2.6
Quality3.7
Difficulty44%
Would Retake141
Reviews44%
Would Retake
141
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
20
4
22
3
32
2
35
1
32
What Students Say
“And he will stay there until I finish my education”
BIOSC0160 - 1.0 rating“He doesn't teach most of the material that will be on the test”
BIO0160 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
61%
Textbook Required
22%
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B+
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+0.43 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOSC0200
5.0
(1)BIOSC0060
3.5
(2)BIOSC160
3.2
(6)BIOSCI160
3.0
(1)BIO
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
BIOSCI0160
5.0
BIIOSC0160
5.0
BIO2
4.3
0160
4.3
BIOSC160
4.2
Reviews (141)
Very boring..I never went to class because he could not keep my attention. Probably one of the more fair bio instructors however. Read the book and you will be fine.
Boring lectures. Pointless recitations (random online things instead of reviewing material/answering questions). Takes forever to put grades up (vs Bio0150 prof who had them up by 5pm test day; this guy takes min 1 week). Weird/confusing tests (he flat out tells people to challenge questions, often because they're stupidly constructed).
Dr. Donovan is a good lecturer and wants his students to succeed. Unlike some of the other intro to bio profs, he is fair and doe not try to trick or confuse students. Very nice guy. Loves biology. And spreadsheets.
Nice and approachable guy but probably one of the worst teachers I've had. He mainly uses pictures, simulations, and covers material in class we will NOT need to know whatsoever. He tests on stuff we never learned so prepare to make the book your best friend. If you have a chance to take someone else, do it.
Nice and approachable but an awful teacher. I received an A in BIOSC 0150 and a C in this course. Dr. Donovan uses only pictures to lecture and the exams don't reflect the material.
Nice guy, very approachable, but flat out terrible teacher. Take someone else if you can. His lectures are messy, his tests have nothing to do with what he teaches, and he is terrible at answering questions.
In-class and homework materials are beyond easy, but his tests are incredibly difficult. Could never hold my attention. Would not recommend.
One of the worst professors I have ever had. His practice exams and lectures reflect nothing of the actual exams. The last exam had an average of a D. He doesn't reply back to emails and is generally disengaged in trying to communicate effectively. Just teach yourself from the book, you're better off. Disgusted with how poor of a professor he is.
His lectures are horrible. He spends a great deal of time on trivial material. His organization skills in lecture are also lacking as he jumps from topic to topic. His lectures do not match the syllabus. His exams are also confusing due to the wording. Do not expect him to email you back if you have any questions. He's generally a bad professor.
I don't know what the fuss is about...He was really helpful and I found it to be a much easier course than biosc 0150. just study a little everyday
He's not that bad.. I found him much easier than some biosc0150 professors. I suggest him
He's a nice guy and I hate to say this but I hate his class. I try really hard and can't do well on a test. I've never done this badly in a class. No matter how much I study I can't do well.
I'll agree that Donovan's lectures were painful to sit through (he followed the book exactly, no point in coming to class), but he's a really nice guy who is willing to take the time to help you out during office hours. Test material covers what's in the book and recitations, so as long as you read the book and go to recitation you're fine!
I found the tests not to be so hard and I had STRUGGLED in bio 1. I went to office hours once, hes really nice and helpful. 4 Tests including the final. Grades on curve and can get extra credit by participating in blog, but no one really does. Recitations use extremely annoying and not helpful.
All I have to say is avoid at all costs! I study everyday for a minimum of 6 hours and it does not seem to help at all. Exams are impossible and a lot of the times his questions are very unclear. TA's are no where to be found and do not help during exams. He also gives homework that is graded for correctness BEFORE we go over the material in class.
I don't know why this guy is getting such bad reviews! Although his lectures are slightly boring, he is clear as to what he is looking for and the tests are pretty straight forward. Recitations are VERY helpful. He is extremely nice and approachable and truly wants you to succeed. You aren't going to find a much easier BIO2 professor.
I have to agree that doing well on his tests are complete luck. His questions are very unclear and often there are two possible answers, but only one is correct, so unless you think like him, you'll likely get unlucky and miss the point and when you argue the point he'll try to explain the biology to you which still contradicts his answer choices.
Never need to go to class, takes recitation attendance but doesn't do anything with it, weekly mastering biology problems to complete pre/post recitation. Never went to lecture but did well above average on the exams, words questions poorly on exams.
Dr. Donovan has poorly worded exam questions with vague answer choices. It is easy to get a question as simple as "What is a population?" wrong because of the way the answers are worded. Not helpful during office hours. Not very detailed during lecture. Not very pleasant or friendly. Avoid for bio 2 at all costs
literally the worst professor i have ever had
Avoid at all costs
Not helpful during office hours and pretty boring in lecture. Recitations are useless and don't help at all. Some people should just do research and not teach.
Not an easy class, but he's really nice and helpful during office hours. Mastering bio boosts your grade so much (100pts total). And the final was much easier than the exams. Definitely go to recitation and attend lecture since those are the topics he stresses (even tho its hard to pay attention to)
Extremely nice and helpful. His tests are very fair and straight to the point, very heavily voacbulary based. I would highly recommend him, especially considering the other options.
Dr. Donovan's Biology 2 class was difficult but I would recommend him over Newman but if you can get Bleosoe take Bleosoe. His exams were hard however focus on his powerpoints and recitation. Use the book as a supplement. I studied everything and never got over a C until the final. Definitely passable.
Prof. Donovan is one of the hardest professors I have taken at Pitt. His tests were extremely wordy to he point that they were confusing. They did not reflect his lectures in the slightest. Avoid at all costs taking his class!!
One of the best Bio teachers at Pitt. Big interest in ecology and evolution, & you will do fine as long as you know the vocab. All the haters on here are just dumb and lazy. Put in the time and you will do fine.
This class is hard to begin with but Donovan makes it much worse. He is however very friendly and willing to help however he can only explain things in one way. Lectures are from the book except for a few examples that are tested on heavily. Know everything possible and you will PASS. Not the worst.
I had excelled in every bio class prior to Donovan's, but not his. I put multiple hours/days in studying the material for every exam and still struggled greatly. Simple definitions & conceptual questions suddenly become so ambiguous on exams. And recitation was quite useless honestly. Personally I would avoid him and seek out another professor.
Dr. Donovan is a good professor, yes some of his questions are a bit ambiguous, but if you really know the material, you can pull B's or better on the exams. Mastering Bio is 100 out of 300 points for the class so if you do decent on the exams, you can get an A. Lectures not mandatory, but necessary in order to understand what's on the slides.
Nice man but worst professor I've had at Pitt so far. Doesn't know how to teach. Disorganized, never answers emails, ridiculously ambiguous test questions. Managed to do decent in his class, so he promised me a letter of rec back in April. I never got it, despite his reassurance multiple times that it would be done soon. It was due weeks ago.
Dr. Donovan is a really great professor. I always talk to people in BIO 2 that love him and say his RMP rating is really low, and it's a crime. He's one of the fairest professors I've ever had, and he truly cares about you getting the grade you deserve more than most. His tests may be difficult, but they aren't too hard if you study.
Super nice guy, but has the power to put a lecture hall to sleep within minutes. Lectures are useless because he doesn't say anything helpful. Also doesn't use a microphone so if you sit past the 6th row you can barely hear him. Tests are ridiculously hard. You can memorize the book and still get below a C. Avoid this man like the plague.
Lecture completely not helpful and presents the material in an obscure fashion. Loves to give you activities on subjects you haven't learned yet.
I got an A in Bio 1 with Roberts who was very difficult with difficult material. Donovan turns Bio 2 into a difficult version of the SAT critical reading. His practice tests are internet questions. He googled my office hours questions. He doesn't use a mic. His lectures are vague and his recitations are useless. The only way to learn is on your own
Prof. Donavon is a very fair professor and is interested in his subject. UTA's are also a very good source; if material is confusing, ASK them. They've taken his class already! DO read the text. And DO attend most classes, because inclass questions are a small percentage of your grade. Exams are doable!
4 exams-average 74,69,71 and 73 but you can easily boost your grade with Masteringbio assignments. Highly recommend reading each chapter and attending all lectures. He has a lot of review hours available prior to exams so study in advance and come with questions. Hes approachable and willing to help, just sometimes difficult with such a large class
Dr. Donovan actually managed to make me hate biology. As a biology major, I didn't think this was possible. Lectures are difficult to pay attention to, recitations are pointless, test questions are the most ambiguous that I've seen, and overall this wasn't a good class experience. The only good thing is that mastering bio is 1/3 of your grade.
Donovan is such a nice guy and is more than willing to help his students succeed if you go for extra help. Mastering bio is worth 1/3 of your grade, however, the test questions are very vague and misleading. Recitation was very useless to me, but attending class is beneficial.
Very interesting seminar class on teaching methods in biology. Highly recommend this course, especially if you are a TA or interested in teaching in any capacity. Attendance is mandatory, but it's also most of your grade. 2 small projects of your own design and participation determine your grade.
Dr. Donovan was interested in what he taught; however somtimes it seemed that he forgot he was talking to undergrad students in Foundations of Biology. The wording on his exams was confusing, though you could sometimes find an answer to the question in another question on the same exam. I wouldn't discourage anyone from taking this class.
Even if you took AP with a great teacher, you need to acclimate to his testing style. His wording in lectures is not clear and you won't get too much from his class. Some exam questions are ambiguous, more of a critical reading exam rather than a test of contextual knowledge. Use the study area in mastering bi - some of his questions are from there
Lectures are pointless since he puts the notes online. If you attend class there are "in-class assignments" that you can get credit for and they help you work through the material. When it comes to the testing, it's out of left field and is based off the textbook and has nothing to do with his notes. Recitations are also not needed.
He never once answered any of my emails for help. I understood all of the lectures, but once I took the exam it looked like a different language. His exams were extremely tough and each question took met 10 minutes to figure out what exactly he was asking. He didn't seem to care to help me or anyone else for that matter.
Tests have some tough questions but I would say they are fair. Teaches his own recitations. Recitations can be helpful to gain a deeper understanding and application of concepts. MasteringBio can be a major boost for your grade. Overall, not an easy A but is manageable.
His test questions have nothing to do with his lectures. The questions are misleading and I could never find where he got them from. Just teach yourself the material from the book, mastering bio, and other online sources while using his notes as a template. He's a nice and funny guy, but that doesn't cut it for being a college professor.
I felt very prepared and confident for his test, but a lot of the questions were either hard to understand or had multiple answers that you could argue were correct. His lectures were basically irrelevant, everything he goes over is covered in much better detail in the book. Nice guy,but horrible professor. Try to avoid taking his class if you can.
GREAT GUY! Loved him as a person, he was very nice. But, he often got lost in his own lectures, and his tests were extremely vague and the answers were often debatable. I personally would not take him again.
Avoid at all costs. I used almost every resource to help me get a decent grade and I still failed. Lectures are not helpful at all. The only incentive to go to class is the in class questions. No matter if you studied 30 minutes or 30 hours, there are no way to prepare you for his tests. He just doesn't know how to teach.
bio 2 was supposed to be easier, but there is no shot in getting an A unless you are some sort of genius. dr. donovan definitely knows what he's talking about, but that doesn't mean we do. great guy, but i can't stay awake in lecture. failed both tests so far that i studied my butt off for and actually felt confident about.
His lectures are almost useless. He goes over "real life application" but fails to cover actual material in the textbook and things we need to know for the test. You feel like you are prepared but his tests are tricky and not really relevant to what he actually teaches you. He is god awful.
Dr. Donovan is honestly one of the worst professors I have ever had. His lectures are incredibly boring and vague and the only reason I went was because of the in class questions. Recitations are also unnecessary and not helpful. I felt extremely prepared for all exams but never did well on them.
Extremely nice immensely helpful I needed alot of extra help and he was there However the wording for his test are HORRIBLE He writes one thing on the test but really is looking for another approach His lectures are pointless because they are not on the test He does in class assignments too I read every chapter and had to teach myself
Mixed feelings. On one hand, his exams are difficult - lots of cheesy questions with more than one right answer in which you have to select the "best" one and his grading for the open ended section is sometimes nitpicky. On the other hand, homework and in class assignments make up 13 of your grade and can be a nice boost to your grade.
Caffeine is essential to staying awake in this class. Dr. Donovan is a really nice person and really interested in his work but is simply not interesting to listen to. Exams are not clear because they're all about what the 'best' answer is. Studying will not help you on exams because answers are entirely based on his opinion, not what is factual.
Very unclear tests that are unrelated to what he teaches in lecture. You could know everything going into a test, however it is pure luck if you can decode his questions. As I'm writing this, I should have my final grade for the class since they were due last night, however due dates don't apply to him apparently.
Donovan was a nice guy but his tests were completely vague. His average for our class was a 69. Even with the curve alot of us failed. His lecture are somewhat helpful with the open ended but completely useless for the multiple choice. He gets confused in his own lectures. Its really important to read if you take his class and know how to apply
Prof Donovan is a really nice guy but a poor teacher. Lectures are not related to tests and test questions are very ambiguous. Homework is easy and 13 of your grade which helps a lot
Dr. Donovans class was extremely confusing. His lectures were extremely boring and there was nothing to them. Then when a test came around it was like someone else completely wrote it. I would look around the room and it looked like everyone wanted to kill themselves. Don't take this class if you don't want to get confused.
Nice guy as everyone says and clearly very knowledgeable, but this class was not good. The lectures are useless for a good grade (just read the book), the recitations marginal. Attendance taken through inane in-class questions. Quality of test questions: It was frustrating to know most of the material but be stumped by poorly worded questions.
Unlike everyone else, my friends and I loved Donnie! Mastering Bio is worth 9% of your grade and you can Google most of the answers. And if you ask questions, he'll explain! His tests would be challenging if you didn't study, but seriously if you read the textbook you'll have no problem passing! I got a B in his class and that's saying something:P
do not ever take his class, he is very unclear and his tests are impossible because his questions PURPOSELY trip you up. avoid. at. all. cost.
One of those professors that creates poorly-worded exam questions that you can't study for, it's difficult to get great scores no matter how effort you put into reviewing the material. He knows his stuff and is clear, but exam scores don't seem to be representative of what you have actually learned. In class points, Mast. Bio homework every week
Nice guy but lectures are boring. Must go to recitation as concepts/problems may be on the exam. Exams contain mostly questions about the material just taught but expect questions about previous material. Online homework questions useful and gives credit for them. The man can't upload a correct answer key for exams to save his life.
Professor Donovan is a knowledgeable and nice person. However, his tests are very confusing. Even if you understand the material, many questions are unclear. There are 3 exams and a final, each with 40 MC and 10 point short answer. Go to recitation because material will show up on tests, and go to class because in-class questions count for a grade.
Boring lectures. Vague test questions. Seems nice, but is inaccessible to students outside of class. There was an error in my grade at the end of the semester, and he ignored all my emails and never gave me the time of day to resolve the issue.
Professor Donovan is a good biology professor in my opinion. He always made it clear about what was going to be on the test, and always gave lots of study suggestions. He genuinely cares for his students and the subject he's teaching, which makes lectures more bearable. The tests weren't too bad, and his recitations always help to clarify topics.
Donovan was a better biology professor than the others I have experienced so far. His tests require a fair amount of information, he curves if the average is below 75, and he runs his own recitations, which can be very helpful to get a hold of him and ask questions in a smaller setting. Lecture attendance is a must, there are in-class questions!
Gives in class questions graded on correctness, mastering bio doesn't tell you whether you got the question right and only gives 1 chance to answer, so it can hurt your grade. Gives practice exams and then when he goes over them he dismisses most of the questions based on "wording" and not to worry about it. Tests are very very hard to prepare for.
Very nice man, but not the best teacher. Tests are extremely difficult. I would feel very prepared going into the test and study very hard for them and focus on the material he would say to, but his test questions are extremely difficult. Answers are very vague, and for many questions seem like there could be mult. answers. Bulk of class is tests
He is one of the worst teachers I have ever had! He teaches things that are related to the material and then expects you to figure it out on the test. He does not teach the material that is on the test just what he thinks is relatable to the subject. Forces you to go to class by doing in-class online questions. Please for your own sake do not take
If I had to rate every teacher I've had since grade 1, he will easily be at the very bottom. And he will stay there until I finish my education. He does not explain things fully. I started doubting if he even knows half of the things he teaches. Also he doesn't follow the book at all. His tests have no correlation with what he says in his lecture
Worst Biology professor I've ever had the misfortune to meet. He doesn't explain things well, he gives in-class questions but never answers them, and his tests are nearly impossible to pass, and I'm great with biology. Terrible. Absolutely terrible. Avoid at all costs.
His tests are vague and he is not a good professor.
He is the worst professor I've had for any science course. Studying and preparing for exams is extremely difficult b/c you have to get a lot of information on your own from the text book and his lectures skim over heavy topics. Test questions are always confusing and answers are ambiguous. Lectures are mandatory, recitations never help. Avoid him
You can study as much as you want for his exams but it won't really help. The questions are so confusing and don't reflect on what you've learned at all. Really annoyed that I took this class
Dr. Donovan was a rather poor professor, but a reasonable and kind person. He was always available to help, as were his TAs. His in-class questions and online homework were fair/easy. However, his lectures (very general) in addition to recitations were useless. His test questions appeared easy, but were in fact rather ambiguous and unclear.
Definitely read the chapters in the textbook and be sure to take advantage of the resources that he recommends (like the online textbook study area), he gets test questions from there. He's organized, knowledgeable, and uses powerpoints for lectures.
Not a good professor. I think he cares about his students but the tests and questions were extremely unfair. Even if you study everything, the questions will come out of no where and try to trick you. It's truly unfair.
Donovan is a really great professor!! Go to the lectures and listen to his study tips and you will do fine. Donovan really cares about what he teaches and about your success in the course. The other students on here are too harsh on him. He gives plenty of opportunity for success in Bio 2.
Very nice man, though admittedly his tests can be unclear at times. At the end of the semester, in-class problems count for completion, not accuracy, so it is fairly easy to do well. People were quite disrespectful in lecture, so can't say I sympathize with them. Do all the problems to bring up test averages.
I took him for bio 2 and I thought he was a great professor. If you come to class and recitation and read the textbook, you will do well. There are no tricky questions on his exams. It is all straight forward. His lectures are clear and he explains everything well. Go to his office hours because he's very helpful
Great professor! Learned a lot and his lectures are interesting.
He doesn't teach most of the material that will be on the test. He gives out reading guides that tell you what you need to know from the book, but you have to teach it all to yourself. Most of the topics that he teaches are pretty general and nonspecific (evolution and ecology units) but he manages to make specific questions on the test from them.
One of the worst professors I have ever had. He is a very nice man, but his tests are insanely confusing and hard. From day one read the text book multiple times. Its honestly one of the only things that will help. Also go to recitation because that material is the free response. In class points are a grade booster so answer them all!
If you have to take Foundations of bio 2, Dr. Donovan is a solid option. The exams are definitely tough, but if you read the text and show up to class, you'll make it out with a decent grade. However, be forewarned, dude has some cringe worthy science jokes.
For Bio 2, Prof. Donovan is a solid choice. Going to his office hours and reading the chapters in the textbook really help in preparing for exams since his lectures are super broad. Take advantage of the tophat inclass and recitation points- 1/3 of your final grade. Getting a good grade is doable, but be warned of vague and arguable test questions.
Not the best professor - questions on exams were very confusing and when I asked him about one he said he sees why I chose the wrong one and admitted it was a confusing question, but no credit back. A redeeming quality about this class is participation (easy 100 if you come), is 1/3, and if you get at least a 72 on all exams you end up with a B-
Exams are based on understanding the material. You can't just memorize definitions, you need to be able to apply the concepts. Go to recitation because his recitations are a good indicator of what the exams will be like.
Donovan was rather unclear whenever someone asked a question during lecture. Reading guides were helpful, bc he does not cover everything in lecture, but you must understand what is going on, on a good level. Seems like a nice man overall but also did not respond to my email that was a legitamite question.
I used to be a straight A student like you until I took Sam Donovan's Bio 2 ;) u can replace one midterm exam grade w final exam grade. Exam 1 average was 72, Exam 2 average was 75. Lectures boring but tests are mainly based on book. Questions take specific definition, turn it into broad concept, and apply it to a hypothetical & specific situation
Genuinely a really nice guy, but not a good professor. Asks a lot of subjective questions. Does top hat questions occasionally during lecture, otherwise lectures are pretty much pointless. Exams questions are poorly written and mostly based off of the textbook, not lecture material, and open ended is mostly from material covered in recitation.
Dr. Donovan is a horrible professor, and I would not recommend him. He is boring, exams are based on material not covered in class, and he will NOT answer your questions. He goes in many tangents in lecture and does a horrible job at explaining concepts to us. Exams are impossible to pass and recitation is usually pointless. TopHat in lecture.
His lectures are truly a bore. I could not get over his monotone voice and the lack of help. When I went to office hours, I came out even more confused. READ the textbook. He will pull questions from the textbook and diagrams. I would know his diagrams in the PowerPoints especially. Tophat is a good portion of your grade. Nice guy, just cant teach.
Pros: -Gives clear outlines before tests -He is very willing to explain things people ask him about -Tests are mostly about applying concepts rather than straight memorization Cons: -Can be stubborn when you dispute a test question -Heavily focuses on the expensive textbook
He has to have one of the driest and most boring lectures ever. However, he is such a kind person which makes it hard to hate him. He has such unfair quizzes and good luck trying to argue your answer. This class is based off of knowing the textbook in detail not what you actually learn during class.
Lectures are pretty boring and not engaging, and it felt like lecture material was very rarely covered on the exams. Recitations were the opposite: engaging and a lot of the material taught in recitation did show up on exams in one way our another. He is a really nice person and genuinely wants you to succeed and is willing to work with you.
People that complain about him don't want to work for their grade. Content & expectations are clear. Recitations are great: engaging & application based! Exams are difficult (read the textbook, use the study guides, application is key!) He is kind, compassionate, and willing to help which I think is the most you can ask for. A solid choice!
Sam's test are very straightforward and basically photocopied txtbk pages with missing words for you to fill in. Like no joke if you read the textbook and really understand it say the night before and take the exam, you will see lines from the textbook in front of you and all you have to do is remember what wording the textbook used and print it.
Tests are made up of sentences from txtbk so just read that. Show up for class for clicker questions but not much else. Also do recitation worksheets. Theyre infomrative and understand it so that you will be prepared for the infrequent exam questions on them. He is very kind and understanding and knowledgable and approachable and actually funny.
He is literally one of the worst professors I have ever had. His exams are nothing like the material covered in class! His questions are super confusing and you have to choose the "best" answer. Most people can barely get a C or C+ and getting an A is basically impossible. I would definitely avoid him if I could.
Bio 2 was not hard in concept but somehow Dr. Donovan found a way to make me dread learning biology. The notes had absolutely zero information on them, only pictures and small phrases so you have to go to class to write down what he says. The overall grade is solely based on tests which were quite difficult because of "choose the best" questions.
I had no idea were I fell for the majority of the semester. His tests are not easy and very textbook heavy. If you do not read the textbook, you will not pass the class. He is very nice, but his lectures are kind of boring. You have to go to the lectures for the TopHat questions. Not a bad choice for Bio 2. Holds a lot of review sessions.
He was not a good professor as I tried reaching out to him outside of office hours to review 2 exams and he only gave me 15 mins... His lectures are a bunch of graphs on the screen with little to no explanation which forces you to teach yourself the class from the textbook. He also teaches the recitation himself so there is no TA available. AVOID!!
Not much in the way of assignments outside of exams. Lectures are dry but you can get by without reading the textbook, though he does expect that you are and it probably helps. Didn't really talked to him but he seemed nice enough
Professor Donovan is extremely nice and is very willing to answer any questions, but his lectures only skim the content. I relied solely on the textbook to learn the exam material. Don't skip recitations or recitations assignment because they're actually a big part of your grade.
He's a pretty lazy professor, he only lectures you on a few things and expects you to learn everything else from the textbook for exams. He has no TA's so you can only go to him for questions, but when you go to office hours he only gives you a little time. Not good if you actually want to learn bio. Would not recommend.
Pretty boring lectures and hard to stay awake. Tests are on the book, not the lectures.
Dr. Donovan's lectures put me to sleep. They do not cover all of the required material, so you are responsible for reading the textbook. If you read the textbook though, you will be fine. There are in class TopHat problems, so you must attend. Dr. Donovan clearly cares about his students and their success. Just be prepared to put in work.
As someone who isn't the biggest fan of bio, taking Bio 2 this semester was challenging. This class is one of the most textbook heavy classes that I have ever taken. He is one of the sweetest people to exist, but his teaching skills are lackluster. If you have no choice but to take him, you will survive, but you might fall asleep.
his lectures are so far away from his exams, which are all completely textbook based. made the mistake (twice) of never showing up to class and got 0 for attendance but would pass his exams with flying colors because i would read the textbook. just be ready to read hundreds of pages of bio with notes, because he often nitpicks small details.
Prof. Donovan is a great teacher! His exams are pretty easy if you read the textbook. He is very accessible and will do his best to help you out!
I had heard lots of good things about Donaven in terms of ease in comparison to other professors, hence why I decided to take him for Biology 2. LOL, I was wrong. Though he is kind, he DOESN'T answer emails, relate his exams to lecture material, CURVE, and has poorly written exams overall. I had to try damn hard to get a C+, AVOID him!
P. Donovan taught 1/3 of the test material in class and 2/3 of exam questions were based off very specific parts in text. He submitted grades last minute and did not curve for the course, which he has done for every semester (even though we are in a pandemic). Do not take his class if you can, but if you do, read the text twice before the exam.
Donovan is a sweet guy, but TERRIBLE professor!! I managed to get by with a good grade but only by luck and definitely not with his help. He started to NOT respond to emails at all. His lectures were virtually useless, so be ready to read the book on your own. His exams were horribly written and I had a lot of trouble getting decent scores on them.
I loved Bio2 with Dr. Donovan! His lectures can be boring, especially if you took APbio, but he teaches things very clearly. TopHat questions and recitation material are always on the tests. Read the book and take good notes and you'll be fine. He is always willing to help and reserves time to answer questions and have review sessions.
Sweetest professor I've had so far, he just doesn't adapt to online learning well. He graded things really slow and didn't really provide a lot of information in lectures to prep for tests so its mostly reading to teach yourself. I'd take him in person, but not online again.
*Online version from COVID-19* Lectures aren't very organized making them somewhat hard to follow. Few quizzes make up 50% of your grade. They're not necessarily difficult, but every point is worth saving. Group projects don't have much guidance, so you have to be a little creative. Textbook is very useful to follow along with.
Dr. Donovan is one of the nicest professors at Pitt. He is a little boring at times, and is a little disorganized, but he means well and cares about his students. Class is not extremely difficult, and as long as you read the book you should be fine. Reading guides help a lot for tests. Solid choice for BIO2
While Donovan is a nice guy, he is not made for online learning. He doesn't know how to keep a class interested during a zoom lecture. He also was extremely slow at grading things and it was very difficult to get in touch with him. I mostly relied on the textbook for exam material.
Had Donovan Fall 2019 - Definitely read the textbook for exams!! Nice prof, dull lectures though - a combination of lecture notes + textbook notes helped me do well in his class. Review sessions before exams were helpful. In class TopHat questions and recitation questions are a big part of your grade, so attendance is important. Class is curved!
very fair class. people complain about his boring lecs but def the easiest bio 2 prof. just read the book and youre set. if you learn from lecs, choose someone else but the class is pretty easy compared to bio 1 IMO. mastering bio is 1/3 of our grade so make sure to do well on that . recommend if there is no better prof
Class is graded out of 100 so each point you lose on a quiz means one point lost on your final grade, and he doesnt curve. Hes a nice guy, but was clearly overwhelmed with online teaching so grades were given very late and assignments were never very clear. Skip lecture and just read the textbook.
Avoid ecology lab online. Incredibly boring and unstructured. Everything is a group assignment, and your group is picked for you at the beginning of the semester. Had very little instruction and did not get 90% of our assignments back until the day final grades were due, even though they were supposed to build on each other. Avoid avoid avoid.
He is a nice guy, but his lectures were not representative of his quizzes and it was much more beneficial to just read the textbook. He was very overwhelmed with online learning (and there were no UTAs), so it often took >month to get grades back. His group assignments were ambiguous and it was hard to reach him outside of class.
I had Sam last spring for Bio 2. He's probably your best bet for Bio 2 and is a nice guy, but his lectures are really dry. If you study the lecture notes and textbook, you should be fine for the exams. TopHat and weekly recitation assignments were 1/3 of our grade.
READ THE TEXTBOOK, overall not the greatest lecturer but bio 2 was soooo much easier than bio 1 with Donovan. His tests are based off the book so its pretty easy to do well on them. Top hat is 1/3 of your grade so make sure to do well on that and youll do fine! Bad ratings bc he doesnt teach well but easy prof for bio 2
best bet for bio 2, read the book and use quizlet. Do well on top hat and you will get a good grade. Not a great lecturer, but fair class
Dr. Sam is really caring and nice. He has homework assignments and recitation activities that add to your grade. His exams aren't terrible, but they are book heavy. His lectures are extremely boring but he provides the necessary information for exams. He cares a lot about his students.
The class wasn't too hard as long as you went to lecture and read using the reading guides that Dr. Donovan gives you. We had 3 exams and an optional final that could replace one of your exam grades, and exams only made up around 50% of our grade. Dr. Donovan was always available and willing to help during his office hours.
Highly recommend professor Donovan for bio 2. Classwork/Hw make up 60% of your grade and about 40% is from exam. You can replace one exam with final. I never went to lecture and only read textbook and have an A. His exam are entirely from textbook. His study guides are the best and lists what is covered or not on the exam, few do that!
I loved Professor Donovan! His lectures are kind of slow and boring, but he's a super nice guy. There are tons of chances to bring your grade up with homework and as long as you read the textbook and use his study guides this class is an easy A.
The lectures were very boring. I did not enjoy this class. The professor does not reply to emails and is hard to reach unless you attend the lectures.
Sam is a fine professor and he lectures on what he thinks is important. So if you pay attention during lectures, you will do fine because that is what he will test on. He is not accessible outside of class..
So useless. He never responds to emails. Tests were fine if you read the book. Lectures were boring but had decent information on the slides.
Never answers emails, doesn't enter grades, boring lectures. However you can get by without going to lecture as long as you study the textbook. Probably your best bet for a bio 2 prof at Pitt
This dude was so boring and so was his class but it wasnt that hard. Just go to lecture, read the textbook, and study and youll be fine! Lectures made me fall asleep though....
Not very accessible outside class and his lectures can be dry, but he explains things clearly & is great at answering questions in class. Study guides for exams are very helpful. Homework/recitation is worth over 50% of the grade, and are easy points. Not the most interesting professor, but I actually feel like I learned & retained information.
Sam is such a gem and is probably my favorite professor as far as personality is concerned. He is super understanding and definitely cares about his students needs. His lectures are pretty dry though and reading the textbook is a must if you want to do well. Overall bio 2 content was way easier than bio 1 and Donovan is a solid choice
Professor Donovan is very caring and was super understanding during COVID. However, his lectures are as dry as everyone says and overall, not a super engaging professor.
One of the questions on the exam was literally how old is the earth. If you had memorized the entire chapter in the textbook you would remember the two sentences that had the answer to this question. All of his exam questions are based on small details mentioned in the textbook. The lectures are useless, but you still have to go because of tophat.
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Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
61%
Textbook Required
22%
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