Reid Compton

This professor has taught: BIOL608V, BSCI105, BSCI170, BSCI258, BSCI339K, BSCI399, BSCI399L, BSCI434, CPSF100, CPSF101, CPSP118L, CPSP119L, CPSP218L, CPSP219L, CPSP249L

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Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting a B- Anonymous 12/23/2023	the exams are never like the material or practice exams. he doesn’t actually explain any of the concepts and just reads straight off the slide show. rambunculous
Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting a B- Anonymous 12/08/2023	This is a very hard class. He goes very fast over the slides during lecture, so if you want to actually undertand the material and take notes, you'll have to go over the lecture after every class (he does post them). The exams are extremely difficult. Even if you have all of the definitions or information from the slides memorized, it is still very hard to do well. The exam questions are often nothing like the practice review questions, and if you want to succeed you have to know everything in extreme detail as well as what types of questions he likes to ask and how he asks them. He is very available and responsive to email. There are also multiple online quizzes a week.
Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2022	The exams were very difficult but if you put in a lot of time and effort you could start to see the types of questions he was going to ask. Additionally, Dr. Compton was always available during office hours and even let you stay after they were over to answer all your questions. He was very approachable and responded to emails within hours even on weekends. GSS was very important so I would not recommend neglecting that, especially in the beginning of the course
Reid Compton Anonymous 12/11/2022	Rushes through slides, difficult exams, doesn't provide answer keys for past exams. He's smart but unless you have prior knowledge in bio, this class will be very difficult. Watching the recorded lectures is the only reason why I did even half-decent in his course.
Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/06/2022	I was scared to take him after all the reviews I read. However, in my opinion, his class is merely not as bad as others describe it to be. Although the slides aren't the most interesting thing in the world, he records most of his presentations, so you can always go back and watch them which I found to be extremely helpful for exams because his exams are super specific to his presentations. Maybe his exams aren't as straight-forward as other professors, but by no means are they impossible. He gives a small curve on each exam and if you know how to study properly for them (and ahead of time), you should be completely fine. You need to put in a substantial amount of time into this class, but it is completely doable and Professor Compton definitely knows his stuff and loves biology. He can come off as a little harsh, but when you talk to him, he is very kind and reasonable.
Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 10/31/2022	When I originally signed up for Professor Comptons section of BSCI170 I was hesitant considering the reviews here and after taking his class I can reassure you all those bad reviews are right. No curves on exams, extremely hard exams, a very small amount of resources to use for studying, and very boring lectures that have me panic typing notes at a 100mph because he goes so fast. I would reccommend anyone who has to take this class to honestly try and get another one of the other BSCI professors, this guy prides himself on having class average grades be from 45% to 60% and then gives no curves because he claims you didn't study hard enough. I wouldn't consider myself a try hard student but when I am in the library 4-6 hours a day, the week leading up to Professor Comptons exams following his review guides all day something has got to give. And trust me I didn't do bad on his exams and quizzes but the structure that this class was taught in honestly made trying to learn about something interesting more of a hassle and super boring. Don't take this mans sections, even if the only other option is an 8am with a different professor.
Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 06/02/2022	His lectures can be a little boring but he is very passionate about the material. The class is very easy if you put in time to study and do your homework. I highly recommend going to GSS sessions and studying the formats of his past exams since they can be challenging. There are no keys but you can email your practice answers to a TA or GSS leader to see how well you did. He also tends to give bonus points on the exams to boost your grade. Quizzes are open note and easy to get full points on. I recommend doing all the small work he gives because it will really help lower exam grades. He likes to have participation in the lectures so do not be surprised if he comes up and asks you a question, he is not mean about it either. It felt like he truly cared about his students' learning.
Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/08/2022	Like many of the other reviewers have said, Dr. Compton is a nice guy but not a good professor at all. He is very monotone and just goes through slide after slide way too fast, and gets mad when no one wants to participate. He makes studying for exams difficult, as he will upload ones from previous semesters but not a key to see if you actually did well. His exams also consist of applying knowledge that is taught in lecture, but he never actually teaches how to apply in the first place. Would recommend taking a different professor.
Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/27/2022	Dr. Compton means well as a professor, but can come off harsh. His lectures are a little boring but they go over everything you need to know for every exam. The class wasn't hard, just put in time before and after class, and you should know the concepts. As long as you are constantly reviewing the material, you won't have to study a lot for the exam. I never got lower than a B on his exams. Also he tests your knowledge on the concepts, not just memorization of them because he will Gove you random scenarios where you will have to apply what you've learned to correctly answer. ALSO GSS SESSIONS ARE VERY VERY HELPFUL. HIGHLY RECOMMEND--ESPECIALLY THE GSS LEADER, SAAD. Honestly I was very scared to take the class, but if you want an A and work for it, you will get it. Also there was a slight curve at the end of the semester and he dropped the three lowest grades from the little quizzes we had.
Reid Compton BSCI170 Expecting a B- Anonymous 11/07/2021	He's a great lecturer (albeit monotone) and knows what he's talking about BUT his exams are way too difficult. We only learn course information in the class, never how to apply it the way he wants us to in the exams. Going to multiple GSS sessions is CRUCIAL if you want to get above a 75 on his exams. Even then, his exams are just unnecessarily difficult--I highly recommend taking another professor for BSCI170.
Reid Compton BSCI170 Anonymous 10/26/2021	Goes through lectures way too fast, it's really hard to glean any information. Our first midterm average was a 59 and he said we needed to "study harder," despite his poor teaching. He's a really nice guy, very approachable, but his exams are way too difficult given the information he presents to the class.
Reid Compton BSCI105 Expecting a B- Anonymous 01/30/2015	Very difficult exams. He gives a little curve before the exams but none after even if everyone failed. I do not recommend him at all. His lectures don't help except for clicker questions. You have to teach yourself using the book, and reviewing the powerpoint slides.
Reid Compton BSCI105 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/28/2014	tl;dr - Compton's lectures are pointless, but useful for clicker points. Read the textbook and go through past exams to do well on his exams. Do not only memorize, but also understand - he asks a lot of "what if" questions. He does curve the class. The first week of class I loved Compton's class. I thought his lectures were interesting until I realized that his lectures were just the textbook information put straight on to a powerpoint. From that point on, I found lectures pretty pointless. I only went for the clicker points, which are super easy points because you don't even have to get the question right to get the points. Just attend most of the lectures. Compton does intentionally make his exams difficult, but they are not impossible. Contrary to what other reviews say, his exams do not require you to just memorize everything. He asks a lot of application questions as well so you really need to understand how things work as well. The best way to study in my opinion is the read the textbook chapters that will be covered on the exam and take notes (he expects you to know things in the chapter that he does not include in the powerpoint). In addition, go through his past exams and try to reason out answers and go through with a TA if you can (he doesn't put up the answer key for them). Good news is that most of his exams have a built in curve to them, and he established a curve in the being of the semester in the syllabus. I think he curved our class additionally by a few points after grading the finals. Tips: -If they give you the option to sign up for a one credit bio discussion, you should. That was very helpful. -GSS is very helpful especially right before an exams -Read the textbook chapters -Go through past exams -Don't forget the MasteringBio quizzes and get the easy clicker points
Reid Compton BSCI105 Anonymous 12/25/2014	He's honestly a nice guy, however he's terrible. IMO his lectures were really boring as he reads through his powerpoint. (He may add a few thing or two, and powerpoints are online). Clickers are a joke. If the 60-80% of the class gets the answer right, he would repoll and make everyone think their wrong, and then he reveals the right answer. Made no sense. (Clickers were for attendence) His tests, were hard as hell. Everything on his test requires you to know the little details of the things you have learned. You can spend hours/days studying and you'll probably get less than 60%. Even the TAs question the questions that he has on the test. (A good chunk of these questions were what ifs) I don't think he curved for our class, since I was 1% away from an B, yet my final was B-. Take only if you really love bio or if you're just good. Otherwise avoid him at all cost.
Reid Compton BSCI105 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/28/2013	Compton is definitely the most difficult BSCI105 professor. That being said, his class is not difficult if you put work into it. I got a 79% on the first exam after not studying that much; however, I started studying a little bit every day and ended up with a 94.5 on the second exam, 99 on the third exam, and a 98 on the final. Walked out of the class with an A+. You have to memorize the material, but his lectures were always very interesting. If you're a bio/biochem major take him, if you're looking for an easy A then go elsewhere.
Reid Compton BSCI105 Anonymous 05/09/2012	Many questions on his exams are tricky and aren't specifically covered in his lectures, or study guides, so it's hard to prepare for his exams. There aren't many multiple choice questions either. Gives big curve at the end of class, so just stay relatively near the class average.
Reid Compton BSCI105 Expecting an A Anonymous 07/17/2011	Seriously, Compton is not as bad as people below say he is. His exams really aren't difficult at all...answering the questions does not require a deep understanding of the material. If you read the book and/or notes and can manage to remember and regurgitate the information, you will be fine. The only issue I have with his tests is that while selecting topics, he sometimes neglects the important information in favor of the less crucial, more obscure details that you might overlook. This can be a little frustrating, since you do lose a couple of points here and there on foolish things (this is offset by the curve). But overall, his expectations are fair, and his exams and grading reflect this. If you can manage a mere cursory level of understanding of all the concepts, you should earn at least a B in the class. Oh, and as others have mentioned, he did give a substantial curve (almost too generous). I don't know what the cutoffs were, but an 81% was an A.
Reid Compton BSCI105 TheTruth 05/15/2011	As everyone has said, Compton is a decent guy but his exams are RIDICULOUSLY difficult! The first exam we had, the class average was like a 50%! He tests on application of knowledge alot(like "What if" kinds of questions).He does hold reviews before each exam but I, personally, never found them useful. What I do recommend is attending GSS (guided study session) provided by a TA or getting a tutor. Do this early in the semester because if not you'll just be lost throughout the rest of the course!
Reid Compton BSCI105 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/19/2010	Dr. Compton is extremely hard. He covers a tremendous amount of material and really expects you to memorize it all and understand it well enough to apply it. His tests were very challenging as they were all application questions for which you really had to apply and often compare class material. He did give a decent curve, and lab does help your grade out, but his tests were just on a tremendous amount of material. If you need to take him, make sure to stay on top of your material and make sure you understand it, going through it throughout the semester. Don't wait till the day before or two his tests. Avoid him if you can, but if you can't then study hard!
Reid Compton BSCI105 Anonymous 11/23/2010	He was nice and easy to talk to, but covered an insane amount of information. He went through his powerpoints too fast, and expected us to learn any information he didn't teach for the tests. I would suggest taking 105 with another teacher.
Reid Compton BSCI105 Expecting a B Anonymous 06/01/2010	Dr Compton's class is a lot of fun and he is a good lecturer. His tests are really hard, but he curves a lot at the end, and all of his clickers are extra credit. He is really nice and funny if you get to know him.
Reid Compton BSCI330 Anonymous 12/18/2009	I liked Compton. Struggled a bit in his class, it was kind of hard figuring out exactly what he wanted for answers on his exams but he was a good lecturer, keep you awake and listening. Very entertaining and educational. ( Likes to ask the audience questions to keep us engaged. Don't make eye contact if you don't want to answer a question...) He says he does't curve. And I don't think he does, but he builds in extra credit to his exams so its essentially a curve that you have to earn. He's a very good and fair professor. Cares about his students and is realistic with his expectations. Overall Compton is a great professor, be ready to work though!
Reid Compton Expecting an A gundamwing4132 05/01/2008	Fair exams, study lecture notes.