Paul Heideman - College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Professor: Paul Heideman

Department: Biology

College: College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIOL203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Pauls classes, assigned homework, and lectures are all centered around his sketches that try to convey the course material. While some people were able to make this style work, I simply could not because I am in no way a visual learner. If you cant get his sketches, it is extremely difficult to be successful and the lectures are ineffective.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO203
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

BIO203 is no joke. Intro Bio is a weed out at W&M and you will have to work extremely hard to get a decent grade. This includes sketching, reading the textbook, looking over power-points, and practicing a lot. However, Heideman really does care about your progress in the class, and will try to help you. Great man who really does care

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIOL203
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Paul "makes you sketch" Heideman is GREAT. He's tough, for sure, but he really cares about you succeeding and will help you if you go to his office hours. Biol203 is just a really hard class, but Prof Heideman makes it bearable. The sketches help, and he explains tough concepts very clearly. If you are a visual learner, def take Biology with him!!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is such an amazing and sweet professor! His love for biology is contagious, but a lot of experience in college-level biology will take you far in this class. It was very challenging. The final exam was the spawn of satan, but his sketch method really helps with grasping the material.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Heideman is a great professor that has a lot of knowledge about effective learning and memory. The class is challenging, but he is great at helping with effective study methods. I really appreciated his use of sketches, I found them very effective for memory. Tests are all about applying the basics to complex situations. Phenomenal experience

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great professor!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Heideman is a great professor. I enjoyed his class and he genuinely cares and wants his students to do well. He talked about his studying methods a lot which was helpful but it was a little tricky to get the hang of at the beginning. If you put in the effort and time to understand the concepts and material, you will be fine!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO203
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very challenging class. Flipped Classroom where he assigns new topics with videos that teach you the material. The next day he explains. If you pay attention in class and study you will be fine. 203 is a hard class whoever you take. I feel like I am currently learning very fast and effectively. Once you understand his teaching style youll be fine.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Heideman spends all his time applying his teaching method of sketches to the course. If you are not a fan of drawing out concepts, then I don't recommend. However, intro bio isn't an easy class no matter who your professor is. Prepare to study hard and prepare to have to draw out your sketches everyday.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIOL204
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Heideman spends so much time worrying about applying his research on how students learn best that he doesn't actually teach the subject at hand. I know intro bio isn't supposed to be an easy class, but it ended up so much harder than it needed to be because I don't feel like he taught me hardly anything. Do not recommend.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO432
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I love Heideman and kind of wish he could teach every biology class at this school. You'll be forced to learn the sketches and will learn how to use them to solve problems in class and on exams. There is a good bit of preparation before each class, so time management will be key. Also, don't expect to be out of lab early.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIOL302
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

A fantastic, passionate lecturer. This class is in the "flipped class" format, so the bulk of your learning will be done outside of class. In lectures, he will highlight key concepts that you must know, so try not to skip! All the bad reviews come from students who expect to be spoon-fed information. If you work hard, you will get what you deserve.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIOL302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof Heideman covered a ton of information, but did it all in a very engaging way. Zoology with him is a huge time commitment because of the sketches, but he encourages you to learn in new ways. He's very accommodating and understands that you have other obligations. All in all, a really great professor, definitely take his class!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOL302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

A very interesting class! Would definitely recommend to those who are passionate about life sciences and who are willing to work to get the most out of this great class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIOL302
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor H is a great professor! He really cares about his students and is accessible outside of class to answer questions. If you go to lectures and practice and understand the sketches he posts, you should be fine!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIO302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. H is a caring and inspirational lecturer. He is so invested in teaching and learning. I would recommend studying the sketches he does in class and absolutely do not buy the textbook if you take zoology with him. A lot of material is covered but he makes it interesting.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO204
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Paul is one of the best professors from whom I have had the extreme pleasure of learning. I started off hating the sketching, but soon found myself doing it for other classes and I saw my understanding of those topics skyrocket. Give it a chance before you start hating it. DO NOT TAKE ZOOLOGY WITH ANYONE ELSE!!!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you like sketching then you are going to love this professor, but he seems to think that this is the only way people learn and requires his students to do tedious sketches for every class. As someone who is not a visual learner, these sketches helped me in no way whatsoever, and he seems to exclusively teach using these, so good luck passing.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO302
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I am not a bio major but I am interested in scientific education so I took Dr. Heideman's class just to experience all the great things I've heard about him. He truly understands that biology education needs to instill an intuition and understanding of the principles of living systems rather than simple fact-learning. Amazingly effective teacher.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO432
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof H is an amazing professor. If you are interested in animal sciences then take his classes! He grades fairly -- more on understanding than memorization. Sketches are tedious at times but are helpful for understanding the material. The only drawback is time commitment as he gives HW every night.