Review from a student who took BIO 325
Professor Finklea is great! She is very enthusiastic during her lectures, but sometimes she can go a little too fast, so pay attention! The class itself requires a lot of work, mainly taking notes and studying the notes. Her tests are based solely on her lectures and on rare occasions some assigned readings from the book. The multiple choice sections on the tests are a little bit tricky; make sure you understand the test materials instead of just memorizing them because you need to apply what you've already known in order to answer those multiple choice questions. The short-answered and essay portions are easy, mainly based on old exams that she posted online; make sure you look over her old exams because most of the time, those questions are repeated verbatim on the tests. Also, the discussion sessions really help, well, depending on who your TA is. Mine was great and very helpful. The discussions really cleared up any confusions that I had. Also, one homework set is due on the day of each test. You get most of the answers to the HW questions from discussion sessions, so go to them and save yourself some work. Overall, if you take good notes and study your notes carefully, you will be fine. Be forewarned that this class is not a blow off class, you actually have to study. I got an A out of it and would definitely do it again if I had to. Dr Finklea rocks!!!

Review from a student who took BIO 325
Dr. Finklea is a hard professor. She's a great person and really nice, but it is kind of difficult to take good notes in her class. She talks way too fast and hardly ever repeats anything she says(even the important stuff). Her exams are very difficult. You have to really understand everything that is going on down to the smallest detail. If you're take this class, be sure you're going to have lots and lots of time to study. She also assigns homework.

Review from a student who took bio 325 bio 212
i wanna get some of that tail

Review from a student who took bio 320
Finklea is a hyperactive showoff...its really hard to follow her lecture because she goes really fast. I thought the information was interesting, but i didnt like her. Yeah she acts cool and memorizes everybody's name and shows off by going upto each person and saying his/her name, but she still is evil...stay away from finklea...

Review from a student who took BIO325
This class is definitely not an easy A. Finklea makes you work for your grade. Her lectures are very clear and you learn everything she tries to teach. However, she talks really fast and so you have to learn to take good notes. Your notes are the most important tool to do well in this class. Many in the class would record the lecture so if that helps, go ahead. We had weekly problem sets which are all cumulatively due before a test. My advice is that work the problem sets each week and don't let them pile because when you get closer to the test, you def will not want to spend the time doi ng your problem sets. Go to the discussin hours because the TA's go over the problem sets and give you answers. Study very thoroughly for the tests because her tests are hard and require the student to absolutely understand the material being tested. Look over her old exams because they contain questions that will appear on the actual tests.

Review from a student who took bio325
mega awesome teacher/person. mega hard exams. if u're mega passionate bout bio, mega lover of note taking, take her. if you're mega big on skipping class, you will fail the class. overall she's a great person, lecturer, and i definitely recommend her. i had a lot of hesistation before takin this class b/c of all the ratings bout her being hard, but i actually find her class easy and very enjoyable. more than anything, her exams arent so much "material" hard as they are "analytical" hard meaning that exams really require clear-headed thinking. i usu cram night before exam, finish the impossibly many questions she assigns for hw the night before exam...i'm a big procrastinator, but still do ok on her exams.

Review from a student who took BIO 325
I took this course over summer with Dr. Finklea, and I really feel like I've learned a ton of Genetics. Finklea is awesome. She tries to get to know everyone in class by name and she does a great job getting everything across. Make sure you ask questions if you don't understand. In order to do well in this course (especially in the summer), go to class every day and take really good notes. She's pretty easy to take notes from, but there is a lot of material, and you end up writing the whole class period. Also, she assigns problem sets for each chapter that are due for completion grade. Make sure you go to discussion because you need to know how to do all of these problems, as the concepts from the trickier ones will show up on the tests. Once the test comes around, your pristine set of notes become your God. The textbook isn't that helpful to learn concepts from scratch, but its fine if you don't quite understand a concept. Anyway, for the test, I ended up studying about 2-3 hours two nights before and then about 5-6 hours the night before. This was probably overkill, but I really loved the material. It's not like it's an easy course, you really do need to understand everything, but if you put in some quality time before each test, and then supplement that with a visit to office hours to clear up any confusion you may have, you should be able to get an A.

Review from a student who took BIO 325
Try not to skip any lectures at all, and you must take thorough notes at each one, and retain all the details. ALL the details. Likes to lecture off of transparencies with Sharpies. Grades are pretty much on exams only. Book helps, but don't depend on it too much. Very difficult class; Dr. Finklea is a fair genetics professor and a nice person who wants students to do well, but I personally wasn't that impressed. Tests are extremely hard with multiple choice, essay and short answer. You must know everything in great detail, so it is a lot of work to keep up. Pretty good professor, not uber-great. Expect to do a lot of work if you want an A for this class, but it is possible.

Review from a student who took bio 325
Finklea no nice. very haard. Bad smell in mouth also. She know name of everybody. Me no like finklea. take another one.

Review from a student who took bio 325
Finklea is a good lecturer, but she does go really quick. She encourages you to ask questions, but if you do, she almost talks to you like you are stupid. She doesnt seem to understand that we arent all genetics professors. Tests are very hard, but she does curve (no bell curve). She's good, but i dont think thats gonna help you get an A. I took Pierson for 212 and I think i would have rather had him for 325. That says a lot.

Review from a student who took BIO 325
But you learn your ass off.

Review from a student who took BIO 325
Yes, her tests are hard, she talks fast, and you study your tail off (which may go unrewarded in the grrade), but you learn the material. The multiple choice portion is hard if you look at it and get flustered, but if you relax and actually read it, it's not bad at all. My advice, as I did, go talk to her and figure out what you did wrong after the first test, and then you'll do much better on the rest of the tests. She posts all of the old tests on Blackboard, just the short answer/essays, definately do them because a good portion of the questions are repeated, and the others have the same idea. The discussion sessions are a must to get the hw questions answered. The material in the homework that might have been left out of the lectures is most likely going to show up on the test. I would say this class is hard, but not 'kill-me' hard. Grading: 3 tests, of which the lowest grade is dropped, and a final. A small percentage is the problems sets. Tests are curved, usually a large curve. The final isn't bad at all. So, I would definately recommend her if you want to learn a lot.

Review from a student who took BIO 325
Dr. Finklea (pronounced Fink-Lee) was a VERY hard professor. She wasn't horrible, but she wasn't the best. Don't just assume that she is good because the other students that reviewed her thought so (or by looking at the CIS results)... I thought that she taught a lot of material in only one semester. I liked her lectures but she talks too fast and getting good notes requires a lot of attention. Yeah she learns your name and all, but SO WHAT!!! Sucking up to her won't help your grade at all! Her exams were the WORST. No matter how hard you try, she'll find a way to screw you! You can not memorize the material. Her tests can be finished in the time she gives you. The multiple choice questions were extremely difficult. Overall, if you take Finklea, she's a great person, but you'll end up studying your ass off and not seeing any results!!! (Also, don't take Pierson for Genetics)

Review from a student who took Bio 212
Finklea is a pretty hard professor, but I think that's because most people take Bio 212 and 211 in their first semester and they aren't prepared for college work yet. If you go to her office hours when you have problems she's very helpful. She makes an effort to learn everyone's name in the class, and she really cares that you understand the material. Tests are multiple choice as well as essay, but they're not that scary. They can be tricky though, so know the material (don't just memorize).

Review from a student who took Bio 325
Class structure was extremely loose: problem sets graded for completion and turned in at the exams -- No graded requirements between exams. MUST attend lecture. Extensive use of BlackBoard for posting documents, problem sets, lecture, announcements, notes, and MOST IMPORTANTLY sample tests. Studying the sample tests is vital. Lecture notes are essentially terms lists and printed diagrams. Useful, but no substitute for traditional note-taking. Concerning the problem sets, if extra (non-book) problems are assigned, chances are that material is especially significant in terms of the test. Discussion sections simply cover the problem sets. May be useful if you can't crack a problem, but (in my opinion) mostly useless. The tests are difficult. The raw class average was frequently below the passing line, with significant curves. Just forget about grades and do the absolute best you can. You probably won't feel good about many of the tests when you're done... but the curve will save you if you take care of business in terms of studying. GET TO KNOW YOUR PROFS. Office hours around tests are frequently packed. Meet your TA and Dr. Finklea, and don't be afraid to email (intelligent) questions or requests for clarification. Learn to write the essays on the test. Once you get the general idea, things will go better and better. The final was weighted slightly weaker than the actual exams, especially since she dropped the lowest of our test grades (an act of benevolent mercy). Final was 50% new material (since the last exam) and 50% cumulative. That is an absolutely IMMENSE amount of information, but not insurmountable. If you're just memorizing, its probably impossible for most people. Study to form a general understanding of the processes, and then fill in your understanding with the specific details. Your job is to turn a mind-boggling sea of details into an understandable, comprehensible framework. Good luck. Finklea is absolutely worth the effort.

Review from a student who took Bio 325
BEST Prof I've ever had, but also the hardest. Her tests do exactly that, they test if you've comprehended the material and are able to make meaningfull connections from one area of the topic to the other. I've retained more info from her one class than almost all the others i've taken combine. If you want to know genetics or like genetics you will love her class, she takes a very interactive approach and i never thought about missing it once because i didn't mind going.

Review from a student who took 325
Dr. Finklea is a great professor. You will know your stuff at the end of the semester. However, her tests are killer. Always go to class and take very very good notes. Print out what she gives you because it'll be helpful. Drink a red bull or something because you don't want to fall asleep in there. Also, make a friend or 2 (study buddy!). Work on her old tests because similar questions will be on there. DON'T rely on the textbook because 1) the tests will cover stuff only in lecture, and 2) that book is outdated anyway. When she says the final will cover material that wasn't on the previous exams, yeah... she's not joking. So, if you want to bust your ass off yet have a great professor and learn something, then take her. If you want to just get a good grade (A or B), then take someone else.

Review from a student who took BIO 325
My favorite course and favorite lecturer in my 4 years at UT. Sit up front, pay attention, and WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING! Review last lecture's notes before each new lecture. Go to the PLUS sessions! TA sessions are helpful for answering and addressing problem sets (good review), but PLUS is also awesomely helpful. Find a good preceptor or apply and be a good preceptor yourself-- you will really learn the material! Dr. Finklea is very organized and very good at relaying information. She is telling you exactly what you'll need to know. Honestly, you do not need to reference your textbook in this class if you are religious about paying attention and taking notes in lecture. Her tests are fair. The questions are HARD and will really test your understanding of the material, but if you know it, you know it. You'll learn a lot in here if you're willing to work for it!

Review from a student who took BIO 325
Very hard class. But still, a year later, the knowledge I gained in her class has made most of my subsequent upper level Microbiology classes feel like review. The same is obviously not true for my non-Finklea trained classmates who are somehow still confused by easy distinctions like "translation vs transcription" or "eukaryote vs prokaryote". Take Dr. Finklea for Genetics because you want to spend your senior year honing your mastery over your chosen biological science, rather than re-memorizing fundamentals you never learned in the first place.

Review from a student who took BIO 325
This class isn't as hard as people say. Curving is generous, and even the high scores get points added, so I ended up with almost a 100. If you have already had good science professors, you will know what to do to do well. Just know the information. Actually know it. Not, "I'll be able to tell if it sounds right." Know it. She does talk very quickly, and sometimes the order that she presents the information is confusing during the lecture, but afterwards it makes sense. So, my method (which I strongly recommend) would be to write down every single thing she says in lecture, even if it's sloppy, and then type it up later (same week is best). That way you will see the information more than once just in the note-taking process, and you can organize your notes to your liking without worrying about organization while trying to copy everything down in lecture. Finklea is cool and funny. I strongly recommend this class. If you can't do well in this class, you shouldn't be a science major.

Review from a student who took kDUcojDvVeWiKbEiIk
U51B5G It as onerous to find knowledgeable folks on this matter, however you sound like you already know what you are speaking about! Thanks