John Merck

This professor has taught: BSCI333, BSCI392, BSCI393, CPSG100, CPSG200, CPSG230, CPSG240, CPSG250, CPSP118G, CPSP218G, CPSP359G, CPSP359I, GEOL212, GEOL331, GEOL342, GEOL386, GEOL391, GEOL392, GEOL431, GEOL499, HONR219D

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John Merck BSCI392 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 04/13/2026	Prior reviews of this course state exams are online and open-note, so firstly, I would like to say this is no longer true, exams are in-person and closed-note. This professor seems like he is very interested in his content and happy to teach about it and like a great guy. However, the amount of content he gives out and expects you to memorize is unlike anything I have experienced from any other professor at UMD. I am a pre-med senior, I have a 515 MCAT score, and currently a 3.8+ GPA. I am very used to studying and dealing with loads of content. I have taken several difficult pre-med courses with lots of content to memorize, but this class, the amount of content you are expected to memorize is at least 10 fold what I have experienced before. The only pre-requisite for this class is BSCI160 - for which I have been a TA for for four semesters, and ULA for two, so thought I would be amply prepared - and yet, it is taught as if you have much more of an extensive background on the subject. If this course maintained open-note exams that were online, I'd say it was fair, because I think I do learn how to approach these questions in class. Learning all of this content however, as someone who is a neurophysiology major has been completely unprecedented to me. I have made close to a thousand flashcards for just a single midterm for this class. I find this course content to truly be very interesting, and I love learning about it, but it is way too much for an elective class where the only pre-req is BSCI160. Especially given that no practice exams are given either. I took this class because I thought it would be fun, but I have found myself spending more time on this class than I have on my other 400 level biology courses (that require 300 level BSCI pre-reqs). I hope to get an A in this class but I don't know if I will - which is unfortunate as a second semester senior who wants to apply to medical school. I would not recommend this class unless you are in some sort of major relating to studying these animals in depth and already have very in-depth prior knowledge. Do not just take this class if you are just curious/interested in the subject and want to learn more. I took this class to broaden my horizons and learn more, but frankly regret my decision. I feel like I'm being punished for having curiosity and interest in this subject as someone whose major/background is not paleontology related which has been very sad.
John Merck CPSG100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/29/2025	Dr. Merck is funny, entertaining, and genuinely cares about equipping his students with key skills for success! You should have no trouble getting an A in this class so just complete the assignments and try to get what you can out of the lectures.
John Merck CPSG100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/17/2025	Super funny and knowledgeable professor, cares about connecting with his students
John Merck CPSG100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/16/2025	Merck is absolutely amazing, he is very knowledgeable about the course content and is a super nice guy. All of the Merck lectures were very interesting and were really enjoyable. He and Dr. Holtz are clearly the closest of friends and make the best teaching duo over. Don't mess up your HTML or he will Merck out at you though!
John Merck CPSG200 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/12/2025	Dr. Merck is a hilarious man and makes u feel like an actual adult and treats you like one as well. I am proud to be a College Park Scholar, and he has made these 2 years the best. Very interesting and yet such a simple class. I always enjoyed the field trips and lectures.
John Merck CPSG100 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/18/2024	Dr. Merck is a well-spoken and funny professor who is truly an expert in his field. Although much of the course was led by Dr. Holtz, there were times when Dr. Merck gave lectures and guidance for projects, and in those times, he showed how much he knew and how much of a supportive person he was. I appreciated when he would give us advice. Much of the course was listening to lectures, but they were deeply engaging and fun. As long as you completed your work effectively and on time, you should have had the chance to earn a very high grade for the course. Also, he and Dr. Holtz made for a funny duo.
John Merck GEOL212 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/12/2024	Dr. Merck is a character, but in the best way possible. I took this class with no expectations, and the bar was set incredibly high by the end. Dr. Merck would act things out and give stories about many of the topics in class, both keeping people engaged and presenting the content in ways that are very easy to digest. He is also just incredibly knowledgeable in general, and it shows every time he is explaining anything. The class itself is a lot of content, and the class slides are very long, but taking notes makes it really easy to follow.
John Merck BSCI392 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 07/29/2024	Dr. Merck teaches with contagious passion. His lectures are engaging, entertaining, and genuine change how you understand dinosaurs and other extinct fauna. He is a great guy who is always willing to help you. He regularly gives points back if you make a case for yourself. You are asked to complete several group projects. These weren't my favorite. They required very little effort, just cite some credible sources and your good. I didn't like them because I didn't learn anything from them and I had to deal with other group members contributing minimally. The exams are open note and online you should have plenty of time to complete them. They consist of multiple choice and free response. There is a lot of material to cover for the exam, but again, you have access to all notes during the tests. I strongly recommend this professor if you want to take a fascinating and easy class.
John Merck BSCI392 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/19/2024	This class has a incredibly interesting set of topics, and John Merck is all the more passionate about them. Throughout the whole semester, he was enthusiastic for every single topic and explained even the boring portions in a way that still manages to capture your attention. He's easy to reach and flexible about due dates, and he admits and apologizes for any mistakes he's made. I had this class for three days a week (MWF) for 50 minutes and attendance isn't mandatory, and he posts the lecture slides but doesn't record them. The work load itself wasn't terrible: 3 semester research projects (with individual and group parts, though he says for future semesters he might give two instead), two midterms and one final, all of which were open note, online, and asynchronous.
John Merck BSCI392 Anonymous 05/03/2024	Dr. Merck is a really chill guy, and definitely entertaining in lecture. However, the time crunch on his exam is definitely something to watch out for. You are gonna have to rush if you want to complete them on time, and most of the time, I had to leave the last few questions partially unanswered bc of the time limits. Good news is that they are open note, but if you are relying on searching Powerpoints during the exam, there is no way you are finishing on time.
John Merck GEOL212 Expecting an A Ovrthegrdnwll 01/18/2023	If I could give Dr. Merck more stars I would. He seriously shines and has an evident passion for the class that made it incredibly enjoyable. He prioritized our learning and comprehension of the material and has solidified himself as my favorite professor at UMD so far with his humor and genuine zest for life. Although homework can be a bit tedious, the class content is incredibly interesting, and I think that anyone with even a slight interest in the solar system or astronomy would greatly enjoy this course. Cannot recommend Merck enough!
John Merck CPSG200 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/24/2021	Very easy 1 credit course, put almost no effort into it, but still gained a lot of good knowledge. Probs the best of the 3 cpsg courses
John Merck CPSG101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/18/2021	Very, very kind person. Genuinely wants to see your success, grades leniently(although this is a 1 credit course). Is a great mentor and definitely someone you can reach out to for anything. He really does care about what he is teaching and does care about his students
John Merck CPSG100 Expecting an A Anonymous 02/06/2021	Dr. Merck was very kind and engaging! I remember that I emailed him to let him know that I wasn't going to be able to come to colloquium one day, and he made sure to check up on me afterward. Great lecturer and definitely knows his stuff
John Merck CPSG100 Anonymous 12/20/2020	He's a really nice, funny guy and tries to be engaging. He's also always available to help and will never shame anyone. Unfortunately, the online format of this course made it less interesting for Fall 2020, but Merck was still awesome nonetheless.
John Merck CPSG200 Anonymous 12/14/2020	Funny, engaging, and extremely reasonable. One of the nicest professors who make learning actually interesting. If you can take him, do it!
John Merck GEOL331 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 11/20/2018	Dr. Merck is amazing! Kind, funny, engaging lectures and he is very clear about his expectations and always happy to help out.