2.5
Quality4.2
Difficulty32%
Would Retake99
Reviews32%
Would Retake
99
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
19
4
12
3
20
2
11
1
37
What Students Say
“worst professor I've ever had”
BIO2490 - 1.0 rating“Crazy online labs, timed difficult tests”
BIO1300 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
71%
Textbook Required
62%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.77 avg changeRatings by Course
EEBEEB
5.0
(1)BIO3720
5.0
(1)BIO444
4.5
(2)EEB
4.4
(5)BIO3450
4.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
2490
5.0
BIO499
5.0
BIO2
5.0
FIELDBIOLOGY
5.0
BIO130T
5.0
Reviews (99)
Hard to follow his lectures.
I hated his lecutures. I would fall asleep during them. Thank god for lab, with another professor. That is why I ended up with a B for course.
DO NOT have him as your ind study advisor. Friggin 13-page proposal, longer than most people's final papers! Anal retentive!
I thought that he was very knowledgeable about the subject and the he was very well organized and clear. He lets you know exactly what he wants and if you study for his tests you can do good.
Nice guy but hard..put it this way out of 100 students in the class over half failed his first test with 30's and 40's..isn't very clear in lectures but expects you to know everything
Doesn't teach well at all. Notes are un-clear and hard to follow. Gives a lot of information that doesn't appear on the exam...jumps around a lot during discussion...only graded on exam...nothing else counts towards ur grade
Great teacher, Great guy all around. A lot of information in his classes, and that's what we're in school for. Brilliant, and may appear unorganized, but his brain is moving 10 times faster than the class allows. Great class!
he'll explain a diagram in the air for 20 minutes without writing it on the board! the first test (i busted myself studying!!) i got it back and it said 52, i asked if it was out of 100...he said yes and walked away. soooo tough! doesn't explain things.
His lectures are long and repetitive. The book doesn't help that much. If you study from his old tests you'll pass. However he loves his subject and thats always a plus.
His lectures seem very disorganized. It is hard to take notes. He repeats everything alot. However, he is knowledgable and approachable, and his lab projects were interesting. Study alot of the book because your notes may not be reliable.
very hard. tough grader, lots of notes, and his exams are very hard. Knows his subject well, just wish he would teach it to his students better.
Read the book and pay attention to what he has to say - you'll do fine. His lectures may seem disorganized, but that's only because he gets so into the subject he's teaching and wants to give his students as much information as he can about things.
obviously excited about material. tests extremely hard.
He's a fair person,
THIS BY FAR IS THE WORST PROFESSOR EVER..THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY..DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND STAY AWAY FROM THIS CREEP UNLESS YOU LIKE SEEING F'S ON YOUR TRANSCRIPT
Horrible professor, can't teach for his life. Notes are unclear, tests are too hard. He is one of the worst professors I've ever had.
This is just the greatest teacher in the school. The rest of you who wrote bad reviews are idiots, have no life, and are pot heads who don't study. The exams are just as hard as they should be, and failing them is inexcusable. Dr. Vail Rocks!
Not the easiest professor but hes very understanding. If you have a problem he would be glad to help you. But don't plan on passing if you don't study or go to class.
THIS GUY IS TERRIBLE. ANYONE THAT SAYS HE IS GOOD IS WRONG. HIS LECTURES ARE TERRIBLE, NONE OF THE NOTES HELP WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE TEST AND HALF OF MY CLASS FAILED THE LECTURE...THAT HAS TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!
LISTEN! Everyone hates his lectures, but he doesn't take attendance! And he gives out copies of his old tests! They remain basically the same. Show up for the three tests only, sleep the other days, and you'll pass. The lectures suck, but don't go!
Non majors stay away unless you want a challenge because Dr. Vail is way above your head (hence the complaints from field bio students). Majors on the other hand will find him very knowlegable, enthusiastic, challenging, and helpful!
He is difficult. He does however offer his old exams to study from.Get a copy, and memorize the ques. and answers. Thats how u will pass the course. If u dont get a copy of his old exams, ur screwed. Its possible to get a B in this class w/o much effort!
Very knowledgable and enthusiastic. Not a hard professor as long as you show up pay attention and take decent notes. The fact that you can get copies of his old tests to study from makes it pretty easy. Half the class fails because they dont do jack!!
I think his class was very intresting. I learned allot im very glad i took this class. He is difficult, but as long as you pay attention you will pass.
I could not stand this class. He is not straight to the point to me. Yes he gives copies of his old test but what good is that if you don't have the answers! STAY AWAY from him! He failed 35 studenst in my class.
No Comments
This man should not only be banned from WPU but he should be banned from teaching. I have never met such an awful person.
No Comments
Very boring Professore...Does not explain anything.....He basically failed my whole class....doesnt do much to help students..lets you get past exams but they are no help...and his exams are impossible..the whole course is based on exams!!dont take him!
He's an aweful teacher.He spends the whole time explaining why and how he is going to teach something,when in essance teaches nothing in the end.His exams are tough.He is a very smart man but cant teach which kinda defeats the purpose.I wish I never took him,Its a waste of an hour and 15 min.AVOID!
He SUCKS!!!! He is extremely rude, unhelpful, boring and uninteresting, as a professor and human being. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!!!!!!
The class adv for our tests was like a 40 something. You have to study your ass off. Only good thing is he doesnt take attendance.
This is the most boring class I have ever taken in my life. His lectures are too hard and unclear and his tests are nearly impossible. If you want to lower your GPA and if you like horrible teachers, I advise you to take this class.
He sucks, he doesn't care about you if you are not a bio. major, he will fail you and not think twice about it. He is dry and boring & makes you not want to attend class!
He is the worst teacher at this school...I had him last semester....Dont even bother going to lecture just go to the tutoring center and get his old test and study them
i dont understand a word he says. it's like all jibberish, like he's talking in a different language. SO BORING. I have him this semester and i already failed my first exam. he's probably the worst teacher i ever had in my life.
he seems like a nice guy but he dosen't explain well. he is in speed w/ all the topics. you would just have to go to tutoring and you rather go online and print some related stuffs out from his lecture to better understand him.if you want to learn something.....pick another prof............
For lab he's not awful... just show up and do the work. it's not like drawing mushrooms is that difficult. He's a nice guy, he just wants students to do their work.
Had him for only the lab and I was very happy with this professor. If you are not interested in learning about nature and how it works: DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. He tells u exactly whats going to be on the tests, show up to his class, take notes and you will get an A. His class is very common sense.
He's too smart for Willy P. I did well in his class, however, I found him extremely annoying due to the repetitive nature of his lecturing style. "Great great"....super enthusiastic about the topics he teaches.
He is a smart professor, but not good at teaching.The labs are boring. You have to go on walks outside where he talks about things like the green stuff growing on rocks for 45 mins. He makes you draw alot and grades on how well you draw although he claims he doesnt a drawing class should be a prerequisite. Hes a nice guy but not good at teaching.
Drones on and on about the same thing like we're idiots. Makes copies of past exams available, which is cool. To do well in lab you must love ants. Ants ants ants. And more ants. he expects you to come up with your own ant project and do it.
Super smart. Loves teaching. One of the best profs i have had, although challenging for an undergrad prof. He seems very intense, but when you get to know him and he sees that you care, he is a super nice guy. Definitely worth the experience, not to mention you will gain an immense amount of knowledge about the world around you. Awesome experience
He needs improve his teaching abilities.
I thought he was fair grader. I didn't do as well as I hoped because I felt like I was "drowning" in information. This was good and bad. I felt that he kept the class interesting with his examples but there was SO MUCH to remember; therefore I had some trouble but that's just me. I might take him again... Vail's Alright - Good Professor.
RUN WHILE YOU CAN! This professor teaches a GE like a major requirement. He packs 2 1/2 hours in a one hour class and belittles you every time you answer something incorrectly. When he says that 75% of the class will probably fail, that should be a dead giveaway that you're in trouble.
Dr. Vail is an extremely intelligent and excellent professor. Many people think that he is too demanding, but that is because he wants you to understand the material. If you are willing to do your part (read, study, lab assignments), you will learn a great deal from him.
He's not a bad prefessor, but he deffinatly isn't easy. He takes all his classes seriously (Even if they are GE) He teaches the material fairly fast, but it isn't difficult if you do your part and study. Also provides a ton of help online as well as all the slides he uses in class and plenty of practice test and quizzes.
very very hard prof. does not even count attendance in class so if you needed extra points in class to pass you wouldn't have them. Does know his stuff but try to avoid if possible!!!!
This man is possibly the worst professor at William Paterson University. Dont take him if you can help it because he is a horrible teacher and you more than likely won't learn anything because he acts like he teaching a major requirement when its only a GE. And if you dont do well he will fail you and not care.
Treats his students horrible! DO NOT ASK HIM A QUESTION or for HELP he gets very angry!!! Teachers should enjoy teaching not just do it for the paycheck!!! They should put themselves out there for extra help and not belittle the students. I wish there was someway for the chair or the dean to sit down and watch this man and how he treats us!
Tough and unclear about expecations
He is extremely knowledgeable about the material and expects the students not only to follow up on what was taught in lecture but go beyond what is presented. Overall he is a great professor, always willing to help.
He IS the worst professor in this university. he is rude to his students and he makes us feel like idiots. dont ask questions U will be looked at weirdly and yelled at. He's egotistical and not helpful.
Okay so he was a pretty hard prof. Taught the class as if we were bio majors. but he does give you every opportunity possible to raise your grade. But if you show up to class even tho the attendance isn't mandatory for the lecture, and participate, he gives you a very fair grade. Over-all very happy with taking him.
hard class but if you show up and do good in lab you will get a fair grade..attendance is not mandatory but is helpful if you go
He made this course tougher and more stressful than it really was. Not a very nice guy either. His teachings are very complex. I didn't enjoy my time in class because of the complexity and stress. Overall I got a B, but I felt like I was failing throughout the whole course. I don't suggest him if you are taking this for a GE requirement.
This is possibly the worst teacher ever! If you fail the tests you fail the course because he doesn't believe in using averages its whatever he wants. He is rude and mean to students that ask questions and posts 1-3 quizes a week. Not to mention 60 slide power points
I disagree with the person before. He is a hard teacher however, he does care about his students and he answers emails really fast. He tries to work with you. I took the online course in the summer and it was intense and I didnt' do that well on the tests but I passed.
I took an online course with him this summer, and I find it strange that individuals who had him IN CLASS think he's tough. The class is difficult but you HAVE to put in the work in order to do well. He was ALWAYS available to help and answer any questions. Bottom line - you get what you put into the class. I thought he was a VERY good professor.
i took eeb and he is failing us all
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Dr. Vail is very educated and his lectures are interesting, however, they will do very little to help you pass his tests. It doesn't matter if you show up, participate, or go to tutoring, if you don't pass the tests, your screwed. And the test are HARD..near impossible.
Whatever you do DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. He is super educated went to princeton and expects you to know the material without it being taught to you. Very hard mean average of the class was 45 his classes are not only boring but he speaks just to hear himself speak. I strongly advise you to not make the same mistake i did.
He is the WORST TEACHER EVER in the history of teaching. DO NOT TAKE HIM. When you ask him a question about something in class his favorite answer is "I don't want to get to far into that right now". He gives you the slides but when you get to class he shows different ones.
I just finished his on-line class. 6 months rolled into 6 weeks. But for an on line class he is very detailed, organized. There a lot of work and that is to be expected. But honestly he was good. I am not a science person, but I did like that fact that he documents where cystal clear as well as what was expected of us.
He is clearly an intelligent man but it was not a good course experirence. He often went off on tangents and it was hard to follow the point of what we were talking about. Gives you the slides beforehand, textbook is not mandatory. Only takes attendance a couple times throughout the semester but if you miss class you miss lecture. Hard stuff!
He is a very intelligent person. But, not a very good teacher. This class was online, so the amount of work was double the amount than in one semester. I felt that he did not do much to help us. He would just basically give us our assignments and tests or quizzes, and expect us to just figure everything ourselves. HORRIBLE!
HORRIBLE. I am a straight A student and refuse to take this professor ever again. He is unorganized and hyper and his lectures are all over the place. He is unwilling to help his students and very judgmental. Arrogant. Does not explain expectations and does not give feedback on assignments until the end of the semester. Brutal tests. Don't take him
Students could do better if he change his attitude. Horrible Professor
The professor is extremely rude. The professor also barely uses the book or notes to make questions, everything seems to be just an opinion. The professor believes 1 minute per question is suitable for long winded questions. This is the worst professor ever, He really seems to take everything out on students that he is not at Princeton.
STAY AWAY!!! He does not do anything to help his students. He offers office hours but tells you how stupid you are for not understanding the material. Nothing he presents in class is on the test. He doesn't like it when his students do well. He loves it when you get questions wrong so he can correct you. His quizzes and exams are very hard.
horrible professor, he doesn't not help you at all!!!! his final exams and midterms has nothing to do with the books or slides DO NOT TAKE HIM!!!!!
worst professor I've ever had. obi loves/knows what he is teaching but he CANNOT teach at all. He is a horrible grader. His exams are impossible. I outlined every chapter twice & even outlined my in-class notes & still failed his exam. he didn't give graded material back to use as reference which SUCKED. overall... a nightmare.
Class (Ecology) is interesting. He's very smart so sometimes hard 4 him to explain things on our level, but he tries and for most part u'l understand him. Tests r hard but gives practice tests which really help. Encourages u 2 ask q's.
Difficult class as is & he doesn't really help. Answers questions with questions. The only way to pass exams are to memorize what he says word for word.
Terrible professor for an interesting class. His PPT is completely unhelpful (mostly pictures, no info), and gives you the run-around when you ask a straightforward question. The 'practice quizzes' don't resemble the final exam at all. Sadly he's kinda unavoidable in EEB, but if you're thinking of taking him for something else, DON'T DO IT!
Although he is really smart and knows his stuff, he loves to drown his students in information. He throws A LOT at you, and sometimes differing subjects. He is a teacher who will talk about one subject, expect you to read the next 2 chapters on top of the material taught in class, and then quiz you on it. Really tough. Avoid if possible.
He is passionate about his work and will talk fast so ask him to slow down. READ BEFORE & AFTER CLASS. ASK QUESTIONS! GO TO OFFICE HOURS! Be prepared for quizzes, they really do help you understand the subject. The test is not straightforward so you have to know the material. Vail is an approachable person that will take time to help you.
He means well but he goes on so many tangents and speaks so quickly that it's hard to follow. When he does this, he also completely avoids answering the question that was asked. It made me dread coming to class to learn about evolution and as a bio major, that's so sad to admit. Oh and get ready for lots of pop quizzes.
He expects a lot out of his students, therefore the class can be quite difficult. He's also extremely intelligent and that's why student's can't seem to understand him, but he does try his best to clarify. Go to class, READ the book, and ASK for help. He'll spend a good chunk of time helping you during office hours so GO if you need help.
his the worse prof. in the biology dept. beware stay away from his classes
For an online class it was very hard to do especially over the summer. He is a hard grader and barely gives you a chance to do well.
Doing poor in this class all thanks to the set up of this course. This course is extremely unclear, and solely based on online work. Crazy online labs, timed difficult tests. Vail makes it hard for a student to succeed because he makes you do everything on your own and provides very little help. Hardest class I have ever taken.
Just don't, he rambles in class, gets off subject, doesn't know how to use time wisely, doesn't know how to connect with students, condescending, just don't.
I failed EEB w/Spagna so I was told by my advisor to try Dr. Vail, So I did. At first I was intimidated He teaches with great knowledge. His test are hard but he gives us a solid study guide and drops the lowest test grade. He also offers Extra credit on black board on the discussion board (which adds 10 pts to the final grade)Take him. He's Great!
the guy means well, but is not that great professor wise. he talks so much in class about what he has knowledge of 15 years but doesn't condense it down to professor level. he doesn't really help you ,,, you just have to write everything down that he says. if you don't put it in his words than you will fail.
had him for lab and it requires alot of effort. He's pretty good at communicating information but expects you to write your answers to his assignments in his exact words otherwise its completely wrong. His grading methods are pretty insane and getting one question wrong can kill your whole grade. I would recommend recording his lectures.
Talks so fast it's hard to understand because he doesn't stop to see if students understand. He asks for class participation and then cuts students off and answers the question he asked himself. Turned my class into a math models class because he taught that and would rather teach that instead of relevant info for our class. Made me hate Excel work
As an online class I didnt observe professor Vails lecture style, but he was available via email and always responded to inquiries in a timely manner. He designed the online course to require written summaries of each chapter, for all students to see, which acted as class discussion and counted toward the grade. I enjoyed the format. Fair grader.
Took his online course, it wasn't as hard as everyone says but there is a heavy amount of reading. And if you don't keep up with the discussions it will show in your grade. Overall though, I would say he's a fair grader who expects a little too much sometimes.
I love labs, however Vail made my semester a living hell. He is extremely difficult to see as far as office hours, I had to email him several times then speak to him in class and email him again just to sit down and talk to him. If you don't write EXACTLY how he would then he will give you a failing grade for the assignment. DO NOT recommend.
Took this class as a summer course and it was the worst thing I had ever done. Extremely hard, strict deadlines on assignments, tough grader, requires heavy readings, and quick timed exams all for an intro biology course. Would not recommend this class to anyone.
Dr. Vail was my professor for EEB. I remember when he said, "if you have a question, call it out." This was great, I had many and he never minded being interrupted. His multiple choice questions are carefully worded so you have to pay close attention before you answer and obviously keep up with reading and assignments. Great Prof, high standards!
After EEB I saw that Dr. Vail offered Conservation Bio online. It was a well-structured course, with clear assignments and expectations. In only three weeks expect to do a lot of reading and stay up with assignments, I'd say about 2-3 hours a day and up to 6 the days before and of the tests. Just plan ahead and follow the syllabus, no problems.
This was my 3rd course with Dr. Vail and by far the most challenging. I had alot going on outside of school and it had been a while since last math. If your thinking of taking it, I'd suggest doing so right after Calculus so it's still fresh. The course was well-structured and Dr. Vail made adjustments for our benefit. Just keep up with the work
I had him for lab and absolutely hated it. He talks a lot and makes it so boring. He is a very tough grader and unfair. It is RARE to get an A with him for anything. A very tough professor and I would not recommend taking him.
i took EEB with him being lecture professor and i was failing so i had to withdraw. next semester i took Dr. Spagna for lecture and Vail for lab and it was horrible. i had a A in lecture but because of Vail's grading in lab it bought me down to a B. he takes forever to grade so you won't know how your doing until the end of the semester. HORRIBLE.
Dr. Vail claims that he wants to help students, but the moment you ask him a question he embarrasses them. There is nothing that really annoys me more than a professor who belittles you when you ask for clarification. During the fall 2020 semester, I've seen it done so many times that it has stopped me from properly learning. He's rude and critical
I had Professor Vail for one class so far and he is the worst teacher i have ever had. He talked for 2 hours and then gave us a quiz without any help. Definitely DO NOT take this class
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
71%
Textbook Required
62%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.77 avg changeRatings by Course
EEBEEB
5.0
(1)BIO3720
5.0
(1)BIO444
4.5
(2)EEB
4.4
(5)BIO3450
4.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
2490
5.0
BIO499
5.0
BIO2
5.0
FIELDBIOLOGY
5.0
BIO130T
5.0