Mark Brubaker - James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Professor: Mark Brubaker

Department: Biology

College: James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I absolutely love Professor Brubaker, but his teaching style was awful. Sweetest man Ive ever met, but he uses no form of technology at all. Quizzes every friday, but drops the lowest 5, and drops lowest exam score as well. He always held study sessions before each exam, which helped. Offers two forms of extra credit to boost grades as well.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Brubaker is a nice guy, but you can tell that he is not all there in some ways. He comes to class either prepared or unprepared, and sometimes gets tripped up on his lectures and repeats himself over and over again. The quizzes are very difficult, but the exams you can receive a high score because he curves it a lot.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ISCI103
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Weekly quizzes that usually have questions we never learned about. No real structure to class. Just try, go to his test review, and hope for the best. If you are lazy and don't go to class or have basic knowledge you wont do well

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Really easy to get a B, sweet man willing to help and make accommodations if you need them. Drops basically all your lowest grades and you don't need to go to class. Highly recommend this class if you're looking for an easy science gen ed.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ISCI104
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Rambles on in class about anything that comes to mind. Weekly quizzes that usually contain info we never learned but he drops a ton. Tests aren't terrible because he gives a ton of points back. Go to review before test, it helps! Pretty hard to get an A, but B or C is easy.... 1 credit class so who really cares

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The only grades are 6 top quiz scores from quizzes taken every Friday, 3 exams and 2 extra credit assignments. The quizzes and tests are based solely on the lectures which can be hard to follow and not in depth enough for the tests and quizzes. However, he offers review sessions before every test and curves every test.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: GBIO103
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I went to office hours and almost every class and did all the readings, but I just could not succeed in this class. He is very nice and he drops/curves a lot of grades, but the tests are based solely on the lectures, which are extremely hard to follow. He goes on irrelevant tangents and skips over important things and it's just so hard to do well.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This was the worst class ever. He doesn't stay on topic and bases the quizzes off of only what he says in class and half of it doesn't even make sense. He is a nice guy and will help you but this was a class I got stuck in and I regret taking it.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: GSCI104
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Brubaker doesn't use any form of technology in class, and his lectures are incredibly difficult to follow. The material is challenging, but as long as you come to class every week, make friends in this course, and stay engaged, getting an A is totally achievable. He drops HALF of your lowest grades and gives a bunch of bonus points back

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

First of all, he doesn't use any technology, so theres no way of knowing your grade. He also goes off topic a lot and his lectures don't really make sense. There are quizzes every friday that are impossible and the tests are hard too. Don't recommend this class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Brubaker is a sweet and funny guy but he always gets off topic during class and I feel like we never talk about anything. Weekly quizzes. You get a study guide before each quiz/test but they don't really help; the book is pointless too. If you are good at biology its an easy A, but if you're not.... And he doesn't use canvas or email or anything.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His lectures differ from the material on the test. Really nice man and will curve the heck out of each test, but it really doesn't help when he doesn't teach us pertinent material. Will go out of order in the syllabus and the book is strange too. You HAVE to attend class if you want to know what's being discussed. Drops 5 quizzes also.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO114
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Brubaker is such a sweet guy. His lectures can be a little bit hard to follow, but he's always willing to answer questions in and outside of class. Just write down whatever he says in class and review your notes. If you go to his office hours, he's extremely helpful. He curves A LOT so it's pretty easy to pass.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Not too hard of a class. Need to make sure you study and do the extra credit opportunities he gives you and you should you be good to go.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Unless you're the fastest writer in the world, you'll never be able to keep up with his rambling lectures. Avoid avoid avoid. Study guides were confusing and didn't always line up with the test material. No idea what was going on, and nothing online to help. Also no powerpoints to help guide the information.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's not terribly hard if you show up and do you're work. Do nothing and you'll pass. Work hard and study and you'll get an A. I really felt like I learned a lot in his class. Although wherever the information is useful is another question.......

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do not take*** hardest class ever. I ended up withdrawing because I studied so hard and literally failed everything. Only grades are 5 Q quizzes every Friday and exams. His study guides never help and the exams are extremely difficult. It is all lecture, nothing is online or on Canvas. Avoid

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! Brubaker doesn't use technology so you have to take thorough notes on everything that he says if you want to pass. The Tests and Quizzes are extremely difficult. I did all of the study guides and I still did bad on all of them. I struggled to get a C in this class. AVOID.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Great guy, great teacher, great class! It's not a hard class like others say. You need to pay attention and take notes but shouldn't that be in any class though? To those people complaining about Brubaker, it seems like you just shouldn't be in college. All you guys do is whine and complain that you aren't being spoon fed.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO103
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Great guy, smart guy just not a good teacher. I went to every class, and walked out with a D. If you didn't do well in Biology in high school avoid this class. He doesn't use canvas, or powerpoint, he just talks all class. hardest class Iv'e taken so far at JMU.