Reviews for PLSC100

Information Review
Diana Cochran
PLSC100

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/18/2020
Nice person in general but not a great professor. When the semester was still in person her lectures were super confusing and she always went way too fast so you could never get the notes down. When we went online it was a lot easier to get information down BUT her lectures were SO LONG. I think there was one lecture quiz that was kind of hard and the three exams are all online and not too bad. Lab for this class was extremely boring. Overall if you want to take PLSC100 as a gen ed, don’t take it with her.
Burkhard Schulz
PLSC100

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
06/02/2019
I feel conflicted about this prof. On one hand I appreciated the field trips (National Arboretum, US Botanic Garden) and how he taught fun facts like ergot possibly causing the Salem Witch Trials. Yet the course overall was pretty frustrating. Prof Schulz spouts a lot of random, extremely detailed information and expects us to comprehend immediately. But because most of us are taking PLSC 100 for Gen Ed, it's difficult for us to form a foundational understanding from his disorganized teaching style. As a result, it's difficult to score well unless you're willing to put in more work than most people expect of a gen ed. A good TA does help though, I had TA Bilian and she was a real gem. Super patient and clearly explained complicated concepts.
Burkhard Schulz
PLSC100

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/16/2019
This professor is literally the WORST gen-ed professor I have ever had a class with. He changes his syllabus randomly without any beforehand announcement and his exam averages are actually really low (don't believe the average GPA, he made it much harder from now on). His lectures are insanely boring and his powerpoints are mostly just unhelpful pictures. His TA taught more than him. Rude to students and inconsiderate, doesn't ever reply to emails.
Burkhard Schulz
PLSC100

Anonymous
05/10/2019
He will teach you the course like it is your major. People never go his lectures but he found a way to force this through constant lecture quizzes. The syllabus said all lecture quizzes would be online. One day there were barely any people in lecture and he decided to give it on paper, which is directly against the syllabus. You could probably get a higher grade on your actual major course than this gen ed because of how it is taught.
Christopher Walsh
PLSC100

Expecting an A-
Anonymous2015
12/16/2014
He is very passionate about plants and I can say that the class is pretty interesting. It is probably one of the easier lab sciences but by no means is it a breeze. His exams are not multiple choice and there is a lot to remember. I actually studied in groups to try to get through the material. Definitely go to class when you can because he is a decent professor. The lab portion is also pretty interesting and you also get to go on 2 field trips to the National Arboretum and the Botanical Gardens. It reminded me of high school field trips which was awesome. Overall good class, but please do not under estimate the amount of info to remember, not necessarily difficult but time consuming nonetheless
Christopher Walsh
PLSC100

Expecting a B
Anonymous
09/26/2012
I gave Dr. Walsh a really high rating because he is truly passionate about plants and was just a genuinely nice guy. However, the course was NOT as easy as I expected. Exams are not multiple choice and the final was really difficult. I had an easy semester otherwise when I took this course, so I studied A LOT and managed an A, but if you don't have a lot of time to dedicate to this class I would recommend a different lab science course.