Dr. Thrower's slides were drier than flour. It was just so much text and his voice has zero inflection whatsoever. His tests were so poorly written that in the middle of multiple exams (midterm 2 and final) he would walk in and announce some problems were undoable, and come back and say they were doable. Tests were graded wrong sometimes too.
Professor Thrower's class is a very straightforward class where the effort you put in will translate to your success. He cares a lot about the class and holds many office hours. His tests are a combination of memorization and application and his MCs are slightly tricky so read well and know details! Book is useless and he gives extra credit clicker
This class is not too bad, but you really have to keep on top of the material. The textbook is somewhat useful, but all the information on the test are covered in lecture and the assigned papers. Starts off easy and gets difficult after the first midterm. Lectures are also 8 am and Thrower isn't the most engaging lecturer.
Class structure's pretty average, solely based on exams. Thrower is a very knowledgable professor, teaching multiple MCDB classes & knows a lot about the subject. He's very accessible outside class & really cares wants you to succeed (the fact that he has office hours like 4 days a week). Attendance not mandatory but extra credit iclickers if u go
If I had to give an example for the most average possible professor, it would be Dr. Thrower. His lectures are a little boring, but overall nothing special. The class is difficult, but I felt that all of his exams were fair, and were graded fairly as well. If you work hard, you will pass with at least a B.
Be prepared for a straight Powerpoint lecture. The material on the exams are well beyond the scope of anything discussed in lecture and the problem sets were helpful in getting us to think more critically. CLAS wasn't available for this quarter which definitely made it more challenging. He's approachable, but I would never take his class again.
Free response questions were easy as long as you know the slides and listen to lecture/ The problem solving was the hard part of the class but if you're able to do the problems its easy because it doesn't really change overall problem just numbers
I love Dr. Thrower. His class is very challenging, but you really do read a lot. His reader problems are pretty much the exact type of questions you will see on the exams. His exams are hard but very fair. His lectures can be a tad boring at times, but he is a very chill guy that really cares about his students.
Doug Thrower honestly changed my life. Probably my favorite prof ever, b/c he's so knowledgable and caring. He has a lot of office hours and makes every effort to help students. I had him for both Genetics&Human Physio and he gave me such a good foundation in/love for both subjects, which will continue to benefit me forever. Thank you Dr. Thrower!
Very fair professor. He has more office hours than most professors. The lectures are extremely dull but you must go, especially for iclicker questions. You will do well if you really engage and keep up with the material. Ask questions in lecture or through email - he will give a detailed response.
Loved this class!! Everything you need to know for his tests will be explained very clearly during lecture and if you take good notes you don't need to read the textbook. Slides are mostly diagrams, not words, which helped a lot as far as understanding concepts.
Dr. Thrower is very difficult. He does not test you on topics only on concepts. Genetics should be taught on a board not through a powerpoint. Take him if you only want unnecessary stress and are ready to teach yourself.
CLAS is definitely REQUIRED, otherwise you're going to be staring at problems for a really long time. He tests on the notes only, but you have to pay attention in class because he explains the notes further in class. Skipping class is gonna make the class tough because he adds more to the notes and expects you to know it. Very rewarding class.
Dr. Thrower is all around a great professor. Yes, he can be monotonous at times, but IF you can pay close attention during his lectures, he conveys information well and is all around a solid professor. Tests are fair and are reasonably difficult. You HAVE to attend CLAS however, as actual problem solving methods aren't covered during lecture.
lectures are so unorganized and tests go far beyond than the material learned in class. must read the book to get a better feel of material. CLAS is the only thing that helped me pass this class. definitely have to work for your grade. look at past exams if you can, they help a lot. would not recommend taking this class with Thrower.
Dr. Thrower is a nice guy and really cares about his students. However, his lectures are very unorganized and hard to follow. The class is extremely detailed and his tests are hard -- but everything you need, he tells you. CLAS is a must because he relies on them to teach you how to do problems and additional info presented in section. It was meh.
Great professor. Lectures are long and can be boring because his tone doesn't change but he explains everything very clearly. Office hours are super helpful and CLAS is a must! Class is pretty tough but UNDERSTAND everything on the lecture slides and you should be fine. If you memorize you will not pass. Do all the reader problems.
He's really nice in person but his lectures are so boring. He has a pretty monotone voice. Tests are tough, but all of the information you need is on his slides. He doesn't really go over how to do some problem-solving questions, so go to CLAS for that. I didn't enjoy his class but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He's adequate.
He is more willing to help his students than any professor I have had before. He has more office hours than any professor I have ever seen and emails back extremely quickly. Yes the tests are tough, buts it's a hard class. Gives extra credit for iclicker questions, which is awesome. Go to lecture because his lecture slides don't cover everything
Dr. Thrower is one of the most brilliant professors in MCDB. He knows a little bit about everything and he actually knows everything about human biology. He is insightful and has great stories about his past in biomedical research. Furthermore, he's a genuine man. He cares for his students more than any professor I've had at UCSB.
Go to CLAS, do the reader problems, show up to section and you're guaranteed at least a B. If he writes anything at all on the board you know it's going to be a question related to it on an exam. EC Clicker questions!!!
Thrower is a good lecturer although sometimes a little boring. I found the course material a bit dull but he includes some interesting facts that help it out. CLAS is a MUST!! Get the reader for CLAS and the course reader. Textbook was almost useless I used it maybe 3 or 4 times so don't buy just check out from library before midterms.
there's iClickers but lecture is actually useful. typical thrower class where it's hard for him to keep you awake but if you do, he really knows his stuff. he responds to emails pretty well but his TA tends to be useless
Thrower is older and has such a smooth voice, at 8am it puts you straight to sleep. This class isn't that bad, I would recommend CLAS 100%! It was a life saver. The material isn't too tough to understand, there's just a lot. Memorize the proteinsenzymes. Tests are free response and multiple choice, and the book isn't really necessary. EC iClicker!