Best lecturer out of the three that teach this course during the semester. She is very well spoken, and explains concepts very clearly, and in an understandable way. Was very passionate about the material, and wanted everyone to do good.

Professor Thoma is a good lecturer and covers all the necessary material in lectures needed for exams. Be prepared to attend every lecture; she does not post completed lecture slides from class and requires students to get missed notes from peers. The class is very test-heavy, there is not a lot of homework, and there is tons of information.

I loved her. Attendance is not required but is definitely recommend to go to because a lot of material is covered in lecture. There are no discussions but the learning center is extremely helpful. Overall Great!!

Professor is nice but the tests are unbelievably difficult and will require you to know the material to an insane level.

Dr. Thoma was very kind and welcoming in office hours and open to answering any questions you might have. She offered a lot of recreational activities to students like nature hikes and was very passionate about biology. Even though this was not my major, I still loved her lectures! Would recommend to someone looking to fulfill a bio credit

I love Professor Thoma! She is a very good lecturer and she makes biology easy. I hated biology in high school, but LOVE bio with Professor Thoma. I could not recommend her more!!!

I didn't have her the whole semester but for the first half of it she was a great lecturer. Wish I went to more lectures, overall when I was there it was easy to learn.

Dr. Thoma was really funny and always kept lecture interesting. She was always available after class and during office hours and was happy to answer questions. There wasn't a very large amount of homework. Her exams are not easy, but aren't too hard. If you go to lecture and make sure to study and get help when you need it, you should do fine.

Exams were really hard. She was not very accommodating for missed material. She provided lecture slides, but they were missing information compared to the slides she showed in class. Often breezed over topics that were tough, and was hard to meet outside of class. Be advised to prepare far ahead for exams, bc your entire grade is dependent on it.

Best professor I have had in a LONG time. She is extremely knowledgeable and makes difficult concepts easy to digest. She taught the first 2 exams in BIO 101, and the 2 other exams were taught by 2 other random professors. I much preferred Thoma as she was the best at explaining biological topics in simple terms. Would 100000% take again.

So much was covered during lectures so exams were difficult. There are 3 professors in total and all exams are difficult. I had to drop the class along with so many other students who dropped after the 3rd exam because it was too much.

She was the best professor of the three that teach the course. Her lectures were clear and interesting, she was always very clear about what you need to know for the exams. I found the second exam harder than the first, but I think that was just because of my background in genetics. She cares about what she does and students.

Professor Thoma was amazing for Bio 101! Her lectures were always super engaging, and she made it very clear what information we needed to know for the exams. She is so sweet and approachable, and there were tons of learning resources (including practice exams) to help students study.

Loved her! BIO 101 is just in general a hard class but all 3 profs including Thoma wants students to succeed. She was funny, caring, and able to convey tough concepts really clearly in ways that I could remember. If you use your resources (go to the LC!) and prepare well for exams you will succeed

I loved taking Bio 101 with Dr. Thoma, she is very engaging in lectures and makes thing easy to understand. However the class and material can be hard, so make sure to attend lecture and form study groups! But Thomas offers sample exams which is super helpful. Out of the three bio professors for this class she is the best! Just pay attention!

A very good lecturer. I don't really usually like to take notes in class but in her class I would like to take notes because the organization of contents is really clear. She is also kind and helpful with questions. The exams and homework are not easy, but as long as you follow up with the lectures, you can still get a good grade.

While she only taught for the first 2 exams of the course, she was the best and most engaging professor for the course. Missing a lecture is tough because that's where all the content is given, but the sample exam jams were very helpful in exam prep. (you can make it through and pass this course without buying the textbook)

Dr. Thoma is caring, a great lecturer, and always there to help. Her skill as a professor makes a class that could present a challenge much more accessible. I would love to take a class with her again!

This class is challenging but not impossible. You're given a note card to use on the second half of exams which helps a lot with studying and testing! Prof Thoma is a great lecturer and you can tell she really knows the material. She's very approachable and can answer any and all questions. She posts her slides online which is very helpful!

Don't get me wrong, this is a tough class- you won't pass if you're not studying outside of lecture. But Dr. Thoma is great, cares abt her students and explains everything clearly. Visit the resource center weekly if you can. Good luck !

A challenging but rewarding class with an engaging professor. Attend lectures, utilize learning resources, and you'll succeed. unstuckstudy ai was a great study tool alongside the textbook.

Oofta, this is a weeding-out class. I did enjoy Prof. Thoma's lectures compared to the other professors throughout the semester. There is a lot of material covered throughout this course, it became very overwhelming. I made sure to utilize the tutoring and learning center resources, and I would recommend attending her office hours.

Professor Thoma is hilarious! Lectures are very informative, show up to them or you won't do well on the exam (she posts fill-in-the-blank notes on Canvas but not the completed slides). Great at explaining concepts. Study a lot for the exams, they're no joke - go to the Learning Center, office hours, etc. You'll learn a lot in this class!

This class is challenging but Sharon Thoma is a great lecturer who makes the class more tolerable. She does a great job of highlighting the important information and not putting too many words on a slide. In bio the professor switches every unit, and she was my favorite.

This class was incredibly challenging as a freshman last year, so be prepared to go to every single lecture because there is an insurmountable amount of content in each. PLEASE go to her office hours if you can! She is incredibly kind and will give you extra study materials. She WANTS to see you succeed! I finished the class as a better student.

I loved this class and if you utilize the learning center and the resources they give you, you can succeed in it. Thoma's lectures were very engaging and she went at a good pace. You also get a half of page of paper front and back for exams and there is sometimes extra credit. Go to lecture and pay attention and you will do good in the class.

Lots of content, but she is excellent at explaining it in ways that you can understand and remember. Funny. No lecture recordings, so if you skip lecture you'll be behind. Learning center packets are super helpful, definitely go once a week and do them. Just try not to get behind and take good notes, drawing the diagrams on slides helped me too.

A brilliant lecturer. Everything about her section of the class was extremely engaging and well done. Very knowledgeable, good slides, and fair tests if you pay attention. Speaking of, attendance is needed to do well. Just reading the book likely won't be enough as the tests are based on lecture material.

I loved this class but switching professors after each exam made it very hard to be successful. I did good on the first two exams but once we switched I did poorly and it tanked my grade. You are given many study resources for exams and practice but it changes once professors do as well as extra credit opportunities. You get a notecard for exams.

Dr. Thoma is phenomenal. If you have to take a Bio course at UW, try to make sure Thoma's leading it. A phenomenal communicator, extremely caring, and a model educator.

This course is taught by 3 professors, the first part is her's (2 exams) and her exams are TOUGH. Be prepared to come to every single lecture of hers or your gonna miss a ton of information.

Okay, first I actually didn't mind the prof at all. But the class itself is very difficult for a 100-level class especially if you have never taken a biology class before. So, I would strongly recommend not taking this class as a first-semester freshman. Just to get the hang of how college classes work and how to take notes.

Dr. Thoma is genuinely the goat. This class switched professors 3 times, and every day I yearned for her lectures again. Once you figure out what to pay attention to and take good notes, the class does get easier. It's a tough class, but you'll appreciate that she understands how students actually learn and DONT SKIP CLASS as its hard to catch up

god bless her heart but this girl does NOT know how to teach. soooooo confused every single time i step foot in her presence. you MUST go to every single one of her lectures or it literally makes no sense. beware.

Dr. Thoma gives very engaging and informative lectures; she moves at an excellent note-taking speed. I wish she taught the whole class. Her tests were challenging; you need to apply the knowledge, but the questions were fair, and nothing ever came up that wasn't taught in class. I learned so much from her portions of zoology. Always attend lectures

Amazing professor. Answers questions clearly and tries her best to put it in a way that you understand. Gives mom energy. Bio 101 is taught by 3 different professors and she taught the first part of the class (2 tests). If you do the practice tests and the help desk sheets you'll be fine.

She is by far the best professor on this campus, and cares extremely deeply about her students.

I loved professor Thoma and she is very good at what she does. This course is very heavily test graded so studying for those is the most important thing.

She was a great lecturer that made class engaging. Her material was difficult but I enjoyed her lectures the most out of all three professors.

Dr. Thoma is an incredible lecturer with an abundance of knowledge. Her lecture slides (of which tests were based off) at times contradicted the textbook. As a disabled person I found her documents inaccessible. She operated on a rigid but undisclosed rubric that students should ~just know~; when I requested a regrade she ignored me.

Thoma is a great professor, definitely the best of the Bio101 lecturers. Her lectures are informative and engaging, and the tests are fair. She provides a lot of resources to be successful, and the class isn't bad if you prepare a good note card and study.

Going into bio 101, I was nervous but my first biology class in years but she was insanely helpful and knowledgeable. The class is very much lecture based, there is a textbook but it is only used as a supplementary resource. She was a great professor, I honestly wished she taught the whole course.

Professor Sharon Thoma is an angel from heaven. I wish she taught the entirety of Bio101, but she does not. I would honestly give her my kidneys if she needed them. Her exam information is considered to be the most difficult, but she is godsent and honestly I didn't even consider her to be the hardest professor. I love her, be good to her.

Content is very dense, but an interesting course. This class is run by multiple profs throughout the semester but Professor Thoma was definitely my favorite. Difficult course, but definitely recommend taking it with her if you need to take it.

A fantastic mentor that takes you on relaxing walks in nature and teaches you how to enjoy it. Since this is a Bradley LC seminar class, you will get full credit as long as you attend every class. Plus, the only "homework" before each class is a chapter of the "The Nature Fix" book, and you discuss what you learned from the reading that week.

YOU MUST SHOW UP TO LECTURE! If not, you will not do well in this class. If you take advantage of the resources she provides, it is easy to perform well in her class. Out of the 3 lecturers, she was my favorite. She organized lectures well and would listen to feedback on quizzes and exams. Each exam you get a notecard, which is a total lifeline.

I honestly loved Thoma. She was super clear and tried making connections with students even in such a big lecture. She is super organized and lays the course out in a very accessible way. The class is difficult, but she gives you the tools you need to succeed, so your grade at least in her portion of the class is up to how much effort you put in.

I really liked Professor Thoma. I only had her for the first third of the semester and then had two other instructors for the last. Although Bio101 is a difficult class I thought Thoma did a good job of explaining the slides really well, just make sure you don't skip lecture unless you have a friend in the class who can give you the notes.

As a Psych major I was required to take zoo 101 and was dreading it because I have heard so many bad things about the class. However Professor Thoma's lectures were straightforward and if you studied you will do well on exams. She's a kind person and offers help when needed. Weekly learning center helps with exams in my experience!

Extremely disrespectful

I attended all lectures, took notes, took pictures of the slides, and still didn't do good. No matter how much I studied, the tests were hard. I think only the people that did good in the class are rating the class. I saw a bunch of people fail the tests. Only thing I did good on were the discussion posts and the online quizzes.

Be ready to not miss a single class! Would post the slides but with all the key details missing, there are 4 exams and LOTS of quizzes. She is strict with due dates and will NOT extend anything. Does give you a note card for the exams, be prepared to study a lot. The exams are at night and there are NO exceptions due to travel, work, etc.

An amazing lecturer and kind person. Very detail oriented and her lecture slides are helpful, but they are not completely filled out so you must pay attention and attend lecture. Provided lots of good exam practice. Class is not difficult as long as you attend lecture and make a detailed notecard for exams.

I was really scared to take bio 101, and don't get me wrong, the class was tough but it wasn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Dr. Thoma is good but the two profs that taught 1/2 class weren't very good. You also get a note card with for each exam; I got around 77-82% per exam and finished with a B. They curved one exam this semester.

She was honestly incredible even though I didnt like her at first. Her tests were very fair compared to practice exams and the way she taught was great. highly recommend if she were to teach the class all semester.

This class is unnecessarily difficult, she makes lecture confusing, no extra credit and never curves when majority people do bad. I personally think Bio 151 has better professors so if you need bio and you think 101 will be a better option think twice.

She is a lovely person. Only rated down because biology can be hard for some people and she goes over some basic concepts that might be confusing for most.

Dr Thoma is great; she truly cares for his students and wants everyone to do well. The class is difficult and you may have to put in extra hours of study per week, especially if you don't have a bio background but if you attend office hours and watch the pre-lecture vids you will do well. Although, lots of complainers in the class that was annoying

Such a good professor. Explains things so well and gives great resources for the tests. Only thing that sucks is she only taught 2/4 units before they switched lecturers and the new one is awful. Highly recommend!

Her slides and presentations were easy to understand. actively go to lectures and do the practice exams, you will do fairly well. I suggest to begin to study at least 1-2 weeks ahead of the exam. Discussion offers study packets. I had to leave the class after the new lecturer mid semester threw off the rhythm of the class and I began doing poorly.

She is awesome, she is a veteran at giving lectures and teaching students. Here are the things you need to succeed in her class: take careful notes each class, never skip class, and review for the test using the practice exams she hands out. The only downside is that the lecturer is switched midsemester and the new lecturer is being very difficult.

Please do not take this class. I don't mean to scare you but if you were not good at science in high school and need a science credit PLEASE TAKE THIS COURSE AT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

Professor Thoma is a good lecturer overall. Lectures are always clear. I do learn a lot from the lecture. She also care her student and encourage them to understand knowledge better. The course itself made me feel struggling. Exams questions could be hard and tricky. Make sure you have some biology background before taking this course.

Dr. Thoma is an engaging and knowledgeable professor. Her lectures are great but her tests are extremely difficult so start studying early. Discussions are helpful- if you can't make it make sure to at least grab a packet for practice. Uptight about grades/rounding so don't even try to convince her to make alterations after final grades are out.

She didn't offer any extra credit or curve her exams even though the class average was very low. She was also very aware that many Psych majors take the class because it's required for their major and didn't take into account that Bio doesn't come naturally to everyone. She'd be a great upper level prof, but not for an intro level class.

Professor Thoma puts on a facade--she seems nice but is incredibly rude. Once laughed in my face after asking a question. She does not make it easy to succeed- you're graded on very few things, no extra credit, no curves, and you have to attend discussion for the entire hour to get the packet. She canceled her office hours after every exam.

Thoma was great, very passionate. I always went in-person to class, and she was able to explain well and efficiently. Her exams were really tough, the avg was so bad for the first midterm that for the following exams we got a notecard. She is awesome during office hours, always willing to help.

Has no empathy at all. The students for the fall semester were not able to use a notecard on the exam, however this semester she let the students use a notecard. Will cram a lot into every lecture. I do not recommend this class at all.

Zoo/Bio 101 is a fine class. In fact, the material is really interesting and I like learning more about the world. Unfortunately, the professor doesn't put completed notes online. It's understandable, but when I don't feel good and miss content, it's hard to write down everything said in class.

Sharon Thoma made the concepts very easy to understand, and clearly knows a ton about the subject.

I don't like bio but this class was manageable. Everything you need to know for exams is in lecture, but she livestreamed this semester so I never actually went to lecture. Study hard for exams and you'll do well. Discussions are "optional" but you should def go. Not an easy A but not as hard as chem 103

Professor Thoma is genuinely one of the best lecturers I have ever had. She is extremely clear and to the point. Her exams reflect exactly what is talked about in lecture. Take good notes and you will do great!

Dr. Thoma is everything I would want in a professor. She lectures quickly, but you learn a lot from them. She makes her expectations extremely clear, so it is easy to prepare for the class and the exams. Her study material for exams reflects exactly what she may actually ask, and some questions from the study guides have even been on the exam.

Dr. Thoma is genuinely the best lecturer I have ever had. She teaches clear and will go back to explain something if you need. She made lectures interesting and engaging, adding her own anecdotes and stories to make the material easier to understand. I never considered going into STEM but I fully reconsidered after taking her class.

This class was by far one of the most frustrating classes I have ever taken. When I knew the info/studied for hours, I would still do badly on the tests. The test questions were not accurate with the information taught in class. If you take this class, do good on all of the other assignments, the tests are extremely difficult and frustrating.

Prof. Thoma makes lectures interesting and engaging and is always available after class to answer questions. She paces the material well, but it may be fast for someone with no previous education in biology.

SO HARD. DO NOT TAKE. For a general-level/ intro biology class, this was so difficult considering it is only a 3 credit class. Prof is not very accommodating when trying to schedule to meet when you can't make office hours. Honestly, really disappointing. You'll be better off taking 151

Bio/Zoo 101 is the hardest 3 credit class you will ever take. I was coasting with an 86 for a majority of the class expecting a curve at the end, as thousands of kids take this class, but ended with a B. I have never studied harder for a class in my entire life. This class either needs a curve or should be worth more credits.

Easily the worst class I've taken. No extra credit or curve offered to help those who are struggling which is awful considering its a class most people take their first semester of college and are still adjusting to life away from home and highschool.

SO HARD! If you have no background in bio, don't be fooled when it says this is an intro class. I go to all the lectures and do all the readings, but this is my second time taking the class and I'm on the verge of not receiving the credit for my major. Unbelievably difficult and she runs through so much information faster than I can process.

Dr. Thoma is my favorite professor yet. She is kind, connects well with her students (even in a huge lecture), and is an amazing lecturer. Learned more about bio from her in two months than I did all year in AP Bio. Highly recommend.

She was a great professor. Very clear about what would be on the exams, and available during office hours. Actually cares about her students. The course itself is a lot of work with the weekly quizzes and prelecture videos and discussion posts but exams are definitely fair. Would recommend taking with her!

This class was the reason my GPA dropped so much. Doesnt teach, just lectures

she's a really good teacher.

Biology 101 was by far the hardest class I have taken so far. The first two exams were awful and the class average was really low for both with a little curve. Definitely a class that will weed out anyone who isn't sure about a science major. Get ready to study an obnoxious amount for each exam.

Some people dont like her, but I think she was one of the easiest professors to understand in this class. She explains things super well but the exams are really tough. Go to lecture and pay attention and you should be fine.

If you don't have much prior Bio knowledge coming, as I don't since I'm a Psych major and didn't take much bio in high school, all I can say is good luck. For a 101 class, everything is so fast paced and broad and we're expected to know everything. I also had an injury and needed surgery and she wouldn't even provide me with one missed lecture..

I think she was a great professor! If you want to do well in this class you have to go to lecture because thats when she goes over the notes that are on exams! Make sure to also go to discussion. I never took AP bio in highschool and still managed to do well. It does help having a some knowledge about biology though.

The fact that you're not allowed to review previous questions on a quiz should tell you everything you need to know about her.

Professor Thoma presents tough material in a helpful way to people who aren't even pursuing a science major. The daily animal facts were the one thing that got me through this class.

very hard tests

Tests were really hard, our class average was really low for the first exam. She adjusted to online learning and other exams were easier and we were offered extra credits. It is still a hard class to get an A in. Considering it is an intro class, I would have expected the class to be much easier.

Honestly never met a professor so not understanding in my existence, says she cares about students but clearly doesnt. Beware of exams as they dont relate to her practice ones. Oh and dont try emailing she will mock and belittle you. Cheers

Avoid at all costs for bio 101. Lectures make no sense and the exams/quizzes are so specific and confusing. I swear she's trying to confuse you. The class switched to a different professor half way through and I did much better.

Not a good class to take if you are not a bio major. Took IB Bio in high school and material was similar, but very hard class to perform well in structurally.

Dr. Thoma's exams are very in-depth. They are only multiple choice/select and fill in the blank, but they are very concept heavy and require strong understanding. Lectures aren't required but your grade might reflect your absence. She's very knowledgeable and cares for students and has good explanations for questions.

If you love yourself just don't take this class with her, she has absolutely no compassion.

Very hard. Do not recommend if you don't need to take Bio101 for your major. Biggest mistake and tanked my GPA.

This class was certainly challenging and it took a lot of work to pass, but I felt like I learned a lot from her and I liked her teaching style. Her expectations were clear and I felt that she wanted everyone to succeed. The exams were very challenging, but everything on them was taught whether you remember it or not, and the work load was average.

Worst professor I've ever had. DO NOT TAKE HER. Not caring or reasonable about grades at all. If you want to ruin your GPA, by all means take her.