Villablanca, Francis  

I heard this guy get his share of wicked derision by being called "Fabio". Spend some time in his class and learn why. Actually, don't, because he treats this class like some sort of graduate seminar and not the 2-unit joke that it is. His "quizzes" are 25 questions which are worded as confusingly as possible and are more than a little too difficult for this class. Not a pleasant experience. Abolish Bio/Engr 213!

I'm filling this out before the end of the quarter, as I don't want my grade to affect my evaluation, and I feel it needs to be said for those taking this class next quarter. Bio 213 consisted of a quiz each week on the previous week's lecture topic and reading. The final is just the quiz for week 10's lecture. Fairly easy structure. However, the quizes were difficult, not because of the material, but because of 2 other factors: 1. Questions could be on info from class that conflicted to what was said in the book, or strictly from the book, or strictly from class. An example was a question about organisms: Do all living cells have neuclei? The answer, is of course, no, bacteria and an entire class of organisms do not have neuclei. This was covered in the week's readings. However, the correct asnwer on Dr. Villablanca's test was "yes". His rationalization was that in class we spent very little on bacteria, so it should be ignored. He also stated "What is in the book is not important compared to what I lecture on." Part 2: 6 weeks later we had a question on the SARS virus. Genetic diseases and viruses were not covered in the lecture, and were a short section at the end of that week's book reading. Rationalization for this question being on the exam was: "Why would I have you buy the book if I did not want you to read it?" 2. Dr. Villablanca is not very good at writing in English. I do not know if this is because it's a second language for him, or if his understanding of cases, tenses and subjects is poor, but we would receive questions worded in a vague manner. "Is there an energy increase during photosynthesis?" Questions like this have no specicifity, and are impossible to answer without a reference frame. Yes, the chemical potential energy of a cell is increased during photosynthesis. No, the energy of the universe is not increased during this process. Which is the correct answer? Other questions were worse, this is only one example. Of 25 questions on each of the quizzes, expect at least 4 each week to have poor gramar, specicifity, spelling, or other commmunication errors in them. Dr. Villablanca comes to class each week with a set lecture in his head. When he gives it, parts may be unclear, however, asking for an explanation will cause more to disrupt the lecture then to help your understanding. Dr. Villablanca's approach to these questions is to pause for a good amount of time (the longest I have counted was 26 second pause, but I only started timing them as a game to amuse myself late in the quarter), during which he will remain silent, and if anyone interrupts he will tell them to "hold on a second." After this pause, he will either paraphrase his last 30 seconds of lecture, or repeat the exact same statement. He will then say "I hope that answered your question." and move on. If interrupted again, he begins to become hostile toward the questioner. IF the original question has a hint of disgruntlement, he will become immediately defensive. This petty attitude makes dealing with him seem like dealing with a 5 year old who stole a cookie from the cupboard. Above he is referred to as Dr. Villablanca, and this is how he would like you to refer to him. Dr. Villablanca will tell you repeatedly the first day that he is a doctor of biology. He wants you to know that he is a doctor, as it will build your respect in him. His inability to deal with questions, or use proper english has made me doubt the authenticity of his doctorate, but apparently it is real. In summary, the class is incredibly easy. With a little luck, a little guess work, and a little reading you can do quite well. Dr. Villablanca, however, is an insufferable professor, at least in my experience. his actions have upset me, greatly, and he has done much to ruin my respect for those who have earned doctorates. On the personal side, Dr. Villablanca is in excellentshape, and dresses quite stylishly. I found this somewhat hillarious, as you can watch him preen throughout class, play with his long hair, and even occasionally he strokes his biceps.

I think the previous person just about nailed it. His quizzes were sucky, at least in the beginning. Questions didnt even make sense. But he basically gave points back on problems most people got wrong. I ended with a B+ which could have easily been an A if i put any amount of work into the class. If you study just a little for the quizzes (which im assume he will re-write so theyre coherent next quarter) and A should be no problem. Material is easy, quizzes were easy towards the end of the quarter since he decided to proof read them. oh, and i think he looks more like antonio bandaras then fabio.

This class is part of a two part Bio/Engr requirement, but it is the lame part. The Engr class is fun, easy, and you will receive an A if you do the homework and come to class. Villablanca's class absolutely sucks. The lectures are horribly boring, but even worse are the wording of the tests. Villablanca uses this weird wording, and I probably spend half the test trying to figure out what the hell the question is. To make things better, the answers are usually different than those in the lecture notes or in the book. Every question I answer I feel about 70% sure it is right. I did the reading, came to every lecture, and took notes, but when it came time to take tests, I hardly ever could finish a test feeling confident that I would receive the grade I deserve. I don't recommend taking Villablanca for 213, because it is just an unnecessary headache.

Got to like the guy below. This guy didn't sit in on this abomination, this abortion, of a class, so he has no f-ing idea as to what he is talking about. But, he's a "real" biologist, so that just about covers it. He'd like you to think that we're spoiled babies who can't hack a 2-unit bio class (because engineers have it so easy, after all). Hey pal, look at his ratings. We're not the ones outside the mainstream. You are. Anyway, Villablanca is one of the worst professors I have ever had. All ego, all arrogance, with a bad attitude and no patience for those who do not intuitively "get it". Actually, we did get it, we just couldn't read his mind to figure out what the hell he wanted. Arbitrary, capricious, mean, etc. Honestly, I could go on and on. And on. Just save yourself the time and frustration and kindly take the class with someone else.

Dr. V seems like he'll be really cool at first. But don't be fooled. He is the moodiest, most unhelpful, unavailable professor I've ever had. All he does is whine about how busy he is with other projects and such. It's very obvious that he has people he likes/favors in class, and those he couldn't care less about. Most people are intimidated by him because he is so unapproachable. I really didn't like him as a person but I did learn a lot about birds.

Overworked (and underpaid...) The only problem with Dr. V is that there aren't more teachers like him. To the whiner who said he was too busy, the reason is because EVERYONE wants to work with him...

Dr. V is great. Fun and accommodating. Had him for both lecture and lab. Believe most of the ratings. Lecture tests are based on thought process and understanding and not memorization. The Lab is Taxa Taxa Taxa!! Not unexpected but trust me you are going to spend most of your time studying for the labs instead of the lecture. Read and go to lecture and you will do fine. I hope to take from Dr. V again. Possibly evolution.

Dr. V's a frigatebird!

Hahahaaha. I was just reading past evaluations. Well, sadly, they are all true. This guy has no idea what fair means, he definatley singled out some friends of mine and made their life hell. If your bored these days take Villa douche because you never know what to expect, he will probably give you something to talk about for many years to come. However, be careful not to get on his bad side, he will definatley make you feel either suicidal or more likely homicidal!! Also, dont expect a good grade unless your a perfect 10 hottie because no matter how hard you work im willing to bet my left nut that you dont get better than a C or B-, and if your hoping to earn a C, then you will end up with a D or F. And if you think you can argue with him without lots of tangible evidence in your hand, forget it. Trust me, forgetaboutit. You cant win an argument against him with words and opinions alone. You have to work twice as hard as he "requires". Also, make sure you check your grades carefully because he has a knack for losing assignments, having his computer crash, etc, etc, so keep copies and dont trust him.

Really great professor. He was very helpful and his teaching style was great. He really wants to make sure that students understand the concepts in lecture. There is a lot of memorization, but that is to be expected. If you put the time in to learn the material it will pay off. His exams are very conceptual with a lot of short answer/essay type which is a better test of knowledge than simply multiple choice, and he is a fair grader with partial credit. take the class is you are interested in field work and mammalogy!

He is a fantastic professor. He does a really good job at answering questions and clarifying material. The lab is a lot of memorization, but if you like mammals (especially rodents) then it's kind of fun. After you take this class you'll be that extremely awesome person pointing out all of the Spermophilus beecheyi on campus to your friends!

Dr. V is without a doubt one of the best professors I've ever had. He is upfront with students on day one about what he expects from the class. There are two weekend field trips during the quarter, which are required. He requires a lab/field notebook and the lab has several quizes. It seems like a ton, but Dr. V is there to help. He does a great job of explaining the material, but if you don't understand soemthing, he takes the time to make sure you will. He is understanding and very easy-going. Every biology major should take this class.

Dr. V is the bomb! His style is conceptual learning that you must apply to short essay questions on the exams. None of the bullshit memorization and then apply it to a stupid scantron test with trick questions. The best way to study for his exams in mammalogy is to discuss the concepts with somebody else. This lead to this...which lead to this....and so on. On the tests, he'd throw in a question or two from the book, which was tricky because I never really used the book, but to get an A, you'd have to be on top of the material in the book.

This class consisted of 2 lecture exams, 4 lab quizes, 1 feild quiz, 3 1-page papers, one weekend field trip, and cumulitive finals for both lecture and lab. This lab is killer, worse than Bio 153 lab. The lecture portion isn't that bad, all you have to do is come to class evryday and read the text a little. Dr. V seems like he will be a very cool guy, but totally chooses favorites and is super moody. I started out really liking him in the begining of the quarter, but then I realized what a jackass he was. I do not recommend him, if you can, take someone else.

He definitely expects a lot of you, but he is super helpful and knowledgable. I learned so much in his class. He is really busy, but it's because he's helping students alllll the time. Great teacher, great class.

When I went into Dr. V's class all I heard about was how amazing he was. Um . . .HELLO! We had one weekend field trip and he brought along his girlfriend and all they did the whole time was make-out. He talks big about being grown-ups and being professional. How professional is it to make-out with your girlfriend on a class field trip. He was worse than the students with PDA! Anyway, but his lecture tests are straight from his lectures and the lab is super hard. You basically learn the scientific name of every north american mammal and have to identify it by it's skull or it's pelage. If you have to take one of his classes, take Ornothology instead, I hear it's way better.

Dr. V is a good teacher and very knowledgeable about the subjects. A lot of people get distracted from this because they judge him as a person rather than as a professor; yes he makes out with his girlfriend on fieldtrips, yes he can come across as arrogant...but the truth is he is dedicated to his students and a great professor. You can get a lot out of his class if you try.

Dr. V is an excellent professor! There is a fair amount of work for this class, but it is designed so that you can do well - if you put in the time. Make sure to read and perhaps even take notes on the assigned reading, because the weekly quizzes are worth a lot of points. He never asks multiple choice questions, so be prepared for many short answer, fill in the blank, or true or false questions. In terms of the lab, do not procrastinate! The lab material builds up very quickly, but if you are excited about mammals you should enjoy this class.

He is an AMAZING PERSON! I seriously don't know what is up with the previous comments but lets just say Dr. V is one of the best professor we have at Cal Poly! Truly cares about his student and wants you to do well in all aspects of college life. His lectures are more like discussions, and instead of flying by an entire powerpoint every lecture. He goes over a couple slides at a time making sure the entire class understands the material. Yes, its alot of terms, memorization and you have to really understand the material but it is a junior level class. In short, he is an amazing professor, take him!

Dr. V is not always the best at explaining things, and his quizzes are awful because you basically have to study an entire 30 page chapter before each lecture in order to pass them. He can go off on tangents and become a little confusing during lecture but he definitely encourages questions during class and never makes you feel foolish for asking certain things. Though he doesn't always address the exact question you have, he does try his best to make things clear. One thing I will say though, is that he is a very caring and respectable person overall. He is always open to discuss things is extremely understanding of personal issues and genuinely cares about the well-being and education of his students. He is a genuinely good person and to me, that is a very important attribute in a professor, and I would happily take him again even with his minor flaws in teaching methods

Ok, so by reading these postings it is quite obvious to see who came to college for the beer binges... Dr. V is an excellent professor that expects hard work from his students. And what good university professor wouldn't? This isn't high school anymore! He is not one to hold your hand and lead you to an A. He gives you adequate materials to do it yourself, and it is a shame that part of the student body resents him for that. Be grateful you get to learn from such a valued member of the Biology Department!

Dr. V is a teacher you should take...not because he's a good teacher or because he's cool but because you will never forgot him. For the rest of your life you will remember Dr.V and think about how much of an arrogant, mean, hypocritical, sissy boy he was. I'll stop there before i say too much. You should take him soon though because its probably just a matter of time before he gets fired, why Cal Poly keeps him is beyond me. Dont get on his bad side or he will crush you with any means available to him, which is usually your grade !! Dr. V is quite a character. Lastly, Ive heard from many reliable sources that he has been seen doing his girlfriend in the bushes during his classes weekend long field trips. I for one believe it. Not very professional, although he wants you think he invented the concept of professionalism. The guy is pathetic.Anyway jump on the rollercoaster, take his classes, you will never forget the ride!! meuhahaha.

Villa douche

Dr. V is definitely knowledgeable about the subject matter, however, his unprofessionalism takes away from his teaching and your learning. I definitely felt singled out from him for no specific reason or cause. I know other people that were singled out as well. Our lab course was split with half the class, and for some reason he didn't like our section as much as the other. He gave the other section extra credit without offering any to us, and only changed his decision when someone from our lab found out and brought it to his attention. The other lab section also seemed to learn more than ours. I spoke to numerous students from the other section that knew terminology and information that we never learned. I can admit, there were some quizes in the lab that I didn't do so well on, but in the end I studied hard to improve my grade as best to my ability. However, with a 69.5% in the class at the end of the final, he didn't bump me up. Under these circumstances I feel that this simply is not fair. there was a clear level of favoring in his class, which is entirely unprofessional and does not convey ones true understanding of the material presented. If he likes you and your lab, you may do well and actually learn something, if not you are going to have to struggle to learn the material, and still may not do well after putting in the extra effort.

Wow, I cant believe i am wasting my time writing this, but I feel the students who dont know about this guy should be given a heads up. Excuse my typing because im in a hurry, and I could easily talk bad about this guy for hours. Well, I had Dr. V for many classes, at least 3 i can remember. At first he might seem cool because he has beach bum vibes and seems nice (dont be fooled) but soon the real beast emerges. He must be bipolar, only explanation that makes sense. As for class difficulty, I have to say that if you study hard and work hard, you will probably do okay. If you are a cute girl and you are good at kissing ass you will probably get along fine. However, if you are late to class, or you stick out in any way,and i mean any way, and Dr. V decides he doesnt like you then you are royally screwed. Make sure you have back ups, copies,etc and keep records of everything, even audio tape record him every chance you get,(this is the best way to get dirt on him) because he may lose your work, give you unjustified bad scores, or whatever he can think of to hurt your grade and reputation. This guy is a real piece of work, total piece of shite. You wouldn't even believe the things he did to me alone(tried to drop me, tried to fail me, told me to leave class and go home, locked me out, embarress me in class, laugh at me in class, looked at me with contempt after pointing out a mistake or by giving the correct answer in class, yelled at me in class and at field trips and then apologized for being out of line *bipolar a$$hole*, lowered my points on tests although i had the same answers as others who got full credit( i compared the answers of every student after he left the tests outside his door for pickup, i copied them for proof and returned them to his office so no one would know.and i was finally able to prove to other teachers and my parents that he had a vendetta against me by showing that other students recieved scores 2 letter grades higher even though we had the same exact multiple choice answers. I showed him and threatened him and he gave me the points. He then smiles like it was a mistake and thinks of the next way he can screw you(before i showed everyone the tests and scores, everyone thought i was making this stuff up!!!, not to mention other poor students on his bad side. My best advice is to not take him, if you have to, then stay off his radar(or rather his bat echolocation). This means, dont be late, dont slack, dont talk to him, dont ask questions, dont make eye contact, and dont underestimate his ability to be a petty unfair hypocritical piece of trash. Oh yah, hey Dr. V, dipodomys are super lame, by the way, come out of the closet already, life is too short to be in denial and spend your time tring to ruin your studnets lives, and oh yah, stop dressing like a woman at the downtown halloween parties, absolutely disgusting.

What a friggin' homo.

dude looks like a lady

I do not understand how he got tenure, aside from that, his tests are doable, if there was a book I didn't crack it and got an A. He can be picky about dates, but otherwise he gives notice as to what will be on the test. Don't count on him to be there duing office hours.

Villablanca is an excellent professor. Expect to be challenged and expect to have to think and process the information he gives you. Do not expect to get an easy "A" or to do lots of frivolous memorization, but do expect to have your effort pay off. If you are serious about biology, you will definitely benefit from any of his courses.

Several factors about Dr V. where particularly frustrating. One never really knew what he'd lecture on even though he handed out a list of topics that where to correlate with the book (rarely used). Maybe he was having a bad quarter. This quarter he 'stock-piled' assignments. There was one initial mid-term. Then, near the end of the quarter, a presentation was due the same day a term paper and no real guidelines on how to do either. Then, the last mid-term and a final where on the same day. You think he could have handed out Review Questions. As mentioned above, he does seem nice at first, but is quite unavailable and does seem to have favorites. I'm working hard, why can't he help?

Straight up, the guy is a genious, and a whole lotta people have already figured that out. (thats why he's never available, which yes, is frustrating as hell.) You'll learn about a whole new world if you work at his class, and he'll open your eyes to some amazing things. The tests are totally brutal. 6 pages of written answers will leave you questioning which direction is up and which is down. The presentation is also amazingly difficult, with very little guidance. If you actually want to learn, and learn something worthwhile, take villablanca. If you don't give a shoot, take andoli, they didn't have to do half of what we did for our grades.

There are a lot of very smart professors at Cal Poly and some of them are even brilliant. Villablanca, as much as I like him personally, is pretty much a flake, which gets interpreted as high genious. He seems to have poor time management, so it appears that he is busier than everyone else. Compared to Andoli, the guy's great, but he's merely average compared to the rest of the college of science and math.

This man thinks he is smart and very analytical about everything. Being analytical in biology is a good thing, unless it is about every stupid little concept that we all learned in general bio. Be prepared to here "Is that OK with everyone?" at least 20 times per lecture, no joke. He is terrible at explaining things clearly, almost to the point that it seems that he doesn't know what he is talking about. When someone asks a question that better clarifies what he thinks he is trying to say he makes them say it and just agrees with them. This is a crapy subject with a crapy lecturer and I resent the fact that I HAD to take this class, and it was made way worse with pony-tail man as a teacher. Don't take him in anything, ever...

This is THE WORST professor I have ever had. I can't see why some many people rate him on here as being smart. In my class, I found to no one who thought he was smart, liked him as a person (since he is extremely arrogant), or like how he attempted to explain material. He gets nothing across clearly and is never available for office hours. He apparently has higher priorites than teaching, and it shows. I will NEVER take him in any class again, even if it means I won't graduate. He is really not worth your time. I hated this clss so much I am getting angry just writing this; and trust me, I am holding back on what I REALLY think about him...

Dr. V is an unreal teacher. I have had him more than once as a teacher and those who dislike him generally don't put in the effort. He really gives his all to make sure EVERYONE understands the concepts being covered in class, and what he expects back is that everyone sincerely tries to learn the material. If you put forth the effort you will do fine, his tests are challenging but if you know the material you will do fine. He is very personable and very intelligent, so if you try you will learn an enormous amount in any of his classes.

By far the worst professor I have ever had. He is too arrogant to get the material across clearly and is never available in office hours. Don't take him, you WILL regret it. Some people say in his other reviews that he is smart and a good teacher, but they must be as dumb as him because in my class of 100 people, I met no one who liked him or would say he is smart. He is a waist of tuition money.

Dr. Villablanca is a joke! I have had him for several classes and earned A's. First of all, I don't think he has read more than a few journal articles since he got his PhD, yet he requires his students to turn in enormous research papers with large bibliographies. Secondly, he can take an easy topic, lecture on it for twice as long as is required and then end up leaving you more confused than if you would have ignored him and read the textbook. On top of his inability to teach clearly, his flakiness in office hours, and his inability to follow through on anything he says he will, he is extremely arrogant. He thinks he is some philosophical thinker on biological concepts, yet when you get down to it I don't think he understands half of the concepts himself - which is probably why he muttles them up with an arrogant tone. I hope he isn't tenured and I hope Dr. Pilliod or Dr. Knight start teaching his classes. I also heard his senior project and graduate students think he is incompetent, not to mention several professors in the department. My advice - DON'T TAKE THIS GUY, IF YOU DO, DON'T PISS HIM OFF BY HURTING HIS EGO.

There is an interesting progression to Dr. V. 5 years ago he was raved about as a great teacher but things have really fallen apart in the last few years. I have taken 4 quarters of classes with Dr V and I would absolutly not recommend it. It seems that his ego has grown too large and he is now incapable of teaching well. He came to lecture unprepared, put information on the board that contridicted the text, and when students would question him about it, he would get irratable and rude and not address their questions. He says things like " hey if you dont understand just put both your hands up and we'll stop and go over it" but that is a cover because he really doesn't help you understand. I eventually just stopped listening and focused on the text book. He also makes up rules on the spot that are not mentioned in the sylabus. For example, one the day he returned our midterm he decided that too many students were absent from class that day, so he wasn't going to let them get points on the last question of the exam (12 points/a letter grade). this is without having an attendence policy in the sylabus or telling us that our answers may be comprimised at his will. thats just one example of the stuff he pulls. i have no complaints about the amount of work or the term paper, or the article reading. all that was normal for a 400 level class. His utter disrespect of student's time and energy is not appropriate for a college course. He does not follow through with commitments. He pays more attention to his girlfriend on feild trips than he does to his students. Its sad cus the guy used to be good. not any more. and if your a grad student looking for an advisor... be warned!! seriously. talk to any of his past or current grad students before you make that decision. i really think the reason he gets good reviews is becuase orn and mammalogy get to go on field trips, which is always fun. but... he's teaching and personal conduct are not suitable for a college environment.

Dr. V is an ok teacher. He really tries hard to make students understand the material, however he ends up confusing people. He totally re-hauled his class this quarter. He took away the paper and now the class was 2 hours twice a week. Two hours of this guys is too much. The tests are really strait forward and you end up wondering why you stressed out about 6 chapters when he really only tested you on like 3 concepts. He is like the onyl person who teaches this class so grunt through it and try not to fall asleep in lecture.

To the engineers below - HE IS A BIO TEACHER...SO HE TEACHES BIOLOGY Not Podunk Engineering where curves are the norm. Welcome to real world..... That being said... I have now had 2 classes with this Prof. He is a great guy and another brilliant man. Sure he exudes the beach bum persona but get him talking about wildlife and evolution and he will amaze you. I too Evolution with him Winter Quarter and well learned a good deal. Easiest way to do well in a Villablanca class. Put the effort in. Read, understand the reading, ask questions in lecture if you are unclear. reread the notes (which he ends up giving you most of the time since he usually is slow to post them on BB). Do all that and you'll be fine for the test. Like all bio classes that are upper division he tests your knowledge and understanding though he does throw in a few bits of memorization (VERY FEW). He is going on sabbatical for the next year, so you wont seem him around, but if you are still here in 2008 give the guy a chance.

This was a great class to take over the summer. We had quizzes every day instead of a midterm and a final, and the quizzes would cover both the previous material and the material we were to read ahead on in the book. Reading all the other reviews, I'm not sure where those comments of being unhelpful came from... Dr. V was very helpful when I asked him questions, maybe because he saw I was trying in the class? He runs a lot of the classes like a discussion where people can bring up issues they had/have with previous lectures. Also, when I was sick he let me make up a quiz no problem! Overall I learned a lot and it was a great class.

Understanding of student struggles. Fair grader. Accurately and succinctly presents material. Knowledgeable and very approachable with questions. He's really just overall great guys.

Knows what he's talking about. Pretty good professor. Looks like a Native-American, with the name Francis Bravehorse of the Apache tribe. Who knows? Probably has native blood in him and is a descendant of Apache warriors who have fought bravely to preserve their history, culture and people.

Fuck this class. Boring as hell and 5 questions on 30 page readings plus bullshit lecture. Also, fucker was 20 minutes late to his office hours and plus left early. What the fuck? What gives? This bastard needs to cut his hair because I feel like fuckin yanking it.

I feel like yanking this fucker's hair. Plus this guy has nasty fuckin pit stains all the time. I feel like fuckin throwing up when i see this bastard raise his arms

I went into this quarter dreading this man's class, because of all the horrible reviews I read posted up on polyratings. I did work hard to get an A in this class, but didn't put forth too much of an effort compared to the Chem/Ochem series. Honestly, this class is taught very fairly. All you really have to do is to keep up with the reading and make sure you're understanding what he said during lecture. There is no final or cumulative midterms to study for. Basically, the workload requires reading a chapter of the required book a week (each chapter only has about 30 pages max). My system was to break down the chapters into 6 pages per day, and read them thoroughly writing notes in the margin (so max an hour of studying per day). Then, on the weekend, I would write down all the definitions to the vocab list he would send out and skim the chapter for 15 mins real quick. Then, in the hour right before each class, I would meet up with a student from class, and we would go through the lecture notes from last class, the vocab, and the graphs in the assigned chapter. Go to every class and take thorough notes. This is a senior-level class. The work it requires is not too much to ask for. Do all this, and I guarantee you will do well. Villablanca wants you to succeed, and though he's a little confusing during lecture/when explaining things, he is very approachable after class/during office hours. If you believe you deserved a higher grade on the weekly quiz, you approach him, and chances are, if you explain it correctly to him, you will be able to get back those points.

Great professor, tries to understand students' struggles in certain subjects and will do his best to clarify. This class isn't terrible with the workload compared to other 4 unit classes : a chapter every week (there was one week with a 40 page chapter, that was terrible tho) and finding a scientific paper every week and writing a summary on it. Weekly quizzes aren't crazy hard as long as you study the keywords he gives you each week on polylearn for the chapters and the things he went over the week before. No midterm, no final, the only "final" thing during finals is just another quiz. The only other big thing is the final paper, which is basically like another summary paper but it uses 4 scientific papers, not 1. Overall, if you're intimidated by the other reviews, don't be. As long as you keep up with the reading, understand what he's saying, do decent on the quizzes, do decent summaries on papers, then you're set.

He is very personable and understanding of students. He does not expect nitty gritty details and is a whole picture lecturer. His reading quizzes are specific off of the reading while his lecture midterms are only on lecture material. Dont get confused when lecture negates the book.

Villa bitch.

Extremely patient with students and puts extra effort toward their success. First professor I felt I could call a mentor and I look up to him beyond just the classroom.

Villa Bro. This guy is so chill and really knows how to teach. I'm very surprised reading some of the other reviews on here, I feel like they must be talking about someone completely different. Because he is not a douche, nor a shitty professor. You can tell that he really wants every student in the class to grasp the concepts, and is very patient with people asking questions. Sometimes I see him outside of class and he is really easy to talk to. Overall one of my favorite professors, no doubt. As for the coursework, every week we were quizzed on the chapter we were supposed to read. His quiz and exam questions are really conceptual (as opposed to quantitative, which I personally appreciated). He never had us memorize equations and wouldn't ask questions like "here is variables x and y, and now calculate the growth rate of the population", rather he would ask things like "Describe the differences and similarities between a life table and a leslie matrix, and when you would use each." Besides the reading (which was totally reasonable) he assigned some writing assignments associated with the lab. You had to summarize the activity that you did in lab for that week, and also summarize a scientific article that you would read for next week. So there were two writing assignments per week for the lab, which sounds bad but is actually really easy, they only were about a page each, I would usually be able to do both in a couple hours. Lab consisted of us learning how to use a particular population analysis tool (like the program PRESENCE, for occupancy modeling), or we would discuss papers that we read about a particular animal of our choice. There is also a term paper for the quarter that we haven't started yet, but it's going to be 5-7 pages synthesizing several papers about an organism that we each choose. Not too bad. I would have waited until the end of the class to make a review but after reading some of the other ratings on here I figured someone had to speak the truth. Take this professor if you can.

Villablanca is so incredibly patient and engaging with his students. I'm not sure why he has such bad polyratings. His class took a different format of group discussion but I enjoyed that a lot. Lab had a lot of writing and was a bit bland AT TIMES, but only to expected of a 400 class.