2.5
Quality3.8
Difficulty39%
Would Retake84
Reviews39%
Would Retake
84
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
12
4
14
3
15
2
18
1
25
What Students Say
“If you like to ask questions, pick a different professor”
BIO105 - 1.0 rating“This guy is just HORRIBLE”
BIO105 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
35%
Textbook Required
70%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.27 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO03
4.0
(1)BIO243
3.3
(7)BIO109
3.1
(14)BIO120
2.8
(12)BIO323
2.6
(18)Difficulty by Course
PLANTS323
5.0
BIO103
5.0
BIO323
4.1
BIO109
3.9
BIO105
3.9
Reviews (84)
Nice guy, but unclear at times, hard quizzes and expects too much for students.
Doesnt tell you what to expect for quizzes and tests. Doesnt have people skills. Has lots of quizzes.
If you have any sense of self preservation...RUN!!!
Could you do anything besides powerpoints? Who knows what's going to be on the test and quizes. Is very rude when it comes to helping you in lab. Doesn't really seem to care if you understand the concepts of his class or not.
Very unclear about what to expect for quizzes and tests. Expects you to know alot of information. Have to draw plants to so if you dont like art dont take this class! Lacks communication skills.
Unclear about everything! Makes you feel stupid if you dont know the answer. Tests are really long and barely get done b4 class is done. Lab practicals are a real pain!
Fairly unclear during lectures. Barely uses anything from the books. Tests are moderately difficult and sometimes catch you by surprise. Class is extremely boring.
This guy needs to take a few public speaking classes. His tests have material that no one has seen before in the class. He's got potential but thats about it.
RUN! if you have any class with him get out now! Test are very hard, only ueses graphs and power points. Expects you to know way to much. He isnt helpful with what is going to be on quizes or tests at all. He really sucks@!
Expects everyone to have a ton of previous plant knowledge. Test are on obscure points he doesn't even cover. Lab practicals are impossible.
Lectures are boring but information is structured. If you understand the notes from class, the tests are fine. Attend class for all the activity points! Nice guy and he knows his stuff. Didn't use the book once!
RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! hes a great guy & can be quite funny but his lectures are instense and he expects way too much from you like it is a 300 level class study for the lab quizzes bc the test suck! and it will keep your grade alright he does some curving b/c ppl do so bad...
Lectures are the pitts, sooo boreing. The class itself is not very hard. Just study the notes he gives on blackboard before a test. I skip lecture about 25% of the time and am still getting a B in the class.
If you put the effort in, he will pass you! The class starts out hard, but gets a lot easier. Hollister will go out of his way to make sure that you understand the information, he's a good guy.
Hard class, but you get a lot out of it. Mr. Hollister is a very nice guy but if your not ready to study then DON'T take this class. I enjoyed his labs but I'm glade it's over!
Took the class and failed so im taking it again. He's a cool guy, funny, and will help you out a ton if you go to him for help. Labs are fun and quizes are pretty easy but watch out for the tests!
biggest douch-bag ever....absolutely hated this guy, extremely boring, clueless on the lab material when you asked him questions and kept you for the entired time...whether you were finished or not
Not quite as bad as everyone says. Boring powerpoint lectures, jumps around alot, pretty tough tests, but pretty helpful if you ask for it and go to his office. Could probably be a good prof in a small size class, he just needs more structure and experience in his teaching style.
I'm amazed that he still has a job at GVSU. I'd been looking forward to taking this class since my freshmen year. It turned out to be a total disaster. He had no organizational skills. He would mention things that would be on the practicals in passing to 2 or 3 students if they asked but would fail to mention it to anyone else. Avoid at all costs.
Excellent instructor, knows his stuff. Well organized class presentation, listens to students. Makes every effort to address student needs and/or concerns. If you aren't doing well, he makes himself available, so do not blame anyone but yourself. Sense of humor is priceless, I'd take any of his classes.
TERRIBLE TEACHER. I thought this class was going to be fun and easy, and it was horrible. He was very unclear in his lectures and jumped around topics a TON. I needed help and got help from him, did everything he told me to do, and still FAILED. Don't take this class.
If you can avoid this man, DO. His tests go WAY beyond what a 105 class should expect, forget about getting an A or even a B for that matter. Assignments are extremely easy however which is the only this that prevented him getting a 1. Bad prof. needs to learn how to teach.
Hollister was probably the best science teacher I had ever had. I got the first A in science since 9th grade. The work is easy, but you do have to put in a little effort to study for tests. The material is well covered. If you can have him for this class I suggest you get him.
It was a tough class. three tests and some assignments. material covered in class wasnt really related to tests and only get a study guide on the first test. a lot of learning on your own is required
If you are willing to show up to class and do some token assignments for each period, the only time you will really have to put a lot of time in outside of class is for studying when you are provided with good study material outline
Prof Hollister made this class extremely displeasing for me to be in. The class avg. on the first exam was a 59... what does that tell you about his teaching skills?
The worst professor i have had yet. I go to class, read the book, do the study outlines, everything you could imagine... and he "won't just give you free points" so theres no curve, the majority of the class is failing. Really tough. Questions way more in depth than he actually teaches, or that the book goes into.
Hes pretty nice and helpful. Be ready to study, tests were all at a low D class average. All very difficult. In class assignments and lab quizzes will pull up your grade a lot though. Dont go to lecture and youre screwed; his blackboard notes are quite different from the ones he uses in class--the ones he actually tests you on. Lab is fun and easy.
This is the hardest level 100 class I have ever taken. Tests are a pain in the ass, he gives you a practice exam for the first test and thats it. The review sheets and vocab number in the hundreds in questions for the test. Difficult grader Just way too much for level 100 RUN
He is a horrible professor average grades on exams are 60%, over half the class is failing. Avoid this class like its your job.
He's okay. I wouldn't highly recommend him, as he can be pretty boring, and he digresses alot. Also his tests are really hard and make up the maj. of the grade. He is pretty cool about meeting u outside of class, though.
I would NOT recommend him... he's not a mean guy or anything, but his tests are extremely hard and he doesn't do a very good job of explaining things. Almost the entire class is failing right now because his tests are ridiculous.
he was my least favorite professor i have ever had. he was very unhelpful when i saught help outside of class. Nothing he lectures about shows up on test it's just blind luck if you find an exam question you can actually understand. usually around half the class is failing during the semester. Avoid him if you have the option.
This guy is the worst professor i have ever had! he goes through his notes too fast and when people ask him to slow down or ask hima question he just mumbles something about "VERBAGE" and moves on. his test never follow the material. he is unhelpful outside of class and often gets concepts confused. its better to take the class later than with him!
Hollister was HORRIBLE. I got an A- in organic chemistry and a C+ in his class after working my butt off... If you can avoid him, DO. The class was way too hard for a level 100 class, it was rediculous.
what a babe!!! i laughed all the time at his jokes, he is sooo funny!!looove this man!
He was the worst professor I've ever had. Boring lectures, long difficult tests based on pages and pages of power points. Class average grade on tests was in the low 60s.
Expects a LOT of work done out of class. This class is like a 4 credit 400 level class, don't let the course catalog fool you. A lot of people dropped after the first few weeks. Not necessarily difficult material, but a lot of time and his exams are ridiculous. Asks questions that have nothing to do with the class.
I enjoyed his class. He is really helpful and as long as you answer his study questions you will do well on his exams. I definitely recommend him.
AVOID!!!!
Professor Hollister is Hillarious. Makes real life examples, which may cause him to lose focus of his lecture. Exams are easy if you study the lecture questions and ask him questions in his office hours. I found him to be an interesting prof. and I would take him again. Attend class... he gives assignments and quizzes atleast 1nce a week.
Hollister is a great Prof! He is very clear on his exspectations and is really easy to understand. He is funny, and the tests really are not that hard... you dont have to read much outside of class and assignments are fairly easy. The only downer is that he can get pretty boring in lecture!
This class was very hard for me. I had to take it for my minor otherwise I wouldn't have taken it. A lot of work and tedious assignments for this class. Tests are very hard. Make sure you know your plants.
Prof Hollister has been the worst prof i've ever had. his exams are impossible not matter how often you attend class, how many notes you take, or how many hours you study. The course was material was interesting he basically ruined it for me.
I really like this guy. I think he is a good teacher and funny too. He is always cracking jokes and making real life examples. He really likes plants tho! haha As long as you come to class everyday you'll be fine, there are quite a few in class activities that will add up fast if you don't do them! Tests are fair but you have to study!
WORST professor I have ever had in my life. I will never take a class from him again. Very unfair and unwilling to help even when you do go to his office hours to get help, he will just tell you that its because your notes arent organized the right way thats why you aren't doing well. STAY FAR FAR AWAY!!!!
He was a really nice guy, he would always tell funny little jokes about his wife and show us stuff about his research that was pertinent to what we were doing. Towards the end of the semester i went off the deep end and skipped every tues. EVEN when i did that i still got a C, my point being he is very reasonable and if you attend you'll do well
DONT take him if u have other options.take notes b/c he doesnt give you all the ppt slides.few inclass group activities are quick and easy.Exam reviews are mostly for format.goes over exam but doesnt always give you everything you need.he says 'its kinda cool' ALOT. sounds ****ed with some jokes. just all around WEIRD guy.
THE most AWFUL prof I've had in 4 years at GVSU. Boring lectures (reads ppts in his sneering, arrogant, whiny voice). Lab = memorizing 100s of indistinguishable plants (hard to study outside of lab without access to them). Exams and practicals are filled with obscure questions. Great for the 2 tree huggers in the class. Torture for the rest of us.
ALthough he is a hard prof for other classes for this one he was incredibly simple. I took this course in a three week spring class period and it was super simple. he understood that we were all seniors and this was the last class we all needed to graduate. Therefore he made it a cake walk.
Great class! I'm surprised by how much I now know about wetland plants. Be prepared to study though, lots of quizzes and two lab practicals. If you are willing to put the effort in you will do well in this class.
Great professor, knowledgeable and funny. There is nothing wrong with a professor that challenges you. YOU have to put effort into the class to get stuff out of it!
I did not like Professor Hollister. I found this class to be very hard to follow and he's not very good at going into detail on topics. His exams were pretty hard and he doesn't put up reviews for them. I would not recommend him.
Dr. Hollister is a great professor, we only had 3 exams and a final, as well as a group project and weekly assignments (easy 3-5 question assignments, mainly a grade booster). Nothing was too difficult and he is generous with adding points to exams.
There are 3 exams and then the final. Every class a homework assignment is due to help boost your grade, they are super easy and take no time at all. He is pretty good about telling you what you should know for the exams but you still need to study for a good amount of time. Highly recommend going to class to get notes.
Had him for a short 3 week class over summer. He was really friendly and straightforward. He had a great sense of humor and the class was very laid back. We went on field trips almost every single class. He told us ahead of time what would be on the exams, so they were pretty easy. If you are a bio major and need a plant class, take this one.
This guy's exams are super hard. Most of the stuff I don't even know if he mentioned in his lectures. When he gives you questions on blackboard you literally can't find them. Also as a gen ed requirement he wants you to know a lot, like you are actual science major. I literally hate everything about his class
If you like to ask questions, pick a different professor. He mocks students in front of the entire lecture if their question is simple. His exams are impossible Study everything he gives you for hours and you still won't even get a B. This is way too difficult for a gen ed.
This guy is just HORRIBLE!! His exams are super hard, and most of the material I don't even remember he mentioned in the class! This class is too hard for a GenEd, it's like being a science major. HE IS JUST THAT KIND OF PROFESSOR YOU HOPE YOU WILL NEVER GET!
Easily the worst professor I've EVER had at GV. Not only is he extremely rude, but nothing he goes over in lectures are on the exams. Do not take this professor! I don't care if it's the only option left, pick a different class, you will regret it!
I have taken courses with many professors and Dr. Hollister is not one I'd recommend. His tests are tough (even for an intelligent student that comes to class and reads the book in advance). 500/600 points come from exams. Lets his political sentiments influence class. I would advise to avoid him for BIO 105 if possible.
I didn't know much about plants before this class and didn't really care but he makes the class doable! He is laid back and understands that a lot of the people taking the course need it for the one plant class required so he doesn't make it too difficult, just make sure to be in effort in order to succeed in this course! Take him.
This guy, let me tell you, he is something else. I have never struggled in school but this class is easily the hardest class i have ever took in my entire life. DO NOT TAKE THIS. He is so biased and brings politics into it.
Don't buy the book. Lectures are your typical science lecture (mostly powerpoint). You could skip class and just read the powerpoint off blackboard, however the best way to study for a test is to fill out "study questions" during class. You do one group project, which is graded pretty tough. My advice is to take it to the writing center.
Decent guy, not a great prof. He's funny and laid back, but does a really poor job explaining what he expects you to know. Also does not give good descriptions of plants which makes a plant class difficult. He frequently says that stuff is "easy" but does not make it easy for students to understand.
He's a good prof that can be misunderstood. I heard a lot of people in my class complain about him, but I really liked him and thought he was pretty funny. The whole class is super laid back but there's quite a bit of work. Quiz almost every week & 2 practicals. It's not an easy A, but it's definitely doable if you're willing to work for it.
Professor Hollister is very knowledgeable and passionate about his work, however, his lectures are so hard to sit through because he is so monotoned and does not engage with the class. The homework assignment are super easy but the lectures have nothing to do with whats on the exams and the exams are SUPER hard. Would not take him again.
Although he is a great guy, not the best professor. He is very lecture heavy and it is so boring. You have 5 small assignments that are worth 5-10pts each and 3 test through the whole course excluding the final. His study questions are almost never on the exam so I never knew what to study. He thinks everyone is a bio major when he lectures.
Exams have little or nothing to do with the quizzes and the study questions he gives are not similar to those on the actual test. His lectures are long and boring and there is only about 5-10 minutes of useful information in an hour and 20 minutes of a lecture. He is also very opinionated on topics and grades very tough. This class sucks.
Took in summer, super fast-paced. A lot of assignments, stayed up late most nights and worked the next day. It was fun to learn all the plants, the assignments were helpful but he tried to trick you on them and exams. Lectures were eh, I would suggest getting a buddy for this class. He came off as "you should know this" in meetings but overall ok.
I took this class online for winter semester 2021. Prof. Hollister made the lectures very comprehensive. You can take the weekly quizzes as many times as you want for a higher score until the window closes, then can use them to study. He was super funny and realistic about climate change.
refused student recommendations, is online but held an inperson "field trip" during another course. Refused to change times, when I and others asked. Unlimitied attempts on assignments, but you can't see what you get wrong... so useless too unless you have hours of time to dedicate. Utterly stuck in his ways, unwilling to compromise. AVOID. AVOID.
This class is unbelievably difficult for a three week class. He expects you to know nothing, but expects you to know everything. Respondus for a class like this is so unreasonable, if you were in a field you would be able to use your resources. He admits that he doesn't even know all the plant families. Just unfairly difficult. Save yourself!
I would say that out of all 4 years of going here that this is the worst professor that I have ever taken!! With his online lectures he explains things like you already know everything in no way does he really explain how do identify the plants. Sometimes I'm convinced he doesn't know what he's taking about. Plant identification in lab is also hard
I think the other ratings for this professor are a little too harsh in my opinion. He explains things well but you need to have a little bit of back ground knowledge about plant biology before taking his classes. If you work hard and be present you will do well. Overall he knows what he's talking about and cares for his students, he is patient.
Good luck. He explains terms not with their simple definitions, but with terrible examples (most of the time he mumbles them and you don't even know what he meant). He'll then proceed to test you on the things that he failed to explain properly.
I never leave reviews but his ratings are inaccurate. BIO 243 was my favorite course taken at GV. Can retake the assignments, I got 100% on all. Quizzes/exams are recorded but easy. Held field trips. I enjoyed them but can get an A w/o them. Everything needed is online. 3 weeks is hard, if you're busy w/ other things then don't take this course.
Yes this course is 3 weeks long, but the work is very manageable if you dedicate time every day to lecture content and assignments. You can retake almost everything besides proctored quizzes and exams to get 100%. Very fun and enjoyable class. All the due dates are relaxed and he is very understanding. An easy A with daily effort.
This class made me genuinely miserable. The amount of material we had to learn each week was insane and myself and all classmates I talked to were very overwhelmed. Exams are on lockdown AND recorded. First exam average was 60 and he said he expected it to be *lower* and that "it only gets worse from here". Avoid at all costs.
This class had potential, but his unrealistic expectations and overwhelming workload made it discouraging to even try. Learning countless plants and terms weekly was excessive, and his tough grading only added to the stress. I wanted to enjoy the subject, but his poor teaching approach made it almost impossible. Highly recommend avoid this class.
Professor Hollister was great. He is very knowledgable and he taught the course content very well. He is super nice and friendly, and very accommodating to late work. I missed an exam once due to working late and he allowed me to take it after the fact without taking late points. Very kind person and I highly recommend!
If you don't have to take his class don't it's not worth it. He gives so much homework each week. He's a poor explainer, he'll put things you didn't learn on exams. He makes you don't group projects even though it's online. He shouldn't teach online courses because he's a bad professor. He grades things late and the homework is so unnecessary
Lot's of homework and lectures, but he was hilarious and made the topics interesting and fun. Even with the homework, he gives you 5 chances per quiz to get a better grade. If you get a bad grade, it really is just lack of effort.
He's a terrible professor, his jokes are misogynistic and he's not a good explainer
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
35%
Textbook Required
70%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.27 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO03
4.0
(1)BIO243
3.3
(7)BIO109
3.1
(14)BIO120
2.8
(12)BIO323
2.6
(18)Difficulty by Course
PLANTS323
5.0
BIO103
5.0
BIO323
4.1
BIO109
3.9
BIO105
3.9