2.2
Quality4.6
Difficulty31%
Would Retake95
Reviews31%
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
7
4
10
3
19
2
22
1
37
What Students Say
“How in the world is this guy tenured”
BIB414 - 1.0 rating“One of the worse professors, he does not know how to teach PERIOD”
BIB414 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
78%
Textbook Required
76%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.14 avg changeRatings by Course
MICRO1
4.0
(1)MICRO220
3.5
(2)MICRO
3.2
(5)BIO220
3.1
(19)BIOLAB
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
344
5.0
MICROBIOLOGY
5.0
BIOLAB
5.0
BIOLAB120
5.0
MICRO240
5.0
Reviews (95)
No Comments
def a hard ass teacher. if u wanna do good, do all of his extra credit reports and kick ass on your labs. tests are mad hard
Nice guy, He has a reputation of giving really hard exams and it is TRUE. Got an "A" in his class though, thanks to all the extra credit papers and daily pop quiz's he gives. A case of if you snooze, you loose.
This guy is the biggest jerk off you'll ever meet, he sucks as a teacher and in fact, I was talking to another bio prof. about him and he referred to dr. elgart one of the only teachers who "hates teaching" and "cant stand his students"
He speaks like a text book. If you struggle in sciences and take the "easier" non-majors class.. you will still be confused. Mentions somethings for test and tests you on other things. Offers a lot of extra credit but still a hard class.
worst teacher i have ever had aviod at all costs
Excellent teacher and very thorough. Don't expect to coast, sleep, or wing it. If you're just showing up, you won't do well, but if you really want to learn, this professor will help you to do it.
Its a very hard course to begin with. His tests are constructed very different and are hard. Do extra credit and good on lab reports and you should pass the course.
If you're into micro, this is the class for you. You'll definitely learn more than you could imagine but the class is very intense and the tests are extremely difficult. He's a nice guy but don't take him lightly.
Good job. Very thorough and interesting.
This is a brilliant scholar. He is also a gifted teacher. Listen and show some respect...he might change you for the better.
very hard class. Dr. Elgart's test are very difficult, however he does give extra credit assignments to boost your grade up. Do your work and study hard and you will do fine. At times Dr. Elgart can be extremely funny, and he often tells interesting stories.
Very disorganized and unclear when it came to what labs we we were doing. He skipped around a lot in labs, didn't follow the book, I studied the text and took ALL of the notes! He gave study sheets for the first 2 tests, but not for the 3rd, and the last test was the hardest and had things on it that were never covered. Goes off on tangents.
One of the most horrible teacher's Ive ever had. Avoid this prof. if you can!! Extremely unclear and unhelpful. Test are completely random with information not even covered or mentioned in class. If you want to do well in Micro, do not take this professor, you will regret it BIG TIME!!
No Comments
HE IS THE DEVIL! So confusing, if your one of those people who likes to take organzined notes, ha not in this class. He jumps from one train of thougth to another that has absoulty nothign to do with the first thought. Microbiology is hard enough, he confused me even more. He thinks everyone is as smart as him and makes you feel stupid for asking questions. His jokes suck and you can only feel pitty and fake a smile with one of his stupid microb jokes....
No Comments
HORRIBLE! I passed Bio and failed lab cuz of his ass... not to mention his exams are irrelevant!
Dude is seriously the devil. Don't even try to ask a question about anything and expect to not be made ridiculed. He's a cocky SOB, sure hes smart and accomplished but hes egotistical and inconsiderate. Avoid him as best as you can.
One of the worst professors! Makes no sense and speaks in monotone! Took his class, Bio120 because the idiots in advisement told me i needed it before I took Bio170. I got a D in 120, but got a B+ in 170. What was the point. Thanks for ruining my gpa Professor Elgart!
You have to work for your grade in his class. If you don't study, forget it. I disagree with some of the posts here--if you expect to be treated like you're still in high school, you won't pass. Grow up and take ownership of your education.
The Worst Professor EVER
WORST TEACHER DONT TAKE HIM CHANGE CLASSES!!!
No Comments
Great professor but we always had to use the manual and rip pages out and lab reports elaborate...
The most difficult teacher I've had at Farmingdale. Study, study, study. Do every single piece of extra credit you can, because I guarantee you that you won't be able to pass on the exam grades alone. Teaches you concepts and grades you on specifics. If it has a name, write it down and memorize it. He's extremely difficult & not very helpful.
Work your butt off super hard is al i have to say. Sad part is you have nothing too show for it at the end an it looks like you slacked off :( Test..pshh your gonna fail..Lab practicals..Nothing like what your told to study. Lab reports are very very long but do help. Overall it hurt my GPA!!!!
Not a good teacher and very mean! Talks to you like you already know the material!! Why would I be there if I already know the stuff?!! Really needs to revise teaching methods
Yes, it's a difficult class however, all you have to do is STUDY. Maybe the comments here were made by students who are slackers.It's school-did they expect the A to be handed to them? Go in, study and you'll be fine. I took a condensed summer class (much more difficult) and still ended up with a B+. If you need your hand held, don't take the class
The worst teacher I've ever had at Farmingdale. Notes are unclear, review sheets for his tests are useless, and doesn't offer extra help. The guy hates teaching and doesn't care about his students. I had him for lab also and he had me on the verge of tears for making ONE mistake. He acts like you should know the material when you're there to learn
Elgart was easily the worst professor I've ever had in my life. He hates teaching and it shows in his terrible organization and horrible lack of clarity. He shows complete disrespect towards students and tries his best not to help them. The review sheets and book he gives you are worthless and don't prepare you for his tests. Avoid him if you can!
Oh,guys,stop it. It wasn’t that bad! The biggest problem with this class is that it is VERY HARD course. It does require a lot of work. DO every single piece of extra credit. On the exam you will be asked to write short essay, prepare them well –they are worth about 20 point of your exam grade, and you’ll have another 20 from extra credit. Study th
(Cont)Study the review sheets,it will be on the exam. To make your notetaking easier you might wanna print out powerpoints from Talaro website.Opt 4prev.edition book,you'll save a bunch.Overall,Dr.E. is brilliant,the guy actually knows what he is talking about.So,dont be scared,yes,some comments r lil spooky here,but u'll be just fine if you study
Don't you dare defend this man as a good professor. Rating him on his knowledge is irrelevant, this is about how good of a professor he is. And to speak bluntly, he is beyond awful. As is already said about him, he is completely unorganized, intimidating and you cant ask for help without being ridiculed. All he does is show pictures. Doesnt TEACH.
This professor is a very nice and down to earth guy. However, teaching doesn't seem to be his thing. He is extremely unorganized. The test averages were in the 50's....doesn't that mean something is not right?
This time I managed a C. The average test grades were 50 and it drove me to exhaustion, but passing is passing. The hardest course you will ever take in Bioscience, just use a LOT of extra credit and effort. He still cares nothing for his students at all. I actually lost half a letter of grade on two other courses because Micro took so much energy.
Boo hoo, you'll have to work for your grade. Get used to it!
I got an A in this class, if you get him, heres how you can get an A like me. First, do ALL the extra credit papers. Second, STUDY the review sheets(rewrite them if need be). Finally, take your time on the lab reports, and don't leave anything out, do them to his guideline. i got, 84,82,90,82 on his tests, still got A. YOUR WELCOME.
Yes hes hard, yup you gotta study. Text book use is a must, take the notes, rewrite the review sheets, practice for the essays they cont alot, do index cards, an DO THE EXTRA CREDIT. Lab write ups count alot do them properly how he wants them you will get 90's on them.
Not to be rude or anything but please don't listen to the good comments about this prof because unless you're a biology whiz, you will not do well in this class. I am not some freshman slacker I'm going into my 5th year of college and almost didn't get into the nursing program because of this jerk. Avoid him at all costs.
It's nonsense that you have to be a bio nut to get an A. I got an A and was brand new to studying science, and I didn't do a single extra credit report. Guess what? I went home and I studied. I rewrote my notes, I sometimes taped the class, and I studied. Mystery solved. Complainers are lazy or clueless, or both.
Guy is ridiculous tries to teach you his whole career in a semester test are extremely specific to genus names and identication of microrganism studied 90% time for this class 10 % my other 4 subjects. the only thing that boosts up your grades are the reports. do all of them but this guy is a master in his subject knows it to death.
Avoid if possible!!!!
He's EXTREMELY HARD! You will have to work very hard for your grade if you decide to take him. You can't "wing it", It won't work, you have to read the book somewhat, and do EVERY extra credit paper he assigns, because I PROMISE YOU, that you WILL NOT do well on his tests. Study! He's possibly the hardest teacher you'll have, OMG, very stressful...
I also wanted to add (from previous 5/21 review), that he's very disorganized, and quickly switches overheads so you can't properly take notes, I struggled in his class, studied hard. Like I said before do the EC papers! They will help a lot. I ended up getting a B at the end, even AFTER I got the MOST POINTS in the class for the EC papers!, lol.
I had to drop the class. Dr. Elgart is a very knowledgeable man, that in my oppinion is the one of the best in his fields. I think He could be a better teacher if lessons were more focused, so that the scope of the tests could be better understood. He also needs to not assume that the whole class knows about rare species off the top of their head.
currently taking this professor, and I just wanted to say that if you do the work, pay attention in class, take the course seriously, study the review sheets you should do well. plus there are extra credit papers offered. I took my first test today,all of the information from the review sheet was on there and covered well. youjusthave to STUDY
In addition to previous comment, he answers just about all of my questions well and I like him alot, hes very smart!
Extremely intelligent man..if working to get your grade is what you consider difficult, then this isnt the class for you. The class takes effort, but if you apply yourself it will show in your grade. Extra credit a must.
Had him for lab. Very hard professor. Acts as if students should have full understanding of microbiology. Acts like you're an idiot bc you don't understand the microbiology lingo. Will call you out in class too and make you feel dumb. Lab practicals are ridiculously hard. 85% of class failed them. Don't ask questions because he'll just make you fe
He knows his microbiology very well BUT the class is beyond hard. Way too much work and studying for a single class. Between lecture and lab and my other classes the semester is a nightmare.
Take him if you want to be a microbiologist. or take him if you love the class so much that you'll want to take it again - AFTER HE FAILS YOU!
this professor knows everything about microbiology, but expects you to know it all as well. he teaches at a grad level and assigns an insane amount of work
You are going to need to do every extra credit paper to have a shot at PASSING. He's a very smart man, don't get me wrong, but he is not fit to be an instructor. He assumes you know everything he does, makes you juggle 5 labs at any given time, and his tests focus on small details and once-mentioned examples as opposed to broad, important concepts.
avoid this guy at all costs. he goes off on tangents all the time and they don't relate to the course. he's very disorganized, not helpful, and in lab he just tells everyone openly what they did wrong in lab reports, disregarding ways to correct the errors.
microbiology... let me tell you my friend this teacher is pure garbage, he simply has no passion for teaching and it reflects on his students, if its anything i learned from him was, whatever my profession, I better make sure i love what im doing because this guy hates teaching and you can feel it. a very bad teacher
I disagree that this prof doesn't like teaching. Micro is hard, and people who come in like this is their first bio class, and want someone to hold their hand...it's not happening. If he gets impatient or arrogant, I frankly can't blame him. (I did not get an A, btw. But I thought he was a good teacher.)
Micro is a very difficult course and we are all obviously in serious programs to have it as a requirement. Stay up on your readings and assignments and you will pass with him. You will learn a lot from him, just stay on top of it!
Very hard professor, but doing the extra credit and putting in time to study will pay off. He's a genius in his field and there aren't many better than dr elgart.
I am currently enrolled in this class. The professor is unorganized, and has a poor teaching style. He argued early on that using Powerpoint is a poor way to teach, then used the 1980s version of it, an OVERHEAD PROJECTOR! You learn nothing in this class and I fear that later will suffer for it...
Lectures = inaudible. Overheads = unintelligible. Labs = uncoordianted. It is unfortunate that such an amazing topic is massacred in this way. All that aside, I think the lecturers performance in Disney's Up! was remarkable.
Do you see these low ratings all over this site? They're there for a reason! Save yourself the headache! His unorganized lab class is making my hair turn gray!
Worst professor i have ever had. He is beyond disorganized and very confusing. You do 10 labs in one lab session and he gives very little help. Avoid at all costs!!!!
Attention everybody in bioscience,Dr.Elgart's test are intense/stressful. Do all the extra credit essays and study all the synopsis sheets to have a shot of passing. In lab, grades harshly on lab reports and practicles. My advice is to cheat in this class.Karma is real Elgart. The man is Disney's UP was much nicer!!
I had Elgart for the microbio lecture, and he's not the monster people make him out to be. Yeah, he's disorganized and his test questions tend toward the obscure, but he gives very ample chances for extra credit and tells you what essay questions will be on his exams. You can get an A in his class, it just takes work
Had him for lecture and lab. the labs were fun. Not a bad professor. Very smart guy
I have him now for lecture and lab, he doesn't take crap from anyone. That's why he's awesome. Brilliant guy. He's ALL business and you will definitely have to work hard in his class. He's funny though, and has a good personality.
As stated he does teach from old overheads and gives you study sheets that run off the page. When he mentions doing the extra credit essays to help your grades.. DO THEM. The tests have nothing to do with his lectures and he never stays on a specific chapter. So the extra credit is the main thing to focus on in the class.
You'll actually learn something in this class... and RETAIN it.. take him if you want to actually remember what was taught to you by the end of the semester. Can't say that for my other classes.
Study the synopses and go to class! Elgart is tough but cares for his students. What other 400 level professor would add so many points to a test average? People saying he doesn't care about the students ...WRONG. Just be willing to work hard because let's B. cereus it's a tough course. You will get this joke once you take micro.
Very smart professor. Requires hard work if your taking this class over the summer. I don't recommend taking another lab course or working simultaneously. Just study his review sheets and you'll get an A. Impossible to fail especially with extra credit. Lab practicals are tricky but count less than tests and reports. I recommend this class.
Lectures nothing to do with exam. STICK TO "SYNOPSES" as he calls them- memorize if possible (I had to figure this out the hard way). no clarity as to what material is being covered. offers little expects great return- 2 essays per exam, with vague headings (often compare and contrast) and referring to material he is lazy to cover. BE ON YOUR TOES.
Elgart is really not as terrible as everyone makes him out to be. He is extremely knowledgeable in his field and and a nice guy. You will have to work for a good grade but that's not unreasonable. He gives you opportunity for extra credit every week (which you should definitely do) and he gives a review sheet and the essay topics before each test
Rude and inconsiderate. Make sure you come to class even if he stops taking attendance.
Ok. This class is very hard. I passed with a c+ with doing alot of studying. He gives out these review sheets that are really old, small font, and hard to read. If you memorize these review sheets you will probably ace the test. Mind you. VERY long review sheets but doable. I got an A, 75, then 75 on the tests. Get ready to study alot!
He is rude and is not clear in his lectures pertaining to exam material.
He's disrespectful to his students, if you ask a question he gets angry. His lectures last longer than the allotted time, sometimes he goes an extra 20 minutes. He's very vague and won't describe what he wants. Yes he does give extra credit (5 page papers 5 points on each test) but if it isn't exactly what he wants you won't get points.
Study/memorize his review sheets and do as many extra credits as you can!
Worst professor I've had anywhere. I don't understand how he is still a professor. He's absolutely terrible. The only reason that anyone passes is because he hands out review sheets and allows you to do extra credit. The average score on all of his tests is in the 50's and he doesn't curve . The extra credit is a minimum of 5 pages due every week.
Terrible professor. Give out the WORST handouts you can barely read and sometimes he can't even read. The only extra credit he gives is 5 page papers every 1-2 weeks.
I really don't know how he has a rating over a 2. Trust me when I tell you he deserves a 0.00. I'm pretty sure he doesn't even grade the tests and arbitrarily picks out numbers. The tests are all matching columns and extremely vague. Anyone who says he isn't that bad is lying or insane. Hes intentionally rude and disrespectful to students as well.
How in the world is this guy tenured? I feel like he got his degree in a cracker jack box. ok well: 1. Does not give notes or powerpoints, only teaches off sheets that you cant read. Its like heiroglyphics. 2. Gets angered when asked a question, degrades students severely. Exams are a nightmare. 3. My advice? sit in the back n try to google.
I took his for medical micro lab and you really have to know what's going on and take notes for the report. There's a report due every week and he will nit-pick. If you miss something, you're basically screwed. He's sarcastic, which can come off rude, but he does seem like he cares and want students to do well.
Some Hope! Yes, this guy does give out dittos that are barely readable, you do have to memorize the review sheets & he does make you feel stupid when you ask a question. BUT he makes it interesting with his lectures (when you can hear him) and his extra credit is a lifesaver! Do ALL the extra credit and you will pass!
One of the worse professors, he does not know how to teach PERIOD! Lectures are very DISORGANIZED, no powerpoint slides and no textbook to study from, only gives out some random sheets of papers that are impossible to read. Often drifts off topics and talks about scientific findings which are not relevant to the exams.
First off, he'll tell you you don't, but you need the book. Secondly his lectures are garbage, he hands out a sheet with probably 5 different diagrams on each side and they're all massed together and illegible. Third, his "weekly" extra credit isn't weekly but do them all. Finally his test are awful, he doesn't even ask things that were covered.
Hand's down, one of the worst professors at farmingale. It's 2017, no powerponit slides and he is still stuck in the past with handout sheets that make little to no sense, if you can even read them that is. His extra credit 5 pg weekly papers are tedious. He has absolutely NO ORGANIZATION in is lectures, rambles on things not exam related.
I've taken this class twice (withdrew the first time due to failing, and received a C- the second time), and the class was not easier the second time. Do all of the 5 page extra credits he gives (that's how I passed). He also gives you a pre-req essay due before the exams, do them! Easy +4 on your exam. Memorize the synopsis sheets. Hardest class.
Totally horrible professor. I'm positive no one would pass his class if it weren't for the obscene amount of extra credit he offers. Lectures are unorganized, handouts are impossible to comprehend, and review sheets don't help at all. I would say don't take this professor, but hes the only one who teaches micro at farmingdale, so you have no choice
Elgart is a bit unorganized but you can tell he is passionate when he talks about Microorganisms. Though if you do ask a question, don't be alarmed when he makes it seem like everything you ask is a stupid question. DO THE EXTRA CREDITS!!! Take notes in class and when i mean that, take down every word he says or else go buy the textbook.
This guy is one of the worst professors Ive had in my entire collegiate career. Hes ignorant and old and will get annoyed if you ask a question! His tests are impossible, even when he gives you a synopsis of each topic he went over. No PowerPoints so get ready to take notes that have nothing to do with the exams.
best prof ever
Microbiology is a tough course, but Dr. Elgart makes it unreasonably difficult. The handouts he gives are illegible and are harder to understand than reading the textbook, he cannot answer a question without belittling his students, and there are only 3 exams. He does offer 5 page extra credit papers, and this is what saved my grade.
I loved professor Elgart! He was so passionate about the material he was teaching, and truly UNDERSTOOD what he was teaching in such a way that you couldunderstand fully as well. Some students may have had issues with his old-school style of teaching (no powerpoints) but I felt it did not make a difference as long as you listened carefully in class
It is well known that this class is made incredibly difficult for no reason. However if you're reading this, it is because you're trying to see what he's like- as he's the only one who teaches micro in farmingdale. If you want to pass, rely on the synoptic sheets. It's all matching on the tests, so use the definitions on the synoptic sheets.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
78%
Textbook Required
76%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.14 avg changeRatings by Course
MICRO1
4.0
(1)MICRO220
3.5
(2)MICRO
3.2
(5)BIO220
3.1
(19)BIOLAB
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
344
5.0
MICROBIOLOGY
5.0
BIOLAB
5.0
BIOLAB120
5.0
MICRO240
5.0