AI Rate Professor

Biology

Michael Plotkin

BIOL128 · BIOL150 · BIO115H · BIOL101 · BIO151 · BIO150 · BIOL115 · BIOL151H · BIO115 · BIOL151H1666 · 64 lifetime ratings

AI rating
54/100
RMP rating
3.5/5
Take again
60.98%
Difficulty
3.3

The decision

Take him only if you want a flexible pass-oriented bio grade and can self-pace a .

Best fit · Self Taught ProWeird Pass/Fail GradingHeavy Tedious WorkloadUnlimited RetakesSelf-Paced No Due DatesPolarizing Online vs In Person
  • Uses a nontraditional pass/fail or credit-no-credit system with and end-of-semester due dates that .
  • Workload is often heavy with , and completing work.
  • In-person students often call him chill and funny while online reviews , and overwhelm.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

EasyA

78/100

Many students get As , and complete-all-work rules, though and volume still demand steady effort.

Online reviews split between free-A vibes and ; in person more often describes an easy A if work is finished.

Is the course easy?

Standard

52/100

Intro bio content is not usually conceptually brutal, but , and case studies make the course feel harder than the subject alone.

Online honors and 151 sections sound more overwhelming; in-person BIO150 is often described as chill content with flexible pacing.

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

68/100

and sometimes optional in person, yet labs and participation still matter for success.

Online is mostly flexible; several in-person sections list attendance as .

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

55/100

great for clear grades and lighter homework.

In-person recent reviews lean more positive; .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

70/100

, and complete-to-pass rules help grades even when he is called a .

Format shift

Both formats report lenient redo policies, but online students complain more about delayed and opaque scoring.

Workload

Heavy

28/100

Lots of , and reading dominate comments across courses.

Format shift

Online honors and 151 reviews especially call the volume overwhelming; some in-person BIO150 sections feel lighter.

Teaching experience

Average

56/100

Students split between funny clear lectures that make bio click and reports of .

Format shift

In person more often praises personality and lectures; online more often cites incompetence or disappearance.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

32/100

Success is driven mainly by completing modules, labs, case studies, and .

Format shift

Both formats emphasize ongoing assignments; in person adds lab practicals and occasional exams.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

26 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Easy A Hunter

with retakes, but grading still confuses and labs can be heavy.

Main concern

and uneven teaching quality if you want traditional lecture structure and grade visibility.

What students said

“Professor Plotkin is the most Chill professor I have EVER taken, he grades on a pass or .”
BIO150
“if you want to actually learn bio and have a , but if you want the easiest A of your life, go for it.”
BIOL150
“In order to pass his class you just .”
BIO151

Remote format

Online

24 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

many report confusing grading, long tedious work, slow feedback, and .

Main concern

, and weak communication leave students unsure of standing until late.

What students said

“This is the first class I ever dropped. I had an A. But i still decided the .”
BIO115
“I've never dropped a class before, but the .”
BIO115H
“format of class is easy to follow, its pass or fail. only gripe is that idk my grade.”
BIO115

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Assessments are mostly quizzes, labs, and redoable work rather , but difficulty and clarity still vary.

Unlimited RetakesQuizzes With Study GuidesLab PracticalsTest CorrectionsPass/Fail Modules

Assessment risk

Standard

58/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In person includes quizzes, lab practicals, occasional exams, and ; difficulty is moderate and not clearly open-book.

Lab PracticalsTest CorrectionsIn-Person Quizzes
“ ; he wants you to get an A.”
BIOL101
“ but , and all assignments can be redone for full credit until semester ends.”
BIOL151H

Online

Online comments emphasize quizzes, modules, and redoable assignments with .

Module QuizzesRedoable AssignmentsNo Clear Proctoring Proof
“case study, activity, 2 labs, and a quiz every 2 weeks. doesnt penalize late work, multiple tries to get it right, very fair.”
BIO115
“everyone only did 2 assignments for the entire semester, and ONE quiz.”
BIO150

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“if you want to actually learn bio and have a , but if you want the easiest A of your life, go for it.”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews spanning online and and workload themes. Credibility rating: High.

⚖️ Pass/Fail Easy Credit

78/100

“Everything is due at the end of the sem, mostly group projects, 1 meet a week. ”

📚 Heavy Tedious Workload

28/100

“His labs and assignments are extremely long, tedious, and and .”

🎢 Polarizing Teaching

56/100

“Makes biology interesting to grasp an understanding of. The biggest complaint that most .”

👍 Conditional Recommendation

55/100

“ as far as biology at MSJC goes.”

Theme 1

📝

  • , but it's easy to pass.
  • . In order to pass his class you just .
  • semester ends.

Theme 2

🏋️ About Workload

  • Lots of assignments!!!!!
  • there are no due dates so you have the entire semester to work at your own pace.
  • Copious amounts of tedious and unnecessary work.

Theme 3

😄 About Personality

  • The most chill professor I've ever had.
  • He's Super funny, very knowledgable of the material, and extremely laid back.
  • Professor Plotkin is an amazing professor who loves biology and makes it incredibly fun.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

64

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty detailed reviews across many years and both formats and workload despite polarized ratings.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 532
4 out of 510
3 out of 53
2 out of 56
1 out of 513

Course coverage

BIO11517 reviews
BIO1508 reviews
BIO1516 reviews
BIOL151H5 reviews
BIO115H3 reviews
Show 6 more courses
BIOL1013 reviews
BIOL1153 reviews
BIOL1502 reviews
1171 review
BIOL1281 review
BIOL151H16661 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

41 reported outcomes

A range

24

A+ 5 · A 19

B range

2

B 2

C range

1

C 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

14

Drop/Withdrawal 5 · Incomplete 3 · Not sure yet 3 · Rather not say 3