awesome. He starts every class with a picture he took of wildlife outside. In order to get an A I had to watch every lecture back and take in depth notes. The material honestly isn't too difficult though. He has extra help sessions before each Friday quiz so you have time to ask him questions there. Overall I had a great experience.

Randy is a gem of a person!! He begins class by showing us wildlife pictures he took that week! <3 His class challenges you to think but thats what makes it so interesting! Make sure you go to his exam reviews. Pay attention to the lectures, take notes, and you'll do great! He doesn't give homework but there is a quiz once a week. 10/10 recommend!

Randy is the best professor I've ever had. He has review sessions every week that completely transform the class and make everything so much easier to understand. Everyone should take a class with him he is an amazing teacher and wants everyone to succeed. Attendance isn't taken but he expects iClicker answers. Go to every review session.

as someone who never took AP, I do have to study a little more but I go to every lecture and his weekly review sessions help a LOT. mostly true/false exams, no hw but weekly quizzes (free 100s on a few esp if it's a new topic), focuses on cancer bio a lot, iClickers usually everyday. haven't had to read the textbook either

Not an easy class. Quizzes every Friday, a few of them he did as IClicker and explained or let us work with people (so basically giving a 100%). Exams and Quizzes and Discussion Quizzes are T/F so really have to know diagrams and material. Textbook readings are "suggested" but I'd read them. Review his lectures and Echo360. Wants you to succeed!

Randy really wants you to get the best grade you can! I had him for my first ever Biology class at UMass as a Bio major, and he was amazing! Its sad that he does not take 152 during the spring, would love to have him again. His exams are very clear, and his lectures explain everything perfectly! Take the quizzes seriously, and attend reviews!

I LOVE RANDY. He makes the lectures interesting so it's not hard to pay attention. He repeats the important things numerously so you'll remember them for the exams. This class really builds critical thinking skills while teaching you how to apply the stuff you learn in class. Go to weekly review sessions for an easy A. (also there's no HW)

Randy is by far my favorite professor and will probably continue to be my entire time being at UMass. He starts every class with the photos he took and he's so passionate about them its great. Though he does give a quiz every week and attendance is mandatory, he holds review sessions every week which are SOOOOO helpful. Everybody should love Randy

Randy is a phenomenal professor for 151! He makes his lectures really interestinga lot of the course he teaches is focused on cell signaling + interactions compared to some of the other professors teach-by-rote more. His review sessions are really laid back & fun. He is very funny in a sarcastic way. Go take this class w him!! You won't regret it

Randy is literally the best! Didn't realize how much I appreciated him until it was over. He's super funny and a great professor. He does go fast but all lectures are recorded and can be viewed again. There's never homework and my biggest advice to do well on quizzes and exams is attend his review sessions that take place the day before.

THE BEST PROF EVER. Hes such a sweet person and really cares about his students. If you actually go to class and pay attention its easy.

Was my favorite class first semester of my freshman year! You can tell he loves teaching and will throw in a few jokes in his lectures. The work really makes you think, so be prepared for that, but he actively hosts review sessions every week for his weekly quizzes as well as exams. Would definitely take him again for another class.

Bio 151 was actually one of if not the hardest class I have ever taken, but Phillis is very sweet and funny. He starts each class showing pictures he takes which I find nice, and he is very passionate about the topic. However, the class moves very fast and is difficult.

Randy was my favorite professor my 1st semester. He has friday quizzes, no homework, and he holds review sessions that explain the exact question types that appear on quizzes and exams every day before either a quiz or an exam. He also strays from standard curriculum to add interesting information to lecture that make the content more applicable.

Randy is a really great guy, really cares about his students, and wants you to do well. He starts class by showing pictures he took, which was really cool. Just make sure to pay attention because lectures can be very heavy. He also held review sessions, which were always helpful.

Amazing bio151 professor. No homework, true/false exams, weekly quiz.

I would highly recommend this class! Randy is super caring, sweet, and passionate. This class is not work heavy, no homework, a quiz each friday in class which are usually group quizzes. His exams are tough, but they are true and flase, and if you understand the material, they aren't too bad. His teaching style is different, but effective.

I loved him for Bio 151- if you go to every quiz review session, understand how the diagrams work, and pay attention during lectures you should do pretty good. His exams are very fair.

Very easygoing and good lectures. Hes not boring, just show up and listen and you have an easy A. Not hard whatsoever, recommend heavy

Adore Randy dearly. All exams are cumulative, so the final is a breeze. Show up to lectures, answer the iClickers, and you'll do well. Review sessions before every exam that essentially give you the answers. All true and false questions. He's not going to be your best friend but he will make sure you understand his material.

I love Randy and his way of teaching. I only got by with the lecture recordings and as long as I rewatched them to make sure I understood what he was saying, I did fine on the exams. Holds review sessions before every exam which are extremely helpful. He's not a fuzzy guy but he's a great teacher.

While his class is hard, I LOVE Professor Phillis. He is so passionate about the course material and really wants everyone to succeed. Graded on 3 group projects (literally cure cancer), so if you don't like group work, don't take this class. He picks groups but most groups have worked out really well. A hard class, but one of the best professors!!

Randy teaches by introducing a mechanism and then systematically working through what happens if each component fails. The quiz and exam questions and answers are all brilliantly specific and consistently worded. There is no homework - it's unnecessary. I have never learned with more ease, and never retained information better.

I love Randy! class is super easy if you read and keep up.

Professor Phillis is the BEST, you can't go wrong!!! Yes, you must put in effort to succeed in his class, but he makes it manageable by providing weekly review sessions. You will have weekly quizzes which aren't as bad as you may think. If you attend SI and Phillis' sessions and pay attention/show up in class, you will do great!

Randall is good, there is an optional textbook. Reviews that are very helpful every week. If you miss even a few classes it is very hard to get back on track. He goes fast through the material: powerpoints and handout diagrams and it is a lot. But there is no homework. Quiz every friday,sometimes he lets students talk to each other,other times not.

I like Randy a lot. He's personable, keeps the class interesting with his nature photos, and makes it so that if you simply show up every day, in the end you'll be fine. He doesn't give homework, and hands out all the notes and diagrams you'll ever actually need. He teaches with practice problems rather than have everyone figure it out themselves.

Randy is a great guy. No homework, you just have to understand and study the class material. There are quizzes every based off of the lectures, but if you go to his quiz review sessions every Thursday night you will be more than prepared. All of the quizzes and exams are T/F and he always gives you the diagrams so no memorization necessary.

I would definitely take this class again, weekly easy Friday quizzes for credit, 80% of the time they were open notes and open to talking to people around you. No HW, 2 exams, and a final. His si's were amazing help. lectures are recorded. nothing bad about this professor 10/10 recommend it.

Professor Phillis is awesome. He explains things really clearly and efficiently and makes the class really engaging. Bio is already a hard subject, so it can be difficult at times, but Phillis gives people plenty of opportunities get help and succeed. Definitely take this class.

Best teacher I have ever had!! Randy gives amazing lectures and explains topics in a way that makes you feel like you really understand it. There is no homework, so make sure to go to the weekly review sessions so you don't fall behind. If you keep up with the material, you will be able to do well in this class. Also, his photography is amazing!!

He was super clear about what he expected us to know, and if you paid attention in class and did the clicker questions, you knew what would be on the tests. I never missed a class but all his content and practice problems were only taught in the lectures so go to class or make sure you watch the recordings if you miss. Understand the discussions!

As long as you show up to class, discussion, and the review sessions it will be an easy A. If you do not learn through listening DO NOT chose a discussion section right after class because you will not have time to review the lecture slides visually in time.

love him! i would def take him again. as long as you pay attention in class and go to his reviews you're set. the class is memorization heavy but he teaches in a way that makes it pretty easy to know everything.

Randy is a great bio prof. I would highly recommend him if you are taking Bio151 as a gen ed or a non bio or biochem major. Randy gives lots of practice problems that are identical to quiz and exam questions. There is a quiz every Friday. Go to his review session, he GIVES ANSWERS!

Randy was great! Definitely would fail the class if I didn't go to the lectures. Everything he says in class isn't in the textbook and he shows his own test example Qs. He does go a bit fast, but he does record his lectures. You have a small quiz every Friday in class, which isn't bad if you go to class during the week. Only 3 big exams. Not bad!

Randy is an amazing professor! The class is pretty easy as long as you go to lectures and pay attention. I would suggest after class rewatching the lectures and taking notes (he records the lectures). There are weekly quizzes and 3 major tests. He holds review sessions every week and review sessions for major exams which you should attend!

Make sure to attend class everyday (clicker participation). Quizzes every single Friday and like 3 total tests throughout the year including the final. No homework, but make sure to look over the sample problems he posts. Everything is true or false questions, so practice understanding them in discussion. Go to his review sessions they're great!

This was my first Bio class, and the prof was a great way to start. His lectures were always engaging and informative, just make sure you attend them all so you get clicker points. If you do keep up with the lectures, all his quizzes, discussion quizzes, and exams are simple. Material wasn't always easy, but he gives you all you need to do well.

He's very nice and enthusiastic, but Bio484 is just a very tough, intensive course. You're only graded on a few massive group research papers that pretty much amount to "find a cure for cancer." Not a class for people who aren't invested or who have poor time management, but Dr. Phillis is always engaged and willing to help if needed.

Prof is enthusiastic, understanding, knowledgeable. Lots of flexibility/independence to build research skills/applicable medical knowledge. 3 papers, VERY doable: majority is background research for your understanding, few hours to write. Little emphasis on grammar/writing, all content based. Easy A for 400 lvl if you want to/are excited to learn

Professor Phillis was great and very passionate for what he is teaching, which is always great to see in a professor. I just felt like he might have been too smart for me because every lecture I felt like I was learning another language. I still ended up with an A somehow, even though your grade is only 3 *really long* papers. Just gotta try!!

Gave amazing lectures. He was very clear about what was going to be on the quizzes/exams, minimal homework. He is extremely knowledgable and passionate about the subject and he is very well respected. At the end of the year he gave a 5 minute speech explaining how everything from throughout the semester ties together, followed by roaring applause.

one of the best professors I ever had. So kind and caring towards students. exams are extremely fair-- true or false. no homework but just attend class and you will be where you need to. clicker questions are similar to exams. always starts class with some pictures he's passionate about. you'll have a fun time with him teaching

Very passionate about what he teaches and is very engaging with the class via iClicker questions in lectures, which are very useful and will reflect on the exam! Definitely attend class because a lot of exam material is from in-class questions he assigns. He is a fast-paced professor and the content is tricky, but great class!

Randy makes it very clear that he wants students to succeed. The content is fast + lectures contain dense material so attendance matters. Weekly quizzes (often open note/mouth), discussion activities, iClicker, 2 exams and final in the grade. No need to buy textbook; very minimal homework besides practice problems that are ungraded/optional.

Professor Phillis is one of the most caring teachers at UMass. He clearly wants his students to succeed and is always willing to stop to answer questions or clarify. He makes difficult information easy to understand. As long as you do practice exams and go to class and discussion, it is not hard to get a good grade.

Very caring professor. Knows that students are stressed and takes the time to make sure material is understood. All quizzes and exams are true/false, which is really helpful. More wants students to understand the material rather than memorization.

We get quizzes every Friday, but they should be easy if you go to the quiz review the night before. Quizzes can be open note and open mouth so you get help on them. During exams he allows us to ask him questions (free answers), except on the final. He gives us diagrams and cheat sheets for the exams. His lectures are great and he is very engaging.

Randy is the best prof I've ever had, and I'm a junior who hates biology. His lectures are very dense, but he connects all the topics together and does lots of practice/repetition. He makes everything very easy to understand but you also learn so much. No homework but quizzes every Friday. He's very accommodating for disabilities/illness.

I had Randy in my fall semester of my freshman year. He was my favorite professor, he still is one of the best professor I ever had. His course is created for the students to learn and to succeed. This is a lecture heavy class, you have to go to every class. If you attend class and review sessions you will do great. I also loved his photography.

I had Randy for Bio151 in the BioPioneer RAP. He is amazing! The class itself can be hard at times but he does a really good job at explaining the material. If you participate during his lectures you should do well. I also recommend going to his review sessions for the Friday quiz, sometimes the questions are the same or very similar on the quiz.

absolute gem of a professor. randy usually starts off his lectures with pictures of nature he took that week which is fun. class is usually clicker questions and him talking. be ready to take notes because if you don't you will fall way behind and have no idea what's going on. quiz every thursday in class, which isn't bad. ask questions!!!!

He is a great professor that teaches a difficult course. It is definitely possible to get an A. To do well I recommend rewatching the lectures and taking detailed notes through echo 360. He is a very nice guy and is talented at teaching. He should be proud of the work he has done.

If you are trying to pick your professor for Bio 151 you should 100% go with Prof Phillis. He gives you all the diagrams and processes on the tests so if you literally just pay attention in his class you will know the content well enough to ace it. Even if you are having trouble he holds weekly review sessions that are super laid back and helpful.

Randy is an engaging prof who makes dense material digestible. Attend class, do the practice problems, and use tools like unstuckstudy ai to ace the weekly quizzes. Challenging but rewarding if you put in the work.

This was the easiest class my freshmen year, all you have to do is study the models he talks about in his lectures and you will get an easy A. Make sure you go to his review sessions on Thursday they make the quizzes super easy.

he is a king

Go to the lectures and do the HWs and you have an A right there. He goes over every question type you will see and his exams are not ocnceptly hard. Some questions require logical reasoning and that's it.

It's heavy on the lectures with lots of information but that's for every biology class. He explains everything well but goes fast. Attendance is mandatory and done by iclicker. There is an in-person quiz every Friday, but often is open notes or open mouths.

His exams are diagram based so as long as you get an understanding of the diagrams you will be on a good track. His exams may also contain a few questions that stump you but he makes sure to let you get points back if his wording was confusing. Coming from someone who only took bio in 9th grade the class is pretty easy to understand.

Professor Phillis is very passionate about biology, and keeps his dense lectures very engaging. He teaches the material very well, but his tests can be tricky because its literally all just true and false questions, and there are quizzes every friday. However, once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier.

super nice guy and super caring- definitely has students best interests in mind, you can tell he is interested in the material himself. As someone new to biology, it was challenging trying to understand the material right away (study= +2hr a week). Discussion sections helped a lot. Final grade was unclear all semester. Super sweet prof.

I think that the subject is a pretty difficult one, so that reflects the class. You obviously have to put in the work, but he does so much to help you, he really wants you to succeed. Go to the reviews for quizzes, the SI sessions. Its challenging but its literally just about effort. He is a great professor to help you learn.

definitely important that you come to class as often as you can! the lectures are recorded and are really helpful to go over when studying, but they do go a little fast so its best to watch them on a slower speed. the lectures are very information dense but theres a lot of chances to go over questions and lots of review sessions & quizzes every fri

Although this class was challenging I have taken away so much information and I feel very prepared for future bio classes. Lectures are extremely content dense but if you review Echo 360 after class you should be good. Discussions are helpful/mandatory and there are weekly Friday quizzes. I would definitely take Randy's class again!

Biology 151 is a difficult class, However, Randall made it so much easier for us. he provided us with diagrams to use on all of the tests and quizzes. he also used a lot of examples problems in class, so there were never any surprises on the exams. He truly cared about students succeeding and gave us opportunities to boost our grades.

Randy is extremely caring and an amazing lecturer. He is funny and his exams consist of material he has taught, no curveballs. I used alot of SI and past quizzes to study. Multiple true/false is the format of his exams and are confusing at first but if you do enough problems you will get the hang of it. Rewatch lectures and do practice probelms.

If you have taken AP Bio and done well on the exam this class will be a breeze. Doesn't go over a lot of basics and often flies through the material but the exam questions are true/false and very easy. Barely any homework and everyone gets extra time on tests. Quiz every Friday with review sessions the night before. Don't buy the textbook!!

Genuinely such a good professor. I took 151 and he is so good at explaining, and really shows that he cares about students passing through study sessions and practice problems he posts. He lectures with clarity and his questions are very direct and relate directly to what he teaches. Super super incredible professor I loved his class!

Funny guy and good teacher. Big yapper but goes in depth. Quizzes every week. Some lectures are boring but others are interesting.

Easy tests and quizzes. Took AP Bio in HS and this was 1/10th the difficulty.

The class is a bit of a learning curve because he teaches it in such a way that requires a very specific type of problem solving, however professor Randy is funny, nice and it's overall not to bad as long as you show up to class

Randy is an amazing and wholesome individual. He clearly cares deeply about cancer research and seeing his students truly succeed and learn. The course format is quite interesting, working in groups of around 5 students to submit 3 large documents throughout the semester, treating your chosen cancer type. Randy's grading is not harsh he is so sweet

Awesome professor, awesome class. Prof Phillis loves what he teaches and encourages his students to love the material too. 484 does not have a normal lecture setup so be aware of that. Its entirely group based. You write 3 group papers that you need to do your own research for. Phillis is always there to help if your are lost or confused.

Amazing for Bio 151! Incorporates problem-solving into how he teaches the material, which really helps you remember it. Really cares about students and wants you to succeed. Frequent iClicker use in class, and all of the info is in the lecture slides. Tests are almost all true-false and Randy holds review sessions before each exam, go to them!

Super nice professor. Most of lecture is him explaining pictures/diagrams. I personally do better when learning concepts then apply them as opposed to just applying them so I struggled. The class seemed challenging for a 100 level class...It was very similar to my cell and molec class the following year, except bio 151 was even harder

hes great, hes randy

Professor Phillis is great! He does go through lectures quick, but reviewing the slides after class really helps. The exams and quizzes are much like the clicker questions. There is a quiz every Friday, but sometimes you can use your notes or speak to your neighbors. I recommend the review sessions the night before each quiz, they really help!

If you show up to lectures and go to his review sessions you should be good, he truly wants you to succeed and gives you tons of resources! For Bio 151 there's technically a textbook but he doesn't really use it. Would 100% take again

discussions in this class are really helpful, content is relatively easy compared to other bio classes. really nice and funny person, he goes over the content and explains really well but I found I needed the reinforcement of discussions

This was such a great class. It's lecture heavy but it doesn't feel that way. It's so clear he wants you to succeed and hosts weekly review sessions and has a ton of review material.

Randy is a great professor who really cares about his students. He provides a ton of resources for you to succeed in this class, and he holds his own review sessions every Thursday which were very helpful. It's lecture heavy but you can do good if you attend the lectures and put in effort. This is the first time I've enjoyed taking a bio class!!!

Randy is the MOST INCREDIBLE professor I've ever had in my life. He has perfected the art of teaching; leads very compelling lectures, holds review sessions himself before every quiz & exam going over practice questions made by him. Exams & quizzes align with lecture slides and practice questions. He has amazing humor and cares. Absolute GOAT.

I looove Randall, he is so funny and such a great professor. He was one of my favorite teachers of all time, if you get the chance of being with him, 5/5 recommend! He is also super sweet cares a lot about his students.

Really hard class, but a really cool professor. Lecture is pretty necessary to understand the material, reccommend review sessions or SI sessions to get a good grade. Really flexible and undestanding professor.

His exam can be a bit tough but weekly quizzes are extremely helpful! Randy is extremely nice and easy to approach. I learned a lot from him.

He's honestly the best professor I've had this semester! He's super funny, likable, and approachable. I made a mistake taking this class as a GenEd, but it was truly so interesting and manageable, even though I hadn't taken Bio since 10th grade. Just go to class, discussions, review sessions, etc and you're likely to do well.

Randy is very clear with what you need to know and his quizzes/tests are all multiple choice. I highly recommend taking notes on his lecture slides and filling in what you missed after class.

I recommend!

He is very understanding of students.

GREAT lecturer, you HAVE to go to classes it's literally the easiest way to get an A in this class. He gives quizzes every friday, but he always has a review session the night before, GO TO THOSE. He does exam review sessions which are also extremely helpful. HIs exams are all T/F and the wording is very tricky, so you have to get used to his style

Randy is an AMAZING PROF. Go to every lecture and you will be fine. Short quizzes every Friday which are insanely rushed but they're not too bad. Exams are very straightforward. Go to every quiz/exam review session and you will be perfectly fine. Can tell he genuinely wants his students to succeed. Definitely take 151 with him.

Randy is a great professor, always encourages participation and asking questions. GO TO SI SESSIONS!!! also do his practice tests they help A LOT!!!