Sometimes great sometimes not so great. Test were a little tricky, but not too bad. I'd give him a B considering it was his first semester teaching.

He is really spastic, which makes the class really exciting.

He is generally clear about what will be on tests. He always helps out in labs and makes sure we do it right. Makes class fun and will give bonus points randomly for showing up.

I have no complaints. I had to study but enjoyed taking the class. I had him for 101 and 283. He also taught the lab. I would take his class again.

He was wonderful! Possibly the most helpful teacher I have ever had. He was there for every question/ email I had for him. He loves microbiology and it shows in his teaching. I wouldn't recommend anyone else to teach this class!

Dr. Watkins is an excellent teacher! He's very clear and helpful.

Great Professor!

BEST TEACHER EVER!!He loves teaching&genuinely cares about everyone.He makes corny jokes which keep the class laughing.He makes his own ppts which you can look over at home&he even gives studies for the upcoming exams.Replies to every email in less than 3 mins.Loves his technology.Also allows retakes ST.If you study,listen,&show up then you got it

DR WATKINS IS AMAZING!! do not take anyone else for health micro. He loves microbiology and makes it so interesting. He is extremely helpful on what will be on the test, gives bonus points, etc. Plus he scales his tests and responds to an email in like 5 minutes.

This was one of my favorite Professors very fun, helping, and interesting. He is also very quick with responding to any questions or concerns you have to take him.

He is a good teacher. He can be a bit scattered at times but he tries to make class interesting. He is very understanding about issues and is willing to work with you. He sometimes takes attendance but when he does its extra credit. He puts all his notes on Blackboard.

If you don't like Dr. Watkins you are more than likely just a lazy student. He gives you the material on power points that he makes himself and if he didn't go over it in class then it won't be on the test. He scales tests. Go to class and at the end of the semester you get 5 free bonus points added to your final grade. So an 85 is really an A.

GO TO CLASS. He sometimes puts lectures online, but rarely. Take notes, record the lectures, and STUDY.

He is a very good professor who genuinely loves the subject. Very good about helping his students.

The best teacher ever! Lectures are extremely interesting, clear, and useful. He helps a lot to those who want to study. He will share books and other software with students. Extremely cool and up to date. Test results in 2-3 hours. Big joker. Loves students and his work. A is very doable, just need to study. But wait isn't that why you are in JSU?

Best teacher I have ever taken by far. He is a big joker so it keeps the class interesting and attentive! He relates everything covered in class to our every day lives and it's so helpful! He gives quizzes for bonus (we use notes during), tests are tough but they are ONLY on what he talks about IN CLASS! Many record him! He scales all tests, too!

If you study and come to class you will have an A. Professor Watkins makes biology interesting and puts it into terms you can understand! I am taking him again for health micro.

I took him back in Fall 2013. Super amazing guy with a great sense of humor. His class is super easy if you take good notes on his lectures. It's also good to talk to him personally so that he knows who you are. He was the one who inspired me to be a biology major. Plus he loves Star Wars and Zelda so bonus...

I would love to take Mr. Watkins again. His tests really aren't that difficult just be sure to study. Obviously if you don't study you won't do well. Note cards are amazing for this class. He makes things interesting and will relate the material to tv shows or other things to help you remember the stuff. I definitely recommend him.

Super good at explaining the material and relating it to things you already are familiar with. We never used the textbook once. He divides all test grades by the average of the top three grades, so you are guaranteed a scale on every test. Take notes on material he talks about and look over power-points and you can make an A. His jokes are great!

His lectures are very specific and easy to understand. He puts in effort to make sure you're actually learning from and understanding his lectures.

Professor Watkins is incredible. He finds real life scenarios for you to relate his lecture to and really gives you a way to utilize biology beyond his class and college in general. He is very specific with his testing material and tests directly from his lectures. He loves biology and it's obvious when he teaches.

If you dont go to class then you won't pass. I recorded his lectures, took notes, and read the book. Failed both tests so far. Maybe it's just me, but this class is impossible.

Mr. Watkins is awesome! He's very enthusiastic about biology. He loves making jokes and relates the material to something that his student's understand. You can tell that he loves what he teaches. I used to hate biology but now I love biology because of this class. I highly recommend taking him!

He's goofy and a little scattered, but he really wants you to do well in his class. Go to class and take notes, and you will do well in his class. He doesn't take attendance, so it is easy to skip. I wouldn't recommend it. He reviews before his test and gives bonus quizzes.

Mr. Watkins is probably one of the best professors I have had. He is extremely caring about his students, especially if you get to know him. He does offer bonus, but he doesn't inform you before hand, so you have to make sure you're in class to be able to get it. He uploads all of his notes online. His grading style is very helpful for students!

Great professor if you attend class. He is pretty straight forward about what the test are on, it comes right from what was covered in class. I've had him for BY101 and BY102. Got As in both. If you want a class you can just attend for test days, there are plenty of community colleges in the area.

One of the best science professors here. He's very clear about what he expects you to know for tests but the class is still somewhat difficult. You will get the grade you deserve.

Professor Watkins is very straightforward about how to excel in his class - if you want an A, attend the lectures. Take good notes on what he says during lecture and you'll do great. I've enjoyed taking him for biology and hoping to take him for anatomy.

Normally we took lots of notes but I was never in there the whole class time he let us go 30 minutes early almost every time. 40 question tests were not hard if you look over the notes. We did practice tests and he scales every test by the top highest grades. Pretty funny guy he made long lectures bearable most of the time.

The class is tough because it's basically all memorization, but Watkins posts his powerpoints online so it's easy to study. He is a good professor and available to help you if you want/need it. If you study a lot, you will do well. He drops your lowest test grade and weighs the others so the highest grade counts for more.

He is a very nice, goofy professor. During lecture, he takes his time in asking if everyone understands the concepts before moving on to the next slide. He posts reviews on everything that'll be on the tests. He weighs the tests which is very beneficial to your grade on the exams. He doesn't assign any work, it's just the exams so go to class!!!

Awesome teacher! Always there to help if you need it. Very funny when it comes to lectures. There's usually a surprise joke waiting for you in at least one of the slides. Keeps class interesting.

Mr. Watkins is knowledgeable and entertaining. The lab activities correlate with the lecture material, providing reinforcement. I recommend flashcards. It's possible to get out of this class with a good grade, provided one puts in effort. People need to stop treating effort like it's a four-letter word. This is college.

Great!

I will start by saying that I hate science and am absolutely atrocious at it. Watkins does his best to appeal to students like me when he teaches. Follow along, attend class, and take notes. His tests are solid to what is on the notes and if you are struggling, go to him. Super nice guy who is super passionate about his subject and so helpful.

Good and entertaining professor! Doesnt require attendance but tends to reward students that do constantly come with surprise extra credit opportunities. Takes forever to grade tests though & sometimes doesnt follow through with what he says he will do.

very easy class

I loved professor Watkins' class. The material is difficult but he tries to make it understandable. He really is passionate about his profession. Available at any time.

Dr. Watkins class was enjoyable and he did his best to make learning biology fun. As long as you study, you should do fine on the tests. He is readily available to help or answer any questions. He does post in lecture slides online and will sometimes posts practice tests. He makes biology understandable by putting it in everyday terms/examples.

I love Dr. Watkins! His class is hard but it is because of the material. He is super cool and easily approachable. Still talk to him when I see him outside of class. IF YOU ARE A NURSING MAJOR: he gets you so ready for nursing school! Everyone in my cohort still praises him for teaching us so well! 10/10 recommend. Just cant be lazy in his class.

I really enjoyed Professor Watkins and his class! I recommend to start to study at least 3 days before tests to avoid pulling all nighters, trying to memorize over 500 slides. You will probably start off the semester on track, but in the end, will have to cram in the final 3 tests. He's unorganized, but overall a great teacher who knows his stuff!

Such a great teacher! This class material is very hard but he teaches it very well. Each test has a TON of material so don't try to study the night before. His tests can be tricky so you really have to know your stuff. Really prepares you for nursing school. Will give random bonus points for showing up on Fridays.

This class and his tests are difficult but he does a great job of explaining everything. It is good to study days in advance before the tests.

Dr. Watkins is a great professor. You have to work hard to get a good grade, but he tries his hardest to make the content as understandable as possible. The class consists only of lectures and tests, but he scales them and helps out as much as he can. He is also very approachable in and outside of class so you can always ask question or get help.

Watkins goes over a lot of material during lecture and his tests are not that easy. You really have to study and learn all of the material to do well in this class, but he is a very good teacher and makes sure every students understands before he moves on. He is hilarious and very caring and I would definitely recommend him. Watkins is the best!!

Memorize the notes, watches all the videos, and KNOW the tiny details. 4 exams and optional final. If you dedicate yourself you can make an A. Go to class for extra credit and ask questions! He reviews on zoom before exams which was my saving grace! Its possible, but its not handed out, get ready to pull your weight

Hes a great teacher. He can be very funny at times. He Maluku work hard and you arent graded by much but apply yourself and you will learn so much. TAKE HIM

Micro is going to be hard. You will want to change your major because of this class. You will fail if you don't go to class and if you don't study. However, he is passionate about micro and he makes it hard to help prepare for nursing school. Get into a good study habit for the 1st exam and you'll be fine. Good luck!

ATTEND CLASS! Test are made up of material in class. Can be unoraganized, but if you attend class and actually try he will put forth the effort to help you as well. Scales test and gives bonus for random attendance. Pay attention to little details and things that make topics different. You will see this on test. Really prepares you for nursing.

Dr. Watkins is an amazing professor who is extremely passionate about microbiology. He actually challenges students to learn the material which is what many professors do not do. Not sure why people come on here and say if you do not study you will not pass. I thought that was a known thing considering you are in college. Great professor.

Richard will always be one of my favorite professors. I had him for Biology of Disease and passed with an A (I didn't take one test or the final). His is a little sporadic so pay attention and take notes. SHOW UP TO CLASS. He gives out random bonus points throughout the year and scales every test. Don't be afraid to speak up in his class.

I really liked Dr Watkins. He takes the time to explain the criteria and learing objectives for the class. Plus, he has a great sense of humor. Attendance is not mandatory, but if you want to pass, go to class. I would definitely take his class again!

He class is nothing but lectures and tests. He will sometimes provide extra credit just for attending class since attendance is not mandatory. The first day of class he let the class write down some topics they would like to learn about and created the lectures around that.

I absolutely loved this guy. If you're a non-science major needing to take your science prereq's go for this guy. He actually understands that this class is non-major specific and works to make it as simple as it needs to be. Even the way he weighs exams work in your favor ten-fold. Hilarious, useful, and non-mandatory lectures too. Great guy.

I took his Biology of Disease online, and I was surprised how easy it was to recall the info. He teaches in a way that will stick with you. He works for his students, truly cares and has all of his lectures on YouTube to save students money. He is funny and understanding. Only assignments/grades were from tests, so study, study, study!

Great teacher. Exams come from lecture, so attendance is needed. How I got an A was pretty easy - I would attend all classes and record them. After class, I'd use the recording to add to my class notes. I would also start reviewing for the exam a week before it was given. Good luck to you if you cram at the last second or come to class whenever.

Dr.Watkins was a good professor. his bad ratings are clearly from people that never took the time to go to lecture (you won't pass if you don't) and take good notes. my biggest advice is to record him every class, if he says it then it will likely be a test question. He is funny but sometimes hard to reach out to outside of class, so ask in person.

Easy class. Just watch the videos and answer the questions. Was in an environmental biology class - by123. Soooooo much busy work in environmental biology to keep up on. None of that in this class.

This is for BY323. I was scared to take this class from other people's experiences. I attended & recorded every lecture; that is crucial for this course. If you do not attend lecture, you will fail. Lab was fun & graded based on participation. He was helpful outside of class when questions arose. It was a lot of work but my grade reflected my work.

I truly enjoyed Mr. Watkins. He is a very enthusiastic teacher who cares about his content and students contrary to popular belief. On the bases of the content itself, this was a difficult course. There is a lot of content to learn, but as long as you are willing to take time to genuinely study and understand the material, you will pass!

Amazing and great guy. He's very passionate about what he's teaching and only wants you to succeed. He was the most challenging class I've ever taken, but if you pay attention and actually attend the lectures, you should have no problem passing.