Reviews for BSCI464

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Charles Delwiche BSCI464 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/18/2024	Based on the syllabus, I hesitated to sign up for this course as a senior. I find it much easier to sit in the back of a class and not be very actively involved than in a class that requires active discussion. That being said, I was happy that I chose this course. Grades consist of two midterms and a final, all of which involve reading and critically analyzing articles relating to course content. A large portion of course grades was also attributed to leading discussion, providing research support for discussion, and making an introduction presentation for a class meeting. Each student had to do each of these roles twice during the semester. Additional points were given for submitting discussion questions based on weekly readings and attending class. Overall, this course is not impossibly difficult to score highly in, that being said it certainly did stretch me to learn in new ways (such as leading discussions and analyzing research articles in a timed exam format). If you have enjoyed other microbiology classes and would like to learn more about how microbes interact with their environments, then I would recommend taking this class. That being said you should make sure that you have a solid grasp of basic microbiology before you take this class, I noticed that the students in our class who had a good amount of microbio experience had a much simpler time understanding the course material. I also could not speak highly enough of Dr. Delwiche, he knows a lot about countless topics relating to the field and fostered a supportive class environment where curiosity and engaging with material had a low bar of entry. I would recommend taking advantage of his office hours if you have any aspect of the class that you want to learn more about. He is very approachable and shows interest in his students. One of the hugest advantages of this class is its small size, which allowed for an abundance of face-to-face discussion time with a tenured professor. It also allowed us the opportunity to take a class field trip to see Microbial Ecology in practice. This class is not easy, but if you're willing to put in the work to engage in class discussion and with the material, then it is valuable and enjoyable.