Bill Phillips | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Bill Phillips PLSC113 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 12/17/2024	I want to preface by saying this is my third semester in college and I have never received a C in my life. Until now. The lecture for this class is dry, but it's fine. The lab is something reminiscent of a Hunger Games plant identification station. The labs for this class were given little to no instruction on how to complete, and then torn to shreds when it came time to grade them. For what, I never knew. The rubric was totally unclear, and if the labs weren't completed correctly, you'd have no chance of doing well on the lab reports. BUT there was no way to know if you did the lab correctly or not, as they were all group work, and results frequently came from unreliable group members that tanked your chances at a good grade through no control of your own. The individual exams are only passable if you have a vast prior knowledge of crop identification, or can remember the tiniest folds on individual leaves of plants that all look identical. I genuinely don't know how anyone passed this class. Not to mention that the class is in the Greenhouse, which is closer to Washington DC than it is to being on campus (figuratively). Don't waste your time or effort with this class unless you're looking for a life challenge that will help you grow as a person after all the turmoil it puts you through.
Bill Phillips PLSC113 Expecting a C Anonymous 11/14/2024	PLSC 112 - Dr. Phillips is a good guys with great knowledge of agronomy, however his lectures are super dry. Lecture is twice a week Mon/Wed plus two-three quizzes that are due on the weekend instead of meeting on Fridays. All exams are online; there are three 'midterms' and one final. PLSC 113 - The problem with this class is the lab. The first lab report that we did was fine because we did it over a few weeks. However, the second was a MESS. We were barely given any information on what we were actually looking for and the lab groups were split up, so the information collected isn't even mine and could be totally wrong. Very little guidance was given on the lab reports which was extremely frustrating for someone who has never written one before. Plus, the identification quizzes are ridiculous. The questions are too specific and you have to identify grasses that are practically the same just by touching them, which is not something you can study. As a non-science major, this was very frustrating. He teaches you how to identify by comparing one plant to another and then you have to identify the plant while it's on its own, defeating the whole purpose. Not to mention, most weeks the lab takes place in the Greenhouse which is BEHIND the Xfinity Center. He gives you extra time to get to/from the lab, but it's a hike. This was NOT made clear on Testudo. Other weeks, we took a field trip to a farm where transportation was provided and another time we went to a turf farm where transportation was not provided. If I didn't have a car, I don't think I would have made it in time. Overall, the lecture for this class is boring, but easy. You will have to put in work for the lab and walk around a lot. This was the only lab option that I had because I needed to take it this semester, but avoid if you have other options. If you can't avoid it, it won't be the end of the world but don't expect an A in the lab unless you have a photographic memory.
Bill Phillips PLSC113 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/12/2023	Professor Phillips is kind and knows a lot about agronomy. His quizzes can be a bit hard if you don't properly pay attention when overviewing the crops and weeds. This semester, the PLSC113 lab included three identification quizzes and two lab reports. For the identification quizzes, we had to identify the different types of agronomic crops that we were studying. We went on two field trips to the turf farm and another UMD farm about 20 minutes away. This class does take place in the UMD Research Greenhouse which is behind Xfinity Center (it's a bit of a walk to get there), but Professor Phillips starts class late and ends class early to make sure we all have enough time. Overall for a Gen Ed Lab, it was a fine class.

Bill Phillips
PLSC113

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
12/17/2024

I want to preface by saying this is my third semester in college and I have never received a C in my life. Until now. The lecture for this class is dry, but it's fine. The lab is something reminiscent of a Hunger Games plant identification station. The labs for this class were given little to no instruction on how to complete, and then torn to shreds when it came time to grade them. For what, I never knew. The rubric was totally unclear, and if the labs weren't completed correctly, you'd have no chance of doing well on the lab reports. BUT there was no way to know if you did the lab correctly or not, as they were all group work, and results frequently came from unreliable group members that tanked your chances at a good grade through no control of your own. The individual exams are only passable if you have a vast prior knowledge of crop identification, or can remember the tiniest folds on individual leaves of plants that all look identical. I genuinely don't know how anyone passed this class. Not to mention that the class is in the Greenhouse, which is closer to Washington DC than it is to being on campus (figuratively). Don't waste your time or effort with this class unless you're looking for a life challenge that will help you grow as a person after all the turmoil it puts you through.

Bill Phillips
PLSC113

Expecting a C
Anonymous
11/14/2024

PLSC 112 - Dr. Phillips is a good guys with great knowledge of agronomy, however his lectures are super dry. Lecture is twice a week Mon/Wed plus two-three quizzes that are due on the weekend instead of meeting on Fridays. All exams are online; there are three 'midterms' and one final. PLSC 113 - The problem with this class is the lab. The first lab report that we did was fine because we did it over a few weeks. However, the second was a MESS. We were barely given any information on what we were actually looking for and the lab groups were split up, so the information collected isn't even mine and could be totally wrong. Very little guidance was given on the lab reports which was extremely frustrating for someone who has never written one before. Plus, the identification quizzes are ridiculous. The questions are too specific and you have to identify grasses that are practically the same just by touching them, which is not something you can study. As a non-science major, this was very frustrating. He teaches you how to identify by comparing one plant to another and then you have to identify the plant while it's on its own, defeating the whole purpose. Not to mention, most weeks the lab takes place in the Greenhouse which is BEHIND the Xfinity Center. He gives you extra time to get to/from the lab, but it's a hike. This was NOT made clear on Testudo. Other weeks, we took a field trip to a farm where transportation was provided and another time we went to a turf farm where transportation was not provided. If I didn't have a car, I don't think I would have made it in time. Overall, the lecture for this class is boring, but easy. You will have to put in work for the lab and walk around a lot. This was the only lab option that I had because I needed to take it this semester, but avoid if you have other options. If you can't avoid it, it won't be the end of the world but don't expect an A in the lab unless you have a photographic memory.

Bill Phillips
PLSC113

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/12/2023

Professor Phillips is kind and knows a lot about agronomy. His quizzes can be a bit hard if you don't properly pay attention when overviewing the crops and weeds. This semester, the PLSC113 lab included three identification quizzes and two lab reports. For the identification quizzes, we had to identify the different types of agronomic crops that we were studying. We went on two field trips to the turf farm and another UMD farm about 20 minutes away. This class does take place in the UMD Research Greenhouse which is behind Xfinity Center (it's a bit of a walk to get there), but Professor Phillips starts class late and ends class early to make sure we all have enough time. Overall for a Gen Ed Lab, it was a fine class.