Barry O'Connor - University of Michigan

Professor: Barry O'Connor

Department: TBD

College: University of Michigan

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The lectures are boring, the textbook is really helpful but unnecessary. Honestly, it's all about memorization. Just memorize the slides and you'll be fine, the class really is not that hard. I only ever studied a day before the exam and there's no homework except for discussion material. Straightforward and easy.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He is not a great professor, but honestly it doesn't matter. He posts all the lectures online and going to lecture is rarely helpful. That being said, this was the easiest class I've ever taken. No textbook reading is necessary, and everything comes straight from the slides. The class is boring and annoying but an easy A if you memorize the slides.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• 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:

worst professor. I went to every lecture and gained nothing from them. The GSIs would make fun of how terrible Barry was as a teacher. Seems like a good guy though..

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are unorganized, but he posts them online so you don't have to go to lecture. I usually went and it was somewhat helpful, and using the old exams is a great way to study. I never read the book, you just have to sit down and memorize 10-15 powerpoints and then the class is pretty straightforward.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do not take this class with this teacher, he makes the test extremely hard on irrelevant information that is not stressed. This introductory course should NOT be this difficult! This class is very unorganized.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Barry was a great guy, but a so-so professor. Attending lecture wasn't necessary, but it was useful to clarify some of the topics. The textbook is definitely not necessary--even less so than for the other intro bio, 172. This is one of those classes where you have to memorize ten power points for each exam. If you can manage that, an A is doable.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do not take this class, it is very unorganized and the material is very hard this year

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Not a good class, very difficult. All over the place.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO17163
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

you do not need to attend lecture besides he reads straight from slides, but it is good to go and take some extra notes. His exams are hard and focus on very small things rather than the big picture.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Barry's lectures are painful, tests ridiculously nitpicky on useless details, and discussions make the class more confusing. Overall, avoid Barry O'Connor!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Not good.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He just reads off of the lecture slides. You could avoid his lectures all together, read them on your own, and get the same result. His exams are very picky as well, almost to the point of irrelevance.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

First of all, he made us buy a textbook with online access for over $100 and then told us that we didn't have to do the readings. Second, he reads the slides word for word without giving any supplemental info. The exams have questions that were mentioned one time and not discussed at all.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIOLOGY171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Lectures give you all the information you need for the exams. Lectures are posted online, meaning you don't have to go to class. If you are confused about something or want more detail, the textbook is a great resource. The class can get boring, but is easy especially if you put in a little time to study.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very displeased with lecture. Literally reads off the slides, contributes nothing unique-helpful to them. Meaning I could have stayed at home. Occasionally says corny jokes. Exams are heavily slide based. Discussions aren't ever really directly related to lecture. Overall Bummer. Csp professor is much better gives helpful tips,examples. . so i hear

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Slides are all on ctools which is nice. Lots of information on them. Tests have little details from the slides with no relevance. He also adds in random facts about mites to his slides...ignore that...

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• 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:

This class might seem easy, but it really isn't. You need to put in a lot of effort. I found reading the textbook is better than going to the lectures because sometimes the things he says has no relevance (or little). Memorize the slides and read the text and you will be fine.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

172 is supposed to be harder, but I'm doing really well in that class, and worse in 171. Problem is that it's only out of 505 pts, and you have 4 exams and an essay. So to earn an A, you have to do well on all of your exams to conserve pts, which is hard if you have a tough GSI. But if you memorize all slides, you'll get least a B+ IMO.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• 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 found some of the exam questions, particularly the written response ones, vaguely/poorly written, which led to me to getting the question "wrong" even though my GSI agreed with my answers. I didn't bother going to lecture. If you are somewhat good at memorizing, and spend the time to memorize all lecture slides, you'll get at least a B. Good luck

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you don't have to take this class, then run away from it. The material is relatively easy, the lectures are boring and the exams are extremely difficult. Barry is fine as a professor, its the class that everyone hates. This is not a bio class where you can learn everything the night before, and get a good grade on the exam.