Bill Higgins - University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Professor: Bill Higgins

Department: Science

College: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BSCI440
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Bill Higgins has mastered the art of teaching really hard material in a way that is easy to understand. His sense of humor can definitely be a little rude and crude, but if you can roll with it for a semester, you'll learn to appreciate his class. This guy has taught really successful physicians and he's pretty much a historic landmark of UMD.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BSCI441
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

While he behaves pleasantly in front of a large class, he is a different character when serving as a counselor. Without offering constructive criticism, he degradingly judged my career goals and even hobbies; he made nasty comments about my running and tried to persuade me to quit, even though his room is decorated with sporting paraphernalia.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Hard class but if you take it take it with Higgins! He is awesome and loves students. You have to study though. Not a cake course. Heard he was hard for BSCI 440 also though I didn't take it with him. Ask questions! Participate!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BSCI440
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Best professor I've ever had! Tests were challenging, but you'll do well if you understand the concepts and can apply them. This means doing lots of practice questions. I hope Higgins never retires from UMD so my kids will have him too (one can only dream!).

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• 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:

I liked the material we covered, but the tests were impossible. I typed up my notes from class, made study guides for the tests, read the book, and still failed every single test. The class has some interesting topics, but if you are looking for an easy class, just don't take it. And Dr. Higgins can be rude sometimes; we don't have the same humor.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BSCI441
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do not take higgins for mamm phys lab! he treats this class like it's the only one you have and assigns a lot of group papers! He also had very high expectations for the students and grades really strictly on assignments. You'd be lucky get even a B- in this class. He also doesn't curve. On the plus side, he is funny times during lecture.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BSCI105
• 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:

He's awesome and fun to listen to, his lectures are great but, his doesn't really explain the material very well, and his tests are really hard.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Concepts are pretty abstract and not very relevant to professions in science, but easy to understand, but the tests are strange. You can walk into the exam having studied for hours, but get C's on all of the tests because they are entirely true/false and you can get them wrong even if you know the material. Fun and friendly guy though.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIOFU
• 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:

Master Yoda is the best!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This is honestly a completely useless class- it makes EASY concepts, EXTREMELY HARD- and the tests are ridiculous! I've never seen such low averages, and I'm a bio major- terrible class + terrible professor = DOOMED!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO440
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Below is an excerpt from my ERAS application for Anesthesiology residency, I matched and start residency in July09. "It was at Maryland where I met my favorite teacher Dr. Higgins, my Mammalian Physiology professor. It was at this point that I fell in love with Physiology. He was an incredible teacher, not just of physiology, but also of life".

Rating # 12

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Cant teach awful personality. Thinks he is he Jesus Christ when it comes to biology!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BSCI440
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ZOO440
• 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:

Dr. Higgins is probably responsible for inspiring 90% of the undergraduates from UMD who go to med school to choose that career option. Excellent teacher.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BSCI440
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Higgins is a really bad teacher. His personality is repulsive as well, so it is extremely burdensome to attend his lectures. He was utterly useless when it came to gaining a better understanding of course material. Notes were very poorly organized. Plus he's a jerk on a power trip (still, after however many years).

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Higgins's lectures move very quickly and he does his best to keep everybody interested. BSCI207 is just one of those classes that nobody wants to take but since you have to you may as well take it with him. The tests were hard and frustrating but he tells you EXACTLY what is on the test. Don't study anything else and you should be fine.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• 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:

This class was horrible. He is a nice guy but his tests aer extremely hard. He teaches is with another professor so it's hard to follow since they change the format of th test. Avoid taking this class. Lectures are not consistent and you learn absolutely nothing.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• 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:

lectures are very disorganized and his powerpoint slides are useless cause he never follows them...his test are ridiculously hard especially since he just makes lame jokes in class and doesn't actually teach the material...sends all questions to the TAs who are useless. gives off the impression that he cares but doesnt really

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are quite strange as he sometimes does strange things before or after class. He never answers questions straightforward. AND his Exams are very very very very difficult. I honestly don't recommend him to bsci207 students.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BSCI207
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is the hardest professor of Biology that I ever had. His exams are very hard with a lot of mathematical graphs. I love Biology, but I have to admit that his class was extremely hard. He teaches too fast and most of the time hi doesn’t want to answer questions. He will send you to the TA (s). I never study so hard for a biology class before. Orga