AI Rate Professor

Biology

Alexis Ackerman

BIO342 · BIO422 · BIOL422 · 28 lifetime ratings

AI rating
72/100
RMP rating
3.9/5
Take again
75%
Difficulty
4.0

The decision

if you want a rigorous, high-value biology course and will grind; skip if you need easy As or .

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerAmazing lecturesContent-heavy zoologyTough precise graderTest and quiz heavyOffice hours gold
  • Many students call her the passion and .
  • The class is genuinely hard due to volume of , and picky spelling or wording.
  • and office hours help, but you must study constantly and match her expected answers.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

34/100

As are possible with serious study and office hours, but , and As rare.

In-person students who grind often earn As; online students more often report poor grade payoff despite effort.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

26/100

Zoology content volume feels like multiple classes packed into one, with constant quizzes and memorization plus comprehension.

Both formats call it hard; online adds time-management pain and lab load complaints.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

28/100

and warn that skipping hurts because exams track lecture closely.

In-person and online both lean mandatory; a .

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

76/100

About three-quarters would take her again, driven by teaching quality and learning value despite toughness.

In-person recommendations are stronger; online pandemic reviews are more polarized.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

30/100

and wants answers worded in her lecture language, with limited lecture study guides.

Format shift

Online spelling and precise free-response complaints are loudest; in-person still calls her specific but fair if you prepare.

Workload

Heavy

27/100

and , and heavy study hours make the load consistently high.

Format shift

Online hour estimates are extreme; in-person still demands 10-plus study hours in peak weeks.

Teaching experience

Good

82/100

and accessibility, with a minority finding organization or rigidity frustrating.

Format shift

; online organization critiques are more common.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Grade hinges on , and a cumulative final more than long projects.

Format shift

Both formats are quiz and ; labs add regular practical testing.

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

20 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person students more often praise organized lectures, labs with specimens, caring support, and and study guides.

Main concern

Material volume and .

What students said

“Dr. Ackerman is hands down the .”
BIOL422
“Difficult class due to the amount of material covered. so there's no surprises on lec exams.”
BIOL422
“Save your time and money and take someone else. by 1 word”
BIOL422

Remote format

Online

8 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online or pandemic-era sections still deliver strong content but draw more , and huge weekly lab time.

Main concern

Quiz and overwhelm remote students.

What students said

“The class is extremely hard with and . However, she presents the information very well.”
BIO422
“This course is quiz/test heavy. There is a .”
BIOL422
“Expect to spend 4-6 hrs/week on listening to lectures, 16 hrs/wk on lab, and 10 hrs/wk on homework”
BIO422

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams and fill-in quizzes are frequent and exacting on spelling and wording; lab quizzes often have guides while .

Weekly quizzesSpelling matters3 lecture exams plus cumulative final2 lab examsNo lecture study guides oftenEssay free response precise wording

Assessment risk

Strict

34/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

plus cumulative final, two lab exams, and often no lecture study guides though lab guides help.

3 exams + cumulative2 lab examsWeekly quizzesLab study guidesNo lecture study guides often
“3 exams 1 cumulative, 2 lab exam, and a ”
BIO422
“gives no study guides for , and lectures are vague.”
BIOL422

Online

Online reviews emphasize weekly fill-in quizzes where spelling counts, multiple lecture and lab exams, and .

Weekly fill-in quizzesSpelling gradedMultiple lecture examsLab examsPrecise essay answers
“There is a .”
BIOL422
“ .”
BIOL422

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“Dr. Ackerman is hands down the .”

Voice snapshots generated from 28 biology reviews, weighing strong in-person . Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

82/100

“Her lecture style has been my favorite & easiest to follow out of all the classes I've taken at Los Rios CCD.”

📚 Course Difficulty

26/100

“The amount of material within this class was breathtaking, it feels like 3 classes jammed into one.”

⚖️

30/100

“will mark off points for spelling even by 1 word”

👍 Recommendation

76/100

“You would do well to chose her as your Bio 422. Total respect.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • Amazing lecturer! Goes into great detail about complex topics without being overwhelming
  • She makes bio fun and easy to understand
  • she's always there and willing to support

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • You HAVE to put in the work
  • Memorization w/ comprehension is key

Theme 3

🧪

  • but non for the exams
  • NO TRICKS

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

28

Recent reviews read by the AI

28

Lifetime ratings

86/100

Evidence confidence

28 reviews over many years with rich detail and stable themes on rigor, lectures, and .

Inside 28 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 516
4 out of 52
3 out of 53
2 out of 55
1 out of 52

Course coverage

BIOL42217 reviews
BIO42210 reviews
BIO3421 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

23 reported outcomes

A range

12

A+ 1 · A 10 · A- 1

B range

4

B+ 3 · B 1

C range

1

C 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

6

Not sure yet 6