Awesome professor! The best of the three Zoo 101 profs, in my opinion. Very friendly and engaging, even with some of the more not-so-engaging aspects of Zoo 101. Her test questions can be tricky, though. It's managable, but this definitely isn't a class you can blow off - STUDY! Find a good TA and go to the optional discussions, you'll be fine

Prof. Thoma is an extremely kind, very helpful person. Her tests are straightforward - as long as you study for them you should be okay! I only had to work in this class the day before the exams and got all A's. I didn't like biology at all in high school, but Prof. Thoma actually got me interested. Take her course if you can!

I loved her! She's adorable and fun and explained everything thoroughly. The material isn't easy but you need to know it if you're going into medicine etc. She is by far the best of the 3 zoo profs.She likes to get to know the class despite the big numbers. The tests aren't easy and you need to know what you're talking about but you can drop one.

Really nice professor. Her lectures are the best out of the 3 professors and she explains the material thoroughly. Her section isn't really the most interesting, but she makes it understandable and is always around to help.

I absolutely loved Dr. Thoma! She was soooo organized and lectures were really easy to follow. She was always willing to explain anything if anyone had questions- her section on zoo 101 was definitely the best one for me.

Dr. Thoma is a great professor. She goes over the information very thoroughly and makes sure everyone understands. She is very clear, and engaging. Her tests are very straightforward if you study. Again great professor!

Best professor for the class, you can always go to her for help, the tests are a lot of work

She is probably the most helpful for zoo 101. She will try and help you as much as possible and always is willing to talk to you one on one. She also is the most clear in her lectures, explaining many things so that even the dumbest person can understand. after she is done lecturing its all downhill.

excelent professor. most helpful out of all three in the course! good notes

She is great! Never stops smiling! The best Zoo 101 prof. she was very clear about everything, willing to help and very genuine! Study for the tests from her lecture notes and you will be fine.

She was the most clear of all the professors for this class.

LOVED Professor Thoma. She was so organized and enthusiastic that she made lecture interesting and easy to understand. She suggests reading the textbook readings after lecture to reinforce and that totally made it easy to get As on the exams that her questions were on. I wish she had taught the entire semester of zoology.

I agree, she was by far the best of the three zoo 101 profs. Her slides were clear and easy to understand and take notes from, and even a little interesting sometimes.

The best of the Zoology 101 professors. Really the only one who makes the material interesting. Make sure to go to lecture, since the textbook really doesn't help you at all.

She is very clear and well organized, but also gives tough exam questions. I had her as one of my three profs for intro zoology. She knows the material and will help you if you go to her. She's personable, energetic, and a lot of fun.

She's a great professor.

She is very fun to listen to, and is also very good at what she does. She is a what a professor should be in all aspects.

Really nice and helpful if you miss class, but a tricky tester. She is hard, but pretty fair at the same time. Her lectures are interesting (and I am NOT a science person)- she clearly understands that this is an intro course and teaches accordingly.

Probably one of the best professors I've ever heard. She has great notes and explains things really well. However, the exams are hard.

best professor I ever had, and definitely the best out of the zoo trilogy. I went to her office hours and I never had a professor who was more helpful. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met and she truly cares about her students' well being. Her test questions are not hard-they test on general concepts. Would take another class of hers.

Best professor I have ever had, and definitely the best out of the zoo101 trilogy. Was very helpful when I came in for help and always suggested new ways to improve my studying. She truly cares about the well being of her students and wants you to do well. Her test questions are not hard but you have to make sure you understand the general concepts

A great professor & a really good resource! She really keeps the class interested. Thoma really cares about her students & their performance. I am really not a science person & I still got an A, but I had to study hard. The midterms are harder than the profs may lead you to believe. Memorize the details on the slides & you'll be fine.

Is very motherly, uses a lot of analogies and personifications. Otherwise, very clear, the class is graded solely on exams, one of which is dropped.

GREAT PROFESSOR! She really wants her students to do well and is great at explaining concepts in a way that even those who are not science-oriented will understand well. Very knowledgable and also very helpful...study her lecture notes & you will do fine on the exams

Love her! Thoma's lectures are interesting and what you talk about in class is exactly what are on the exams, for her portion of the class anyway. The extra information she provides in videos and articles is also really interesting and relate to the course. One of the best professors I've had!

One of the best professors I have had, she does most of the teaching for Zoo 101. She personally emailed me to congratulate my improvement from the first exam to the second. She is one of the most caring professors ever. For the exams, you really need to know the information, but it is all on the slides so you don't have to go digging for answers.

Thoma is a great teacher! She's super sweet and really interested in her students. She emailed me personally to congratulate me on a good exam grade and went out of her way to know my name and say hi when she saw me. The material is tricky but she presents it very clearly and is more than willing to help you understand it during office hours.

Personality wise? Thoma tops them off as one of the best! The material she covers is very tricky and you really have to know what's going on prior to the tests. You can drop one midterm, but they're tricky so don't just bank on failing your first, try hard on all. Thoma teaches a lot of the class and alot of the difficult stuff which is nice.

She teaches for the 1st 2 exams of this class & is the course cordinator for the rest of the class (Riters is 3rd exam & Dodson & Blieweiss are majority of the final) Your grade is based solely on 2 midterms and final (you can drop the lowest midterm) Exams are multiple choice which makes it hard. Interesting class but only take if you need it.

She is one of my favorite professors, interesting, nice, knows clearly of what she's teaching. Course materials can be tricky if you try to learn them by yourself with the book so go to lectures then things will be much more clear. NO homework, just four exams, and as long as you are organized and keep up with the lectures it shoud be fine.

Great professor but a tough course. She is very nice and fun and enthusiastic about the material. Makes it interesting. The lecture uses slides and the pace is rapid so you should be all ears. The exam is relatively hard but not impossible. Be sure to attend EVERY lecture and discussion and always catch up with the material or you will be RUINED!!

Yes, bio is a difficult subject. But Thoma does the best a professor can do to make difficult material as relatable as possible. As with any other UW class, you have to go to lecture and prepare well to get an A. Someone said something about a 70 being a D, but I'm pretty sure that's typical for a legit UW class. Thoma is clear, nice, and helpful.

One of my favorite professors. She is extremely nice and approachable, and wants everyone to do well. It's tough, but go to lecture and discussions, study, and you will get at least a B. For those complaining about the lack of a curve, it's because the average is a low B and there are plenty of people with As.

Hard class. Thoma is by far the best prof that teaches this section. Exams are hard but if you put the effort in you will do just fine. Do well on thomas exam, other prof sections are much more arbitrary. If thoma doesnt talk about it in class it wont be on exam.

Wonderful class and teacher. so interesting, and awesome. I didn't even buy the textbook. just go to lecture, take notes, go to the optional sections and get the handouts. read thru notes and do handouts before the test, you'll get an A. She sent me a personal email congratulating me on my test scores.

Great professor, the best out of the three. She is extremely knowledgeable on the material and explains the concepts very well. Do not buy the book, I opened it about two times. The discussions are rewarding as well (Michael is amazing!)

LOVED HER! She is the best out of the 3 professors and also the easiest. If you copy the lecture notes like she suggests and study hard, you'll get an easy A on her tests. The textbook is purely for extra explanations. If she doesn't talk about it in class, you won't be tested on it which is nice.

Prof. Thoma takes a personal interest in her students and mingles among the masses before class and is available after class. She even stopped to sniff a flower my friend was holding. She covers a lot of information, and covers it fast, but if you study hard you'll do very well. She is a science goddess and my favorite professor thus far.

She was awesome.

One of the best professors I've had at Madison. She loves to get to know students, and she's super into teaching. Only downside is that I'm never sure if she seems happy teaching. Unhappy professors make it a little harder to learn. But, knows her stuff well. Easy class.

Very easy to follow. Notes and lectures are organized and as a student you know what you have to know for exams. Loves to get to know her students.

Incredible professor! Her powerpoints are so clear and she explains everything and tells you you exactly what you need to know for the test. She's so nice and really takes an interest in you if you talk to her after class or go to office hours. She is so helpful during office hours too. Overall awesome professor... def take her class!

Professor Thoma is great! She has great lectures and makes an effort to help you learn the material. This class is exactly like a high school AP Bio class, not difficult at all.

Great professor. Her lecture information is what she tests you on, the book is just for more clarification (which does help too). She does a great job of explaining the information and is always willing to meet with students. You need to study the material on a regular basis, don't wait until right before the test because there's a lot of info.

She explained everything well in lecture... You must go to Lecture

This class was a great filler. Go to all the lectures and you'll be fine. Her exams are fairly easy and she's an awesome professor so you actually WANT to go!

One of three professors that teaches the class. She is by far the best. All multiple choice exams. 3 exams and a final. You can drop your lowest exam score which is nice. Discussion is optional. Lecture slides are always posted. She does put stuff on the slides that isn't always shown on posted slides. All around very good prof.

One of the best professors that I've ever had. She is knowledgeable, clear, funny, and easily the most effective of the three lecturers in the course.

oh my, is this lady cute or what? she is the type of professor who really cares for the students even though it is one of the biggest classes on campus. her lectures are very clear but the exams are pretty hard. still, i wish the class would just be taught by her only.

Thoma is a GREAT zoology professor. She really knows her stuff and her lectures are crystal clear. Sometimes she cracks jokes and makes her lectures entertaining! Her class is quite difficult for an intro course though. Exams are 50-65 multiple choice and cover a TON of material. All of it is based off lecture, not the textbook.

Dr. Thoma is the best professor I've had so far. Her slides are really clear and she does a fantastic job of explaining herself with concrete examples. She gives her students many resources to succeed and to boot, she's adorable, in that motherly way.

Thoma was one of my favorites, by far. She makes boring cellular biology fun (to an extent) and expects alot out of her students on exams. This class you'll have to study for; I still question why its considered an entry level course but whatever. She made me like biology! :)

Super nice! don't read the textbook! exams are purely off lecture information. go to discussion even though it isn't mandatory because it definitely helps clarify lecture when it goes too quickly. Super personable; if you sit in the front, she'll come talk to you before lecture :)

Makes the material and lectures interesting. Exams are purely lecture material. She is nice and personable

Thoma is great. Really clear but moves fast. Print out the slides and take notes on them. Only use the book for clarity, although going through your notes again is all the clarity you'll need. Make flash cards and you'll do fine. She's the best prof for Zoo 101. Do the EC and go to class.

I practically failed bio in high school, so I was nervous to take this course, but I definitely didn't need to be! She made everything crystal clear in lecture, and the book just helped clarify what we went over (I found it helpful to look over). Exams are thorough, but most definitely fair! The other 2 lecturers were awesome too! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I thought that Dr. Thoma was a great professor. She loves what she does and is always willing to help her students. She is very clear when it comes to exam prep and I thought that her exams were fair (even when I got a C on one of them)

Dr. Thoma was one of my favorite professors. It is almost impossible to fail because she is very helpful and understanding. A friend failed all 3 tests and still received a D in the class.

She used to teach at Edgewood College and then came to UW. She is really awesome! LIke her~

she is such a gem!! i had her last semester for bio and she was extremely helpful and clear. if you go into office hours she does a great job at interacting one-on-one and helps to make concepts more clear. overall she's fantastic!

She is a great professor, and explains things very well! The pre-lecture quizzes before EVERY lecture aren't too fun at all but can help when studying for the exams.

Dr. Thoma was a very enthusiastic teacher who loved what she taught. Every lecture was fairly exciting for even someone with no interest in Biology. The pre-lecture quizzes suck, but they can be overlooked when Thoma is such a great professor.

Lectures are very clear (more than I can say for the second lecturer) and the exams are tough, but fair. The practice exams she puts up are very similar in terms of what she expects. Book isn't necessary at all. She's also just a personable professor and despite the huge class size she tries to make connections with as many people as she can.

She was very helpful, and has a real passion for biology. Her part of the class was my favorite!

She really is the greatest professor! Very patient! Very nice! She breaks down the concept, makes her class easy to understand. However, there is no extra credit policy and the exams are hard. The textbook really helps explain her lecture. If you just want a class for science credit, go and get her!

Dr. Thoma's lectures are very well laid-out and easy to follow for the most part. Plenty of visual aids and animations help clear up some of the muddier topics that have lots of terminology. You can tell she cares about biology. Quizzes online are the only reason you really need the textbook. Exams aren't terrible, do the practice ones in advance!!

Very approachable and if you make an effort in her class she makes an effort to know you

Without a doubt one of the best professors I have had here at the UW. She is clear, organized, enthusiastic, and so kind! Basically only used the book for the prelecture quizzes which aren't bad at all. Discussion sections are very helpful too. Megan rocks.

Dr. Thoma was my first lecture professor and I absolutely loved lecture with her! She clearly described every topic. The book was needed for her online pre-lecture quizzes and were helpful for exams. Her tests accurately tested us. I would highly recommend the class even for non-science majors! She is great!

Definitely one of the better professors i've had at UW. She's very clear in lecture, the weekly online quizzes make you stay caught up on the material, and the tests were very fair if you attended lecture and did readings. She's also extremely nice and makes an effort to get to know students on a first name basis if you go to her for help.

Thoma was very clear in lecture about the material and what to expect on the exam. Her exams were based on lecture so the books were only needed for the pre-lecture quizzes. She is very fair and nice.

One of the best professor's I've had at UW. Very approachable and helpful

They basically set you up to get an A if you put in the effort. All exam questions are from lecture, which they give outlines for. There's an optional discussion but I can't speak much to that. One of those classes that you don't need to guess on what material you actually need to know. Definitely recommended.

Professor Thoma is passionate about her lectures. They are well prepared, she lectures clearly, and even throws a few good humored jokes in so it's not a 50 minute borefest. The exams are based entirely on lecture and are almost completely based on memorization. If you aren't a science major, just pay attention and you'll do fine.

Dr. Thoma is very engaging in lecture, and is crystal clear on what she teaches, and what she expects you to know. However, there is 4 exams that each have a ton of material. Also she is the one outstanding clear lecturer, of the three, and the others are more dry in their presentation of the material. All in all a good intro level bio course

If you've taken AP Bio before, a big chunk of this class will be review. She really enjoys teaching this class, and even adds humor to lectures sometimes. She explains things pretty well and goes through the ppts @ a good pace. Discussions are optional but very helpful. Exams are non-cumulative, but you really need to put the time in to get an A.

The material is boring but she keeps you interested in what you are learning. The exams are very difficult so make sure to study!

She's very nice and is passionate about what she's teaching. Lectures can be confusing but it's mostly because of the material. Does an average job explaining. Of the three professors for the class, she's the better one. Tests are tough, but are based on lecture material. Textbook is required and is used for online quizzes.

As soon as Professor Thoma left I wanted her back. The second lecturer (Dassow) was nothing compared to her. She's a gem of a professor and really loves teaching and has a great way of doing it.

Sharon was an excellent professor. Her lectures could get pretty dry at times, but if you went to lecture you are bound to do well on the exams.

I really loved Thoma out of all the other professors during the class. She really knew her stuff, and when I'd ask questions after lecture, she'd be happy to add additional information. Her lectures were interesting, and she managed to keep my attention. She goes at a good pace. Tests are hard, but if you study lecture notes, you'll be fine.

Dr. Thoma is wonderful. She's very willing to meet outside of class to help you out and honestly cares how you do. She assigns a lot of reading but includes everything thats on the exam in her lectures. Way too many pre-lecture quizzes but they are an easy A component.

Dr. Thoma is one of the BEST professors I have had so far in my college experience. She is so incredibly intelligent on the material that it makes students want to attend lecture. Be sure to attend all the lectures because the exams are strictly off of lecture, but the exams are very fair with extra credit at the end.

pretty tough class but she is a awesome professor.. be prepared to study your butt off for each of the four tests (including the final).

Biology isn't my favorite subject, but Dr. Thoma made the class alright. She added some humor and personality into otherwise boring lecture slides which helped. Very clear and concise in defining terms and concepts.

She is a great professor, I really loved her! She was a very tough grader, but I really like her.

Thoma was a great professor! She was very clear in her lectures and was my favorite of the 3 professors that taught this class. The content can be difficult to understand, but she taught it slow and clear enough to grasp. She was very helpful too when I needed help. Overall, wonderful professor!

I myself had no interest in bio before college and was required to take this class. But it turned out to be my favorite class so far. Dr. Thoma is enthusiastic, professional, helpful, easygoing. She's willing to help her students learn the knowledge and pass exams. Exams are not easy, but if you go to lectures you'll be fine. Go to discussions!!

Thoma was by far the best lecturer for this class. She was the most interesting&most helpful. Although the exams were still tough, hers were by far the most straightforward. My best two scores were from her sections of the course. One of the best profs I have had so far. Go to discussion-it can have such a positive impact on your grade.

She's a wonderful person and tries to make class fun and entertaining, just be ready bc the quizzes are hard.

She is an awesome professor and you can tell that she is very passionate about what she teaches. The quizzes can be a bit difficult at times, but they're all open book and she drops the lowest three. The tests can be a little tricky and there are no curves, you just have to study your lecture notes. Go to lecture, it is worth it.

Sharon is great! Super passionate about the topic and explains things well in class. Her slides are clear, understandable, and emphasize key concepts. Reading is not necessary but is a good complement to her lectures. Go to discussion because test grades are an average of 8% better if you go consistently.

This was an incredible class, and Dr. Thoma was part of what made the class so. She is lovely, caring, and a great teacher. I recorded the lectures, because they were tough for me to follow. I recommend doing this, for there is a ton of info. Expect to work hard to get a decent grade, but know that it's worth it. The class is fascinating.

Professor Thoma is really awesome professor! She gives good slides that are capable on writing notes, and her test is challenging, but not super hard! I would take her classes again if i could.

Thoma is the best bio101 professor! Her slides are clear and her tests are fair. Biology can be boring but she makes sure its easy to understand.

Though the class is definitely a weed-out course, it was clear that Dr. Thoma was invested in how well students did on tests and how well they understood course material. Of the three professors we had teach the course, she was by far the most clear and interesting when lecturing. Additionally, she gave the most extra credit.

One of the best lecturers I've ever had. She has a way of explaining seemingly complicated material in a very simple and easy to follow way. She's funny, and keeps lectures interesting. Lots of online quizzes to keep you up with the readings. Very fair tests, though the class is not curved

I loved Professor Thoma! Tests were very fair, but be sure to put in the work.

Professor Thoma is down-to-earth, funny, and her lectures are very clear. The book isn't necessary to do well on the exams but the online quizzes are almost entirely based on the book. Go to lecture and study the powerpoints.

I really enjoyed having Dr. Thoma. She made each lecture easy to understand and she always had a smile on her face. I looked forward to walking in and seeing the Interesting Fact of the Day. There is about 20 online quizzes (for hw, honestly not bad at all), and there is 2 very short papers and 4 exams (non-cumulative). Overall, really enjoyed her.

Thoma taught the majority of the class- her information and tests were very straight forward and fair. You HAVE to be good at memorizing in order to do well in this class. Going to weekly discussions is key- also practice exams are very similar to actual exams. Quizzes are not horrible, but take them with a group.

Favorite lecturer. Clear loud voice, provides slides for note taking which helped me because she can talk fast. Unwilling to work with anyone who can't make the 7:15 pm Midterms on some Thursdays unless for a school related conflict. Plan ahead and make sure you don't have conflicts immediately. Discussion is optional but helps- try to attend

Professor Thoma is very passionate about biology. Not a lot of work, but memorization is key. Tests are 100% lecture based so if you memorize the lecture notes and take the practice exams you'll be good. Talks very fast but it helps that she posts the PowerPoint slides for you to print and take notes on. Don't bother with discussion--waste of time.

Her lectures are very interesting, and she is very helpful at office hours. I highly recommend going to discussion every week.

Really cares about biology and students. If you focus on what she's saying in lecture, study the slides, and really use the practice tests it is an easy A. Every test question is from the lecture or practice test. Best professor yet!

Professor Thoma is a pretty great professor overall, and definitely the best instructor provided in bio 101. Her tests are pretty hard, but she's always willing to help and they are still fair. She's very enthusiastic about biology and provides good lecture notes to make the class much easier.

I have never had a face to face conversation with her, but she's basically my mom in college. She is so adorable and always tries to talk to the people sitting in the front rows. Tests are entirely based off lectures, but as long as you know what she's talking about and review like, 2 days before the exam, you should have an easy time getting an A

Professor Thoma is just a lovely woman. She gives very good lectures and seems like she cares about her students, even in a 450 person lecture hall. The tests are not easy, but if you review the textbook chapters and use the practice exam, you should do just fine. I definitely recommend Thoma!

Zoology 101 was team taught by 3 different professors and I definitely took Dr. Tomah's teaching abilities for granted during the first 2 units. She is great at explaining the more complex material in a very simplistic way. She has a great sense of humor and has a lot of unique ways of keeping you interested in her lectures. Awesome Professor!

STUDY EVERYTHING IN THE LECTURES! Don't waste your time reading first. If you don't understand what she covers in lecture, then go back and read. I took her teaching style for granted. Use her exams to boost your grade because the other instructors aren't as good and their exams are harder. Do the learning objectives and attending discussions!

I definitely took her for granted as she is definitely the best of the three lecturers! She gives great lectures, has very clear and concise lecture slides, and moves at a good pace! Would definitely take another one of her classes! Easy A on her exam if you study lecture slides and read textbook thoroughly.

She was definitely the best of the 3 professors for Zoo101. Make sure just to go over her lectures to study for the test, and you will be fine! She makes hard concepts super easy to understand. Love her!

Of the three professors she is the best! Go to lecture and write notes on the lecture slides. Don't waste time reading the book for her section and only use it for the weekly quizzes or to clarify a topic from lecture. If you study the lecture slides, the exams are an easy A.

Dr. Thoma was a very good professor for the subject she taught. Her part of the class was very difficult for me but Dr. Thoma was always available to help. If you attend the discussion and go to her office hours with specific questions she will for sure be able to help immensely. She was very friendly and fun and made going to class fun!

Dr. Thoma was easily my favorite three of the professors, mainly because of her ability to simplify the material and her steady and clear lecture pace.

Definitely one of the best professors I've had so far. She is by far the best lecturer out of the three. Tests are very fair and quite easy, if you study the material. She also cracked jokes during class, it really lightens the mood.

I found the class to be very difficult, but she was always very helpful in explaining ideas and trying to be there for us when we would need her. Attending lecture is a necessity in my opinion.

In Bio 101 you often have three different professors throughout the semester, and Professor Thoma was by far my favorite. She is amazing lecturer who is quite clear with the information she is giving out. The class can be challenging at times but you must attend lecture since discussions are optional. The class is mostly based off of your exams.

Professor Thoma is a wonder is a wonderful professor who truly cares about her students. She has a warm "mom" feel to her that makes her feel approachable and encourages you to attend office hours when needed/interested

Dr. Thoma is very passionate about biology, however her tests could be difficult at times.

One of the best professors i've had, shes very motherly and is great at explaining the more difficult topics. Practice exam is pretty much the same as the exam.

LOVES what she does and it shows.

Unlike the other two lecturers who talk about everything from the textbook, Mrs. Thoma carefully picks out the very core contents and makes them easy to understand and remember. Her slides are also well organized. Anyway, it is obvious that she tries to help her students with all kinds of tools. Want an easy A? Just follow her reading guide.

My favorite professor among the three!

Sharon is by far the best professor I've had here at UW. She makes the material easy to learn and she is very organized and a great lecturer! Super cute mother like personality that makes class fun. LOVE HER

Thoma is a very good lecturer and she is the coordinator of this course. She talks about concept very clearly and always be willing to provide help. She has 2 midterms and one part (cumulative) for the final and offers many extra credit. Sometimes I feel that it would benefit everyone that if Sharon can teach a whole semester.

You get a definite mom vibe from Sharon, which is super comforting. She seems very genuine and passionate about what she's teaching, however the exams and weekly quizzes are tricky. All info for the exams are from lecture, so be sure to take good notes. Slides are available online but with blank spaces, so you literally have to go to lecture.

Sharon is very passionate and makes the material very clear and understandable. The quizzes are on lecture and then on a couple sections ahead in the textbook which makes the textbook useful. The exams are straight from lecture but the textbook does help to go through the information more than once. TIP:Print out the slides and take notes on them.

Prof. Thoma is great at teaching her half of the bio/zoo 101 class! She is very organized, posts her lecture slides online, and is extremely approachable. She was far better than the other two lecturers.

She has very good lecture ability. The organization is great and it's very smooth

Thoma is very knowledgeable in what she teaches. She only teaches the first 1/2 (ish) of the course, but it is pretty tough material given that I'm a psych major. She gives a lot of resources to succeed but I feel sometimes she needs to simplify things for those in her class who aren't bio/zoo/medical majors.

She is the lecturer for the first half of the class. She is very clear about expectations and posts lecture slides online with spots to fill in missing information. There are assigned readings but they are not necessary as the tests are based off of lectures. The class takes quite a bit of studying, but if you put in the work the tests are not bad.

She is a great professor. Although the tests are challenging, they are very similar to the sample exams that she provides online. I also highly suggest going to the optional discussions

Sharon has very clear lectures as well as makes sure you are succeeding. She is very good at communicating, as well as making materials available outside of class.

Sharon teaches the first and second of four sections in bio 101, and her part was my favorite. She is a very good lecturer, and offers many tools to succeed in this class.

best professor out of the 3

She was the best at explaining things although the information in the beginning is very detailed and confusing. She was the best out of the three and her lectures were always organized and timely

Professor Thoma was my favorite! She was very detailed and specific on what we did and didn't need to know for the exams. She was obviously very passionate about Zoology and it showed through her enthusiasm in lectures. Her tests were very straightforward and were not tricky.

She is super good at teaching and super nice!

She was a great public speaker but required a quiz before each lecture.

Professor Thoma was great. Her lectures are enjoyable, clear, and helpful in solidifying your understanding of the course material. I appreciated that she indicated what was necessary to know and what was not needed for exams. Would definitely recommend.

Thoma was a good lecturer although tests were more difficult than I expected them to be, no final exam

Lecture is important, I never used the textbook once. She's a very good lecturer and her tests were very similar to the practice ones. She tells you exactly what you need to know, but you do have to study hard if you want a good grade. Online quizzes are easy and important points.

Dr. Thoma was an amazing lecturer and a very caring professor. She was always willing to find time to help even outside her office hours. Tough course with a lot of work especially if you attend optional discussions, actually read the textbook and complete the assignments. Dr. Thoma was the best of the 3 lecturers.

This class is crucial that you attend lectures as it is hard to understand solely from the book. Sharon makes really helpful pre-class videos for you to watch and take quizzes on for credit which may seem like busy work but it really is worth it. Take good notes and ATTEND THE DISCUSSIONS!

she is such a good professor. she cares about her students being successful. makes it clear what her expectations are for topics. one of my favorite lecturers so far. her exams are very fair.

She did an absolutely fantastic job teaching this class. It was engaging, the subject material was clear and I loved learning from her. I would absolutely take another class with her if given an opportunity to. It was so disappointing that she didnt teach all semester.

Dr. Thoma is a wonderful professor and her portion of the class was my favorite by far. She's very nice and makes the lectures interesting. The material can be tough, especially if you're not a bio major, but she makes it doable. Her pre-lecture videos are super helpful! I received an AB in this class.

Great lecturer, better than the other two. Exams are fair and not that different from the practice exam she gives you. Do not buy/rent the book for this class! Going to class is not necessary but recommended because the full notes are not posted online.

Dr. Thoma is my favorite of the 3 bio profs. Her pre-lecture videos are super helpful and her lectures are significantly more engaging than the other profs. Exam questions are very similar to the ones posted online. Textbook is definitely not needed for the first half of the class as she explains everything and answers questions in detail usually

Sharon Thoma is an amazingly kind woman. It was clear she wanted all of her students to succeed. She included a lot of extra details for those who were interested, but was clear with what would be on the exam. She was only one of 3 lecturers though. Bio 101 isn't very difficult especially if you have a strong high school bio background.

Dr. Thoma is clearly passionate about the material and it definitely shows. Her pre-lecture videos were very helpful and her lecture slides were well organized, thought out, and easy to follow and take notes on. She is definitely the best of the three lectures. Never once read the textbook. Only go to discussion for confusing units/concepts.

Go to class, go to discussion, put in the effort. This is a tough class, but I had to take it for my major and I'm horrible at bio. It was challenging but interesting. She is such a nice person, the course is kind of difficult and you really have to know and understand the concepts, it isn't just memorization.

Dr. Thoma is a great professor, but this class in general is extremely challenging. There is so much material is can be very overwhelming.

Professor Thoma is very passionate about this class. I took this class online over the summer and all of the tests were open notes. If you put in the work and have high school bio knowledge--especially AP--than this class won't be too difficult.

Tests were reasonably difficult, but if you attend lectures and read outside of class- or ask questions, not impossible to do well. It's easy to see that she cares about her students and makes the lectures interesting- adding jokes or fun facts to add some spice to the material.

Professor Thoma is very intelligent and obviously knows what she is talking about. She gives lots of extra resources/review items and seems like she does really care about how students do in her class. I took this class as a gen ed requirement and it's definitely hard when you don't know/care about biology. I am stupid so take that into account.

If you're taking this online, they jam a bunch of material into each lecture so be prepared to spend extra time on it. Very content heavy and requires a lot of time dedication. Lab and lectures very vaguely relate so don't worry if you're taking them at separate times, you'll be fine

I thought she was the best Bio professor of the 3. Lectures are phenomenal, although I took AP prior and if I hadn't I wouldn't have a clue what was going on. What she taught exactly matches the exams. Only downside is when I had a medical excuse, she gave me a 0 on a quiz I could've easily made up. But, she is easily accessible outside of class.

This class was certainly challenging and it took a lot of work to pass, but I felt like I learned a lot from her and I liked her teaching style. Her expectations were clear and I felt that she wanted everyone to succeed. The exams were very challenging, but everything on them was taught whether you remember it or not, and the work load was average.

Dr. Thoma's exams are very in-depth. They are only multiple choice/select and fill in the blank, but they are very concept heavy and require strong understanding. Lectures aren't required but your grade might reflect your absence. She's very knowledgeable and cares for students and has good explanations for questions.

Professor Thoma presents tough material in a helpful way to people who aren't even pursuing a science major. The daily animal facts were the one thing that got me through this class.

I think she was a great professor! If you want to do well in this class you have to go to lecture because thats when she goes over the notes that are on exams! Make sure to also go to discussion. I never took AP bio in highschool and still managed to do well. It does help having a some knowledge about biology though.

Some people dont like her, but I think she was one of the easiest professors to understand in this class. She explains things super well but the exams are really tough. Go to lecture and pay attention and you should be fine.

she's a really good teacher.

She was a great professor. Very clear about what would be on the exams, and available during office hours. Actually cares about her students. The course itself is a lot of work with the weekly quizzes and prelecture videos and discussion posts but exams are definitely fair. Would recommend taking with her!

Dr. Thoma is my favorite professor yet. She is kind, connects well with her students (even in a huge lecture), and is an amazing lecturer. Learned more about bio from her in two months than I did all year in AP Bio. Highly recommend.

Prof. Thoma makes lectures interesting and engaging and is always available after class to answer questions. She paces the material well, but it may be fast for someone with no previous education in biology.

Dr. Thoma is genuinely the best lecturer I have ever had. She teaches clear and will go back to explain something if you need. She made lectures interesting and engaging, adding her own anecdotes and stories to make the material easier to understand. I never considered going into STEM but I fully reconsidered after taking her class.

Dr. Thoma is everything I would want in a professor. She lectures quickly, but you learn a lot from them. She makes her expectations extremely clear, so it is easy to prepare for the class and the exams. Her study material for exams reflects exactly what she may actually ask, and some questions from the study guides have even been on the exam.

Professor Thoma is genuinely one of the best lecturers I have ever had. She is extremely clear and to the point. Her exams reflect exactly what is talked about in lecture. Take good notes and you will do great!

Sharon Thoma made the concepts very easy to understand, and clearly knows a ton about the subject.

Thoma was great, very passionate. I always went in-person to class, and she was able to explain well and efficiently. Her exams were really tough, the avg was so bad for the first midterm that for the following exams we got a notecard. She is awesome during office hours, always willing to help.

Dr. Thoma is an engaging and knowledgeable professor. Her lectures are great but her tests are extremely difficult so start studying early. Discussions are helpful- if you can't make it make sure to at least grab a packet for practice. Uptight about grades/rounding so don't even try to convince her to make alterations after final grades are out.

Professor Thoma is a good lecturer overall. Lectures are always clear. I do learn a lot from the lecture. She also care her student and encourage them to understand knowledge better. The course itself made me feel struggling. Exams questions could be hard and tricky. Make sure you have some biology background before taking this course.

She is awesome, she is a veteran at giving lectures and teaching students. Here are the things you need to succeed in her class: take careful notes each class, never skip class, and review for the test using the practice exams she hands out. The only downside is that the lecturer is switched midsemester and the new lecturer is being very difficult.

Her slides and presentations were easy to understand. actively go to lectures and do the practice exams, you will do fairly well. I suggest to begin to study at least 1-2 weeks ahead of the exam. Discussion offers study packets. I had to leave the class after the new lecturer mid semester threw off the rhythm of the class and I began doing poorly.

Such a good professor. Explains things so well and gives great resources for the tests. Only thing that sucks is she only taught 2/4 units before they switched lecturers and the new one is awful. Highly recommend!

Dr Thoma is great; she truly cares for his students and wants everyone to do well. The class is difficult and you may have to put in extra hours of study per week, especially if you don't have a bio background but if you attend office hours and watch the pre-lecture vids you will do well. Although, lots of complainers in the class that was annoying

She is a lovely person. Only rated down because biology can be hard for some people and she goes over some basic concepts that might be confusing for most.

She was honestly incredible even though I didnt like her at first. Her tests were very fair compared to practice exams and the way she taught was great. highly recommend if she were to teach the class all semester.

An amazing lecturer and kind person. Very detail oriented and her lecture slides are helpful, but they are not completely filled out so you must pay attention and attend lecture. Provided lots of good exam practice. Class is not difficult as long as you attend lecture and make a detailed notecard for exams.

Be ready to not miss a single class! Would post the slides but with all the key details missing, there are 4 exams and LOTS of quizzes. She is strict with due dates and will NOT extend anything. Does give you a note card for the exams, be prepared to study a lot. The exams are at night and there are NO exceptions due to travel, work, etc.

As a Psych major I was required to take zoo 101 and was dreading it because I have heard so many bad things about the class. However Professor Thoma's lectures were straightforward and if you studied you will do well on exams. She's a kind person and offers help when needed. Weekly learning center helps with exams in my experience!

I really liked Professor Thoma. I only had her for the first third of the semester and then had two other instructors for the last. Although Bio101 is a difficult class I thought Thoma did a good job of explaining the slides really well, just make sure you don't skip lecture unless you have a friend in the class who can give you the notes.

I honestly loved Thoma. She was super clear and tried making connections with students even in such a big lecture. She is super organized and lays the course out in a very accessible way. The class is difficult, but she gives you the tools you need to succeed, so your grade at least in her portion of the class is up to how much effort you put in.

YOU MUST SHOW UP TO LECTURE! If not, you will not do well in this class. If you take advantage of the resources she provides, it is easy to perform well in her class. Out of the 3 lecturers, she was my favorite. She organized lectures well and would listen to feedback on quizzes and exams. Each exam you get a notecard, which is a total lifeline.

A fantastic mentor that takes you on relaxing walks in nature and teaches you how to enjoy it. Since this is a Bradley LC seminar class, you will get full credit as long as you attend every class. Plus, the only "homework" before each class is a chapter of the "The Nature Fix" book, and you discuss what you learned from the reading that week.

Content is very dense, but an interesting course. This class is run by multiple profs throughout the semester but Professor Thoma was definitely my favorite. Difficult course, but definitely recommend taking it with her if you need to take it.

Professor Sharon Thoma is an angel from heaven. I wish she taught the entirety of Bio101, but she does not. I would honestly give her my kidneys if she needed them. Her exam information is considered to be the most difficult, but she is godsent and honestly I didn't even consider her to be the hardest professor. I love her, be good to her.

Going into bio 101, I was nervous but my first biology class in years but she was insanely helpful and knowledgeable. The class is very much lecture based, there is a textbook but it is only used as a supplementary resource. She was a great professor, I honestly wished she taught the whole course.

Thoma is a great professor, definitely the best of the Bio101 lecturers. Her lectures are informative and engaging, and the tests are fair. She provides a lot of resources to be successful, and the class isn't bad if you prepare a good note card and study.

She was a great lecturer that made class engaging. Her material was difficult but I enjoyed her lectures the most out of all three professors.

I loved professor Thoma and she is very good at what she does. This course is very heavily test graded so studying for those is the most important thing.

She is by far the best professor on this campus, and cares extremely deeply about her students.

Amazing professor. Answers questions clearly and tries her best to put it in a way that you understand. Gives mom energy. Bio 101 is taught by 3 different professors and she taught the first part of the class (2 tests). If you do the practice tests and the help desk sheets you'll be fine.

Dr. Thoma gives very engaging and informative lectures; she moves at an excellent note-taking speed. I wish she taught the whole class. Her tests were challenging; you need to apply the knowledge, but the questions were fair, and nothing ever came up that wasn't taught in class. I learned so much from her portions of zoology. Always attend lectures

Dr. Thoma is genuinely the goat. This class switched professors 3 times, and every day I yearned for her lectures again. Once you figure out what to pay attention to and take good notes, the class does get easier. It's a tough class, but you'll appreciate that she understands how students actually learn and DONT SKIP CLASS as its hard to catch up

Dr. Thoma is phenomenal. If you have to take a Bio course at UW, try to make sure Thoma's leading it. A phenomenal communicator, extremely caring, and a model educator.

I loved this class but switching professors after each exam made it very hard to be successful. I did good on the first two exams but once we switched I did poorly and it tanked my grade. You are given many study resources for exams and practice but it changes once professors do as well as extra credit opportunities. You get a notecard for exams.

A brilliant lecturer. Everything about her section of the class was extremely engaging and well done. Very knowledgeable, good slides, and fair tests if you pay attention. Speaking of, attendance is needed to do well. Just reading the book likely won't be enough as the tests are based on lecture material.

Lots of content, but she is excellent at explaining it in ways that you can understand and remember. Funny. No lecture recordings, so if you skip lecture you'll be behind. Learning center packets are super helpful, definitely go once a week and do them. Just try not to get behind and take good notes, drawing the diagrams on slides helped me too.

I loved this class and if you utilize the learning center and the resources they give you, you can succeed in it. Thoma's lectures were very engaging and she went at a good pace. You also get a half of page of paper front and back for exams and there is sometimes extra credit. Go to lecture and pay attention and you will do good in the class.

This class was incredibly challenging as a freshman last year, so be prepared to go to every single lecture because there is an insurmountable amount of content in each. PLEASE go to her office hours if you can! She is incredibly kind and will give you extra study materials. She WANTS to see you succeed! I finished the class as a better student.

This class is challenging but Sharon Thoma is a great lecturer who makes the class more tolerable. She does a great job of highlighting the important information and not putting too many words on a slide. In bio the professor switches every unit, and she was my favorite.

Professor Thoma is hilarious! Lectures are very informative, show up to them or you won't do well on the exam (she posts fill-in-the-blank notes on Canvas but not the completed slides). Great at explaining concepts. Study a lot for the exams, they're no joke - go to the Learning Center, office hours, etc. You'll learn a lot in this class!

Oofta, this is a weeding-out class. I did enjoy Prof. Thoma's lectures compared to the other professors throughout the semester. There is a lot of material covered throughout this course, it became very overwhelming. I made sure to utilize the tutoring and learning center resources, and I would recommend attending her office hours.

A challenging but rewarding class with an engaging professor. Attend lectures, utilize learning resources, and you'll succeed. unstuckstudy ai was a great study tool alongside the textbook.

Don't get me wrong, this is a tough class- you won't pass if you're not studying outside of lecture. But Dr. Thoma is great, cares abt her students and explains everything clearly. Visit the resource center weekly if you can. Good luck !

This class is challenging but not impossible. You're given a note card to use on the second half of exams which helps a lot with studying and testing! Prof Thoma is a great lecturer and you can tell she really knows the material. She's very approachable and can answer any and all questions. She posts her slides online which is very helpful!

Dr. Thoma is caring, a great lecturer, and always there to help. Her skill as a professor makes a class that could present a challenge much more accessible. I would love to take a class with her again!

While she only taught for the first 2 exams of the course, she was the best and most engaging professor for the course. Missing a lecture is tough because that's where all the content is given, but the sample exam jams were very helpful in exam prep. (you can make it through and pass this course without buying the textbook)

A very good lecturer. I don't really usually like to take notes in class but in her class I would like to take notes because the organization of contents is really clear. She is also kind and helpful with questions. The exams and homework are not easy, but as long as you follow up with the lectures, you can still get a good grade.

I loved taking Bio 101 with Dr. Thoma, she is very engaging in lectures and makes thing easy to understand. However the class and material can be hard, so make sure to attend lecture and form study groups! But Thomas offers sample exams which is super helpful. Out of the three bio professors for this class she is the best! Just pay attention!

Loved her! BIO 101 is just in general a hard class but all 3 profs including Thoma wants students to succeed. She was funny, caring, and able to convey tough concepts really clearly in ways that I could remember. If you use your resources (go to the LC!) and prepare well for exams you will succeed

Professor Thoma was amazing for Bio 101! Her lectures were always super engaging, and she made it very clear what information we needed to know for the exams. She is so sweet and approachable, and there were tons of learning resources (including practice exams) to help students study.

She was the best professor of the three that teach the course. Her lectures were clear and interesting, she was always very clear about what you need to know for the exams. I found the second exam harder than the first, but I think that was just because of my background in genetics. She cares about what she does and students.

Best professor I have had in a LONG time. She is extremely knowledgeable and makes difficult concepts easy to digest. She taught the first 2 exams in BIO 101, and the 2 other exams were taught by 2 other random professors. I much preferred Thoma as she was the best at explaining biological topics in simple terms. Would 100000% take again.

Dr. Thoma was really funny and always kept lecture interesting. She was always available after class and during office hours and was happy to answer questions. There wasn't a very large amount of homework. Her exams are not easy, but aren't too hard. If you go to lecture and make sure to study and get help when you need it, you should do fine.

I didn't have her the whole semester but for the first half of it she was a great lecturer. Wish I went to more lectures, overall when I was there it was easy to learn.

I love Professor Thoma! She is a very good lecturer and she makes biology easy. I hated biology in high school, but LOVE bio with Professor Thoma. I could not recommend her more!!!

Dr. Thoma was very kind and welcoming in office hours and open to answering any questions you might have. She offered a lot of recreational activities to students like nature hikes and was very passionate about biology. Even though this was not my major, I still loved her lectures! Would recommend to someone looking to fulfill a bio credit

I loved her. Attendance is not required but is definitely recommend to go to because a lot of material is covered in lecture. There are no discussions but the learning center is extremely helpful. Overall Great!!

Best lecturer out of the three that teach this course during the semester. She is very well spoken, and explains concepts very clearly, and in an understandable way. Was very passionate about the material, and wanted everyone to do good.

This has been my favorite class I have ever taken here at UW. The lectures are truly so engaging and I actually looked forward to attending class. Best lecturer out of the 3 profs.

This was my favorite class and professor I've taken here. Super well-structured and engaging lectures. I am not a bio person at all and was required to take this but she made me actually interested in the subject. This class is daunting for many but just dont skip, read the textbook, watch the videos, and do the study guides and you're good.

Dr. Thoma is a great professor! She was always very clear and would frequently post announcements about due dates even if they were already posted in the syllabus. She clearly cared about helping us improve and would give us pointers after each exam on how to study better and how to better prepare. The lectures were made better by her interest! A+!

Attending the lectures is beneficial, the way she summarizes her slides are super convenient. If you know how to apply the material you will be successful on the exam, the exam is just hard because the information she has to teach is complicated.

I LOVED Professor Thoma! We had 3 teachers overall for the 101 course and she was by far the best one. Some people said her tests were hard, but I honestly found them to be easier than the other two professors because of how much I looked up to her and genuinely wanted to attend her lectures.

Dr. Thoma is incredibly sweet and loves what she does. That being said, the material is incredibly hard, and there is a lot of homework on top of the regular studying for exams. Her lectures can be slightly disorganized from class to class, however she is very easy to reach and is always willing to help.

Professor Thoma was extremely kind and clearly wanted you to do well. She explained complex topics really well however for each exam there is a lot to know, and the concepts are fairly difficult. First two exams of Bio 101 were with Thoma. Overall, she's a good teacher she just teaches difficult topics.

Out of the three professors for 101, I thought Dr. Thoma was the best lecturer, yet I did the worst on her two exams because they were quite hard. Her exams can ask pretty specific questions. You can tell she is very passionate about bio, which made her lectures feel the most engaging out of the three.