AI Rate Professor

Biology

Michael Matiasek

MICROBIOLOGY · BIO15 · BIOL15 · MIRCO15 · BIOL021 · 53 lifetime ratings

AI rating
58/100
RMP rating
3.4/5
Take again
61.76%
Difficulty
4.3

The decision

if you want a supportive but demanding microbiology course and are ready to study hard every week.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerCaring But DemandingTough GraderExam HeavyLots of HomeworkAccessible Outside Class
  • Students often describe Michael Matiasek as caring, passionate, and available for help.
  • Microbiology is consistently described as hard, work-heavy, and exam-heavy.
  • Grades are possible with sustained effort, but students disagree sharply on whether exams match the preparation materials.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

42/100

An A is possible, but students repeatedly , and serious exam preparation.

Online evidence is very negative about exam difficulty, while with steady work.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

28/100

The course content is repeatedly described as dense, advanced, and difficult even by students who liked the professor.

Both formats describe the class as hard, but online reviews are more critical of .

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

25/100

Reviews often warn that skipping class, missing lab, or falling behind can seriously hurt performance.

Attendance pressure is supported mostly by in-person reviews; online .

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

63/100

Many in-person students recommend him for his support and passion, but the heavy workload and .

, while all three online reviews are strongly negative.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

32/100

Students frequently call him a tough grader, though some mention and .

Format shift

especially focused on exam mismatch.

Workload

Heavy

25/100

The workload is repeatedly described as lots of , and weekly study time.

Format shift

and also appears in online tags.

Teaching experience

Good

68/100

He is often praised as caring, passionate, and accessible, but several students say he teaches above the course level or .

Format shift

but often positive, while online teaching feedback is consistently poor.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Reviews repeatedly describe the course as of the grade.

Format shift

Both online and in-person reviews emphasize exams, while , and worksheets.

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

47 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person reviews are mixed but , and accessibility, while still warning that the class is hard.

Main concern

The main issue is heavy workload and difficult exams.

What students said

“Class is hard, but Mike is one of the of class.”
MICROBIOLOGY
“Be prepared to put in 20-30 hours a week and studying.”
MICROBIOLOGY

Remote format

Online

3 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

Online reviews are strongly negative, mainly because students felt exams were harder than the lessons and study guides prepared them for.

Main concern

Online students reported mismatched and difficult exams.

What students said

“ learned in class.”
BIO15
“Mike makes this class extremely hard, especially considering the pandemic going on.”
BIO15

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams are the main risk because many students describe them as difficult, high-stakes, and sometimes not aligned with study guides.

Test HeavyHard ExamsStudy Guides May Not Match ExamsExtra Credit Mentioned

Assessment risk

Strict

35/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person reviews describe tough and , but they do not clearly prove closed-book rules, webcam use, Lockdown Browser, or open-book policy.

Test HeavyTough ExamsExtra Credit Mentioned
“ .”
MICROBIOLOGY
“Study guides are similar to exams/quizzes and .”
BIOL15

Online

Online reviews describe difficult exams that did not match study guides, but they do not clearly prove webcam, proctoring, Lockdown Browser, or open-book policy.

Hard ExamsStudy Guides Do Not Match Exams
“He gives out study guide but honestly has nothing to do with the exam.”
BIO15
“The we did not learn”
BIO15

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“Class is hard, but Mike is one of the of class.”

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

🎯 Teaching Quality

68/100

“He truly wants you to do well.”

📚 Workload Pressure

25/100

“Be prepared to put in 20-30 hours a week and studying.”

⚖️

35/100

“Practice exams and study guides DO NOT correlate with exams!”

👍 Recommendation Level

63/100

“Micro isn't easy, but .”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • He's a great communicator & truly tries to meet students where theyre at.
  • Micro Mike is very passionate about the world of microbiology and it shows through his teaching.
  • He is very engaging and cares about his students.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • He isn't just going to hand out A's but put in the work, & you'll do fine.
  • This is a HARD class.
  • . if you need a good grade.

Theme 3

🧪 About Exams

  • .
  • .
  • The , if you study well and use the study guides you will do fine.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

53

Lifetime ratings

92/100

Evidence confidence

The rating is credible because it uses 50 reviews across many years with detailed and , and difficult exams.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 522
4 out of 59
3 out of 56
2 out of 57
1 out of 510

Course coverage

BIO1523 reviews
BIOL1514 reviews
MICROBIOLOGY9 reviews
BIOL0212 reviews
MIRCO152 reviews

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

42 reported outcomes

A range

19

A+ 5 · A 13 · A- 1

B range

16

B+ 4 · B 11 · B- 1

C range

3

C+ 2 · C- 1

D range

1

D 1

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

3

Drop/Withdrawal 1 · Rather not say 2