AI Rate Professor

Biology

Rodney Olsen

BIO11B · BIO16 · 11AH · 11B · BIOLOGY · BIO3 · BIO11A · 115 lifetime ratings

AI rating
85/100
RMP rating
4.6/5
Take again
80.36%
Difficulty
3.3

The decision

if you want a strong, supportive biology teacher and are willing to work hard for the grade.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerExcellent lecturesCaring and supportiveTough examsHeavy readingRewarding challenge
  • Students overwhelmingly praise his passion, clarity, care, and willingness to help.
  • The course is challenging, especially because of dense biology content, reading, and difficult exams.
  • Grades are achievable when students attend, study consistently, and use his resources.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

58/100

An A is realistic with , and use of resources, but it is not low-effort.

Both formats show effort-for-reward grading, though often.

Is the course easy?

Standard

41/100

Biology content is dense and concept-heavy, but and support make it manageable for prepared students.

Online and in-person reviews both describe challenging but learnable material, with .

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

42/100

, but students repeatedly say missing lectures makes the class much harder.

In-person reviews stress attendance more strongly, while .

Is this professor recommended?

MustTake

88/100

Most students recommend him because , and deeply invested in .

Both formats are broadly positive, with and most numerous recommendations.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

55/100

because exams are tough, but students cite note cards, exam help, , dropped or replaced exams, and clear support.

Format shift

and support-based fairness, while online reviews are mostly fair but still exam-heavy.

Workload

Moderate

45/100

Workload is manageable if kept up with, but , and .

Format shift

Online reviews emphasize lecture notes and textbook use, while and lots of reading.

Teaching experience

Excellent

92/100

Students repeatedly describe him as , and unusually supportive.

Format shift

Teaching praise is strong in both formats, with .

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Grades appear driven heavily by exams and , and occasional essays or assignments.

Format shift

Both formats mention quizzes and exams, while in-person reviews more .

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

43 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person reviews strongly praise his lectures, care, and support, but repeatedly warn that exams and .

Main concern

The main risk is difficult, application-heavy exams that punish weak preparation.

What students said

“ , but are doable for an A especially with the help given”
BIO11B
“You really need to put time into this class if you want to do well in it”
BIO11A

Remote format

Online

7 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online reviews are mostly positive, praising detailed lectures and support while still warning that the material and .

Main concern

Online students still need strong study habits because exams and material can be demanding.

What students said

“he does make you work to earn your grade, but he is there to help you every step of the way.”
BIO11B
“ questions and not enough time to think through problems.”
11B

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams are tough and often tricky, but some reviews mention note , and clear preparation resources.

Tough ExamsNote Card AllowedQuizzesReview SessionsApplication Questions

Assessment risk

Standard

53/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

as tough or tricky, with some comments saying 3x5 note cards and group exam help are allowed.

Tough Exams3x5 Note Card AllowedGroup Exam HelpApplication Questions
“He allows .”
BIO3
“You . during the group phase of the exam.”
11B

Online

Online reviews mention exams and review sessions but do not clearly prove .

Tough ExamsOptional Review Sessions
“ questions and not enough time to think through problems.”
11B
“review sessions that are optional but very beneficial.”
BIO11B

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“This course was difficult, but Professor Olsen is truly so caring and has several opportunities for you to get help outside of class!”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting key themes in , and support. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

92/100

“Olsen is the .”

🧪 Course Challenge

41/100

“His lectures are dense bc the subjects are often very dense so .”

👍 Recommendation Rate

88/100

“I 100% recommend taking any class he offers.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • He teaches in a way that's easy to learn.
  • He takes the and is always willing to help.
  • His lectures are very informational and interesting

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • makes you feel prepared.
  • , but are doable for an A especially with the help given
  • There is a lot of reading, but as long as you do the , and review your notes, you'll do well.

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

  • He truly cares about his students
  • he really takes his time to help his students
  • His enthusiasm and patience do not waver.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

115

Lifetime ratings

95/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty reviews over many years give detailed and mostly consistent evidence about excellent teaching, strong support, and difficult exams.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 597
4 out of 56
3 out of 55
2 out of 53
1 out of 54

Course coverage

BIO11A22 reviews
BIO11B10 reviews
BIO38 reviews
11B6 reviews
11AH2 reviews
Show 2 more courses
BIO161 review
BIOLOGY1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

42 reported outcomes

A range

18

A+ 2 · A 14 · A- 2

B range

13

B+ 7 · B 5 · B- 1

C range

8

C+ 1 · C 6 · C- 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

3

Not sure yet 3