Kirsten Muller - University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

Professor: Kirsten Muller

Department: Biology

College: University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Pretty fair miderm. I spent 10 consecutive hours spending on listening to the lecture material videos (on 1.6x speed and skipping all the filler stories), summarizing the key points in a concept map. I expect a 35/45 grade thereafter. Midterm questions are a mixture of detail-specific "exclude-or-include muliple choice" and generalized concepts

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

A very concise and straightforward lecturer, just like the textbook for this course which also happens to be custom and hence very affordable, around $40. The classes are very interesting, though prepare to memorize a lot of information. The tests were very fair, but again that's my opinion.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIOL426
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Muller is an incredible lecturer and professor. Her lectures are really well organized, she is clear and concise, and she's so passionate about whatever it is she's teaching. Her passion is infectious. She clearly loves being a teacher and really cares about students.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Kirsten really knows her stuff. She's super intelligent, approachable, and completely willing to help you out. It's not her fault that the course content is mundane. Even though I hated the course, she made it manageable and she even posts podcasts. 1% bonus for doing a random survey. Really know everything. That's the only way you'll do well.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I took this course thinking it was an easy elective. It wasn't. Great prof, but Muller's notes were disorganized and her final and midterms were wordy and tough. She expects you to know everything in great detail. Absolutely dreaded every minute of the course. I recommend that you only take this course if it is mandatory.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Very nice and approachable. The problem is the way and order in which she teaches is illogical and disorganized. If you want to do well you must make sure you're understanding everything (like the terminology preferably in advance)and probably learn it in a different order then she teaches and is in the coursenotes.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Her lectures are pretty helpful and clear. She tried her best to explain everything. But she assumes that you know a lot of things about this topic so she goes through the content pretty fast. It's just this course includes too much knowledge that can't be learned in 3 months. I took Zoology before this course so I survived. Don't take for elective

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr.Muller knows her stuff and is a good professor in that instance. Can be rude and make you feel stupid if you ask her questions. Her exam questions are always tricky- its what she thinks is the best answer.. even if there are multiple good answers.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The course was quite demanding in terms of course content. However, she's very caring about her students & it's clear that she loves the subject. This is NOT the type of course where you can study a day or 2 before the exam, if you start studying early it's not nearly as hard as people make it sound. Plus, she takes the better of the 2 midterms

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

GPA killer. Stay away unless it's mandatory because you're a biology major. Trust.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIOL165
• 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:

I heard that before Muller taught the course, it was actually fun and people didn't do so poorly. I have a 90 average, but I got a high 60 on the second midterm despite studying days before the midterm. She may be clear in lectures, but her exam questions are very tricky. It's a first-year biology course, but DO NOT TAKE IT IF MULLER IS TEACHING.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: 165001
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Horrible midterm questions. I am intelligent and I can't even begin to understand what she means half of the time. Great teacher, but the questions she creates for exams are deplorable.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIOL450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Overall great class. Dr. Muller is a great prof, who uses interesting tactics and stories to make her students understand specific points. The Midterm/Exam was fair and paper are fairly marked. If one puts in the time this class is extremely enjoyable and a easy elective

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOL250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Good lecturer and easy Course without studying

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIOL250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Course consists of 2 midterms and 1 final. Midterms were fair although sometimes worded tricky. Well spoken and knowledgeable about material. However, final was a complete surprise, mark ended up much lower than expected despite high level of confidence and fairly high midterm marks. Score high on midterms, expect drop on final exam.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIOL250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

great course, text book and lectures are exactly the same, very interesting, fair midterms/final, no assignments.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIOL250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Not fair. Great lecturer but her exams are tricky and very wordy. By the end of the question, you forget what she is asking for. Final grades were so low for some reason.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIOL250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Great prof and very clear and nice. She helped me a lot in this course and she is always there when you need her. Her questions are a little trickier than I was prepared for but overall fair prof.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIOL450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

great at lecturing

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIOL359366
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very nice and helpful. However, she is fed up with premeds or preopts asking for a higher mark in spite her fair marking schemes. Her MC questions are tricky b/c of wording and specificity. Overall, I recommend.