David Garbary - St. Francis Xavier University

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David Garbary - St. Francis Xavier University

Professor: David Garbary

Department: Science

College: St. Francis Xavier University

Rating # 1

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Makes botany way harder than it should be. there's no doubt he knows his stuff but he makes his students feel bad for asking questions. lectures are confusing and he doesn't post clear slides so get ready to read the textbook cover to cover pretty much. it's possible to get a good grade but you really have to work for it. attend help sessions!!!

Rating # 2

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Worst prof I have had to date. Knowledge is so in-depth and concepts needed to understand what he is talking about are not taught, they are expected to already know. If you have endless amount of time to dedicate to the course you would do fine.

Rating # 3

Overview:

Course: BIOL202
Grade Received: C+
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He gets a bad reputation for pushing you.. I despised him for the majority of the semester but he's JUST PUSHING YOU TO LEARN. I've learned more in his class than I have in any other class. You truly have to apply yourself and most of us aren't accustomed or up to the task but I decided to take the initiative and it's paid off, I've learned so much

Rating # 4

Overview:

Course: BIOL201
Grade Received: A-
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I took plant biology with this prof and I liked it way more than I expected to. He loves participation, so the more you answer questions in class and ask questions when you have them, the better the class will be. He is happy to help students if they are working hard and ask questions and is always available after class for questions.

Rating # 5

Overview:

Course: BIOL302
Grade Received: B-
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: No
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

terrible

Rating # 6

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Teachs nothing in class yet the lab component can have 3 assignments in a week. Is incredibly rude with people answering and asking him questions. Prepare to spend classes learning the same thing and listening to him ask vague questions until someone answers.

Rating # 7

Overview:

Course: BIO311BOTANY
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Very difficult classes, but fair.

Rating # 8

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Would not recommend this course to anyone. Prepare to teach yourself by the textbook, be torn apart for asking questions he deems as inferior, and getting exam questions right completely or not at all (extremely tough grader - no partial points).

Rating # 9

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 2.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Dr. Garbary does not come off as welcoming, asking the students in class/labs questions, and making them feel dumb for not knowing the answer. Although he does know his material extremely well, he does not make it easy to learn.

Rating # 10

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: B
Overall Rating: 3.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Very passionate about the material he teaches. That being said, his courses are anything but easy, and you WILL have to read the textbook thoroughly to do well, as he is often sidetracked and leaves it up to you as the student to teach yourself the material. His course Plants and Human health is the most interesting course I have ever taken at StFx

Rating # 11

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: D+
Overall Rating: 3.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He is very smart so he seems unapproachable, but once I went to see him one on one he was a lot easier to talk to and as questions. It isn't an easy course or lab and the material can be dry but the lab portion really does help if you put the effort into it.

Rating # 12

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.5
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Put simply, Dr. Garbary is brilliant and extremely knowledgeable about plants. He tells you straight up that his course and lab component are extremely challenging and that you have to study to do well.. so I don't understand how people can complain about him. He is available virtually ANY time outside of class. Dull material, great professor.

Rating # 13

Overview:

Course: BIOL302
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He may know his stuff, but he's a very unapproachable man. He expects you to know everything as soon as he teaches it, and if you aren't 'at his level' then he doesn't even look at you twice. DO NOT take evolution with him, it's awful. Passionate, maybe, hard core, for sure! - I am also an A student, and had to work my butt off just to pass. yuck

Rating # 14

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I may be one of the few out there, but I really found this course interesting. It's really helpful to review periodically throughout the course and the labmanual has a lot of really helpful information too. Spend the full three hours in lab, you'll be happy you did. Go and talk to the prof after class, he really is good in person and one on one.

Rating # 15

Overview:

Course: BIOL202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The most unfair professor you will take at STFX. You are expected to teach yourself the course from the text book. Impossible to take notes from, clear as mud when explaining. I am an A student and I put all my time into this course to maintain my average. He likes to use previous exams which is unfair for those who actually study only their notes.

Rating # 16

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 2.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's all but deaf, won't answer his own questions but waits for someone to finally SHOUT it. Go to lecture, pay attention, study the material, and you'll do fine. Lab is long, don't rush or you won't learn anything. Lab exam is not NEARLY as brutal as I was told it would be, but you have to have learned something from the lab.

Rating # 17

Overview:

Course: BIO202
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 2.5
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Ughh.. Very important to go to every class and READ the textbook, especially if you don't understand something in class. There will always be a "tree" question. Lab is long and boring but not that hard if you keep up with it. Not a very fun experience overall. And he sometimes makes disgusting jokes.

Rating # 18

Overview:

Course: BIOL302
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I loved Dr. Garbary. True, his exams are known for being tricky, and botany lab will haunt many students a long time, but the material is really interesting and he has such a passion for the subjects. Plus, he'll be in for a beer at the inn after class.

Rating # 19

Overview:

Course: BIO203
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.5
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He was not a good prof, he was really hard and hard to expect what is going to be on his exams, its hard to even tell you what he wants on his exam questions. Buy the Book its really helpful and the lab is long and boring.

Rating # 20

Overview:

Course: BIOL201
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: N/A
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He said the first day of class, if you do your work, you will do well, and he wasnt lying. The labs are long, take a digicam! The exams...they're fair. They dont ask questions directly from the material taught, but rather test your knowledge and if you can apply it. Take 80% of your notes from the text, it's the only way to do well in the class.

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