If you study definintions and the main topics that could be discussion question you will do good. You have to go to class for the notes because he doesnt use the book. I think he is a great teacher and I really enjoy his classes.

If you just take notes from class and study them for the test, you'll do fine. The book is only needed for clarification of his cell drawings. Pretty easy class if you study.

Boring as hell class but nice teacher.

He teaches from notes, so attend class so you don't miss something. His tests are straight forward. Mostly definitions. He rarely tries to trip you up. Hes not very interesting to listen to but if you enjoy biology then hes an easy pick.

Not too hard, just go to class, listen, and take notes. I thought the class was interesting and that some of the stuff he said was funny. I like his mannerism and glasses. He's always willing to admit to and correct any mistakes he makes. Overall great professor.

MUST GO TO CLASS. make sure to take good notes. his notation a bit hard to understand, but he's willing to answer any questions. he does not go by the book, so dont bother with it unless you want clarification on his drawings

As long as you are in class and taking good notes, you will do great! The tests are 75 multiple choice ?s that come straight from the notes. He also gives bonus questions from random in class quizzes, so again if you go to class you will do well!

Holder is a great teacher! His tests come directly from the notes he gives in class, but he doesn't put all of the notes online so you really have to go to class. Textbook is not a big deal. I barely used mine.

Tom Holder is a great teacher and he clearly cares about his students. There are no drop grades and not much by the way of extra credit, but you shouldn't need it. He rarely, if ever, uses the book (I never bought it), and he goes at an easy-to-follow pace. I will take another class with him if I can.

He is a very good professor. Notes are easy to take. He vary rarely refers to the textbook. I would suggest him to anyone.

Straight forward, respectable guy. Those in his classes now that fail either don't study or don't go to class. It isn't ridiculous for a college student to do those things. A rated teacher IMO.

Dr. Holder is a pretty easy teacher. You really don't need to read the textbook. All of his tests are hard, but come directly from the lecture material. It is really important to be in class. All tests are multiple choice/matching but 75 questions long. He talks some about evolution, but not as much as a lot of other professors. Good professor.

Tom Holder is a decent guy. His tests are hard and covers a lot of material, but they are all fair. Show up to class, take notes, and study, and you'll be fine

Honestly-- just go to class. His class isn't easy, but Bio 2 is a class that weeds out the ones in harder science majors. Holder does well at explaining that to his students. If you do well in his class, you're set. I used the book only to explain concepts I didn't understand clearly. GO TO SI.

Holder is a great professor. He goes a little fast, but if you take notes and pay attention in class you will do fine. He does not post his notes so the class is mandatory to pass. He also talks kind of quiet so I would sit near the front.

Dr. Holder is a great teacher. He is interested in the material he teaches, but some would disagree because his sense of humor is very dry. His tests are hard, but definitely not impossible because I made an A in his class. He doesn't post his notes online and you should read the chapters like once but don't go into bio II thinking it will be easy

A lot of people do not like Mr. Holder, but I took him for Bio 2 and Bio of Vertebrates, and he is an awesome prof. He really knows his stuff. You have to go to class to get the notes, but if you study hard, you will do great. For Bio of Vertebrates, the lab is pretty hard, but just take pictures and turn them into flashcards and you will be fine.

Overall, I would say he is a good professor. His tests are difficult, but they are straight from his lectures and he doesnt ask questions on anything he doesnt mention in his notes. This being said, you really have to put time in studying to make good test grades. If you study well, youll do fine!!

BIO 2 covers material on taxonomy of animals, plants, human anatomy & physiology, etc. While I took this class online, it was a breeze! I recommend not getting the textbook, I never bought it and did great. Dr. Holder does a great job at explaining the content and talks at a nice pace. Your grade is based solely on 4 exams.

I enjoyed this class and all the material. He is not a bad professor just make sure to take notes in class. The exams come straight from the notes and are usually not too bad. Go to the SI sessions they really help and they provide practice exams that are similar to the actual exams. You don't need the textbook at all.

Hes a very straightforward professor. His notes come straight from the powerpoint and he expects you to take notes by hand as there is a strict no technology rule. If you actually study the notes and become familiar with them, you will do well on the tests!

Mr. Holder has an undeserved reputation as a tough teacher; he always lays out his expectations for the course, and unfortunately many students do not listen. Attend class, take plenty of notes, pay attention, and you should do just fine. Prepare to write out several pages on the exams, as he expects you to be intimately familiar with the material.

I don't understand why Holder has so many bad reviews. His tests are straight from the notes. If you study and know your notes, you will make an A easily. Yes, he is boring to listen to during the lectures and you do have to show up to class because he doesn't put any notes on canvas. I would take his class again.

Study as soon as class ends. His tests aren't as hard as people say as long as you review your notes regularly. SI gives practice tests and quizlets, so take advantage of those. His lectures are solely content-focused, so they can feel tedious at times. If you zone out it's okay, just make sure to get the notes somehow because he doesn't post them.

He did go through the lecture fast often, but not a very difficult class if you review the notes. GET READY TO WRITE! If youre going to be on your phone/electronic, dont sit in the front. A lot of pages of notes for every exam, but study as you go and you will be fine4 - 75q m/c exams and a lab grade

Everything you need for the tests is covered in class. Holder is very good at explaining the material, but he goes extremely fast. There is an enormous amount of info you must know for the tests. The lab is super easy as long as you do what they say. Thankfully the final is not cumulative.

Professor Holder really isn't too bad. He doesn't post slides but does go slow enough for you to write. His tests are very straight forward and directly from material on the slides. It is a lot of content but easily manageable if you study consistently. Beware of exam #2 though.

He's a stereotypical dry college prof that hates technology. No tech in class. Be ready to handwrite notes fast as PowerPoints are not provided on Canvas. Other than that, he's clear on what he wants and expects. Go to lecture, study regularly, and you'll be fine. Cut and dry. However, final exam is not cumulative, which is great!

Office hours solidified my take on Holder. My best recommendation is to visit his office for feedback on what you miss on exams (possible curve). He can be monotone, but he has lively conversations outside of class. Check your emails, he may cancel class @ 5 AM on more than one occasion.

Dr. Holder is a good professor. His class is very straightforward--handwritten notes, study for the exam. I had him for Animal Diversity. 4 noncumulative exams. There's a quiz in lab every week that you MUST study for. It's nice. No extra credit or busy work. Study for the exams and you will get an A or B.

He is a good teacher and loves what he teaches. You will need to be a good note taker because he only posts the figures and drawn examples. He doesn't allow electronics, but that was no big deal for me because I use paper anyway. I loved learning in this class because of its good and interesting content. I would heavily recommend going to SI.

Mr. Holder does not allow technology and does not provide the slides, but he wants students to understand the material. You need to come to class prepared to write a large quantity of notes, but his tests come straight from the lecture material. His tests are fair, but it's important to put in time studying the material. SI is very helpful.

Holder isn't a bad prof. He is very clear about what he expects from you, and the test questions come straight from the lectures. YOU HAVE TO GO TO CLASS. He doesn't post the slides, and you have to handwrite the notes bc he doesn't allow technology. People hate on him bc of the no tech thing, but his lectures make sense, and he's a good teacher

He is a great professor, he really gets a bad wrap. Do not expect to not go to class, wait until a couple days before the test, get notes from someone else, and go take the test and to make an A or B. If you are willing to go to class, pay attention and get the notes, go to SI, and study the right way, you will be fine in this class.

Most over-hated prof here. Don't expect to skip class and get notes from someone else, make sure to take your own and show up to every lecture. It's a hard class but he genuinely cares as long as you and the class will respect him and his time. Freshman, he's not easy so be prepared to study 5 days MINIMUM before each test, optimally a week.

He's not as bad as others say. As long as you go to class, take good notes, and put in the effort you will be fine. This is not an easy class so don't expect to get an A or B if you never show up to class and study for only 2 hours the night before the test. It's a lot of material so expect to take a lot of notes for every lecture.

I think he is given a bad rap, but his test are very straight forward he doesn't try to trick you. He does let you use computers and ipads to take notes now. He always lets us out early, but he will lecture everyday . Overall I really dont think he is as bad as people made him out to be. If you study you will be fine.

Dr. Tom Holder gets a bad rep because he does not post the slides until two days before the tests. Going to class is the only way to get notes and he now lets people use computers to take notes. His tests are very straight forward, but the second test is very difficult. You need to study a lot for test two, and a good amount for the other tests

Many students want to give Dr. Holder a bad rep because you have to show up to class and study to get a good grade. There is a lot of material covered for each exam, but the questions are very straightforward. If you put in the effort to study, you will come out with a good grade in his course. Also, he is good at lecturing and keeps a good pace.

Mr. Holder is a great professor who clearly outlines what you need to know for tests. He presents the material clearly and gives plenty of time to write down slides. Attendance is not required but if you do not go, you will not get the notes. This means that you will not do well on the exams. You just have to take notes and study well - that's it.

I had Mr. Holder for Animal Diversity. Good lectures and I found the content interesting. However, the downside to his class are matching parts of his tests. Doesn't sound that bad, but trust me when I say it is. Other than the matching, the tests are straightforward and he's a cool dude. Also responded to my emails quickly which was nice.

I do not understand the Mr. Holder slander, you can really tell he cares about his students. Yes, it is lecture heavy and he sometimes goes fast, but that's college. I recommend going to every class, handwriting your notes, and looking over them every other day. Go to SI and start studying like 5 days before and this class will be a piece of cake.