Stan Rachootin - Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

Professor: Stan Rachootin

Department: Science

College: Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: EVOL213
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Stan is honestly the reason I stayed in school and def why I loved it. He is the kindest, sweetest person I have ever met and well known among bio students for being an excellent shoulder to cry on. He inspired and helped me in more ways than I can count. I'm now pursuing grad school so that I can emulate him as a professor. I love this man so much

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO226
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Stan was an amazing professor!! I really enjoyed taking his class. Stan teaches you concepts by giving examples and "telling stories". Depending on how you learn this can be a great class for you. However his voice at 8:35 am can sometimes make you sleepy but I would still take another class with him!!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO226
• 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:

Stan is the best

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO226
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

One of the worst if not the worst professor I have ever had. On top of boring lectures and lab lectures he was rude and insulting. He constantly mocked students for what he viewed as unworthy responses. To all MHC bio majors choosing between ECOL or EVO, just take ECOL. I guarantee you won't regret it because Stan is a horrible professor.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: EVO226
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Stan is amazing he's so inspirational and knowledgable. His tests are tough and labs require a lot of thinking. He teaches bio in a very untraditional way (no memorization needed but analysis) but very interesting because you learn more about life as a whole rather than just memorizing biological terms.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO145
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Stan is the best professor in the Biology Department. I wanted to stand up and clap after every lecture. He knows literally everything. He is very inspiring and warm. Labs are really interesting and more fun than work. I am taking genetics and cell bio just so i can take Evolution with him. Best classroom experience of my life.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Respected by students, Amazing lectures,Tests? Not many, would take again

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Stan is the greatest human. Ever. Take all of his classes, the man is a walking encyclopedia and is so very helpful. He re-sparked my love of biology and I am very grateful I had the chance to have him as a professor.

Rating # 9

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Papers? More like Novels, Respected by Students, Inspirational, Tests?Not many,Hilarious, There for you, Amazing Lectures, Tests are tough, Would take class again.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO145
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Stan is awesome! Get ready to make your own notes and try to read ahead, it's not necessary but it helps in class. He's slow to respond to emails (1-2 days) but when he does its worth the wait. He's quirky and fun. Gives ginger snaps and apple cider during tests (sometimes) :D I would recommend his class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIOL145
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very lovely and passionate individual, but a bit scatterbrained. Appreciated his liberal approach to the study of life, and the English major in me delighted in how he would spontaneously recite poetry in class that related to the material. Conveyed the beauty of biology, but his unconventional approach made it hard to study and prepare for tests.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIOLOGY145
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

You will never get the opportunity to take another bio class like this. Perhaps the best class I (and hopefully you!) will ever end up taking. He is extremely knowledgable, approachable, funny, and fair with his grading. His labs are interesting, he gives out cookies during tests, and he goes out of his way to make lectures interesting. Love him!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIOL145
• 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:

Stan is the coolest teacher ever! I ended up taking Intro to Bio ungraded, but the only reason I continued to attend class and the labs was because I loved listening to him. He teaches like it's "story time" and he's usually really funny in the labs. (The labs are entertaining on their own). If you have the chance to have him as a prof, TAKE IT!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIO145
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Wonderful professor. Tests were fair but require a lot of thinking and analyzing, not just memorization. I had such a great time in this class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: EVO226
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Stan is awesome. Evo takes cell bio, genetics, and developmental bio and puts them together to tell an awesome story. Speaking of stories, Stan's classes are story times themselves. Also, he really makes you think like a biologist: gives you the tools you need during lecture, and makes you use them for the exam "case studies". He's def. loves evo.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIO145
• 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:

Stan is a FANTASTIC teacher. He loves what he does and it shows. Take lots of notes and ask questions and you will do great. One of the last days of class, he lay down on the floor and demonstrated how we evolved out of fish. Stan. Is. The. Man.'nuff said.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO226
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Stan is the man!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO226
• 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 kind of makes me want to give up my pre-med dreams and become an evolutionary biologist. Stan is the man. Enough said.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO145
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

LOVE stan, he is such a great person. His class (Nature Harmoniously Confus'd) was completely easy if you pay attention in class, and he has wonderful life experiences that go with it well. TAKE A CLASS WITH HIM!! No textbook, so take notes. If you take notes, it's really easy.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO145
• 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:

I LOVE STAN RACHOOTIN. He made me fall in love with Biology all over again, and I really clicked with his teaching style (no textbook, all from lecture). I was excited for lab every week, and he is VERY willing to help and work with students on projects, due dates, etc. I'm not a Bio major, but I will not leave MHC without another class with Stan.