Brian McCauley - De Anza College

Professor: Brian McCauley

Department: TBD

College: De Anza College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO6B
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Honestly, he's legit one of the worst professors ever. I missed an exam due to illness, and instead of accepting a valid doctors note he attacked me by saying I "miraculously" got better the day after the exam, even tho I was sick for an entire week. Additionally, very unclear expectations and useless website which he forces everyone to use.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A6B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Probably the best biology professor I have ever had. I was a C student in AP Biology at my high school and when I came to De Anza, I took Mccauley in my first quarter here. If you record his lectures and stick to the study guides, you will be good for this course but Mccauley expects a lot out of his students.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO6B
• 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:

Lectures tend to be boring but I recommend printing out the slides and taking notes on them because he does cover relevant information (also, easier to study later on from the textbook). His labs are pretty confusing but just ask him for help and follow his website closely! He would be happy to go over your essays before the exam and that helps!!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A6B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

mccauley is a great prof. he emphasizes on the big picture rather than detailed memorization. gives study guide & essay questions in advance, do the essays bc it helps a lot!! lecture can be long & boring, but he's really chill in labs. exams are very tough so make sure you spend time studying. i loved his class bc i learned a lot.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO6B
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

It is not clear what he expects and wants to see on written exams. Very tough grader for essay portion. He is very kind, does not get mad and often jokes in lecture. Ask 1 question and prepare to get a 30 min answer. His website is the main source for info about lab work and lecture study guides.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO6B
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Brian is nice, but has unclear criteria on tests. He'll give you a study guide in advance, but with so much material it's hard to pinpoint what he wants. Lectures are also boring and unclear. He enjoys talking about biology, but doesn't EXPLAIN things well. Lab is ALSO very unclear, leaving you to depend on his website. Beware pop quizzes in lab.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIOL6B
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

No clear instructions, info, and updates about lab reports. Expects you to rely on his website for everything. Exams are 30 multiple choice w an essay. Gives you a study guide w 3-5 essay prompts - where 1 will be given on the exam. This means you must practice all of those essay questions! Exams have multiple answers for each question, so beware.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO6B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

McCauley has a very low voice. I sit in the second row, but I could hardly hear him. His lectures make no sense and he changes his slides too quickly. He is a good man and knows his biology, but class is very long and boring. He gives pop quizzes in his lab, so always be prepared with a scantron and study the lab before you go to class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A6B
• 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:

Bio 6A and 6B with professor McCauley was very fun but also pretty tough but makes you learn subject. He is pretty passionate about the subject and his lectures were pretty interesting if you like Biology. His test are difficult but if you spend time writing the essays and checking in with him you should do okay. Labs in 6B is calculation heavy.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO6B
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I've learned so much in Mccauley's class! Always, and I mean always rely on his study guide for lecture exams, I regret bombing 2 of my exams thinking that just reading the book based on his slides would be enough. He is also very open for questions. Pretty chill in labs.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO6B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Super hard class! Get ready to study really hard. There is an essay part for every exam which worths 1/3 of the grade, and Dr. Maccauley grades really really tough. Also, his exams will get harder through the quarter.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

make sure you show up to lectures and answer all the essay questions before the exams. His exam are tough, especially the multiple choice. There could me more than 1 correct answer, and I really did not enjoy that. His lectures are long and boring! avoid him if you can!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A6B
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Relatively challenging, but very clear about what you need to know. Emphasizes big-picture thinking over detail-oriented memorization-- You need to not just understand the basic concepts, but also be able to synthesize information. Happy to answer questions, gives detailed study guides, interesting lectures. Put in decent effort and you'll get a B.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOL6A
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

McCauley is a great professor. He genuinely wants his students to excel. His lecture exams are notorious! He says they're not tricky, but... I and many others think they are. However, if you study enough and truly understand the concepts, then you should get a passing grade. His lab exams are the easiest lab exams I've ever taken.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

HE IS SO AWESOME!! I took him for 6A and now I have him for 6B. His tests are so intuitive and they really put your knowledge to the test. He's kind of passive-aggressive and scary sometimes but really he's good-natured and willing to help. The multi-multi choice wasnt really an issue (most questions had one answer anyway). Take him if you study!!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A
• Grade Received: F
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

HIS CLASS IS SO HARD. I am a bio major and I spent days studying for his tests and I still got an F. His lectures are so boring and long you can't concentrate on what he's saying. His tests are so hard and he expects us to know every single detail as if we're doctors. Don't take him if you are a bio major or if you wan't an easy A. :

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class is definitely difficult, but you will learn a lot if you put in the time. He is very knowledgeable and is always there for you. Record lectures and be disciplined about listening to them after lecture. Though tests are multiple answer, if you spend quality time studying it isn't too bad. The tough part is having to study lots of material

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIOL6A
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Of course McCauley is hard, but he will answer almost any question you throw at him so there's no reason to fail and then complain about help not being there. Trust me, compared to a UC bio course this class is a cakewalk. If you have a good understanding of the material then the multiple choice multiple choice won't throw you off so much.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO6A
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do not take this class if you have no interest in Bio. Good teacher who goes into detail but this class is just hard.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO 6A
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Love this class. If you can prove that biology genuinely matters to you (taking good notes and studying hard), you can do well. He's tricky on tests but if you study lecture recordings every day and ask questions, the tests won't be a problem. And Lab exams are fairly simple. Do essays in advance and have him critique them for 15/15.