3.1
Quality3.2
Difficulty53%
Would Retake83
Reviews53%
Would Retake
83
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
19
4
15
3
21
2
14
1
14
What Students Say
“I never wore a seatbelt to campus, hoping I would die before reaching his class”
BIO2600 - 1.0 rating“the exams is easy if you study & have a great studying method, other than that he is extremely RUDE & extremely condescending towards students who aren't doing anything wrong”
BIO1500 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
3%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.14 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO1510
3.6
(8)BIO1050
3.3
(29)BIO2600
3.3
(20)BIO1500
2.7
(26)Difficulty by Course
BIO1510
3.5
BIO2600
3.4
BIO1500
3.3
BIO1050
3.0
Reviews (83)
Branford great. He's very friendly, easy to understand and doesn't show material down your throat like other profs. Class grade is a mix of lab and the exams you take in lecture. The exams are from the ppts and he uses questions from old exams and the book. The book IS NOT needed besides that though. I had this class in person before COVID.
If you are willing to teach yourself the entire course, then be aware of that before taking Dr. Branford. When you attend his zoom lectures, the only thing he does is read off the slides and does not explain anything in depth. The exams are nothing like what you read off the slides, so you have to teach yourself the material before the exams.
In my opinion, Dr. Branford does not go into depth at all. I had this class online and his lectures were 60 mins of reading directly of the slides at 100 mph. He tries to cram in as many chapters as he can for the exams. This class was lecture/lab together. I studied very hard for each exam and read the book and still received a poor grade.
drink three cups of coffee before listening to his lectures. you will fall asleep. learn how to install a speed shortcut on chrome to speed the monotone speaker that is branford. exams are straightforward if you take notes (but considering we fall asleep, its a struggle). stay awake and get the A. fall asleep and get an F... good luck charlie
Probably the easiest cell bio professor on campus
Many of his exam qs are from old exams on campus. He knows this class is hard and tries to be lenient. If you want an A w/o crying and sweating then take him!
made stupid jokes and the lectures are really dry. you could really teach yourself everything by looking at the slides. go over the extra slides with past questions they will be reused.
During his lectures, I felt like we weren't getting anywhere with the material he was supposed to be teaching. I learned more in the lab portion than I did in the lecture when it came to the material that was on the test. His slides were very vague as well as his lecture.
The class is split by 2 professors, Dowling for animals and Branford for plants. I thought Dowling was bad, but Branford made me miss Dowling. His lectures are VERY slow. I didn't retain anything in lectures because of how slow he was. Had to rewatch every lecture at 2x speed in recordings just so I could retain anything. He's also rude at times.
He is great. Very friendly and straightforward. I am taking cell bio with him next semester because I love him so much. His expectations are really clear, and all the information you need for the exams is given to you.
Good professor, very easy, easier than Dowling
If you are lucky enough, you are going to take the course with him. I LOVE HIM. He provides a lot of studying materials. Dr. Dowling's part was harder. In the last exam, he included weird questions just know the humidity rules for the last exam << take note of that. Take it when he teaches the course by himself
The content was kind of boring, he made it easier to understand if you pay attention in lecture/watch the recordings. I'd say 1/3 of the exam questions are from past exams so make sure you study the old exams before the exams and understand the concepts. The test outlines he gives are so helpful and allowed me to do good on the exams, so use them!
Lectures were super boring. He provides old exam questions as well as questions in the lecture. Only 3 exam which is nice and puts points from discussion class into lecture class. Study lecture slides and especially old exam/slideshow questions and will go great.
He is the best!!
Professor Branford taught well during class, however, his exam questions did not correlate with what we learned in class. It was mainly experimental questions and were not really straightforward. Take the past reviews with a grain of salt. Discussion basically saved my grade, and he gives a lot of extra credit which was nice.
His lectures are pretty bland. I think if you want to have a true understanding of the chapter(s) for the test/final, you'd be much better off just skipping and studying the textbook itself. His slideshows are purely the textbook and he just reads off them the entire lecture and provides a few examples that may be on the test.
Listening to his lectures and going over his powerpoint presentations is what will get you the grade you want. This class is graded based on 3 exams, a final, and discussion session quizzes--- you get one exam drop. Attendance isn't mandatory, but if you show up you get extra credit points, same with the discussion session.
Dr. Branford makes cell bio much less stressful. 4 exams, the final drops one of the first 3. There is also a discussion with points attached for attendance
Dr. Branford is a great bio professor. The class itself wasn't very difficult but there was a lot of material within the course. There was no homework, and you are only graded by quizzes, exams, and the final. The final replaces the lowest exam grade if it will end up helping your overall grade. Overall, if you study well you will get a good grade.
Dr. Branford is an amazing professor who cares about his students. Many of his exam questions came from the PowerPoints and Pearson's website. His final exam was just questions from our previous exams. He could have made the exams harder but chose not to for our sake. I 100% would retake him!
Dr. Branford was an amazing professor. He truly tries his best to make everything easier for his students. There are 4 quizzes and 4 exams, no extra assignments, HW, or ec. The final exam is questions from the previous exams, if you study the past exams you'll be good. I suggest reading the slides and the textbook since those are the most helpful.
He's a nice guy, easy A class.
extremely boring lectures. almost better to just study the slides than to come to class, because i found the lectures useless since he just reads off the slideshows.
Best professor to take for cell bio! Would recommend to anyone and everyone. Hes so kind and thoughtfull this is my favorite class and I wish it never ended! Go SI and the LA's they help so much! Everything about this class was amazing!!!!
He's awesome. Wants everyone to pass, I just watched the lecture videos before each exam and did decent on all of the exams.
easily on of the best Bio professors at WSU, if you study slides and old exam questions there's no way you wont do good. i'd say definitly attend lecture and dont cram 1510 is a lot of info, but it is not as bad as people make it to be. I'd take him over any other professor any day
Overall, a decent professor. Lectures are pretty boring as he just reads off of the slides. Your whole grade consists of 4 quizzes and 5 exams, with one exam drop. Definitely possible to get an A but you have to be willing to put in the effort and study. It's a lot of material but doable if you genuinely try.
This can be an easy class if you study well for it. He only grades quizzes and exams, and also provides preparation for exams. Overall I would take this class again if I needed to.
reads directly from slides and textbooks without offering much explanation in his own words rather than engaging with the material in a meaningful way. he also has a smart attitude towards student questions is dismissive and unhelpful. He tends to respond with impatience or condescension, making it intimidating for students to seek clarification
straightforward class but pretty mean professor. makes it very clear in office hours that he doesnt want you to be there. he also explains things very weird and confusing
Lecture is pointless to attend considering the video and slides are posted. Professor is mono-toned and explains everything very quickly expecting you to take notes. He definitely has an attitude problem and superiority complex. I don't know any other professors for this course to compare, but I personally would not recommend.
Grade based on in-person exams... You will need to read the chapters if you want to understand anything. Online textbook comes with course. Professor definitely has an attitude problem and answers student questions very sarcastically and rude. Lectures are posted online so you don't need to come to class. As long as you read you'll be fine.
Other's mention Dr. Branford being 'rude.' In my experience, he is great. You HAVE to read the textbook in order to fully understand, if you do that, success is inevitable. I honestly don't find him rude; I think he's attempting to be sarcastic. He curves all exams and throws out missed questions. I would definitely take him again.
He is so sweet and on top of that, the class is mainly based on just 5 exams. Read the book and go over the lecture PowerPoint he posts before class and you'll be okay. The exams are not so complicated but they do apply what you learn in class. Study quiz and old exams and you'll be okay! He is really nice, just try your best in class!
Lectures are very boring because he just reads off the slides during lectures and that's it. I would highly recommend going to the SI sessions because it helps students a lot. He does a good job at providing good preparation materials for the class. I just wish lectures were a bit shorter if he's just reading off the slides.
Lectures are exteremly boring and the information he provides comes from the textbook itself. I wouldn't say Brandord is rude per say but he is a little sarcastic & monotone. You HAVE to read the textbook and STUDY to pass any of the five exams given in glass & looking at old exams/questions is realy helpful because they're usually on the exam.
Branford was my first ever bio class in college as a freshman I wouldn't bother going to his lectures because all he does is read off the slides and jump from slide to slide I basically taught myself everything for this class and thankfully have a B- as of right now. ALSO you can study for a month and still won't pass the exams VERY weirdly worded.
Lectures were pretty boring but were all recorded so you didn't have to attend. Exams weren't bad but you definitely had to study. Test and quiz heavy and were the only assignments graded the entire semester.
Get ready to want to pull your hair out. I do not recommend taking him as a bio professor. The whole lecture he just reads off of slides that's all nothing more. He also says if you study said slides that's not enough. The average on exams is a D. After exam grades come out he is upset that the averages are so low. DO NOT RECOMMEND.
Professor Branford is great! He gives us the past years exam for each exam so you can study off it and make a quizlet. If you understand the questions, why the answer is right and why the other answers are wrong you will do great. Every exam there's extra credit questions as well. Idk how anyone else could say otherwise they probs just don't study
He's a funny person, but like he expects so much from his students. His lectures are SOOO boring, like I honestly passed with an A just by reading the book. He does great for preparation for exams like giving VERY similar questions before hand and letting us know specifically what will be on the exam. However, this is not an easy A class.
Branford does not show much enthusiasm when he lectures. He literally reads off the slides most of the time during the lectures. There is ZERO homework and your entire grade is based on 3 exams, 1 final exam, and a discussion section. The textbook is a MUST as his lectures are very boring and doesn't contain all the material needed for the exams.
Doesn't know how to teach well at all. Literally reads word for word off the slides yet makes fun of students that are failing, saying they're failing for “not attending lecture.” Your grade is based off just 3 exams and 1 final. Class average for all three exams was in the 60's and he refuses to curve. Avoid taking at all costs.
If you attend/watch the lectures and do the study modules, it's very easy to get an A in this course. The grading policy is very fair and the exam curves are much more generous than what I would expect in a college course. He's very straightforward and blunt, which may rub some the wrong way. All in all a decent professor.
Attendance isn't mandatory, but I say it's best to go to every lecture so you can understand the material, or hear him explain it. His exams are based on the lectures and what he provides in Canvas (his exams are easy if you study, if you don't study, you're going to fail). If you don't understand, he has office hours, or go to an SI.
Not an overly difficult prof in my opinion. He provided old exam questions to study from and replaced your lowest exam score with the final (which was all q's taken from the other four exams in the course). Online quizzes are also part of your grade. Course content is however difficult, so read the textbook, invest in Pearson+, and study!!!
He's the absolute worst. I swear to god everytime he talked not only did I get the impression he didn't wanna be there but also that he hates his job. The exams (80% of your grade) are hard for no reason and he has 10 people patrolling making sure nobody cheats like its some level 5000 class. Save yourself the time and find another professor.
Branford is a very monotone driven professor. He has no enthusiasm and as a person who went to every lecture, out of the 250 people only 50 came by the end of the semester. His exams were oddly difficult and after them, he would be upset at the class for not doing well. His average for exams was a D, which personally I don't find respectable.
As a freshman, this was my first biology course, and Branford made it easy to understand. Attendance isn't required, but I recommend attending or watching recordings since he shares test-relevant info not included on slides. He also provides past exam questions, many of which appear on tests with the exact same wording or with a slight variation.
Don't understand why he's getting so much hate here; he's a good prof that provides you with the necessary to get an A. Yeah he sounds monotone and class gets boring but he's being sarcastic a lot of the times. Don't take his demeanor too seriously and focus on the slides, watch recordings at 2x speed, do practice exams, ask qs, and youre chilling.
Read the textbook. He provides old exams and chooses questions from the quiz on the exam so make sure to study those. 3 things succeed in this class is reading the textbook, reviewing old exams and doing the quizzes
Def harder than 1050! but Dr. Branford tests what he teaches so study the notes, old exam questions, and quizzes! Also, read the textbook AND attend lectures! Engaging with the material for a long amount of time def helps for exams! Curves were also generous in this class and THERES NO HOMEWORK! I'd suggest rewatching lectures and taking notes!
Especially with this class, a lot of old exams and study module questions were used for new exams! Sometimes he'd change up the questions or answers so watch out for that! My tip is to attend lectures, practice his old questions and quizzes, and do the Pearson study modules! Exams were also curved generously! He may seem mean, but he's a good prof!
Dr.Branford is a caring teacher but when it comes to lecture an hour can feel like days. He has a very monotone voice and there were multiple times where I fell asleep in his class because of how slow he can cover the topics at times.
The class is a difficult one, but having a professor like Branford makes it better since his tests come straight from the lectures. His lectures are dense so it gets hard to focus sometimes, but he records them so its a great study tool. Studying lecture slides are key in this class
If you want an A in this class-be ready to put in time, and make sure you have it. His voice is hard to follow and his lectures are densely packed with information.If he said it,he will hold you account. Most of his Exam questions are modified versions of Q's provided in the slides and old exam questions. Be ready to read every question CAREFULLY.
Easy class. Nothing else to say. Don't read textbook or rewatch lectures (massive waste of time). Just memorize slides, old exams, and quizzes. That's it. Standard 1000-level class. But premeds don't know how to study. Great guy too. Anyone who gets less than an A+ in this class is living a sad life.
Take if u r truly ready to lock in and dedicate your time to this class. If ur looking for an easy A this is not it. 3 in semester exams and a final and one drop, curves are good (6 points first 2tests, 10 points 3rd test).Go to lectures, watching his recordings will not help w his monotone voice u will not focus. Pay attention to every detail.
only freshman year and these bio classes RUINING my lifeee. Dr Branford is literally a sassy queen. he has a snarky comment ready for anything u say. people say his exams are easy but personally, i did not find them very easy at all. i would study and study just to receive average grades. his final was fairly easy tho.
this class is NOT for the weak. good luck to anyone who has to take this class bc it has single handedly been the reason for all my crashouts and branford does not make it ANY easier
hell dont do it
Prof Branford is def overhated on here.Ur grade is all based on your ability to understand the material and pay attention. If you don't attend lecture I can almost guarantee u zero hope of an A.U need to have a long attention span and study his practices carefully because he tweaks the smallest things. Curves good, just study and understand it all
I never wore a seatbelt to campus, hoping I would die before reaching his class.
Stop the Branford slander most people on here hating on him didn't use the resources to pass. Go to SI they give u exam questions and improved my exam scores by 10%. He is a nice and understanding professor, if you have any concerns he answers his canvas very quickly and will stay after class to answer any questions.
branford is the worst professor i have ever taken. his lectures are beyond boring. exams are very difficult. always has a comeback to use against you to whatever you say. he called me out in front of the entire class for leaving lecture early and that i should've never even attended at all because i had a family emergency i had to attend too
Branford acts like we all know the content we are learning, so he teaches it as if we are supposed to recall it. He is very dull, and at times, I zoned out so much. He jumps between slides, making it very difficult to take notes in class. A lot of content is to be learned outside of class. He is knowledgeable, but I wouldn't recommend taking him
The worst teacher I ever had, talks like it hurts and his voice is better at putting me to sleep than a bear tranquilizer. Super deep lectures and wants you to know alot of random garbage.
He is consistently disrespectful toward students, acts condescending, and even calls you out for leaving lecture early, even during genuine emergencies. I strongly recommend not taking him.
lectures are boring as he speaks in a monotone voice. exams are harder than hood's, and averages aren't great either. slides are important, but they are packed with a ton of useless information and you are tested on 4+ slideshows each exam. he's nice and it's clear he knows a lot, but exams are too hard for a mainly freshman-level course.
his exams are hard; a lot of specific questions so if u think "this won't be on the exam, it's too specific" it most definitely will be. i will say that he does pull maybe 5-10 questions on each exam from his old ones, so make sure to study them. he's really boring in lecture and lowkey rude at times. the method is to skip class and study by urself
Very simple class. Read the textbook, print out the old exams and quizzes and study using those. Don't do the bs kahoots, don't bother going to lecture unless you're confused about what you read. If you don't read and utilize the quizzes and exams you will fail.
People hating on Branford just didn't study. He did put me to sleep almost every lecture, but he's great! You don't have to read the textbook as long as you attend or watch the lectures and take notes on what he says. He always had questions from his past exams, so look at those. If you leave class he does single you out in front of everyone.
everyone who glazes him only speaks of his work but not his behavior. the exams is easy if you study & have a great studying method, other than that he is extremely RUDE & extremely condescending towards students who aren't doing anything wrong. ive quite literally never seen a professor so disrespectful as him.
His exams are very hard, but he doesn't give you things to study and look at before the exam.
I walk out of his class knowing less than I did before. He's not that good at explaining things, so expect to teach yourself the material. Fortunately, he teaches directly from the textbook, and he also records and posts his lectures online. Only quizzes and exams count towards your grade (four quizzes, four exams, and the final exam).
Branford wasn't as bad as people make him out to be, but definitely go in with your eyes open. As a professor, he gives pretty clear outlines for the exams and lays out exactly what you need to know. As a person, though, he can come off pretty rude and blunt, and it's hard not to take it personally.
The lectures are so hard to sit through. The material already isn't the most interesting at times, but reading over slides doesn't help. It would be better if the lectures were a little more vibrant. He is also a little rude.
Writes terrible exams that actually screwed my grade. One exam he had to drop 2 questions and add 7 points to everyone's grade to bring the average up to 70. I'm sorry but at that point just let us redo the exam and maybe write a reasonable one. Extra credit doesn't exist so your grade is solely depends on 4 exams and 4 quizzes.
Either his test writing skills or teaching is terrible. Whichever one it is I don't want either of those in a professor. Only lazy professors let exams and quizzes be the only thing that impacts a students grade. 4 exams 4 quizzes better do good on everything or else you grade is toast. No room for error.
Provides lots of resources for the exams but exam questions can be tough sometimes. He is a good teacher and doesn't deserve the hate he gets on here. Listen to the lectures and study for the class: notes, quizlets, active recall, and youll do great. Only reason i dont have an A is cuz I missed a quiz. Grades are out of 4 exams and 4 quizzes.
Dr. Brandford isn't as bad as people say he is. He's genuinely a kind and understanding person, but his lectures aren't very helpful. The SI and LA instructors saved my grade. Please go to their office hours; they will tell you exactly what will be on the exams and the best ways to study. Your grade is based on 4 quizzes, 4 exams, and the final.
I did well in the class, but his lectures were the most boring thing on earth. He reads off the slides, and he sounds like he does not want to even be there. He does give you practice questions for each exam, which is nice. Super super boring, but the class was ok.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
3%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.14 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO1510
3.6
(8)BIO1050
3.3
(29)BIO2600
3.3
(20)BIO1500
2.7
(26)Difficulty by Course
BIO1510
3.5
BIO2600
3.4
BIO1500
3.3
BIO1050
3.0