Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
Do not take. Take any other gen-ed. Way too hard for an easy credit.Rate My Professors ↗
Current instructor
Timothy Paustian
What students say
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Quality 1/5Difficulty 4/5
This is not a great gen-ed class, and i would NOT recommend it. Professor Paustian is extremely rude and dismissive in his replies. Quizzes were kinda difficult, and would include stuff outside of the assigned readings.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
Where do I even start. First, he requires you to buy his own self-published textbook which barely loads half the time. Questions in class are barely answered. The quizzes are a complete guessing game, the wording is deliberately vague. Very unforgiving. Get one thing wrong on his terms and you're penalized, full stop.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
This course was nothing as expected. Much more difficult than an introductory course and many of my peers felt the same. He was not respectful or nice when questions were asked and you have to BUY his own textbook for the class. He is also not forgiving and is extremely strict. Would not recommend to take.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
It's a fairly easy class, tbh I didn't use the textbook all that much and still did fine. Each week is 1 or 2 assignments, usually one writing assignment or discussion post and one quiz. Quizzes are tricky at times so you have to read questions and answers carefully. Instructions on writing assignments can be confusing but rubrics have more info.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
The content of the class itself is very interesting and the professor seems nice enough. However, I agree with other comments that he can be insensitive/backhanded towards student questions and shows little flexibility unless it's an urgent emergency. Probably would not take again or recommend to other students unless absolutely necessary.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Classes with Timothy Paustian
MICROBIO 100
The Microbial World
3 creditsIntroductory course on microbial roles in nature, health, and ecology; covers disease principles, body defenses, and biotechnology.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Timothy Paustian
Timothy Paustian's lectures were described as rambling and off-topic, with students reporting that questions were dismissed rudely. Exams were characterized as difficult and confusing, while the required self-published textbook was noted for technical issues.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2026MICROBIO 299
Independent Study
1–3 creditsIndependent Study in Microbiology involves research work under direct faculty guidance, where students arrange specific projects and credits with their supervisor.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sampleMicrobiology course covering basic biology of microorganisms, including structure, function, physiology, genetics, ecology, diversity, and evolution.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Timothy Paustian
Timothy Paustian’s lectures were dense and fast-paced, making it difficult for students to take notes while comprehending the material. Exams were described as hyperspecific and confusing, often testing details that contradicted his stated emphasis on the big picture. One student noted the course required a large amount of memorization and hard study for each exam.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026MICROBIO 699
Special Problems
1–4 creditsIndividual advanced work in Microbiology under faculty guidance, involving identifying research problems, conducting experiments, analyzing data, and communicating results.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2006: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Fall 2009: 3.92 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades).
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sampleRecorded teaching history
Distinct courses recorded per term
Explore courses taught by this instructor →Browse recorded courses
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | MICROBIO 100 | The Microbial World |
| Spring 2027 | MICROBIO 299 | Independent Study |
| Spring 2027 | MICROBIO 303 | Biology of Microorganisms |
| Spring 2027 | MICROBIO 699 | Special Problems |
| Fall 2026 | MICROBIO 299 | Independent Study |
| Fall 2026 | MICROBIO 527 | Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology |
| Fall 2026 | MICROBIO 699 | Special Problems |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
Instructor identity & provenance
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