Liz Torrano - American River College

Professor: Liz Torrano

Department: Biology

College: American River College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO430431
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

great professor! I would definitely recommend her but i think she's retiring soon (from what she told us). Super helpful if you go to her office hours. If you don't understand something she breaks everything down really good until you understand it.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO430
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

My favorite teacher thus far, she's very informative and will take time out of her day to help you if you can't make it to the office hours. 3 sections on the exams lab which is in the form of power point questions, 2 parts for lecture which is multiple choice and essay questions. Use every minute in lab, i seen so many people leave early and fail.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIOL305
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I hated every science course I had ever taken since high school until I took her natural history class. I learned so much as she really knew her stuff and cared about us. I was pregnant with my fifth baby and if I hadn't had health issues I would have recieved an A. A hard earned A. I want to take more science courses because of her.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO430
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Torrano was very kind & an enjoyable teacher. However, I had a difficult time following her lecture & lab teaching style. I have never had a class where homework & quizzes were given prior to the professor lecturing on the subject/material. If you are someone who needs little assistance and prefers to self-teach, take her class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO431
• 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:

Torrano is great. So much extra credit, it bumped me from a low B to an A. She treats everyone likes adults, which made it a little hard to stay motivated unlike my 430 class because she lets people leave during lab. I advise to stay the full hours because it is a tough class. She's extremely helpful and will help you if youre stuck. Hilarious too

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO430431
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I'd say my best professor yet. There is a lot of information, so there is work to be done, and she is clear about that. Very willing to help, and inspires you to dig deep. Her breadth of knowledge makes you want to learn everything, and you should because most people are pre nursing. She relates things and makes you connect dots you didn't know of.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIOL431
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I was able to pass her class with an A but not with her help. Her lectures are terrible and basically useless. You are better off reading the book on your own to understand because you will not learn anything from her. She is incredibly unhelpful when you email her for help. Usually replying rudely with short unhelpful answers. Take another teacher

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO431
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Very easy class, the tests are mostly made up of the homework that she gives, which she goes over and tells you the answers to. Very sweet. Loves questions, could ask her a ton of questions and she wont get annoyed. Wish I took her for BIO 430

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO430
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great Teacher. You must be a mature learner to succeed in this course. You will work your butt off if you want an A, but it's not impossible to get one. She goes above and beyond to help the student. I've even seen her counseling students in a "shoulder to cry on" fashion. Study if you want to pass; this is college for crying out loud.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIOL430
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Bio430 is not supposed to be an easy class. She doesn't make it any easier. Makes you work for it, majorly. No teaching. Be ready to teach yourself the material. She doesn't make it clear about what is being tested, will emphasize things and then never see them on exams. No lecture, just ask her questions. NO beacon. I will not be taking her for431

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO300
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Incredibly helpful and considerate, but honestly was a pretty easy class. Definitely should try to keep up with the book. The take home exams are harder than one would think.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO305
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The textbooks for the class were field guides. If you don't want to go out into the field and do things, this class isn't for you. We had 3 field experiences and 1 big nature study. Lecture exams were take-home and there were 4 lab exams. She loves when you ask questions. She's kinda quirky, but I like her because of that.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO305
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Be prepared to do some work. This is NOT an easy class IF you want an A. A LOT of memorization is required. I'm an A student and this class was difficult for me. We had to memorize 50 birds and 30 mammals. Lecture exams require reading to do well. Lab practicals are brutal if you dont study hard enough. But the field experiences are enjoyable.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOL102
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I assume that most ppl taking this class were just out of high school, and completely lack academic etiquette. She does exactly what college professor should do, giving you everything that is needed for YOU to learn, and no surprises on the exams. Activities are very well written, connecting all the dots and constintrating on most importants things

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO305
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Take home exams.Natural history animals,birds,siol,lab. A lot of memorization.The lab tests are brutal if you don't know definitions or memorized birds.Homework hardly none.Always available in office hour and more.You must do all the work isn't much. pass.Interesting class.She posts everything on D2L.No surprises.She is knowledgable.Doesn't curve.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIOL305
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I was never a bio lover and now that i took bio w/Torrano i can officially say that i absolutely HATE BIO. unless youre okay with confusing lectures, solo lab work, no sources, brutal lab practicals, unorganized lecture exams & endless amounts of work. Id stay away. Regret taking this class soo much. Never worked harder for a B in my life.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I took bio 103 and i could not believe how lazy and unprepared students are. The professor is very helpful, she will answer questions and explain topics you did not understand. Students are just not smart and want everything hand it on a silver plate. I have fear for the future patients of the wannabe LVNs. u have to study hard if u want success

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIOL305
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I am not strong at bio; however, Torrano has been a better experience. Ive taken this before @ SCC and it was much worse. At least Torrano's lec exams are take home which has slightly improved my grade. Lab exams however, are brutal. This class does work you over if you want to pass with @ least a C. But never miss classes or you miss out a lot.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO102
• 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:

very hard teacher i am a straight a student and she failed me. Not easy dont take her she does not lecture or review your answers so you could be cramming the wrong answers for the exam

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

She gives you labs to do by yourself some question you actually have to look deep. Didn't have a good time. Show up do small quiz that you read the night before, labs and then you leave whenever you want. I did not like her she has no lecture which would be more helpful.