Dennis Searcy - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Professor: Dennis Searcy

Department: Biology

College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• 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:

Just switch out. He is the worst bio teacher at UMass.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This guy's just going through the motions. He's simply too old to care about his students anymore and obviously just wants to collect his checks while putting in as little effort as possible. It's time to retire buddy.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I loved Prof. Searcys class. He was witty and enthusiastic about bio. The thing students had problems with was that they expected to be babied. He actually teaches us to help ourselves and be active learners. If you are lazy do not take this class! If you are motivated and willing to put in the accecptable amount of work then you also will get an A

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Grading is awful. If you redo the exam, hoping for 5 extra points, you have to get 100% or your grade will get lower. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but my test grades got lower than it originally was.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I wouldn't suggest this professor to anyone. He is AWFUL and doesn't care about any of the students in his class. It took a good 2 months for any of us to get him to explain his grading system.. and it makes no sense its a complicated formula he uses to get our grades. (all our failing grades that is)

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• 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:

He is a very bad teacher, I do not recommend this class to anyone!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• 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:

If you are at UMass this is the LAST bio professor you should be looking to have. Some of my friends don't even have homework in their BIO 100 classes. This inept guy has graded homework every week, graded PRS questions at every lecture, and tests that focus on minute details, rather the crucial topics. His treats this like a 500 level class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I regret not dropping this class immediately after the first lecture. He assumes the class knows more than they do. He would be a better professor if it was a 500 level Biology class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIOA3
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!! The only way you will do good in this class is if you take the time to teach all of the material to yourself. You will not pass without a ton of studying. He's a cute and fairly funny old man but the class is extremely hard and totally not worth it.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO101
• 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:

I don't suggest this class unless you've already taken and Aced AP Bio in highschool. This is basically a teach yourself class, and a pretty challenging one at that

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Bio 102 wasn't too hard but you need to study well for the exam! If you want to do well in this class, read and study the lecture slides,book,and lecture outlines on spark because these these things are key to passing the exam! The final wasn't that bad, especially the latter half where he took questions from previous exams. Good luck!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He is the cutest old man. He can get pretty hard to understand but he puts all of the slides up online. If you read the book then the class is extremely easy. The final is also just a copy and paste of the other midterms so it is one of the easiest tests I've ever taken. If you can't pass this class you shouldn't be a science major.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIOL102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class it hard, but if you study ALOT before the exams you should do alright. Lectures are all power points and on spark so you don't really need to go to lecture. He's somewhat funny, but don't take this class unless you have to, cause it's alot of work.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIO102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Although he is a terrible professor, he has some funny science jokes up his sleeve and is a super cute old man. But, don't take this class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• 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 class basically...SUCKS!! He is incredibly boring, and should you stay awake, you'll be entertained by his incoherent speech, lame science jokes and unfinished power points(he is 200+ years old and has memory problems). Tests are difficult, but study the textbook and you'll do fine. Most of the final exam questions are repeats from midterms.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIO102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's really funny, and he explains things well and is happy to help you if you need him to. People sit there and talk about what they did last night all class, don't read, and then act confused about why they get bad grades. The book isn't necessary for an A, but it makes studying easier.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• 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:

This was a very reasonable class contrary to much of the other reviewers. His tests were demanding but he gave you all the information you needed, usually directly, in his reading instructions and lecture notes. People probably had a hard time and resent this class simply because they don't know how to study, or how to take a class seriously.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• 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:

Without a doubt, the most boring professor at UMass Amherst. Is probably 80 years old, and has memory problems - his unfinished powerpoints are reflective of this. Don't take this class if you can opt out - Tests are hard, lectures are enforced through in-class quizzes. Boring. Boring. Boring.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO100
• 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:

it is so hard to get above a C+ in this class!!!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO3
• 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:

This is the class that I had to put the most effort into, and the class that I did the worst in. Do not choose this professor! You will only do well if you read the book, and he tests on random book material.