Uses lots of powerpoint presentations so if you miss a class its ok

knows how you should teach but hes not so good at it himself. great personality

gives you a good understanding of introductory biology.

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*I* thought he was funny, in any case...

Not the worlds greatest course but a good basic course. You need to constantly study to stay current with stuff but this course is DEFINITELY doable. If you want to get into med school this course is a must.

I like the way he teaches. Makes concepts very clear but grades and tests harshly.

He has a bit of a false modesty thing, but that's his schtick. He's a smart guy, and teaches complicated processes in a manageable way. And for the reccord, it was one of his grad students who nearly killed himself with a lion fish, not himself.

I really liked his class. He oversimplifies a bit (which can complicate things later on) but overall, I found the class enjoyable. It helps if you have a good TA though just to fix the occasional slip ups he has

Big Tony rocks!

People are too quick at judging his different style of teaching. Oh no! He focuses on concepts instead of brutal details that can be picked up from textbooks! Olek tries the conceptual approach of "telling it as a story" -- if it's not your style, the TA's can help you grasp things with a different style of explanation.

If you actually go to lecture, this class is just about the easiest class possible. Exams straight from lecture. And Olek is histerical always so condecending when people ask stupid questions, makes it amusing.

If you get to know him out of class a real nice guy. In class he can have the appearance of being pompous but he really isn't. Just don't ask stupid questions. Really easy class, very interesting information presented reptitive at times. ALL lecture notes are posted online for student convenience. Great class.

Olek challenges students to think beyond mere memorization of text book facts. Everything is strictly conceptual. Everyone is all up in a bunch because in high school they were fed answers and with Olek you actually had to think. Great class, funny guy. Pushes you to think like a real scientist, not a high school kid.

I think people don't understand Olek. He comes off as pompous at times, but he really knows his stuff, and is a lot more interesting than Sajdak.

NOT your typical professor. Prepares you to think outside of the box and past pure memorization. It may be tough at first, but comes in handy for upper level classes. His teaching and testing are VERY conceptually based.

A necessary evil to learning how to take a science class at UR. His tests are so different from anything in highschool. Workshops are amazing! He is intimidating, but seriously go talk to him, it's very very helpful.

The people who say Olek is a bad professor are those who think that memorization is the point of learning. This course separates the "real" students from the "fake" ones. Besides, he does teach "biology". The only thing I don't like is the lack of textbook use...waste of money.

I hate to say this, but anyone who DOESN'T do well in this class is really dumb. OK, so you dont need the text book...return it and get 100+ bucks back. All you need are his incredibly clear PPslides and make sure to go to workshop, and you should get an A. I think he is misunderstood...and that alot of the students are lazzzyy

The people who say that Olek is a bad teacher are the ones who sleep during class or refuse to review the powerpoint slides. Yes, all colleges are going to have different methods of giving students the most up to date material (which is why the txtbk is not used), but Olek does it in the most efficient way and I'd learn from him again if i could.

Dr. Olek is an amazing professor. Probably one of the best at this school. If you read his extra clear power points you are more than likely to get a B or an A in class. People who complain are ones who are too lazy to take their time to memorize. You don't even have to know what you're doing to get an A, JUST MEMORIZE.

Although his lectures look very messy, they are just organized in a certain way that most of students have not seen before. I love his lectures. =3

I actually enjoyed this class. His powerpoints may look foreign for someone who does not attend class regularly but quite honestly, it is very easy to get at least a B in the course by just going to class/recitation/ and reading the lectures. He has put in a lot of effort into his powerpoints. Only lazy students don't like him!!

i don't know why students are saying all these gibberish about dr. olek. i would rate myself as a student of average intelligence who stays up until 5 to study and believe that this is as easy as it get! He tells you whats going to be on the exam. In fact, you don't even have to go to class because he puts the power points online.

I'm a graduate of a few yrs ago, now finished med school and in residency in NYC. Most useful class at UR for premeds or just interested bio people. Tony teaches you how to critically think and evaluate from a radically different perspective than most students are used to from H.S. With an open mind, you'll learn tons and be all the better for it.

Strong emphasis on importance of concepts as opposed to vocabulary. Purposefully steers away from the AP BIO curriculum as well as the assigned textbook. Many students find his method arrogant as he often challenges common bio perspectives however this is done only to encourage students to approach theories with an open mind necessary for science.

Everyone complains about Olek at the beginning of the semester and he can be somewhat confusing but once you get used to his style it's much easier. To be successful make sure you know the information perfectly so that you can apply it to experimental situations. Doing well in this class is possible but it takes work and patience! GO TO WORKSHOP.

This class takes work, and Olek is not what most people are used to, but if you have an open mind, he'll teach you to think for yourself and you'll learn a lot. He also assures students that the curve will have an average of B/B+ which is very generous, so he clearly wants his students to do well in the end.

Dr. Olek is an interesting professor. The main key to succeeding in his class is to think conceptually and in a "creative" fashion. I really like how he taught us to think critically. You will have to put in effort in this class. I went to class, actively participate in workshop, and went up to him to ask questions and managed to pull off an A.

Olek was my favorite professor thus far. He had a unique and genuine style of teaching. He was perfect. He answered questions in a very clear manner. His mustache was jaw-dropping. Overall it will be very difficult to find another professor like Olek. He was perfect.

Tony Olek is the man. He is different, but you appreciate him more as the semester goes on. Very generous curve at end of course as well. So if your getting B's, dont be bummed bc you'll probably get an A.

Professor Olek was very knowledgeable about the subject and also about other related subjects. H e frequently pointed out relationships between subjects that are at first not obvious but are in fact very illuminating. He cares deeply about the material. He is humorous but in a pretty understated way.