Nathan Norris - West Valley College, Saratoga, CA

Professor: Nathan Norris

Department: Biology

College: West Valley College, Saratoga, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO048
• 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:

Professor Norris is great! He is someone who will be clear about the exact material that will be on each test and quiz. If you take good notes during lecture and study as much as you can outside of class, you will do well. The key to success is repetition after repetition. It will be overwhelming and a lot to juggle, but it can be done.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ANATOMYBIO47
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Easily one of the best teachers I've ever had. Takes difficult concepts and waters it down to make much more sense. Very challenging class and you have to be ready to work but if you're willing to he is by far the best option and really does an amazing job

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO048
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took BIO 48 over the summer with him, and it was honestly amazing! I probably should have shown up to class more than I did, but he is an amazing prof. Hes hilarious and really cares whether you pass the class or not, hes super helpful and shows genuine interest in his students. I fell in love with physiology after his class!! Highly reccommend!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO047
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

what can I say, he is by far the best science instructor I've had. He cares about students passing and will give you amazing feedback. He gave me many studying strategies that were super helpful! if you can, take him! he loves what he does and is constantly cracking corny jokes which definitely keep you listening.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO047
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

hands down best lecturer in the world. i didn't use my text book once, the lab manual has everything you need to succeed. Anatomy isn't difficult concepts you just need to spend time memorizing tons of stuff. very rewarding class, dont expect an A if you arent going to put in sufficient work. helps to have taken more than just intro bio

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ANATO47
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Norris is pretty great! He covers lecture material quickly, and slacking off in class, especially lab, won't do you any favors. That being said, he definitely explains things more in depth when you ask and explains things thoroughly (eg physio examples in anatomy to explain something). Really interesting classes, and definitely worth taking!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO048
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Mr. Norris is my favorite instructor that I have had throughout my entire undergraduate career. The classes he teaches are not easy by any means, but he wants everyone to succeed. He clearly explains things very thoroughly, and really makes you interested in the topic matter. I'd take Mr. Norris for every class if I could!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO048
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Physiology is a tough subject. He lectures well and he knows a lot. Make sure you record the lectures. There are labs that are required and they are time consuming. There are 8 quizzes and three tests, plus the final. Take this class seriously, because there is a lot to understand and comprehend. Norris is great teacher, but not very open minded.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO048
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great professor who is excellent in lecturing. The first test shouldn't be a problem, but for the rest of the material, I recommend recording his lectures since his tests/quizzes are lecture and lab based. Use the textbook to get a better understanding on figures.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIOL010
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's very smart, very informative. I am the kind of person who failed Bio in high school. Personally I recommend using your laptop for notes because he talks fast but is always more than happy to explain again. He's very personable and also funny. His lectures never let out early, though. Does not cancel class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO047
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's a tough grader. Will pin you for misspelling by 1-2 letters. Lectures really fast and will help explain things multiple times, however, his speech is too formal and non conductive to learning. Also talks too fast and too much. Basically, won't tell you what's more important. His response: KNOW EVERYTHING. Just avoid him if possible.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO010
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

One of the hardest classes I have taken at West Valley. He knows what he is talking about but can talk very fast and give way too much information that it becomes overwhelming. I barely passed this class and was trying my hardest the whole semester.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO010
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Mr. Norris is my favorite teacher. Even though I only took the class to transfer but his lectures are amazing and he makes the subject very interesting. He is also very clear and gave us study tips which I found very helpful. The tests are not easy but you will learn a lot. Mr. Norris is very fair in grading and funny too. Definitely take him.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIO010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Mr. Norris is a wonderful instructor! He is very organized and has all of the lecture outlines, power point slides & review ready to go. The lectures can be long but most of the time they are really enjoyable. He does his best to help anyone who's having trouble so don't be afraid to ask! If you get the chance, I highly suggest you take his class!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO048
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Lecture was very important in this class. He told us the material that we needed to know. The book can be very confusing but I used it instead of re-listening to his lectures. I read about the stuff that he mentioned in class. Make sure you go to the labs and do all the assigned labs because some of the questions on his exams are from his labs.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ANATOMYBIO47
• 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:

Great professor. This class requires a lot of memorization. Gives students ample time to examine and learn in lab. Recommend that you stay in lab, there are times when you can leave early but use the time wisely. Lecture is not really that important.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is a good teacher because when you need help he makes sure you get it! He will do whatever it takes to help you out in the course. He's clear about what's on the quizzes and exams, he gives you fair amount of time to study and prepare for tests.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO10
• 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:

He offers extra credit on his quizzes. The quizzes tend to be multiple choice, and the extra credit on the quizzes are write in. You get what you put into this class. If you have trouble with something, go to him during office hours.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO10
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

DONT BUY THE BOOK. This is an intro to bio class, every question can be answered by google or is in his notes. Nathan himself will lecture the ENTIRE class. The guy loves the material, but he makes you really study for his midterms. He's okay, but you can likely take someone easier and less time consuming

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO047
• 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:

This class definitely demanded a lot of memorization, but in the end it was very rewarding. At first, I was scared of taking this class, but I've loved every minute of it! Norris is very passionate about what he teaches, and you'd be surprised by how much information you can soak up after going over it in lecture and lab. Go over all the models!!!