2.6
Quality3.5
Difficulty33%
Would Retake140
Reviews33%
Would Retake
140
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
140 total ratings5
20
4
25
3
25
2
37
1
33
What Students Say
“Do not take this class if you can avoid it”
GOPH375 - 3.0 rating“In my own opinion, exam questions sometimes are borderline trick questions”
GOPH375 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
80%
Grade Predictor
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Predicted Grade
B
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-0.74 avg changeRatings by Course
GLGY202
4.0
(2)GLGY376
4.0
(3)GEOPH375
3.8
(4)GEOP375
3.5
(2)GLGY337
3.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
209
5.0
GLGY209
4.1
GLGY377
4.0
GLGY337
3.7
GEO209
3.6
Reviews (139)
The course was very interesting. The teacher was a total wacko. He was so parnoid about cheating he had 15 TA's and 4 versions of the test. If there are too many A's he assumes people cheated and is the only Prof i know who actually scales down!! he even checked my erasor to see if i cheated.
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It's an alright class, just read the textbook, his notes(all 2 pages of it) and you should be good to go for an A, worked for me!
He sucked, his notes sucked too... he comes too close to his students and his test are so stupid!!!!!! Don't take his class.......
I thought his lectures would mimic the textbook; it turns out his notes mimic spelling errors ( only sometimes ) and irrelevant information. There's no point buying the $90 plus textbook because his midterms don't reflect it. I would recommend studying from his notes. But if you want more out of this class, study the book.
There's one word to describe this prof: Prick. His tests have no relation to the material we're supposed to be covering and instead go off on wild tangents regarding obscure locations and historical events. Do not take this class, and if you do, don't waste time with the textbook. It won't help you.
This guys voice was a little annoying, very monotoned. I found the class to be incredibly boring because of it and also that the notes did not reflect the midterms or the finals
He is an amazing field school prof. His knowledge in the field is extensive and you learn a LOT! He's a only guy to talk to and i think everyone enjoyed being in his class. Execept when he made us climb "the cliff of death"
He was very monotoned/boring at first, but after the first two weeks, his lectures were pretty interesting. If you pay attention to his lectures and things he says in class, you will do well. Didn't use the book much.
His field school was awesome since he bought us a 24 of beer. And his hat is very attarctive. But he is a hard marker and is very monotone and slow in explaining stuff in the field, but his pose he does when he is thinking of something is very close to a deer caught in the headlights kind of look.
GOPH 375 is not a GPA booster when taught by Hildebrand. It is easy to do well if you are aware from the get-go that you NEED to know EXACT dates (years) of specific disasters. He also speaks in a very monotone voice and his lectures are very boring. He can also be rude when answering student's questions.
The class was very interesting. I was always sitting in the back and I could understand him just fine(I just found it hard to keep focus because of his monotone)! You do need to attend class in case he mentions smaller details (ie: you need to know exact dates on tests), but other than that it's a great class to take! Boosted my GPA for sure =)
Beware of his class. Overall, I guess he's had years and years of experience on what he's teaching, but honestly, you're going to need a lot of luck to do well in this class. He tests on obscure little details from lectures (GO TO THEM!!!) and he uses a lot of DATES and DEATH TOLLS! Make notes of the text (esp the dates & deaths) and you'll be okay
I can't believe these comments! Hildebrand is a great proff. Get over his monotone, attend class and write what he writes. Half my class wouldn't shut the F up so no wonder they are whining about their grade. Easy B+ MINIMUM if you don't talk the whole damn time. Ppl ****ing about their grade have their rents pay their tuition and then slack off.
Awesome prof and cracks the clever joke here and there. however his monotone can bored you to sleep. Interesting material and tests are all on what he write in class + additional text reading.
Classes are borring. I did attend 95% of the lectures and wrote down most of what he says. However, he would examine on specific details from the textbook(ie. dates, locations, etc).These were details that require plain memorization instead of testing our knowledge on the concept.Not the worst prof but I am sure there are better GOPH prof out there
Prof was so monotone that there is no point in going because falling asleep is almost guaranteed! Class was interesting though and textbook said everything you needed to know. Recomend the class, regardless of the prof.
I was pretty worried after reading some of the comments, but I decided to take GOPH375 with Hildebrand as an option anyways. Comments must be from first year idiots because his class was easy! Show up to class, take down an AVERAGE amount of notes and read through them twice before exam. NO Textbook. Just barely short of an A+.
I don't really get why ppl are complaining about having to go to class and read the assigned text book.. isn't that what comes when trying to earn a degree? Nevertheless, this was an excellent class. Prof was very clear from the start of class about what to expect, & quite funny. Got a A with some hard work and going to class, quite a concept eh?
geoph 375 is not a gpa booster if you take it with this guy. lectures are pretty useless. very monotone. does not provide answers for the practice midterms so you don't really know if you getting the answers right.memorize dates and figures for that matter. yeah, its pretty easy to screw up in that class when there are only 3 tests. stay away.
I cant believe i am rating anyone,but PEOPLE!! he is a very interesting professor, very humorous( dry humor)!if u r smart, u might understand his joke when u get home,class is pretty interesting too as he is obsessed with numbers, weather and mistakes that people tend to do,speaks in a single tone, but if you are awake, you might enjoy it ;)
He can be kind of funny at times but he is quite monotone. He knows he is but he is not going to change that. There is quite a bit of memorization for this class. Take some notes. READ THE TEXTBOOK. The key is to try and keep up with the readings. It is 'hard work', but this class shouldn't be considered as too difficult.
Go to class, read the text and focus on concepts covered in class. Yes there are some stupid questions but overall the class was fair/easy. However,be aware that Natural Disasters kill people and some of the content is quite sad :(
Pay attention in class! He creates questions directly from one of his hundreds of charts. Difficult to focus in class, tons of material to memorize and the midterms are painfully specific. Final is much more fair. Can be difficult but you learn lots!
Alan was a very good prof. Although he was monotone and used a ton of charts and never posted anything on blackboard. But if you go to class and pay attention, it's a very easy class!!! Got my first A+ in his class
Alan is an awesome prof. He has a unique sense of humour and is great at explaining the concepts. Go to lecture as he doesn't post lecture slides and pay attention to what he says. The only bad thing I can say is he likes to ask questions about the case studies. There aren't that many studies though and they aren't difficult questions.
Not an easy A by any stretch, but Alan is so delightfully monotonous and strange, I would recommend him to anyone. Watch out for the first midterm, it's by far the hardest, but they get progressively easier. I will miss his dry sense of humor, socks & sandals, and hilarious emails to his "gentle" students... Also, a very smart & accomplished man.
Good guy but I went into this class thinking it was a GPA booster and it definitely wasn't. The midterms are kinda random, the final was easier at least. Ended up pulling off a B.
Horrible, do not take this class with him if you want your GPA to suffer. He gives you ~1 page of notes for each lecture, which is useless since his handwriting is hard to read, and his exams were awful! Better off skipping lectures to memorize every detail in the textbook instead. It's not even a hard course, but its my lowest mark this semester.
Attend all lectures and make sure you understand the graphs he shows you, know all the case studies that he emphasizes in class. Good idea to have text to refer back to all graphs after classes when you study. Real interesting class,super smart prof. Getting an A is definitely not easy but very possible!
SUPER guy and really interesting material. Getting an A is not hard if you attend class and take good notes. I'd recommend a textbook because he uses a lot of figures from it. Socks and sandals in winter FTW.
His lectures are often dull and it can be hard to hear what he's saying since he doesn't like to wear the microphone. He is passionate about his subject but is not always clear in his expectations for tests. He's certainly not a bad prof but not the best either.
The course was hard and his voice is dull, but he really is interesting to talk to! He will help and is VERY willing to. Make sure you work hard in this course or you will NOT do well.
okay instructor, but very poorly written exam questions. He would ask general and ambiguous questions and expect specific answers.
Inconsistent in grading.I will not recommend anyone. Choose another prof
Awful, monotonous voice, painfully dull lectures, answers not posted to practice exams. Would NOT recommend.
Avoid course if possible. I was actually really excited for this course at the beginning, but it is really poorly taught. He is not helpful at all, no notes, hard to know what to study for. Most of what I learnt was through the textbook. Avoid this one
poor teaching skill and unnecessary jokes. He does not know how to set examination questions. TAKE A CLASS WITH HILDEBRAND ALAN, if you want to fail.
This guy is super monotone and he will tell you about it the first day of class. His tests are harder and the averages worse. Stay away from this prof at all costs
THIS IS NOT ROCKS FOR JOCKS! He is a good teacher, but the midterms are so technical and he treats an intro course as a senior level course. There were 6 detailed chapters on each midterm and a cumulative final. I DO NOT RECCOMEND TAKING IT AS AN EASY COURSE!!
Not a great Prof. He is a nice guy but its difficult to understand him during lectures. Best way to learn is through Textbook. Asks basic test questions and wants specific answers that don't go along with what he explains at all. Very confusing. I would avoid.
If at all possible do not take a class with Alan. I have attended 2 lectures all semester because he is so confusing and monotone. If you want to be challenged with formulas and 8 chapters per midterm, he's you guys. If you want a pretty east elective, take it with someone else.
Dear god DO NOT, I repeat, do not take a class with this professor. Yes, he's nice, he's emails can be funny, BUT his lectures suck. He's boring, monotone, and it is impossible to resist the urge to not fall asleep not listening to him. If you're looking for an easy elective, take it another time cause this guy makes me wish I was in Math.
he doesn't give you any hints for exams, it's useless going to class. i am a dean's list student and couldn't even pull of an A- for this course (which was an option for me). basically have to memorize the slides inside out. textbook was useless. he's hard to listen to and i feel i wasted the first half of the semester going to class.
Hildebrand was monotone and his lectures will put you to sleep. He knows his material very well but treats this junior level course as if it was a senior level course. The exams were brutal and I don't recommend taking a class with him AT ALL.
I don't know why everyone thinks this class is so tough, it's not that bad.. You definitely need to study because there is a lot of material on all of the tests, but if you do this you'll be fine. He's helpful as well if you visit him during office hours. Also, he curved the final grades so I went from an A- to an A. Final was super easy!
Pretty monotonous voice, but he's very easy-going and he covered all necessary material. Textbook was a must, but it's neat material so whatever. I can see how some might not like him but he knows what he's doing.
He is a very nice guy who cracks jokes occasionally and will help you if you ask. He was very helpful in explaining things one-on-one. However, in class it was hard to listen to him and some material was generally confusing, test expectations were vague. His lecture slides are pretty unorganized.
Amazing prof. Was worried from previous reviews that he wouldn't be good. He's very clear what he wants & what will be on exams. VERY HELPFUL! Went to see him after missing 2 lectures and he went through both lectures entirely with me. Very funny & has lots of knowledge. I would definitely recommend. I'm taking another class with him next semester.
Gentle students, He's quite the character. Those socks and sandals. Lectures are PPT's with figures from the textbook which he elaborates on. Mandatory attendance so as not to miss anything! There is a math component; equations were poorly explained. Honestly, I didn't bother to learn how to do the math (10% of exam Q's) and passed anyway.
A non-science major so this class was taken for mandatory science credit. I landed a B after attending every lecture, reading every chapter, and studying for hours - I'm an A student. The math equations were not taught well and he changes up terms & concepts on exams. The prof was helpful when answering questions but remember: MEMORIZE EVERYTHING!
Goph 375 is a rather interesting class, focusing on the phenomenons involved in natural disasters. Yet it isnt presented in an interesting way by the chronically monotonous voice of Dr. Hildebrand; he is a decent prof at best. So long as you go to class, take decent notes and then memorize the important parts of the slides, youll be fine in exams.
This is a terrible class. His lectures are long, boring, monotonous and he is not clear on his teaching. He is not respectful to students via email or in person, do not take this class with this prof
One word: boring. MY GOODNESS, I found it hard to stay awake in this class. None of the material is difficult, but it's a chore trying to study for something that he makes so boring. Memorize all of the little details in his slides because he loves to test on very trivial things.
Alan is a cool professor. He knows what he is talking about. However, his tests are difficult. The text book is worth buying for this class because it makes the lecture slides more clear.
In my own opinion, exam questions sometimes are borderline trick questions. Sometimes concepts are not explained in class or not explained with clarity at least, and there has even been a few times when what was said in class was not the same as the textbook. I attended every single class and studied nonstop but still less than mediocre grade
Do not take this class if you can avoid it. The midterms are completely brutal, very specific and have borderline trick questions. The prof is very monotone and does not seem to care about the ridiculous nature of this course. Avoid at all costs.
Avoid all all costs.
THIS CLASS IS NOT AN "EASY A" Probably one of the single worst professors I've ever had at University. He speaks extremely monotone, goes over things extremely quick, and grazes over key concepts. Test questions are written more like trick questions and are extremely detailed (details that, at best, he skims over). Class average was C+ for the MT.
Alan is a great professor. He tries his best to tell you what is important on his slides and what isn't. The midterms have been difficult and kind of tricky; you do need to prepare for the exams. To me, this class hasn't been an easy A or a GPA booster because the topics are not as straight forward as they may seem.
I dont know why prior comments have said this class is hard, Dr. Hildebrand posts practice tests for the midterms and finals-if you find the answers to all of those questions you will be find (as he basically copies those questions right onto your exam). He is monotone, but his dry humour jokes are hilarious.
Not sure where the idea of difficult tests are coming from with Alan, all the questions on his midterms can pretty much be done using common sense. If you occasionally attend lectures and attempt to have some idea of what's going on, you'll do fine. Also his emails are comedy gold, so read them.
Anyone not in a hard sciencemath will be in for a world of hurt. Arts students: avoid!
He can be a little monotone but he's actually pretty funny. He's easy to follow and seems very knowledgeable. Tests are moderately tough, not too bad but one complaint I do have about the tests is that they tend to have several questions that are overly concerned with minor details which seem out of place compared to the others. Almost no math.
Lectures are sleep-inducing. PPT notes are long and you'd have to invest some time to study them. But it's not impossible to not get a decent grade from this class.
Monotone teacher but he knows his stuff. I suggest you get clarity from the textbook but DON'T SKIP CLASS! He usually tests from the info on the slide. He's there for you during office hours (which I suggest you confirm answers to the practice midterms during those times because some appear on the actual exam). Not an easy A course.
A common misconception is that this class is an "Easy A". That is not true (the average generally gets curved to a B). Now, Alan isn't a bad prof. He's just different, and has a style that can be difficult for some to understand. If you don't get stuff day 1, don't wait, change your learning style, studyworkread, and you can attain an A.
Anyone saying this class is overly difficult is wrong. They did make it harder than previous years but there's just three exams that make up the entirety of your mark. And these tests are straight from the lecture material, which he posts online. Just go to class, study the slides and you'll get an A.
AVOID THIS PROF AT ALL COSTS... i took GLGY209 with him expecting it to be an easy class... it was so hard. he puts way too much information on the slides and is disorganized. Also he has the most monotone voice so it's really hard to pay attention to him.
Hildebrand is a bit of an enigma. Probably the least approachable professor in geology, and isn't very helpful. Lectures are coma-inducing boring, however the tests are pretty easy and you'll be fine if you do the practice tests. You can easily do this course without attending a single lecture. Subject matter is interesting, but he makes it boring.
Chutiya prof. His emails are really irritating and tests are super confusing. He thinks he is funny but he is NOT.
Fantastic prof. im very convinced that anyone giving him a bad rating and saying he isn't funny somewhere along their paths in life have lost a good sense of humor. He is hilarious, course material is straightforward and easy if you read to the notes and readings! It's an easy A as long as you're not lazy!
Alan really knows how to teach this course. He may have a monotonous voice but makes up for it with his dry and witty humor. I attended every lecture and went to his office hours to clear up any concepts I didn't understand. He is very helpful and straight forward. I would gladly take this course again purely because of Alan. Study hard for an A.
If you don't have a particular interest in Geology (as most students who take this 'Rocks for Jocks' class don't) be prepared for long, snoozy lectures. Hildebrand's monotonous voice (he actually addressed it in his Intro slides: "Deal with it!") makes this class even more boring. His strangeness is at least entertaining when he cracks jokes.
Tests are tough and if you have no or little prior knowledge to physics, it's much tougher. Read the full text and not a paragraph less. This isn't a course you take if you're not in sciences, as a lot of terms you are expected to know. If you enjoy natural disasters, take it but realize that it'll probably be one of your toughest classes.
Make sure you attend class and take notes because the slides are basically all just pictures. Alan is super monotone and sarcastic and so the lectures are really boring to attend. There is 5% participation marks so you have to go to lecture. If you are good at memorizing and pay attention in class, then 209 isn't as hard as everyone says.
Alan is one of the most dry and boring profs I have ever had, his voice is very monotone. He forgets that it is an intro class and almost everyone is taking it for an easy science credit. His tests are horrible, I don't know what he tests out of because his slides are useless and text book is not that helpful either. Would not recommend him.
Harder than hell. The tests are extremely difficult and require a thorough understanding of the material.
Do yourself a favor and skip this course if you can. The material seems simple enough but on the tests, he really bends the topics to make it 5 times as hard.
Dr. Hildebrand is HILARIOUS. I find his dry witty humour very refreshing, especially in a dense class like this. He's pretty great, he does everything he can to make you succeed in this class. He knows geophysics isn't everyone's forte so he's very helpful if you ask for it. He puts up a bunch of practice midterms on D2L to help you prep for exams.
Hildebrant is hilarious but in a subtle way. I enjoyed the topic and was actually interested in the subject matter. All the tests are multiple choice and they are fair if you have been going to class.
Very monotone. You have to work in the class to succeed
Tests are pretty standard but power points are ridiculously unorganized, and stupid long. Most lectures have 50-80 slides with way too much information. Skips over the important things. Material is easy, but its very very unclear what you're expected to know for exams which makes it difficult to study. wouldnt recommend.
I really do like Alan as a person, he is a kind guy who means well! - the harsh rating is because the class is incredibly dry and boring. the exams questions completely catch you off guard. On the plus - all notes are posted online! Not an easy A to say the least - only take this course if you want to study hard.
WARNING. those who think this is rocks for jocks its not. well, not with Alan at least. dont get me wrong Alan is a very knowledgeable prof but like all the other reviews said his lectures are very boring. exam questions aren't difficult but its preparing for them that makes this course difficult. slides and lectures are packed w trivial info
Tests require in-depth understanding of the material, and there's a lot of it. His slideshows are overwhelmingly long and fairly disorganized. He is obviously passionate about the material, but if it's not your chosen area of interest, this will be a dry course for you. If you are looking for an easy science credit, another prof may be a good idea.
Would not recommend. Tests are very difficult and lectures are super boring.
Very monotone, but very knowledgeable.
Definitely do not recommend. His tests are extremely in depth and require you to study every little detail. The final was cumulative of about 24 chapters which is a ridiculous amount. He treats 209, an elective course as if we are all geology majors. I would recommend another prof.
Dr. Alan Hildebrand is hilarious ! He really knows his stuff well. Even though he covers a lot of content in this course, all of the exam questions come straight out of the lecture slides that he posts online. Definitely an easy A if you take the time and study his lecture notes.
I took this course for my science option. The worst choice i made. His lecture is so boring thanks to his speech style. Questions from midterms and final do not come from notes, which means you have to go to the class and take a note. If you gonna take this course for easy science option.. please go for astro or pick different prof. He is the worst
It's hard to pay attention, however this course is very applicable. This course requires 90% for an A, which is difficult when it comes to multiple choice exams which test memory as well as understanding. Some exam content is mentioned in-lecture and not in the notes, while specific events may require textbook reading. He's a great person ":)"
I was dozing off almost EVERY class this semester. His lectures, coupled with his voice make this the most boring class of all time. I thought this was going to be an easy option (which it should be) but his final was cumulative, and covered over 20 chapters. Don't take this class - at least not with him.
This course is known to be an "easy science option" but he is a BAD prof & makes it REALLY hard. Classes were long, his voice is so monotone, it makes it really hard to pay attention. His midterm(s) were unfair, his notes were not organized at all, his final consisted of 25 chapters, & I taught the entire course to myself. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!!
Interesting class but, there are tons of memorization. If you pay attention in class, you should do fairly well though. This is definitely not a class you can study for the night before. As for Dr. Hildebrand, he can be a bit awkward which may come off as rude sometimes. But he cares about his students and is really knowledgable in the topic.
If you want an easy science option, take Astr 207 not Glgy 209, at least not with this professor. Very difficult course, lectures are confusing and unorganized. It's also hard to keep attention in class because he is monotone. The final is cumulative 25 chapters with each chapter comprising an average of about 50-60 slides worth of notes.
Write down everything he says. Record the lectures, if you're allowed to. Write down whatever you can in class, then go through the slides while listening to the recording and fill in the blanks in your notes. You have to attend lectures, because he tests you on everything he says, or on anything he appears to be rambling about, it's important.
Funny class but not very useful. Don't even known how to teach this course and no available materials to study at all. Really tough grader.
Hard class. His montone voice makes it worst. Big troll but not funny Try to take a different science option
Made my life a hell ! His lectures are very dry and extremely heavy. He has the most monotonous boring tone,and his tests were crazy ! Everyone in my class was struggling and the very low student ravage is a proof of that ! Do yourself a favor and never take a class with him.
By far one of the worst profs Ive had the displeaseure of having. He rambles on, never gets to the point. His tests are insane, and not really about what he taught. Doesnt teach you anything in class. Relied heavily on my textbook in order to learn anything. Avoid him if you can... and his voice... omg could put me asleep!!!!
People saying that hes horrible are overexaggerating. His voice is BORING to listen to & covers topics quickly BUT his tests are literally straight out of the textbook so it's not hard to get a good mark. He uses tophat in class to encourage people to show up & is helpful with questions. He just doesn't seem to like teaching basic geology thats all
Horrible. Very monotone and you learn nothing from the lectures. Relies heavily on tophat for participation marks. Avoid this class if you can. Doesnt even give you the full 50 minutes for the midterms. Only stuff youll learn will come straight from the textbook
For the average person, his lectures would require a Redbull sponsorship in order to stay awake. He's a good guy, means well but his lectures are kind of scattered and tough to take notes on. I'd suggest relying on the textbook, using lectures as a guide. He glosses over a lot and doesn't go into a ton of detail.
So angry with this guy. My mark wasn't even bad it's just that there is SO MUCH material to learn in each of the two midterms, and the final is cumulative! Ridiculous. It's just too much material and he is blind not to see that. His lectures are boring, unclear and misguided as to what appears on the exams. The slides on D2L are useless.
DON'T take a class with him if you're a non-Geology major. He's boring, lazy, and drinks Dr. Pepper at 11am EVERY CLASS (????). His midterms are terrible--the questions are either so easy (anyone can get it) or they're very abstract and detailed (with words/terms we didn't focus on). Overall, it's really hard to tell what main study points are!!!!
He's an incredibly boring and unengaging speaker. That being said, his class was straightforward. He pretty much posted everything online. My friend and I who took it showed up for maybe 50% of the classes and both got above a B. If you're someone who needs to be engaged during a class, this ain't the prof for you.
He is great! He really knows the material & genuinely cares about the topic/students. He's so sweet in his emails and always gives great answers to questions students have. His lectures are posted on D2L so attendance isn't mandatory but I recommend going for the math and TopHat. The class is tough because it's science not because of his voice.
This prof is so boring, whatever you do, do not take this class as an option. horrible powerpoints and lectures ! trust me you guys
Great prof if you actually pay attention!Sounds boring&knows it, but he actually throws in some pretty funny jokes sometimes. Is willing to help& reviews with a few questions at the end of class to make sure everyones on the same page. Also actually follows the textbook unlike most profs. if you show up and study you'll be fine.
Dr. Hildebrand is an atrocious educator. His tests are often made up of questions regarding material that was never even mentioned in class, much less covered in depth. The average for the short answer section of our midterm waz 20.85%, and the most common grade (30% of the class) was 0. Only 4 people got above 50. Avoid him if you can.
worst prof i have ever had. Studying for each midterm takes forever since there's so much information crammed into one. His lecture slides are just pictures most of the time, so unless you read the textbook, you won't know what he's even talking about. If you're taking this as a GPA booster ... DON'T!!!!!!!
Midterms/Final are very hard to study for as his slides contain little to no information, other than photos which are difficult to study off of. Also, labs take up a lot of time and Alan does not prepare you well for these. The lab the instructors are good for the most part. Alan makes a class which has the potential to be interesting quite boring.
Unfortunately I did not benefit much from Dr. Hildebrand. Studying for the final seems pointless since no study guides are provided, no review sessions, and no syllabus for what's coming on the final exam. He seems very knowledgeable in his field but he cannot teach whatsoever due to his extremely monotonous and boring voice. Do another sci option.
Not a good prof at all... unfortunately, although he's a nice guy, his tests are way too specific and the questions work primarily by confusing/tricking you think of tests that say: A) likely B) probable C) possible as opposed to actually testing you on the concepts. The final is cumulative and his slides are no help...
I would not recommend taking this class. Tests were pretty difficult since a lot of the content was not covered in class. Lectures are incredibly dry and slides are pretty much useless. If you do end up taking this class, the textbook is your best friend and definitions are key.
super boring monotone lectures, exams test on tiny details not covered by the prof, our class averages was in the 50-60s on exams and he had to curve. would not take this as an easy A
I was not a fan of Alan. Seems like a pretty nice guy but lectures are all over the place, notes are very unorganized relative to what you need to know for the midterm and final. Had to teach myself the majority of the course thru the textbook
Hi. If you take this class. Just read the textbook. Dont bother going to class and just do the top hat. His lectures are pointless.
Get ready to study hard and fail even harder. His lecture notes are terrible, because they are JUST PICTURES from the textbook with no comments or notes underneath. Read the fat child that is the textbook religiously. The classes are useless, I only showed up for the tophat.
Don't believe what these other people tell you, Alan Hildebrand is an excellent prof! Yes, there's textbook reading and yes he does have a very monotone voice, but he's such a cool dude. If you attend the lectures and pay attention to what Dr. Hildebrand is saying you'll be just fine.
Professor Hildebrand is a very good teacher IF you come to class and take notes. I can not stress enough how important it is to come to the class and pay attention to the lecture slides as tests are based off the information in the slides.
Worst prof I've ever had. Only way to pass is by reading the big ol' textbook. Quizzes are worth 60% of the grade, and the questions are unrelated to the material covered in lectures. The only point of attending is tophat.
I'm sorry but he is just a terrible professor. He takes weeks to get back to students (1-3 weeks), and takes 2-3 months for some grades. He has quizzes us on google maps on closed-book exams, which makes 0 sense. This class is just purely memorization, nothing else. Do top-hat for easy marks, and just read the textbook because his noes are useless.
The textbook will be your bible in this class. Alan mentions that his voice is very monotone and boring, which is 100% true, because I almost fell asleep during every lecture. Somehow we had 6 quizzes worth 10% each with only 20 minutes to complete, and weekly 3 hour labs worth 15% total.
Worst professor I ever had! The only way I passed this course was through studying the textbook and sometimes guessing answers. Most of the questions you don't know what he is asking for nor did he teach the concepts. He even admitted once by saying he could've worded it better. My TA even said his questions were really tough. Do not take him!
You need the textbook and to attend his class. But he's a great hilarious Prof.
Great guy
Not a fun class had a bad time and very very boring
Dr. Hildebrand looks like a geologist from an Indiana Jones movie and gives awesome lectures that you should always attend. Otherwise don't be surprised that you don't know the answers on the test, which can be funny at times: 12. what causes earthquakes?... c) super duper raygun made me genuinely interested in geo. tip: reveiw tophat Q's for ans
Good class overall, however very lecture heavy and ensure you attend because very niche and specific content appears on the exams.
He has a boring, monotone voice so I often find myself day dreaming during lectures. If you can get over his voice lectures are great. Exams are very fair.
The textbook is essential for this class, as the professor's lectures can be dry. However, apps like Unstuck study can make studying more engaging. Attend for participation marks, but focus on the readings to do well.
The only reason Dr Hildebrand is not getting a 5/5 is due to stringent requirements to review graded midterms (during office hours only) and having a monotone, hard to stay awake to, voice. Goes through everything in lecture, but you need to take notes as the slides are only useful for diagrams. He knows what he is talking about and has good humor.
The professor himself is understanding and tries to apply what the students suggest, but if I'm being frank, the lectures are long and boring. His voice is very monotone, and it's hard to pay attention. Attendance is required through TopHat, but it's only 5%. I wouldn't suggest taking it if you have the option.
Based on the sparse amount of lectures I've actually attended, he really seems to be into the material he's teaching. Attending the lectures in person is far more beneficial than looking at them online, as he explains things in more detail than what's presented on his slides. He graded my class by using two midterms (25+30%+) and the final. (45%)
i was hoping someone would slime me out before I got stuck in this class. The prof's nice—loved the smiley faces in his emails (":-)"), but the class itself is brutal. Not a GPA boost, Reddit lied. Midterms were tough avg was like below 60 percent lol, uses tophats regularly so try to show up even if its hard. ill be retaking this in the spring
Dr. Hildebrand is very kind and surprisingly super funny. This isn't the hardest class ever but it's NOT a gpa booster. 2 midterms and a final, plus TopHat participation worth 5% of your grade. Lectures are very important, textbook is not. There's way too much information in the textbook and slides, and in class he says a lot of it isn't important
Professor Hilderbrand isnt a terrible proff its just that hes super monotone and boring as hell for a class that is already completely dry, the slides arn't great with them mostly being images so missing a lecture is a pain in the ass. With alot of the tests not being difficult but more of a pain because of the amount of memorization.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
80%
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Predicted Grade
B
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(3)Difficulty by Course
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