Looking for a gentler semester? Start with courses where students have earned higher grades.
Highest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.
6 courses
Ranked courses have at least 100 recorded letter grades.
Communicating Evolutionary Biology exposes students to diverse contemporary topics through guest lectures on primary research, developing critical thinking and communication skills; the 3-credit version deepens outreach to varied audiences.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introductory Biology covers plant physiology, the five major kingdoms, speciation, evolutionary theory, and ecology across biological scales.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kate McCulloh
The course demanded plenty of memorization for the botany portion, while lectures were noted to be dense in content.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introductory animal biology lab focusing on evolutionary relationships, body plans, and dissections of earthworm, mussel, squid, sea star, and rat.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Sarah Edlund
The biology content could feel overwhelming, though the instructor made learning the lab material fun and enjoyable.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introductory Biology covers cell structure, cellular metabolism, information flow, genetics, and selected topics in Animal Physiology.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Simon Gilroy
The course was moderately difficult and memorization-heavy on exams, which some students found tricky. Labs required outside class hours, but TAs were helpful in guiding students through completing lab reports.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026General Botany introduces plant biology principles, focusing on evolutionary sequences and structure-function relationships from molecules to communities, with lectures, labs, and discussions.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Linda Graham
Weekly quizzes included specific details only covered in lecture, making attendance necessary despite the textbook-based teaching style.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Animal Biology covers general biological principles including evolution, ecology, cell structure, genetics, and human physiology.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Sharon Thoma, Lauren Riters
Exams were described as challenging, with one student noting Lauren Riters' test was the hardest of the semester. Sharon Thoma's exams required significant study time, and students were advised to use the Learning Center and office hours to prepare.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026