Reviews for Bretton W. Kent
Average Rating:| Anonymous Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: B January 13, 2012, 6:17 pm | I took him with Higgins last Spring. Kent was pretty good. You can tell he enjoyed the material since he was very enthusiastic during lectures. His enthusiasm made it easier to pay attention. His tests were hard, but that's only because BSCI207 is designed to filter people out. He, like Higgins, pointed out specific concepts that were definitely going to be on exams so the class generally knew what to focus on. Overall, I enjoyed his teaching. If you decide to take him or Higgins, go to lecture! Most of the exam material stemmed from his words and NOT the powerpoint slides. |
| defeatthehuns Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: May 16, 2011, 9:14 pm | Great lecturer, hard tests. You literally have to study each and every word in his Powerpoints. Not as goofy as Higgins, but I liked him. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI392 Grade Expected: A December 15, 2010, 12:53 pm | I really loved BSCI392. Dr. Kent is a great lecturer, and the class was fascinating. But be warned that this class is not an easy A -- it might not even be an easy B. He posts his lectures online and they are helpful outlines to study from, but you MUST go to class. There is a ton of information that is not in the PowerPoint and sometimes he'll even hint as to what will be on the final exam. His tests are pretty tough (16 multiple-multiple questions and 2 short answers) but there are two group reconstructions that will boost your grade. If you truly care about the subject, pay attention and study a moderate amount you should get an A. If you skip class a lot and don't study much you will be lucky to get a B. Kent is a very nice person who genuinely cares about us and how well we learn, but he holds us to a high standard. If you are interested in paleobiology (especially vertebrate paleobiology) he will be the perfect professor. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: B+ May 14, 2010, 8:20 pm | Kent- his lectures are really boring.. his exams are soo hard. He will have short answer questions on the most random things and tiniest details which are worth a lot of points. Therefore, you pretty much need to study EVERYTHING on his slides.. which is crazy.. Higgins- I learned a lot more from Higgins than Kent. Higgins is a lot more entertaining and his exams are based more on concepts than straight memorization like Kent. BSCI207 sucks.. pointless class that you have to study so much for. |
| hippoterp Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: April 24, 2010, 11:08 am | I took 207 with Higgins and Kent. Kent was boring though he is clearly very knowledgeable about the subject matter he teaches (which, unfortunately, is also boring). I thought his test was also a LOT harder than Higgins' because it was less straight forward. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't great either. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: May 21, 2009, 11:04 pm | I took this course with Higgins and Kent, and found that I got more out of the lectures with Kent. While they both post their lectures online, Kent had more text so it was easier to follow along and take notes. Definitely do what they recommend, and print out the lectures beforehand and take notes directly on them. And go to class, because most of the exams are based on the lectures, not the book. The class was really hard, and you definitely need to study along with the lectures instead of cramming the night before an exam. That said, it's not impossible to get a good grade in this course; it just takes work, but you really do learn a lot. |
| joepenn1 Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: B May 1, 2009, 4:14 am | Great teacher who knows his stuff. Had BSCI 207 with him and Higgins and Kent, while the less eccentric of the two, still loves participation and likes to have fun with the material. MUST go to lecture, nothing else including posted slides and the text will due. Tests based on lectures. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: April 10, 2009, 7:31 pm | I had a class with Kent and Higgins together and Kent is by far the better teacher. He thoroughly explained concepts where Higgins would just hope that you knew them. Kent was also nicer and wasn't obnoxious like Higgins. |
| jessgord Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: A November 14, 2008, 8:31 pm | He was a GREAT professor and a really nice guy. He and Higgins had a great relationship too. He explained all the concepts clearly and thoroughly and answered any questions students had. He also moved at a reasonable pace. You just have to take extra notes during lecture and study hard and you'll do well. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: A May 22, 2008, 10:11 am | Kent was a very good lecturer. Between him and Higgins, I liked Kent better. He was a little clearer when explaining the material and wasn't as intimidating. His lecture notes also have more words that Higgins' so they are easier to follow. Must attend class though, the lecture notes don't have everything. I also thought his test questions were very fair. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI207 Grade Expected: March 16, 2008, 9:00 am | I have a class dual taught by Kent and Higgins. Though Kent is the less dynamic of the two, he is an excellent teacher. He can move quickly, but still explains everything thoroughly. He is very interested in his subject matter, and very knowledgeable. Must attend lecture because the slides don't contain all the information. Receptive to questions and likes participation. |