Not as bad as everyone says it is, just manage your time well. I have never been good at science, that is why I made sure I studied for this course. Start doing the study guide a week before the actual exam so you are not having to do 6 chapters worth of information the nigh before. Go over assignment questions. Lowest exam score I earned was an 80

People commenting that this class is hard obviously did not put in the effort. This class is set up for you to pass. She drops your lowest test grade and then has an optional final that replaces your second lowest exam grade. Seriously. This is college. Obviously youre going to have to work. I received an A and Im not even a science major

Professor Blackwell is not bad as most put her out to be. She gives you lengthy study guides but always makes mention that the book, study guide and powerpoints are fair game for the tests! Tough grader I'll admit and I love science but nothing you can't overcome if you apply the material and study hard. Good Luck

Overall her class was not hard. You have PPTs that serve as the lectures and homework based on them. You can get the book but it really is not necessary, I just used it to study. The study guides are basically the entire test and the homework is for completion. Just use the study guide, study a decent amount, and do the homework and you're good.

Class online. Homework for completion, but do have to pay to access it. Tests were in person till classes moved online, then had a full week to do it. Study guide pulled straight from the test. Test based directly off powerpoint. Could not have been an easier class. Easy A.

Honestly, I took this class online, did the homework on Mastering (you pay for a year but make sure to take bio 2 after this so you can use it for that class too!!), reviewed the powerpoints before the test, and took the test. Easy A. Those were the only grades, and homework was for completion.

The class was extremely black and white. If you did the reading and did well on the labs chances are you will be successful. There are plenty of assignments to boost your grade, there is never any confusion on what you should be doing. The test are on the readings exactly. It was a very well laid out course, the prof was also very understanding.

Literally easiest science class taken (took it online tho). All you do is one Webassign HW every week (which you have infinite tries to get the right answers w/ full credit)and 1 test every 4 chapters. I advice reading your book. She answers emails in a timely manner. Only thing is, if you don't read your text book the class might feel harder to u.

Took her because I wanted an online class where I can be more flexible with my schedule. Took her for Bio 1 a few semesters ago and it was the same schedule, she is kind of hands-off about everything. Exams don't really match up with the lectures and the textbook but they were okay since they were open note. Class was just, meh.

Professor Blackwell was really accessible and her tests were heavily based on the lecture notes. Honestly, if you read the lecture notes and review the study guide, it is extremely easy to ace this class! I would definitely recommend.

Tara was very nice and very accommodating, Lots of opportunities to do well in this class with clear test expectations. I took this class in person with another professor and it was extremely difficult, just study the study guide and you will do well on the exams, highly recommend taking this class.

If you put the time in to complete and review the study guides for exams, you will receive an A. In addition, completing and review the quizzes are helpful since the exam questions are the same or similar. Easy A since the material is not hard.

Incredibly kind, and willing to work with students. Drops the lowest exam and quiz. Restructures grades to give you the best overall score possible. Provides lecture videos on textbook chapters and a study guide for exams.

Online course so the pre-recorded lecture videos weren't very helpful and you have to read extensively in the textbook. The exam are difficult but the homework and quizzes support your grade enough if you ace them. Overall didn't have any interaction with the professor but she seems good, lowest exams are dropped and study guides are provided

Really awesome online professor. You should take this class if you are looking for a good online bio class.

Tara is extremely understanding of students and her grading scale reflects it. As long as you watch the lecture videos and skim through the book you will pass.

Very caring professor ry and very understanding especially with the hurricane and how it messed up the schedule, so she gave many accommodations. It was asynchronous so cant say anything about the teaching, but very fair grading. Curves and drop one exam and quiz, but the material is kinda length. Overall I recommend

Dr. Blackwell seems like a very caring person and she is very understanding and flexible. The tests however often did not really line up with what was presented in the lectures which made it kind of hard to earn a good grade in the tests. The homeworks were also pretty time consuming but there was only one to do per week for the most part.

Responds to emails promptly and is very considering. Drops the lowest test score out of 5. Tests are 100% based on detailed study guides and are quite reasonable with the questions. If you study the slides and study guide, you are guaranteed an easy A. Only down side was that grades took 1 week to come in which is because she did not have a TA.

I got an A but it was hard af. She gave 3 extra credits worth 1% final grade each. First two tests were so hard and the last two were easy. The writing assignment and hw were easy too. I would not put myself through this again but god forbid I had to I would choose Tara again. Studying the study guides + lectures + lecture slides will get you an A.

Class consisted of easy exercises, quizzes, and discussion boards. The hardest parts were the heavily-weighted exams. Exams were proctored and you had 2 days to take them. Lowest test is dropped, just make sure to study for exams, especially the study guide.

Make sure to read the textbook for this class! Dr. Blackwell is caring and easily accessible outside of class. For tests, take the practise tests and do lots of practise questions. The tests are mainly based on applied knowledge, so purely memorising material won't help.

Prof Blackwell is a kind person. Even though the lecture may be a little bit boring in class, but the slide materials are wonderful with full of helpful knowledge you need to know about genetics. A is the maximum grade, if you work ahead all the lectures, an A is easy peezy. First exam will be tough but the rest will be quite easy.

Read the textbook, complete her study guide and guided reading and you will get an B or higher. Mastering Home-works are great, you can get any amount of questions wrong and still get the right answer and receive full credit plus they are 40% of your grade. She is very understanding. Study and you will do good. Answer all my emails quick.

Tara is a great person and I reccomend taking her over a lot of the other science profs. Exam grading is very generous, especially if you can get an A on one of the tests, it will be very difficult to fail. Very understanding as well. Tophat is used. Exams are difficult but if you READ THE BOOK and USE CONCEPT/PRACTICE QUIZZES, you will be fine.

Professor Blackwell is a very helpful and caring instructor. I went through a lot of personal problems this semester and she extended every assignment for me even the exams. She is also responsive to emails and will help her students no matter how. Would definitely take again.

This class is tough, but Tara really does provide students with everything needed to succeed. She has a real passion and drive for science, and it is so refreshing to see. If you take this class: DO THE PEARSON DYNAMIC STUDY MODULES!!!! She's so sweet, funny, and overall a pleasure to be around. Would take again.

It's still a biology course so don't expect it to be that easy, Professor Blackwell is very helpful though. The grading criteria is very clear, just 16 homework assignments that take a while but they are thorough. 4 exams that are pretty easy.

I enjoyed having class with and i would take her as a professor anytime as well.

Very nice and understanding professor but I felt like her lectures were hard to follow. Had to read the textbook for this class in order to keep up with the content. Her grading scale though is super generous and you are able to drop an exam. Tests were medium difficulty.

It was a pleasure to take this class with Tara! She is so understanding and kind, and I enjoyed taking it with her very much. She is very easy to contact, and responds very quickly as well.

I really appreciated how understanding and caring this professor was. The course was structured in a great way, and expectations were clear. I would love to take more courses with Dr. Blackwell in the future!

BEST PROFESSOR EVER. Professor Blackwell is one of the kindest professors I have taken by far at USF, and she made her materials extremely accessible online and easy to understand. She is readily available outside of class and very kind and understanding about any extensions you may need. Definitely take her if possible, for any of her classes!

I honestly don't know why she has bad reviews. The material is straightforward and the test aren't difficult. It's a Biology class so you have to dedicate time into studying. The only annoying thing about this class is that the Hw's are pretty long. As long as you put in the effort you should pass this class. Highly recommend.

10% participation (TopHat, not iclicker, same thing), 60% 4 noncumulative exams (worst exam is 10%, best is 20%), 10% homework, 10% unproctored online quizzes. Unhelpful, time consuming hw. Boring, useless lecture. Only study guides reflect the exams. Extra credit w/ curved exams/extra quiz. Very doable but flipped format isn't for everyone.

Dr. Blackwell is really kind, she gives plenty of resources to study for her tests: Lecture videos, study guide, practice quizzes. On top of that she curves and offers extra credit! her lecture style is not the most engaging but I feel like the lecture videos make up for that because you can go back and watch them.

I wasn't a huge fan of some of the lecture material posted; however, she posts a lot of resources, and I would typically find more interesting videos on YouTube. She seems very nice, although I didn't interact with her much. She always posts announcements before exams and makes sure to open one before the withdrawal period. Gave 2% extra credit.

She's awesome!!! If you have the possibility to take her I truly think you should. She is extremely clear with the course and how you can succeed. As others have said, the lectures are not the most interesting thing in the world, but they are for a participation grade which I think helps as a buffer if you need it. Such an understanding human being

She provides lectures, summary notes, practice quizzes, reading guides, and great study guides that cover the material on the exams. She also gave 2% extra credit at the end of the course. The class could be hard, but she gives you what you need to do well!