Burd, Matt  

Dr. Burd is the BEST professor I have had at Cal Poly, and I learned more in this class than any other so far, hands down. Not only is he HILARIOUS (if you have a sense of humor, which 90% of animal science students seem to be lacking) but he is also incredibly smart. He presents a large amount of material in a short period of time, but I found that he was clear and easy to understand. His lectures are organized logically and made a lot of sense to me, and his labs, while sometimes a bit tedious, were pretty interesting and directly related to lecture material. For a pre-vet student like myself, Burd\'s class was great because it dealt with topics that were extremely applicable to my other classes and to veterinary science. However, he was careful not to gear the class solely to pre-vet students, and I think non-pre-vets could also gain A LOT from his classes. Going into his class, I heard tons of rumors about his impossibly hard tests, but I never had that experience with him. His exams require students to understand the material thoroughly, and are by no means easy, but with ample studying I found that they were completely do-able. One thing that made his tests challenging in this class was that they were 100% short answer. You really do have to know what you\'re talking about, and there\'s no room for B.S. However, I was thankful for this because I came out of Burd\'s class with more knowledge about suspensory apparati than I even thought possible to have. I can\'t wait to take him again, and I sincerely recommend this professor to any serious student who wants to actually learn valuable information from an extremely knowledgeable professor.

I feel so lucky to have had the chance to be in one of Dr. Burd's classes. This class taught me so much, ad made me realize how hard work pays off. I studied for this class so much, but I learned so much too! I loved how open he was to students and was NEVER condescending. In office hours, he didn't make you feel bad if you got a good grade, he only focused on how he could help you do better on the next test. An absolutely awesome and challenging class! Great tech area for ASCI or elective for other ASCI students! Highly recommended!

Dr. Burd is a very passionate teacher. He expects a lot out of his students, and is a very hard test grader. He expects that in an upper level repro class, students should demonstrate upper level knowlege. He can be a little condescending sometimes, but you can't take it personally. He loves what he teaches, and if you work hard, you will learn a lot...which is really what matters.

I really enjoyed Dr. Burds class. Yes it is VERY hard and his tests are insane. But rest assured you will know the material by the time you are done. Just make sure you make an appointment cause its very difficult to get into his office without one.

Dr. Burd will knock your socks off with the amount of knowledge he has. That being said - his classes are not easy. However this has to be one of the best and most interesting classes I have had at Poly in my career. This class starts off seemingly slow - and quickly picks up speed. Its the kind of class that even if you walk away from the class with a D, you will have so much more knowledge than when you first walked in. If you have any desire or interest in equine repro in any way shape or form you HAVE to take this class. I made sure to be there for just about every single lecture and took notes the entire time, and I studied for about 3 hours for each of his tests. I methodically went over my notes and thought of questions he might ask and explained certain concepts back and forth with my roommate and friend in the class. We both ended up doing really well. His tests are LONG - you will not finish the first midterm - no one does. Look for the questions with the highest points and answer them first. His final is where you make up your points - its long but you have the full 3 hours to write and you make up for the first midterm. The lab was SUPER fun and very hands on. You learn alot - don\'t be afraid to step up - Dr. Burd likes to see people get involved. He won\'t let you sit idly in the back and zone off - he makes sure everyone tries something at least once! Even if its out of your comfort level. Overall Dr. Burd is a fantastic professor and is very knowledgeable about his coursework. His weakest point might be realizing that we have a life outside his classes and don\'t devote every waking moment to studying.

Dr. Burd's tests are hard and he expects a lot out of his students but he also gives you all of the support and information necessary to do well in the class. He is a very clear lecturer and will answer any and all questions with as much depth as you ask him too. He wants his students to have a thorough and practical understanding of everything that goes on in the breeding shed and teaches you with the goal of you being able to actually do all of the procedures yourself. If you go to class regularly and pay attention you can do fine. Sometimes he will actually give you the exact question he is going to put on the exam (which is all free response questions). He also gives LOTS of partial credit on exams. If you got a majority of the question right then you will get a majority of the points for the question. If you put in the time and effort to learn the material it is not hard at all to get an A. However if you are not interested in the subject matter I wouldn't recommend taking the class because it will be a lot more painful spending that much time studying. Also you have to tease mares for 7 days straight at 6:30AM for 20% of your grade.

I also took ASCI 315 with Dr. Burd. I am a HUGE fan of his. His lectures are so interesting and he is an engaging and interesting professor. He takes a real interest in learning and really wants his students to learn and retain the information from his classes. Because of this, he is a notoriously tough tester. He wants you to know the information throughly, not just on a shallow memorization level. This class was much harder than 315, but I still really enjoyed it. Be warned... there are only two grades in the entire class, the midterm and the final. Both were challenging. He really has high expectations for those who take this class. It is so worth it! You learn a ton and its a huge boost to your confidence when you know you have made it through a Burd class!

Is Dr. Burd one of the hardest teachers I have ever had? yes. But I have learned so much in the past quarter in his class, it is more than worth it. Taking his classes are slightly terrifying and might hurt your GPA but his lectures are amazing and I am enthralled the entire time. If you study every week and study everyday for 5 or more hours a day a week before the test you should do well. Go to his office hours also! by appointment is best. He is very helpful. You learn so much and really retain it. Great teacher.

In my opinion, Dr. Burd is a great teacher. He knows the subject very well and was able to answer any questions students brought to him. He could even explain the answer differently to those that didn't quite get it the first time. People dread taking any of his classes but really shouldn't. Most of the classes he teaches are UPPER DIVISION CLASSES. Students should expect a lot from their professor, as should the professor of the student. Dr. Burd is a professor that expects a lot from his students so don't take this class thinking its an easy A. He presents all the material to you that you WILL SEE on the exam/final. His power points are vague. They really only have the main subjects on them but he talked about them in depth during class. He presents all the materials a student will need to achieve an A. I did fail the midterm but that was due to my lack of studying time. Put in the effort and you'll get an A. He's also more than willing to help and truly wants you to succeed. If your strugling go ask him questions. Don't expect the get by by just re-reading your notes. That reflects you as a student not him as a professor. This class is manageable. I ended up getting an A in the class because I studied everything he said was going to be on the test and got an A on my final. For the students that actually WANT to learn and be challenged not skate through college like the rest of our generation because they're lazy then take this class. Everything you learn in this class can be applied to humans as well which makes it that more interesting.

Dr. Burd is the best!! I'm not saying his class is easy - it's actually insanely difficult, but it is totally worth the struggle! He is great at presenting information and is very very helpful in office hours, and overall is just an awesome guy. The grade was determined by only a midterm and final, so you have to stay on top of everything the entire quarter. And make sure you know how to connect concepts!!

BEWARE! Dr. Burd is a great professor. He's funny, informative, and knows what he is talking about. However, his class is extremely difficult. Your grade consists on the results of a midterm and a final. That's it. Nothing else. Just two big tests each worth 50% of your grade. You don't have a lab to back it up and his tests are not easy. He gave us the whole first midterm and discussed the answers with us beforehand and I still only scored a B+ on it. I studied it, reviewed how I would write the answers down and still got a B+. And I wasn't the only one. He is an extremely hard grader that pays attention to every detail so don't make dumb mistakes. However, he is a great lecturer that makes classes fun. He gives you hints on what to expect during exams and is very informative. He does go off on tangents a lot during class though. Most of them are his experiences with horses, some are not. If I were you, I would take this class, but I'd be prepared to study my butt off and pay close attention to every detail. Also, visit office hours. IT HELPS!

I've never laughed so hard in an ASCI class before. Dr. Burd is, without a doubt, one of the smartest professors I've had at Cal Poly. There is only a midterm and a final so I was constantly stressed out about this class, but put in the effort and try your best and the grade he gives you will reflect that.

This is the hardest class I've ever taken, but its also the best class I've ever taken. It's basically where a bunch of students get together and teach each other. That being said that means you have to work extremely hard to stay on top of the textbook. You are expected to know the details and the big picture at the same time. I wouldn't even qualify myself as a super smart student, but I worked harder in this class because it is extremely interesting and I didn't want to be shamed in front of the class if I didn't know anything and because of that I excelled. If you are shy and don't like presenting in front of other students or feel uncomfortable being challenged by your professor and classmates, take this class because it will make you better at those things. We had no exams, but every day was an oral quiz. The final was difficult but if you understand the material, you will do just fine. Overall, an interesting class that showcases a students ability to understand material instead of just resuscitating it.

During this entire quarter all I could think about was how this professor reminded me of that small little dog that runs through the back of scene 23 in The Incredibles by Pixar. Seriously, if you look it up you will only be able to see it...