2.4
Quality3.7
Difficulty35%
Would Retake272
Reviews35%
Would Retake
272
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
33
4
34
3
53
2
68
1
84
What Students Say
“Thomas, his test are not that tough if you try this amazing new learning concept called studying”
BIO2200 - 4.0 rating“Professor Thomas is such a nice man but an absolutely awful professor”
BIO1510 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
6%
Textbook Required
35%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
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Declining
-0.58 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO1510AND2200
5.0
(1)2200
4.5
(2)BIO2270
3.5
(2)BIO1030
3.4
(5)BIO2600
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
BIO3070
5.0
BIO1050
4.1
2200
4.0
MICRO2200
4.0
BIOBIO
4.0
Reviews (272)
If you love a professor who just reads of slides without further notes, this is your class. As much as I love the subject, he made it kind of boring. Lab is awesome though, the tests are easy but he puts true or false questions that are annoying. He is good compared to other professors
He only read off of the slides and put no extra effort into teaching the information. I had to teach myself most of the information by using the book. However, the tests are pretty easy and generalized.
Reads of powerpoint presentations that came pre-made with the textbook. Can't answer basic questions without giving the run around and ultimately saying "I'll get back to you." Should not be teaching. If you ever have him drop the class.
Actually, for those who think he reads off his slides, ofcourse thats what slides are there for. very clear in his presentations though , he adds on information to his slides frequently , he adds on based on his extensive experience in labs working with microorganisms. He also tells you whats going to be on the exams,I highly recommend him.
This was his first semester teaching undergrad and he honestly did an amazing job. He did read off the slides but did add on when necessary. People complain because they had to read the book. We'll uhm welcome to college? Such an amazing professor.
He is helpful and friendly, however, he merely read off his slides so going to class was pointless. The tests were "supposedly" 80-90% from the slides and the remaining 10% from the book. BUT his qs are more conceptual and basic than the slides and if you overthink something on an exam it will be wrong. only 30 exam qs, so even a few wrong hurts u
Please tell me how he is good when he reads word for word off slides that the book company made? That's all he does and he's a bum!! He makes no effort 2 teach anything extra seems like he doesnt kno what hes talking about and cant answer basic questions. Other than that read the book take solid notes and ull be fine i got 970 pts doing & got an A
DON'T TAKE HIM!!! He just reads from slides. He doesn't answer every question that students ask in the class. It's better to do this class in Spring/Summer rather than take him in Fall or Winter.
I didn't like him at all. I read the book, take notes. I really didn't like that he wasn't able to answer students questions or he didn't know how to answer it and told students "well read the book." I don't think a professor should teach a subject unless they know the ins and outs, and he did not. Tests were out of 30, thats it..
Professor Thomas does nothing but read the slides to you. Anything you might find interesting about microbio is rendered completely dry in his lectures. Seeing in how we all know how to read, going to class was deemed useless by at least 80% of his students.
Dr. Thomas only reads off the slides. He goes into the material a little bit, but you are only tested off the slides and from the book. The tests are only 30 questions. He is not very helpful, but he is also not that difficult. Doing well in the lab is very important, but the lab is hard! Study and you will be fine!
If you can avoid taking a class with him, I HIGHLY recommend it! He reads straight from the slides and half his exams have hardly anything to do with the things he goes over in class. There is a practical in the lab and he tells you all semester that he will curve and never does. AVOID AT ALL COST.
All lectures recorded so useless to go to class. Tests 30 questions, but total 120 points each (4 pts each). Test 1 was insanely easy, after that they were ridiculous. We had a 40% average on test 3, and he said "it's normal"!!!! He says if you want an 80%, read lectures, if A then read the book too..tried it and got a B (no curves).DONT TAKE HIM!!
Do not take this class with him. He does not know the material, and reads directly off the slide. Attending lecture was a waste of time, I learned the material on my own. He doesn't email back either.
Hard to follow because he blatantly reads off slides and does not attempt to explain. Does not display good knowledge of subject. True and false on exams is tricky. I advise you to take it with another professor. Avoid.
He is extremely boring and he does not even now the material he is teaching. You are better off not even going to class because you cannot hear or listen to him. He does not curve or give extra credit. The only grades are his exams that was poorly written and taught. I recommend taking another professor.
Dr. Thomas is a relly good professor, his presentations are easy to understand, his tests are based from the book and power points. Moreover, Dr.Thomas also has good sense of humor and hes a nice person. His a great teacher overall. The bad part about this class is lab, its kinda hard, but not impossible.
Probably one of the best bio proffessors that wayne has to offer!!!
I don't understand why people complain about being able to miss a class and not be hurt by it. This teacher is extremely nice, funny, and helpful. I cannot stress the importance of reading the chapters and reviewing the end of chapter questions, as he uses some of these questions directly on exams. The lab component is horrible.
As a bio major I highly recommend him. He's extremely nice as well. Be sure to read the chapters in the text and review questions. Lab component was more difficult, start taking notes for quizzes ahead of time if possible. Lab GTA was pretty unhelpful, so be prepared for that. End of chapter questions for Thomas, don't forget!
Easiest Bio class at wayne state. 4 exams, no final, no homework, don't need book. Study off his powerpoints and you will get an easy A. Lab portion has 2 lab exams that are supereasy, and really easy quiz in lab every week.
Professor does not teach reads straight off lectures. Tests are completely random and are very hard not recommended at all
Horrible !!! He doesn't teach and his tests are too hard for how little he teaches ...
Dr. Thomas constantly loses his place in lecture and gets side tracked very easily. On top of that, the exams are nothing like his power point lectures. He's scatter-brained and random, to say the least. Not recommended.
He's a good bio teacher. His questions in the exams might get outside the material covered for the exam, but overall he is good.
The most boring lectures ever. He TRIES to read directly off slides, but will be side tracked every 2 seconds. You will never touch the book in this class because exams are on the boring power points. The lab is hard. Study for the quizzes in advanced & for the 2 lab exams. Good luck.
Hardest class ever. Class made me feel like I was in graduate school. Had to read textbook because his class was too hard. Take with anyone else
He is the WORST teacher!! He never ever replies back to emails, the exams are 30 questions so getting very few wrong screws you, and you basically have to self teach yourself the material. He reads directly off his slides and has messed up on every exam we have taken!!! AVOID
Dr. Thomas is by far the best biology professor I have ever taken. The lectures were very clear and cut to the point, and he was actually very funny. The people that whine about his class are probably people that don't go to class bc attendance wasn't mandatory. Yes, the exams were only 30 questions, but he still curved the grades. Great professor!
Awful Teacher. Just awful. I studied my butt off for every test (at least 10 hours for each) and I couldn't get higher than a 66% on one. Can't teach, gives impossible tests, and not to mention, the lab is worse. Nothing he teaches is on the exam...NOTHING, unless he specifically tells you that something is going to be on it.
Uhh..Just got out of the final and this class makes me want to drink heavily. Says to study all of the exams we took for the finals..everyone studies the exams we took and he completely blindsides us with some totally ridiculous and sloppy exam where he attempted to "change around" the answers. Avoid this class if you do not want to see me at AA.
Attendance is not mandatory and he only goes through the slides which are posted on blackboard and doesn't really teach the material. Your entire grade is based on the exams and lab and you basically have to teach yourself everything. Dr. Thomas is very fair though and will help you if you go to him during office hours.
I don't know what everyone's problem is... I studied the night before the exam and got a hundred, or near it on every test without any kind of a curve (all I looked at were the slides). Only hard thing was the final lab practical- a killer- but Dr. Thomas isn't responsible for that. Get to know him- he is an awesome guy, really great to talk to.
Avoid if possible. Gets distracted frequently, does little aside from reading the slides to you. You have to teach yourself if you have professor Thomas.
The course itself is somewhat difficult, but mostly because his exams (inclding final) are 30 Qs each. The lab practicals are difficult. But you can debate with the prof about questions and if you are reasonable, he can toss out the question(s). It's no bird course, so what did you expect? Work hard (study slides dont need textb) & you can get an A
Not the greatest lecturer but he is a reasonable guy and the exams weren't bad. Study the powerpoints and you will be fine. Lab portion of the class is not difficult but the notebook will take time to complete.
Exams were almost all from the question banks. Lectures were frustrating due to him not pronouncing words correctly. Not a fun course but far easier than other professors of this course.
if you want to self teach your self and hardly can pass then take him other wise dont.
He is one of the worst teachers at wayne. This idiot can't pronounce anything correctly and has trouble answering student questions. He reads directly off his slides in a monotone voice and uses animations to do his job. His final was 30 hard questions and that was 40% of your grade. He said to study past exams for it and half the stuff was random
Never went to class. I got an A w/o curve after studying my butt off for exams, but only 15 students got As after curve (class had 300 students!). Never answers emails. Expect to self study. Read the textbook, do ch reviews, and view his lectures on echo center at a high speed. He's funny and tries to be a good and fair guy though.
This dude comes off as completely ignorant to the subject he's trying to teach. He pronounces things wrong and didn't know answers to many student questions. I liked the lab SO much more than his lectures. Study and you will be fine, but he wasn't dependable for help.
Not the best professor. He doesn't always explain concepts clearly, nor does he seem 100% knowledgeable. Is very patient and kind though, willing to help and answer questions. I cannot complain about exams because they were fair and were over what he had talked about in lecture. The downfall is the curve, but I don't believe he can do much.
Dr. Thomas is no the best professor, he is very nice and wants you to succeed but he is just awful. When he comes to class, you can sense that he just does not want to be there, and he is sometime not sure about the material. The exams were from things that he discussed in class, but were confusing. the worst part of the class is the curve.
Dr. Thomas, in my opinion, is a ridiculous lecturer. He loves to say "umm.." all throughout his lectures which makes you feel as though he has no idea what he's talking about, but he expects you to listen and know what he's talking about. You might as well read the textbook and do the chapter tests at the end of each chapter in order to pass exams.
He was a good professor, I took him for 1510 and 2200. His tests were basically the test banks but you still need to read the chapters in order to get an A. some girl ruined it and told him she had the test banks so he got a bit tougher. If you ask for help he will gladly explain anything to you. participate in class to get onto his good side.
I would recommend avoiding him. He does not make up the slides he uses in class. He uses slides that come with the textbook. If he doesn't know what a slide means he skips it. If he does he elaborates on it, repeating the same thing. Bell curve lowers your grade at least half a letter. Doesn't respond to e-mails either, only here for research.
Dr. Thomas is a hard professor but I have grown to like him and gotten used to his exams. You definitely need to study from the book especially, but also from his power points and echo centers. Your whole grade is based off of your exams. An A- is possible if you study hard. Read each word carefully on the exam, because one word can stump you.
Dr Thomas is the man. He is not the best lecturer but he makes up for it with his tests- easy peazy. You have to study but that's a given with any bio class. You'll most likely see the questions that are on the test before, whether it be from the end of the chapter questions or sample questions he gives for every exam. Take him!
He is a really easy Bio professor. Class is NOT mandatory, and he uploads every session recorded on echo center. Study the power points and book. He uses questions at the end of each chapter for the exams! He also gives us sample questions-most end up on exam. SUPER EASY! He's dropped questions on exams too-boosts grade!
He reads off the slides during lectures and is a bit dry. True and False questions on his exams are brutal
His tests are nothing like his powerpoints, you have to read the book if u want to get a passing grade in his class. As long as you read the book and understood every single word in the chapter then you can get a B.
His lectures are awful: he reads straight from the slides and says "um" a lot. I had to teach myself everything. He is also very unhelpful. When you go to him in his office, his advice is to just do better. Key to passing: study the questions in the book. He steals the questions word for word. Also, there is zero curve. Class average was a D.
i had a B in the class he curved the class by 60 points and i got an A. hes a cool teacher he gets his questions from the end of every chapter in the book.
I had him for BIO 1510 his lectures are so long and his voice is so monotone the class itself isn't that bad. you have to each yourself everything, but he takes questions for the exams word for word from the book and test banks so study those, the book, and his lecture slides and you should get an A
Go over PowerPoints and end of the chapter questions as those will most likely be on exam. Gives sample questions in class that show up on exam too.
I basically taught myself the class. Lectures were not in depth and did not cover nearly as much material as what was on the tests. Exams are very tough. Make sure to read the book and go over the review questions he posts. Also he said he would drop your lowest exam score, but never did.
Its a teach yourself class even though it shouldn't be. His test are NOTHING like his lectures. If you don't read the book you shouldn't dream of passing. His lectures are so annoying he reads directly off his powerpoints. He is a nice person however needs to learn to teach. I don't recommend taking take him!
Chapter Reviews and Sample Questions... Literally almost all you need to know to get an A in the class. Lab kinda screws you up, but his lecture exams are exactly like chapter reviews and sample questions. Lectures are boring, but the slides are very helpful towards exams. Not as bad as everyone says.
I LOVE DR THOMAS, I'm an average student with a 3.0 GPA and I got a B in the class. Read the back of the book questions they will help you succeed. READ THE QUESTIONS IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK. Go to his office hours, and he will help you wanything go to learning communities too. Would take again!
Interesting class i took in fall 2014, however, I.. like many others, had to basically teach myself EVERYTHING. He seems very confused sometimes in his lectures and very unclear. Tests weren't as tough as i though but the final threw us all off. He mentioned to basically study the previous exams .. DO NOT DO THAT! Learn through ur notes.
He reads directly off his slides and give absolutely no additional information to help you learn the material. I suggest reading the book on your own and memorizing the questions at the end of the chapters. Don't bother showing up either, it wont help. Switch out if you get the chance.
Ooooo Dr. Thomas by far the best Bio prof at WSU He makes stuff simpler not complicated he likes helping student , simple, knowledgable, honest and always ready to answer question , trust me he's the best
Dr. Thomas is a fairly good professor. He makes a lot of random jokes during lectures and before the tests to lighten the mood, which is always nice. Go to the lectures and make sure to actually pay attention! If you skip lectures, listen to echo center in order to understand the content. Study the chapter summaries and practice questions for exams
I could have easily gotten the same grade if this was an online class. The lectures are very long and dry and he does nothing but explain straight from the slides. READ THE BOOK. That's how I learned everything. Also the test questions come directly from the book.
Lectures are pointless to go to if you're decent at teaching yourself. Reading chapter summaries and paying close attention to the questions at the end of the chapters will get you an A, also going to SI will help you. Dr. Thomas did not reply to any of my emails. His lectures are boring, you can read the slides to yourself. It's do-able!
Thomas is a really nice guy. If you reach out he will help you. As an English major that was nice because Biology confuses me. His lectures are tough, because his lecturing can be dull. Its also masses of information at once and not a lot of applicable info, so its just remembering the information for a semester as much you can.
Horrible Spent t hours to listen to him read off the slides Better off reading and memorizing everything from the book. Test questions worded in a very confusing way. Won't give credit if confusing question is wrong.
Easy going very nice explain stuff. Listen to the lecture read chapter summaries and memories the questions at the end of the chapters you will be golden. Final exam is only from the exams that you already did through out the semester. Best to be reached out through phone and in person during the office hours.
study previous years tests and power points. the only way to get an A in his class is to memorize every detail of the power point slides. study questions from end of each chapter as well because he takes many questions from there.
He reads right off the powerpoints and often the things he talked about in lecture did not show on the test. Mainly studied the back of the book questions and starred slides. He was confusing so it was hard to connect things together.
Thomas is not as bad as everyone makes him to be. His tests are fair and are basically based on his lecture slides. He replaces your lowest test score with the final and the final is composed of recycled questions from previous tests. He doesn't respond to too many emails, but is helpful during office hours. He takes questions off tests if unfair.
He was terrible
I like Dr. Thomas, his test are not that tough if you try this amazing new learning concept called studying.
Dr. Thomas will explain what's on the slides in the lectures, but most of his slides are self explanatory, so the explanations aren't that frequent. His tests can be tough if you don't study. When I say study with regards to this class, I mean know the slides verbatim. He posted practice exams this semester so that helped with knowing what he asks.
his lectures were interesting towards the end otherwise you didn't really need to show up to them considering that everything you needed to know was on the slides. buy the book because thats where most explanations would be. tests were straight forward and simple, if people gave him a bad rating thats because they didn't try. he's approachable too
He's a nice guy, lectures are boring and nobody ever goes. Compared to other professors, he's pretty easy. I've had him for 1510 and for both classes his exam questions are from his study guides, slides, and test banks. Its not as hard as everyone says it is, but I got a D+ because of lab.
Dr. Thomas is a pretty funny guy, and his tests are relatively easy (though the true/false questions are tricky). Attendance is optional, no clicker points, etc. Lab, on the other hand, is just loaded with busywork, and the final lab practical was brutal (46% class avg). make sure you know EVERYthing about differential and selective media.
Lectures can get kind of boring because he reads right off the slide with little variation. However, he tries his best to make it interesting and exciting. Very difficult class that you need to pay attention to and take very detailed notes
Dr. Thomas is an OG. His exams were not very difficult. I rarely went to lecture and studied by reading my book. I passed the final with an A by studying his previous exams. However, watch out for lab and DO WELL ON YOUR QUIZZES AND NOTEBOOK. It's a lot of busy work, but it's your grades cushion. The final practical knocked my 104% avg to a B+.
His class consists of just lecture, 4 tests, and the final. After the first test I quit going to his lectures all-together because it did me no good. I taught myself the material and did just fine. He reads exactly from the slides posted online. If you're taking this class, chances are you can read. He's an unnecessary being. Horrible lecturer.
Dr. Thomas is a great professor. He's really funny too, and he tries to make his lectures fun. His analogies are very helpful, and his tests are basically a combination of questions in the back of the chapter and the powerpoint slides. If you study the powerpoints and do the questions, you should get an A.
He is a nice guy who seems to really care about the subject , but just seems quite lazy when it comes to a teaching perspective. He reads verbatim the slides every lecture. Class is average level of difficulty.
Thomas is not hard at all. You never have to show up for lecture because he reads right off the slides and plus everything he goes through is put on EchoCenter. For tests, just study the questions at the end of each chapter and his sample test because almost half of them are on his exam. Studying previous exams also help and read the powerpoints.
Dr. Thomas is a good guy. He's real laid back. He doesn't use the book. Everything is on powerpoint. He's doesn't give homework. He bases his class on 4 test and the final exam is a replacement test for one of the four. Coming class is not mandatory, he will tell you that himself. To pass just read the slides and do the quiz at the end of the book
Professor Thomas is really nice and likes to crack jokes here and there. He reads off his slides, and never used the book. *Tip: get the book* I couldn't retain the material with the way he taught, so I had to teach myself in order to pass the class.
Class still hasn't finished this semester, but I'd like to say that I will never take Professor Thomas again. He's not a bad guy, but he doesn't teach anything that doesn't come right from his slides. BTW the slides are already made for him, all he does is the read slides. There is no application or anything. Could be bc its a 400 student lecture.
Worst class I have taken. Only have four grades in the class and they are the exams. The exams are ridiculously tough no matter how hard or how much you study. I wouldn't recommend him to anyone.
The tests are from the questions from the back of the book, which is nice. The powerpoints are super basic, and all he does during lecture is read off of the slides. There's no point in going to lecture, he also uploads the lecture on EchoCenter. Do it from your bed. Don't waste your time.
Grade is based off of four exams. Lectures are boring but everything is recorded so you don't have to show up.
Exams are super easy if you look at the questions in the back of each chapter and go through the powerpoints. Going to lecture doesn't help at all
Very nice guy, but mediocre lecturer. Will have to study outside of class. Mostly reads off slides, but does describe a little bit more. Very enthusiastic to help you learn and will love to teach you. Very cute prof.
Get ready to teach yourself and depend on the book. If you have better options, don't take this class with him
Listening to him in lecture and then reading the book will guarantee you to pass. You just have to study, study study. Read his exam questions carefully, can get tricky.
Dr. Thomas is a great professor to have, but be ready to read on your own and go over the lectures that he records. Reads directly from his slides that are not his own, but come from the book. Book is not needed for the class, but helpful b/c answers at end of chapter are on exams. Final exam consisted of questions from the 4 previous exams.
He doesn't teach, he basically reads of his lecture slides. You won't learn much but his exams are easy if you READ and do his study guide and end of the chapter questions.
He's a nice professor & I really want to like him but this class was bad. The lecture wasn't much better but that's not his fault.
He was a great professor. I am excited to have him for Micro. The class consists of 4 exams (75%), a make-up final exam, and your lab grade (25%). Half of the exam questions are taken from the chapter review at end of each chapter, so you need the book. I enjoyed going to class every time. Entertaining guy and if you just try you'll get an A.
Worst bio professor i've had to date. Contradicts himself in his lectures. Claims he can be contacted by email and will respond within 48 hours. I emailed him 10+ times throughout the semester and got TWO replies. Grading isn't clear, neither is his supposed "curve". I will be retaking this class for the grade I want, not with Dr. Thomas though.
He's not a good professor, but a great guy. His class is graded based on four exams, and he drops only one of those exams. His exams have questions from the book, but some of the questions are completely random. He says to focus on general concepts, but then asks about specifics on exams. Makes the class harder than it needs to be.
If you need to contact him, be ready to wait 3-4 days for an email back. READ THE TEXTBOOK and the questions at the back of each chapter! Coming to the lectures helps, but the most important thing is to study, this class is extremely hard.
Dr Thomas is a great professor! In his class he takes questions from the end of chapter reviews and from previous exams. You're gonna have to teach yourself some things, but thats how university and biology works. You shouldn't expect things to be easy, but his class was easy enough. He'll help you out if you ask him and will drop some questions.
Honestly a great guy. The final exam was pretty easy and is definitely a grade booster, the lab and class are usually curved a couple of percent so if you're 3 or 4 percent off the grade you'll get it. Tests are pretty straight-forward, go over the starred lecture slides in the power point and the end of the chapter tests. Lecture's pretty helpful.
the man
I'm so happy I had Dr. Thomas for microbiology. He is very kind, easy to approach, and extremely fair in what he expects from students. Although he told us reading the textbook is necessary, some of us got by fine without touching the book. I just reviewed the chapter summaries, watched his lectures, and studied the practice exams he puts up.
Having Dr. Thomas for microbio was the best. Even though Micro is tough and you need to put in a lot of work, he helped a lot by making complicated topics easier to understand, and his exams were very fair since they reflected what he taught. He is a great person and is fun to be around with, and I highly recommend him for any bio class he teaches.
By far the best professor I've had. Showing up to lecture is not important, but I never missed a lecture and really connected and got to know Dr. Thomas. Gave me a clear understanding of the material. I went to his office hours a couple of times just to talk about life. He's very understanding and gives great advice. Take his class, go to lecture.
Dr. Thomas is probably my favorite professor at Wayne State. He is the man. He is always looking to help students succeed. The lectures are really what you should focus on to study and read the end of the chapter questions. He is a very approachable guy and you should get to know him because you will end up liking him as much as I do.
horrible. He reads off the slides and doesnt explain anything. His exams are hard.
He is terrible. H reads off the slides and and doesn't explain anything.
I have taken intro to bio twice before this class received A- both times (classes didn't transfer to match 1510) For an intro class this was absurd. Does not EXPLAIN material teach directly out of the book but on slides. The tests questions are designed to trick you. His statement about the final being over the other tests was FALSE. Don't take him
I do not find his lectures to be helpful learning the course material at all, all he does is read off of the slides faster than you can take notes or comprehend the material. Its better to study using the textbook and old exams. He is available during his office hours if you have questions though, which can be helpful.
Here's the thing with Dr. T, he's a great guy, but he doesn't exactly teach... If you choose to be one of the 25/220 to attend lecture, he's just going to read the slides to you word for word with little to no addition explanation. Uses test banks so get ahold of old exams and just memorize the answers. The class was harder than it needed to be.
Dont bother showing up to lectures because he just reads off slides. Use Echo on your own time, but they do help somewhat. The tests are all reworded old test questions from previous semester so ask around. I never bought or used a textbook and did ok.
This class is mostly exam based. No homework to help overall grade. The exams weren't hard but they weren't easy either. Reading is a must. My only problem was he said he was going to curve grades at the end and he never did.
I enjoyed his class. Kept the lectures compelling yet informational and intellectual. He follows his lecture slides but includes and explains hard topics thoroughly. uses real life examples to explain these complex biological themes. the textbook was very helpful with the post chapter assessments being a large portion of the tests.
Better than the reviews say. He is a very sweet guy and genuinely cares about his students. He adds points to the exam if the class average is not good. His lectures are all on Echo360 and must be rewatched to receive an A. Go to SI and tutoring! The book isn't required but I find it necessary. Hard class but Dr. Thomas does a great job explaining.
Professor Thomas is such a nice man but an absolutely awful professor. All he ever does is read off the slides and they don't even make sense. Your grade in the class consists of 4 tests and thats it. So if you're not good at testing, you're screwed. In addition, his questions on the tests are absolutely ridiculous. I think I have to retake this
Thomas is very nice and caring, but I wouldn't worry about attending lecture. He reads off the slides and they aren't always helpful. If you listen to the Echo360 lectures while adding notes to your slides, you'll be okay. You can find the book for free online, and I only used it for chapter review questions (usually these were on the exams).
Class is very fair. Test questions come from the powerpoints as well as the questions found in the back of the book. The final is optional and the grade earned on the final replaces your lowest test grade. People say all he does is read off the slides but thats fine since his test questions come off the slides anyway...
Ahhhh Dr. Thomas, an interesting man. Completely reads off the slides and does not take attendance. The tests questions are worded trickily so make sure you understand the material rather than just memorizing it. Also, for BIO 1510, the 40 question test is out of 187.5 in the grade book so one question wrong is minus 5 points off on Canvas.
Dr. Thomas is a very cool guy but a horrible professor. He just reads off the slides and can be very confusing at times. I tried my hardest in the class and bought the book and took notes on every chapter and still did not end up with a good grade. Tests are only graded and the lab doesn't help. I don't understand how people did well in the class.
End of Chapter questions in the book are half the test. He only reads off the slides and the tests are out of 40 questions, 187.5 points. If you do bad on a test, the final can replace one of the tests. Some questions are worded so bad, so watch out. He may give a small curve if the class bombs one of the unit tests
He doesn't really care if students fail. You have to teach yourself the material. Only good thing about it is he uses similar questions on practice exams he gives you.
Dr. Thomas literally sets you up for failure. This was my second time taking the course, and I studied my butt off but still struggled to even pass the class. His readings hardly related to the material. 10/10 would NOT recommend.
Dr. Thomas makes boring material entertaining and simplifies complex concepts. It helps to print out the slides and read the chapter before lecture, because at some point in the semester, the material gets too abstract to be able to really follow the lecture without preparation. Go to SI. You can do well on tests if you know the material.
Dr. Robert Thomas was the absolute worst professor of my school year. He was never accessible thru email, very unorganized, and didnt really care abt students grades. Your grade is based on the 4 exams in class and 25% is from lab. I definitely dont recommend if youre not the best test taker.
Be prepared to study and understand concepts on your own because he just reads slides and can't explain anything. Also, he's very unorganized and not available through email. His tests always have mistakes so make sure to check your test answers after the exam. If you are a pre-health student don't take this class with him.
This class was set up so poorly. Only grade was based on four exams + a final. Multiple choice questions specifically worded to trick. Lectures were of no help, the powerpoints provided simply cover the basics. Be prepared to learn all of the material on your own, on your own time. And don't bother going to lectures.
Dr. Thomas is a very nice guy and is passionate about teaching, however his lectures are not fun. Thomas reads directly off of the PowerPoint slides, rather than using it as a reference point. NOT accessible outside of class unless you attend his office hours (which he may or may not have). Attendance is not taken so if you skip class, he wont know
Dr. Thomas always seemed to truly care about his students and was more than willing help with class material during his office hours. When studying for exams, my main focus was the slides, and this strategy worked well for me. I strongly recommend studying some each week instead of the few days before the exam.
I took Dr. Thomas for 1510, so I already knew what I was getting into for 2200. However, we didn't cover all the material for a given lecture and it would still appear on the test. He's really hard to reach outside of lecture, which doesn't help matters. Subpar professor I guess.
Dr. Thomas exams rely on his lectures. Read, memorize, and understand those and you should be fine. However, he sometimes puts material on the exam that we did not cover in class. He also told our class towards the end that hed be providing points back/curve the overall grade and it didnt happen. You have to get used to his exams to do well.
Dont go to class. use echo center,study at your own pace. takes a handful of questions from the back of each chapter for exams. also look up dean thomas test banks online and it will give you past exams he used. he picks a combination of questions from those exams for each of the exams. and the final is 50 questions chosen from the first 4 exams.
His exams tie in all the topics and make you think. They're difficult but if you prepare you should be fine. Follow along with lectures/book and do the questions at the end of each chapter and practice exams. He is always accessible before and after class and super easy to talk to, he really cares about his students.
No, just no! He doesn't know anything and i just can't. I withdrew because how is a professor going to test my knowledge of the subject if he doesn't even know it himself?!? BUTT his exams are easy just use your resources. But his teaching.. isnt good... at all!
He is just OK. I was glad I had a pretty good understanding of biology before his class so it made it easier for me to understand. Lectures are so long and boring. Exams are more difficult than you'd think but many questions come from exam reviews. No homework so there's no cushion for your grade aside from his exams. All multiple choice though.
Stopped going to lectures because I realized I would only be wasting an hour and 15min of my life every time. Only graded by few tests. I took a lot of bio courses in high school so this class was more like review, but if I didnt already know my stuff I probably wouldve struggled. If you don't have any sort of science background, find someone else!
I took this class after looking at the rating and brushing it off. 2.7? How bad could it be? OH MAN. The material in this class is not difficult at all, it easy to digest. If you study WELL and HARD, you will pass all his exams. It's tricky & makes you critically think. The midterm exams are hellish but the final is easy so there is hope. Good luck
Dr. Thomas is a great person outside of class. He only grades you on 4 exams and a final exam. The 4 exams are challenging and I recommend you study at least a week in advance and watch echo360s. The final is all your past exams put together so STUDY THEM AND MAKE A KAHOOT TO MEMORIZE. He also doesnt really stick to the syllabus at times so beware
DO NOT TAKE ROBERT THOMAS! Worse professor I have even taken. I wouldnt recommend him to my worse enemy. The grades are jusT the four exams and the final which I find ridiculous. You cannot determine someones knowledge on a subject based off of just exams? Im dumbfounded with this. Do Not Take Robert Thomas
Dr. Thomas is an amazing person in general. However, his class can be better. He only had 4 exams and a final exam. The final is very easy, he just uses the same questions from the previous exams. The exams are quite hard so you need to study. He told us hed replace our lowest grade with the final exam but he didnt. Just be ready to work for it!
Dr. Thomas is a nice person, but the way his class is set up in terms of grading does not align with the way he teaches. You have to learn all the material urself BC he reads off slides. And therell be few questions on the test that wasnt covered in class. For a prof who reads off slides, he shouldnt be giving students a grade based on 4 exams.
. His class is made of only four exams and class average for each test was never an A. The lowest class average for one of the exams was 60%, and he did not curve the this exam. As a teacher you should take responsibility when the whole class fails because that means the teacher didnt teach the material well enough.
Unless you go out of your way to relearn some of the information & concepts introduced in class, this class will be difficult. It's only based off of four tests & final. He reads the slides of the screen word for word & moves fairly quick. you should know how to apply a concept you learned to a scenario. Just avoid him as a professor honestly.
TERRIBLE! this man barely knows what he is teaching. He reads directly from these pre-made slides &does not explain anything. Finishes each chapter in 2 days and if he running out of time he will literally fly through everything. Did I mention that he doesn't give help and that our only resource is a "peer mentor". Grade based only 4 exams, drops 1
Dr. Thomas will only read off the PowerPoint slides. You have no extra credit, homework, or mandatory attendance. You only receive grades based on 4 exams. He drops one exam and replaces it with the final exam grade. The exams could be based off the sample exam, the book, or the PowerPoint slides you never know he changes it every time.
He is a nice enough man, he was interactive with the class and he tried to tell jokes to make us laugh and I won't fault him for that. I will, however, fault him for his failure to properly communicate with us during this pandemic. He has failed to educate us, with our exam averages so far being around 50% and he does not answer emails.
Awful. Only 4 exams, drops the lowest grade with final. Puts a lot of specific things on exams, but never says anything specific during lectures and tends to downplay on parts of the exam. Never gets back to us on emails. Uploaded a lecture during out extended spring break and we aren't even an online class. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS HE SUCKS.
Won't even tell us which parts won't or will be on the exams so its pretty much you just studying EVERYTHING and hoping its the right stuff you studied. You can take a month to look at the material and still fail no matter what. If you're ballsy enough to take him, then I hope you're prepared to get a low grade.
Super nice guy and has a good sense of humor. He is always down to help during office hours when you come in with questions and will even give you other resources from the school to help you study better. Great teacher too!
I honestly have NEVER had a professor who does not care for his students ever before like Dr. Thomas. He never can tell you what material will be directly on the test (which affects your grades) No homework assignments. Has no compassion for his students at all says we are the reason we do not do good on the test! Which is beyond sad for BIO Class
Dr. Thomas is a nice guy. People who complain about this class just need to try harder. His exams arent that hard if actually try studying (NOT cramming) and really reading the textbook, which does a pretty good job at explaining concepts, before coming to/listening to lectures. The end of chapter questions and sample exams are helpful.
Prof. Thomas is a great guy. His class is straightforward consists of 4 exams and a final which is optional If you did bad on one of the exams you get to take the final to replace your lowest grade. People expect to be spoon fed rather than actually try and STUDY. If you study and put in the effort this class is a breeze with him. Hes super nice!!
Dr. Thomas is one of the worst professors i have taken. He does not care at all about his students at all. Since it moved online from corona, he has not lectured us at all. Only reads from his slides. If you email him don't expect an answer. makes the class a lot harder than it needs to be. DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING!!!
This class specifically has a lot of boring reading. It basically goes more into what you learned in high school Biology. It is not required you attend his lectures, but I highly recommend it. You will be able to study exactly what's not the test. he does not test anything he doesn't go over. take good notes, questions are just like the books.
Dr. Thomas is one of the worst professors I have taken!!! He does not care about anything. Posts the exams at 3 in the morning with no announcement that he did it. Does not answer any emails throughout the whole semester. I basically had to teach myself everything. Reads off slides for lectures. Grade is only based off 4 exams and one gets dropped.
As a teacher, he's bad. Basically reads off the slides. Class is based off of 4 tests, one final exam, which replaces the lowest test score. If you study for the tests you should be good, reading the book helps. Says the final is based off of the 4 tests, but it was really hard and many terms I saw for the first time.
Honestly, I think hes a good professor. I did well in this class and in the lab. All you have to do is put in the work. People think you just need to look at questions at the end of the chapters the day before to get an A on the exam. You have to put in the work, and if you do that the class will be a breeze. Same with lab. I would take him again.
Prof Thomas is one of the worst professors at Wayne. He doesn't respond to emails and doesn't really care about his students. I would study for hours and still do bad on his exams. Going online is the best thing that could have happened for this class. He gets upset when we do bad on the exams and blames us for the low average.
He uses test blanks and questions at the end of chapters for the exam questions, he also gives out practice questions that include some exam questions on them. THE FINAL WAS HARD AND NOT LIKE THE OTHER EXAMS but, you only have to take it if you're getting another exam dropped. Very slow talker in lecture and records Echo 360s.
Dr. Thomas truly cares about his students, and is happy to talk during his office hours. To do well in the class, study the slides & end of chapter questions. Reach out for help if needed (tutoring, SI, office hours, TA). This class provides a great foundation for other bio courses.
WORST PROFESSOR EVER!
WORST PROF EVERRRR please take someone else.
He alone told his students he has over 300 emails and does not take the time to read them, he has two biology classes and gives one an advantage over the other all the time because our fellow peers tell us
Dir. Thomas is a great professor. The homework and quizess are not graded so the only thing you have to worry about are the tests, and the people leaving porr reveiws are the same people who were asking for the test dates to be pushed back because they didn't study. The students in this class were all just unwilling to work for their grade.
The people who dont do well in his class dont try enough to do well. Study the PowerPoints, book chapters, and all practice tests on the ebook and youll do fine. I truly believe hes trying his best compared to other profs who dont even lecture. If you want the easy A, he isnt for you. If you want to be prepared for upper level bios, take him.
He is not a bad professor, def would be great in person. Read the textbook and do the provided (non graded) hw + quizzes for a good grade bc his lectures move slowly. He isnt the best with technology although most problems were technical faults, not his. Grade is only based on 4 exams, 1 score is dropped so its ok if you fail one of the exams.
The people who are leaving bad reviews are the same people who forced him to pushed back tests bc they didnt study. Grade is based on 4 exams only. If you read the textbook and use the provided resources, you can get a good grade. He cares and knows a lot about the subject and definitely prepares you for higher level biology classes
Professor Thomas is super nice and a genuine person, but his class is absolutely the worst( online due to COVID-19). We are only graded based on 5 exams, and good luck trying to contact him outside of class, he doesnt respond to his emails.
I tried my very best in this class. Went to lecture , took detailed notes, printed out slides, read the book, and I could still never pass his test with high scores. His lectures consisted of reading off the slides and adding extra comments. Didnt take with a lab, so I had no support for my grade. No other assignments, just exams.
He's so sweet and I 100% respect him. The only problem is if your a freshman and not a genius don't take his class. This class is challenging and you have to teach yourself the material. I struggled to pass and can't believe I even passed. If you took ap bio in highschool then I recommend it if not then please just don't. You will struggle.
He's respectable but for my freshman year this was terrible. Super unorganized, never answers emails, and doesn't answer questions well. He only graded tests and gave no homework or quizzes. His lectures were very rushed and he rushed through every chapter. Basically teaching yourself the material because he's almost no help.
Dr. Thomas clearly struggles with the online format and the class does not make accommodations for this. The first two weeks were wasted trying to fix technical issues. Grades were based entirely on five exams. Lectures are just him reading off of powerpoint slides for two hours, so be prepared to teach yourself or hope to have another professor.
Exams are very difficult. It is very hard to get in touch with him because he does not answer any emails. The only grades throughout the class are 4 exams so it is crucial you study and do well. He does not offer any extra credit.
Does not stand by his word! So many lectures and he only reads off the slides. He tricked my class, saying all semester long that he would let us retake an exam, then went against his word at the very end. Students are now failing and he does not care. Instead of resolving the issue, he sent all of us a rude email. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS, He gave an exam with lockdown browser to my class with the camera and for us other class he didn't make them use the camera He eventually said we could all retake the exam whether we finished or not. So he gave us a second chance and took the second grade. But we emailed the dean and went back on his word he was very rude.
He's a nice person. IF UR a genus then takes this class. Students who took ap bio in high school are doing good, but others who didn't are struggling. Exams are pretty heavy and you need to study for 20+, just to pass. One good thing about him is, he can be understanding. If you respect him, he will respect u.
hes a nice person but the online format is not for him. You can only contact him in class, grade is made up of only 4 exams which are taken on a lockdown browser with camera. Reads off slides, doesn't given examples or explain material. you basically have to teach yourself, the practice quizzes help a lot! good luck if you have him, you'll need it!
The online format does not work. Despite many issues during test taking this professor did not care. Only time you could receive independent feedback was during class, other than that dont even bother emailing him. Grade consists of four tests, so be ready to teach yourself the material. No extra credit, other material does not count as a grade.
only reads off slides, doesn't teach, and is unfair to classes. Told a student having WIFI issues to go McDonalds during a pani and lockdown. If you're forced to have him, focus on PowerPoints and read the book for details for what's on the PowerPoint. ONLY GRADED FOR 5 EXAMS, LETS YOU DROP ONE GRADE.
Very caring & patient, but reads straight from slides, doesn't teach, get ready to teach yourself & read a lot. Bad reviews are left by freshmen who got a rude awakening of a real college class. Webcams were required for tests on day 1, he gave resources for free ones, & students still complained. As a senior, One of the best professors I've had.
loved him was a really sweet guy just struggled with being online.
He is a great professor! Doesn't go extremely fast during lecture. He makes sure he gives you the opportunity to ask questions and make sure you understand what's going on. Is available to students, and make sure he helps those who really need it. Bio is a harder subject so just make sure you really study and understand what is going on.
Dr. Thomas is a great professor! You have to realize that this is a bio class and there is only so much a professor can do to teach it. He makes sure that everyone understands the concept before moving on to the next topic. If you put in the work you will get a good grade!
this guy is genuinely an awful instructor. didn't teach anything that was on any exams. he read everything straight from the slides. didn't ever email anyone back. 0/10 would not recommend.
I took his class online, honestly its not horrible. One thing I will say is make sure you take notes and read because the test are situational, you have to know how to apply concepts. Sometimes he was boring to listen to but he knows his stuff. I met with him a couple of times for office hours and he was encouraging and worked with me to improve
The typical nightmare online learning experience. Expect to teach yourself all the material. Grades were based off of only exams no homework is graded. Not easy to work with and is indecisive on course schedule.
I read the ratings, and I was scared to take him, but soon I realized that he is a gem. The class isn't hard either. If you pay attention, attend lectures, and study then you will pass the class.
Absolutely hands down the worst professor I have ever had. I had him for intro to bio. The class was only offered online, and it was the worst class ever. He barely discussed the topic material and instead got distracted and added non-relevant info. The class is graded on 4 exams, and you should expect to teach 95% of the info to yourself.
Worst class ever. Only 3 credits but I spent over 12 hours a week trying to teach myself the information since he did not. I've gone to tutoring and si sessions, and I still don't understand. He does not answer emails, and he is one of the worst professors I've ever had
overall, he is an amazing professor, and he knows the stuff he teaches. But the only problem is his exams. THE EXAMS ARE NOTHING LIKE THE LECTURES!!!
Dr. Thomas is not a great professor. He never answers emails even if multiple students email him about the same issue. Your grade is based on 4 exams and he lets you drop one of them. The exams are not like the lectures. In the lectures he just reads off a PowerPoint and it's very boring. He always starts class early and ends late so beware of that
really nice guy, but the things he teaches in class isnt in line with the exams. they make absolutely no sense. so be ready to teach yourself the material and even with that you might still struggle.
He is a cool dude but cannot teach online. Doesn't understand technology well. Kinda all over the place in lectures and they often don't line up with the tests. Only graded in the exams but the online assignments help you more than his lectures do, I'd use them to prep instead of him talking at you right from slides.
The exams' questions are nothing like in the lectures. And you have to teach yourself a lot, or learn with other classmates if you take him.
Professor Thomas was very nice, but I had a very hard time with his teaching tactics. All you do is listen to lectures on zoom and take notes. Homework isn't graded but that's what makes it harder is to then find the motivation to do it if it's not a grade. Overall, a boring class..
Dr. Thomas was overall a nice professor but none of his lectures matched up to the exams. There was a bunch of homework that wont be graded. Be ready to teach yourself a lot of the material because he can be confusing in lectures and in the homework assignments. This might be a better in person class than online.
He is one of the sweetest people, but I feel like I did not learn very much from his class. Does not prepare you very well for the harder classes to follow. He is NOT accessible outside of class unless you send multiple emails to him. Good luck if you take him and hope to learn something!
Robbie just gives you grades based on your exams, not your homework or anything else. He was not the finest teacher, but he provided us with a lot of information. I do not agree with Robert slander; it was a simple A.
You really have to teach yourself in this class with reading the online book. The thing that really annoyed me was how he assigned homework and quizzes, but they were optional and not for a grade. Your grade is based off of 5 exams and he drops one of them. He isn’t very good at responding to emails or posting quizzes/homework on time.
Probably the least connected professor I've ever had. He doesn't respond to email whatsoever and you can only talk to him after class. The lectures were poorly run and disruptive while the homework was the only way to do well on exams. He is a very monotone speaker which made the lectures incredibly boring. You're better off just avoiding him.
I love Dr. Thomas. My dawg forreal, I hope god blesses him with a long prosperous life.
Love this man. Thats all I got to say.
Amazing professor. The lab was terrible but the lecture was easygoing. No homework only exams. 4 exams and final
He is probably the worst teacher I've ever had. His slides aren't on the test, we teach ourselves the material. He doesn't respond to emails if you have any questions. The class is only graded on four exams. His teaching methods are awful.
Honestly the worst teacher that I've ever had! His lectures are so irrelevant because none of what he talks about is on the exam. This course is only graded on the exam too so good luck to the people taking his class. All he does is sneeze in the microphone so if you guys need to learn how to sneeze yk where to go. Gives us anxiety/depression.
This professor is very bad at teaching. He doesn't give any extra credit to bring our grades up. He is really making this class stressful because the slides doesn't help with the test. He gives more chapters to study for the test and sometimes it's hard to remember everything at once. The worst professor I ever had.
This guy sucks, and he only grades you based on exams.
DONT TAKE PROFFESOR EVEN IF HES YOUR LAST OPTION! Worst professor Ive ever had. Grade based on 4 exams ONLY but no help/prep. No extra credit, no study guides, and per his emails he blames the students for not understanding his teaching brilliance when the majority failed/complained. Class NOT taught as entry level. Lectures dont match exams AT ALL
My whole class failed an exam and he blamed US for it. The material on the exam was different than what he taught
I enjoy Dr. Thomas and his way of teaching. its very self-guided. There's no graded homework. His tests are kinda difficult but def not impossible if you truly comprehend the material. Bio 1050 is a fundamental biology course: It's an extremely information heavy class. Don't take Bio 1050 with another info/study heavy class if you can.
EXAMS ARE NOTHING LIKE THE LECTURES DROP HIM NOW.
His grades are based on 4 exams that are nothing like the book or the lectures. I went to tutoring, read the book, went to every class, did the homework he assigned, listened to podcasts, and watched videos, yet I can't get a passing grade on his tests. I tried to speak to him about what else I could study because I was struggling and was dismissed
EXAM AVERAGE WAS 45 PERCENT!!! I THINK THAT SAYS ENOUGH!!
He has good intentions and is nice. He is unorganized and can not teach. He practically wants his students to fail (our second exam average was a 44%). He tells you to study the book/slideshows, and homework (none of it will be on the exam though). Your grade is based on 4 exams and homework isn't even graded. Good Luck if you are in his section.
Professor relied solely on lectures. No assignments were given. Grade is out of five exams, but the lowest score is dropped. Exams are difficult. He doesn't teach what's on the exams. Can't get in contact outside of class. Condescending when talking to students. Doesn't follow grading system in syllabus. Do not recommend. Would not take again.
Professor Thomas was an okay professor. He dedicates all of his class time towards the lectures and only bases grades on the highest 4 exam scores (we have 5 total). He's accessible outside class in his office hours, and does offer practice questions and homework before exams but never calculates them towards final grade.
He goes over his slides, info is from book, but this class takes a lot more effort than you think. I would use every single material I possibly could, and still be getting less than 60s on test. He only grades based on 4 exams thats it :)) study hard everyone.
The class was only graded on 5 exams which were extremely difficult and contained material not covered in the lecture or textbook. Would not take him again
This class is ridiculous. The professor gives us his lectures, book, homework and quizzes (HW and Quizzes are not graded) to study from, and it ends up being completely useless. None of it will be on the test. Failure is the norm, for the entire class. DO NOT take this professor if you care about your GPA.
The worst professor I've ever had in my life.
He is a great guy. Little rusty but he is always willing to answer any questions from the lecture. READ THE TEXTBOOK. I cannot stress this enough!! It will help so much more to understand the concepts rather than just studying his slides. Class is made up of 4 exams, so u should be studying days in advance for each one
Steer clear. I saw the reviews and thought it couldn't be that bad... You only get 4 exams and a final and he drops the lowest exam. Nothing else weighs your grade and no tutors help. Unless you have taken every bio class in high school avoid him at all costs and just go to scraft in the summer. If you dont want to mess up your GPA
Through my four semesters of college courses I have never encountered such an irresponsible and dismissive professor. I believe Dr. Thomas is a good and kind person overall, but simply a poor professor. With a 33% average on an exam, it is a joke that he sees no fault with his teaching methods. Be ready to devote all of your free time to this class
this class was my worst experience so far at an otherwise good college. average exams were really low and nothing will be done about half the students failing.
I had to retake this class this semester. It was not any better than the first time. You're only graded on 4 exams (you take 5 but the lowest grade is replaced by your final if it is higher). Exam averages this semester were very low and exams are difficult for no reason, this is an intro class. Personally I find him somewhat rude and unorganized.
So much material to learn for the class and the lectures were just him reading off of a slideshow. You would have to teach yourself using the online textbook. Grade is based on 5 tests and no homework was given. Half of the students enrolled had previously taken this class and failed. Most people who did end up passing had a low final grade.
Worst Professor at Wayne State, Tests are the only things that's graded that are very difficult to complete. Its an introduction class but it was genuinely of the most information heavy classes I have ever taken.
Every time my peers and I would ask a question, he would discourage us from raising hands by making rude remarks like "You guys should know this already". He speed-runs through the slideshows and doesn't elaborate on anything during the lecture. He is very dismissive and will degrade your question before you can even get the words out all the way.
Attendance isn't mandatory, but go to class. No homework, 5 midterm-style exams, and drops the lowest exam. Download the PowerPoint and read the slide notes written in there; those concepts WILL show up on the test, even if they aren't covered in depth. I thought the class was easy and was a relatively low time commitment if you study effectively.
taking this class right not and could not be more disappointed and frustrated. The grade book is a mess, and he will not fix it even though many students are failing the class due to his grading errors. This class is strictly exams and its honestly ridiculous, would absolutely not reccomend.
For the love of god don't take this professor, no one who takes this professor likes him, the tests were god awful nothing was mentioned in class did we review, nor were they from the book, there is a reason he's on academic as a professor.
Found this class quite easy. Be prepared to teach urself the material. Grade is based off 4 exams. Gives 5 exams & drops lowest scoring one, generous with test curves. Encourage you to read textbook. Do practice quizzes posted before exams! Will see those questions on exam. Do questions in lecture slides that appear on exam! If u put effort, easy.
He only reads off of lecture slides and is monotonous. His grading is confusing, and he only puts 4 exam grades in which was annoying, but this is a passable class. Honestly, looking over all the lecture slides is enough to pass the exam. My lab mastering is helpful as well as the textbook questions. The exam questions genuinely aren't difficult.
This professor was absolutely terrible
This class was incredibly easy for me. Take notes in lecture, do the mylabmastering assignments, and you'll get a good grade. Grade is based on 4 exams (5 total but one gets dropped), and he curved every exam as well as adding ten points to our final grade.
Worst professor ever. DO NOT TAKE. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. You will hate your life
Professor was nice but lecture weren't that good.
This class is a really hard class, it is based off of 5 exams with no homework and you have to do everything yourself. Dr Thomas though, he is a very nice guy who genuinely does care, I always talked to him in my class and he was always accessible and kind to me.
Dr.Thomas is an amazing person and Prof. Unlike others (Brantford, etc) he cares for his student's success and will help anyone willing to help themselves. In lectures, he has a way of explaining tough concepts very easily. Make sure you read the textbook! Can't just rely on slides. IMO he is the best bioprof and I look forward to taking him again!
Professor Thomas can be hit-or-miss, but if you stay engaged, do the readings, and utilize study tools like unstuckstudy ai, you can succeed. Lectures can be dry, but the exams are manageable with enough preparation.
Basically an independent class. He taught the first half of 1500. The class average for his tests was around a 67, and he still thought he wasn't the problem. He doesn't teach, just reads off the slides and gives you a million chapters in the books and tells you they're gonna be on the test. Anything he taught wasn't helpful on the tests.Don't take
He was awful. His lectures and materials were so unorganized. I felt sleepy in all of his lectures because of how boring it was. I could never keep track of what he was saying because he will jump from one sentence to another midway. Too many chapters to read and we will have no idea of what's going to be on the test. Please don't take him!
Wouldn't recommend taking this professor if you have another professor option. Lectures are extremely boring, as he just reads off slides and can barely hear him. Exams are not super difficult if you have enough preparation but there are not any assignments so it can be difficult to obtain a high grade if you don't do well on exams.
Dr. Thomas is very nice, but lectures are boring. He was very lenient on exam grading (listened to student feedback & removed certain questions). Exam questions are very direct and easily worded. Class is difficult but if you study you will do well. 81% on 1st exam and 89% on 2nd. 1/5 reviews here def did not study on their own and expected easy A.
massive yapper (despite speaking super quiet) but as long as you take a ton of notes and study a bit you'll do fine in this class. teaches off the textbook so be sure to read it
Unprofessional and unorganized. The first 15 mins of class were him pulling up the powerpoint. Exams are all textbook. Listening to lectures did nothing for me. Just read the book, do the questions at the end of the chapters, and you'll do fine. One of the exams was like half just textbook questions. Averaged a B on exams and in class.
He's a nice guy but I prefer Dowling's half of the class. I wasted time studying for his exam because he just reused questions that were in the textbook. His lectures are all over the place and rewatching them doesn't help because he literally just tests on textbook content and expects you to teach it to yourself rather than explaining it in class.
honestly thomas is not that bad. yes his teaching style could be a little better but he genuinely seems to care about you and wants u to do well. His exams are literally the easiest things ever. He will legit just hint at things that he will bring in the exam. He copy pastes the same questions from the textbook, and even previous quizzes or exams.
Please safe yourself the pain and find another professor this class was awful disorganized and unnecessarily complicated
Only reads off of slides, no help or prep work, only tells you to read the textbook. you are on your own!
Don't take this professor if you don't have to. His lectures were okay, he explained the content somewhat decently. He was a pretty nice guy too. My problem was his tests. I would study my ass off for days on end and the highest score I got on one of his tests was a 79. I think that speaks for itself.
Don't take this professor if you don't have to. His lecture were boring but he was a pretty nice. My problem with him was his exams. I would study my ass off for days on end and the highest exam score I got was a 79. I think that speaks for itself.
While Prof Thomas seems unaware he has an email, he's actually very understanding if you talk to him in person. His syllabus guidelines seem strict but he's willing to work with you. Exam averages are low, but he's giving extra credit after it was requested. I didn't find them unfairly hard. He's a sweet guy, just old and really bad at technology.
Dr. Thomas has the knowledge but he cannot teach. His lectures are boring and he has made mistakes on every exam. He forgot to put half of the questions an exam, put wrong answers in the answer key, and skipped chapters because he was so far behind.
I very much enjoy science classes, but this is the worst class I've ever taken. There were 4 exams that would determine our grade for the semester and content was mixed up. Never any study guides or work that would help us. Lectures were boring and read straight from the slides.
Dr.Thomas is a very nice and respectable person but he is old and very slow with topics and sometimes you question whether or not he can work canvas.
Prof Robert overall is a very sweet person however he did mess up every single one of our exams. I would recommend reading the textbook instead of attending a lecture, lecture does not help with your grade at all. Reading the book and the end-of-the-book questions which sometimes appear on the exam is the only way you can receive an A.
He only reads off the slides and doesn't clarify anything. He also has typos and mistakes on every exam and doesn't provide any helpful material for the exam.
is a very nice guy himself but will never change anything even when he is in the wrong and won't answer emails. reads slides and explains for a minute. book, lecture,quizzes,hw,tutoring everything is wayyyyy different than the actual exam itself. you will have depression from this class. please don't take
There was a problem with every exam, wont curve or update his syllabus from years prior. Test material is completely different, sometimes from different chapters.
Dr. Thomas' class was a joke. We went way slower than the syllabus than the schedule on the syllabus, causing us to not even cover DNA, transcription, and translation, which will hurt us in our next bio class. Exams were messed up repeatedly. He cannot teach without the slides. To get an A, read the textbook in detail and know everything it says.
Textbook he gave didn't even have all of the chapters we learned in class, I read the text book and it was pretty much useless. He misled us during the entire year and told us our lab grade was combined with our lecture. The week before our final he told us this was actually not the case. He's a very sweet guy however I'm unhappy with my experience
My grade is based off of 4 out of the 5 exams taken, the fifth being the final next Monday. He told us he would release the grades for exam 4 five days ago, he's making us go into his office to get the grades and won't tell us when they'll be released. This is after a string of incompetence, and now I don't know if I need to study. Don't take him.
Professor Thomas is the only professor i've ever had that's on academic probation. Don't bother trying to email, he won't get back with you. Our final exam was all previous exam questions, but he failed to post the last 2 exams for us to study with after we were PROMISED, he would get them posted. Seems like a good guy, just not a great professor.
Exams are unpredictable and impossible to study for. Doesn't give us any review material or learning objectives, just tells us which chapters but doesn't tell us which specific topics. Syllabus is wrong and outdated and has a hard time working canvas and email and will not respond to emails. Grades are off of exams only, no other assignments.
I start off by saying no offence. HE DOSEN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING EVERY SINGLE TEST HE HAS MESSED UP LIKE HE DOSEN'T PROOF READ ANYTHING! IF THERE IS ANOTHER PROFESSOR PLEASE TAKE THEM OR ELSE YOUR STRESS LEVELS WILL RISE SO MUCH FROM HAVING TO TEXT THE CLASS GC ABOUT WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!!! I ended up with an A miraculously, READ the book!
His class is unorganized & your grade is only based on exams He says certain chapters are covered but adds more without notice He reads off slides so be ready to teach yourself. Online homework helps but doesn't count, everyone failed exams, extra credit was minimal, he curved after we went to the dean & head of department due to failing grades
I think if there was a worst teacher at wayne state, it would be him. For the love of god, do not take him, i am saving you so much struggle and heartache. dont do it.
This professor was the beginning to my hatred for Biology. He just made the class so unbearable and difficult to engage in.
I mean, bio at Wayne sucks. Roberts' tests were Hella hard sometimes; he would have an extra chapter on the test and forget to take it off. But if you study Hella, you should be somewhat fine.
His teaching is meh, he uses the textbook religiously and going to his lectures is not required but it does help to highlight what will be on the exams. He is kind of clunky with tech so there would be days where we'd get nothing done because his computer wouldn't work. Isn't very exciting or passionate, mostly monotone regarding the class.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
6%
Textbook Required
35%
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