BIOL 3000

This class is hard, and there is no getting around that. For context, I took this class alongside organic chemistry, and struggled more in this class than orgo (for the record, I got a B+ in orgo and did worse in this class). Thank goodness for the CR/GC/NC option this sem (#tCFfall22) because otherwise this class would have tanked my GPA more than I would have liked. Granted, I hardly read the textbook, but you really don't need to except for a few units that aren't covered in lecture but are tested on for the exam (more details in a bit). Wormington isn't a very lenient professor and not the most helpful either. If you come to him with a question, be prepared to try to answer it for yourself. He's a "what do you think" kind of guy.
Homework: He writes the homework using previous exam questions. If you get the hang of the difficulty of his homework, you can get a feel of the test because they are old test questions. They were usually 5 questions that you could answer if you go through the powerpoint and your notes again. I recommend after lecture/while doing your homework, go through the powerpoint, and relisten to his audio recordings if you have time.
Tests: He reuses old test questions, and I highly suggest you look over any homework questions for that unit. Especially look over the ones you got wrong and be sure you can explain why you got them wrong. Study by going through the powerpoint: be able to explain processes (know diagrams) and explain what would happen if something went wrong. You need to memorize every protein that is named and their function, there is no getting around that. Ask yourself what would happen to the process if X protein was mutated/deleted/properly functioning/inhibited. Course mean was an 83%.
Textbook: I bought it because there were some things we needed to read about for the first exam that weren't covered in lecture/powerpoints. Aside from that, hardly every read the textbook. You do need it to study(memorize!) the amino acids and maybe refer to it occasionally for a homework question.
Office hours/Discussion: Discussion was optional. I went a few times throughout the semester, but definitely went before each exam for some review. It is led by a grad student who does not write the test questions. She comes up with her own questions for practice and does some content review. She goes over any questions people have. Think of it as another opportunity for office hours that is built into your schedule. I'd say go at least to the first one and maybe an exam review one to see if it helps you. As for the official office hours, Wormington, the Grad TA, and a possible undergrad TA all host office hours. I went to Wormington's close to an exam for review and to ask lastminute questions. If you come to him with a question, be prepared for him to ask "What do you think?" Which I found annoying because I was confused enough to go to office hours in the first place. He will explain if your rationale is correct or not and will explain the answer. He just goes about it in a roundabout way. And he's kind of sarcastic too, so not the most friendly kind of guy.
Extra Credit: He offers some extra credit homework. I did all of them, but if you don't want to invest too much time into them, just skim the papers he gives.
This class is hard, but it is mandatory for certain STEM majors. Hopefully my advice helps if you have to take this class with Wormington.

I thought this class was so interesting, though extremely challenging. Professor Wormington is an INCREDIBLE and passionate teacher that made my least favorite cellular biology subjects engaging. He can explain complicated topics in a way that doesn't make you feel stupid or unprepared for the course- and is always happy to see people during office hours. This class is hard, there's is no way around it. You need to know the most intricate details of the every system you learn in class, and should be able to explain EVERY detail on the powerpoint. EVERY DETAIL. You will be asked to connect details from previous subjects to current ones, so make sure not to let any information slip too far from your memory. No need to read the textbook unless the material is not being covered in class (Proffessor Wormington will tell you when this happens).

I have never studied so hard for exams in my life, and I truly believe that over 25 hours of studying over at least a week prior to the exam is necessary to be succesful. The best way to study for this course is to review all content (flash cards, drawing diagrams, etc); then go to a slide/subject, and try to teach someone else in the course everything that you can possibly think of on one subject without looking at the slide. Then, fill in ANY missing information. Study groups are super helpful for this.

Very, very difficult class. Worm is a great professor and he explains the concepts very well and very clearly. The issue is that he is a very blunt person (could be seen as rude) and his tests are crazy difficult. Be prepared to study for around 10-20 hours per exam if you want to get an A. What works for me is to relisten to all his lectures and retake notes on them too, then go through the homework problems he gives out since they are old exam questions. Good luck!

#tCFF23

This class is hard, specifically because of the exams. The questions are very convoluted, require you to synthesize information, recall very specific concepts/details, with answer choices with having minor differences . They count for 85% of your grade and the averages are like B-. Other than homework and bonus homework, no grade buffers. You need to listen to every word he says in lecture, and probably will need to relisten to his audio recordings because he talks fast and everything he says is important. He is a good lecturer though and really knows his stuff. Slides were also pretty organized and helpful. The content can be fairly interesting, and it's not really a lot of work otherwise. But you will need to study a ton to even have a chance to get a B. #tCFF23

I thought this was by far the most interesting bio class for the major that I've taken thus far, but also challenging. Wormington's lectures were more engaging compared to Kozminski (he lectured for us a few times because Wormington was gone) in my opinion and Wormington records his lectures. I agree with previous reviews that you have to know almost every small detail he has on his slides to do well (be familiar with chemical structures and the scientific names of microorganisms for example).

To do well on the exams I found it most useful to look back at homework questions (he uses a handful of them on the exams), his reading questions, and to make quizlets/flashcards about all the notes and information from his slides. Also, relistening to all his lectures to get information I missed from lectures, he talks very fast about a lot of information, was also useful. I found the weekly discussions weren't that helpful for me. Like the other reviews mention, the textbook was not really needed as his lectures and slides are sufficient, but you will need to refer to it at times for topics he doesn't teach in his lectures but are on the exam. #tCFF23

Cell bio is the most difficult course I have taken so far - to me, it's even harder than orgo. A big thing with cell bio is that there is SO MUCH memorization. Particularly with Wormington, you have to memorize and understand every single thing he says, as his (all multiple choice) exams consist of complicated questions that require us to make connections between topics that we hadn't connected before. This can be hard because he speaks almost nonstop during the lectures, so it's difficult to get down everything that he says. He does voice record his lectures so you can go back and listen. Wormington is a really nice guy and I definitely recommend going to his office hours for help, but it's mostly on you to put in the time and the effort to truly understand the material. The daily HW questions are a needed grade boost, especially the extra credit bonus HWs, so take your time to make sure you get all of them correct. It's much easier said than done, but my advice would be to study as much as possible - like spend time after each lecture going back through all the slides and your notes to reabsorb the content. Good luck!!! #tCFF23

As everyone else has mentioned, this class is challenging.
How I studied for the class: I would go to lecture (he records, so if you miss you can re-watch, but it's only audio, so when he points to things or changes slides you won't be able to tell in the recording). I would try my best to re-watch the lecture the day of, synthesize my notes and then attempt the homework problems to check my understanding. Leading up to the exam, the week before I would go through the lectures and create anki cards based on the lecture+my notes, and then grind them. 2/3 days before the exam I would whiteboard all the information down to put it all together, as well as answer the big unit questions, and then the day before I would put all the homework questions together and take it like a practice test. If I had time, I would also go through my "practice test" and next to the wrong answers I would write down what would be needed in order to make them correct.
Exams: Even still, this class was super challenging. His exams are scantron, around 50-60 questions. His exams are very application based, meaning you need to already come with an understanding of the material, and his questions will test the ability to be able to know what would happen if you changed a certain aspect of the information.
Wormington: I think Wormington is a fantastic lecturer and is very knowledgeable in this field, and takes the time to talk about drug pricing and the importance of being vaccinated (through the history of HIV) as well as explains very complex topics that are important to know for med school/research/other bio classes. I went to OH and discussion almost every week, and I really recommend going to OH because we talked about important but small details that I otherwise would have missed in my studying. I know depending on who you are people have different opinions about Wormington. For me, I think he favors people who frequent his OH, but if you are not able to make the same connection (even if you do go to OH a lot) it feels harder to approach him for questions/talk to outside of OH. If you are interested in taking his Spring class (Cell Mech) I suggest you make a connection with him, as I have noticed that people who do make a connection with him end up taking the class (it is a professor permission class).
Grades: I honestly believe Wormington was trying to make this semester harder (GPA avg went from last sem 2.8 to 2.7 this sem, and avg class mean grade went from 82 to 80%). He does not curve, but instead changes the grade brackets and installs a built in grade boost through bonus homework (so in theory someone could have a 510/500 in the class). He does round to the nearest number (89.6->90).
It is a lot of work, but if you approach the class with wanting to learn the material and are prepared to put in the effort daily, an A is achievable!

Cell Bio is a beast of a course. The amount of material is quite intimidating and a lot to undertake. That being said, Prof Wormington is a very good instructor. He is super passionate about this subject and this comes through when he teaches. I personally think he is very effective at teaching, although often I had to rewatch lectures to fully grasp things. The course material is really interesting, and Wormington's enthusiasm helps with this. I will say, if you are used to getting A's, that may not be the case in this class. Exam averages are in the 70s. This is probably the hardest class I have ever taken, but if you have to take it, I recommend Wormington for sure.
#tCFF23

Well, what can I say that hasn't already been said: cell bio is a ridiculously tough class. The volume of information is immense, and you need to be able to develop the skill to synthesize and understand multiple complex systems. So here's my advice:
Please, please, if you can, take cell bio with Prof Wormington. YES, this class is difficult, but he does a genuinely incredible job communicating the information. He appears abrasive at first, but he's been teaching this course for 32 years, and takes no crap from anybody. Take the time to get to know him - go to office hours - and really try your hardest in the course, and he will appreciate it. You will get a lot more out of the course that way, too!
Materially, I recommend taking at least a week in advance to study for the exams. They are NOT a cakewalk - they will test your ability to apply the concepts you've learned. I like to make Anki decks to drill the raw information, then make sure I can apply it by drilling the homework questions and drawing out the relevant structures and pathways.
This class is tough, but you will get through it!