Jim Harris - Utah Valley University, Orem, UT

Professor: Jim Harris

Department: Biology

College: Utah Valley University, Orem, UT

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIOL1010
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I thought he was a great professor. He uses a workbook (not really a textbook) that is basically a blank copy of his lecture notes for you to fill out in class. He even fills it out with you, so it's easy to make sure you have all the important information. I thought the class was an easy A, but I am a health science major :) Graded by few things.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Jim was super friendly and helpful, but his tests are SO HARD. The average is always around 60%, but he doesn't change anything. Study hard, because there aren't a lot of assignments. No textbook, just buy his workbook, it follows his lectures perfectly. It was an okay class, but I am sure there is better.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Harris is an awesome teacher and I am glad I took his Bio 1010 course. His tests are hard, he expects you to learn the material but there are study sessions with a TA to help. All of his lectures are available online, so if you miss a class you can still get the same material. He is funny, kind, and obviously loves the subject he teachers.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His 4 tests are extremely hard and worded very tricky. There are almost like trick questions. I would DEFINITELY NOT recommend this class to anybody at all. He says he curves the class, but he only curved my class 1%. So don't bank on the curve cause it probably won't be a favorable one. Do yourself a favor and take bio1010 from a different prof

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He made a book that you can buy that follows his lecture notes exactly and you can fill in your notes in the space provided and it only costs $10 I would highly recommend getting this book he'll tell you more about it in class. you only have 2 enrichment assignments and a small quiz online before each test that helps you out a lot.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Harris knows just about everything that has to do with biology but slightly expects you to as well. His tests are hard and are more specific than anything he would have explained in class. If you want an A you need to do extra work, and I am not talking about just studying for the test.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Instead of a textbook has his own notebook you buy from the library that was only like $12, and it is exactly what he fills out in class. It did make it slightly difficult to study if you missed one of the points or if you wanted to read ahead. I am horrible at biology and I got a B+, so it was an easy class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Harris is a great lecturer and has been doing it for so long he knows what to expect. The exams are difficult but the everything on the tests in somewhere in your notes or on the study guide. If you study more than 4 hours for exam exam you'll get at least an 80, and the curve is about 5-10%. I really enjoyed this class. No textbook

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: D+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Attendance is not mandatory which was nice. If you miss all you have to do is get notes from another student. The only downside to his class are his tests. They are extremely hard! Tests are a majority of your grade because he doesn't assign much homework or take attendance. I did not pass a single test in his class and yes I studied for every test

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Harris is a wonderful teacher who wants his students to succeed. His class is hard but college is supposed to be hard!! Go to class, take notes, and study the review sheets and you can easily do well on tests. The tests are hard but he curves them. You will get an A in this class if you take it seriously. I now love biology!!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He's a nice guy, but he talks the whole time never shows a clear examples of what he's talking about. You have to write down almost everything he says. The assignments are simple and kind of easy, he has his lectures on Podcast in case you miss something (I never used them). Be sure to know a little about biology before you take him.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIOL1010
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

You can skip class and still pass because there's podcasts in iTunes. I didn't particularly enjoy this class. All it is is lecture with online quizes and tests. There's no book, no homework, fast paced, so you have to teach yourself. It got frustrating to feel prepared for a test then be surprised with the types of complex questions and get a C.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Mr. Harris really comes in clutch. He suggests a workbook that costs 10 dollars in the bookstore and doesn't require any other textbook, you listen to his lecture and fill in the workbook with pictures and useful diagrams and that's all you need to know for the tests and everything. Gives 6 assignments for the whole semester, and honestly is great

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOL1010
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are long and boring if you ask me. You have to attend class to get the notes because there is no textbook. His tests are hard. They are worded hard.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Don't take from him! Take from professor Ogden. I'm not sure why people says he grades on a curve but he definitely did not curve in my class. Over half of the class received C-'s. His lectures are extremely long and dry and his tests are worded tricky and don't apply to his lectures.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIOL1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Lecture-style class. Dry, serious lectures that never really felt boring. Non-mandatory attendance, but don't count on anything higher than a C on your tests if you skip a bunch. Overall, a cool older dude teaching a great intro to Biology class. (PS: No textbook required. He sells a notebook for the class w outlines for $12 @ the bookstore)

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr Harris is quite knowledgeable about biology. Since it is an entry level course, you will do quite a bit of memorizing. It's best to know overall concepts and not just random facts for the tests. Because of the no textbook factor, attendance is TOTALLY necessary to passing the class. Take good notes. You just have to get 80% on tests to get an A.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Jim is a good teacher. He doesn't believe in textbooks, so he wrote his own that you use during the semester. It costs around $12 from the campus bookstore. His tests are a little tougher, but HE DOES GRADE ON A CURVE! I finished the class with a 69% and received a B+. If you pass the tests, you pass the class. It's that simple.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Harris must have switched his teaching methods. These reviews are not accurate. I am ranked 60 out of 150 students in the class and have 62 percent grade which means at least half of my glass is getting a D grade. Professor Harris doesn't grade on a curve so don't expect any leniency on his confusing tests.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's a great teacher, always willing to help you. It's really not a tough class. I almost never went to class and just watched the online lectures and did well on the tests. The tests really aren't that hard and he warns you about tricky questions. The only thing is the grade is curved so you have to well relative to other students to get an A.