2.7
Quality3.3
Difficulty36%
Would Retake618
Reviews36%
Would Retake
618
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
618 total ratings5
94
4
125
3
127
2
107
1
165
What Students Say
“This is one of the worst classes I have ever taken”
BIOL1031 - 1.0 rating“Aight, Scott Bowling is the worst professor I've ever had”
BIO1020 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
0%
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B+
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BIOL10201030
5.0
(1)BIOL1030
4.0
(1)BIO1020AND30
4.0
(1)BIO1021
3.4
(25)BIOL1021
3.1
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PRINOFBIO
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1030
4.0
BIOL1030
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BOIL1020
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Reviews (299)
There is a ton of online work and powerpoint slides to read, but most of it is bonus. As long as you study before each test its hard not to make an A
Aight, Scott Bowling is the worst professor I've ever had. He tries to do the flipped classroom thing (which he can't do) and it sucks. Nothing in his class makes sense and you pretty much do all of the work yourself. 200 kids started the class and by the last week only 40 were showing up to class.
If you don't learn well by teaching yourself, do not take this flipped class. it is 100% memorization, and theres an insane amount to memorize. The only times i went to his office hours he was very rude and unhelpful. The only good thing about taking him was that he offers lots of redemption grades at the end of the semester. I don't recommend him.
Professor Bowling uses a flipped classroom style of teaching. If you want to do well in the class, you are going to have to teach yourself all of the material. He says you should learn the material before you get to class, but it is possible to learn all of the units material in the nights before the test. There is a lot of bonus for doing homework
Requires you to buy access to the Pearson MasteringBiology, then uses it less than I can count on my hands. Waste of money. Lab manual is nearly unreadable. Diagrams, especially for microbes, are chock-full of useless info. Too many words were expected to know. He does not seem to care hes teaching intro to biology part 2.
worst class and teacher I have ever had in my life. He does not teach you anything. If you get him, drop.
Easy to contact if you go to office hours. Trains his TA's well. Fixes grades when made aware of them immediately.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS WHATEVER YOU DO. HE DOES NOT LECTURE OR EVEN TEACH ANYTHING AT ALL. YOU HAVE TO LEARN IT ALL YOURSELF.
He doesn't lecture in class, but he does upload all of his slides to canvas. But they won't help you much, anyways. The textbook isn't a lot of help either, but if you look over the group exams and watch crash course videos, you might survive this class. He's a pretty nice guy, and wants to see his students really work for their grade, though.
I had him for Bio1021 (so thats a lab) did not have him specifically because the TA is with the lab, but work and homework are easy. Highly recommended!
Literally this class was so easy. I took him for Principles and Organismal and got a high A in both, he gives an insane amount of extra credit. I went into the final with a 105, then if you make an A on the final he replaces all you other exams with an A! Never went to class, just studied the powerpoint and it was a breeze!
Dr. Bowling is not one of my favorite teachers. He does NOT lecture. He gives you the slides to do at home and then does quizzes upon quizzes in class. His class is point based so it is hard to fail. His class is definitely hard but it is not the worst. Just read the slides and study and you will be fine.
He does not lecture, so you really have to teach yourself everything from his powerpoints/notes on Canvas. His tests are pretty easy if you study the group exams, and if you do well on the final it replaces every lower test grade. There are TONS of extra credit opportunities, but if you don't do well in a flipped classroom, don't take him.
He doesnt lecture at all, however, you get TONS of participation points. He gives group exams before the solo exams which really helps. Study the group exams and try to figure out ways he would switch the questions up. Your final replaces any test grade lower than the final. Easy A
He does not actually teach the lab, but he is sure to send sarcastic emails that make you roll your eyes. He is not very nice and does not take any excuses. His labs are hard and kind of useless, but it is required and they are definitely manageable. Just read the textbook before class and know the random facts and work hard and quickly in lab.
Dr. Bowling does flipped-classroom. Few lectures, in class you discuss with classmates and take solo and group quizzes. A lot of people hate him, but if you're good at teaching yourself he's an easy A. Gives a crap-ton of extra credit, so much that I quit doing homework last month of class as I'd maxed out my credit points. Used the textbook once.
I dont know why so many people give Dr. Bowling bad reviews. Hes really not that bad. Just study and youll be fine.
Doesn't make any effort to teach and assigns a ridiculous amount of out of class reading and homework. Get ready to teach yourself the entire course and then take his tests. The guy sucks
Do yourself a favor and do not take Dr. Bowling unless you have no other option. He does not teach. You have to teach yourself all the information. He is rude when it comes to asking questions. Attendance is not mandatory.
Do not take Dr. Bowling unless you have no other option. He doesn't teach and there is tons of homework.
Scott Bowling is the reason Auburn has a poor biology program.
Biology 1031 (lab) was definitely harder than the actual lecture class. Even if u know how to study, chances are the entrance/exit quizzes will still find a way to win. The amount of info you are expected to know going in is very extreme, especially based on the fact that the class material and lab material don't match up at all. Get ready to work
He teaches a flipped classroom, so you have to teach yourself everything. It's very time consuming, but it's an easy A if you put in the work. If you do homework and quizzes in the beginning, you don't really have to toward the end. Dr. Bowling was quite rude, so I honestly tuned him out in class and just took the quizzes. Extra credit is built in.
Dr. Bowling runs the lab section (BIOL1031) for organismal biology. This is one of the worst classes I have ever taken. You are required to learn tons of information in a little bit of time. The lab practicals are difficult and the class average is usually around a D, he doesn't not curve. He is rude and does not want to help when you reach out.
You need to be able to put in a good amount of time outside the class to study and teach yourself. The class time is mainly used for quizzes used for activity points. It's easy to get the activity points, but you have to stay on top of it.
Okay so I have beef with this professor. Organismal lab was way harder than my lecture class. Does that make any sense whatsoever? NO. Everyone I know that put in effort in this class failed the practicals. I tried contacting him about seeing what I missed and was told I was not allowed. He is incredibly rude and cares 0% about you. Miss me w that.
Dr. Bowling is not the best teacher, but his final exam is easy and the final exam grade replaces all of the other test grades. Just get to the final and you'll be fine.
Organsimal Bio Lab was the hardest class Ive taken. I luckily got an A, but the weekly quizzes and lab practicals go into extreme detail which made it very difficult. It requires more studying time than the actual BIOL 1030 lecture class.
Professor Bowling is not a terrible teacher. His class was very manageable as long as you do the homework and heavily study the group exam/old tests! I never got below an 83 on an exam and ended up with a 96 as my final grade! His class different than most but anyone could do well in there.
Just make sure you do the homework and study for the final exam and you'll do fine in this class. It really not that bad if you can get to the final.
His teaching methods and tests can be intimidating but he offers LOTS of extra credit at the end. He also replaces every test grade with whatever you make on the final. The final is relatively easy. Attendance is definitely not mandatory.
never used the textbook, which was annoying because we were told we had to buy it. the class seemed hard, but he gave lots of extra credit.
This class can be hard, but Dr. Bowling offers lots of extra credit. He also makes the final exam easy and he will replace all other test grades with what you make on the final.
Lectures consist of going over homework, group quiz, and quizzes, no real teaching. The class is extremely easy, however since his final replaces all 3 of your test if they are worse than it. Not very interesting lectures
class is hard but i heard final was easy
Terrible. I am already not the best at Biology but it is a class I was excited to learn in. I learned nothing. It is a flipped classroom and studying was up in the air. I had no clue how to study. Do not take. He is not the worst teacher but there are better ones at Auburn to try for.
had to teach myself a whole semesters worth of bio. only went to class because he gives 2-4 quizzes each class. help yourself and DO NOT take bowling.
His class can be tricky but as long as you stay in it until the final, you will be fine. He adds tons of bonus points at the end and the final is always easy.
if you can avoid taking bowling, i would. very flipped classroom. class is spent taking quizzes. very limited lectures but get ready to teach yourself. final can replace all of the previous test. def not the worst here but if you can avoid him, do not take. worst class ive ever taken
The "active learning" style means you have to teach yourself. Dr. Bowling doesn't really lecture, if he did it would be a lot better class. Quizzes every day and online hw make up a big chunk of the grade.
Had him for lab, although the class was taught by a GTA. Accidentally slept through a lab, but ended up ending the class with an A because theres so much bonus offered.
Took him for Bio1031 lab and was a pretty fair grader. Lab practices were straightforward and you only need to know the basic information. Intro quizzes every time you meet the asked for the smallest details in the 20 page lab manual. TA's ran the class and they were nice and helpful. would take him again
Took him for lab, it was a piece of cake. You need to read the lab manuals before class, as the intro quizzes usually have one or two tough questions. But, seriously, it's all in the fine print. I loved my TAs, Sujan and Sarah. I never even met Dr. Bowling, but he's cool. I had a 109 in this class before the final because of all the extra credit.
Never lectures and you have to teach yourself the material. Lots of online quizzes, and participation questions. Would never take him again only because he used class for questions and did not teach.
Awful:(
I liked Professor Bowling. His class is very interactive which made it easier for me to learn. There are lots of in-class quizzes, but they aren't grades, they're points. The point system is kind of annoying, but it gives you a big extra credit opportunity. There are lots of LA's that are very helpful. It can be an easy A if you put in the time.
His class is the flipped classroom approach so he NEVER lectures. The tests are so hard but the exam is pretty easy so you can get a good grade based of the way he drops tests.
No lectures, just teaching yourself by reading 70pg powerpoints. Homework almost everyday. Tests seem easy when you take them but end up with a low score. Offers group tests first which is helpful and there's quizzes everyday in class but make up participation points instead of being graded. final replaces every test lower test grade.
Dr. Bowling is not bad at all. All the labs are taught by TAs but he writes the final and quizzes. You MUST study for those quizzes or you will not do well. Most were five questions based off the lab manual that could be as many as 15 pages of information to know. Also, you MUST study for the in-person final. My only suggestions are STUDY.
Get ready to teach yourself because Bowling does not lecture; instead, he posts slides and assignments for you to do outside of class. His tests aren't too difficult, but the questions can be hard to understand. Lots of opportunity to make a good grade. Not the best class to take, but definitely not the worst either.
Not as hard as everyone says it is. Read the required stuff and study for the practicals and you'll do good. Lots of extra credit.
Terrible teacher, but he gives A TON of extra credit as long as you do your assignments. He also replaces all of your tests with the Final if you make good on it.
Not a good professor. The class is flipped, so you have to teach yourself and come to class with specific questions. There's a lot of homework and in-class quizzes. His tests are not hard, necessarily, but they are tricky. The questions are extremely similar to ones that he has shown you before, but a few terms will be flipped and it throws you off
Great choice for bio teacher at Auburn!
If taking him for Biol 1021 then chances are you'll rarely see him. As with a lot of labs it was the grad assistants who taught the lab. make sure to read over the manuels before class bc of entrance quizzes. labs are relativley easy and the lab final is too if you study. be able to do punnett squares and study and youll be good.
Does not lecture. Makes you take quizzes during class. You have to teach yourself everything. Only uploads powerpoints that are 60 slides per chapter. Replaces lowest grade with final, but final is very hard. Do not take this professor.
Not a very good professor, he did not go through lecture, just quizzes during classes. But just do those quizzes and homework can earn a lot of extra credit.(I earned about 4% in total) Also, his final exam can replace all test scores which worse than it. I was supposed to get 89 to 90, but instead I got 95 in the end.
One of the best teachers at Auburn! Gives lots of extra credit!
Dr. Scott Bowling is not a great professor. He rarely lectures, even when every student needs more explanation on something, because it is a flipped class. You go through 60-100 page slides before class and teach yourself, then come in and take quizzes. The only redeeming thing about Dr. Scott Bowling is that he gives ample amount of extra credit.
He is not a good professor but he might be the best option because his final is reallyyy easy and essentially replaces your entire grade. Also gives a good bit of extra credit. Make an A on the final make an A in the class regardless of your past test scores basically. His normal tests were tricky I thought.
Some of his tests can be hard, but the final is easy. The final replaces all past test grades. I failed some of the tests but I ended with a high "B" because I did good on the final.
Scott Bowling is the professor for my Biology Lab. However, two teaching assistants teach the class. There is an entrance quiz at the beginning of every class along with a handout that is due by the end of class. On occasion, there will be an exit quiz. All the quizzes and handouts are simple and easy if you read the lab manual and powerpoint.
The hardest professor at Auburn thus far. Had an A all year in highschool biology. An A doesn't exist in this class. The average for test in a class with 200+ people should not be a 50. He rambles about literally useless knowledge that wont be on the test, then quizzes you to up to 3 times each class, so you have to quizlet the answers.
Flipped classroom - rarely lectured, mainly teach yourself outside of class then take quizzes and such in class. 3 tests plus the final but final can replace all test grades. Ample bonus opportunities.
Relies on the students to teach themselves and only reviews material rather than teach it. Has group exams where the class average is the grade that everyone receives.
A flipped classroom teaching style, and with my other hard classes i didnt have time to sit and teach myself all the material. He does not teach at all, and still gives daily quizzes on material he expects you to magically know. this is not the course to waste all your energy on. Get a professor that teaches.
I thought I could handle Bowling but I was wrong. I was spending like 2 hours/day on notes and doing these online open ended questions which also take forever. On top of that, there are other assignments which took a total of 6 hours for the whole semester and on top of that, he makes you read 80pages of book and answer questions DONT TAKE HIM
I dont know why people are hating on Dr. Bowling. He does not stand and lecture so there are a lot of in-class quizzes. If you do the assignments, which are graded for completion (!) and attend class to take the quizzes then you will do fine. He offers a ton of bonus points and replaces all exams with the final if you do better.
Dr. Bowling is not terrible. All the labs are taught by TAs but he writes the final and quizzes. You MUST study for those quizzes or you will not do well. Most were four questions based off the lab manual that could be as many as 40 pages of information to know - especially CLASSIFICATION. You MUST study for this class!
The way he teaches is weird, he makes you do notes, 50-200 slide powerpoints before class on the notes/lecture, then do an activity on it, then come to class and take quizzes on it everyday.
Dr. Bowling was in charge of my lab for BIOL1021. The Lab was taught by a TA, but Dr. Bowling handles the final, quizzes, and other grades. Read the labs before class, because there are entrance quizzes, as well as handouts due at the end of each lab. There is built in extra credit, and the final was not bad at all . Definitely an easy A.
I had him for lab and that was taught by the two TA's but he makes all the quizzes and the final. You have to read the lab manual thoroughly before lab in order to pass the entrance quizzes, but even then sometimes the questions are weirdly specific. Overall, it wasn't bad.
Study group exams + lecture notes for test. Don't use textbook or MasteringBiology to study; both are completely unrelated to test material/assignments. A chapter a day. I once took 5 quizzes on 3 different chapters in one class period and one was punishment because some students left early. Homework before every class, it's a lot. Study early!!!!!
I know a lot of people like to hate on his class but honestly hes the best bio teacher out of all the other regular instructors. He gives 330 points on top of your test grade as well as a group test grade counting as your fourth test. I never showed up too class you just study quizlets and group test and its a easy A.
Most of the labs were interesting and the quizzes weren't too hard, but you have to study a lot to do well.
I didn't think the lab would be a big deal, but I dreaded it every week. You start almost every lab with an entrance quiz that asks really specific questions. Then you do the lab and fill out a handout (always got a perfect score on those plus bonus). The lab final was not the easiest. I barely ended with an A and I am a straight A student.
Dr. Bowling does not lecture. You teach yourself outside of class and come to class and take at least 2 quizzes in each class. He does not teach and his tests are tough. Only redeeming quality is that the final replaces all of your test grades that are lower than the final grade. I made a C, D and F on the tests and ended with a B.
Very enjoyable professor in lectures only. Homework is overwhelming and annoying but overall easy if you go to SI sessions for the tests reviews.
His lab doesnt align with the lecture material. In addition, the lab for 1031 is incredibly difficult and many people are just trying to pass. Do NOT recommend this course.
Good guy who means well but if you're not a science major do not take this class. Meant for science-based majors. Attendance is not mandatory but there are in-class quizzes sometimes so be aware of that.
He doesn't lecture. You are expected to teach yourself everything outside of class time. There is no reason to go to class, except for on group exam and solo exam days. The only thing you do in class is take online quizzes, which you have access to outside of class (so there is no reason to go). He does not teach. I do not recommend taking him.
You basically teach yourself via notes & powerpoint at home & then take individual and group quizzes in class. He goes over what you dont understand & the LAs are helpful! Group and individual exams + if you do the work you can get extra credit. I never made above a B on a test and got an A in the class. Just do the work !!!
Dr. Bowling was not a great teacher. He has a flipped classroom so you teach yourself EVERYTHING at home based on power points that are hundreds of slides long and you need to know by the next class. He rarely ever goes over anything in class and just uses class time to make you do quizzes. You get group dividual tests but theyre still hard.
I am not sure why Dr. Bowling has such low ratings. I really enjoyed his class and thought it was fairly easy. He offers tons of bonus points.
This class made me wanna end it all. I thought since going to college that I would be taught, however I was wrong. He basically has never lectured a day in his life and probably won't. You have to teach yourself EVERYTHING, which stressed me out way too much. The only reason I didn't get a D is because he gives a lot of extra credit.
He teaches a "flipped classroom" and flat out does not teach. The rare time he does it's confusing. There are a lot of participation/extra credit points that add up and help in the end. Tests are hard but final replaces any tests that are lower. I tried emailing him about a grading error and he was rude and unwilling to listen. Would not recommend
He is the easiest professor for biology 1020 period. The people complaining about him would complain about the rest of the professors for sure. He does not teach but he gives like 500 bonus points and his final replaces any worse test (which aren't really hard either) and is super easy. Just study Quizlet and you will make an A.
I had him for bio lab which was ran by GTAs. Miserable and very hard. If you dont read your manual thoroughly and get a good lab partner it will be very hard to make a B or better. I dreaded going everyday. If BIO 1020 isnt a requirement for your major dont take it.
Doesnt teach at all for his lecture or lab. Lab is taught by GTAs and lecture is an active learning platform so you have to teach it all yourself. The coursework was tough for me especially not having a professor that taught. That being said he does allow plenty of opportunities to make up for bad exam grades.
He uses a "flipped classroom" setting, which makes it very challenging to learn in my opinion. However, there are lots of bonus points available if you do all the work. There are group tests, which are very similar to the solo tests. Your grade on final, if better, can replace any test grades. Not an easy A, but doable.
Do your learning catalytics and you WILL pass! The group tests are amazing and really help your grade. The lab was super easy plus our TA was great so if you are friends with them then your grades will improve.
He's material heavy but the group test and quizzes help. Print all his notes and materials, show up, and study with the group you take a test with. This is what mainly helps. The material is barely discussed in class so you'r on your own. It's not that bad of a class and you just have to show up. Get Panera before and just take the quiz, your done.
A great choice for a BIO teacher. He gives lots of extra credit.
Dr. Bowling was one of the most difficult professors I have had at AU. He barely lectured, and just wanted us to learn the material on our own. Most of the time when he did lecture, he just rambled on. This class was not clear nor concise. He does offer a lot of extra credit which was very helpful. But, I walked away from the class with confusion.
Bowling is pretty straight forward and quizzes aren't that difficult. Working in his class isn't that interesting but as long as you pay attention you'll be fine. Final is worth a whopping 40% of your final grade so start studying as soon as you can. He's pretty forgiving and gives a little extra credit from time to time. He was okay.
Awful professor
He doesn't teach, you teach yourself. He also said, and i quote, " I want you to struggle". Good luck if you get stuck in this class.
Wants to make things as difficult as possible and refuses to help/ignores questions
Does not teach whatsoever, wants us to struggle and does not care if you pass. Rude and will laugh when you ask a question.
Dear god. This is the most unorganized, unhelpful, and unapproachable professor I have ever had. He does not lecture, you teach yourself everything. Within the first week we had already had several quizzes and homework assignments on multiple chapters. He does not slow down. If you have the option of an easier class, take it.
Had to take online so not sure how is he is in person but I cant imagine too much better. Is honestly pretty rude and doesnt care about you or your grade obviously just there to get a paycheck. Literally assigned 4 chapters of homework and quizzes the first week of school. Do not recommend.
The most unorganized class I have ever taken. He truly does not care about his students. 4 chapters of work due within the first week of class. Do not ask questions in class, he will laugh at you and "if you're struggling, that's okay I want you to struggle." 0/5.
Decided that he didn't want to do class on his given day and time. Very confusing in the schedule and hard to be able to attend other classes when I have a class in the time he just decided to do his new zoom.
He's not good. Avoid. Has no respect that you have other classes. Floods you with homework. Long slideshows. Do not take.
Gives a lot of extra credit, however, this class is very difficult. You teach yourself EVERYTHING. He does not lecture at all during class and is not very approachable. I did not enjoy taking his class.
Do not take this class. He will not answer questions and if you email him he will not respond. If he does, it is using maybe four words. The course load is absurd in comparison to all my other classes combined. Doesn't lecture and is very unhelpful in such an important class. Steer away especially if you are a science-related major that needs an A.
Terrible. Absolutely awful. I'm actually a pretty average guy. Not many emotions come my way if I'm being honest. I took this class and honestly it was the biggest mistake of my life. I cried every class and test. I can confidently say out of the 15 years I've been in school he is the worst teacher I have ever come across.
If you are a bio related major or like bio, you'll be just fine. If you don't care about bio, he's not at all your guy. You have to learn on your own and there is a ton of homework. If you don't do it well you will struggle. If you want to really learn, Bowling is your guy. If you just need to check this class off your list then keep looking.
Dr. Bowling is easier than given credit for. It is a lot of work in the beginning, but he offers a ton of extra credit. Your final exam replaces any lower test grades. He gives a group test right before the individual test to prepare you. You teach yourself off of powerpoints and printoff notes. Overall, the tests are easy if you know the material.
I had Dr. Bowling for online lab (BIOL 1021). The work load was not too much with a lab being due each week but there is plenty of time to get it completed. He also offered bonus points for having everything done on time. I'm taking him for my next BIOL lab as well. He did very well converting lab online during a global pandemic.
His class is hard but he gives you lots of chances to bring your grade up. Do all of the homework it actually helps if you pay attention to it. He gives lots of chances for extra credit at the end. I had a D going into the final and end the class with a B. It's rough at the beginning but in the end it's worth it.
I love biology; however, this class had me questioning my biology major almost every single day. Dr. Bowling, in no doubt, knows his stuff, yet he does not lecture in his classes and you are basically on your own teaching yourself. If you do not participate in the activities, which are a huge portion of your grade, you will not pass his class.
Maybe it was because his lab was online this semester, but he gave PLENTY of extra credit and the powerpoints he posted could easily get you through his lab practicals with an A.
I took Dr. Bowling for BIOL 1031 online due to COVID-19. Never had a lecture, and he was SUPER lenient on due dates. Two quizzes due on Tuesday, but submit any time before Friday without being late. Used Honorlock for most of them, but pretty easy. Extra credit was built into everything, and he even gave us study guides for the midterm and final.
Coming from someone who loves biology, after this class I am switching to communication. Please, for the love of god, do not take this class. I have spent hours on hours crying because of this man. He doesn't teach and you are basically on your own. RUN.
Within the first week of the semester, he literally said "I designed this class for you to struggle". He also does NOT lecture and for someone with no biology background, it feels almost impossible to stay on top of everything. Lots of homework which sometimes can be VERY lengthy. I would not recommend this class to anyone besides biology majors.
Does not care at all about his students. Rarely actually teaches and instead just sends students into individual groups. When you emailed him he never applies and overall it is just really confusing and hard to have anything to actually study. If anything going to class just confused me more than the 75 pages of notes we have to know per subject.
He never actually spoke to us at all, he was very unhelpful and it felt like an absolute waste of time. I honestly felt like I came out of his biology and his lab knowing less than I knew when I came into the class.
Dr. Bowling does not really do much in this course besides giving the material. It all depends if you get a good TA. I took the class online so not sure how it would go in person but he was pretty clear on expectations. Just do the labs on time and you should be fine (& get extra credit, too).
Never had a synchronous meeting for his class, but the labs are straight forward and not too hard to apply knowledge too, solid choice
This is the worst class at auburn. Be careful.
I took his lab online. There are 2 quizzes every week, but half were open note. Okay if you just understand what the lab is about and what the results were. Gives a lot of bonus at the end, just do all your work and do it ON TIME!! I don't know about his offline labs, but if you can, take his ONLINE lab
I took his online lab class and it was fairly easy. 2 quizzes a week that were super easy as long as you read over the lab handout and slides. He gives you lots of extra credit towards the end. As long as you do everything on time you should pass with an A.
If youre an upcoming freshman, avoid taking him. The first week of class students asked for help... he laughed and said he wanted us to struggle. He doesnt teach or reply to emails. Hes also very rude. If you happen to get stuck with him. Do every assignment and study non-stop. He does give EC at the end of the year which helps your grade a lot.
Refused to let a student take his exam later even though the student had just attended his brother's funeral, told us at the beginning of the year that he wanted to watch us suffer, I asked for an extension on a lab because my house still didn't have power from a hurricane and he said no, etc. Terrible person but gives lots of bonus points. Avoid
Scott Bowling is one of the worst professors at Auburn University. He doesn't care about his students. He is rude and unhelpful when it comes to lecture material. He would rather his students suffer and not pass the class.
Dr. Bowling wasnt the best teacher, however he gives so many points that its easy to get a good grade! I took him online due to COVID, so I am not sure how the class would be F2F. For me, the was a lot of homework and a lot of information to learn. We would have pages upon pages of notes. Overall, easy grade/ok professor.
Unless you already know everything about biology DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. He does not lecture at all. He expects you to learn everything before the class starts (typically notes on 100+ slides). The exams are very hard. On one exam the average was a 57. Seriously, save yourself and find another professor.
his lab was very difficult for being an online lab. he also doesnt grade the labs himself so if you get a tough TA you get bad scores and if you get an easy one you get good grades. final is also very difficult and I dont think I could have studied any more than I did to get a better grade.
Dr. Bowling does not lecture. If you can teach yourself, take this class. I think we spent more time in breakout rooms not knowing what we were doing than we spent in class. I never felt bad missing class because I never learned anything anyway in class. A lot of extra credit so I ended with a high grade. Tough grader. Barely curves any exams.
Hard professor. Final replaces any exam grade lower than what you get on the final. Tons of extra credit. There are group exams before your actual exam and those total to one full exam grade which helps with your grade and as a review. Does not lecture. The LAs didn't even know what we were doing in class half the time.
This class was challenging. The exams were pretty hard, but I did learn a lot from this class. If you are willing to put in the work, then you will be okay. I did not do exceptionally well on the exams, but I studied all of our previous exams and assignments for the final and did well in the class. He does give extra credit which helped me.
All of his lectures were online and prerecorded, which made it a bit intimidating/difficult to reach out to him, but if you want an A and you're willing to put in a little work, you can get it. The notes and review slides he sends out are thorough and contain everything you need to know for the test.
Nothing innately wrong with this course, but just not my learning style. It's ALL teaching yourself. You teach yourself a chapter for each individual classtime. It's a lot of work and can be overwhelming. He hardly lectures and if he does it's for 15-20 minutes max before you spend the rest of the class taking quizzes on the chapters you read.
Honestly just be prepared to work. He's a pretty good guy and obviously has a passion for biology, but he expects us to be perfect biologists on the first day. Doing this synchronously online, there wasn't a class that we didn't have at least one quiz in. He definitely believes in putting in the work, that's for sure.
Worst lab professor you will ever take. Does not explain anything and just gives you hundreds of terms to memorize. Did not learn a thing from this class. Terrible teacher.
Awful teacher. Does not care if students actually learn the material. Prides himself on giving students a hard time. Worst professor I have experienced in all of my college career. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASSES!
Literally terrible, makes bio lab your hardest class, and the midterm and final are extremely hard and the whole class failed them.
He refused to answer questions in class, and threatened to disable the zoom chat where we asked questions because we were not allowed to unmute ourselves. He assigned way too much busy work (6+ assignments per week). We were always 4 or 5 chapters ahead of the other BIOL 1020 classes, so he rushed through all his lectures. Would not take him again.
He lectures the entire time, but youre expected to come to class haven already read the chapter material that he will be lecturing on. The slides you use to prepare for class are extremely long. Tests are hard, but the extensive powerpoint slides have nearly everything you need. if you are willing to put in the work, you should do fine.
The lab was entirely online because of COVID and all Dr. Bowling does is release the modules, send emails, and grade. He doesn't want you contacting him about the lab, just your TA. It's honestly fine because the lab being online makes it extremely easy. It takes me maximum one hour per week, so no complaints, but sad we couldn't do a real lab.
A hard class that requires you to come to each class prepared but extremely rewarding if you are willing to work. I'm bad at keeping up with traditional lectures so I really liked Dr. Bowling's teaching style. The tests were fair if you prepared for them. I found the LCs, ppt slides, and book, helpful. Would be better in person w/o zoom
Dr. Bowling is fine. Not bad, not great, but he's fine. He assigns SOO much homework but if you do all of it in the beginning then at the end of the semester you can slack off and it all becomes bonus points (one perk- he gives lots of bonus points!). Tests are long but straightforward. SO many quizlets for his class.
There isnt another option for BIOL 1031 so you kinda just take what you can get. He gives lots of bonus which is nice but gives an attitude like he does not care.
A lot of people complain but I had no problem taking labs with Dr. Bowling for 2 semesters. For lab practicals, all you have to do is memorize and identify pictures. He also gives TONS of bonus points so if you just do your work, you'll have a chance of getting 100+ as your final grade.
He only lectures for about 10 or 20 minutes each class and you have to teach yourself a lot; however, you can literally make a 0 on all the exams but the final and make an A in the class because it can replace all your lower exam grades. His grading system makes it a very easy class despite the material being hard at times.
I didn't have a problem with Bowling. He gave us lots of extra credit. The entrance and exit quizzes for labs were easy if you just studied for about 10 minutes. I don't think this class was difficult at all if you just put in a little bit of effort. He wasn't bad at all.
I had Dr. Bowling for both the lecture and lab and actually really liked him. His tests and lab quizzes were pretty straight forward, and he gave out a lot of extra credit. Only downside is that he assigns a LOT of work.
This class can be overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it its not bad. He isnt the most friendly guy, but he gives a ton of extra credit. Study the lecture notes word for word and review group tests and old tests and you will be good.
If you were looking for a reason to jump from the top of the Haley Center, this is the class for you. Never really taught anything and when he did he talked way too fast and only gave brief explanations on things. He expected you to look over a powerpoint before each class and sometimes they would be up to 100 slides. Gives bonus points at the end.
I took this online, and wasn't quite prepared for the amount of work he throws on you. It's a lot, but the assignments aren't that bad. He doesn't lecture much but rather throws you into breakout rooms. You kind of have to crack the code and figure out how to study correctly for his tests. However, the way he replaces them in the end is helpful.
Bowling doesn't really lecture he throws you in breakout rooms instead. Quizlet will be your best friend when it comes to his tests. Overall not too difficult of a class but you have to be very self-motivated. There's plenty of opportunities for extra credit.
No lie, I complained about this man all semester because of the difficulty in some of his labs and such. After the final exam, I shut my mouth real quick. He comes in CLUTCH with your grade. Hella extra credit. My grade shot up after the final from the extra credit built into the assignments. Study for quizzes and FOR THE LAB PRACTICALS!!!
Had him freshman year. Attendance not mandatory but pop quizzes were given daily so if you werent there your grade showed. He didnt teach us anything. youre expected to have viewed the slides online and have them memorized by class but slides were 100s of pages. class was a waste of time but still had to go. worst teacher ive ever had
His lecture sucks, doesn't teach clearly.
Dr. Bowling seems like a nice guy, but he isn't a good teacher. He doesn't lecture, and if he does it's not for very long. You are basically going to have to teach yourself everything. All of the notes are on 100 ppt slides and they are all over the place. Class isn't mandatory, but you miss in class quizzes if you don't go. Just be ready to WORK.
Here I am on Monday night trying to squeeze 6 chapters of biology into my brain before my exam because Scott refuses to teach. I am sad. I need to pass this class. It is down to memorization not learning anymore. Seems like a nice dude but doesnt look like he enjoys teaching anymore.
I am speaking specifically for Biol 1031, the lab. It is much more difficult than a lab should ever be. The test account for 60% of your grade, not the actual lab assignments. I studied more for the lab practicals than I ever did for a Biology test. You have to know hundreds of randomly specific biology terms to pass and again, practical big test
good luck with this one avoid him at all cost he expects you to know excessive amounts of extremely specific material in a short period of time does not explain anything and does not want you to contact him his LA's basically teach the class
Biology lab with Dr. Bowling is amazing. He gives a lot of bonus which really comes in handy when it comes time to take the final. Gives so many opportunities for extra credit so if you get anything less than an A its because you simply did not try.
Worst teacher I have ever had. Spends more time lecturing students on wearing their masks than teaching us class content. Bio is hard as is and Bowling just made it even harder.
DO NOT go into this class expecting him to teach anything you are entirely on your own to basically learn a dead foreign language with no help from him at all. He will have a few quizzes every class then talk AT you for about 15 minutes and its pure nonsense. Worst experience ive ever had with a college class and the worst part is that I like bio.
He does not teach you basically anything. You are going to have to study the several PowerPoints with 50+ slides on it to pass the exams. There are some bonus points you can earn with Learning Catalytics but not a lot . His LAs teach you more than he does so definitely go to their office hours.
two quizzes every single class after teaching nothing. slideshows with 100s of slides that we have to teach ourselves. doesnt want to be emailed, doesn't answer questions or offer SI. everyone and their mother changes majors after this class. could have skipped this class due to AP bio credit but took for bio major, still no clue what is going on
Bowling SUCKS. Do NOT take this class if you have the option you wont understand ANYTHING!!!!! he doesnt teach at all he just gives you assignments and then tests you on things that arent even in the assignments. if you see this DONT TAKE THIS CLASS IM WARNING YOU
Scott refuses to teach the material instead puts it on complicated 100+ slide powerpoints and expects you to sort through yourself he holds office hours early when most students are in class on purpose you cannot attend his LA's teach the class and his test are often on material that is never mentioned in slides or homework STAY AWAY
Dr. Bowling expects you to know everything about Biology before every class. His lectures sound like he is speaking a different language. He will lecture for 5 minutes and then quiz you on it. His tests are very hard and doesn't prepare you for them at all. You will have to spend hours learning before tests and hire a tutor if you want to do well.
He honestly doesn't teach and doesn't care if you don't understand something. I asked him a question once and he publically embarrassed me in front of a 300+ people lecture. His LA's are the actual teachers. He thinks we should know every detail about biology when for such a detailed class he does no explaining at all.
He told our class we are going to be the reason our parents d!3 because we don't have the covid vaccine. He turns every lecture into a lecture about how dumb we are for not getting it. My mom isn't saying all this money for me to go to Auburn for a professor like this to ruin the experience.
taking this class made me realize I hate biology. dont take bowling unless you have a passion for biology and can withstand beyond difficult grading and material. his tests are extremely hard and hard to study for- dont take this class
you would be better just teaching the class to yourself
Bowling was one of the hardest professors I have ever had. He doesn't lecture and when he does none of it makes any sense. You take at least 2 quizzes every class , one solo and one group one depending on what chapters you are doing. You will end up teaching yourself everything in this class but quizlet is your best friend. You have to work for it
Honestly, Bowlings class is not that hard. You just have to study past quizzes outside of class. I dont personally like him or agree with his teaching style but his class is definitely manageable with a little outside of class studying.
Dr. Bowling has a very unique teaching style that can make him quite difficult for first-year students. You will do the lectures outside of class and then do quizzes and supplemental assignments in class. While people find his class very difficult, he gives a ton of extra credit, and if you do his assignments and study it's easy to do really well.
I dont recommend his lab if you can avoid him at all cost. Not very friendly in his emails. You can do everything online for the lab and its not all that difficult. Lab practicals are rough and you only get two a semester. Its basically you and the GTA. He makes it seem like you are an inconvenience to him.
You're going to have to teach most of the material to yourself or learn from the LA's. Dr. Bolwing doesn't do jack. Not to mention, even if you have mono or are dying, you better be at the tests because he doesn't care about excused absences, essentially he's just rude.
Dr. Bowling is an okay professor. There are a LOT of random quizzes. For majority of the class, you have to teach yourself. He doesn't explain anything. I recommend talking to someone who had him before you take his class.
I have rated Mr. Bowling before, and I recommended him to all of my friends. However that is not the case anymore. He is rude and does not care to see you succeed. Inconsiderate and very strict. Do not take him if you have the choice.
Note that I'm talking specifically for the lab. Dr. Bowling was pretty average, and generally did not seem to care about the students. However, the class is an easy A, and this semester he even gave 68 bonus points. I personally ended up with a 107% in the class, and his class isn't much to stress about.
DO NOT TAKE THIS WITH DR BOWLING. The man assigns 80+ slide slideshows filled with information every night and you are expected to know all of it the next class for almost daily in class quizzes. He teaches none of it. Additionally, the tests are difficult AND there is TONS of homework. This class isnt impossible but I promise it is MISERABLE.
Bowling had everything well organized and accessible on canvas. Not really any interaction with him but I had a good GTA for my lab section. Technically you didn't even have to go to lab, everything was available on canvas because of COVID. There was SO MUCH extra credit tho. Did bad on my lab final and still got an A just because of extra credit.
Dr. Bowling was not a very difficult professor for BIO 1021 because you can find most of the lab quizzes on Quizlet. (One of the quizzes was all written though and I got a 50% but it didn't really affect my grade) He gives so much extra credit which saved my grade when it came to the final worth 40% of our grade. Ending up with a 101% in the class.
Literally the worst professor I have ever had at Auburn. This was a one hour credit lab, and we were expected to read 70+ slide Powerpoints, 20+ page PDFs, and complete 3 module assignments each week. The lab practicals were so unbelievably hard and specific. I would seriously NEVER take this guy again and he should be fired from Auburn.
I don't really know why people dislike him. He is a smart guy that expects you to try in his class. Maybe take the easier bio class if his class seems challenging. If you put in the work (do the activities and study) this class is really not that bad. He gives many opportunities for extra credit as well.
Just took the final and all I have to say is DO NOT TAKE HIM !! He literally does not care about you being successful and is not approachable or accessible. You can pass by doing assignments because of quizlet but I did not actually learn anything this semester.
Dr. Bowling was my only option for a professor for 1020, so I had no choice but to take him. The only reason I am giving him a 2/5 instead of a 1 is because of the extra credit opportunities. He puts the final in 7 times and drops the lowest 4 grades you have, but you still have to do well to keep your grade. I had a very high A before the final.
This class had a lot of homework and quizzes. Everyday of class you take a quiz. He grades on point system with a good bit of extra credit. I barely made an A in this class because the tests are very hard and he never actually teaches. If you take this class be prepared to teach yourself.
Dr. Bowling was not a great teacher, but the class was relatively easy. His class is lecture heavy with in class quizzes, and he gives a good amount of bonus at the end of the semester for completing extra assignments. As long as you are willing to teach yourself the material, then the tests and the class should not be too bad.
If you have another option for biology, take someone else. Bowling gives lots of extra credit opportunities but the tests are hard and worth so much of your grade. 3 solo tests and 4 group exams. He doesn't hardly teach and the LA's in the class are life savers. He's rude, inconsiderate, and overall just not a good professor. AVOID!!
Istg everyone that dislikes bowling grew up entitled. He doesn't care to coddle you, he's not gonna be a professor that holds your hand through everything. This is college, not 2nd grade. His class isn't bad if you attend class and do the work. He gives out so much extra credit as well. He prepares you for other upper level courses.
Do NOT take Professor Bowling. I worked my tail off in this class and had a low A prior to final. Didnt do well on final, and it counted 7x. I also studied like my life depended on it for final. A lot of work thats doable. He does give extra credit points, that you will definitely need. His tests are extremely hard. He does not teach. AT ALL.
Took him for Lab only. Do not recommend. He is just not nice at all! Ive actually never even seen this man in person and wouldnt know him if he walked up to me, but his emails were literally so rude. My friends that had him for lecture HATED him. 0/10!
This has been my most difficult class at Auburn. Be ready to fail the first test, but dont worry, the final isnt as hard. You have to really pay attention to the lecture slides, and utilize the extra credit opportunities. If you work hard, itll reflect in your grade- but just be ready for the hardest class ever hahaha
Dr. Bowling really isn't as bad as people make him out to be. Yes, all of the exams are hard, but the final is very easy and it replaces all of the previous tests if you do better on it.
If you dont attend class, you do not know when the in class quizzes open and close. He only opens them for a certain amount of time. Group tests count as 1 test grade- so he averages them all together. The final exam is entered 7 times in your grade. So if you get a bad grade on your final, it could bring you down 10 whole points (letter grade).
His "lectures" consisted of 100 slide ppts that he expects you to read before class. He doesn't explain much of the material, and he gives quizzes every day. He provides a lot of extra credit, but the tests are so hard that you'll still be looking at an unfavorable grade. I'm taking an 8 AM so that I wouldn't have to take Dr. Bowling again...
Bowling would laugh when asked a question. Do not take his class!
Dr. Bowling really isn't that bad. I think people give him a lot of crap because he assigns a lot of work outside of the lectures. In class he reads through the slide show and unless you have read them beforehand, like he suggests, it can be hard to follow along. Regardless, he offers an insane amount of extra credit. Just do the work youll be fine
Scott Bowling has destroyed any love I have left for biology. I don't think I have learned anything from his lectures. He is extremely boring and does not communicate new ideas well. I really hope Auburn will replace him with a different professor. I normally like my professors, so this is not just me being a hater. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS.
I didn't like him at first, but then I came around. This class is hard work I spent many hours studying and preparing for this class. You have to read the notes before class and then the lecture is about those notes, so I didn't really pay much attention. I appreciated his enthusiasm. The exams were also pretty hard. Get a tutor and you'll be fine
Honestly, I had a B and ended up with a C in this class after the final exam which was way harder than I thought. From my experience last semester, For every exam, you take the exam yourself, before that, you have a "group" one and that helped your grade a ton. Was still hard and the averages on the exams were never high. Lectures off 80 slide ppt.
Bowling was a horrible professor imo. BIOL 1020 is a weed out class so it's supposed to be hard, but he was just a horrible teacher. do not take! he knows his stuff but is just bad at teaching it. BUT quizlet is your absolute best friend. every exam, group exam, & even the final is word for word on quizlet. easy to pass but i didn't learn anything
The class is a flipped classroom and he makes that known. Those who fail the class did not put in that much effort. he is not kind or engaging professor but he sets up lots of activities, group exams and extra credit to apply learning and get a good grade. drops your lowest 4 test grades. I never made more than a B on the exams and finished with A
This class is structure is helpful and he wants you to succeed. He gives extra credit and gives group exams to help you prepare for solo exams. Masks were required the entire semester in his class even after the university mandate was lifted and you would be kicked out of class and not allowed to participate in needed course work without a mask.
He's not my favorite professor, but he wasn't that bad. It's a flipped classroom and he gives you chances for extra credit and if you get a better grade on the final than any of your past exams, they all get replaced. It is very easy to pass the class, but if you want an A, you'll need to put in a bit more work than most people.
The midterm and final are SO incredibly difficult! Such specific questions and has pictures that are never shown in lab. I only had an A because of the huge number of bonus points offered!
Came into this class intimidated with all the bad reviews, but it's really not as bad as people make it out to be. You have 2 lab practicals, each worth 30% of your grade, and the other 40% goes towards module assignments/quizzes. You can receive up to an extra 17% in bonus that was added at the end of the semester. Not the best or worst professor.
One of the worst profs, He doesn't like to admit it either so he takes it out on students.The only reason our grades were decent was the TAs helping us with quiz answers, we got lucky and he scaled some test because the averages were Fs. Only 2 test the entire semester so if you screw up good luck!
It was really hard to go right from AP Biology to his class. His lectures were scattered and were just hard to follow. Also, the tests were very wordy and difficult.
While he does give some extra credit, this professor is awful. He recently went on a rampage about how his students are stupid and that our teachers in high school were stupid for not teaching us biology correctly. He NEVER teaches class, he only goes over correct answers on the quizzes you take in class that day. He gets angry very easily.
I took AP Bio in high school so a lot of what we learned was a review. However, if biology is a sort of new subject for you, I DO NOT recommend taking Dr. Bowling. He operates on a flipped classroom and you basically teach yourself the material. He will sometimes go over certain things in class if you ask. Overall not bad but not great.
Get ready to teach yourself all the material.
Awful professofr
scott bowling is the reason I am currently not an active auburn student. don't expect to have a packed schedule and a job while taking this class. you have to teach yourself the material. he assigns random pop quizzes and if you happen to have a really bad sickness (rona, mono, etc) go ahead and drop the class bc the class will drop you.
He does not care about your grade at all.
Whatever you do. DO NOT get Professor Bowling. He does not teach at all except for very few lectures. He's very heavy on homework and he has never properly prepared anyone for an exam. I highly suggest that if you can avoid his class to do so. AVOID HIS CLASS INCOMING FRESHMAN IM WARNING YOU. It is truly terrible.
The classes are very boring. He doesn't lecture very often, it's mainly class discussions and quizzes. There are also a lot of homework assignments. He gives group exams and quizzes, and bonus points at the end of the year which is nice, but the class is very hard to sit through.
This dude is extremely boring. His test are extremely hard and he doesn't teach and just gives us work.
Bowling does little teaching in class, he just reviews material you were supposed to teach yourself. This course is very content heavy and you will be studying for hours each day to teach yourself several units a week. In class, you just take quizzes and he skims each unit. He does not release any study material but you can find test banks to study
If you are good at bio, take Bowling. He is your best and easiest option. There is not a lot of work graded for correctness, just participation. Most of your grade comes from exams. I am in a bio major so let me just say.. if you passed the AP Bio exam in high school, this class will be a breeze. A bit more detail than AP, but very doable.
If you get this teacher for Lab and see his reviews, DO NOT LET IT SCARE YOU. All labs are taught by the TA's who are amazing, and you never actually see Dr. Bowling. Easiest lab I have ever taken, several bonus opportunities every week and the entrance and exit quizzes are so easy. 100% recommend Dr. Bowling for both BIOL 1020 and 1021.
FLIPPED CLASSROOM. Writing that in big letters because some people don't seem to know what it means. Do not expect him to give content lectures when he warns you at the beginning of the year it's a flipped classroom. Google it. Despite this, the class was so easy (I did take AP Bio). So much bonus and don't even need to show up to class most days.
I took dr. bowling for lab (biol1021). You never actually see him or meet him. It is taught by TAs who are really helpful and want you to do well. Don't be scared to sign up for his lab. there is usually no homework and the actual labs can be kinda fun. Most exit quizzes are open notes. The only thing is the final is worth 40% of your grade.
Don't be fooled by all the students that eat, sleep, and breathe biology that are giving him a 5/5. He was very harsh and rude to multiple students. Literally lectures over nothing and just expects you to teach yourself. He was rude over things that were out of our control. The nicest thing he did was add in our final exam grade 7 times to help.
I took Dr. Bowling for Lab (BIOL 1021). I would say this is one of the easiest classes. The professor is never actually there and the lab is taught by his TA's who are amazing and so helpful. Labs and quizzes are straight to the point, if you do the lab you will make a good grade on the quizzes. Gives out so much extra credit throughout the class.
A lot of bad things get said about Dr Bowling, but he's not the worst. I definitely think there's better options for this course but if you end up having to take it be prepared for lots of slideshows and no lecture. He does active learning and if you've never been taught this way then it will be difficult for you to actually learn something
if you actually want to learn something, do not take bowling.
Do not take Dr. bowling unless you want to be loaded with so much homework and studying. His environment for studying is active learning, which means you need to review and study BEFORE the class. The first two exams I made 56's and I studied a week in advance for both of them. The only thing getting me through this class right now are the LA's.
If you don't like active learning, you will not like this class. He's kind of a rude sometimes but gives plenty of opportunities to gain points. The LA's in this class are life savers, they will help you.
This class is the easiest A as long as you look at the lab manuals before class. Material is super easy to understand and you hardly ever perform any of the actual labs. There is also loads of extra credit. Class is a huge waste of time but just take the A if you have to take bio lab.
He does not care about his students. He will belittle you and expects you to teach yourself everything.
FOR LAB: I had bowling for lab so I never met him only the TA's I had but the way he does his class is amazing because he gives out sooo many bonus points. I got a D on the final and got an A in lab because of his bonus points.
I had him for lab this semester and it was super easy! Just show up and do everything on time, and you will be fine. The quizzes are very straightforward if you just listen to the TAs in class, and they will help a lot, too! The final was a little difficult, but there are so many bonus points added that it is pretty easy to get an A in this class.
Way too much work, will take a total of 8 exams,
I taught myself most of material. If you use your resources (powerpoints + study modules!) you can do well in this class. Group exams are helpful, use them + old quizzes to study for exams. He replaces any test grade with final if final is higher. More than anything go to class and stay on top of material/assignments.
Dr. Bowling has a flipped classroom. He requires you to learn completely on your own, and during lecture time he just opens quizzes. He is little help over email to explain things. TA's were great but I ended up getting a tutor. Bio is a weeding-out class so it is clearly difficult, but he does nothing to help the process.
He is not as bad as all the reviews say. had him for lab and lecture. If you work harder than most of the students in this class you will be fine. Study quizlets and powerpoints and you will pass. He offers A TON of opportunities to bring your grade up. Replaces final with all exams lower test grades
His class really taught me how to study, especially since it's a flipped classroom. There's a decent amount of homework, but only four solo tests, including the final. He also offers extra points, which really helps your grade if you do all the homework. If you keep up on practicing items from the notes and doing a ton of practice qs, you'll be ok.
Not a good teacher for actually teaching the information. Have to learn yourself and then not really even get taught the information in class. Gives lots of extra credit, making it hard to fail in my opinion. Exams on quizlet, but also keep up with the material on your own bc he switches words up. Easier BIOL1020 prof to pass, but not good teacher
Final is 30 percent of the grade, but if scored higher than all your tests, counts as 70 percent of your grade. This class was very easy, but it is a flipped classroom, so he barely even teaches. I couldn't tell you if he was a good teacher or not because 85 percent of the learning you do on your own. Most of the tests are word for word quizlet.
Absolutely awful professor, i contacted him regarding a problem that every auburn website had and that i did my work but it was not submitted so i sent a picture of my work on paper and he basically called me a liar and irresponsible, very rude and not helpful whatsoever.
Literally out to see us fail. I have never seen a lab harder than the actual class until I was in this man's class.
Get ready to devote your life to biology and/or be miserable! This is the worst class I've taken at AU. Active learning clearly isn't for me, but despite that, Bowling doesn't seem to care if his students struggle. In fact he seems to enjoy it, and he comes across as rude and uncaring. I made an A in the lab but a C in the class.
He uses a flipped classroom so you have to do hours of taking notes on PowerPoint on your own time to have any hope of passing the tests. All he does in class is quizzes that are geo-locked so you can't take it at home. Not worth it espically if this isn't your major
He believes that if he does not lecture in his class, and we just skim through the slides that we will get the material. There are quizzes every class even though class is not mandatory. Along with group quizzes, group exams, and online textbook activities that he does not even look at. Overall a lazy professor. Riggs is the best option for any Bio
Dr. Bowling is a flipped classroom meaning you will read the material & teach the majority of it yourself. In class you come in to take quizzes and he will briefly review. He isn't great at explaining concepts that are important for the many pre-health majors in his class. Luckily, he offers a lot of extra credit and group exams that will help you
The lab is very weird, but easy to get an A in. Entrance Quizzes are easy, Exit quizzes are harder. Make sure to do all bonus points. Midterm is going to be terrible and your grade will drop by a lot of points. I failed the midterm and got an A+ in class bc so much bonus. The final is much easier tho. Feels like a big waste of time but don't stress
I had Bowling for Lab 1021 and 1031. I never saw him once but I felt like I didn't need to. The TAs did everything they needed to do to prepare for quizzes and lab practicals. The lab pretty much aligned with course material. Never lasted the full class time.
He does give extra credit but only expect to learn if you do it yourself. The GTAs are great and know what to do, you'll never see him. If you wanna pass I recommend doing all the extra credit.
by far the worst professor I have ever had. all he does it just read the slides word for word, this is basically a self taught class. only reason I did well is bc effort was put in outside of class. zero credit to him.
He is the only option for BIOL 1031 and the first exam is hard but the second exam is much easier and will bring up your grade.
Dr. Bowling is a good teacher and provides a lot of ways to boost your grade. You can get a high C-low B test average and still receive an A. I never really studied, I just memorized quizlets and his old tests because he reuses a lot of test questions every year, so I made good grades from that
Dr. Bowling himself is definitely knowledgeable on the subject, but his method of teaching is downright ineffective. If I wanted to read powerpoints off a screen and retain none of the info, I would do it at home by myself instead of in a classroom where attendance is mandatory. That said, you would have to try to fail this class.
I took this man for two semesters and never saw him once. TAs teach you everything. The class average for the Midterm was 56 and he said it was the best he had seen in a while. Not good.
Not sure why the hate. Very clear about how the class works. Final is 40% of grade & hard. Just follow the instructions and DO THE EXTRA CREDIT! Study the PowerPoints & use Quizlet. The TAs do everything, he doesn't even make himself available but it doesn't matter, TAs are great. Just do ALL the work and ask for help if you need it, not that hard
Bowling is hard, he gives lots of assignments and isn't helpful in lectures but as a weed out class it does make or break you. As long as you know it's a FLIPPED CLASS going into it, you'll walk away with a decent grade and good study skills. However, I would not personally take him again due to the way he speeds through important material.
Mr Bishop didnt directly run this class and it was ran but like seniors or something but they were super cool and it was very easy. There were so many bonus points implemented into the system that theres no way not to make an A.
We did nothing in lab except for go over PowerPoints. It was like another lecture class honestly. It was miserable, but manageable. The lab practicals are ridiculously hard before there is like 15 answer choices per question. This is the only professor for this class so good luck!
Scott bowling always wore a turquoise shirt that matched his water bottle and that was the only thing that keep me going. I hate learning catlytics...... try to take someone else!
Dr. Bowling is an ineffective professor to say the least. He is not accessible outside of class, he just stands there reading word for word on his 174+ slides. The class itself is not insanely hard, if you put in effort and outside work, however do not rely on him to answer your questions or teach it in a way that is understandable for you.
reads hundreds of slides, goes too fast, choose another professor, he's a good guy though.
please consider someone else! i feel the only way someone can actually do well in this class is if you have taken bio within the year and already have a good grasp on it. people who are doing well spend hours studying for him. he takes pride in knowing his class is hard and material-heavy and seems perfectly content to be a weeder class.
I have never been so frustrated with a professor. It is a flipped class so be prepared to do your homework in lecture and learn everything for exams on your own. Tests are the same every year but he tries to trick you by changing up a few words to change the meaning completely. It is passable, but only if you are willing to sacrifice your sanity.
Dr. Bowling is terrible. His class is an active learning set up so you basically have to teach yourself everything. He's rude and unhelpful. Tons of homework to prepare for class, I eventually stopped going. If you took AP Bio in high school you'll be fine, but other than that good luck. GO TO SI! They know he's not great and will help.
Bowling is hard, but if you are ready to apply yourself to the content and are able to put in work outside of class, you'll be fine. Try to go to SI outside of class as much as possible, and try to go to lecture and just pay attention to what he says will be on the test (don't worry about the rest of the lecture though, you'll be teaching yourself)
Bowling has a flipped classroom so be ready to do work on your own. I took AP bio, so this class was easy. If you have not taken AP, you need to know how to properly study a lot of information without teacher instruction. Overall, if you know time management and are fine with learning most material by yourself this is a fairly easy class.
Dr. Bowilng is very passionate about certain aspects of biology (evolution), however, his class is set up horribly. He assigns tons of pointless homework that does not help you learn at all and he has a needlessly confusing grading system. It seems like he actively tries to make his class difficult for the sake of being difficult.
This class is not as bad as most people say. You will most likely fail the midterm but if you stay on top of your other work he gives lots of bonus point at the very end. The final is way easier and a lot easier to study for compared to the mid term. I had a 75 after the midterm and ended with a 96. Just study hard for the practicals.
I just finished his bio lab for Fall 2023. Don't be scared about taking him! It honestly wasn't a bad class at all. I actually enjoyed it because we would finish the lab within 20 or so minutes, and I formed some pretty good friendships in the downtime. The final wasn't bad either: I got a C, but came out with a 102 because of all the bonus!
It's a reverse class so you are expected to go through all the slides before class and understand them. Going to class was almost pointless and never really helped my understanding. The only reason I did good was because I took AP bio. I would not take bio with Bowling just his lab because it's easy.
Only take if you are comfortable with flipped classroom. He will not teach you ANYTHING and only reads word for word from the notes (and will not elaborate). If you want a high grade: 1) study those exam Quizlets like your life depends on it, 2) attend all the review SI, and 3) read the lecture notes, & 4) do all the LC activities for extra cred.
You will never see him, his GTA's run the lab and you are never actually required to actually do any of the labs, you just read off the PowerPoint and sit until the Exit quiz opens, unless you want to do the lab, and just make sure you show up. Ended with above a 100 in the class so it's super easy, just did not like the class or him very much.
His lab is the best thing ever. Every week you do a prelab quiz then you go to lab do nothing and then take another quiz. Bonus points are huge you get like 50 of them. I ended with a 107. Super easy and super fun.
Dr. Bowling is not very approachable or friendly. He does not teach the class directly but instead manages it. The TAs are wonderful; they teach the class. You will have a class once a week. Before class, there will be an entrance quiz. The TA will give a brief lecture in class, and then you will wait for a while before the exit quiz opens.
I took IB Biology for 3 years and still scraped by for this class. It is a flipped classroom so be prepared to take all of your notes outside of class and have him read WORD FOR WORD off the same slides in class. The only reason I got an A was quizlet, TAs, and bonus (activities). You likely won't fail unless you try but you'll FIGHT for an A or B.
I never prepared for this lab. You just have to pull the pre lab material up before you take the entrance quiz and you can use that on the quiz. The exit quizzes aren't bad either, super easy.
UM WOW. I have never waltzed through a class so blindly in my life. I only ever missed one class and still managed to fail an exam. that being said, it could have been so much worse. there are so many bonus points worked in that I was able to finish the class with an A. Also GO TO SI SESSIONS. Your SI leader help you learn what you need to pass. :)
It's a flipped class done wrong. You are given slides that are all around 100 slides and you are expected to teach yourself. Class is 90% him quizzing you. I only did well because of the SI so make sure you go to the sessions. You can get bonus but he limits you on how much you can earn and you won't know the limit till the end of the semester.
He is not accessible outside of class and has asked many times for students to not email him regardless of the topic. He does not excuse absences. He has a lot of homework that takes up to an hour to do BUT almost all of the homework is on the exam. His lectures are just him reading from slides he made in like 2007. I don't recommend for lecture.
Not only is he just awful to communicate with,he is also just a terrible teacher and is not good at his job.Dr. Bowling thinks that putting a PowerPoint on canvas and making his students memorize the information is "teaching". Taught myself everything, even after contacting him for help. Its sad knowing my tuition is paying for someone like bowling
I hope you read this bowling. You are not a good teacher. Your actual teaching skills are equivalent to elmo's teaching skills. You cause agony and pain for a lot of students, yes the non-invested students, but also the ones that love the field of science. You kill that love they have for science. Do something better with your life.
Worst professor. Slideshows are extremely long (up to 200 slides per chapter). Be expected to teach yourself the entire course. If you think of skipping class because you're teaching yourself, think again because there are quizzes every class which he gives a specific code for in class so there's no way you are able to skip.
He is an interesting guy but not nearly as bad as others make him out to seem, just go to class to do the in class quizzes and study the group exam material and you'll be fine. Only got one an A on one test and still finished with a high A. Would take him again.
Dr. Bowling is never in class, and therefore your success is dependent on which TA you get. My TA flat out said her job wasn't to teach us (still doesn't make sense to me), needless to say the class sucked. The first practical is nearly impossible to pass, and the second isn't much better. Best of luck to anyone in bio1031 with Bowling!!
I kind of taught myself most of this course, he isn't a terrible teacher but you will have to spend time teaching yourself. His tests aren't hard if you understand most of the material and do the LC and Mastering Biology quizzes. The good thing about his class is for every solo exam, there is a group exam as well, so those can help your grade
This professor is really just a bad experience. He is rude, unclear, and expects you to just learn everything yourself. Not nice at all - Once I asked to meet in person for help and he declined this offer and sent me videos to watch instead. Not a good teacher, doesn't care to explain things well. Probably my worst teacher I have had yet.
Lots of people bash him because it is a flipped classroom, but there is not much for him to do. This class is almost 100% memorization. It is an average college course that takes studying. Do not let the people that expect to succeed without putting in any effort convince you not to take this class.
Bowling doesn't really teach much but his class is straightforward. As long as you do the in-class quizzes and do some studying you can do well in the class. He also has a pretty particular grading system, technically your final can go in 7 times (to be 70% of your grade).
Overall, he wasn't horrible, but he is not for everyone. He doesn't go over most of the material in class and you have to teach yourself most of the material from the PowerPoints. There are daily quizzes based on the ppts and homework, which there is a lot of. There is lots of extra credit points from the homework and quizzes that are easy to get.
do not take this class if you can help it. this class was a nightmare. it was a flipped classroom and you come to class to listen to him teach pretty much nothing and give you a quiz. the tests are honestly hard just because we take group exams and then he switches the wording on the real tests slightly and you get everything wrong,
Honestly, this totally just depends who you have as your TA. He doesn't show up for the labs, only your TA's, but he outlines the Lab in a super easy way. The lab final was worth about half your grade but if you halfway understand what you're doing and follow the study guide you'll do fine. Overall very easy, just go to all the labs!
Class was fine. Depends on if you get a good TA, I guess.
Super easy lab. SUPER easy. For the Freshmen reading this right now, he doesn't actually teach the lab, but he oversees them! The lab is super easy and I only got a "B" because of my own external life issues. Show up, put in the work, and the TAs will help you do the rest! Enjoy! He doesn't answer emails well tho...
Don't expect him to hold your hand, but the class is easy if you study and do the labs. He offers a lot of easy bonus points. Dr. Bowling does not teach the class, but let's his GTA do all the work. I never had to speak to the GTA but he did offer office hours. Do the work get an A it's reall that easy. My grade in the class was a 96.
good guy bad professor too complicated
I got a decent grade in the class because it's relatively easy. I had to miss a class for a family emergency and he told me I would get a 0 for the work that day and not be able to make it up. I also had a funeral on the day of the midterm and had to miss my grandmother's funeral because he told me I would get a 0. DON'T TAKE HIM!
It is not a hard class to do well in if you put in the work and go to lectures. You mostly teach the material to yourself but still must attend class due to lockdown quizzes each day. I had a high A the whole semester but failed the final due to outside personal issues; II still ended with a high B
The work isn't too hard, but if you have a bad TA like I did, you're toast. You never actually see Bowling, he just sends 100s of emails. I would take him for Lab, just hope you get a decent TA since that's who you'll be dealing with. take with someone you know is good at bio, it would help. But having a bad TA, kiss a good grade goodbye
This is a weed out class as shown by some of the reviews. He uses a flipped classroom which requires a bit of work outside of class, but is doable. I had to take this class after I took AP bio, so it was easy. There were individual and group tests along with lots of extra credit. If you know how to study you will do fine.
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