Reviews for Ibrahim Z. Ades
Average Rating:| Mentok Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: B+ April 27, 2012, 7:21 pm | Great professor. Very straightforward. I took him last fall and I really did enjoy his lectures. 330 is definitely a challenging class but is an enjoyable one. He gave us an extra 10 percent on the exams, and the average my semester was really high (class average in the A's or something). I would have had an A if I didn't get lazy around the final. That's what brought a lot of people down, I think. It was multiple choice and very hard. The way to do well in this class is to attend the lectures and pay close attention. What helped me was to record and listen to the lectures later on, re-writing the things I missed in my notes. This guy was so boss that he just talked like a living textbook, so every second of audio was useful and clear. Get some sleep so you can pay attention during lectures and ask questions! That's the way to get an A! If you understand all the concepts, it becomes easy. The lab was pretty challenging too, but, like the lecture and any other challenging class, it was definitely doable. Definitely possible to get an A. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A February 2, 2012, 8:56 am | One of the most straight forward biology classes taught at UMD. BSCI330 by Ades is a class that if you put in the appropriate amount of effort, you are guaranteed to receive the grade you desire. There were three written exams (short answers) and a multiple choice final exam. All of the exams were incredibly straightforward (only if you studied all the material) and the questions tied the subject material together. There was a bonus project given where you could send a media presentation or anything to illustrate subject material. I believe the highest rated project was given a 20 point bonus. Teacher: Ades is a straightforward professor with a classy sense of humor. You can expect to come to class every time and get all the material you need. He does not go off on nonsense tangents and explicitly lets you know if something is going to be or not going to be on the exam. A lot of people missed a problem on the first exam where you had to draw the exact structure of a phospholipid because they thought Ades was joking. His lecture pace was comfortable for me, but I still used a recorder because there was so much information given out each lecture. If you had questions about material, Ades had two office hour times per week. These are really Group style office hours where he goes in a circle answering everyone's questions until no one has any. Ades is a nice professor that is willing to help those who need it and wonderfully clarifies cloudy material. But I did notice he got a little annoyed when people would come in with simple questions that were clearly and explicitly clarified in lecture or even asked already by someone in lecture. He also posted old exams with keys and review questions on blackboard, all extremely helpful material. Material: The material is not hard but it is challenging; it just takes an effort on your part to keep up with material and take it all in. I highly suggest a recorder so you can go back on iffy spots and get clarification. If not, use office hours. Do not wait till the last minute to study as there is too much information unless you are aiming for a C or D. The overall class did extremely well this semester . For one test, I remember 50% of the class got 90 or above. But do not mistake that as a assumption that it is easy to get an A. 50% of the class did work hard and got the grade they wanted. It's as simple as that. Some exams were long and most students did not finish sometimes but the average was so high for those instances that a curve wouldn't be justified. Lab Portion I would say that a large percentage of your lab grade depends on which TA you get. Some are easy going while others are unnecessarily harsh. There wasn't enough time to complete several labs but we weren't penalized for that. Do all the work and complete assignments on time and there should not be a problem on getting an A in the lab part (unless you get a bad TA or you turn in horrible quality lab reports). Overall So there you have it. An straightforward class with resources like old exams and office hours as well as bonus opportunity to help you succeed. Based on this, there is absolutely no reason you can't do well if you want to. Great professor, great class, and the pay off of getting an A after all the work you put in at the end is enormously gratifying. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: December 21, 2011, 6:18 pm | Very friendly and approachable guy. He tries to make himself available to students when they need help. During lectures, he often pauses to ask if students have questions The class was very content heavy, but he tests mainly on lectures. It might help to record him since he has a bit of an accent. Details from reading the book help a lot- especially because he always has a bonus question at the end of midterms that are based on readings |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 15, 2011, 1:35 pm | Dr. Ades is the man! He's an adorable little old guy who kind of looks like Professor Farnsworth from Futurama, but despite that he's really got it together. 330 is not an easy class, but if you work your ass off and go to all of Ades' lectures, you should get an A. The averages on his exams were in the high 80s-90 range. He's very fond of going into excruciating detail on processes, so if he does, learn them. If you can absorb all of his lectures and everything they contain, you should have no problem in the class. Be careful about diseases he mentions- he usually puts a question about them on every exam. No matter what, all the stuff he says makes sense and is building on previous bio classes, just in so much detail that if makes your head hurt. In summary: Dr. Ades is a cool dude, and it isn't all that hard to get an A, assuming you work hard. Very hard. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI433 Grade Expected: A May 18, 2011, 5:11 pm | I took his Biology of Cancer class. His lecture style might be a little slow paced for some but is very easy to follow. The tests focused a little too much on details but they are fair. He curved the class at the end. The material he presents are very up to date and kept me interested. |
| UMDfutbol3 Course: BSCI433 Grade Expected: C May 14, 2011, 4:37 pm | Nice enough guy, but incredibly tough class. He is clearly very knowledgable on the subject, and goes into incredible detail. This is a strength as well as a weakness as he goes into so many tangents, that it becomes difficult to follow the overall story. While the exams(he'll give you ones from past years) don't look too bad, be warned that if things are not in the exact way described in the answer key, you will lose the majority of the points. For example, when he asks for the pathway by which PAH can cause cancer through monooxygenase activity, it will not suffice to just draw the structures of each compound that leads to a carcinogen. You must also know the exact name of any given structure he posts on his slides. Finally, while it's not directly asked in the question, you will also need to explain how the carcinogen(epoxide-diol structure) causes an adduct in the DNA that the repair system can't fix. In short, the problem has nothing to do with not knowing the information taught, but rather not knowing what exactly he's asking. Making just one mistake like this will cost you 10-15 points in a 250 point class. This is one question among maybe 3 that completely shattered my grade, and there's just no coming back(no curve). This was my only C in my college career , and it had nothing do with a lack of effort. I put in several hours re-listening to all of his lectures (some twice), making study guides, getting into study groups. I threw the kitchen sink at this class, got A's in my other 400 level bio courses with a tenth of the effort. Like you guys, I check these websites to see what the inside scoop is on profs, and I'll dismiss reviews that just seem like bitter kids trying to blow off some steam, but this isn't that. Be prepared to invest a lot of work into this class, learn a lot of really cool stuff about cancer, but not neccessarily get the reward for it at the end in terms of the grade. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A January 19, 2011, 7:02 pm | Dr. Ades was easily the best professor I have had on the UMD campus. He is extremely intelligent and knows the material like the back of his hand. He is good at making the material applicable to an undergraduate level and his tests are fair (often provided extra points on the midterms). I definitely recommend going to every lecture. You will not regret taking him - he is very entertaining and you'll learn so much! |
| crazystudent Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 20, 2010, 11:41 am | This is probably the most intelligent teacher I've had on campus. He is just so interesting! The best way to get an A in this class is to record lectures and transcribe everything he says with his lecture slides. NEVER MISS CLASS! The only time you need the text book is if he specifically sites something he wants you to read. If he tells you to read something out of a book that's pretty much a promise that it will show up on the exam. His exams and grading are very fair. His midterm exams usually have 20-30 extra points on it. If you score over 100pts on the exam, you just get the score of 100. It also helps because if you don't know everything you can pick and choose which ones you want to answer. Now since he does this, don't depend on him curving his class. He doesn't really curve unless you are like 10 points away from a grade. This semester he gave 22% A's, 38% B's, 27% C's, and the rest D's and F's. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 18, 2010, 5:28 pm | Ades is a great professor! His lectures are interesting and I hear that he's really helpful during office hours. As other people said, recording lectures is really helpful and something that a huge chunk of the class does. The first 3 tests were relatively easy but the multiple choice final was really hard. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 18, 2010, 3:06 pm | Professor Ades was a fantastic professor. I wish all the rest of the biology professors cared as much about teaching and taught as well as he does. Yes, he does go into great detail about things, but you actually learn. It's not just memorizing facts. He always gives examples so you can remember and he always repeats himself. He even tells you "this will be on the exam." After every concept he stops and asks if anyone has any questions. He even builds in extra points for the midterm exams (more points possible than 100 and only takes your grade out of 100). However, yes, it is a difficult course. All the other reviews who whined about it being hard obviously this was their first upper level biology course. It's not Ades' fault you are lazy. My recommendation is to 1. Go to every class and take notes 2. If possible, record him. He has a bit of an accent so sometimes you may miss one or two words. Also, all of his midterms are open ended so you can literally quote him and get full credit. 3. Go over any old exams...he likes to repeat questions :) |
| zhangsta Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: B May 13, 2010, 9:39 pm | one of the best professors i've had. his lectures are very fast-paced so make sure you record his lectures and listen to them again. also helps if you read the book. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI433 Grade Expected: A February 6, 2010, 7:31 pm | This is a very interesting class, and Prof. Ades teaches the subject very well. Be prepared to study and memorize a lot of facts though!!! Doing the practice exams and review questions definitely helps, and you get to drop one exam. He is very approachable and will explain things over and over again for you if you ask. He also makes you interested in the subject by relating several stories and scenarios. The lectures were rarely boring. Learned a lot in this class! |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A January 3, 2010, 5:20 pm | Dr. Ades is by far the best professor I have had so far in my college career. He is really engaging, he knows the material very well and is very helpful in providing office hours and seminar review sessions in addition to answering questions in lecture. He is a nice old man who wants you to learn the material. Not some sadist who is out to ruin your social life-just leave your attitude at the door, and you will do just fine in the class. I found the exams to be vey straightforward and fair, albeit very thorough (memorize only lectures-book only for background i.e not too helpful and the lab was very cool and you actually learned things unlike in other lab courses. I have one piece of advice: go over every single slide in the lecture and memorize things that are not intuitive. You should also record all his lectures. |
| Biology Major Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 22, 2009, 10:58 am | Dr. Ades is one of the the most engaging professors I ever had. He makes the lecture interesting. Similar to how the other reviewers have said, he does expect alot from the students. There is so much material for each exam, and everything is fair game. On the flip side, his exams are doable-there is no problem of not finfshing an exam- and partial credit is possible. His final exam is very hard. In constrast to his previous three midterms, which were all essay format, his final is all multiple choice. It is very specific, and anything he has said since the beginning of the year is fair game. This is a very hard class. But if one is willing to put the effort in, it is very rewarding. Dr. Ades goes into so much detail, but he is there if anyone needs help. Personally, I liked the class because we went into depth about topics such as cellular respiration, receptor-mediated endocytosis, and other areas that other science classes generally brush over. All-in-all, if you want to learn, take Dr. Ades, if you want to get the class over with, take another professor. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 20, 2009, 8:44 am | All the other reviews about memorizing everything he says are wrong. I never brought my computer to class and never went to an open session (I had class every Wednesday at 10) and I still earned an A. His class is like every other, you have to take notes and then actually study for the exams. All the other reviews about kids who got C's are because they've never actually had to study for a challenging class before. Dr. Ades was really good about meeting with students to discuss previous exams and I always responded quickly to e-mails. If you try in his class, you'll do well. You don't need to put in a ridiculous amount of effort like the other reviewers said- they're just whining about getting bad grades. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: December 17, 2009, 10:19 pm | Dr. Ades has a PhD and MD. I am a junior biology major and i am scrambling for a "C" in this class. His expectations are ridiculous for undergraduates! You cannot miss one lecture! You must record them! Memorize everything he says, verbatim. Predicting what material will show up on his exams is IMPOSSIBLE. He gives no hints in class. After having 3 exams in this class that consisted of 8 Essay Questions the final was 100 multiple choice questions, unlike any of the previous exams. I would not recommend Dr. Ades, for cell bio (BSCI330) because he has the lowest percentage of A's. The lab reports are highly time consuming and can potentially hurt your grade. ( the lab sections were not normalized, and it was very frustrating) |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: December 17, 2009, 7:37 am | be prepared to spend about every waking hour you have studying or worrying about his exams which are painfully specific. forget one concept, there's one fifth of your grade right there. cell biology sounds like a trivial concept, this class is not. i'd admit, i unwittingly took this class as a sophomore in a sea of juniors, maybe if i was more experienced in developing my "type as quickly as i can", and "go back to my room immediately to rewrite, reread, and compare slides to notes and recording before i forget" skills i wouldn't be scrambling for a C. as a person, he's great- he cares and knows a lot about this subject but the whole class is one continuous monologue you have to pick apart. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 17, 2009, 7:14 am | Wow...what a GREAT professor. For sure, this class is no joke, the lab is the part that kills most people, 8-12 pg lab reports, literature reviews, lab notebooks, etc. However, although lecture is not fully attended all the time, those are the ones who do poorly. I'll be honest, I'm the type who works hard for my grade and I'm not the "naturally smart ones." But, I didn't read the book, unless if I was really confused. I recorded lectures, typed them 2 times (once in class, once after class) and memorized things he said in lecture, went to EVERY "open session" where he gave hints about exam stuff, and did exceedingly well. My averages on the exams were in the 80-81s, and they were always curved to 85-95% depending on how bad others did. The final is ALL multiple choice, and very detailed, but manageable if you kept up with the study and didn't cram all semester. He's a nice old man, a bit soft-spoken, but very very knowledgable and adorable. Take him! |
| azn12icefarme12 Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A April 8, 2009, 9:34 am | EXACTLY what LunarFlower said. Write EVERYTHING. Memorize EVERYTHING. Rewrite EVERYTHING on the exam. Must attend class or get someone to give you their notes. He was generous on his 3rd exam. Exam is taken out of 120 but there were 150 possible points. (No bonus points from it though) |
| LunarFlower Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 14, 2008, 3:47 pm | How to do well Dr. Ades' BSCI 330 Class: Without Recording his lectures: -either bring a laptop to class and type everything he says verbatim OR write it down..which ever is possible. -Memorize everything.. especially relevant to his study questions from your notes.. he usually presents the answers to his study questions during lecture, but these questions are usually posted around examtime If you do record his lectures: -type everything verbatim and complete the review questions Attending class is essential..can't really do well without attending. Also, attending isn't your ticket to an A. You have to really know EVERYTHING he says. |
| terpjunkie Course: BSCI433 Grade Expected: A July 27, 2008, 7:32 pm | Ades is a wonderful proffesor. This class was def. challenging, but sooo interesting. I came into the class wanting to know the information, so it probably made it easier to get through. The exams are based solely off his lecture slides, and cover 3-4 lectures, each with 60-80 slides. He takes a lot of exam questions off graphs and the tests are mostly conceptual. It's in short-answer format, and asks you to explain things he went over in lecture. You will NOT do well in this class if you don't go to lecture, because his slides don't explain much-- he tells you the important things. In SP08, he made the final optional if you were satisfied with the first three midterm grades. I didn't take the final, but I heard it wasn't bad compared to the midterms. The midterms were all curved a good 2-4%. Take this class if you want to be challenged and think you'll be interested in the material, bc you will learn a lot. |
| vdawg Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: A December 31, 2007, 12:47 pm | He goes over each process at least three times, tweaking and adding/removing details every time. This can get extreeeemely frustrating when you're studying for a test. And the tests don't seem difficult but are graded in the most arbitrary manner possible. (He does curve the tests though, and all the questions are pulled from the review questions/previous exams he puts online. But the review questions don't have answers. Also, a big fan of multiple multiples.) Going to class is absolutely imperative because of the arbitrariness of exam grading. Dr. Ades is not a particularly scintillating lecturer, in fact he can be lame beyond belief, but he's not deathly boring. And everything he says in lecture should be treated as gospel. Even though half the time it'll be contradicted in the text book. |
| nkredible2009 Course: BSCI330 Grade Expected: B+ December 21, 2007, 6:11 pm | Lectures were sort of interesting in the beginning of the year, but when you realize that alot of the things he says conflict with what is written in the book, it starts to get annoying. Exams would never seem hard, but they would be essay based and the TAs cant grade for sh**. They would be so stingy with points and then when you ask for a regrade he almost never gives you anything back. I can think of three instances in which what he said COMPLETELY deviates with what is written in the text. And if you don't go to class there is no way to know. He also made it seem like he was curving the class in the beginnning of the yr, dropping the cut offs for As and Bs by almost 10%. Then, even after everyone BOMBED the almost IMPOSSIBLE final, he curved by only 2%!!!!! The final had about 20 pts worth of questions on Noble prize winners!!! Something on which we did not cover at all in class and that was not on the review guide he gave us. The man lost his mind this semester and I would advise you to avoid him. Getting a B is easy because the lab is B.S. But don't count on getting an A unless you focus most of your energy on this class. |
| emilyes Course: BSCI230M Grade Expected: | Great, informative class. Ades is a good at lecturing and makes the class more interesting. His tests were sometimes a little long, mostly short answer, but fair. The labs were pretty easy, but they have probably been changed, now that the class is being offered as BSCI330. |