PLSC110 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/11/2024	I took PLSC 110 with Dr. Cochran. I found her lectures to be fast but very informative. Although she does move fast, because there is a lot o material, she posts PDF of the lectures before class and they are available throughout the semester after the topic is covered. She also offers review questions for after the lectures on ELMS. All exams were online, so open note and book and relatively easy.
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/09/2024	I think Dr. Cochran is a good teacher! I think people take this class expecting an easy A and don't show up and then complain that it was too hard. It's still a class you have to put effort into. She's very willing to explain things and she has ample office hours that people don't go to. She does go a little too fast in lecture. The class has barely any work, a couple online weekly quizzes and quick assignments, and all the tests are online/open book/open internet. Most of the test questions are stuff she went over very explicitly in class.
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/09/2024	Do not take this class for an easy gen ed, but if you are interested in the material, I found it very engaging. This is a class where you have to attend the lectures to understand the material. She does go over some of the power points rather quickly, and some lectures can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you are not familiar with bio (this is my first real bio-adjacent class since, like, early high school). The tests are open note, and going through the review questions posted after each lecture/topic is a great way to study for them. I am in the lab (PLSC111) and I would recommend it. We attended a field trip to the botanical garden in DC, and I think that getting hands-on experience with plant anatomy is helpful for the lectures. The lab also provided me with several complimentary house plants, as well as a couple garden plants. Sometimes there was a bit of disconnect in communication between my TA and Dr. Cochran, but overall, I would recommend both the lab and the class if you are interested in how plants work and how to grow them.
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/18/2023	For a beginner level course, the lecture (PLSC110) was very in depth, and oftentimes confusing. She went through the slides extremely fast, and while she does upload them to elms, she would say most of the information verbally, so they weren't that much of a help. This being said, the exams (two midterms and a final) were all open note, and you could do them from wherever. There are a few other assignments, but they are pretty easy and didn't take very long. I took this course for the gen-ed, and as I am not a science person, I found it challenging at times. Now, the lab that goes along with this course (PLSC111) is super easy, and I was lucky enough to get a really good TA, Shannon. If you take the lab, try being in her section, as she makes it super interesting, and I actually found it pretty fun! Overall, this was a decent course, there are just a few things I would change about the lecture.
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Anonymous 05/13/2023	While she is clearly very intelligent and knows her stuff, she does not convey it in a way that is easy to digest at the 100 level. In addition, she does not post the lecture slides until after the lecture. This was incredibly frustrating as I personally am the type that likes to have the ppt pulled up next to my notes. She would often go too fast through lectures and say "the slides will be posted." I would much rather have been able to look at the slides during the lecture to make sure I understood what was being discussed before moving on. Lastly, there was no course syllabus posted that included all the quiz and assignment dates. She would assign things to be complete by the next lecture, but if you were sick or missed class for any reason you would be completely unaware that something was due. I am currently writing this very irritated as I am checking my grade before the final exam and noticed a significant grade drop to me being unaware of a quiz that was assigned. I was ill and missed a lecture and had no idea a quiz was assigned. Overall, I don't feel that information is conveyed well and resources that are necessary to succeed are not provided. Good luck.
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/01/2023	Not a great lecturer, exams are weirdly difficult and too in depth for a 100 level course. If your looking for a gen ed, look for something else. Difficult for no reason.
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Expecting a B Anonymous 04/04/2023	nice person, but not a good teacher. Fails to explain things we actually need to know and often goes on tangents about irelevent material.
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/24/2021	Nice enough person but she really is not very skilled when it comes to lecturing and giving actually useful assignments
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/23/2021	Can't speak to how it is online, but super easy course and decently interesting content if you are interested in plants and mechanisms behind their development and such. Basically put in almost no effort, not a hard class whatsoever
Diana Cochran PLSC110 Anonymous 04/20/2021	Not a great teacher. I took PLSC110 and 111 as my lab gen ed because I though it would be easy but it wound up basically being a bio class. She rushes through lectures and talks way too fast. Exams were hard but weekly quizzes and hw weren't bad. I don't say this often but truly don't take this class if you don't need to.

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/11/2024

I took PLSC 110 with Dr. Cochran. I found her lectures to be fast but very informative. Although she does move fast, because there is a lot o material, she posts PDF of the lectures before class and they are available throughout the semester after the topic is covered. She also offers review questions for after the lectures on ELMS. All exams were online, so open note and book and relatively easy.

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/09/2024

I think Dr. Cochran is a good teacher! I think people take this class expecting an easy A and don't show up and then complain that it was too hard. It's still a class you have to put effort into. She's very willing to explain things and she has ample office hours that people don't go to. She does go a little too fast in lecture. The class has barely any work, a couple online weekly quizzes and quick assignments, and all the tests are online/open book/open internet. Most of the test questions are stuff she went over very explicitly in class.

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/09/2024

Do not take this class for an easy gen ed, but if you are interested in the material, I found it very engaging. This is a class where you have to attend the lectures to understand the material. She does go over some of the power points rather quickly, and some lectures can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you are not familiar with bio (this is my first real bio-adjacent class since, like, early high school). The tests are open note, and going through the review questions posted after each lecture/topic is a great way to study for them. I am in the lab (PLSC111) and I would recommend it. We attended a field trip to the botanical garden in DC, and I think that getting hands-on experience with plant anatomy is helpful for the lectures. The lab also provided me with several complimentary house plants, as well as a couple garden plants. Sometimes there was a bit of disconnect in communication between my TA and Dr. Cochran, but overall, I would recommend both the lab and the class if you are interested in how plants work and how to grow them.

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/18/2023

For a beginner level course, the lecture (PLSC110) was very in depth, and oftentimes confusing. She went through the slides extremely fast, and while she does upload them to elms, she would say most of the information verbally, so they weren't that much of a help. This being said, the exams (two midterms and a final) were all open note, and you could do them from wherever. There are a few other assignments, but they are pretty easy and didn't take very long. I took this course for the gen-ed, and as I am not a science person, I found it challenging at times. Now, the lab that goes along with this course (PLSC111) is super easy, and I was lucky enough to get a really good TA, Shannon. If you take the lab, try being in her section, as she makes it super interesting, and I actually found it pretty fun! Overall, this was a decent course, there are just a few things I would change about the lecture.

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Anonymous
05/13/2023

While she is clearly very intelligent and knows her stuff, she does not convey it in a way that is easy to digest at the 100 level. In addition, she does not post the lecture slides until after the lecture. This was incredibly frustrating as I personally am the type that likes to have the ppt pulled up next to my notes. She would often go too fast through lectures and say "the slides will be posted." I would much rather have been able to look at the slides during the lecture to make sure I understood what was being discussed before moving on. Lastly, there was no course syllabus posted that included all the quiz and assignment dates. She would assign things to be complete by the next lecture, but if you were sick or missed class for any reason you would be completely unaware that something was due. I am currently writing this very irritated as I am checking my grade before the final exam and noticed a significant grade drop to me being unaware of a quiz that was assigned. I was ill and missed a lecture and had no idea a quiz was assigned. Overall, I don't feel that information is conveyed well and resources that are necessary to succeed are not provided. Good luck.

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/01/2023

Not a great lecturer, exams are weirdly difficult and too in depth for a 100 level course. If your looking for a gen ed, look for something else. Difficult for no reason.

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Expecting a B
Anonymous
04/04/2023

nice person, but not a good teacher. Fails to explain things we actually need to know and often goes on tangents about irelevent material.

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/24/2021

Nice enough person but she really is not very skilled when it comes to lecturing and giving actually useful assignments

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/23/2021

Can't speak to how it is online, but super easy course and decently interesting content if you are interested in plants and mechanisms behind their development and such. Basically put in almost no effort, not a hard class whatsoever

Diana Cochran
PLSC110

Anonymous
04/20/2021

Not a great teacher. I took PLSC110 and 111 as my lab gen ed because I though it would be easy but it wound up basically being a bio class. She rushes through lectures and talks way too fast. Exams were hard but weekly quizzes and hw weren't bad. I don't say this often but truly don't take this class if you don't need to.

Reviews for PLSC110