Dr. Givnish's lectures can be fairly disorganized and research-heavy (difficult to know what concepts you will be graded on). Although he does genuinely care about his students he can come off as very intimidating at times. Botany 460 is an interesting class but be prepared for a lot of work coming from studying and a big research project in lab.

I dropped this class due to the confusing and disorganized teaching style. He would rush through complicated topics with wordy definitions and spend the rest of lecture on loosely related examples.The exams were heavily based in the readings (old research papers) that had to be memorized. I didn't learn much at all from my 6 weeks of this class.

Tom's classes are definitely hard and require a lot of effort, but if you put in as much effort as he does you'll learn a ton. He admittedly seems scary and rude but honestly he does care a lot about students passing his classes and learning, he's just super smart and I think sometimes forgets that we aren't all on his level.

While Dr. Givnish is very knowledgeable but he isn't a great lecturer. He runs through material very quickly and focuses a lot on his research & interests (Hawaiian flora). I never felt comfortable asking a question in lecture. His tests are very challenging and he takes no accountability for his dysfunctional teaching style. Avoid if you can.

Lectures are boring and FULL of information, he is way too smart to be teaching an intro ecol. class. Also he's kind of mean when people asked questions in class Things I recommend: - don't waste your time reading the textbook - Do read and understand the discussion texts (they show up on exams) - practice exams are very similar to real exam

Very few resources given to succeed on exams that are graded at a high difficulty. Only given a few practice questions (with no answer key) to prepare. Prof is intimidating and will NOT record lectures so don't bother asking. Grading is not consistent. DON'T TAKE unless absolutely necessary.

Givnish is an absolute wealth of information. You will learn a ton of interesting topics and he will be able to answer any question you have, but it can be a LOT of information. Even missing one class or trip can bite you pretty badly. Make friends! I highly recommend this class if you're seriously interested in botany or ecology.

Unclear expectations for multiple projects, stupid miscommunications that resulted in grade reductions, could've easily been less confusing and stressful with a more understanding professor. Not great ta either, very confusing on grading and seemed to know prof was not understanding, but didn't care. MUST -High level botany/ecology understanding

Do not take this class unless you have a background in botany/plants because you will not pass. Every weekend is dedicated to this class with the field trips, and the professor has no respect for peoples time. Constantly going over lecture time and going past time on field trips. Very disrespectful person.

Goes through information too fast for you to even take notes. Posts lecture slides online, but they're only pictures with very limited text so they're not much help. If you skip lecture, you won't pass this class. Exams are the majority of your grade and all questions are open answer. Very strict grading. Most people in my lab got C's due to exams.

Tom in an interesting character, but I do NOT recommend taking a class with him. His lectures are extremely fast, boring, and complicated which makes it very difficult to take notes. His tests are mostly fair, but only if you put in plenty of work. Unless you are a huge ecology nut, I wouldn't take this class with him.

Tom is a really tough shell to crack. But he's willing to speak with anyone about anything, and is such a kind person. His lectures are sometimes very long and hard to sit through, but at least just try to listen. When you figure out the logic of his thought process, things start clicking a little bit more. ATTEND CLASS, or you really will not pass

cool guy, invites students to house party and drinks after exams. class had both undergrad n grad. must attend lecture to do well on exams because lec slides are jus photo of plants,maps,n graphs. speaks fast n so much info@once+ exams all free response! Research project10pg had group members drop this course bc low exam scores! had to writemyself

Just a very intelligent guy and he pretty much knows it so I think it might rub some people the wrong way haha. He was very helpful and friendly to me and took the time to explain concepts when I wasn't at first getting them. He also knew a lot about a lot of different things and it was cool to pick his brain on some tangentially-related topics.

Best professor I've ever had. The guy is absolutely brilliant. Class is hard but so worth it.

Givnish is an extremely confusing lecturer and forms his questions just as poorly. Everything in this class is made more confusing than necessary and you are not ALLOWED to ask TA's for help with homework - leading to failing most homework assignments. Lab and discussion have nothing to do with lecture. Avoid this class if at all possible.

Teacher I learned the most from. I love ecology and if you do to this is a must take class. He fosters critical thinking and you go on awesome field trips. The tests are long and a little difficult but nothing extraordinarily hard

He is very effective and influential professor in Botany. I really enjoyed this class's field trip to Northern Wisconsin. You learn a lot not only in class, but also in the field. His test is hard somehow, but he gives you a curve. Take it!

He definitely knows his stuff. However, he doesn't know the best way to explain material in a way that helps all students understand. When there is confusion, he gets upset, and sometimes even swears which is unnecessary.

Professor Givnish is extremely educated in the field of ecology and really knows what he's talking about. This class is not easy, but if you study hard and have a strong desire to learn, you will succeed. This class is small, so sitting near the front helps you establish a great relationship with Givnish, which definitely helps in this class.

He definitely makes ecology harder than it already is, but if you do the readings and take notes in class, it can be quite enjoyable. The lab/disc combo is a drag, but it is nice to get it all done in one day.

Take this class only if you have a serious academic interest in ecology. He's a brilliant man and tolerates nothing less from his students. He asks rigorous natural history questions. It will help enormously if you read the text before coming to class. A lot of this class was a miserable experience, but I learned a lot and am glad I took it.

This class is NOT general Ecology. It was more like a graduate class where you needed Ecology background to understand what was going on. There were TONS of mathematical models, but no explaination of what they were or how they worked. The class was awful. DON'T TAKE IT, especially not with Givnish.

Givnish is a tough professor and speaks a million miles an hour, but if you pay attention to what he's saying, the material is extremely interesting and worth learning. The field trips and the weekend trip up north were awesome. And while the tests were tough, they were fair. Amazing class!

AVOID!

by far the worst professor i've had. tests are worded poorly, leading to low grades. completely full of himself, and lazy.

This class is so much fun it was a lot of material but you got to go on field studies every friday afternoon and even on a weekend field trip.

He makes everything 10 times more difficult than it needs to be!