Dan Holley - San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

Professor: Dan Holley

Department: Biology

College: San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Dr. Holley is like a crazy scientist who is extremely passionate about the subject, but in a good way. His lectures can be pretty confusing because he just rants. Take good notes, record, and DO his old Exams, and ALL of it. If you put in the hard work, he will greatly reward you. 1

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

1st of all, buy his old exams. 2nd, do almost every single one. the ones that date back 2003 and further back are kind of useless. third, your going to get butchered on the final. He'll say one thing about the final and do the opposite. THANKFULLY, he curves like no other. doing all the old exams will land you ahead of the curve. His curves a B BTW

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Easily the worse teacher at sjsu. class is impossible. U study his old exams and barely pass. No need to study for the final because u will fail hardest test ever. only thing thats good is he has a huge curve whatever the class average is he makes that a B. I never went to class and got a B. hes the only one that teaches 131. good luck

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

this is the worst teacher in the world! VERY disorganized, lecture papers rustle around,and his tests make no sense. to even have a chance in passing, you have to buy his packet of exams,memorize all the answers,and hope to god that those questions will be on the test. STAY AWAY. unfortunately, he's the only one who teaches this godforsaken class

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is very disorganized, lectures off of his old paper notes, and random figures on powerpoint. You leave the lecture feeling confused and stressed. Yes he gives you his old exams I and II, not final, but just studying those won't guarantee you a good grade on the exam. The final was very hard. The material is not hard, but his exams are!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Lectures will be FAST. Some say his lectures are useless, well, the answers to all his tests, including final, are all in the lectures and pages he mention of the course reader. COME TO CLASS.Pay attention or record. Tests are usually 3 parts: multiple choice, matching, short answer/essay. Good luck to anyone who take this class, you'll need it.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is a nice guy, but the lecture material is not what will be on the test. This class requires hours of outside research. The book was not good-I used three other books to supplement it. The class itself was very interesting, but the exams were very difficult. FInal was 15 pages!! Study old lecture exams and the couse reader!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Everybody seems to hate his teaching method because it seems non-existent, but believe it or not it is a good course for those going into the medical/health care field. Lots of details on test not mentioned in class and you need to do some outside research, but most medical schools employ problem based learning, which is pretty similar....

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

nice guy!! FINAL EXAM WAS extremely difficult!!! over 14 pages long multiple choices and essay questions!! very hard!!! do not take this class!!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Midterms are mainly based on 10 yrs. worth of old exams, which means you are basically memorizing old exam answers instead of learning the material. The final exam was primarily an impossibly difficult array of multiple choice questions, many of which required a depth of knowledge far beyond what was covered in lecture. Talks fast. Generous curve.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Whatever people have said about him is true. He talks fast and teaches like we're in med school. He expects you to know everything he knows. Very unorganized. If you try asking him something, he'll make you look stupid. He intimidates students. Avoid him!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO125
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Horrible professor. He is intimidating & has favorites, usually students that behave the same way. He is very disorganized. Lab materials were all over the place. I felt that he was forced to teach, but didn't really enjoy it. He was on his cell phone or in his office during half of most labs. Take it with Dr. Rodriguez or grad TA if you can.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He gives you his old midterms and his new midterms have atleast 75% of the same questions. Just go over your lecture notes, the reader, and Tepperman slides in detail and you'll do fine. The mean score on tests = B. Also, visit him in office hours to get the info you missed in lectures - including the figures he puts up.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Worse professor I ever had. He doesn't explain things very clearly..speeds through lecture.. He acts intimidating, but it's just a cover up that he doesn't know his stuff very well.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIOL131
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I can't understand how this instructor made it so far in his teaching 'career'. He just reads at a speed of 500 words per minute from a set of notes that he seems to have prepared at least 10 years ago. Don't dare to ask him to repeat or explain anything over--He will outrightly refuse to and will move on with his 'reading schedule' right after.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MAMPHYS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MAMPHYS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIOL124
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

A lot of fun in the class. Got to learn alot.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIOL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Man of knowledge who intends to teach you about reality: no matter how much you learn, you never know enough. I had him for more than two classes as an undergrad, now as a grad student can appreciate that he was an excellent professor.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Lots of fun!