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all the bad reviews lowkey are too scathing for no reason but if you want a taste of med school please take this class it will wreck you with the difficulty. He's a good lecturer but suffers from genius prof syndrome does not explain the basics and skips straight into the challenging stuff, cuz he assumes you already know.
Other students are correct that you will learn a lot about biochem and you'll be better for having taken his class. However, that can't be worth what he puts you through. There is a quiz every single class. You have to spend hours reviewing each day to possibly do just okay. He refuses to give you any practice and is very demeaning. Save yourself.
Avoid taking a class with him at all costs. He says he is anti-memorization but is merely anti telling you what to memorize. His tests require knowledge beyond the scope of the course and that is merely the expectation (40-60% averages). He teaches you a lot and does so well but don't expect to be tested on anything you've learned without a twist.
Dr. Folker was the best biology professor I've had at BC. Biochemistry is also undoubtedly the hardest class I've taken. Folker is extremely helpful in office hours and emphasizes that memorization isn't going to get you anywhere if you don't understand the material. Get to know him, become a face at office hours, and ask meaningful questions.
Folker is a passionate and engaging professor who emphasizes a dynamic, big-picture approach to biology that challenges traditional teaching (anti-memorization). While exam grades are low, the curve, plus the expanded grading range (90=flat A), brings the class avg to B/B-. People who take his class will absolutely be better off in the long run.
Avoid taking Folker at all costs. Not only is the material itself hard, but it is also organized in a very difficult way. His exams are also very difficult, and he seems to thrive on seeing students suffer.
This class in unfair. The first exam was 61% curved. Even above average students are failing. Makes me sad to think that there are some seniors who might not graduate because Folker just wants to be a hard professor.
Extremely difficult class. First exam average was 61.9%, and many students were still failing even above the average. Exams are overly long for the time given and questions are often unclear. NO practice problems, and grading is based on the top 10 scores rather than a real curve.
RUN. The average for the midterm was a 61% with a significant scale. The exam was difficult AND he makes it so you genuinely do not have time to complete it. No time to critically think through the questions, which are purposely misguiding and vague. For me to be 40 points above average but get a 79% is an good rep of the unfair nature of BIOL4350
Class is unnecessarily hard. Expects you to be a walking encyclopedia of biochem. Direct quote- “if you memorized every word I said, you'd maybe get a B”. Average exam scores, AFTER scale, low 60s. Cares more about being a strict professor than engaging his students. Stay far away.
This class taught me so much about how to think critically, especially when it came to experimental design and testing hypotheses. The open-ended tests are difficult at first but you get used to them. As someone who wants to take more advanced bio electives at BC like Cancer Bio and Immunology, I feel like this class prepares you well.
Folker is one of the most dedicated professors I've ever met. He has a reputation for being difficult because he actually pushes you to think like a scientist rather than blindly memorizing. Makes himself available for office hours 4 times a week and takes the time to clearly answer your questions. This class prepares you for grad school!
This class is the worst I have taken in my academic career. I had to rewatch each lecture twice to understand the incredibly-in-depth-word-vomit that he spewed each lecture. Quizzes were weirdly specific and take home tests had no partial credit (failing was not uncommon). Please spare yourselves your sanity and never take one of his classes. Ever.
Folker is a hard professor, but my favorite at Boston College. He forces you to change your way of thinking and approach problems more effectively. I had more success in classes I took after this class because it changed the way I learned and studied for the better. If you are struggling to understand in class, office hours make a huge difference.
Avoid at all costs. HE DOES NOT TEST WHAT HE TEACHES. You can study 20 hours on his lectures, but then he'll test you on material you've never heard of. In the final he asked us questions about concepts we'd NEVER EVER studied, the questions are terribly worded, and he won't clarify the question if you ask. He's not an educator.
This man took over for our biological chemistry class it was the worst thing to ever happen to me. He is the least empathetic creature on the planet and his final asked questions that our class was incapable of answering since we never learned them. If you have the choice between getting hit by a bus or taking a class with him, choose the bus.
Folker wants you to meet his standards. By that, I mean that the class will be one of the hardest, if not the hardest Bio you'll take. You need to consistently keep up with the material every day, focus on literally EVERY WORD he says, and go to office hours--he has hours every single day, 8 AM. You do that and you'll be fine. Book is useless.
Folker has to be one of the most irrational professors I've ever had. He gives no partial credit on multipart 25 point questions. And openly jokes about how poorly his students are doing and about "failing half the class" without making any effort to ACTUALLY help. Take this only if you want your self confidence and dignity slashed.
Wait for Weerapana to come back! Folker takes off points left and right and hates partial credit. And gets mad at you if you try to ask him for points back. Your grade is out of the average of the top ten students, but most of the top ten students have the old exams so don't take the class unless u have the old exams. :)
Worst professor I've ever had in college. Extremely elitist and snarky. Does not teach you the material nearly as in depth as his exams are. Explains complicated topics so vaguely and brief yet expects you to know how to perfectly design whole experiments. Grades exams extremely hard (no partial credit). Raw exam averages are in the 30%'s.
Folker is so irrationally difficult as a professor, I felt it was my duty to warn future students about this class. Average for exams were 40-50s, so it's not about a student's "mentality", this professor is 1)Not teaching in a meaningful manner 2)Testing for an unwarranted & insane level of understanding. Getting run over is a better use of time
Best lecturer I've had. Changes the way you think about biology (from thinking about probabilities to thermodynamics to forces). I could not stress how awesome he is. At the end of the day if you're whining about the grade it's probably cuz you have the wrong mentality going into the class. Also, I have no idea where those numbers came from.
Written reviews 23
Student experiences, shown as submitted.
23 of 23 reviews
Semester not recorded
all the bad reviews lowkey are too scathing for no reason but if you want a taste of med school please take this class it will wreck you with the difficulty. He's a good lecturer but suffers from genius prof syndrome does not explain the basics and skips straight into the challenging stuff, cuz he assumes you already know.
Semester not recorded
Other students are correct that you will learn a lot about biochem and you'll be better for having taken his class. However, that can't be worth what he puts you through. There is a quiz every single class. You have to spend hours reviewing each day to possibly do just okay. He refuses to give you any practice and is very demeaning. Save yourself.
Semester not recorded
Avoid taking a class with him at all costs. He says he is anti-memorization but is merely anti telling you what to memorize. His tests require knowledge beyond the scope of the course and that is merely the expectation (40-60% averages). He teaches you a lot and does so well but don't expect to be tested on anything you've learned without a twist.
Semester not recorded
Dr. Folker was the best biology professor I've had at BC. Biochemistry is also undoubtedly the hardest class I've taken. Folker is extremely helpful in office hours and emphasizes that memorization isn't going to get you anywhere if you don't understand the material. Get to know him, become a face at office hours, and ask meaningful questions.
Semester not recorded
Folker is a passionate and engaging professor who emphasizes a dynamic, big-picture approach to biology that challenges traditional teaching (anti-memorization). While exam grades are low, the curve, plus the expanded grading range (90=flat A), brings the class avg to B/B-. People who take his class will absolutely be better off in the long run.
Read 18 more reviews
Semester not recorded
Avoid taking Folker at all costs. Not only is the material itself hard, but it is also organized in a very difficult way. His exams are also very difficult, and he seems to thrive on seeing students suffer.
Semester not recorded
Literally evil.
Semester not recorded
This class in unfair. The first exam was 61% curved. Even above average students are failing. Makes me sad to think that there are some seniors who might not graduate because Folker just wants to be a hard professor.
Semester not recorded
Extremely difficult class. First exam average was 61.9%, and many students were still failing even above the average. Exams are overly long for the time given and questions are often unclear. NO practice problems, and grading is based on the top 10 scores rather than a real curve.
Semester not recorded
RUN. The average for the midterm was a 61% with a significant scale. The exam was difficult AND he makes it so you genuinely do not have time to complete it. No time to critically think through the questions, which are purposely misguiding and vague. For me to be 40 points above average but get a 79% is an good rep of the unfair nature of BIOL4350
Semester not recorded
Class is unnecessarily hard. Expects you to be a walking encyclopedia of biochem. Direct quote- “if you memorized every word I said, you'd maybe get a B”. Average exam scores, AFTER scale, low 60s. Cares more about being a strict professor than engaging his students. Stay far away.
Semester not recorded
This class taught me so much about how to think critically, especially when it came to experimental design and testing hypotheses. The open-ended tests are difficult at first but you get used to them. As someone who wants to take more advanced bio electives at BC like Cancer Bio and Immunology, I feel like this class prepares you well.
Semester not recorded
Folker is one of the most dedicated professors I've ever met. He has a reputation for being difficult because he actually pushes you to think like a scientist rather than blindly memorizing. Makes himself available for office hours 4 times a week and takes the time to clearly answer your questions. This class prepares you for grad school!
Semester not recorded
This class is the worst I have taken in my academic career. I had to rewatch each lecture twice to understand the incredibly-in-depth-word-vomit that he spewed each lecture. Quizzes were weirdly specific and take home tests had no partial credit (failing was not uncommon). Please spare yourselves your sanity and never take one of his classes. Ever.
Semester not recorded
Folker is a hard professor, but my favorite at Boston College. He forces you to change your way of thinking and approach problems more effectively. I had more success in classes I took after this class because it changed the way I learned and studied for the better. If you are struggling to understand in class, office hours make a huge difference.
Semester not recorded
Avoid at all costs. HE DOES NOT TEST WHAT HE TEACHES. You can study 20 hours on his lectures, but then he'll test you on material you've never heard of. In the final he asked us questions about concepts we'd NEVER EVER studied, the questions are terribly worded, and he won't clarify the question if you ask. He's not an educator.
Semester not recorded
This man took over for our biological chemistry class it was the worst thing to ever happen to me. He is the least empathetic creature on the planet and his final asked questions that our class was incapable of answering since we never learned them. If you have the choice between getting hit by a bus or taking a class with him, choose the bus.
Semester not recorded
Folker wants you to meet his standards. By that, I mean that the class will be one of the hardest, if not the hardest Bio you'll take. You need to consistently keep up with the material every day, focus on literally EVERY WORD he says, and go to office hours--he has hours every single day, 8 AM. You do that and you'll be fine. Book is useless.
Semester not recorded
Folker has to be one of the most irrational professors I've ever had. He gives no partial credit on multipart 25 point questions. And openly jokes about how poorly his students are doing and about "failing half the class" without making any effort to ACTUALLY help. Take this only if you want your self confidence and dignity slashed.
Semester not recorded
Wait for Weerapana to come back! Folker takes off points left and right and hates partial credit. And gets mad at you if you try to ask him for points back. Your grade is out of the average of the top ten students, but most of the top ten students have the old exams so don't take the class unless u have the old exams. :)
Semester not recorded
Worst professor I've ever had in college. Extremely elitist and snarky. Does not teach you the material nearly as in depth as his exams are. Explains complicated topics so vaguely and brief yet expects you to know how to perfectly design whole experiments. Grades exams extremely hard (no partial credit). Raw exam averages are in the 30%'s.
Semester not recorded
Folker is so irrationally difficult as a professor, I felt it was my duty to warn future students about this class. Average for exams were 40-50s, so it's not about a student's "mentality", this professor is 1)Not teaching in a meaningful manner 2)Testing for an unwarranted & insane level of understanding. Getting run over is a better use of time
Semester not recorded
Best lecturer I've had. Changes the way you think about biology (from thinking about probabilities to thermodynamics to forces). I could not stress how awesome he is. At the end of the day if you're whining about the grade it's probably cuz you have the wrong mentality going into the class. Also, I have no idea where those numbers came from.