Reviews for Marcia A. Shofner
Average Rating:| Anonymous Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: B January 11, 2012, 9:38 am | Shofner is definitely a nice professor! So nice that if you started cursing at her, she would still genuinely love you. However, I went into the class thinking that it was going to be an easy A, which it really wasn't because the exams were pretty difficult. She tests on details usually and essays are graded harshly. I had Melissa Meyer as a TA and she was just some girl from Texas. So, just run away if you have Melissa. One of the worst TA's I ever had in college. Get one of the guy TA's. One thing I learned in college is that male TA's are so much nicer and chill. They don't take off random shit points on reports or tests. Andy Simpson is the coolest TA for this class. In the end, Shofner is nice, so study hard. I had orgo and physics with this class, so obviously I was going to spend less time in this class. Anyways, my advice is that good luck. TA's matter so much. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: A January 5, 2012, 11:58 am | I loved Dr. Shofner. She is extremely knowledgeable on the topic, but not in a show-offy way like some professors - she uses her knowledge to make lectures really interesting with lots of examples and stories. Thought grading was fair - one test gets dropped out of three. Don't buy the book! She only tests on things in her powerpoints and things she talked about in lecture. Attendance is not mandatory (no clickers), slides are posted online. She's one of the nicest and most personable professors I've had. Would definitely recommend moving around your schedule so that you have her. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI106S Grade Expected: December 21, 2011, 8:20 am | She is nice professor and all but sometimes I don't bother going to lectures because she posts them all online anyway. Tests are fair (lowest midterm dropped). I totally expected to get an A in this class and was at 90% but I got a 85 on my final and ended up with a B+. The final exam wasn't even that bad but I feel like the TA's were just looking everywhere for places to take off points. |
| Princess Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: B June 19, 2011, 8:25 pm | Dr. Shofner is so nice and definitely willing to help her students. She is the one professor whose class I didn't get an A in but I can still say that I like her as a professor. That's saying a lot. Anyways, in terms of grading, take the lab quizzes (and lab practical) serious [they're what brought me down to a B]. For the exams, study every little detail on the slides and you'll get 100%'s on the exams. She drops the lowest of the three non-cumulative exams though. Lab is easy, not much to say there. |
| rose11 Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: A January 6, 2011, 12:46 pm | Dr. Shofner is wonderful. She is so nice and very approachable. The lab for this course isn't too difficult, either. As long as you study hard and turn in all of your assignments, you should expect to get an A. I thought BSCI106 was easier than BSCI105. If you're going to take 106, take it with Shofner! |
| UMDMWS11 Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: May 27, 2010, 8:34 pm | Dr. Shofner is a really nice professor, and if you have to, or want to take this class, I definitely recommend trying to take it with her!! She puts all her powerpoint slides online, which is nice, and you can tell she really enjoys teaching. She even provided an extra credit opportunity as well as review sessions for the exams. She's very approachable and very on top of everything (administratively, ELMS, etc.). At the same time though, unless you are a biology major, or really pick it up quickly, this class might not be easy. Especially at the beginning, I found the material to be somewhat challenging. You should go to lecture and be prepared to study, ask questions, go to lab, etc. The nice thing is that Prof. Shofner allows you to drop one of the three exams (not including the final, which is the fourth exam). Another nice thing is that 20/150 points on the final are based on a zoo/Museum visit, so it can help you out a bit (should be an easy 20 points). The laboratories aren't too bad, just make sure you stay on top of the quizzes and really pay attention so you can do well on the assignments/practical. Don't procrastinate and don't be afraid to ask your TA questions!!! I was lucky and had the head TA for my discussion- that's the only part that's kind of out of your hands-yours might or not be good. A good part of the labs is that they compliment lectures (or follow them very closely), so it can be helpful in learning the material. All in all, I would recommend Dr. Shofner! She's a nice professor and makes the class interesting. Just be forewarned, the material might be somewhat difficult. DON'T GIVE UP though...keep working hard and learn from mistakes/previous exams...I found that I got used to what to expect on the exams and the class got a less difficult as it went along. Good luck!! |
| terp13 Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: A- May 19, 2010, 12:32 pm | Dr. Shofner is surprisingly a good teacher. It's hard to tell because she doesn't seem very confident, although knowledgeable. If you're going to take BSCI106, take it with Shofner. She doesn't even require that you buy a clicker! Her tests are fair; she drops the lowest. This class is a lot of work [memorization/studying for exams] but it's not impossible to get an A. Don't buy the books. Only buy the lab manual. Brian Davidson, aka Bubba, was the best TA. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: A May 15, 2010, 4:43 pm | Dr. Shofner has to be the sweetest professor ever! She has a very pleasant demeanor, and her lectures usually tie in some interesting topic to keep us engaged. Don't assume this is an easy A because it is most definitely not. You still need to put in the effort for an A. Nothing is really difficult to understand, but there is a ton of info covered on exams. A lot of people come in assuming it's easy and end up doing pretty badly. Some notes about the class: 1. You'll benefit a lot from lectures. She emphasizes certain material that will help you a lot for exams. Some exam material is ONLY covered in lecture. 2. She posts up a study guide outline before each exam. Use this as a guide to help you figure out what to study--it'll cut down on your studying immensely. I got As on all the exams by just using this outline to help me write out a study sheet. Her exams only cover what's outlined, but you still need to refer to the slides to get the major details. Make sure you study the relevant slides! 3. Don't buy the book. Waste of money. I literally opened it once and read 1 single paragraph in the beginning of the semester. Never opened it again and still got an A. 4. Other reviewers are spot-on about being careful of the TAs. Consider yourself lucky if you have a good one. If you're not so lucky, don't be afraid to challenge a grade or even challenge the TA. My TA often gave us wrong info and didn't seem to understand what we were doing in lab half the time. Go to Dr. Shofner if you have to. Overall, great class, very interesting material, very kind and fair professor. Highly recommended! |
| jamgord Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: A May 4, 2010, 5:01 pm | I personally think Dr. Shofner is the nicest lady ever. She is so sweet, and I could not stand when the students in lecture would talk over her or start packing up while she was still talking, because she's not the most assertive or authoritative figure. She is a really good teacher and knows her material extremely well. The tests were pretty straight-forward and you do get to drop the lowest of 3. My TA, Brian Davidson, was really good! He was laid-back, an easy grader, and always let us get out of lab early. Even though he was so chill, he still managed to get the material through to us and explained everything very well. I really enjoyed this class and highly recommend Dr. Shofner! |
| deoaro Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: A August 24, 2009, 7:42 am | Dr. Shofner can be a bit boring and monotonous sometimes but she is a good teacher. Her tests are extremely easy; so easy that in my class there was no curve cause most people's grades were very high. You do not have to go to lecture cause she posts everything online. I definately recommend her...oh and watch out for the TA's. |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: C May 20, 2009, 9:58 am | Dr Shofner is extremely nice and a good lecturer but the TA's can be impossible. If your TA is Jenny Allen, DROP IMMEDIATELY! Save yourself the bad grade in a seemingly easy class |
| Anonymous Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: B May 10, 2009, 9:40 am | This class is really difficult, much more than it seems. Lots and lots of ecology and evolution terms/concepts. Shofner is fine, nice enough, and seems accessible to students after lectures. Make sure you pick a good TA for lab though, especially one that is accessible, because that makes a big difference (mine wasn't and it sucked). Shofner doesn't really use the book, so you probably don't need to buy it. |
| littleflower5 Course: BSCI106 Grade Expected: A March 26, 2009, 5:37 pm | Dr. Shofner is incredibly kind. She is very interested in Biology and you can tell from the way she lectures. All important facts from a test standpoint are based on her lectures, so there is not much need to read the book, although it is helpful. Lab is incredibly easy, but can be a lot of work at times. Only one lab report all semester, but some writing assignments too. Overall great biology class and very kind and talented professor. |