BSCI171 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 07/14/2024	I am only reviewing the lab. I had no interactions with this professor, but I can tell you her emails for the lab are rinsed and repeated. It is overall pretty easy and the experiments are straight forward. The rubrics for the bigger assignments are terrible and I had points constantly taken off by my TA for things that I did not know I needed. The practical is very easy and there were no + or - for final grades.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/23/2024	Honestly, as long as you read the prelabs and submit everything on time, the class is not bad at all. I get that it is too much work for a 1 credit class, but that is just expected for labs. Ask your TA for help, make sure you stay on top of tasks, and go into your TA office hours if needed. Your TA is the one grading most (if not all) of your work so as long as you follow the rubric, lab manual, and syllabus, you should be fine. Do not take the syllabus and policies as a joke. I saw some comments about how she is not good at grading, but again, the assignments are graded by TAs and there is a rubric for every assignment that basically lays out everything you need to get an A. Reread the assignment instructions and rubrics, make sure your assignment has all its components, and you will get the A.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/17/2024	Annoying class, but pretty easy work. She is super strict on the grading and you could lose points for a small mistake like forgetting to capitalize something. Overall the class is easy and the practical is actually a joke, should be a free A. Does kinda depend on how good your TA is because if they don't know how to answer some of your questions you might be a little confused.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/13/2024	If you are trading this class you barely interact with Dr. Mohan it all depends on the TA you get. There are Pre-lab quizzes every week (2 attempts) and then usually post lab assignments afterwards, sometimes they are group work. You upload the work you did in the lab manual to canvas so it is important to actually fill outta the sheets. There is a poster presentation about an experiment which you work on over several week. The lab practical at the end is fairly easy if you do the practice quiz and actually practice techniques during the experiments. My #1 tip is to always read the rubrics for this class, her rubrics are extremely detailed and it's easy to get points off from little things like citation errors or forgetting to state the controls.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting a B- Anonymous 04/15/2024	This professor was not lenient at all. She is a trash grader. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 03/10/2024	She is just isn't an understanding person at all and all of her policies reflect this. For example someone in my group realized that they submitted the wrong assignment an hour after the deadline and she refused to accept the correct worksheet. She also sucks to get a hold of because when you do email her she puts a time restraint on when you can email her back or she assume "your not being serious" about what you emailed her about.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/05/2023	The lab and workload is easy, but pray that you get a good TA because it will make your life easier. I never met Professor Mohan and the lab was solely led by a TA. My TA was very unhelpful and did not teach or guide us through the labs at all.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 10/31/2023	The lab itself is not difficult at all. You complete a weekly pre-lab quiz before you go to the lab, then you answer some in-lab questions during class. Sometimes there are post-lab assignments but everything is fairly easy. Usually you'll finish the lab early and you can leave. Mohan did not teach my class and we were instead taught by a TA. The TA I had was very unprofessional and unhelpful. He barely teaches and gives little to no instructions (none that made sense at least) for any of the labs or assignments even if you directly ask him questions. However, the grading is not strict so you can expect to get an A in this expect.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 08/23/2023	Horrible and extremely rude.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 06/14/2023	(review of LAB, not Mohan's lecture) It all depends on your TA because they run the lab. The content is easy, just stay on top of TopHat readings and pre-labs if that's what they still do.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A- Anonymous 06/01/2023	never responded to my email regarding my final grade nor the follow ups but threatened to change an assignment grade to a 50% when i took more than 24hrs to respond to her email earlier in the semester
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/27/2023	It's a Biolab: boring, too much work but it's whatever. All up to TA. 3 Stars.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/25/2023	I never met Professor Mohan, but I've heard she is extremely scary even from my TA so it's ok. The pre-labs are pretty easy however you have to pay attention to small details, luckily you have two attempts on each one. There were no exams but was a poster project which was really easy as long as you have a good group. You kind of work out your lab groups on the first day so pick wisely. Having a good group is really beneficial not just for assignments, but for efficiency in class. Volunteer to go first for as much as you can because usually, you will get out earlier than other groups. READ EVERYTHING it is straightforward but they will take points off for the littlest of things. The major things in this class are completing the pre-lab quiz, lab manual, poster project, 1 lab report, and the lab practical. The lab practical is super easy. I would highly recommend going to office hours before the lab practical because the TAs literally walk you through it. They also post an example of the exam on canvas which makes it easy to see what you need to know. Overall this lab is easy but annoying.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/14/2023	I never interacted with her, but her lab manual is a scam. You pay like $25 for a lab manual that is poorly written, confusing, and ridden with errors, and she has about 1000 or so students each semester all of which need to buy in order to succeed, so she is making bank scamming college students. She was super strict about small things. I turned in one assignment 3 minutes late, which is my fault, but I ended up getting 1/2 credit. Aside from her being super strict, your experience within the class will be reliant on your TA.
Jibreel Ali BSCI171 Anonymous 05/13/2023	Jibreel was a great TA. I would take this section a million times over. He was super chill and did not make everything seem so serious. It was great. He also explains the long lab manual material in simpler terms, which is awesome.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting a C Anonymous 05/08/2023	I am honestly shocked by this professor and her actions. She has been beyond unprofessional, rude, and unhelpful in every interaction that I've had with her. She doesn't even teach the class directly week-to-week, but she's made it very clear that she assumes the worst in every student. She does her best to inconvenience students, especially when they ask her questions or ask for extensions due to extenuating circumstances. Furthermore, she has jumped to extreme conclusions and falsely reported dozens of students for 'plagiarism'. It's very unfortunate that she is the only professor for BSCI171, but her behavior needs to change.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/05/2023	Supper rude and inconsiderate. She is opposite of helpful and you can tell she doesn't give a damn about her students.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Manssuri 05/02/2023	I never met professor Mohan, but this wasn't an issue at all. The pre-labs are fairly easy and you have two attempts, so you should be able to get 100 on most of them. There were no exams and instead were some projects interspersed throughout which I actually found quite fun and actually applicable to possible future research. None of them were too hard either. I had a fantastic TA (Elizabeth!!) who was super kind and helpful, so that always made lab go a lot smoother.
Jibreel Ali BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 03/30/2023	Jibreel is probably my favorite TA Ive had so far. He explains the lab material clearly and quickly and answers any questions one has during the lab. He's a good grader and everything is very fair.
Jibreel Ali BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 03/09/2023	Jibreel is a very understanding TA who genuinely cares about the success of his students. He always makes sure that lab does not go over how long the protocol is supposed take and engages with students to make them more interested. Jibreel inspires me on a daily basis and helps me with many hardships.
Jibreel Ali BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 03/09/2023	Jibreel is a great TA who tries his best to engage students during lab. Very down to Earth and cares about the success about his students. He allows lab to end in a timely manner. He emphasizes the importance of efficiency, and he helps students out a lot.
Dominc Brady BSCI171 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 02/09/2023	Dominic made lab fun and enjoyable, he was friendly and always open to help. He was also very knowledgable about biology and good at explaining concepts. I've heard from my friends about other classes, and I truly think this lab section would have been miserable if not for Dominic.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A- Anonymous 01/11/2023	Dr. Mohan does not directly teach us but she has multiple TAs to teach 1 section each. We've had multiple run-ins with Dr. Mohan and they've all been somewhat traumatic. By our 5th class, our TA got replaced by Dr. Mohan after an unrelated and unforeseen health emergency. Our lab section really loved that TA, but we expected that Dr. Mohan would fire her after that health emergency. Dr. Mohan swiftly replaced her with another TA. This TA was much, much worse than the other TAs. Our section overall had the lowest average score. Before our TA got replaced my grade in that class was an A+ and it ended up dropping to a C. Our lab section is always last to leave because she makes mistakes in the procedure, blames us for her mistakes, and for not correcting her. She never admits or acknowledges that anything is her fault. Our section is constantly anxious around her, partially due to how Dr. Mohan randomly drops into our lab section because our TA told her that we weren’t good students. Also, don't attempt to ask Dr. Mohan for help, she will not help you. Another thing, she has a very strict policy and won't sympathize with you and give you leniency. Avoid this class and her if you can.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/24/2022	This class was really stressful. The grading wasn't necessarily harsh, but I never knew what to include in my worksheets or writing because the instructions for assignments were really vague. Weeks 4-16 are basically two different group projects, and if you have a bad group you're going to be spending a lot of time on the assignments. My TA usually let us out early.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/15/2022	I have never seen Dr. Mohan, as she is the lab coordinator. However, my TA (Householder), was awesome. I felt that the lab manual was well written and easy to follow, and that the assignments of the lab weren't overwhelming. A lot of the experience that someone has when taking a lab is due to the TA, but removing that factor, the guidelines, the manual, and the course structure created by Dr. Mohan were enough to make concepts stick in my mind (like DNA replication) but not too intense where I have to spend all of my time on a one-credit lab.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ mgurvich 12/15/2022	Literally had no interaction with her. This course entirely depends on your TA and I was lucky to get a really good one. The class itself isn't too difficult, but it was a bit time consuming, tedious, and boring.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/09/2022	I never tried to contact her, and I never saw her. This is a class entirely taught by a TA. Still, she designed the class and I thought it was a good lab. Some of the instructions in the lab manual were a little hard to follow or confusing, but other than that it was all good. The lab manuals, to my knowledge, are also updated every year... so make sure to get the current lab manual!
Dominc Brady BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/08/2022	Dominic was fantastic! He always found a way to made lab enjoyable and entertaining for everyone. The class would have been much worse if it weren't for Dom's ability to light up the room with humor.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/21/2022	The TA's run the entire class so you only will be able to see Dr. Mohan once or twice. This class really depends on your TA. The class is pretty straight forward with pre-lab assignments, post-lab assignments, lab practicals, and reports. Going to TA office hours is important, especially before the Lab practical, because they will go over everything to help you succeed. Make sure to show up to your labs (absences can be pretty rough because this class is solely based on you showing up). This class really depends on your TA, but overall just show up to labs and you should be ok.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/18/2022	This is a lab so you will not be seeing Mohan at all lol. TA's run the class. My ta was very helpful and knowledgeable so I think it depends on the TA you get. To be honest, this class is so easy. Compared to Chem132(hell), this class is a breeze. Her assignments are easy and if you have trouble with it just go to office hours, it's that simple. Her pre-labs are pretty easy the answers are in the book/pdf she uploaded. If you manage to do well on all of her post lab, then you are for sure getting an A. She doesn't curve. The hardest thing in this class was probably the lab practical, lab report, and poster project (which you have to present). I did below average on the lab practical (an 80). But I assume that most people thought it was easy. I believe the average is an 87. The lab report is probably the hardest assignment with the average being an 80. And the poster project is pretty easy so don't sweat it. Majority of the class did pass with a B+. Anyways you are forced to take her anyways so you can't run away lol.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Anonymous 04/26/2022	The TA ran the class so did not have much exposure to Dr. Mohan, but do not rely on her for questions. If your TA is not clear about what you are supposed to be doing (which mine is not) do not even try emailing Dr. Mohan because she will direct you back to your TA. Office hours are your best bet and usually clear all confusion. Hopefully you can understand your TA's accent (I couldn't) but if not, just go to office hours.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/02/2021	The expectations were very clear for this course and the work load was fair. If you put in effort, you will get an A
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/28/2021	The workload was heavy for a one-credit class, however, that's kind of always how it is for lab classes, so it's nothing new. The assignments we not very difficult, just time-consuming. As long as you spent time and effort on the assignments you should do pretty well.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/22/2021	The class is very straightforward and most of the time all assignments for the week can be done in a day or 2. Going to the TAs if you need clarification is important. Overall not too challenging to get an A if you put in the work to get assignments done and get help from office hours.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/13/2021	I didn't really have to interact with her much thankfully since it was mostly the TA's running the class but GODDAMN did this class suck. All Mohan is really good at doing is assigning large amounts of ridiculously stupid assignments and gives little to no leniency with them. I legit spent so much more time on this class than I did my 3 credit BSCI170 course. I swear sometimes it feels like she rambles on more about academic dishonesty rather than actually teaching useful shit in her lectures and explaining assignments well. She also talked a lot about how assignments were individual and you weren't allowed to work with people on them. And I think she should first start by teaching things properly so that students won't feel the need to collaborate in the first place LMAO. Thank god I had a super chill TA though. She was super kind, helpful and a fair grader.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/11/2021	I took this class online during Covid and I barely had any interactions with her. The TA's pretty much run the class, but an A is definitely possible. As long as you put in the work and actually take the time to watch the lectures, you'll do fine in the class. I ended the class with a 97% so it's very possible to get an A.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Anonymous 05/07/2021	Excessive work and harsh grading, especially considering it's a one-credit class. She is very inflexible with due dates and other possible concerns; she's inconsiderate of student's time. In the online format, there is no direct interaction with her and she discourages it. Her lectures are somewhat helpful, but very dry and did not really elaborate much on the content found in the lab manual we are expected to read. In general, unhelpful and harsh. Would not recommend her class at all.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Anonymous 03/05/2021	Mohan straight up sucks. She gives way too much work for a 1 credit class and never really offers help to her students. Its so annoying how a 1 credit class has more work than some of my 3 credit courses. Do NOT take her class if you have the option to enroll in other professors' bsci171 courses.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 02/04/2021	The absolute worst professor at the University of Maryland. Completely unhelpful and way too much of a workload for a single credit. I would not recommend this professor and I only hope that she is fired soon, so that other students will not have to endure her pathetic teaching style and this horrible class experience.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/18/2020	Professor Mohan is strict and straightforward. She is not very helpful herself, especially since this class is asynchronous, so if you need help you have to ask a TA. The lectures are not that long but do not provide adequate information for the weekly quizzes. Overall this class is a LOT of work (labs, quizzes, lab reports) all for just 1 credit.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/16/2020	171 was a very easy class to do online that requires very little effort. The lab simulations were kind of silly, and based on the lab manual, I imagine the labs would be pretty difficult to do in person. The quizzes were very easy, and you had to take them all twice, where the second attempt is worth more points (the questions are exactly the same though). Dr. Mohan didn't really make much of an effort to reach out to students; I don't even know what she looks like. Her pages on elms were also pretty cluttered, but they gave specific enough instructions.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/09/2020	The professor herself did not really engage at all especially in the virtual setting and she did not provide much clarification. On the flip side, the class itself was not too hard to get a decent grade although the workload for it was too much for a 1 credit class. The TAs I had this year was a lenient grader and gave good clarification on assignments.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/04/2020	Professor Mohan is strict and straightforward. She is not very helpful herself, especially since this class is asynchronous, so if you need help you have to ask a TA. The lectures are not that long but do not provide adequate information for the weekly quizzes. Overall this class is a LOT of work (labs, quizzes, lab reports) all for just 1 credit.
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/16/2020	During this Spring20 semester as bio171 lab has been online, this lady (as the head of the department) was a NIGHTMARE to deal with. She thought that by opening up a discussion thread she would be able to answer all questions students had in an efficient way. As students, we assumed she would be answering all our questions and trying to be as helpful as possible as moving a lab online is very difficult for students to manage as much as the TAs. But NO. She was of NO help when you asked a question in the discussion thread, and just tell you to refer to a different page, when we already didn't understand that page in the first place. Overall, I wish I never had the chance to have to work with this lady, as she was very bad with communicating and helping her students during this semester. Just horrible!
Swarna Mohan BSCI171 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/13/2020	This professor did not care about the students while going through a rough time in S20

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
07/14/2024

I am only reviewing the lab. I had no interactions with this professor, but I can tell you her emails for the lab are rinsed and repeated. It is overall pretty easy and the experiments are straight forward. The rubrics for the bigger assignments are terrible and I had points constantly taken off by my TA for things that I did not know I needed. The practical is very easy and there were no + or - for final grades.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/23/2024

Honestly, as long as you read the prelabs and submit everything on time, the class is not bad at all. I get that it is too much work for a 1 credit class, but that is just expected for labs. Ask your TA for help, make sure you stay on top of tasks, and go into your TA office hours if needed. Your TA is the one grading most (if not all) of your work so as long as you follow the rubric, lab manual, and syllabus, you should be fine. Do not take the syllabus and policies as a joke. I saw some comments about how she is not good at grading, but again, the assignments are graded by TAs and there is a rubric for every assignment that basically lays out everything you need to get an A. Reread the assignment instructions and rubrics, make sure your assignment has all its components, and you will get the A.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/17/2024

Annoying class, but pretty easy work. She is super strict on the grading and you could lose points for a small mistake like forgetting to capitalize something. Overall the class is easy and the practical is actually a joke, should be a free A. Does kinda depend on how good your TA is because if they don't know how to answer some of your questions you might be a little confused.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/13/2024

If you are trading this class you barely interact with Dr. Mohan it all depends on the TA you get. There are Pre-lab quizzes every week (2 attempts) and then usually post lab assignments afterwards, sometimes they are group work. You upload the work you did in the lab manual to canvas so it is important to actually fill outta the sheets. There is a poster presentation about an experiment which you work on over several week. The lab practical at the end is fairly easy if you do the practice quiz and actually practice techniques during the experiments. My #1 tip is to always read the rubrics for this class, her rubrics are extremely detailed and it's easy to get points off from little things like citation errors or forgetting to state the controls.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
04/15/2024

This professor was not lenient at all. She is a trash grader. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
03/10/2024

She is just isn't an understanding person at all and all of her policies reflect this. For example someone in my group realized that they submitted the wrong assignment an hour after the deadline and she refused to accept the correct worksheet. She also sucks to get a hold of because when you do email her she puts a time restraint on when you can email her back or she assume "your not being serious" about what you emailed her about.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/05/2023

The lab and workload is easy, but pray that you get a good TA because it will make your life easier. I never met Professor Mohan and the lab was solely led by a TA. My TA was very unhelpful and did not teach or guide us through the labs at all.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
10/31/2023

The lab itself is not difficult at all. You complete a weekly pre-lab quiz before you go to the lab, then you answer some in-lab questions during class. Sometimes there are post-lab assignments but everything is fairly easy. Usually you'll finish the lab early and you can leave. Mohan did not teach my class and we were instead taught by a TA. The TA I had was very unprofessional and unhelpful. He barely teaches and gives little to no instructions (none that made sense at least) for any of the labs or assignments even if you directly ask him questions. However, the grading is not strict so you can expect to get an A in this expect.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
08/23/2023

Horrible and extremely rude.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
06/14/2023

(review of LAB, not Mohan's lecture) It all depends on your TA because they run the lab. The content is easy, just stay on top of TopHat readings and pre-labs if that's what they still do.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
06/01/2023

never responded to my email regarding my final grade nor the follow ups but threatened to change an assignment grade to a 50% when i took more than 24hrs to respond to her email earlier in the semester

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/27/2023

It's a Biolab: boring, too much work but it's whatever. All up to TA. 3 Stars.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/25/2023

I never met Professor Mohan, but I've heard she is extremely scary even from my TA so it's ok. The pre-labs are pretty easy however you have to pay attention to small details, luckily you have two attempts on each one. There were no exams but was a poster project which was really easy as long as you have a good group. You kind of work out your lab groups on the first day so pick wisely. Having a good group is really beneficial not just for assignments, but for efficiency in class. Volunteer to go first for as much as you can because usually, you will get out earlier than other groups. READ EVERYTHING it is straightforward but they will take points off for the littlest of things. The major things in this class are completing the pre-lab quiz, lab manual, poster project, 1 lab report, and the lab practical. The lab practical is super easy. I would highly recommend going to office hours before the lab practical because the TAs literally walk you through it. They also post an example of the exam on canvas which makes it easy to see what you need to know. Overall this lab is easy but annoying.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/14/2023

I never interacted with her, but her lab manual is a scam. You pay like $25 for a lab manual that is poorly written, confusing, and ridden with errors, and she has about 1000 or so students each semester all of which need to buy in order to succeed, so she is making bank scamming college students. She was super strict about small things. I turned in one assignment 3 minutes late, which is my fault, but I ended up getting 1/2 credit. Aside from her being super strict, your experience within the class will be reliant on your TA.

Jibreel Ali
BSCI171

Anonymous
05/13/2023

Jibreel was a great TA. I would take this section a million times over. He was super chill and did not make everything seem so serious. It was great. He also explains the long lab manual material in simpler terms, which is awesome.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting a C
Anonymous
05/08/2023

I am honestly shocked by this professor and her actions. She has been beyond unprofessional, rude, and unhelpful in every interaction that I've had with her. She doesn't even teach the class directly week-to-week, but she's made it very clear that she assumes the worst in every student. She does her best to inconvenience students, especially when they ask her questions or ask for extensions due to extenuating circumstances. Furthermore, she has jumped to extreme conclusions and falsely reported dozens of students for 'plagiarism'. It's very unfortunate that she is the only professor for BSCI171, but her behavior needs to change.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/05/2023

Supper rude and inconsiderate. She is opposite of helpful and you can tell she doesn't give a damn about her students.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Manssuri
05/02/2023

I never met professor Mohan, but this wasn't an issue at all. The pre-labs are fairly easy and you have two attempts, so you should be able to get 100 on most of them. There were no exams and instead were some projects interspersed throughout which I actually found quite fun and actually applicable to possible future research. None of them were too hard either. I had a fantastic TA (Elizabeth!!) who was super kind and helpful, so that always made lab go a lot smoother.

Jibreel Ali
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
03/30/2023

Jibreel is probably my favorite TA Ive had so far. He explains the lab material clearly and quickly and answers any questions one has during the lab. He's a good grader and everything is very fair.

Jibreel Ali
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
03/09/2023

Jibreel is a very understanding TA who genuinely cares about the success of his students. He always makes sure that lab does not go over how long the protocol is supposed take and engages with students to make them more interested. Jibreel inspires me on a daily basis and helps me with many hardships.

Jibreel Ali
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
03/09/2023

Jibreel is a great TA who tries his best to engage students during lab. Very down to Earth and cares about the success about his students. He allows lab to end in a timely manner. He emphasizes the importance of efficiency, and he helps students out a lot.

Dominc Brady
BSCI171

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
02/09/2023

Dominic made lab fun and enjoyable, he was friendly and always open to help. He was also very knowledgable about biology and good at explaining concepts. I've heard from my friends about other classes, and I truly think this lab section would have been miserable if not for Dominic.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
01/11/2023

Dr. Mohan does not directly teach us but she has multiple TAs to teach 1 section each. We've had multiple run-ins with Dr. Mohan and they've all been somewhat traumatic. By our 5th class, our TA got replaced by Dr. Mohan after an unrelated and unforeseen health emergency. Our lab section really loved that TA, but we expected that Dr. Mohan would fire her after that health emergency. Dr. Mohan swiftly replaced her with another TA. This TA was much, much worse than the other TAs. Our section overall had the lowest average score. Before our TA got replaced my grade in that class was an A+ and it ended up dropping to a C. Our lab section is always last to leave because she makes mistakes in the procedure, blames us for her mistakes, and for not correcting her. She never admits or acknowledges that anything is her fault. Our section is constantly anxious around her, partially due to how Dr. Mohan randomly drops into our lab section because our TA told her that we weren’t good students. Also, don't attempt to ask Dr. Mohan for help, she will not help you. Another thing, she has a very strict policy and won't sympathize with you and give you leniency. Avoid this class and her if you can.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/24/2022

This class was really stressful. The grading wasn't necessarily harsh, but I never knew what to include in my worksheets or writing because the instructions for assignments were really vague. Weeks 4-16 are basically two different group projects, and if you have a bad group you're going to be spending a lot of time on the assignments. My TA usually let us out early.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/15/2022

I have never seen Dr. Mohan, as she is the lab coordinator. However, my TA (Householder), was awesome. I felt that the lab manual was well written and easy to follow, and that the assignments of the lab weren't overwhelming. A lot of the experience that someone has when taking a lab is due to the TA, but removing that factor, the guidelines, the manual, and the course structure created by Dr. Mohan were enough to make concepts stick in my mind (like DNA replication) but not too intense where I have to spend all of my time on a one-credit lab.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
mgurvich
12/15/2022

Literally had no interaction with her. This course entirely depends on your TA and I was lucky to get a really good one. The class itself isn't too difficult, but it was a bit time consuming, tedious, and boring.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/09/2022

I never tried to contact her, and I never saw her. This is a class entirely taught by a TA. Still, she designed the class and I thought it was a good lab. Some of the instructions in the lab manual were a little hard to follow or confusing, but other than that it was all good. The lab manuals, to my knowledge, are also updated every year... so make sure to get the current lab manual!

Dominc Brady
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/08/2022

Dominic was fantastic! He always found a way to made lab enjoyable and entertaining for everyone. The class would have been much worse if it weren't for Dom's ability to light up the room with humor.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/21/2022

The TA's run the entire class so you only will be able to see Dr. Mohan once or twice. This class really depends on your TA. The class is pretty straight forward with pre-lab assignments, post-lab assignments, lab practicals, and reports. Going to TA office hours is important, especially before the Lab practical, because they will go over everything to help you succeed. Make sure to show up to your labs (absences can be pretty rough because this class is solely based on you showing up). This class really depends on your TA, but overall just show up to labs and you should be ok.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/18/2022

This is a lab so you will not be seeing Mohan at all lol. TA's run the class. My ta was very helpful and knowledgeable so I think it depends on the TA you get. To be honest, this class is so easy. Compared to Chem132(hell), this class is a breeze. Her assignments are easy and if you have trouble with it just go to office hours, it's that simple. Her pre-labs are pretty easy the answers are in the book/pdf she uploaded. If you manage to do well on all of her post lab, then you are for sure getting an A. She doesn't curve. The hardest thing in this class was probably the lab practical, lab report, and poster project (which you have to present). I did below average on the lab practical (an 80). But I assume that most people thought it was easy. I believe the average is an 87. The lab report is probably the hardest assignment with the average being an 80. And the poster project is pretty easy so don't sweat it. Majority of the class did pass with a B+. Anyways you are forced to take her anyways so you can't run away lol.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Anonymous
04/26/2022

The TA ran the class so did not have much exposure to Dr. Mohan, but do not rely on her for questions. If your TA is not clear about what you are supposed to be doing (which mine is not) do not even try emailing Dr. Mohan because she will direct you back to your TA. Office hours are your best bet and usually clear all confusion. Hopefully you can understand your TA's accent (I couldn't) but if not, just go to office hours.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/02/2021

The expectations were very clear for this course and the work load was fair. If you put in effort, you will get an A

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/28/2021

The workload was heavy for a one-credit class, however, that's kind of always how it is for lab classes, so it's nothing new. The assignments we not very difficult, just time-consuming. As long as you spent time and effort on the assignments you should do pretty well.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/22/2021

The class is very straightforward and most of the time all assignments for the week can be done in a day or 2. Going to the TAs if you need clarification is important. Overall not too challenging to get an A if you put in the work to get assignments done and get help from office hours.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/13/2021

I didn't really have to interact with her much thankfully since it was mostly the TA's running the class but GODDAMN did this class suck. All Mohan is really good at doing is assigning large amounts of ridiculously stupid assignments and gives little to no leniency with them. I legit spent so much more time on this class than I did my 3 credit BSCI170 course. I swear sometimes it feels like she rambles on more about academic dishonesty rather than actually teaching useful shit in her lectures and explaining assignments well. She also talked a lot about how assignments were individual and you weren't allowed to work with people on them. And I think she should first start by teaching things properly so that students won't feel the need to collaborate in the first place LMAO. Thank god I had a super chill TA though. She was super kind, helpful and a fair grader.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/11/2021

I took this class online during Covid and I barely had any interactions with her. The TA's pretty much run the class, but an A is definitely possible. As long as you put in the work and actually take the time to watch the lectures, you'll do fine in the class. I ended the class with a 97% so it's very possible to get an A.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Anonymous
05/07/2021

Excessive work and harsh grading, especially considering it's a one-credit class. She is very inflexible with due dates and other possible concerns; she's inconsiderate of student's time. In the online format, there is no direct interaction with her and she discourages it. Her lectures are somewhat helpful, but very dry and did not really elaborate much on the content found in the lab manual we are expected to read. In general, unhelpful and harsh. Would not recommend her class at all.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Anonymous
03/05/2021

Mohan straight up sucks. She gives way too much work for a 1 credit class and never really offers help to her students. Its so annoying how a 1 credit class has more work than some of my 3 credit courses. Do NOT take her class if you have the option to enroll in other professors' bsci171 courses.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
02/04/2021

The absolute worst professor at the University of Maryland. Completely unhelpful and way too much of a workload for a single credit. I would not recommend this professor and I only hope that she is fired soon, so that other students will not have to endure her pathetic teaching style and this horrible class experience.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/18/2020

Professor Mohan is strict and straightforward. She is not very helpful herself, especially since this class is asynchronous, so if you need help you have to ask a TA. The lectures are not that long but do not provide adequate information for the weekly quizzes. Overall this class is a LOT of work (labs, quizzes, lab reports) all for just 1 credit.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/16/2020

171 was a very easy class to do online that requires very little effort. The lab simulations were kind of silly, and based on the lab manual, I imagine the labs would be pretty difficult to do in person. The quizzes were very easy, and you had to take them all twice, where the second attempt is worth more points (the questions are exactly the same though). Dr. Mohan didn't really make much of an effort to reach out to students; I don't even know what she looks like. Her pages on elms were also pretty cluttered, but they gave specific enough instructions.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/09/2020

The professor herself did not really engage at all especially in the virtual setting and she did not provide much clarification. On the flip side, the class itself was not too hard to get a decent grade although the workload for it was too much for a 1 credit class. The TAs I had this year was a lenient grader and gave good clarification on assignments.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/04/2020

Professor Mohan is strict and straightforward. She is not very helpful herself, especially since this class is asynchronous, so if you need help you have to ask a TA. The lectures are not that long but do not provide adequate information for the weekly quizzes. Overall this class is a LOT of work (labs, quizzes, lab reports) all for just 1 credit.

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/16/2020

During this Spring20 semester as bio171 lab has been online, this lady (as the head of the department) was a NIGHTMARE to deal with. She thought that by opening up a discussion thread she would be able to answer all questions students had in an efficient way. As students, we assumed she would be answering all our questions and trying to be as helpful as possible as moving a lab online is very difficult for students to manage as much as the TAs. But NO. She was of NO help when you asked a question in the discussion thread, and just tell you to refer to a different page, when we already didn't understand that page in the first place. Overall, I wish I never had the chance to have to work with this lady, as she was very bad with communicating and helping her students during this semester. Just horrible!

Swarna Mohan
BSCI171

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/13/2020

This professor did not care about the students while going through a rough time in S20

Reviews for BSCI171