Mike Ryan - Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI

Professor: Mike Ryan

Department: Science

College: Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIOL108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Class is graded by 4 tests & a lab practical. Hes very nice & encourages you to go to SLA & listen to Tegrity. Textbook is recommended, & is helpful for some extra reading or studying for concepts that you may have trouble with. He hands out study guides, which are super helpful. I recommend going to SLA.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He was a very nice professor. However, the grade was based on 4 tests, and a lab exam. The tests were very hard. He added about a 10% curve on each test, but no study guides were provided.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIOL108
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Get ready to study. He gives you a copy of each exam, with just the answers, so You have an idea of what will be on the test. There are 4 lecture exams and 1 lab practical. Highly recommend re-listening to each lecture, you can pick up a lot of missed information.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIOL108
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Don't buy the book, you'll never use it. Tests were difficult, but he always curved. I wouldn't have passed the class without the SLA worksheets because the class is so lecture heavy and the powerpoints aren't very organized. Boring lectures that cover a lot of content. You will have to study a lot outside of class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a great person but I felt like I didn't learn anything in the class.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Ryan is a great professor. Lectures can get a little boring but EVERYTHING he talks about it relevant even if it seems like he's rambling. He tells you exactly what is going to be on the exam, extra credit on all exams and has a curve so getting A's is very possible if you study! DO NOT buy the book

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

One of the worst experiences with professors i've had. He's a cool guy, but not the best professor. He's very educated in this subject, but assumes that you are too and teaches with the big biology words that he knows. I would avoid this professor.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

USE SLA. If they have it, it will be extremely useful. It's the only way I passed. Also, use Tegrity. He records all of his lectures, and it helps to listen to them a second time to pick up on things you missed, because he is kind of boring. He can be kind of inappropriate.. if you don't go to lecture, just listen to the recordings.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIOL386
• 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:

Very dry lectures. His lectures are identical to lectures from years and semesters past. You basically need to memorize everything he says in order to do well on the tests. PAY ATTENTION especially to his little side stories because they'll help you remember the most random things that he'll ask about in his exams. Very challenging course.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIOL438
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Makes class obscenely hard and does not seem to care for his students. He has gotten complacent in his tenure. Do not take him under any circumstances. This is an optometry school class so I had already gotten a degree in bio and had micro before and it does not help. I've heard the same thing about his undergraduate class. Worst prof ever.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIOL108
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He curves all of his tests to a class average of 73%. We got mainly 10-22% curves on the 4 tests.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Ryan was my favorite professor this semester. He is very straight forward with you on the first day of lecture/lab and knows this course is not easy. You will have to work for it but it is very doable. He is such a brilliant guy. IMPORTANT: he rambles and you think its unrelated to lecture, IT IS RELATED SO PAY ATTENTION. i would reccommend him

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIOL108
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Ryan is a good professor, but you have to WORK for it. He is strait up with you from the very beginning of the semester that his class is not a cake walk. You have to attend lab/lecture, listen to tegrity, make charts, and attend SLA. If you do these things, as well as study with friends, this class is passable. You just have to work for it.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOL108
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Ryan can be confusing but if you go to SLA which I highly recommend you will be fine. He curves every test we had up to a 15% curve. He test in a way that I've never seen before but I kinda liked it. He tells lots of stories which usually help you understand the material

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The class is based off of only 4 lecture tests (they are tough) & a lab practical. HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to sla!. & NOT missing lecture or sla. He is actually pretty funny, not boring. But the material itself is pretty hard. *Have to buy your own scantrons* @ the bookstore. **Apply previous lecture knowledge to current. It'll help*

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: 108
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Ryan is a good teacher, BUT you have to work for it and accept the challenge.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He's really good! you just need to do what he tells you to do and you will pass.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: 108
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The reason most think this class is so difficult is because it is a prerequisite, therefore most students take it as an incoming freshman. It is a lot more difficult than any high school course but that's normal for college. If you study a little bit every week you'll do fine. If you can't handle this you're in trouble because it gets a lot harder.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIOL108222
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I though Dr. Ryan was an excellent teacher. Very knowledgeable and yet sometimes vague on particular subjects. As long as you make study tables, watch tegrity, and attend SLA every week, you will pass with the grade you expect.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO108
• 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:

This was the hardest class I was taking at Ferris. Dr.Ryan does not help you at all and when he lectures he sometimes rambles on and on about things that DO NOT relate to the test at all. He pushes back the tests A LOT, if not all of them, and the only reason why I was passing with a C+ was because of my lab professor.