BIOL 3010

Cronmiller tried hard to be ridiculous and funny. Sometimes she could would send out student emails to the whole class and riducule them for being stupid. Other than that, the class workload wasn't terrible for a 4 credit class and lecture was reasonably interesting. Tests were challenging; just make sure you do the practice problems. This was the best of the 3 bio cores (relatively speaking, of course).

This class is not as hard as people say it is, as long as you do the reading and carefully go over the powerpoints if you don't go to class. The discussions are really annoying and pointless, but the homeworks are really good examples of what the test questions are like. Make sure you don't lose points for stupid reasons like forgetting to do the beginning or end of the semester assessment or skipping too many discussions. Claire is an enthusiastic lecturer, but the material is not particularly exciting, especially at the end of the semester. You don't have to go to lecture (clicker questions don't count towards your grade), but spend a lot of your study time going over the powerpoints because her tests follow the lectures, NOT the book.

The class is not that bad. Just read and keep on top of your work. It is hard, but it is definitely manageable. READ!

This class is pretty good considering it's a core. You'll need your Intro Bio knowledge on DNA, RNA, and protein formation, which I lacked and struggled because of it. Cronmiller definitely cares about the topic and wants her students to learn. The weekly group homework assignments are actually helpful and you can learn quite a bit if you get a good group. Reading the textbook also helps, as well as completing the problems in the back of the book. My only complaint was that I thought some of the exam problems were misleading and poorly worded. Since you can't ask questions during the exams, you're basically screwed if you are confused by the question.

This class requires a lot of work. Cronmiller is a decent teacher but she really makes you think with the problems. DO NOT TRY TO MEMORIZE! You really have to understand the concepts to succeed.
Definitely get a good homework group (she allows that) and compare until there is a general consensus so you have homework cushion. The quizzes each day are sometimes harder then you thinks so make sure you actually read the text well beforehand.
Tests aren't cumulative until the final, but they do build off each other. The final is a bitch.
I do not suggest taking this course with organic chemistry, physics, or any other time consuming course. However, still an interesting class where I learned a lot.

I did not enjoy this class, mainly because I don't like the material. There is difficult homework every week, a quiz before every class, and tutorials on Mastering Genetics that are necessary to do if you want to do well on the tests. Also, the book that is used has many errors so the only way you have to learn the material is lecture and her slides. Professor Cronmiller knows what she is talking about, but she is sometimes a little bit mean.

This course is required for the Bio major. It's worthwhile information to have but I would advise against taking it if you aren't a Bio major

Very tough class. Tests are very challenging and require a lot of abstract thinking. Memorizing gets you nowhere. The daily quizzes are a huge pain and the class is ultra stressful, but if you keep up with the quizzes and do well on the homework, your grade will definitely benefit! Cronmiller really does care about her students and rewards hard work.

Not the easiest class out there. Definitely for bio majors only. When Cronmiller says do all the practice problems, really do them. She gives you so many resources for practice it's hard not to take advantage of them. This is probably the best way to study for her tests. Her lectures are helpful and generally worthwhile. Office hours are set up like a discussion, which was also very helpful.

Class changed so much this from other years: three tests, one final, weekly homework (usually no more than nine questions), weekly discussions problem (usually no more than 5) worth 10 points as a whole, reading quizzes due the morning before each class... It's a lot of work, but towards the end, you'll be glad it was so much. She really made sure (to the best of her ability) that people were able to keep up with the class and the material. I think it helped for a better learning experience, even though at times it could be gruesome