Willing to work with students when they request assistance out of class.

This is a hard class, but he makes it fun and is always willing to try and help students out!

He is a great instructor, but the amount of material covered in this course is too much. He is always willing to meet and answer our questions. I think his expectations for the class is for us to be responsible in building an understanding and that is really hard for me.

I can tell that he loves teaching and is willing to help us be successful. He makes class interesting and fun, which is nice for a night class!

This is a tough class and you have to attend every lecture, once I fell behind it was almost impossible to catch up. He went out of his way to meet with me and go over material so that I could be ready for an upcoming test. Even though I didn't do as well as I would have liked, that was my fault.

He is a really helpful teacher in a very challenging course. If you don't have good study habits, this course makes you learn how to study and learn! I had a really hard time through the first test, but then he went over the test with me and gave me ideas on how to improve my studying.

Great teacher, very hard class. Get to know him and pay attention. He seems hard at first but is very open minded, funny, and interesting. Only take if your ready to be serious about this class.

Pretty Good teacher with lots of knowledge. But sometimes hard to follow. Very difficult tests.

He is a good instructor and you can tell he wants everyone in the class to be successful. He expects a lot from students in the class and challenges you to improve.

He makes the class fun and we learn a lot at the same time. Make sure to do the pre-reading before class though!

He does a good job of getting the class to work together with his group activities and discussions. There is a ton of info to learn, so you have to be able to put in the time if you want to do well.

This is my second time taking the course, and it is intense no matter the teacher. I had someone else the first time and it was hard and I felt like my first teacher didn't want to be there. Even though this class is hard, he makes it fun and enjoyable while getting the work done.

Great class. If you want to be pushed, I was familiar with the material and still challenged.

Funny, intelligent, doesn't put up with bs but isn't a drill sergeant either. Keeps the class well-structured and likes to walk around to help students during lab. Grading is straightforward and let me fix a mistake I made on a scantron. Good choice for a lab prof.

His class is difficult, but I have never had a professor take as much time to help me and get to know me as Prof Rierson. He's a great guy and he will be the most helpful professor you've ever had if you reach out to him when you need help. I wish he taught more classes!

This class should not be taken as your first science class in college. It is a very fast paced course, so you have to be organized and develop good study habits otherwise you won't survive. The teacher has very high expectations, but they are realistic if you plan to take the next course in the subject.

I don't know whether he's a really challenging prof or if the material is just difficult. He offers more help than any other professor I've had in3 years of college. The class is tough, but if you want to go on in bio or the med field it's awesome prep . Nicest guy you'll ever meet

The instructor really cares about the success of everyone in the class, he goes out of his way to try and help people as long as they meet him half way. He won't give you the answers, but in the end he guides you to figure it out on your own.

The course is very fast paced, usually covering an entire system in one week! The teacher uses stories and humor to teach, which makes the class more fun than I expected.

While the teacher is pretty funny and the class is fairly interactive, he also really challenges you to know the material. You can tell that he loves what he does and he is definitely one of the most passionate instructors I have had so far during my college experience.

He is a great guy and his tests are challenging, he forces you to develop the study skills needed to be successful not only in the BI 121 class but in other classes too. People who complain about his style are too used to "jump through the hoop AND don't make me think" classes. He will help anyway he can, but I had to do my part first.

This class is required for my degree and I expected it to be very challenging. He seems to love teaching and wants everyone to be successful, but he expects us to be ready to work for it. I earned an A in the class, and I can proudly state that I earned it (he did not give it to me). I have been more successful than I expected and he encouraged it.

I was so not looking forward to a summer class from 8-10:15pm, but he makes class fun and relaxed. You can easily tell he loves what he does and wants us to develop a love for learning as well. The class is NOT for the average student who wants to memorize enough to get by or who doesn't know how to study. I did great in 122 because of this class!

I had him during the winter term and he was willing to meet outside of lab when I had a family emergency and was going through a very difficult time. His stayed late several days because he really wants them to be successful, but expects US to do the work of learning the stuff. I hope I get him for 122 Lab in the fall!

He is one of those professors who was constantly pushing you to be better prepared to study more even when I thought I knew everything he would ask a question during class that would make think... oh crap I don't know that!!! However, looking back on the class it is one of the best grades I ever EARNED and I learned a TON!

When he tells you his tests are not on your ability to memorize facts, he is telling the truth. He provided me with a ton of other study techniques to help me out, because I was not used to being expected to show how the ideas applied to one another and that helped me out a ton! Overall he is a nice guy and really wants everyone to give their best

For the most part the class itself was fun and relaxed, he does a great job of adding humor and encouraging the class to share thoughts and put the stuff into my own words. You can tell from the start that he really enjoys teaching and he wants us to do well not only in this class but in future classes too. So far the content been tough.

First off I think the amount of material in any A&P would make the class difficult, but he made the class fun and provided many examples on how to best study and actually learn the material. He was very understanding and willing to meet and help me when I had questions.

I can't believe how much I learned in seven weeks, it is amazing to think we covered so much and still had fun too. While he reads a lot of the info from the powerpoint, he also adds in a lot of personal stories and applications that helped me to understand. I was impressed that he is honest if he didn't know something, he looked up the info.

He is a fun and energetic instructor and I could tell that he loves teaching the class. You REALLY need to read the text prior to coming to class and then during lecture what he is talking about will make a lot more sense. His self assessment questions are very helpful in preparing for the exams, but they are still very challenging!

Due to my work schedule and having a family I have to take night classes, and I really appreciate how he tries to keep class energized and fun while still covering really tough information. He has always been willing to meet with me and help when I have asked.

He is a very nice guy and loves working with students. He expects people to be responsible & ask for help when needed. Because of an ongoing personal issue I was having I needed to miss a class and the next week's exam. He stayed late and worked with me over the entire lab to make sure I understood the material before I completed the make-up exam.

I have never met a prof who loves what he does more than this guy, he expresses his constant passion for science all the time. That said the class really pushes you to build study skills and just when I thought I couldn't work any harder I found he was waiting to help once I asked the right questions.

Love Professor Rierson! Hope I get him for 122! Always willing to stay after class with me to make sure the main ideas of that nights lecture were clear to me :)

Enjoyed the lab MUCH than my lecture part of the course. He stressed the importance of enjoying the career you choose and it shows, when you are in his class. He was very helpful, but expects you to ask questions.

He is one of the most energetic instructors I have had so far! He is very intelligent and loves to explain really hard topics using out of the box examples... like comparing calcium's role in muscle contraction to that of a wing man for myosin. He works really hard to make sure if you come to him for help, that you understand before you leave.

Took the class a few semesters ago and I really enjoyed it, the hardest part was the amount of material I needed to learn to understand the body. Take his advice and figure out the best way you learn and use it, he worked with me on several styles until I found one that worked best. He really cares and his tough tests prepared me for classes now.

Very nice guy and he really wants us to do well! He gives a lot of extra material so that no matter how you learn best there are resources. Would definitely take another one of his classes, he pushed me to learn more than I thought I ever would.

I took the class during summer semester and he made the class fun while also covering all of the material we had to cover in only 7 weeks! Really nice guy.

When he says this class really forces you to learn how to study, believe him. There was a lot of material to cover so figuring out the best way I needed to study made a huge difference by the second exam. He stresses a lot of the main points during lecture and you can expect to see all of it show up on the exam. Very understanding guy.

He is very understanding and supportive. Not only does he clearly love to teach, but also tries to make sure I know how to study for any future courses as well, he says we are figure out how we learn best. If you have never really had to study before this is a tough class, if you have good study skills it really wasn't that tough.

Really enjoy this class, teacher tries to bring the stuff we cover into our daily lives. Like he knows not all of us learn the same way, so he breaks it up during class. Great class, but you will have to work hard and study.

Enjoy the positive energy and fun attitude he brings to class. You can tell that he enjoys teaching. Even with his good sense of humor, he doesn't give easy exams and expects students to study and know the material (not memorize like most classes). Some in class were upset cause he doesn't give out the questions before the test.

He was a great guy and caring instructor, he really tried to encourage everyone to be the best they could. I am thinking most of the ones who either didn't get the grade they wanted or dropped before the end of the semester didn't realize the difference between memorizing or understanding the material for his tests. He expects the later.

He frequently refers to material I should know from my BI121 class and I appreciate that because it reminds me of the importance of not just memorizing the stuff we cover in class because I will need to apply what I am learning now to my future classes. He really cares and wants us to be the best we can on our own. Great class.

Professor Rierson is entertaining and knowledgeable, making class time both more valuable & pass by faster. His lectures are stimulating & he forces us to participate via group/partner discussions and some interactive handouts. He is also very available to help and definitely goes the extra mile for his students.

He is always willing to go the extra mile for his students, even though he seems like a very busy man. I feel he makes it very clear that he wants his students to succeed, and he is even very receptive to feedback given (and even asks for it more regularly than any other professor I've had).

He is doing an awesome job of teaching BI 122 lecture. He often relates the tough-to-comprehend concepts to modern day examples which helps me to understand. Also, his jokes are hilarious & keep me awake during such a late class! I am learning a lot, and it is obvious that he cares about the topics and is very knowledgeable. I am glad I had him for

I really liked how he makes us break into groups to discuss the material because it helped me maintain focus and see what I did or did not know. I very much enjoyed this semester and would definitely take a course with Professor Rierson again.

He really tries to push you to work to be as good as you can be. He expects us get comfortable looking up material in notes or talking in small groups which forced me to improve my note taking , I also became more comfortable at trying to use what I learned in 121 class to help in this class. He was easy to talk with and knows life happens

The class was challenging, but he was easy to talk with and willing to meet and help me. You can tell he really enjoys teaching and wants us to be successful in our careers. If you pay attention, he highlights the key points that we need to know.

Great guy, stated several times that his primary concern was to help us learn how to study and to also learn A&P. He was always willing to give suggestions on how to try different study methods. The department rules for the course, really limit how he can grade, can't give extra credit or other assignments so only exams can count.

After taking this class before with a professor who made the class harder than what it should be, Rierson made my second time a "great" time. He's funny, really cares about your success, and it helps that he has us break into groups to discuss material. Do his slideshow reviews, self check quizzes (with friends or self), and use his lecture outline

While I did not do as well as I had hoped last winter, he was always willing to sit down and explain methods to help me do my best because he cares. He clearly expected us to learn and apply lab information with material he covered in class. If you are looking for the easiest class you will be frustrated because he challenges everyone to learn more

He knows his stuff and really wants everyone to be successful and helps connect topics to our daily lives. From talking with others taking the course with other instructors, the course is set up to be really challenging. I enjoyed his energy and appreciated his willing to work with me as I had an unexpected life issue come up during the semester.

Really amazing to have during the pandemic! I liked having the discussion board a lot, that was so well thought out. Made it seem like there was a class every week but it was still challenging and enough to make sure Im understaing the material.

I've never had such an outstanding teacher who took the time to get to know us and make everyone laugh. My boyfriend and I took his class together years ago and we always left feeling very happy even when there was alot to learn. He helped us so much and I am so grateful to have had him as a teacher whom I still think about time to time!

I had Rierson's online Bi121Lab which consisted of online lectures and a completion based assessment every week. He is always cheerful in his lectures and brings all the basic dad jokes to the table. He does a great job communicating which info you need to know and what the "fluff" is you don't need to worry about. I 100% recommend him to anyone.

It would help to take the same lab and lecture with just one professor. I only had four tests for the grading which were both good and bad because you can't make a mistake, but it was a lot less work than it helped me a lot since I had so many credits. However, he did go easy on the last last two exams.

He is one of the most supportive and encouraging instructors I have had. Yes, the course is tough and I had study hard, but it is a college course. He provides note packets and expects more than just memorization. He wants us to how & understand how everything we cover relates and "builds a story".

After talking with people from other sections, it seems like BI 121 is meant to be one of toughest courses offered. It doesn't matter who the prof. is, it is going to be really tough. He was very understanding and made everyone that I talked to feel like he honestly cared and wanted us to do well.

Really nice instructor, wants the best for us students. But he expects us to put in the time & study so we really know the class material.

Prof. Rierson was a really understanding and encouraging throughout the entire semester. It is easy to see that he enjoys teaching the content and wants all of his students to be successful.

He's amazing! He gives you the big picture and then goes over the details. At times seemingly too much info/detail, but it helped us to really grasp the concepts & remember what's important. A&P is difficult no matter who teaches, but how he teaches & his enthusiasm for science makes it easier to learn. He offers note outlines which helped us study

Prof. Rierson is wonderful! He is SO nice, easy to talk to, relatable and happy to help in any way. I had him for lab and he doesn't do a lot of "teaching" per se. More so gives you guidelines and direction and then allows you to work and study independently. Perhaps this isn't the best learning style for some but I loved it. Would take him again!

I appreciate his straight forward approach and clear expectations. He brings a fun, positive attitude to the class, is very supportive, and encouraging. He tries to build connections on what I learned in my earlier BI 121 A&P course. If you just want to just memorize enough to do well on tests, this class could get frustrating.

Very understanding and patient. I had medical things going on during fall semester and he was extremely understanding and encouraged me. I guess some don't like when the teacher follows their presentation, but it helped me a ton.

Professor Rierson is very sweet and caring. I really enjoyed having him for lab and lecture. Lab is pretty easy as long as you study the material from the guide they give you. Lecture is pretty heavy. I recommend you pay attention and read what you don't understand from the textbook.I would definitely take his class again:)

Super teacher, very supportive, wants us to be successful now and in future.

Most of the questions on tests or quizzes are covered in the textbook. He is willing to help with any questions, but you have a lot to memorize. His tests and quizzes can be complex, but they are not tricky to the point where it makes no sense. Please read the material beforehand if possible, it makes his lectures easier to follow afterward.

He gave great study advice which helped me to remember things that I kepy getting confused by helping me think of it as a story. I really appreciated that he was always so encouraging.

I took this during the summer and I appreciated that he made sure we knew the pace of a summer course on the first day. He made the class really fun and enjoyable, even though it was very intense. I got sit and ended up missing two days in a row and he was very understanding and was willing to help me get caught back up.

Best lecture and lab professor I've had in my college experience. He was funny and cultivated a fun interactive experience. He kept it straight to the point and with the quizzes it was a good check in for the exams.

I could tell that he loves teaching and wants students to understand the content more than just memorize a bunch of stuff for an exam. He challenged me to be a better student.