Nice guy, notes aren't that great, deeply in love with two things. 1: himself, 2: Haaaarvard University ("a place [he] knows well"). Count the number of times he says "Harvard" in class- the going record is 19.

Great teacher.

really good teacher.

Very interesting material,and theres a lot of it. Tests are straightforward. East to pay attention because he is hot:)

while it is ture Van Buskirk loves himself, the Red Sox, and Harvard. He is also a good professor b/c he relates the class to the real world and that keeps it interesting, don't ever miss a class, notes are very imporant, test aren't bad know drugs, and peoples names!

Interesting class and very easy tests. Memorize the note word for word (seriously) and read the text. However don't read anything that comes from the notes. He takes the most basic questions from the text and puts them on the test. Only problem is that his notes can be unclear and he's boring

Van Buskirk is a great guy, but moves very quickly. The worst thing you can do is miss a class. Tests come 90% notes, 10% book. Half of the stuff he goes over is NOT covered in the book as it is too new to be covered by the book. Don't be surprised to hear Harvard in class 10 million times.

Took me a while to get a hold of his class but did OK. Know your notes cold and do the discussion short answer questions for extra help on tests. Nice profeesor with a general interest in helping students

His class will be one of the easiest upper level bio classes you take. His tests are basically fact tests, where if you can memorize everything you can get an A, or if you are bad at memorizing you will get a B (the curve is insane). You are a moron if you cannot bang out a b- or better.

Great professor. He loves what he does and it shows in class. Definately a challenging course, memorize every word of your notes and at least skim the text. One of the few science courses I've taken here where hard work actually pays off. I highly recommend.

This class is not that simple. His notes are not that great and the text-specific questions on the exams are very tough. So, you still have to work hard for this class. And the curve won't help you if your results are below the class average.

The course was alright. He got pretty boring at times because he kept moving on to subject after subject. The curve was pretty minimal.I had a id 80's grade and got a B+ so it couldn't have been more than a 5 points. He is a nice guy and a cool guy to talk about the class during his office hours.

Van Buskirk is good and bad. My only advice is that you do not draw his stupid diagrams without notes on the side to explain why you drew it. You will go back to your notes a week later and realize you don't know what the heck he wrote. Also goes with his one worded notes. Try to write what he is saying as he writes.

Interesting and funny guy. this class is all about the notes-study them word for word for the tests! Good class to take, not too stressful.

Dr. Vanbuskirk is awesome. He's great to talk to before/after classes and tests. He'll help you with anything he can (including helping me get a job with one of his friends). The class is pretty much all notes. You need to write down what he says, not what he writes, or you'll be screwed. He's flexible on how much he takes from the book too.

He is a very charismatic for a science professor. He has a passion for what he does, which influences his students. Highly recommend him

Best biology professor I have had so far. Tests are very easy. They come word for word from the notes. Average grade in the class is made to be a B/B-

Very passionate about biology, interesting stories, great class.

Buskirk is a very very smart guy and can teach you a lot. His notes are just a mess but you have to keep track of everything to do well on the tests. In general, class is interesting and Buskirk relates a lot of his material to whats going on in the world. Get the previous semesters tests to help you out. Take this class!!

He is hot. I like his class a lot! I thought his notes are very helpful. For every exam, I studied his notes well, and I found the exam questions were easy. They are straight out from his notes. I seldom read the textbook. The text-based questions are easy if you have a basic biol knowledge.

Lectures all 90 minutes, but so worth it. He is so knowledgeable and keeps all topics applicable. Loved his class, great guy

Great lecturer, learned alot. Test questions are multiple choice straight from the notes, very fair. No textbook needed for a good grade, just attend lecture and memorize the notes. No cumulative final.

Great class! Tests are straight from notes-memorize EVERYTHING he writes, but they're totally fair-he makes the class average a B-. He's a really smart, approachable guy-highly recommend the class.

Dr. Vanbuskirk is great. Just memorize your notes word for word and you'll do fine on the tests. The old exams help a lot too. Class is kind of hard to understand but he gives you the basics on a ton of topics. Really interesting class overall.

MEMORIZE EVERYTHING. And make sure you understand it, too. Reuses old test questions and hw's, so get them if you can. Talks insanely fast, so be prepared to keep up.

Van Buskirk's lectures go VERY fast, but he is clear. He also cares A LOT about his class... this semester he had to miss a couple of lectures because he had cancer and he still recorded lectures. He wants everyone to do well. Tests are entirely from class notes.

MEMORIZE EVERYTHINGGGG. and he goes super fast in lecture, so get ready.

Best biology class I have taken at this school. This guy really knows his stuff and he doesnt just expect you to memorize text and overhead slides. Tests are straight from the notes he writes during lecture. Easy if you go to class, he makes it enjoyable!

This is pretty easy class. You just need to go to class and take good notes. Memorize the notes, powerpoint and try to get old exams, which are extremely helpful. DO NOT need to read the textbook at all to get A.

Definitely one of the best professors I've had here. He's lively, interesting, and funny. Tests aren't bad if you study the notes, but it's good to write down some of the stuff he says. He's great to talk to outside of class and very passionate about his work

He is a very intelligent man teaching a very intelligent topic. Also, I really like the way he relates his material to current events and show the real life medical implications of what you learn. An excellent course for any pre-health student. PS- The class is excellent, but if you just want an A, get old exams and you should easily manage an A-.

This class is not an easy A, book is helpful in interpreting diagrams from his powerpoints but not absolutely necessary. Very passionate professor, recommended!

This man is a genius. The class is hard and he doesn't give you a running grade so I thought I was doing better than I actually was. Discussions fine you go over difficult questions that you spend forever answering before class and it's graded on effort Draw pictures and write down extra stuff he says & doesn't write or notes dont make sense after

THE. MAN. This is was awesome.

Van Buskirk is a very intelligent and passionate professor. However, the class average is a 70; it's a problem when a curve is required just so 2/3 of the class can pass. Terrible notes, buy a recorder and re-do notes after lecture. Also, write what he says next to diagrams, otherwise you won't have a clue what they are. Helpful outside of class.

A very intelligent professor who clearly is passionate about the subject. The class is difficult, but he teaches you everything you need to know. If you know your stuff and put work into the class all will be well.

Interesting Class, very intelligent professor. Just memorize the notes and get a hold of old tests (very helpful) and this class should be a relatively easy A or A-. There is also a very nice big curve at the end.

Professor Van Buskirk tries to make the class an easy A. He is extremely organized and all his test questions are form his notes. I loved this class because of its contemporary nature and relevance to disease states. High Recommended.

Probably my favorite professor to date. Organized. Knows his stuff. Funny. The wide range of information presented means that you'll come out learning at least one new thing. A++

This is not an easy A. You will have to work your ass off for this class. However, I felt that van Buskirk taught it well and kept me engaged. The homework seems useless at first, but it really helped a lot when studying for the tests and a good TA makes it worth it. Old tests are helpful. Use the textbook, it will make sense of everything.

I love professor van buskirk! anyone who does not obviously did not put in the time and effort this class requires This is probably the easiest bio class ever because all you have to do is memorize the notes. Van Buskirk is also always willing to help out if you go see him. Once he knows you and sees you try hard he will be your new buddy.

I like Prof. Van Buskirk a lot. He's really helpful during his office hours, and he's a laid back guy. The exam questions are mostly based off of his notes, so memorization is key. If you want a greater understanding of his notes, go to his office hrs. To study for his exams, I used the notes, read textbook pictures' caption, and lec. slides.

Very smart guy, knows his stuff inside and out. Tests are complete memorization of lecture notes. He makes the class interesting, but there are a lot of notes you have to take.

Cell Biology was extremely straight forward. Go to class, study the notes e writes on the projector well and you'll do great on his tests. I never used the textbook. Very helpful outside of class also.

Straight-forward class that just requires memorization. Van Buskirk is extremely smart, but makes his tests pretty simple in that the answers are in the notes. Some questions get pretty specific though.If you can get your hands on old tests, you're pretty much golden.

His tests are almost solely based off lecture notes. Very knowledgable and helpful.

He's a great teacher with a lot of experience and stories. He is really good at bring material from beyond the textbook to ensure you are getting the most updated context possible. TAKE NOTES. The majority of his questions come from the notes he writes in class. Also try your best to get old tests.

I love Prof. Buskirk! He is an awesome guy. He has wonderful stories about biotech companies some of which he started! He always tries to bring up new information and technologies up in each of the lectures. Also you really only need to refer to the text book for diagrams. Look at PAST TESTS they are helpful and he always uses similar questions.

RVB knows a lot about his subject matter. One of my favorite professors at Binghamton. He is there for you if you need during his office hours and was an inspiration for me to think about pursuing research. A lot of people claim that you need old tests. You don't. You need to take good notes in lecture, complement them with the text, and memorize.

When RVB class starts he doesnt teach the material he gives a lecture on the subject matter bc this is his field of work. I would say old tests are extremely helpful bc whatever u miss in your notes there in the test answers to help fill in the blanks. But you dont want to miss a beat so type every word he says bc that is the test material.

Great professor - really knows what he's talking about Hardly opened the textbook, just study the notes and powerpoints in a lot of detail and you should be fine

Very easy class that is pure memorization. If you have old notesexams you don't even need to go to lecture, just learn all the material. The final exam is not cumulative and as long as you have roughly 10-12 points above the class average you'll get an A. Don't waste your money and buy the textbook either!

easy A! such an intelligent successful professor but a little arrogant!

Lectures are pretty boring although the content is actually pretty interesting. I haven't taken any bio courses at Bing (since I placed out) until this one and I'm doing fine. Study for tests at least 5 days in advance by studying notes and practicing a bunch of old tests over and over again. Just takes time but if you study enough, you'll do ok!

The course overall is very easy to pass. Tests are 75 multiple choice and are very detailed, so taking the time to study is necessary. You need to attend class and write down everything he writes, but it is otherwise straight-forward. He's a very interesting guy and discussion is purely a grade-booster!

Van Buskirk is a solid professor, although a little intimidating. He knows his stuff, but don't let him fool you into thinking you need to truly understand everything he says-- tests are pure memorization from the notes he writes. Discussion exists only to boost your grade! Watch out and study hard for the second test (of 4)- it really gets people.

Exams are very specific, but manageable if you take detailed notes. I wrote down every word he said and got 90s on every exam based on memorization. Discussion is simple and serves to boost your grade. He is a very intelligent and passionate professor, though arrogant at times. Learn all exam material, then take practice exams and you'll do well.

Chill guy, pretty funny at times too. Don't buy the textbook, try to find the test bank if you can, as there are good examples for each exam. Discussion homeworks I actually found to be useful in memorization of the material. Just go to lecture and write down everything he says, even for the experiments or diagrams he draws out.

He is an awesome guy. I dont understand how people are saying he doesnt care about teaching his students when his class is literally based around him lecturing. He tries to teach the most interesting and up-to-date information on the topics, and he is an EXTREMELY nice guy too. Always joking around and always has his office door open. Hes great!

Dr. Van Buskirk knows his stuff and makes lectures interesting by relating what he talks about to the real world. His lectures are fast paced and you kinda need to write everything down that he writes(its a lot of info to take in). Grade scale for test are based around the class average so do better than everyone else and discussion is free points.

Really great and knowledgable professor, discussion is very easy, but grade is based mainly off tests so that's the only thing to really worry about. Cramming won't help, but old tests are more useful than lectures so by using that to do well, you don't learn much.

Like everyone says, it's probably one of the easiest A's you'll get granted you have access to old tests. Just get coursehero for one semester (they have >10 of each test) and just grind those. I showed up to class twice, studied night of exam. My test average was 12 points above average (class average was 73, mine was 85) and ended up with an A.

Honestly he really tries to get people interested in his material. He knows a lot, and he's done a lot of things in the field that he is proud of that he shares. Tests are very specific and you need to memorize a lot, but it is clear that his goal is to get students interested in the material and he tries to add information students might like.

He tries to get students interested in the material and genuinely cares about his students. Most professors feel like they are "out to get you" at bing, but he is NOT one of them. He knows his stuff and is well established in his field. The people complaining about his class probably relied on only old exams and didn't try to learn the material.

Class is based on four exams and discussion points. Discussion is easy grades, do the work and you get points. Exams are multiple choice straight out of lecture and aren't accumulative. Attend lecture, take notes, and study them you will be fine.

He is a very knowledgable professor who has done soo much. People complain he tells too many life stories but I would too if I was that accomplished. There is a lot of information you need to know for tests so you have to study hard. Make sure you get above average on his tests and you will for sure get a good grade.

I loved how much RVB enjoyed what he taught, it made me want to pay attention to him because he clearly knows what he is talking about. Lots of memorization, but definitely doable. Discussion boosts your grade as well.

Van Buskirk was a pretty good professor. I took the class online so I didn't interact with him much, but he was overall very personable and receptive. For online, he gave us copies of his lecture notes -- memorize them and you should be fine! If you can get your hands on old tests you should study those too.

A great professor and interesting class.

RVB is one of the nicest professors out there. His exams do not ask tricky questions at all and are based on memorization of his lectures and lecture notes that he provides. You do need to take really good notes during his lecture as his exam questions can be specific and not all are covered in his notes. Discussion is easy free points also.

Dr. Vanbuskirk is simply inspirational. The topics you learn about are pretty detailed but the tests themselves aren't too hard. I would highly recommend his class.

This man is a genius. He's a straight lecturer, so you have to go to every class to copy down notes to study from. Tests are difficult in that you need to memorize every bit of information to do well, but questions are straightforward. Go to extra help, he is extremely kind and explains things better there. Textbook barely helps, class notes are >>

I've been wanting to write this review for a while. Took this course fall semester 2021. Dr. Van BUskirk is the man. Best professor at Binghamton, hands down. Is very passionate about what he does and wants his students to succeed. Go to office hours, he will notice that. Tough class, very old-style teaching method, very doable if you put in the W.

The textbook can be found online and I didn't use it. It took me a while to figure out how to pay attention in lecture because the material was a little dense at times but once I got the hang of it, I caught all of his jokes and the class was interesting. Don't let his qualifications scare you from going to office hours, he's very approachable.

One of the best professors in Binghamton. He cares for his students, go to class, write down notes and study off of them and you will do fine on his tests. He is very smart and sometimes goes on side tangents but they are very informing and funny and make him more fun. I would recommend this as an upperlevel.

RVB is a very accomplished in his field and has a lot of stories to share throughout his lectures, so if you like cell biology he is a great professor. His lectures can be a little hard to follow since sometimes details aren't very clear, but the stuff that comes up on test is usually clear in lecture. The material is hard, so the class is hard.

RVB is incredibly experienced and knowledgeable and it shows during his lectures. Write down everything that he writes down during lecture and memorize EVERYTHING. His exams are fair, but focus on every minor detail that he brings up during lecture. Slides are not very helpful, but questions on them come up. Flash cards are your friend, study a lot

Hands down one of the best bio classes I have taken, really interesting class and RVB does a great job at mixing contemporary cell biology news. Memorize everything he says in lecture and you'll get an A. Very approachable outside of class and willing to talk about whatever you need help with.

Lectures are super dense with material and he doesn't hesitate to ask super specific questions on tests. Thankfully, comprehension of material doesn't matter, only memorization of it. I thought his stories were interesting and funny but they can easily seem unneeded. He explains things at too high a level for an undergraduate class. Smart guy.

RVB is very knowledgeable and smart. He does not take attendance, however the only way of getting the content is by going to class

Dr. Van Buskirk is a traditional college instructor. He lectures, you take notes, you study those notes, and then you regurgitate on the exam. Anything he says is fair game, which is fine because he is a clear and well spoken professor.

RVB is one of the best lecturers this campus has to offer. His lectures amazingly mix in well with contemporary events as well as taking the proper amount of time to discuss a specific topic. Very knowledgeable and explains the lab methods portion of class in an easy-to-follow way. Go to lectures every class though....

After taking this class, Dr. Van Buskirk is one of my favorite professors in Binghamton. Make sure to attend every single lecture of his because he writes stuff down that are going to be on his exams. Make sure to get access to his old exams since they are a similar format and he also reuses some questions as well.

Buskirk is an awesome professor and probably one of the most qualified to teach his respective class at this university. The class is extremely lecture heavy so don't miss one unless you absolutely have to, discussion was easy. There is a textbook for the class but its not necessary, good for supplemental knowledge on top of lecture.

RVB is a knowledgeable prof, but his lectures can be tricky. Attend every class, use unstuckstudy alongside the textbook, and prepare with old exams to ace this course.

people just dont get him but i love him. super knowledgeable ab everything but that also means his tests are super hard and memorization heavy.

RVB is very knowledgeable and has tons of experience in the field. The course in very dense information-wise, memorization dependent for exams. His lecture style is hard to get used to because he blazes through information, to do good just get used to his mumbly voice, find old exams and put a little effort into memorizing what he says in lecture.

He's a very knowledgeable professor, and his exams are lecture-heavy. The class is not easy, and be prepared to memorize lots of complex biological concepts. That being said, show up to the lecture, start studying a week in advance for the exams, and you will be fine.

RVB is a very accomplished person, he has a lot of knowledge and experience in the field. 4 exams + discussion section. Exams were hard, so write down everything he says in lecture, memorize all that you can, do practice problems. Finding old tests helped me score way above the average every time, heavily recommend.