BSCI424 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting an A- Anonymous 01/16/2024	The material of this class is crazy dry, and Volker doesn't really help with that. The class itself was him reading off of his slides and talking in depth about the histories of different pathogens (which was interesting but took away from the content he wanted to test us on). The exams test if you can memorize every word on his slides even if he didn't talk about it at all. The lab grade will curve you up more. He is generally a very nice and interesting guy outside this class, but as a lecturer, he will put you to sleep.
Sandra Fox-Moon BSCI424 Expecting an A dcfs 12/12/2018	Exams were exactly based on the lectures. Lecture slides were all posted online, and highlighted the material that would be on exams. Exams were fair and straightforward. Dr. Fox-Moon is knowledgeable and cares about students' success. Some fun activities such as quizlet games thrown in as well.
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/25/2013	Exams was a pain to study for because you have to pretty much memorize everything since he asks you random questions from any random slides from class. But, not really challenging class since it is just pure memorization. The professor is a nice and approachable guy. I can tell he wants everyone to do well by giving us extra credit, and he gave everyone 15 additional points on the final even though the average was 80%.
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting a B Anonymous 08/16/2012	This class is purely memorization so make sure to keep up with material. Also, this class is an ideal class for study groups. Try to apply what you have learned in class during lab and memorization will become a lot easier. Also, make sure you record lectures. It became a difference for me between an A and a B on exams! Very easy to get a B but difficult to get an A.
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting a B+ 800meters 12/15/2011	This class is all memorization. There are 3 multiple-choice exams. You have to study all 1000 powerpoint slides and have to know everything. I don't believe this class is curved, so for you pre-med *****es, a 90% is an A.
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting an A aralchen 12/16/2010	This was a very enjoyable and rewarding class. I certainly learned a lot from it about various pathogens and diseases, which is exactly why I signed up for the course in the first place. The lab component was by far the best partly because it was well organized and presented, and partly due to my totally awesome TA Jenny who was such a pleasure to learn from. I wasn't sold on the read-from-powerpoint approach Dr. Briken uses. It doesn't actually teach us anything we can't learn by simply reading the powerpoints ourselves. I stopped going to class in the second half of the semester and still got an A. To do well in the class you absolutely must memorize everything in the powerpoints. Yeah, it's not the best method for learning, but if this is how the class is organized, then this is how you must approach it. The exams test you on not so central details; you end up getting the answer about how many nosocomial infections occur each year wrong and you don't really get to show you true knowledge about the disease or microorganism you've painstakingly studied. Overall, I really wish the lecture would be more interactive, then he would be a 5-star teacher.
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/13/2010	I have to agree with avgbiomajor. Briken was a great teacher and it was a pretty good class. I would recommend it if you are really interested in learning about a lot of different bacteria in one semester.
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting an A avgbiomajor 12/22/2009	Pathogenic Micro was one of the only courses I actually enjoyed and found useful at the same time. Alot of memorization, but I am no super overachiever and I got an A. It is a very fair course. Two semester tests, all MC with extra credit questions and a final. The final is not cummulative, but covers alot of material. Lab is fun easy points. If I were to recommend any science course to take at UMD, it would be this one.
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting an A ksmith1987 01/05/2008	This course is an upper level lab class and made up of many pre-meds. I thought that most of it was very interesting and Dr. Briken was approachable. The course is based on memorization, but so is the first year of med school so people should be used to it. Micro labs are always a lot of fun and this one is no exception. There are weekly assignments but none of them are very challenging. There are three exams... the final has tons of information on it so beware. Overall, I liked the class and would reccommend it to people that are considering it. One other note... I didnt open the book except for when I bought.
Volker Briken BSCI424 Expecting a C Anonymous 12/14/2007	I have no idea where the stats are from but this is a no curve no extra credit medical class for potential weed outs. Vague lectures are presented and the slides needed to be memorized "encyclopedia style" for three exams (multiple choice mind you specific details). The textbook used is an actual encylopedia. It is an upper level with an easy lab but the instructor has one cut throat grading scheme that I cant justify as an undergrad.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
01/16/2024

The material of this class is crazy dry, and Volker doesn't really help with that. The class itself was him reading off of his slides and talking in depth about the histories of different pathogens (which was interesting but took away from the content he wanted to test us on). The exams test if you can memorize every word on his slides even if he didn't talk about it at all. The lab grade will curve you up more. He is generally a very nice and interesting guy outside this class, but as a lecturer, he will put you to sleep.

Sandra Fox-Moon
BSCI424

Expecting an A
dcfs
12/12/2018

Exams were exactly based on the lectures. Lecture slides were all posted online, and highlighted the material that would be on exams. Exams were fair and straightforward. Dr. Fox-Moon is knowledgeable and cares about students' success. Some fun activities such as quizlet games thrown in as well.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/25/2013

Exams was a pain to study for because you have to pretty much memorize everything since he asks you random questions from any random slides from class. But, not really challenging class since it is just pure memorization. The professor is a nice and approachable guy. I can tell he wants everyone to do well by giving us extra credit, and he gave everyone 15 additional points on the final even though the average was 80%.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting a B
Anonymous
08/16/2012

This class is purely memorization so make sure to keep up with material. Also, this class is an ideal class for study groups. Try to apply what you have learned in class during lab and memorization will become a lot easier. Also, make sure you record lectures. It became a difference for me between an A and a B on exams! Very easy to get a B but difficult to get an A.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting a B+
800meters
12/15/2011

This class is all memorization. There are 3 multiple-choice exams. You have to study all 1000 powerpoint slides and have to know everything. I don't believe this class is curved, so for you pre-med *****es, a 90% is an A.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting an A
aralchen
12/16/2010

This was a very enjoyable and rewarding class. I certainly learned a lot from it about various pathogens and diseases, which is exactly why I signed up for the course in the first place. The lab component was by far the best partly because it was well organized and presented, and partly due to my totally awesome TA Jenny who was such a pleasure to learn from. I wasn't sold on the read-from-powerpoint approach Dr. Briken uses. It doesn't actually teach us anything we can't learn by simply reading the powerpoints ourselves. I stopped going to class in the second half of the semester and still got an A. To do well in the class you absolutely must memorize everything in the powerpoints. Yeah, it's not the best method for learning, but if this is how the class is organized, then this is how you must approach it. The exams test you on not so central details; you end up getting the answer about how many nosocomial infections occur each year wrong and you don't really get to show you true knowledge about the disease or microorganism you've painstakingly studied. Overall, I really wish the lecture would be more interactive, then he would be a 5-star teacher.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/13/2010

I have to agree with avgbiomajor. Briken was a great teacher and it was a pretty good class. I would recommend it if you are really interested in learning about a lot of different bacteria in one semester.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting an A
avgbiomajor
12/22/2009

Pathogenic Micro was one of the only courses I actually enjoyed and found useful at the same time. Alot of memorization, but I am no super overachiever and I got an A. It is a very fair course. Two semester tests, all MC with extra credit questions and a final. The final is not cummulative, but covers alot of material. Lab is fun easy points. If I were to recommend any science course to take at UMD, it would be this one.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting an A
ksmith1987
01/05/2008

This course is an upper level lab class and made up of many pre-meds. I thought that most of it was very interesting and Dr. Briken was approachable. The course is based on memorization, but so is the first year of med school so people should be used to it. Micro labs are always a lot of fun and this one is no exception. There are weekly assignments but none of them are very challenging. There are three exams... the final has tons of information on it so beware. Overall, I liked the class and would reccommend it to people that are considering it. One other note... I didnt open the book except for when I bought.

Volker Briken
BSCI424

Expecting a C
Anonymous
12/14/2007

I have no idea where the stats are from but this is a no curve no extra credit medical class for potential weed outs. Vague lectures are presented and the slides needed to be memorized "encyclopedia style" for three exams (multiple choice mind you specific details). The textbook used is an actual encylopedia. It is an upper level with an easy lab but the instructor has one cut throat grading scheme that I cant justify as an undergrad.

Reviews for BSCI424