Patricia Lakin-Thomas - York University (all campuses), Toronto, ON

Professor: Patricia Lakin-Thomas

Department: Biology

College: York University (all campuses), Toronto, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO4141
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Lakin is a wonderful prof! You read 19 papers throughout the course and you have to present one of them to the class. There is only one midterm and the exam is not cumulative! Coming to class is a must since there are quizzes right after every presentation. The articles are not difficult but if you have any questions she is always available!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She's a good prof. Unfortunately, she doesn't post her slides, so you have to type them really fast. I rewrote her notes and added in information from the textbook to help me understand the topics better. The course really got me re-interested in science and made me remember why I love it. It's a lot of self-studying though. Put in WORK!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Highly recommend you record lectures and attend class as she does not post her slides. Tests are tricky but if you study and understand specifically what she talks about in class, you will do well. Tests are all MC and some are application based and some purely knowledge-based. Study and put your time and effort in and you will do well.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Not a good prof by any standard. Horrifically boring and refuses to record lectures or even post notes online despite giving super dense lectures. All exams were MC but often had a-f options with borderline unacceptable ambiguity in the wording. Course is easy but she will have you banging your head against the wall for a full semester 5.5/10

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

she is honestly a kind-hearted, genuine soul that does care for her students. her lectures are unbearable but if you make an effort to actually learn the material using the textbook and ask questions she is always willing to help

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BCHEM2021
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Worst prof I've ever had my entire life by a thousand leagues. Uninterested in knowing if you understand the material. Does not post notes, does not record lectures. The notes you ARE able to scramble from her unorganized lectures are not sufficient enough for the test. Have fun spending half your savings on the textbook and learning every word.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIOL4141
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Like many others, I found Dr Pat's 2021 course difficult, but that's the nature of the course. However, I really enjoyed this class. The class involves a presentation and 2 midterms. You will read around 20 scientific papers and evaluate them, the course teaches you an important skill. Take it! Fair Grading. She's super sweet, and a top professor

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO2021
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof Thomas doesn't believe in "online lecture notes", instead chooses to WRITE NEXT TO FRICKIN PICTURES ON AN OVERHEAD. Tests are extremely difficult even with a cheat sheet allowed as there is so much content. You have to worship the textbook to fill in the gaps of her vague lectures to do well. Avoid her at all costs.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO2021
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She was not ideal at teaching, her lectures were unbearable. I would cry myself to sleep every night dreading to go to class the next day. However realistically, the course content itself was insane and she did the best she could do to teach everything in the time we had. Tests were very hard and if English isn't your first language, then AVOID!!!!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do you want your GPA to drop ? Do you want to do bad in a course? Do you want question why you took this course? Then take this course. Honestly, after this course is over all the information disappears from your head. She tries to cram too much information rather than going slower and showing the application of the concepts.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I contemplate suicide every time I go to one of Dr "Pat's" lectures. She does not upload notes online (no PPT), she writes like Dr. Pietrowski on the overhead doc camera, and she isn't even that nice. In a university where the instructor has many technological devices at their disposal, she chooses to teach as if we were in the 18th century. AVOID!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Amazing professor! She made me fall in love with cell biology and was my favourite class. I received an A in this class, but worked extremely hard. Taking excellent notes in class and studying regularly is a must to receive an A. Textbook- I used only as a reference and for figures. You must understand everything she teaches, not just memorize.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO2021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Whoever said that she is a good prof has lied to you. This prof was the most painful one I have experienced at York. Not only are her notes vague and written by hand, her tests are TOO wordy and tricky. You also have to read the textbook ALOT, because her notes did not explain the concepts well. Save your money, and your GPA. AVOID THIS PROF!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIO2021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I would avoid taking this course with Dr. Lakin-Thomas. She does not care about her students and makes lecture excruciatingly painful. Her teaching method is very poor and not engaging whatsoever. Her midterms and exam were more painful than her lectures. She had too many MC and even with a cheat sheet it was very hard. For your sanity, AVOID.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BCHEM2021
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Even though I got an A, I had to work ridiculously hard for my mark. Always go to class, write detailed notes off the textbook based on her lecture notes, and study the figures. Write as much as you can in the cheat sheet but be able to understand the material. I didn't like her teaching style but the content was interesting.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIO2021
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Pat is AWESOME! For how detailed this course is, she did her best at covering it all during lectures. Take good notes, then each night after lecture redo the notes while referencing the textbook and making sure to ACTUALLY understand everything. Cheat sheets are allowed; make them detailed (include lists) and don't wait till the last minute!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Loved her lectures, she goes into detail and explains everything properly, couldn't have a better prof for cell bio!! :)

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIOL2021
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Worst Biology prof at York. I have loved every biology professor at York. Her lectures move very fast, and her notes are less detailed than what she tests you on. Her tests are very tricky and an extra word or a small condition changes the entire meaning of the question. I usually get high 80's to 90s in biology and I got 60's in her class. beware

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIOL4141
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

One of a kind. If York had few more profs like her, York's ranking would be much higher. All profs have the knowledge, but MANY of them DO NOT KNOW how to teach. Dr. Pat DOES KNOW how to teach. Just take the course, put effort by reading the articles before each lecture and you'll end up with a big smile on your face at the end of the semester :)

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO4141
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The course is open-booked but you have to make sure you read the articles and know the method and results. It sounds hard but the prof is always there for you. Make sure you arrange an appointment to meet her before your big presentation to discuss about the article since it really help you to know what to talk and what she expects from you.