This class was extremely difficult for an online open note class. I studied very hard yet realized that more studying did not ensure success because the questions were all about theoretical what if's and not factual information. The tests did not assess if you knew the content, rather it assessed whether you were able to interpret a far out research topic that is not fully studied. Many answers choices were debated in discussion/office hours and many times professors were unable to deduce that other answers were wrong yet credit was not given for those answers, only answers THEY thought best in THEIR interpretation (Cox was the more understanding professor in this aspect and I thought he was a better professor). The duel aspect of two professors in this course was not helpful and actually made the learning curve harder as they switched halfway through the semester. As many informed me that this was an 'easier' biology 3000 course I would not take this lightly and would go in with the idea that exams are very ambiguous/unclear and it will take much of you time to try and understand what the question is even asking before trying to review answer choices that are VERY similar. It was also my understanding that the TA wrote some of the exam questions so go to their office hours instead because what the professor says and what the TA says are different and the difference in interpretations is very visible on the exam questions.

This class is split between Cox and Brodie, but I liked Cox the best. His powerpoints are almost so complete that you basically don't need to attend lectures. I found his exams better and easier than Brodie's. Material-wise, I thought this class was drier than rock but it's not too bad. The grade is split between 4 exams, so that's a little rough. I thought Brodie's exams were harder, but it could be that I liked him less as a Prof. Don't buy the textbook -- there's no point. Just study hard for the exams.

I’m more interested in cellular/molecular biology, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this class. Professor Cox is somewhat dull but his powerpoint slides are the best slides I’ve ever seen. For some people, going to lectures may not be mandatory, although I still attended because recording lectures is helpful for me and clicker participation gives you 1% bonus. Exams were challenging but as long as you have a deep understanding of the content and examples, they are definitely doable. Professor Brodie’s lecturing style is a little more interesting and I’d say the content that he teaches is a bit more straightforward. His exams were a little more challenging than Professor Cox’s but still doable in my opinion. Both professors are very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter which is refreshing. Overall, this is an excellent course and I learned a lot of useful information.

Don’t buy the textbook, you won’t need to read it. Go to class and pay attention. You will get 1 point added to your course grade for attendance (measured by iClicker, you can afford to miss only a couple of lectures). Cox teaches first half, Brodie teaches second half. Cox is an okay lecturer and has straightforward exams. Brodie is a good lecturer but has hard, very ambiguous exams (I did worse on them DESPITE them actually being open note due to corona). No homework.

This is a pretty standard bio class and I think the school re-vamped it after last semester so it isn't there to "trick you" anymore. I found professor Cox to be passionate about what he was talking about and made lectures enjoyable. If you're taking this class you've probably been through way worse in the bio department and you will hopefully be able to appreciate these professors who just like biology and are here to teach us. To do well I'd say review the powerpoints about a week early, go through the Piazza (which I didn't know what piazza was until exam 3), use your book as a reference but you definitely don't need to do the assigned readings. Some of my classmates recorded the lecture but honestly I don't think it's necessary. This is one of those classes where you stand out based on your test-taking abilities rather than your actual knowledge. I hope you're a better test taker than me!