Anne Simon

This professor has taught: BISI712, BISI899, BSCI105C, BSCI105S, BSCI170, BSCI170C, BSCI170H, BSCI436, CBMG688B, CBMG688X

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Anne Simon BSCI436 Expecting an A Anonymous 09/07/2023	First off, I took this course when it was brand new, so there will inevitably be some alterations to the syllabus and content after the experience Drs Simon and Dinman (co-teaching together) gained from guiding us through the subject. It's absolutely cutting edge stuff; Simon and Dinman are both highly knowledgeable in the field and well published in their respective areas (Dinman with Ribosomes, Simon with plant viruses), and they bring excellent insights to their respective lectures in a way that you wouldn't get for a more "generic" 400 level like immunology. In terms of what you learn and the quality of delivery, the small class size and the familiarity of the lecturers with the topic makes it a low-stress, pleasurable experience where you always come away feeling like you've learned something revolutionary. In terms of workload, it's not much, but the more you put into it, the more you take away from it at the end of the class. Exams are open note and essay based (minimal multiple choice), so no mass-memorization is required, and a familiarity with the concepts and the ability to apply them is what they're looking for. If you ever feel like you don't understand anything in the course, the small class size makes asking questions far easier, and if you attend either of their office hours, they will help you not only understand but master what you ask about. I know she's got some more negative reviews, but the things discussed there don't really transfer over to a high-level, low memorization class like this one. It's much lower time-impact than a memory-heavy course like immunology and there's minimal homework (which they let you re-submit after going over the answers so you can get full credit). Overall, it's a highly enjoyable experience; grab a friend or two and drag them along for a smooth ride, and learn some cutting edge stuff.
Anne Simon BSCI436 Expecting an A Anonymous 08/28/2023	Dr. Simon is a very smart women and is able to help simplify really difficult topics so that you can understand them. She looks out for her students and makes sure that everyone can explain what the current topic is in their own terms that way you can better understand it as well. BSCI436 had many difficult topics but I was able to leave the lecture after every class having a general understanding of what I just learned which helped me be able to study later on. If you are able to take a class with Dr. Simon, do it and if you can take BSCI436 with Dr. Simon I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.
Anne Simon BSCI436 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/09/2023	Dr. Simon is an extraordinarily passionate lecturer and researcher. This was the first semester that BSCI436 has been run, and I couldn't recommend it enough to anyone with an interest in RNA/biology as a whole. This class presents you with the most up-to-date information on advanced RNA therapeutic techniques/background information by people who love teaching you about it; throughout the semester, Dr. Simon and Dr. Dinman brought very positive, vibrant energy to the classroom environment, which made learning/remembering the concepts very easy. The class's structure places an emphasis on learning above all -- both Dr. Simon and Dr. Dinman made it clear that they want you to be present during lectures and not worry about having to just memorize super detailed information, and the course experience reflected that (the exams were very fair, they were open note for this semester and essay-based -- one midterm, one final. the format really gives you the opportunity to show what you know and not be overwhelmed by small details during preparation). The real-life examples we cover make this class the most fascinating, enjoyable one I've taken at UMD, and the small class size lends itself to a small-group discussion vibe. All of these factors made me look forward to going to these lectures every week. 10/10 low stress (if you go to lecture/take good notes), high learning-output course: this is what learning should be. If you take this class I recommend downloading the lecture slides or printing them and annotating them -- the slides have everything you need to know (I really enjoy the way Dr. Simon makes her slides), and annotating them made remembering the information much easier.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Expecting an A- Anonymous 07/12/2022	I didn't like her very much, but she is a very good lecturer. You can tell how passionate she is about biology and how interesting she finds the subject. She had weekly review sessions and would record them and upload them on zoom. Due to my schedule, I could never attend these in person, so it was great that they were recorded. Her TAs have all taken the course before and are extremely helpful. Bonus quizzes were also given to help with test scores. There were also pop quizzes. She introduced special topics to help apply the course to the real world. At the beginning of the semester, she walked us through everything that needed to be done to pass the class, and she had a peer-tutoring program set up for her class. There is a lecture note set to purchase for the class (it's like $25), that is extremely helpful and well detailed. There is no homework in this class which is nice, but as a tradeoff, it is suggested you study at least two hours a day for the subject. If you are not a biology major and have other coursework (I personally took this class alongside organic chem and calc ii) that isn't always sustainable. My advice would be to always remain on top of the lectures (skipping is definitely not an option for this class) because she covers a lot of content. Her exams also focus on application questions, so you need to be able to understand the content well enough to answer those. If you can I would suggest Keller or some other BSCI 170 professor, because you will be doing a lot more studying in Anne Simon's class that maybe is worth it.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Anonymous 07/11/2022	Don't take this class! Unless the rest of your schedule is light and you literally have no other obligations, it's not worth it. Just sign up next semester. I'd even suggest a summer session over taking her class. On the first day of class, Dr. Simon told us that we would think we understood the material but we really won't understand it at all. And she's so worried about people passing by luck that she intentionally makes the exams extremely difficult. This, combined with the fact that she does not offer any homework (just tests and quizzes) is why the average on the first exam was 54. Homework is an integral part of the learning experience. It ensures that you are on the right track. And it allows you to boost your grade in circumstances like receiving a low test score. Although she doesn't provide homework she did have help sessions twice a week. But these sessions would often last 2+ hours and there was no way of passing the class without them. She admitted that she wants us to spend at least an hour a day going over notes, an hour in class, and spend time at the help session. This amounts to 4 hours of work some days. If you want to maintain your GPA, do NOT take Dr. Simon. I had to make the decision to drop her course, but I regret nothing because I got to maintain my GPA and make the Dean's List. Now I'm taking an accelerated course at a community college, and the workload is about the same, but I'm able to retain more information because the teacher actually provides homework and feedback. Not taking her class will be one of the best decisions you ever make in college.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Expecting an A Anonymous 05/26/2022	Dr. Simon was a wonderful professor and is extremely passionate for biology. What stuck out to me most was her compassion for her students. She had optional help sessions on Zoom twice a week and stayed until every question was answered. At the end of every lecture, she would stay with students to help them understand what we just learned. Yes, you have to put in a lot of work, but this is a college STEM course! If you take the time to ask questions, go to help sessions (the TAs she has are wonderful too), read a page of the textbook, you will do well. She provides practice exams and answer keys to help you study. I was never bored in her class as she was lively and never read off of slides like other professors do. She incorporates "special topics" to apply what we lean to the real world. And she even gives bonus quizzes to help boost your grade. When students were sick from covid, she would do personal Zoom calls and go over the lectures again. What I specifically loved about this class was the AMAZING LECTURE NOTE SET!!! I brought that yellow book everywhere. Simon made this book and students would annotate the lecture notes-- SO much easier for us to learn this way and allowed us to keep up with her pace. This way I was able to listen to what she had to say rather than mindlessly scribble things in my notebook. She was such an amazing professor, and I even got to personally have a call with her when I was really struggling. Please take this class if you have the opportunity!!!!!!!
Anne Simon BSCI170C Expecting a D Anonymous 05/25/2022	Hardest introductory class, you're better off with a different professor. She expects you to spend at least 4 hours a day studying for her incredibly hard exams. I wouldn't advise taking this course with any chem or math because you will not pass it. Our class averages were extremely low and not curved. While she does put in a lot of time into her class, it would make your life easier to take this course with a different professor.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Expecting an A Anonymous 05/21/2022	Dr. Simon is very passionate about teaching. Her lectures are interesting as she relates biology to everyday life or current topics. She wants you to succeed and spends time outside of class to meet with students every week. One this to be wary about having Dr. Simon is that her class is very challenging. You will need to allocate lots of time outside of class to study and prepare for exams. (if you don't enjoy biology and want an easy A take another teacher). The first exam average was around 54 and averages on the exams tend to be around 50-65%-ish. She gives easy pop quizzes to help raise your grade, but you still need to study and be prepared. Take Keller if you can.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Expecting a B- Anonymous 05/18/2022	Okay, I am going to list everything about this teacher. In the beginning she was so nice, and she made her learning entertaining (she still has these attributes). She told our class about help sessions and how she will hold them every day for 2 weeks in the beginning of the school year, then she switched over to doing help sessions Monday's and Wednesday (might I add she is a very busy woman; she has her own lab she runs). These help sessions were very helpful in understanding the topic and I feel like I got the grade that I got because of attending these help sessions(p.s. out of 200 students <20 came to help sessions, attending them is vital to passing). She would also record them so people that were not able to attend the sessions could watch later on their own time. Her first quiz was very easy and the class did well but after that the quizzes got progressively harder. She teaches bio in a more hard way compared to the other teachers. If you are more focused on getting an A in a bio, I would not take Simon. But if you are focused on actually learning and using the material then I would recommend Simon. We go over topics that are very dense and hard to understand. These are the same topics that other professors in Bio don't go over or they would skip it, since 170 is an intro class. So this class is harder compared to other intro bio classes. Now for the grades, Our first exam average is a 54, second exam is a 61, third exam is a 63, and our final exam our average is a 111(it is out of 200 points) which is a 55 percent. She does not curve and more than half of the class most likely failed. The tip to passing this class is to know more than the person sitting next to you. If you are able to always score above average then you should be fine. Her exam questions are all multiple choice. She does not curve, but she gives out these bonus quizzes that are out of 0 points which helps our grade.(25 is the max we got on a bonus quiz). She would raise the amount of points we get on a bonus quiz if we do well on her exam, and she did that for my class. Her TA's are very helpful and knowledgeable. Many people dropped her class after the first exam. She isn't out to get us but she does realize her class is definitely harder compared to others but she won't make it easier. P.S. I also know some people that switched their majors because of Simon, so take that as you will. If there is one thing that you get from this, know that this class is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. 14-16 hours of studying a week.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/15/2022	This class is extremely difficult for an introductory biology class. Dr. Simon is very knowledgable, is willing to help with any questions/concerns and tries to make sure that students are understanding the material. However, other intro bio professors have much higher GPA's and exam scores. If possible, I advise anyone who is not a bio major to choose a different professor. I dedicated about 15 hours a week to this class and I am barely passing.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Anonymous 03/09/2022	If I could advise anyone on anything it would be to not take this introductory (!) course with this professor. She makes it extremely, incredibly, unnecessarily difficult for an introductory (!) course. I wouldn't be as upset if I knew that the level of difficulty of this class was the same under every BSCI170 professor, but after talking with multiple people taking this course with other professors, they aren't learning even half of what we're learning. The exams are incredibly difficult, the average for the first exam was a 54% and Professor Simon doesn't curve exams at all. However, Professor Simon is extremely knowledgeable and helpful with the material, and to be transparent I'm not taking full advantage of all the help that's offered, but that's partly because I feel like she expects way too much of our time and effort. I know people that had to drop other classes because this, again, INTRODUCTORY course demanded too much of their time. My friends who have taken this class with other professors were taken aback by the material we were learning at the speed we were learning it at.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Anonymous 09/16/2020	I have a love/hate relationship with this class. There is a lot of work that needs to be put into to receive a good grade and Dr. Simon does not hide this fact. Dr. Simon preaches that this class will help you with your biology classes later in your college career and she is not lying. This class has helped me immensely with my other bio and bchem courses because you really have a basic and core understanding of most of the topics discussed. I will say I am not the biggest fan of Dr. SImon herself but must admit taking this class is worth it.
Anne Simon BSCI170C Expecting an A Anonymous 03/17/2020	I love Professor Simon! I took BSCI170C in the spring semester of my freshman year, and she is still by far my favorite professor. I think the class she teaches now is for honors, but nonetheless, if you're worried about taking her class because of the reviews (like myself), I really recommend you take it because of how interesting her lectures were. She goes into a lot of detail, but what I learned in her classes helped me out with BSCI207 and BSCI222. Don't believe the comments that say her reviews are fake (they most definitely are legit); granted everyone will have varying opinions on her (I had friends who found her pretty hard) but it's a manageable class and I thought she was really understanding of student's circumstances. When I took it, she had easy bonus quizzes, and at the end of the semester, everyone who had an A- in the class got rounded up to an A :) Do what you will with this information, but I learned a lot in her class.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/21/2016	If you are reading the reviews that say that Dr. Simon writes her own reviews and are questioning whether you want to take this class, please do not listen to them. They are not true. Dr. Simon would never do that. I was in your position about 6 months ago. I wanted to sign up for bsci 105C, the course for majors only, because I wanted to learn more and go more in depth. But I also wanted a good grade and I heard that the regular bsci 105 course is easier. If I were you guys, I urge you to just sign up for Dr. Simon's class and try it out for a few lectures. If you do not like the way it is going, you can always drop and switch to regular bsci 105 (note: it will be called something different next year). But PLEASE just try it out, for your own sake. This class completely changed my life, for the better. I came in not knowing any biology (I had not even taken AP bio) and because I followed her tips, I not only got an A+ in the class, but more importantly, I feel like I learned more than I ever have. I feel like I understand the biology "language" and this understanding will stay with me and benefit me for my entire life. Dr. Simon's class is completely unlike the other intro bio courses at UMD. It is not memorization. You are LEARNING the material. And to do this, it requires time to be spent on it outside of every class. You have to read back over the lecture note set (a book that she writes which has all of the information in it in very brief and well phrased writing) and make sure can understand all of the material that was presented in the previous lecture. This will not take that long. The lecture note set is filled with many diagrams and not as many words and is extremely easy to read and understand. Because you are actually learning the material, it is a great time to see if you actually like biology and to explore all of the fields of biology. Dr. Simon really cares about all of her students and wants them to be successful in whatever they would like to do. She really cares. There are numerous students whose lives have completely changed after taking her class as they actually learned how to learn. On top of this, she is also a fantastic lecturer. This class starts our with the most basic biology material. But by the second half of the class, you find yourself learning (and understanding) upper level biology material. Now to my personal experience with the course. I came in with almost no biology knowledge (never taken AP bio) but I was not discouraged and did not that put me at a disadvantage. There were many classes where Dr. Simon worked with me one on one for long periods of time afterwards to make sure I understood all of the information. She would help anyone after class if you came up to her and asked. I also went to as many office hours (only once a week) and review sessions (once a week) as I could, even if I was feeling confident with the material. These were all extremely helpful. During one of her review sessions, Dr. Simon talks about getting research. She gave us a specific procedure to follow (it is not just email the professor). I showed it to many people. EVERY single person that I know of in the class who tried this method got a research position working under a professor. I also shared the method with my friends outside of class and he also got research. UMD is a big school and getting involved and making connections can be hard. But Dr. Simon solved all of those problems for me and put my life on a path towards success. I would be in a much different position right now if it wasn't for her. I am truly blessed to have had her as a teacher.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Expecting an A Anonymous 04/25/2016	Dr. Simon was quite honestly the best teacher I've had at this school so far. My second semester of freshman year and I absolutely loved her. She is so unbelievably passionate about her students and her field, and that is accurately reflected in her teaching. She does an excellent job at not just showing you all of the information, but making sure you understand it. This is honestly one of the most important parts of learning at this level, that you can not just repeat everything back, but be able to analyze it and know it inside and out. Her lecture notes set is amazing and she does everything and anything she can to ensure the success of her students, offering help sessions and office hours regularly. If you follow her advice, there's no way in this world you won't succeed with her.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Expecting an A Anonymous 11/14/2014	Since I am graduating this year, I wanted to review all my past professors that have helped me along the way. Dr. Simon (and her Bsci105C class) was definitely a savior! I really struggled my first semester with Bsci106, and not knowing the correct way to study, but Bsci105C taught me how to. Her method for studying is what I used for just about all my classes afterwards. The Bsci105C class packet is what I use as a resource for studying in my other classes too. If you want to be well prepared for your later bio classes, MCAT, and really understand the material, TAKE THIS CLASS! She's an amazing professor, and really cares for her students. She even holds weekly review sessions and Friday group office hours for those that need additional help. AGAIN TAKE THIS CLASS! If I didn't, I probably wouldn't be going to dental school next year.
Anne Simon BSCI105S Anonymous 02/10/2014	If I could give this woman 0 stars I would. Don't do it to yourself. One of the worst teachers for 105. I switched to Nelson and was never ever more happy with my decision. Simon sucks.
Anne Simon BSCI105S Expecting an A Anonymous 01/19/2014	Dr. Simon is a great professor! She is very open to students and readily takes questions. That said, she doesn't appreciate ignorance. Don't skip class! She provides a bound book (for ~15$) that contains her lecture notes. If you follow the notes and go to her lectures, you won't even need to open the textbook. Her tests are all multiple choice questions and she includes old exams in her lecture notes. Once a week she held review sessions to go over the material which is a good refresher. The thing I found unique in Dr. Simon's class is her use of "peer tutoring" which is when eligible students tutor someone in the class who needs help understanding the material. I found this to be the most successful strategy in studying. It motivated me to know the material and offers another resource to prepare for her exams. If you are serious about sciences, Dr. Simon is the best teacher to have.
Anne Simon BSCI105S Expecting an A Anonymous 01/07/2014	BSCI105 is not an easy class. But then it is not a hard class either if you prepare for it correctly. Dr. Simon gave weekly review sessions at night where she did a question and answer session. She was very helpful in her office hours where she helped me understand any topics I had trouble with. Her tests are all multiple choice and they certainly require careful thinking. Some questions were tricky but they are also pretty similar to the style of questions in BSCI207. She also gives out old practice exams which are extremely similar in question style so its obvious what the test will be like. She does give pop quizzes and pop bonus quizzes, but she often drops hints in class about whats on it or when it is. So it helps to pay attention in class. She gives alot of analogies and demonstrations which makes the material more understandable. Simon also requires a lecture note set which is much easier to understand than a college biology textbook. I rarely took many notes in her class, just payed attention, and consistently did well on her tests. Go through the lecture notes a bit outside of class, first on your own then with some friends. Almost everything she tests on is in the note set, so try to understand every sentence. Pay attention in class, read the note set alot, take the practice tests, and make sure you don't get far behind. If you do these things you will do really well in Simon's class. Overall Dr. Simon was a great lecturer, fair with grades, and it was not tremendously difficult to do well in her class as some people may suggest.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Expecting a B biokidz 12/06/2013	DON'T DO IT TO YOURSELF!!!!!!!! And do not ignore my all caps and exclamations. This woman is a prick and you learn nothing from her class except the fact that her class sucks. The information is too dense, and she should not be teaching this class. I wish I had known about Nelson before taking her. Simon is a terrible teacher. She has no idea how to teach and she singles out the kids doing poorly as an example to the rest of the class. She isn't out to help you but rather to get you. I hate this class and can't wait for it to be over. Also she told our class this semester that she goes on the teacher rating websites and makes her TAs and her rate herself as great. Don't believe the good reviews on here. Don't do it.
Anne Simon BSCI105C terpderpterp 10/23/2013	This class SUCKS. Also I heard Simon writes reviews about herself and frequently checks and trolls the OurUMD website to make sure her ratings aren't that bad. Take it from me: her class was terrible. I actually retook this class with Benson who is "harder" and he was even more easy to understand. Simon is a complete rude dog. And her class is extremely annoying. She gives pop quizzes instead of clickers, and she is completely clinically insane. Avoid her. NOW. With a ten foot pole.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Anonymous 06/20/2013	If you just want a basic Intro Bio class, do not take Simon. However, if you want to challenge yourself, be prepared for Bio classes following Simon's, such as Genetics and Cell Bio, and/or are Pre-Med, Simon is the teacher for you. This class is not Organic Chemistry: it is not as rigorous nor as intense, and the concepts in BSCI105 are conceptually much easier to grasp than those or Orgo. Therefore, I believe that everyone is possible of getting an A in her class (hence why she has no curve); it comes down to mainly work and effort then (and of course you have to be reasonably intelligent). The semester spans a TON of information, from cell organelles, to DNA replication and expression, to enzymes, to cancer genes, viruses, and animal development. It is by far the most factual information I've had to soak for one class, but it prepares so well for BSCI207, Genetics, and beyond. She is an amazing lecturer, and ties many of her lectures to current medical issues or techniques. She gives 40 points of extra credit since there's no curve, and you will need it: her pop quizzes can catch you by surprise, and her 35-multiple choice exams are very comprehensive, and you can only get 3 wrong to get an A on those exams. However, if you study enough every week and pay attention in class, and come to her reviews (let her do the studying for you!), you can do it. This class is not that difficult. Simon is a great lecturer, and provides more than enough tools for you to succeed, but only if you want it. If you are not remotely interested in what she has to teach, don't take BSCI105C; take the regular one.
Anne Simon BSCI105C reviewzfoyou 06/06/2013	Everyone relax.Simon is easy to get an A in if you study the right way...and I'm not talking about the 90 minutes a day she recommends, (that's some grade A b.s. right there)but in terms of figuring out what kind of questions she would ask and paying attention to detail. Before I took this course, I had to choose between Simon and Nelson. I had heard that if you had an A in Nelson you didn't have to take the final (which is really nice and is a very good reason to take Nelson, especially if you have a lot of other classes). I had also heard that Nelson was boring but easy, and Simon challenging but a much better teacher. Both predictions were true. I sat in on one of Nelson's lectures in the beginning of the year to see if I wanted to drop Simon and take Nelson and he was the most boring lecturer. Besides that, I don't know much about Nelson. What I will say about Simon, however, is she is not only a fabulous explainer, she is incredibly helpful outside of the classroom. I asked her for a letter of recommendation for an internship within a month of starting and she sat down with me, talked to me about my goals, and was willing to write one--I barely even knew her but she got to know me in order to help me out. She provided guidance when I was considering switching majors, and provided a make-up quiz when people did not do so well on one quiz. She let people out a little early when they had Orgo exams immediately following. What more can you ask for? Yeah, her exam questions were tricky if you didn't adapt to how she teaches. BUT SHE INCLUDED PRACTICE EXAMS IN HER LECTURE NOTES. By the end of the course you will be familiar with how she tests if you pay attention AT ALL. I know some people whose test scores jumped fifty points. The people who didn't improve either didn't put in any work (sorry guys this is college, some work is required) or weren't willing to adapt to her style. She doesn't want you to just regurgitate information, she wants you to understand it. If you actually try in her class, you will.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Anonymous 03/15/2013	Simon is terrible. Read the reviews however you want to... there must be so many SALTY students in her class then... also yeah this class was too hard and if you just want the basic concepts to do well in other bio courses while also helping your GPA you should just take Nelson. I promise you I am positive Simon is terrible and I don't even have to say much about that because the bad reviews say it all. I am a SENIOR. Got a C- BARELY with Simon, and I got all A's in every bio class afterward, also got into med school despite her telling me I would never get there. Trust me, Simon has nothing to do with my success. My own will brought me to where I am. Her class was harsh.
Anne Simon BSCI105 bh92 02/08/2013	I am a junior now, and I took BSCI105 as a freshman. At the time, I thought that Prof Simon was tough, but now I am SO appreciative of her class. She is fabulous and if you work hard in her class, you will be set for all of your future bio classes. I have taken genetics, microbio, cell biology and physiology, biochemistry and mammalian physiology and there has been a point in every single one of these classes when I have referenced her book of notes. I am also using them to study for the MCAT. The class is hard, but what do you expect? It's biology. If you have to take any more bio classes at Maryland, take 105 with Simon and rise to her expectations. You might surprise yourself.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Expecting a B+ Anonymous 01/05/2013	Dr. Simon is hand down the best teacher I have ever had. Those bad reviews are by someone real salty about a bad grade and don't accurately reflect her. If you are looking at 105 teachers take Simon. Her class will be very difficult, but this is a biology class and more than likely the other teacher will also be difficult. The reason for taking Dr. Simon though is that she is an amazing lecturer. She gets the point across and makes the content easier to understand. Not only that, she sets you up for doing well in her class and others. Her tips have improved my studying habits ten fold. Furthermore, outside of class I would go to her office hours; she was so sweet and genuinely wanted me to do well in her class. I did not "re-take" the class, I worked hard and I followed her tips. I sincerely wish my other biology classes were taught by her.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Anonymous 12/04/2012	The only way to get a good grade in this class is to re-take it. Don't believe me? Read on and see the other crappy reviews. I don't even have to say anything else because most people on here have it all down pat. This BSCI class is hard as is with the material, but Simon makes it rough. Try another teacher if you can. I am going to end up getting a C in this class because the tests were horrendously horrible. The only people I know who are doing well are people re-taking it and people who are just complete smarty-pants test-takers.
Anne Simon Anonymous 12/03/2012	Wish I had read the reviews here before picking a teacher for 105. Simon was alright, but man the exams were way too hard. I mean it was just extremely difficult for no reason. The lab was fine but you will find that all labs for bio courses are somewhat easier than lecture. Simon was not my cup of tea. If she is yours, take her, but I wish I had taken someone else. Hated this class and cannot wait to take the final and be done.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Expecting an A Anonymous 11/28/2012	Please don't pay attention to the bad reviews. They seem to all be written by one or two unhappy students. If you scroll down you'll see more accurate reviews. True, Dr. Simon expects a lot from her students BUT she invests just as much time in helping you. She has GSS sessions and she holds 1.5 hour review sessions every week. She also has an awesome note set that's basically like the bio bible for me now. She paces herself very well and really wants everybody to do well. This class helped me understand certain concepts in BSCI207 (that weren't explained well by my 207 professors...). While most of the 207 class was confused, I just remembered what I had learned in Simon's class. If you can take her, take her but only if you're willing to work hard. It will be worth it!!
Anne Simon BSCI105C Anonymous 11/20/2012	This class had its ups and downs. and WOW LOL to all the reviews saying this class helped them get into med school. On the contrary, I am surprised that one class at this university could actually make or break your potential to get into a graduate school program. Don't listen to those people. That is crazy talk. This class had its ups and downs and clearly it was not my favorite or anyone else's favorite class. I recommend a different teacher unless you are a College Park Scholar and have to take BSCI105S or BSCI105C. Nelson is awesome from what I hear. Simon's class was like unpredictable because some days she was really nice, other days she was not. So complex for no reason. I can tell you that I appreciate all the material I learned from the BSCI105 syllabus, but I wish I had had another teacher other than Simon. Enough said.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Anonymous 11/15/2012	BSCI105 was a good class but I didn't like Simon teaching it. That made my semester horrible. Also one thing I didn't like were the in class pop quizzes. If you had to make those up because you were sick, she was very unreasonable and and she would make your make-up quiz an oral quiz question & answer time with her personally. That was a dreadful experience. In all honesty, I learned alot in this class but that's because the BSCI105 curriculum is that way, not because of Simon. Also if you email her about being absent for a legitimate reason she is very doubtful and will assume that you were "skipping" class. Beware.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Anonymous 11/13/2012	Okay let me tell you something about this class...the lecture note set you get is helpful, but you get lecture note sets in every BSCI105 class. This class will help you succeed in other classes in bio you take down the road. However, avoid Simon if you can. She isn't the most helpful teacher, and you will find that you get more out of the GSS and lab TA's than you get out of her. She also LOVES making the answers to multiple choice questions things like D. the organism is an alien. LAST time I checked, we aren't learning about aliens in BSCI105, and questions like that throw someone off. Nelson is a better professor. Please take him or Shields if you can. If you are stuck with Simon, I mean just do your best but don't expect to get a good grade.
Anne Simon BSCI105S Anonymous 10/31/2012	BSCI105C with Simon is the worse class ever. If you can take Nelson, please do. He is a saint. Simon is just downright rude and unthoughtful as to whether kids in the class are doing well. Yes, she holds review sessions, but they are as confusing as her lecture. Also she gives in-class quizzes and pray you never have to make up a missed quiz. She is brutal when having one on one conversation with you. If you aren't doing well in the class, she tries to tell you that other smart kids are going to get into med school before you. How condascending, right? I and a few others actually spoke with some advisors about this issue and they also agree it is not a professor's place to tell someone whether or not they will get into grad school. Simon thinks she is a big deal, well she isn't. And she tries to make herself look so cool in class by always talking about her work with the X-Files when all she did was proof-read a pre-written script for like one episode. Please take my advise that this class is not only hard, but the professor is not considerate.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Anonymous 10/31/2012	If I could give this class with Simon a ZERO rating, I sure would. If you want to listen to people below me, be cautioned that they probably didn't have the experience that I and several other students had with Simon. NOTE: this class is hard, it is an introductory course. I feel that the class was TOO SPECIFIC for anyone to learn anything. The lab was awesome because my TA was nice. However, Simon is a very condascending, rude person if she knows you are doing terribly in the class. If you want my personal opinion, and I am entitled to it...the people below me are CRAZY. The course is extremely difficult and far too difficult with Simon. I sat in on one of Nelson's and Shield's lectures and they were both more helpful and understanding than Simon. I cannot tell you the agony this class with Simon caused on my GPA. The woman specifically tells you she doesn't care if you fail. Oh and for everyone making a big whoop de doo about research help, do you realize this University is not just controlled by Simon? HELLO there are WAY more nicer teachers here in bio/chem depts that will help you with finding a lab internship. Don't make Simon's so-called "connections" (which she always boasted about in our class constantly), make you think this class is worth it. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR and TAKE ANOTHER TEACHER PLEASE.
Anne Simon BSCI105S Anonymous 10/10/2012	Dr. Simon was hands down the best professor I had at UMD, and will probably ever have during my academic career here. The thing you need to realize is that because a class is "hard" or demanding, doesn't mean that the professor you have is a bad one. I have never had a professor who was willing to hold hour long review sessions every single week, in addition to holding office hours. She gives you set of tips that you have to follow and if you do, you are bound to do well. If you don't, you will realize it was a mistake. BUT even then, if you go see her, she is willing to help you because she cares. she cares, and sometimes that is all you can ask for from a professor. BSCI105 is not an easy class... it won't be easy no matter who you take it with. If you want to move on from BSCI105 actually understanding the material take it with Dr. Simon. She has your best interest at heart, but if she senses that you are not putting the effort which the class deserves, she will not sugar coat things for you. I needed her wake up call to understand what it was that I was doing wrong. She makes science interesting and gives you an appreciation for what it is your studying. If you are a bio major and/or premed student, TAKE THE CLASS WITH HER. It will end up being a lecture of about 40 of you, and she will know all of you personally after a few weeks. And that is what you want from an introductory course. People on here keep saying it's an "introductory course"... that doesn't mean it is supposed to be easy. You can't take a class like this and put minimal effort, not get an A, and then blame the professor. Treat her class well, and she will treat you well. Give the class the attention it deserves, and you will get the attention back. If you are looking to learn something and have a better idea of what medical schools want of you... take the class with her. You will get more out of it than just biology facts. She will teach you things no other introductory professor cares enough to teach you.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Expecting a B Anonymous 09/20/2012	This class has it's ups and downs...it's a very difficult class but that's just the nature of the material. However, there's no getting around the fact that Prof. Simon expects you to do a ridiculous amount of work and thinks that her class is the only one your taking. Is she nice?...it's a little hard to say. She seems to care about her students but then sometimes she acts incredibly condescending or cold and often makes very intimidating remarks and is difficult to talk to. The sheer amount of effort she puts into enforcing pointless rules (ex: you can't be even a minute late to class or you have to sit so far away you can't hear anything) There was also the one time when a kid forgot his calculator and came into the class to get it and I have never seen anyone be so rude to another person as she was to that boy. So no, I didn't really like her, but I'd give her 3 stars just because I remember a large amount of the material I learned because I slaved so hard. I followed all her rules & spent a ridiculous amount of time studying but did not get an A. Prof. Simon is not as big a deal as she thinks she is. Average professor, just more uptight than most- but she does care about her students.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting an A Anonymous 07/24/2012	Yes, her class is hard. Her class is also the best class I took at UMD. She is hands down the best bio teacher I ever had. She teaches you things that will help you down the line. You have to STUDY, and you're going to have to study almost every day. It's a shock at first, but its great preparation for how you will need to study as a bio major (and later as a med student). I had no idea how to study when I can to UMD because I always did well with minimal effort (as I'm sure a lot of people did in HS). Her class taught me study skills that helped my GPA and MCAT score. Now I'm going to Yale for med school. If you can, gut it out, because it's class is definitely worth it. I'm happy I took this class as a freshman.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Anonymous 07/17/2012	It's really upsetting to see these reviews portraying Dr. Simon as this horrible professor. I mean, I guess everyone is entitled to his/her opinion but I actually think very highly of Dr. Simon. She is an amazing professor and I would recommend her to anyone. I am in no way saying that her class is an easy A however. You still have to work hard, but if you go to her for help, she will absolutely help you. Despite what people have said previously, she doesn't actually want to see people fail. I'm so happy to have had her as a professor. And for those who are thinking, 'Oh whatever, she must have liked her because she was a freaky genius kid in the class or something.' No, I'm not a freaky genius kid. I have to work just as hard as anyone else to do well in the class, but Dr. Simon really is just a great professor and a great person in general. And FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN RESEARCH: Dr. Simon will go out of her way to help you get into a lab, so I would really recommend going to talk to her if that's something you really want to look into.
Anne Simon BSCI105C Anonymous 07/13/2012	BSCI105 is an interesting class. The labs were fun, but that is because Anne Simon was not the actual teacher. She, the lecture professor, is absolutely horrible. If you have no prior bio experience besides a high school regular bio background, you will fail. And guess what? She doesn't care. She doesn't care because apparently she is "on the board of professors who decide which professors get tenure" so in her mind, you don't need to like her because she's safe from being reprimanded for being a poor teacher. She goes too fast in lecture. She makes comparisons of poor students to the students who are doing well. She is just not motivational to students. The GSS is the only way to learn but honestly when you're a bio major taking 4 other hard classes simultaneously, how do you even have time for every GSS for BSCI105?? How?! And oh the final is hard as anything. No curve either. If you take this class I sure hope you are a bio genius. Also her lecture notes are disorganized, the pictures (which she expects you to memorize and are NOT in the book!) are wayyyy too small to even read, and yeah, this class is setting you up for failure. It was dreadful. Also, she believes that all medical funds should go toward funding research for plant diseases, because in her opinion, human diseases are irrelevant. She told our class this. Whack, right?!
Anne Simon BSCI105 Anonymous 05/29/2012	This teacher is one of the worst at the University. She wants you to do poorly. And on the last day of exams, she made it a point when kids were checking their answers to make snide remarks. For example, some smart kid did really well and so she said to this kid in front of some other students who had lots of markings on their answer sheet, "Oh at least you put in the time and effort to do well and it will make your future bright unlike some people who got C's because they won't get far." I'm sorry but as a student I do not think it is a professor's place to put someone down just because their learning ability is different and they cannot manage to pull an A in a difficult ENTRY LEVEL (key word, entry level) class. This class was more difficult than it should have been and sometimes I often wonder that they should just tell you ahead of time that if you want to take Simon, you should take AP Biology because she literally doesn't give two !@#$%s if you do poorly. She will single you out and make your self esteem drop. I complained to the advising office and they agree.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Anonymous 05/17/2012	The only "enhanced future" you will get from this class is when you're finished with it and it is in the past. This class was equivalent to a nightmare. Too much work involved. Simon expects you to re-write 300 pages of lecture notes. Not a fun time if you ask me. As for lab, lab was interesting, fun, and easy to learn, but that's because Simon doesn't coordinate it. The woman is, like someone said earlier, self-absorbed and she does not care if you don't pass. The end.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Anonymous 05/17/2012	BSCI105 is so fun! NOT WITH SIMON, however. The woman makes this class impossible. She wants you to fail. Don't listen to anyone else praising her. It is not one of the best academic experiences of your college career. It is torture in a lecture note set book. Seriously, she makes this class too hard and it has nothing to do with not working hard to get a good grade. I am a straight A student and this class was hard to pass. I mean, she is not a nice person either. A 89.99999995 is a B!!! It's a B!!! Can you believe that nonsense? Do not take her if you don't want a terrible semester where you constantly have to be on your toes about everything. It is not worth it. Overrated BSCI105 class.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Anonymous 05/08/2012	Dr. Simon has so far been the best professor I have had at the University of Maryland. I was not interested in science before taking her class, and was merely doing it for my scholars program. A year later, I'm a Pre-Med student debating adding a Biology double major and one day hoping to be a doctor. Dr. Simon knows biology, and knows how to teach it better than anybody else. I have never been exposed to such a systematic and sure-fire teacher before. If you do what Dr. Simon tells you to do, you'll get an A and you'll have one of the best academic experiences of your college career. Dr. Simon challenges you, which people commonly see as a bad thing, but in my opinion, a few hours of extra work is a small price to pay in exchange for an enhanced future. TAKE THIS PROFESSOR, WORK HARD, BE HAPPY!
Anne Simon BSCI105 Anonymous 04/25/2012	Dr. Simon is very interesting. She is a nice woman outside of this class. If you do poorly in the class, however, she can be not so nice. I mean if you are a bio whiz and have 40+ hours to study for this class, and don't have extracurriculars and you are a bookworm, then please, take this class. I mean the woman is too hard of a teacher for an entry level class. She should be teaching upper levels. I mean like someone said before, her tests are multiple choice and FAR TOO SPECIFIC. like I mean way too specific. The GSS leader is a nice person for this class, but be careful of who your lab t.a. is...Mine was awful. I hated this class because the professor (Dr. Simon) acts like this is the only class everyone is taking. Hello!!! I mean the only people who are doing well were bookworms and people retaking it. So yeah. Do yourself a favor and take Nelson for this course. You will save yourself alot of stress and time.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Anonymous 04/16/2012	Run for your damn life if you don't want to do 40 hours of studying a week. This woman is very sweet in nature outside of the class but she is condascending toward students if you do poorly just from not following some tips in a notebook. The class is incredibly hard for no reason, and as said before, the exam multiple choice questions are ultra specific and hard. Also, she expects you to study 40 hours a week and if you don't it's not her problem that you're doing below average. Yeah. Don't take BSCI105 with her unless you are amazingly amazing (I mean you just ace everything) and don't have a 16 credit course load. If you do, take another teacher. Please.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting an A Chad Drummond 06/27/2011	I took Dr. Simon's class as a post-bac student. Her class was the single most demanding class I have taken in my entire academic career. That said, she is an amazing, helpful professor who cares about her students. You will have to work hard in her class, but you will learn an incredible amount. If you aren't willing to work hard, maybe you should reconsider college.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting a C Anonymous 05/23/2011	The people below me are crazy.. Dr. Simon is horrible. She goes so fast during the lectures and jumps around from page to page, so it is very difficult to follow along and understand what she is talking about. Also, every (or most) bsci105 professor has printed out lecture note sets (which you have to PAY FOR). She goes so quickly that you have no option but to spend AT LEAST 2 or 3 hours per day studying the notes. She EXPECTS this out of every student, as if we do not have other demanding classes, too. The worst part about her class is that her exams are EXTREMELY specific. She'll make questions about something so minuscule in the notes that you would never think to be important. I feel like I learned a great deal from this class--and not because of her, but because I spent countless hours studying the notes and teaching MYSELF--yet I still got a C in the class because no matter how hard I studied, she managed to make questions on material she never taught us, or something so specific you could not even prepare for it. Unless you took AP in hs or just know everything about bio, DO NOT take BSCI105 with Dr. Simon--your semester will be hell if you do.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/17/2011	Dr. Simon is hands down the best professor I've had so far as an undergraduate student. Dr. Simon REALLY knows what she is talking about and is a great lecturer/teacher. She holds weekly review sessions that are extremely helpful for the exams. I have learned so much in this class. However, her class is not easy. In fact, her class is probably the hardest out of the BSCI105 professors (Nelson is definitely the easiest). You must put in the effort and work to get an A in this class. There is no curve, and a 89.8% is still a B. I highly recommend listening to her "steps to succeed" on the first day of class, and follow them because they really do help. With that said, I strongly recommend taking Dr. Simon, especially if you are a biology major. She will prepare you for the other biology courses and you will learn so much from her. I'm so glad I took BSCI105 with her instead of Nelson because I really enjoyed this class.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting an A AlwaysMee 05/14/2011	I admit when I got my first email from her (3 weeks before the semester had even begun) telling us students about the classroom rules and about how hard the class could be if we did not follow her tips for success, I was very nervous and was going to drop the class if I had found another that fit my schedule. HOWEVER, Dr. Simon has been the BEST professor I have had yet in the University of Maryland, and I believe she is the best for BSCI 105. She sacrificed so much time and effort and really cared about the success of those who tried hard to learn in her class. She even took the time to write her own 250 page lecture note set for each student to have a copy of. But I must admit this class takes the same (or more) CONSIDERABLE amount of effort and time on behalf of the students. Had I not gone to EVERY weekly review session and weekly office hour session, and read the lecture material before and/or after class, and found study partners within the class, there is NO WAY I would been able to become a tutor and do well in this class. There were times that I did not feel like waking up to be at her office at 8am, but I knew that if I didn't I would not be successful. If you are a student who is TRULY willing to learn and sacrifice time, then there is SO MUCH for you TO GAIN out of this course. Dr Simon has taught me more than class material. She has taught me how to learn concepts and given me so many tips for the future, things that I would not have gotten from any other BSCI105 professor. I am truly thankful for Dr. Simon, and I would recommend this course by this professor to anyone who is NOT looking for an 'Easy A', and truly wants to learn.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting a C SirSlacksALot 05/10/2011	Dr. Simon is probably one of the best teachers here on campus at the University. Her presence as a tough instructor is warranted because she only wants the best for her students. She dedicates her own free time to compiling review sessions and talking about field research with many of her students. Paying attention in her class is important. Fortunately, she prints a set of her lecture notes for you to follow along with during the lecture. She genuinely cares about the success of her students, and exhibits it from the dedication and extra time she puts in. Make it count.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting a B tjice 05/09/2011	Dr. Simon is such a great teacher. She tells you right off the bat that you're going to have to work hard for this class, and she's right. However, if you do what she tells you to do from the beginning, you will do well in this class. The class is not easy, and it's even harder when combined with other difficult classes. But you will learn A LOT. Dr. Simon really truly cares about her students and wants you to learn. She held weekly review sessions, which were helpful for understanding material. TAKE Dr. Simon, you will be glad you did.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/03/2011	Simon is perhaps one of the most intimidating teachers... on the first day. Every other day she's completely helpful and will always go around at the beginning of class answering questions. Her lecture note set is where the exam questions are based off, so don't even bother buying a book for her. The note set is so organized and helpful, however, it is necessary to go to every class to understand the concepts in the note set. The lecture note set also has practice exams and a study guide for each exam unit. If you can manage to go to every class, this also means you will never miss one of the 4 pop quizzes and 4 BONUS quizzes. This was my mistake, after missing 2 quizzes =/ otherwise i definitely would have gotten an A. She has a non-mandatory review session every thursday as opposed to a discussion which is very helpful if you're confused. She also has a tutor system set up whereas after the first test, those who gained an 85% or higher can set up to be a tutor for any student in the class who also signs up to be a "tutee." This is one of the most genius ideas and should be implemented in every class. If you're taking simon. Go to class, review notes, and genuinely pay attention. It's not that hard if you work at it a little every day. Also just a Bio tip, a lot of challenging concepts like replication/transcription/translation can be explained much better through random videos on youtube. They totally helped. The one negative is that her tests are all multiple choice questions with sometimes very confusingly similar answers. But relatively, the tests are not hard.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/28/2011	Excellent professor! Dr.Simon not only knows her stuff, but makes difficult material as easy as possible. Alot of people complain about the course, but only because they slack and do not put in the time neccessary. She provides you with all sorts of study aids and support. If you want to do well in the course, you can.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/08/2010	She intimidated the hell out of me on the first day of class, and I honestly considered dropping for another professor. But something told me to stick it out, and I'm glad I did! She comes across as a hard ass, but she is actually very sweet and genuinely cares about her students. I came into this class with barely any science background but still managed to earn an A+. The course material itself isn't that hard--it's just a lot of info to learn. That said, go to class, PAY ATTENTION (most people don't seem to do this), keep up with the material as you go along, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Paying attention is key. She'll often tell you flat out what will be on the exams. Trust me, studying for exams will be a LOT easier if you just pay attention in class. Couple notes of warning--don't be late to class, and don't get up while she's talking. She will call you out in front of everyone. Labs are stupid, but Dr. Simon has no control over this. Take the lab report seriously because it's graded very harshly. If you're pre-med, a bio major, or just sincerely interested in bio, I highly recommend Simon. Lazy people beware.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting an A Anonymous 02/11/2010	This class is very difficult, especially considering it is a intro class, so i would not suggest it for non-bio majors. However, if you are a bio major, you will learn a lot in this class because Prof. Simon makes sure you learn the material. Her tests are not that bad, but you really need to be studying about 2 hours for every one lecture, so about 1 hour a day. If you are ambitious and want to be taught the correct way to learn you should take this course (even if you are not a bio major). If you follow Prof. Simon's studying directions you will come out of this class with more than just knowledge about biology, you will also have learned good study habits which will help you for the rest of your college career.
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting a B- Anonymous 12/20/2009	Professor Simon is by far one of the best teachers I have had at UMD. She is a hard ass and is pretty tough, but yu will learn SO MUCH and will be VERY prepared for your upper levels and further classes such as genetics and organismal. I succeeded in these classes because of her. You must know the lectures inside and out and you must go to class...but being a bio major you should get used to going to class so suck it up and it will be worth it!
Anne Simon BSCI105 Expecting a B+ laurelapollo 12/01/2009	If you are really interested in Bio or if you are on a pre med track TAKE BSCI105 WITH SIMON. Her class is hard but she is an amazing teacher. You WILL learn in her class. She is also very good at teaching and knows what she teaches. BEST TEACHER EVER