2.9
Quality3.7
Difficulty27%
Would Retake272
Reviews27%
Would Retake
272
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
50
4
63
3
56
2
45
1
58
What Students Say
“He is probably the worst professor I have had in college so far and I'm a junior”
BIO307 - 3.0 rating“Do NOT take Rick Gillis”
BIO307 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
49%
Textbook Required
58%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.66 avg changeRatings by Course
ZOOLOGY
5.0
(1)ANIMALBIO210
5.0
(1)BIO210307
5.0
(1)BIO303
5.0
(1)ANIMALECOLOGY
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
210307
5.0
ANIMALBIOLOGY
5.0
BIO207
5.0
BIO
4.3
BIO206
4.0
Reviews (272)
Great lectures, but full of himself. See that red Audi in the lot? That belongs to me... OK...
What else can I say, but it is a SUPER tough course. He is the only one currently teaching animal, so if you have to take it you're stuck with him. My advise study your butt off, even the first day of class!
I challenge you to find a better way to waste your time and money at UW-L. Any clown could pass this class-but be willing to spend countless hours memorizing a bunch of junk...with an unusually rare tidbit of useful info that could be taught in day.
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Rick, is very arogant and the test can include up to 100 pages of notes! Avoid this class at all costs!
Hard. I'd love the clss if I audited it. He's full of himself, and can't understand why the class finds the idea of a fat old man doing arobics.
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Personally, I overall like Gillis. He expects you to learn what he teaches and to study it-a lot. If you're a big geek like me and love biology, his class won't be too bad. Don't bother if you're not gonna put out any effort, though.
totally arrogant man!!! This class is possible if you are willing to put in the time. You need to study at least a week before the test. Just zone him out,because we will try to tell you that he is God!!!!
I have never met someone so full of himself in my entire life! It's bad enough to have to listen to him read the notes straight off the powerpoints, but you have to listen to him talk about his trips around the world and how great his life is.
i'm usually one to skip class and cram for exams and do great..NOT SO with this class!! Rick thinks he's god and LOVES to make you feel like you know nothing. better be ready to study ur butt off if you're stuck w/him!
Who could teach Animal Bio well, it's not possible. Tell me who could throw some terms my way from that class, not possible. you simply memorize and don't learn anything. THIS CLASS NEEDS TO GO...c'mon UW-L, grow up
Hell. That is the perfect word to describe this class. He is the only teacher to teach it and he sucks. All he does is read notes off powerpoint, then he expects you to memorize every word of the notes. Expect to study 10+ hours each test!
Between the lab and lecture this is the hardest course i have yet to take. His tests are rediculously hard, but still possible. He expects you to learn and that exaclty what most of us dont want to do here. Also his stories make for nice lecture breaks.
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Quite easily the most arrogant man in the world. I took it for about a month before I realized the power points he was reading to us were on the disk he gave us at the beginning of the semester. I never went to class after that and did ok.
The most arrogant prof.Worthless teacher because he is more into himself than actually helping/teaching his students! Tests are unreasonable and hard. His notes are absolutely pointless and his lectures are sickening... brags about himself constantly...
Arrogant jerk.
Great for lab! If you get on his good side and don't mind memorizing trivia, it's a great class!
Understanding of certain circumstances, but yea he's a big dick. Full of himself, lab practicals are pretty hard, lecture exams are not as bad
Completely mean-spirited. Class itself wasn't hard, but this teacher was not at all helpful and would regularly humilate students in front of everyone.
very unhelpful and very mean. it's one of the hardest classes i've ever taken (and i've had anat&phys and ochem!). there's too much to memorize and the tests are torture
Arrogant -horrid prof. Easily the worst teacher I've ever had. His lectures are worthless.
He tells you how it is the whole time, gives you all the answers, and never pulls tricks on tests. Not too shabby if you ask me.
very well educated but also very arrogant. DO NOT write your NAME on your species project. The man sits and reads the powerpoint persentations that he gives you on the disk at the beginning of the year. Rote memory and memorization are VERY important.
It is possible to get an A or A/B. You just need to study a lot or have a good memory.
Rick isn't the best teacher, but the course is as hard as you make it. Tests cover a lot of material but the answers are straight out of the notes. If you know the notes the tests are easy. Lab practicals are by far the hardest part of the course.
I didn't think the class was as difficult as everyone made it sound. As long as you go over the notes you will do fine. I thought he was very helpful and easy going as long as you give him a chance.
Hard class, lots of studying involved. He is a good teacher and obviously enjoys his job. Very helpful and straight-forward. He tells it like it is and knows what he's talking about. A or A/B is possible but you must study a ton.
If you aren't ready to do lots of studying than this class isn't for you. It is a class that requires lots of studying, and the lab practicals are tough. But if you do bad in the class you can't blame Rick, he tells you what you should do for an A.
I never went to class...(all the notes are on some disk he gives) and I did just fine! You need to study obviously, but it isn't impossible. The lab practicals are much more challanging than lecture exams.
Very impersonable, stuck up, doesn't truly care about his students other than if they call him "Rick" or not. Since he is the only one teaching these classes we have to bear through his pompousness.
Rick (make sure you call him that or he freaks) is an interesting character. He likes you if you're doing really well. At times when you ask a question he's really nice and helpful, at other times he's a complete @$$. STUDY A TON!!!!!!!
Rick,is an arrogant person. He could not be anything other than a professor because he could not hack it out there in the real world. He is so full of himself and feels the need to tell the class how great he is all of the time.
I like to call him Dick (not to his face of course). First I had him for an advisor my freshman year and I was doing poorly in Bio101. He told me I should drop out of college. I graduated and have a great job now. Guess he was wrong.
This class isn't as bad as some make it sound. He tells you exactly what he expects from you, which is good, a lot of profs keep you guessing. As long as you study and put effort into it, you'll do fine.
Very hard class, you must study a ton in order to do well! Lab practicals are very tough, because spelling counts. He tells you everything you need to do well. He can be very helpful, and if you try VERY hard you can do well. To exceed study a TON!
You just need to prepare to work. He tells exactly what he expects so concentrate on his hints like just focus on what makes that animal special and others.
When he says no talking in class he means it, no moving or breathing loud either. He can be a jerk but if you do good and are fake nice to him he'll be fake nice back. Memorize all the notes and use the materials he gives you and study a week ahead of time and you'll be ok.
The class is pure memorization, so it can be really easy if you just study a lot. Rick can be scary and is kind of arrogant, so don't get on his bad side.
This class was not fun for me. If you study, you will do well. But if you don't, you won't. I had a huge medical crisis in my family while I was taking the class, and had to miss. He was not sympathetic, and so I failed the class. Now I am graduated, but I am still upset when I think of Rick.
he sucks
The class is pretty boring but all the info is on the zoodisk so you don't have to go. Lab isn't hard but the lab tests take lots of studying. Study and memorize and this class will be so easy. Don't be scared of the amount of info. it looks scary but isn't hard if you study.
Rick is the man. He has pretty much traveled everywhere and done everything imaginable. he was even in 'NAM. He tells some cool stories during lecture. VERY straightforward man who tells you what he expects from you. Whoever is intimidated by him can't handle reality. Make flashcards for vocab words
Animal Biology is a very hard class. He is a decent teacher, and is straight-foward. He says straight up that this is a tough class. I had to drop because of circumstance, but I am going to take it again no problem. He is a nice teacher, but he is hard. It's memorization, and I'm better at concepts.
Can you say ASS! Don't bother asking for help because he doesn't care. His tests are 40 multiple choice and in the lab tests spelling counts. Unless you really care about the larval form of a starfish and have endless hours to study this useless information avoid the class!
tough teacher, but thats how it should be, this is college. its a lot of memorization, but you do learn some pretty sweet stuff from his life experiences as well. he's been everywhere, ask him where to go on vacation and he'll know you really listen and appreciate what he has to say.
he is an self centered jerk. He will show complete annoyance in helping you understand a topic. The class is all memorization, and teaches nothing real about animal bio, not that you can't find by looking up anyway. His tests are extremly hard and who cares about his dogs, cats or where he's been. By the way this is the only time he seems excited a
Rick, as he only allows you to call him is the most self centered, egotistical, pompis prick I have ever met. He doesn't teach the class, he reads a power point he made 10 years ago. I had to take this class twice and dropped it both times because its not about learning, its a test of your memory. Also, he thinks of his dogs as his children.
Rick doesn't give you credit in his animal bio class. As far as he's concerned, we're all equally worthless undergrads that have to prove our worth. Once you come to terms with that you'll be ok. If you make it through his class and keep pursuing biology, then he'll open up to you. Study hard and don't expect any gratuity.
Rick is intimidating, but has a good sense of humor. Lecture test are pure memorization, and most of questions are on phylogeny. Lab practicals can be tricky, but he has all the possible questions online w/ answers. I studied about 15 hours/lecture test. Took class as first semester freshman, and got an 'A'. Wouldn't recommend if you don't have to.
I loved this class!..and I normally don't like science courses as I am a psychology and Spanish major. I took this class first semester freshman year, skipped lecture for two months, and still got an A. All of the questions for lecture tests are in the packet and all the questions for lab tests are on the ZooDisk. Memorize and you'll do well!
One of the most rediculous classes i've ever had at uwl. I've never seen a professor read off powerpoints, and then offer exams based on strict memorization. If you walk out of class having learned something, i'd be impressed. As far as i know hes the only prof who teaches animal bio though. Avoid if possible...
Egotistical, pompis prick sounds about right. Bio majors watch out, cuz if you do bad, he will tell you that you are in the wrong major. He is the only professor to make me cry, and i've heard of him making other people cry. honestly because of him, i am considering transferring to another school to get away from him since i love bio as my major
BIO is about memorization. Do you really need to know the reason why some birds has a keel like sternum? No, not really you just need to know that it does. Gillis told us from day one what to expect from class. He is an awesome professor. As long as you showed up to class and took the note you should of done fine.
Really, 12/20 person, to transfer simply because of one prof who you can prolly avoid from now on? He's tough but so what? I bet there's people like him at other schools too. You just sound like a whiny****.
Rick is good. He made me smile. Take him and you will smile too. (Don't heed any comments against Rick, these people just shouldn't be in college.)
EASIEST CLASS EVER - no compensation or understanding. He HANDS YOU THE ANSWERS for everything- lecture/lab....this is obviously a freshman level course - like high school all over except with more vocabulary and taxonomy. If you this bio 210 is hard- then listen to Rick, maybe you shouldn't be a bio major!!!!!
Pure memorization. He gives you every single tiny thing you would ever need to know, then you memorize it for the tests. Extremely helpful if you want help, classic old school teacher. Very few total points in the class though, so not much room to bomb a test.
Rick is awesome. yeah, there is a lot of material, but what else can u expect? He presents the notes in a book, straight forward & easy to study from. Plus he has vocab listed in the back of the notes that is basically a study guide. He makes u learn & enjoys the material he teaches.
Rick is a super nice guy and he tells great stories in class. He lays out all the things that you'll need to know for the tests. as long as you study you'll get a good grade in the class. lab is a little difficult because you need to spell every thing correctly, but its not impossible.
rick has a style of teaching that if u don't get it, there is no other way. if you aren't a memorization type of person, this class will be difficult. don't listen to other people, it has nothing to do w/ whether u should b a bio major, memorization just isn't for every1. not every class is like this one. hang in there...rick isn't the best teacher
Not very attentive to students needs and quite rude.
I wasn't too impressed with his teaching style. Whether or not you like him depends on your mind-set when entering the class. He's tough, but he means well. Most of all, if you value your life, make sure you call him Rick, not Dr. Gillis.
Rick is not rude, if you disrespect him however, he'll get mad. He's very nice if you get to know him. I failed the course last year b/c I couldn't handle the work and now I'm getting an A. Just do what he tells you to do and you will be fine. Rick is a good person. Please get to know him and be responsible and study study study!
I really don't like the style, it makes it hard to pay attention to lecture when your "Word hunting". I didn't study and did 3 pts better than when I did. It's a messed up class maybe next semester will be better!
One of those "down to earth profesors", he's not gonna stop the class unless you speak up, so if you're the nervous type who can't handle a college setting, get outa that class. Tells great stories, too
Exams come completely off of Zoo Disk for lab practicals and straight out of the lecture notes for lecture exams. Do not use text book. Lots of memorization for species, phylum, order, etc. as they must be spelled correctly to get points. Can obtain an A by studying material repeatedly.
He is a decent guy but not the best instructor. He regurgitates his power point every lecture and has you fill in the blank to partial notes he already gives you. I did pretty well making note cards. Memorization is key. Also know what is important, everything in BOLD.
Not the most knowledgable but makes a (personally) boring topic much more interesting with stories and pictures. Very straightforward and tests are easy to study for with NO surprises. What you see is what you get.
I don't know why his rating is so low, he's not that bad. His note taking book is a bit odd, but that way you don't read as much. Pretty easy class in general if you study some.
Here's a hint to do well: Whenever he discusses 'more than' what's on the slides, STAR IT because it will most likely come up on the exam. Labs exams are easy because you get all the answers before-hand (all pictures in the lab book look exactly like lab exam slides/displays); study them and you will do well.
He's not that bad. If you like to write your own notes then don't take this class. The note taking guide makes things easier but mostly this class is about memorization. I didn't care for his teaching style (basically reads off the power opint) and I thought the class was boring but it was pretty easy overall. Lab is really easy too.
Not too hard, you have to be able to pound away at montonous information. doesn't teach processes just morphological facts
this class is all memorization! he gives you a book you take notes in by fillng in the blanks, so you dont really absorb any of it in lecture. you have to do a lot of studying for the exams and lab tests. overall if your good at this sort of thing the class is pretty easy just a lot of work
Total of 750 points. 10 online quizzes (worth 10 each) plus 2 extra credit quizzes. 3 Exams worth 100 each. 200 points from lab. 150 points for the final. All the information on the tests are from the notes in which he gives you a booklet to fill in the notes. If you don't mind studying the notes out of class you will do fine. Only call him Rick!
Rick isn't a bad guy, but you do have to put a good deal of work into his class to get an A. You fill notes into a booklet and test questions are directly from notes. The notes format didn't fit my studying style, which was frustrating. Study the sample exam in the back of the notes manual for the first exam!!
Rick was always helpful to me when I asked. All you do in class is take notes in an outline book so that's not hard at all. All of the test material comes straight from the notes which is nice. You do have to study quite a bit for tests but if you do study you will do fine on the tests. And the questions from your quizzes are on the test as well.
study for his class! you don't have to go, but a lot of studying is required. he comes off as being extremely harsh, but he just doesn't take any bullsh!t. just do the work you have to do and he'll be fine with you.
This class is probably about 10 credits worth of work. Its managable if you don't have too many other demanding courses
If you are in college you might as well go to your classes god knows they cost enough....If you go to Ricks class you will get a good grade....there are no surprises at all on his tests.
i really liked this class. tests weren't bad, you just need to study. lab practicals were a little rough, but the extra credit assignment boosted my grade quite a bit. i found rick's extra pics and stories interesting, idk why everybody complains about them. go rick!
1st of all, IRROGANT isn't even a word, so your opinion doesn't matter. Rick was a very good teacher. I learned a lot without studying my brains out. Labs were difficult, but the extra credit boosted my grade! Rick's extra pics & stories were interesting, & I enjoyed them. I wish Rick could teach more of my classes. GO RICK!
A great professor that supplies students with the resources and knowledge they need to succeed outside the classroom in science related occupations.
Rick's teaching style is the laziest format. Gives You a giant book with fill in the words. Did not fit with my style of learning and found this class was made more difficult than it needed to be. This class was purely statistics when it didnt need to be... hated every minute.
I don't understand why so many people complain about his teaching format. We'd have to learn the information either way and I'd much rather copy down 1 or 2 WORDS rather than PARAGRAPHS. The class was tough but not unbearable. I found Rick (and his extra credit) helpful. I put my time in and earned an A.
The class isn't easy, it isn't meant to be. It is about understanding how classification works, memorization, and of course animal biology. Rick is very straightforward and a touch arrogant but quite like-able (as long as you understand he isn't just handing out A's). I really enjoyed Rick and Bio210; just remember to study and come to class!
It's only a 3 credit class but should probably be more like 5. The tests and lab practicals require a ton of studying. Rick is a bit arrogant and likes to rub in all the things he has done and you haven't. However the stories can be pretty funny sometime and they keep the lectures from being completely boring.
One of the worst teachers I've ever had. Arrogant and more than a little lazy, the class revolves entirely around a slide show and a giant book of notes. Not the best method for me and many others. The tests were very hard seeing as how they all came from hard online quizzes. Don't take him if you don't want to study your brains out!
Amazing Professor. He is really passionate about what he is teaching! Funny guy, too. He likes to crack little jokes during lecture or on the tests and has his two dogs in EVERY slideshow. Go to class if you want to do well. It's not that hard, and he basically spoon-feeds you what is on the test. All in all, a good professor.
I don't know why people complain so much about this professor. There is a lot of material and you do need to really put in the time, but what bio class is easy?! His outline book-method of notes is helpful as you will never be missing information that is on the test. The online quizes are very easy and the tests are made up of the online questions!
As long as you study and put time into this class (like you should anyway) you'll do fine. All you have to do is write words down- he gives you all of the information you need. Plus take him for lab too because the zoo disk is everything you need.
At first you aren't going to like him, but as the year goes on he sort of grows on you and you realize this bio class is way easier than the ones your friends are in! All the notes are right there for you and online quizzes are exactly what are on the test!!!
He lets you know from day one exactly what's expected of you. A lot of people abuse him because his class is hard (98.9 % rote memorization) or at least harder than BIO 103/5. Get over it folks, welcome to the sciences. He's not doing it because he hates you, it's really good preparation for med. school and you'll be thankful for it in the end.
Had Gillis for lab and lab is hard so i don't blame him for that, BUT HE'S SO MEAN! he's just super degrading when you ask a question he makes you feel stupid. AVOID
Hard Class, a lot of memorizing. He knows his stuff and if you can handle a very one minded professor he'll be ok
A robot could teach his class, has a huge notebook he gives and all you do is fill in the last word of the statement. Not helpful don't recommend. I am a senior biology major out of the science teachers I have had at UWL he has been the worst.
Tough professor. Lets you know exactly what he expects of you. Makes you feel like a degrading human being, but in the end is a very helpful and caring person.
This class was very tough. Some might not like Gillis' teaching style - reads off slides, you fill in blanks on the lab manual - you basically have to teach it to yourself after class. it was tough for me but i think that's just the material, not Gillis' fault. Can be a little annoying/arrogant but is willing to help and wants to see you succeed
About as good as it can get with animal biology. Show up to the first day of class and he will tell you everything you need to know to get a good grade. BONUS: CAN TAKE LECTURE EXAMS AT ANY TIME BASICALLY. I would highly recommend taking Gillis. Animal Bio is hard, he'll make it managable
Rick isn't terrible. He reads off his power points, which aren't available online. All you do is fill out the last word, his tests require a bit of studying. If you have questions, see him in person. Learn to spell his name or he'll tear you apart in front of the class.
no emotion in class
i have mixed feelings about this professor. he can be extremely rude and arrogant and make you feel stupid when you ask questions. class is all memorization and you NEED to study. lecture is very dry, he just reads off slides. but he is very clear about what he expects of you and what will be on the tests.
Rick is an easy going, kind, understanding man. He literally reads off slides and has you fill in the manual so if you know someone with a completed one there is no point in going to class. Tests are pure memorization. There are extra credit oppotunities.
Really arrogant, yet not very smart. Acts like he is god's gift to science, but reads completely off slides. Anyone can do his job. Does the same thing every semester and thinks he is powerful by intimidating people. Not a hard class at all. Rick needs to get a life. By the way he is a horrible advisor if you get him switch right away.
Rick is a good teacher but he class is all memorization. Spelling counts on your lab practical so beware. Class was interesting and the tests are quite east plus the final is not comprehensive.
Rick is a great teacher. He is organized and clear about what is required of the students. Sure, he's strict and opinionated, but I'll take that over a bad teacher any day. I appreciated his dedication to teaching, and it made easy to do well in his class.
I would definitely recommend Rick. The lectures are very repetative, but everything is strictly memorizing a book of notes he gives you at the beginning of the semester. Tests are easy if you memorize the fill in the blank notes.
This class is a lot of work for only 3 credits but its all memorization so just make flashcards and do the practice exams. Rick on the other hand is one of the rudest people i have ever met. He tells you to come in and ask questions only to give you condescending, rude answers. He makes you feel stupid when you ask for help. I wouldnt recommend him
Rick is a good teacher. He asks questions expecting someone to answer, but when he gets no answer he just moves on. It encourages students to look it up later. Lecture exams are pretty much memorization but lab practicals can be challenging especially with spelling. He's very willing to answer questions in lab if you have any.
His stories are fantastic!
You literally copy word for word notes from the power point to the workbook. If someone already has one filled out you don't really have to go to class. Straight forward tests/quizzes. Many extra credit opportunities as well.
Very straightforward class. You defitnitely need to take notes since the tests are basically word for word memorization. Rick however, can be very rude and unpleasant when answering questions or conversating. I would avoid him and maintain a high work ethic in this class.
Rick definitely knows what he's talking about and presents the material very clearly. He wants his students to succeed. He's also a nice guy. OUTSIDE of class. In class he's going to seem like a complete ass, and you'll want to avoid him if you've never met someone like him before. Get past it and treat him like any other professor.
Enjoyed class setup. It's best to go to lecture. Take weekly online quizes that are directly on the notes. Then some of those questions are on the exams. He isn't very good at answering questions though. Just repeats his notes and doesn't go into the question. Found it best to find a solid study buddy!!!! Good class. Offers extra credit.
Rick is a pretty cool guy. I just don't care for the way he goes about his lectures.They are interesting but I feel as if his method for note taking (fill in the blank) becomes ineffective when studying. All in all the class is all memorization with a lot of material. Making it pretty difficult.
Rick is a nice guy with a bit of a twisted humor.He gives a lot of extra credit and a 90% and up is an A.As long as you study, it's a lot of memorization, but pretty easy.
Rick is tenured professor and acts like a stereotypical tenured professor. He doesn't really seem to care about students. I have had bad professors over the years, but at least I felt like my previous professors cared if I passed or failed. Also, the information be teaches in class is WAY out dated, but that doesn't really seem to bother him.
Rick doesn't teach. He will read you what are on his slides. Only go to his office when you have to. Only ask questions when you have to. Better yet, ask someone else in the class; They won't make you feel as useless. I would enjoy listening to Rick lecture without his slides. First animal bio cumulative Final Exam Spring 2011. Rick 1, students 0.
Do not take Ecology with him! He reads straight off the slides. Very boring lectures. Never used the textbook, which is nice. Tests were very hard. The only extra credit assignment was mandatory and if you didn't do well on it, he would take points away from your total score-- he gave almost everyone a zero on it.
MEAN MEAN MAN! do NOT take him. my god.
He is awesome. For those of you who thought he was mean your crazy. When I went to get my Bio code for 103 he had an actual conversation with me that you could tell was not forced. That he honestly cared what I had to say. His dogs as so cute too. Take him and you will not be disappointed.
I think Rick is a great professor! Although i didn't do so hot on the midterm, i think i have learned a lot from the course. He is very straightforward which is good. If someone asks a dumb question he is not afraid to say so. I love the pictures he throws in the slideshows from his personal collection! He's a nice guy-- always willing to help.
Rick never took a science course in college and he will tell you that. he hands you a big book at the beginning of the semester and that's all of your notes. you must come to class to fill in the end of every sentence. very boring speaker, lectures on oktoberfest behavior, talks about himself a lot, and is degrading if you ask a question.
Rick is a nice guy, but can come off as a jerk. HE gives you a spiral bound notebook of notes, that you just need to fill in the blank. If you are good at memorizing all of the material you will be fine, but it's a lot of memorization. He does want you to succeed in the class and will help you during his office hours.
I really enjoyed Animal Bio with Rick. Everything that is expected of you is laid out very specifically in his spiral book. Yes, the class is very hard and requires lots of memorization, but if you follow Rick's instructions to a T you will do fine. I personally liked his stories and his pictures of all his dogs.
I do not recommend Rick Gillis. Although he does have a lot of life experience and amusing anecdotes, his communication of pertinent information is sub-par. I found his notebook to be disorganized and incomplete. He is intimidating and lacks people skills. Though the subject matter is extremely interesting, Rick is very pompous and rude. Try Perez
The best teacher I have had so far at La Crosse.He expects alot from his students and for me that pushed me to work harder.If you just go over his note youll do fine in my his sclass, everything you need to know is right in his notes. Hard and maybe comes across as mean at first but means the best and wants us to learn how to succeed in the future
Gillis is an extremely rude person. I've never seen a professor be so mean and arrogant before. He talks about his house, his trips, and how great he thinks he is all the time. Apart from that though, the class is not hard. You just read the notebook he gives you and that is all you need to get by. 10 online quizzes and 4 tests.
there's more pictures of his dogs and backyard than there is information regarding biology. going to class is a waste of time. he gives you a notebook and you write in the last word of every sentence while he reads the sentence directly from the powerpoint. take someone else!
Rick is kind of a jerk. He will ridicule you in class for asking a question. Honestly I like his note system, but it is very hard to get the notes if you missed a day. His tests are HARD! His powerpoints are also filled with pictures of his dead dogs, which is incredibly sad and annoying at the same time. One on one he is a pretty cool guy though.
Rick is a nice guy but unless you like memorizing literally 268 pages of notes that you didn't even write yourself, I suggest not taking him. Also, he makes you look dumb when you ask a question.
At first I liked Rick, and then I HATED him, and now I like him again. He can be really rude and I find his tests really difficult, but he really does know the information well. And I love his system for notes. The notebook is really helpful.
Rick was an amazing professor. The best way to succeed in his class is to take the practice exams he gives on D2L. They are extremely helpful and narrow down the information given. He truly cares about his students doing well not only in class but in their future as well. Rick may seem tough but it's only because he cares. Highly recommended!
I posted on here a couple weeks saying how much I disliked Rick. To be honest I still don't like him too much but he has gotten a lot better. I have found out that he acts the way he does because he cares about the student learning and he wants them to succeed. Although he can be mean, I would still retake him if I had to.
Very awesome professor!!!!! his lectures were never dry as he liked to slip in some pretty good jokes. Refers to his dogs a lot that recently passed which made me a little sad :/ HEAVILY used a powerpoint fill-in-blank book- but this was very useful! all of his exam & quiz material came from this directly! easy grader 25 points extra credit avail.
At first you will seriously hate Rick. He seems like a jerk, but he gets better. The class is all memorization, but that's not Rick's fault...it's just the nature of the class. All in all I wouldn't say that I loved Rick, but he isn't that bad either.
Personally I do not care for his methods of filling in the last word of every sentence while he reads the exact same sentences on the pp. He does give a lot of examples which help a lot in memorizing the material. He is VERY helpful one-on-one and always accommodates students' schedules for tests. Funny and REALLY knows his stuff! EASY A!
Rick is a nice guy who really does want kids to come to him for help. He is sometimes hard to find, though. One thing that gets me in this class is I am a very VISUAL person. His lectures are just sentences with no pictures and any of the pictures there are, he skims over quickly. Therefore, I have to look to google a lot as a reference.
I started taking this class, but didn't study as much as it needed. Got a D on the first exam and went to Rick. He suggested that I drop the class and come back. Was very supportive and helpful. Hired a tutor, studied every night and forced myself to attend the 7:45 class every day. Ended with an A. It can be done. Study and work for it.
4 tests all straight from the notes, which you will have to memorize. But all the content on the test is in the notebook he gives you. Per test you memorize about 40-60 pages of facts. There's two extra credit opportunities. Lab has two online quizzes a week. It's really interesting! He's intimidating at first, but overall I super great guy.
Rick is really clear on what you need to know for the test and knows a ton about what he is teaching you. You will learn a lot in this class, but he insists you do it his way. He makes lectures interesting but he is kind of arrogant about all that he knows. Not bad overall
Took this class as a senior and it really is a joke. All you have to do is memorize the content, no critical thinking at all. If your good at memorizing content and are just looking for an A take it. If you want to critically think and learn the subject, avoid this class.
In animal bio, he's tougher on you, that's cuz the material is harder. For ecology, without a lab, its really a joke. You could literally never go and get the notes from a friend and get an AB or even A. At first I liked him cuz he was funny, and a tough sob. But now as a senior i realize he didnt really help me learn much or grow.
Rick is a great person. He truly wants his students to do well in class (after he weeds out the weak ones). However, this class comes with a lot of baggage. He tells great personal stories in lecture, which keeps it interesting. Take this class, and you'll learn a lot. But be prepared to study hard and every day if you want to get better than a C.
Extremely good teacher. Lays everything out for you, all you have to do is study. One of the best professors I have had on campus.
Absolutely awful. Talks down to students. everyone afraid to ask questions. Not a nice man.
Loved him, he was very understanding. His tests always conflicted with my other test days and he was always willing to let me take it at a different time. He really really wants his students to do well. He can be harsh at times but he only means well. LOVED HIM. He made me want to do good in his class.
Rick was a great professor, he encorporates a lot of examples from his life into the class to make it more interesting. He gives a fill-in-the-blank notebook so you don't really have to take notes (just write down the words missing). His tests are all multiple choice and the question come straight from the notes. The textbook is not needed.
Doesn't have dependable office hours if you want to schedule to meet with him. He's been a professor for too long and just assumes everyone is a slacker. Extremely arrogant, unhelpful and insulting. Test questions are made to trick you. Note taking system is nice, but everything needs to be memorized and do review questions after each lecture!
He is probably the worst professor I have had in college so far and I'm a junior. He uses language that is insulting to students. Note taking does not help you learn and he lies about his office hours. He is rude and just reads from his powerpoints word for word.. do not take him.
Rick was a funny guy but takes class seriously. Class can get boring but I would recommend him for sure. You get a huge book with fill in notes for free that you use every class. All of your
Rick really isn't as bad as everyone makes him seem. All of his lectures are through a notebook which he gives you on the first day of class. He stresses you to study and as long as you put in the work, you will have good results. Tests are not tricky at all.
I hated Ecology. Don't take him! He doesn't put the PowerPoints on D2L so you're screwed if you have to miss class. Not approachable. He literally reads straight off the power points. I have a hard time staying awake. The 'practice' tests are not like the actual tests. I'm normally an A student and am struggling to hold and C in this class.
Rick was a very tough professor, but he means well. He encourages you to visit his office hours if you are struggling, even though he isn't very helpful. One benefit of having Rick as a professor is that he prints out all of the notes.
I love ecology or I should say loved! Rick ruined it for me. Straight from powerpoints all day and everyday! Attendance is not mandatory but you better have a friend if you miss class because there's no other way to get the notes for that day. Just stay away from him for ecology; however, I heard he's great for other class!
Lectures were boring, as expected for bio but he just read off the powerpoints. Sometimes I think he gets confused himself so make sure to ask questions when he contradicts himself. I loved how he gave .1 extra credit points for each clicker question, and I think there's over 200 in the course. Not bad.
Rick is a bit intimidating, but I feel I gained a lot from his class. We were on track with the lessons learned in lab (which is SUPER HELPFUL), but the class required quite a bit of outside study time. Just keep track of the clicker questions (for they're often on the test) and set aside time to review his powerpoints outside of lecture.
He's a really nice guy, but he goes way too fast in lecture. If Biology isn't your major and you don't already have background knowledge on all the material, I would recommend against taking him.
rick is by far the worst professor i have ever taken. he publicly insulted me in front of a 70 person lecture because i asked a question twice, because the first time he didn't explain it. dehumanizing to guys. not a good teacher and a mean person. DO NOT TAKE
Worst teacher on campus. Period
Despite what most of these reviews say, Rick really isn't that bad. If you pay attention in class and study the material you will be fine. He is very helpful outside of class. Always willing to answer questions and explain concepts.
Take him! He gives extra credit for every clicker question you get correct. Tests are all multiple choice, no short answer. Test only contains material from lectures. Online quizzes are pretty easy too. Overall a great bio professor!
Worst teacher I've had so far. He knows the information and expects you to learn it just by listening to him talk. Reads right off the PowerPoints. If you fall behind he basically gives up on you.
Test questions can trip you up so you have to know the material pretty well. Rick is very friendly, insists you call him by his first name, and is there to help you! The class consists of him reading off of lecture slides which isn't the most effective way of teaching, but with the amount of material he is expected to cover its understandable.
Everything is straight out of the book Rick gives you. Each lecture, you fill in blanks from his powerpoint and at the end of each section there are reviews that are pretty much exact test questions. The exams are very difficult but you have all the info you need to study. Rick is an excellent instructor and lectures are interesting.
Worst professor I have ever had as a student. There is zero engagement in this class. He just reads off the powerpoints and expects you to learn the material. He is also very ignorant and does not care for 78 of the students in the class. I would never take him ever again. Worst professor on the campus for sure. No question that he is that bad
Rick is a great man, and is very smart. He loves his students almost as much as his dogs (which means a lot-trust me). He is very helpful in office hours. Sometimes he gets a little confused, but that is only because the Bio department keeps switching up their courses. As long as you pay attention and study, his class is totally doable!
I had Rick for BIO 203 lab during Fall 2015. Rick is a nice person and a cool guy, but he was very scattered and always talked about how he would have to check with the course directors. He would do much better teaching and writing his own course.
He reads directly off the powerpoint during lecture. On the extra credit assignment, the directions are super confusing, and he is no help to you. The tests have extremely long study guides and excessive amounts of material for a 3 credit class. There is also a lot of trick questions on the exams. I would highly advise you not to take him.
Pros: 90, 80, 70, 60 grade scale class usually gets out early has a study guide for the tests with pretty much everything to learn only assignment is ec Cons: all points are from tests lots of pointless memorization study guides are super long, powerpoints leave parts out if you do bad on the ec assignment, yo lose points, tough grader
For a 300 level Bio class, this class is extremely easy BUT you need to do the study guides. If you know everything from the study guides and take the practice tests, which are very similar to the actual exams, you should get an A. Mandatory extra credit assignment is an easy way to get points. Only complaint is he can be confusing in class!
For those going into a Bio major I strongly suggest you take this course with him. But for those like me who are not a Bio major I strongly suggest not taking it with him. He doesn't seem to want to help once you fall behind, and talks way to fast in lecture. But gives ample amounts of extra credit, and is very straight forward from lecture to test
Rick is a really easy professor for BIO 105. Bio 105 is a hard course, so when i'm saying he's easy, it means he doesn't go into all the details that he's probably supposed to go into. So, it's nice that we don't have to learn all the specifics, but I'll probably need to learn it in the long run anyway.
Class was easy, dont expect him to get to know you or much help on things for that matter
Rick was a good professor for BIO 105. He's very knowledgeable so it's interesting to listen to his lectures. He makes things very simplified which is nice, but he also goes through the material very quickly which makes it difficult at times. Write down the clicker and quiz questions and the tests should be pretty easy!
Do NOT take Rick Gillis. He makes Ecology way harder then it has to be. He gives unrealistic expectations for projects and makes it impossible to get an A. He answers questions indirectly and doesn't give good feedback. I wouldn't recommend taking this prof unless you have a high tolerance for rudeness.
Gave .1 extra credit for every clicker question answered correctly. If you weren't there at all, you lost not only extra credit, but participation points. His material always differed from my friends in other BIO 105 courses, but overall it wasn't bad. The tests are basically composed of clicker questions or questions from the online quizzes.
The course in general is a lot of work, but thats expected. Rick provides opportunity for extra credit through clicker questions / for participation. Also gives clicker reviews before exams. I personally didn't study hard so I got a c but that was on me. Only information he uses on exams are clicker questions and the slides.
Rick's section is the only BIO 105 section that offers extra credit through iClicker questions. He is very straightforward in his approach to teaching the material and all the tests are multiple choice. The group projects are graded tough, which evens things out a bit. Rick is funny and flexible. However, don't expect him to know you personally.
Rick is a really funny guy and has tons of experience traveling the world, but his lectures are very dry and he reads directly off the slides. Personally, I did not read the textbook since all the material on the tests and exams comes from the slides. There are two group projects, a midterm, and a final. Lots of studying.
Rick has a some good qualities and a lot of not so good ones. He assigns a paper that is worth up to 20 points extra credit (hard, but go to office hours). He can be nice some days, and then very rude other days, so catch him on his good days and he will give great feedback. Tests aren't too hard as long as you study a lot, all multiple choice.
Rick is a good enough professor. He cares about his students and provides a lot of chances for extra credit. His lectures move very quickly and while he will answer any questions, he can come of as condescending. He also tends to repeat himself over and over again, but only on certain points.
I've had Rick twice. After you get past the fact that he can be a little rude at times, you see that he's only trying to help you. He's my favorite professor, the only times he has been rude to me is when I was irresponsible. Don't take Rick if you're not willing to work hard, but if that's the case I don't see why you're even going to college
He goes kinda fast during lecture and is pretty strict about participation but if you go through the slides and learn the definition of words you will pass all of the exams. Gives extra credit for clicker questions in beginning on class but they can be difficult sometimes.
I had Rick for Bio 203 Lab and he was the best. He made lab fun while making it clear in terms of what we should be learning. Would recommend!
He reads off of his powerpoint slides word for word every class period, makes class very boring. If you talk in class, even to ask another student about a slide you missed he will personally call you out and waste class time embarrassing you. He does not give constructive feedback on assignments, his comments are degrading and hurtful.
Take Rick! He might seem rude at sometimes and seem like he doesn't care but he is just preparing you for the real world. His exams are the same as the clicker questions so WRITE THEM DOWN!!! All multiple choice exams that are literally the clicker questions, would recommend.
if you know you're going to miss class log into the reef polling thing to take the clicker quiz even if you can't see the questions because if you miss your participation grade goes down but all of the clicker questions are just extra credit. lectures got kinda boring but pay attention to what he says is important because you'll see it on the exams
Rick is disrespectful and not very understanding of students lives outside of school. I was diagnosed with cancer near the end of the term and he basically told me there was nothing he could do to work with me around my surgery and his final. He made me cry this was the worst class I've taken
Don't take Rick, he reads off the slides (Its bad) and you have to go to class because he makes you fill in one word on almost every slide. His tests require lots of studying and memorization, not to mention that all the answers look the same plus a "None of the above" option. I had 16 Extra credit points and still got a C, and I'm a good student.
Awesome, funny, down to earth guy. Goes pretty fast during lectures, so it was hard to comprehend information until studying for exams. A lot of online quizzes, which should be easy if you know the information, but difficult if you haven't looked over notes since class. 20 point extra credit assignment available. Would take again.
For lecture he just reads off the power point slides that are accessible outside of class. Lectures are pretty boring, but he's a funny guy sometimes. Clicker questions are exam questions. There is a quiz after each section, those questions are exam questions also. A couple group projects that will take a little time. He's kind of rude sometimes.
I had Rick for Organismal Lab. He is one of the toughest graders compared to any of the other labs. He does patronize students, and it is frustrating and uncomfortable. He does try to lecture before the labs about what will be on the lab practicals, but his lectures drag on and on. He will grade the rough draft of the paper the hardest.
PP slides are up to 220 slides long. Study guides in excess of 20 pages. He more or less took quantitative methods in ecology and renamed it BIO 307. WAY more math heavy than other ecology profs.
He calls you out if you whisper in class but all around hilarious guy. Reads directly off powerpoint that he posts on D2L however you get extra credit for clicker questions at the beginning of each class and 10 points at the end for doing 90% of clicker sessions. Test questions are exactly like the clicker questions so make a quilt out of them.
For organismal lab, Gillis gives you all the information you need and hints as to whats on the 3 lab practicals you will have. It's not too hard to do well in this lab, but keep up to date on your lab notebook. VERY bad at giving feedback and constructive criticism. Easy teacher, but really doesn't care for his students at all
His powerpoint slides are SO long, but he goes through them so fast. Tests are exactly like the clicker questions, I recommend taking pictures of them. He does give extra credit points for answering clicker questions, but only up to 15 or so points. The only reason I did OK in this class was because I took AP Bio. If you can get another prof, do it
Rick is an okay guy. He is friendly but also calls people out and doesn't let you say your full question or answer to one of his questions. He goes through powerpoints extremely fast, like 150 per 50 min. class. I recommend going through the notes after class each day. Clicker questions every day for extra credit. Exams are like clicker questions.
Puts students down for not knowing answers during lectures, very rude during office hours, tough grader
He can be funny at times but he he's not very helpful to students. He makes you feel like you're dumb and it's your fault for not understanding something. He's a really tough grader for the group projects. He includes pictures of his dogs in all of the lectures but he reads directly off the slides. up to .5 point extra credit per lecture.
Whatever you do, please DO NOT take this professor. I went to his office hours all the time and he just made me feel stupid and was not helpful at all. Honestly, I do not think that he actually knows what he is teaching. He reads word-for-word off of the powerpoint that he has and goes through them without elaborating at all. DO NOT TAKE HIM!
If you took AP Bio in high school, you will have no problem getting through Rick's BIO 105. Many of his exam questions are identical to the clicker questions, and the only thing you need to study is the study guide taken from the power points to do well. Especially once he knows your name, he can be very beneficial; I've taken ecology with him too.
Rick is one of the rudest, most arrogant individuals I've ever met. I tried giving him the benefit of the doubt during the semester, but he is so degrading if you ask him a question and he thinks he's better than everyone else. He's a terrible prof and an extremely hard grader (especially with rough drafts). If at all avoidable, do NOT take Rick!
Never take Rick for a class. I wanted to take a low level bio class, and did not get what I expected. He does not lecture, but rather read rapidly off 200 page power point slides. You must go to class to fill in blank words on every powerpoints, and the tests are 50 point MC. You will not learn a thing in this lecture. Do not take.
This man is no help with and makes you feel stupid every time you ask a question. Totally unreasonable, I put an upper case "D" on a practical but he thought it was a lower case "b". I asked him to fix it and he told me I was a "liar" and I "text too much". So basically yeah. He's worked here so long I think UWL doesn't know how to get rid of him.
Despite claims of availability, Rick is not approachable. Any question he is asked he refers you to the slides. Content for the same topic does not always match up across resources. Directions and slides are incredibly wordy. He has turned a concept based class into a vocab and definitions course based only on memorization.
The exam questions are identical or almost identical to the clicker questions, so take pictures of those. Rick is not an approachable guy, he is scary! But once you learn how he teachers, the class is do-able. If you are a biology major take rick!!! If you aren't then choose someone easier.
rick is a good man but he's just not the best teacher. he goes fast through lecture slides. there are clicker questions at the beginning of every class and they add up as ec points which is cool. he has study guides to fill out throughout the chapters which are helpful kinda for the exams, but ends up being 15 pgs of info to memorize.
I am a Biology student and have never struggled this hard in a Biology class. Rick has ruined Biology for me and has me ready to change my major. Expect 40 + pages of review for each test. He will publicly shame you for not knowing things during class and office hours. He is the pickiest grader I have ever had and will take points off for nothing.
Probably going to have to retake this class because I'm failing pretty bad and we're half way through the semester. PowerPoints are 100-200 slides long. He covers so much material so fast that it's nearly impossible to study all material for exams. If you tend to zone out during lectures (like I do) I recommend not taking him.
His presentations are between 100-300 slides long and will cover about 100-150 within a class period. You basically have to teach yourself the material because when asked to elaborate on a concept he basically restates what is on the slide and mumbles and rambles. He also is strict with grading on projects. Terrible teacher! Do not recommend!
This class was way harder than it needed to be. Rick burned through 75 slides on average in the 55 minutes we had class. Half my class failed or needs to retake it, only two people got a low A. Good luck if you have to take him.
An okay guy but terrible professor. Everyone I know in the class is going to have to retake it or is barely passing. You have to teach yourself the material and his study guides aren't useful because they are so long and so jam-packed with information its hard to know what you actually have to know for the test. Don't take this class
Terrible professor. DO NOT TAKE!!! If you have a question, Rick will put you down for not knowing the answer and probably won't even answer it.
Ricks a good man but makes this class as hard as possible on purpose. Expect 100 slide powerpoints read word-for-word every lecture and 30-40 page study guides expected to be memorized for the exams. No learning in this class just a ridiculous amount of memorization that he expects from students. He makes this class way harder than it has to be
this class was much harder than it needed to be. rick gillis doesn't teach at all, instead he repeats exactly what is on the slides and expects you to stay interested. I wouldn't recommend taking tis class unless you enjoy teaching yourself material.
He goes through about 200 slides in 50 min. He just reads right off of slides. Very dry and I will not take him again. Rick fits so much content on tests and the questions are difficult. I do not recommend!
This is the worst class I have ever taken. It surprises me that Rick still has a job considering you blow through 100+ slides in one lecture and he reads word for word off the power point. I switched my major after taking this class... not to mention over half my class was failing. If you want to drop your GPA and learn nothing take this class.
He goes through so many slides each class period and expects you to remeber every last detail. If you asks him questions he gets irritated and makes you feel bad. The entire class is struggling and the final study guide after being filled in is over 60 pages long. DO NOT TAKE, I am very good at bio and have a D right now.
Most of the class has D's and he does not care.
Prof. Gillis rushes through slides, and doesn't do well when you ask him questions. However his extra credit clicker questions really help to learn the material. I wouldn't recommend his class if you don't like bio.
In my experience, Rick Gillis is unhelpful and demeaning. The two times I went to his office for help, he insulted me, and in my opinion, came off very arrogant. His perks are he posts all the information you need to CANVAS-but you must memorize it all as his questions are extremely specific. In class, he reads word for word off the board.
honestly such a terrible class and I never fill these out but I had to for this professor. he goes through powerpoints so quickly in class that you don't even get the chance to comprehend what he is saying, each exam is based off of at least 5 powerpoints with 100-200 slides each, and study guides are 15 pages long. half our class failed 1st exam
I had Rick for the lab portion of BIO203. He can be very rude because he WILL call you out, but after a while you get used to it and see that he's just trying to help you. This doesn't mean that I enjoyed being in his section. You have to work really hard on weekly lab assignments because he will take off points little things.
Although Rick is not the most approachable or nicest person, I would reccomend taking him. The clicker questions help so much. They give you extra credit and if you study them you will do well on the tests. I liked him because he made it clear what was going to be on the test and gave you the right materials to study.
Rick is okay at best. Lectures consisted of clicker questions (ex cr) and reading off of the slides. However, he have tips about exams that werent on the slides, so going to class was helpful. He goes EXTREMELY fast and can be quite condescending at times. 14 online quizzes, 3 exams, 3 group projects, a seminar write up, and final.
Rick is very straight forward with what he expects from us. I went into office hours and asked some questions and he responded to me in a tone that made me feel stupid. I continued going to office hours which he really appreciated (but not that helpful), and it seemed like he gained more respect for me. In lecture he does give some hints for exams.
You want your friend to be in Rick's class, but not you. Unlike all other lab professors, Rick gives study guides and extra material that was very helpful for exams, HOWEVER he belittles students if you answer a question wrong or don't know an answer. If you can deal with that, then Rick's class is the best one for you.
I took Bio 203 Lab with him online. If you ask a question, good luck. He will treat you like the mud on the bottom of his shoe, and even get angry when you call him "Professor Gillis" instead of "Rick", even the first time you talk to him. I wish I could rate him as zero. His instructions are vague, and he makes you feel like garbage. Do. Not. Take
This is a gen ed freshman course it is ridiculous to assume that we can teach ourselves content. In his lectures he rapidly reads through 100+ slide show presentations word for word and does not elaborate on his reading. He will touch on a topic briefly and expect you to remember it. He directs you to the syllabus and won't answer questions.
I took Bio 105 online, which probably made this class better than it normally would be. If I didn't have the slide shows, I would not do well. He reads directly off the slides, and as soon as he finishes, goes to the next one. Note taking is impossible. He guilt trips us to ask questions at the end of lecture. He does not help us prepare for exams.
Worst teacher I have ever had. He doesnt care what you say if you are asking questions, calls people names, and doesnt care what kind of grade anybody gets. ive talked to over 50% of our class and everyone has a D. He has slideshows with nothing less than 230 slides and reads word for word with no time for notes. The quizzes dont relate to slides.
He is terrible for a freshman course. He expects you to learn everything by yourself and gives you 100+ slide presentations. He wants you to ask questions, but when you do he acts like you are stupid. I will never take any of his classes again. He is rude and is not helpful at all.
Rick is a nice guy, if you express concerns to him. Yes he does kind of belittle you when you answer a question wrong but he really does care about his students. I have him for lab and he gives us guides for lab exams so we can do wayyyy better. I would take a again if he was my lab prof
Had Rick for lab and only met with him once before moving home for the remainder of the semester. When I would ask him questions, he often took a while and would answer after the assignment was due. Was a tough grader for the organism paper but after resubmitting I received a high grade. Cares about student's lab practical scores.
Teach yourself and you'll pass. Rick wasn't the best prof but the class was doable. Lectures will put you to sleep and you're better off not attending. He also is very unhelpful when asking questions and puts the students down for not knowing the answers. I've had to email him multiple times about mistakes on quizzes before he fixed it.
When I went in to get help he felt very condescending and talked down, and lectures felt pointless. Did most of the learning by myself, although I liked the setup of the slides for taking notes. Exams were hard, but as expected.
will cover over 100-200 slides in a lecture, literally just reads the slides, he'll add worthless anecdotes that he repeats frequently, but they are atleast a brief break in your 1 hour session of reading 200 slides. Also, you will become familiar with his two dogs for some reason, as they are forced into every example.
Despite his rep for horrible lectures and aggressive behavior in office hours, he is a solid professor. He literally give you the exam questions on a study guide which I use for notes. He wants his students to succeed so put in the effort and he'll give you respect. His boys (dogs) in lectures and personal experience shows he's a human too
This dude needs to retire ASAP. Way out of his time zone. Disrespectful, old, grumpy, aggressive, doesn't know how to use technology, and just reads a powerpoint that he puts on canvas, he does nothing more than that.
He is really caring but the hardest grader I have ever had. He sends out powerpoints to help guide you but they are so confusing to navigate. He takes off a point for each small error like missing periods or commas. I have spend around 5 hours doing each lab and following his exact procedure however I still end up with a 3/15. Worst professor ever
I highly recommend looking for other professors! He sits and reads off his own power slides. His slides are over 30+ and talks fast through it. Mentioned that many would fail or drop the first day of class.
He reads off of the slides and expects you to straight out memorize everything. I am a good student and struggled in this class. The tests were beyond difficult. He also isn't easy to approach and ask questions.
Rick was not only not helpful, but an extremely harsh grader. Sitting through 200 page slide shows in 50 minutes is not helpful to learning the material on the test. There is a reason every upperclass man tells you to avoid him.
You have to teach yourself if you have Rick. No less than 100 slides each lecture which he reads directly from, way too fast for note taking. Only positive is the EC iclicker questions every class. Exams(3) are fairly hard and require studying. If you do end up with Rick, take notes before class so that the lecture is a review.
For your own sanity, choose another professor if possible. RIck is a wonderful person but the worst teacher. Lectures consist of him reading directly off of powerpoint slides and goes too fast for you to take notes. When the class average for an exam is 61%, you know it is not about the students' performance. Rarely responded to my emails too.
Rick is a nice guy once you get to know him, but I wouldn't recommend to take his sections if you can help it. He expects a lot, and makes you feel dumb if you dont know the answers instead of helping you learn. He is a very tough grader and I know he has good intentions, but I dreaded going to lab because of his teaching style.
His lectures are terrible, he blows through 200+ slides in under an hour and his study guides are practically useless. The content for Bio 307 is also terrible, they make sure to jam as much random information into one semester as possible. He's kind of a cool guy but his class is so hard to learn in and gives very little clarification if any.
Please listen to these other reviews! Just like everyone else mentions he reads off 200+ slides and does not care about your well-being. He scolded my class for not studying ecology for 9 hours a week and when a student asked him about burn out he just shrugged. He had denied my disability and would not let me test through the ACESS Center.
Hes very sweet and easy to talk to, but his tests are hard if you dont study. He doesnt do short answer questions, only multiple choice which is nice. You have to teach yourself since he just reads off the slides, but his office hours are helpful. Hes also funny and offers lots of extra credit points which makes a hugedifference in your grade!
Bio 307 is a tough class as expected at the 300 level, the way Rick teaches his lectures arent very effective, and you have to go through them again on your own time. Its a lot of material, but if you put in the work to memorize it you should be fine. His quizzes and practice tests are exactly like the exam, and he reuses questions. Nice guy too!
Had Rick for BIO105 and it wasn't what I was expecting. At first, it seems like an easy class, but his tests are very particular to specific things he talked about in class only a couple times. He does offer extra credit by review questions at the beginning of almost every class and it raised my final grade almost 2%.
I actually really enjoyed taking his class. It was very tough but Rick is an awesome teacher and has very interesting stories from his pictures that he shows from his trips. Make sure you go into his office a lot it helps.
Lectures for this class are Rick reading word for word off of PowerPoint slides, each unit has a PowerPoint of 100+ slides. He talks so fast in class it is impossible to take notes. I do not recommend taking him for any classes you will be teaching yourself all of the material. The exams are pretty straightforward, no trick questions.
Rick read word for word off his presentation slides at an unreasonable pace. I left the class feeling like I learned nothing. He came off rude to the class and very uninspiring. Avoid at all costs!!
He lectures very fast, but you have access to all power points. He gives iclicker quizzes in the beginning of each class that count for extra credit. Tests are very easy and exact copies of the questions for the quizzes. He gives you study guides for all units at beginning of semester. Would suggest filling that about before lectures on the unit
Rick goes through 100+ slides per class, so youre pretty much going to have to teach the material to yourself. A couple of group projects which were not too bad. Has iClicker questions that can add up to alot of extra credit at the end of the semester. His exams are a little confusing but once you learn how to study for his tests theyre not too bad
His classes are unbelievably difficult to understand and he made many of us cry
Required you to go to his office to receive a data sheet for a mandatory project instead of putting it on canvas. To make it worse, when I went to his office hours he was not there. Lectures are also very boring and read straight off the slides. Often gets side tracked with unrelated experiences such as what kind of planes he flew.
He means well! - but is monotoned, flies through slides, and has a confusing way of setting up class. If you don't mind sitting and listening to long lectures without writing things down and can adapt to different lecture styles, take Rick. If not, then consider looking elsewhere.
Rick goes through slides way too fast. You're unable to write down all the information in lecture. He means well - but needs to be better at teaching material instead of just reading off 100+ slides per lecture. He does extra credit points during class. Would not recommend if you're not good at learning very quickly.
Was very rude and degrading. Do not recommend.
Rick is a terrible lab professor to have. Did not do a great job explaining what was expected of us and to make it worse was a harsh grader. Old school guy, it could be worse but rick was pretty bad. There are better lab professors.
just reads off the slides, absolutely no point in going to class. goes through 100 slides in 55 minutes. office hours were useless. not a difficult class though.
Extremely disrespectful/degrading! Gives you no time to think/answer extra credit questions. Power points ranged from 70-350+ slides. Reads slides word for word too fast. Taking notes in class was almost impossible. Exams were so specific! Study guides were 10+ pages long and were just a vague outline of power points. Avoid professor at ALL COSTS!
Rick's class was very difficult, especially for freshmen still adapting to college, but he offers extra credit and tests were all multiple choice. He burns through his lecture slides fast so you'll be teaching yourself most of the material, but I found the best way to do well in his class is to fill out the study guide for the slides BEFORE class.
Very nice as a person, but hard to follow and is very lecture heavy. Recommend getting ahead on notes and studying for clicker questions before the class starts
Rick is tough when it comes to grading but it's because he wants you to succeed and know what you're doing. The lectures during the lab get skimmed quickly by him but he always sends you the material to look over on your own time. Homework takes maybe 30 minutes a week and he's clear with what's on exams. Get on his good side and you're fine.
this 3.1 rating is astounding my dog lectures better then rick.
I loved Rick. I think a lot of his poor ratings are due to people not wanting to put in effort for his class. His lecture style is difficult, but if you allocate some time outside of class for this course, you will do just fine. Offered a 20-points of extra credit. His practice exams are nearly identical to his actual exams. Just put in work.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
49%
Textbook Required
58%
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B
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