Michael Swift - St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

Professor: Michael Swift

Department: Biology

College: St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ES137
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Nice, smart, and funny guy. Very opinionated when it comes to environmental issues. It was a lot of work and his tests where predictable, however he was very picky on tests questions.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO266
• 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:

I love Mike, he's a great guy. Very friendly and funny but with a dry sense of humor. Lecture can be dry if you're tired and not getting his jokes, though. He expects lots of details on exams (and he's stubborn about answers) but if you study hard, pay attention and read, you'll be fine.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• Grade Received: 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:

Swift is a tough prof, especially for intro bio classes, but don't let the "avoid at all costs" reviews freak you out. If you work hard, pay attention in lecture, and ask questions in office hours/lab you will do fine. The tests are hard but he gives you plenty of chances to make up for lost points with other assignments. Picky grader but nice guy!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• 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:

Professor Swift is the worst professor I've ever had. Extremely hard and very unclear about what we should know. Never gave study guides for tests and did not attempt to help anyone who was struggling. There is a reason that Bio 126 is not offered anymore at St. Olaf and I think Swift is a large reason why. Do whatever is in your power to avoid.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I would highly recommend everyone to avoid this professor. He is incredibly unhelpful when asked questions. Class lectures are verbatim from the book. There is nothing to learn from going to class. His tests are incredibly unfair and he just loves to take off points. Aside from what chapter, you will not know what's on a test. Avoid at any cost!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• 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:

Avoid at all costs. It seems like his main objective as a prof is to take points off wherever he possibly can instead of trying to help the class do well. He is looking for exact phrased answers on tests for something that might have been in the book once. You'll lose points in labs for the dumbest reasons. Bad professor.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• 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:

Avoid Professor Swift at all costs. He will give you the lowest grade in your biology major. Lab practical average was a 52% and he told us to "study harder." Most people got B-s or Cs. Really nice to talk to if he's not your professor though.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO363
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Mike is such a great prof! I've heard he is really difficult for 126, but I would definitely recommend him for upper-level bio courses. I took Limnology from him and he was awesome! He is hilarious, really helpful, and is super legit. Mike knows his stuff about invertebrates and lakes. I got an A, despite thinking I had done awful on his tests.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• 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:

Avoid at any cost. It makes no sense going to class because the lecture is the copy of the textbook, he does not teach anything new. He made me lose my interest in Biology. Extremely hard grader and extremely unhelpful.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• 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:

Very boring lecturer. Kind of mean and not very helpful. Extremely hard grader. Ridiculous low average grades on tests. Avoid at all costs.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• 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:

Completely unhelpful when asked questions, doesn't matter if you answer question correctly, he wants a specific phrase. Hard to tell what he wants, whole class of 70-some got the same question wrong in the same way, and he told us to be better students. Kept me off the Dean's List. Good luck if you get stuck with him.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• 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:

Puts a lot of emphasis on lab. Good lecturer, hard grader, but tests are very predictable.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• 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:

A guess-what-I'm-thinking prof, he expects you to be able to read his mind on exams. He is a very strict grader and unhelpful in office hours. If you answer a question correctly but without the phrase he was looking for, he takes off all the possible points for the question. I', a bio major and this class made me dread bio.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIO263
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great prof- clear lectures, sets up class the way a science class should be (for tests you must show clear understanding of basic concepts, grades harder on labs/papers-grade emphasis on labs etc) loves the Chaobrus larvae

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO263
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Mike's a great guy. Unfortunately, every lecture makes me want to fall asleep, and he isn't much more exciting when he spends half of a lab explaining the most simple procedures. Most labs are still good, but be warned that you never move beyond macroinvertebrates. And he's incredibly vague in all of his instructions.

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Mike's a really good guy, and funny. But he's really vague, and really has no concept of how much we can get done in a week. Right now I'm working on a second lab report and a term paper, both due the same week. He'll make you work, and won't stop talking about chaoborus, "the world's most beautiful aquatic organism." Overall it's enjoyable.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENVIROSTUDIES
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO126
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO133
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Really knowlegeable in his field and very good about articulating information to his class. His lectures were easy to follow and it made note taking a breeze. His tests came straight from the lectures and class discussions, I always felt prepared for exams. He got you to think outside the box.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

No Comments