4.3
Quality1.9
Difficulty94%
Would Retake114
Reviews94%
Would Retake
114
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
114 total ratings5
75
4
15
3
15
2
4
1
4
What Students Say
“Listen, try not to doze off, you might just learn some great things from a great man”
STS323 - 5.0 rating“Patterson may be the sweetest man in the world”
STS323 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
30%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.70 avg changeRatings by Course
MDS323
5.0
(1)STSQ
5.0
(1)CS213
4.7
(10)STS323
4.4
(84)BIO105
3.8
(15)Difficulty by Course
105
2.5
BIO105
2.3
CS213
2.1
MDS323
2.0
STSQ
2.0
Reviews (113)
disorganized, rambles, unclear, random, late everyday- that's him. He has a habit of losing things (exams, quizzes, etc). As a person though, he is really nice and will do anything to help you out (like giving a 40 point curve). You won't learn anything.
The nicest man I have ever met! Maybe not the best professor in the world but will do anything to help you out!
A Southern Mr. Chips; will do all he can to help and encourage you.
No Comments
patterson doesnt ask much from his students. just read any practice tests or reviews and it's a breeze. when you do poorly on the tests, give the guy a break; he will see the whole class did bad and help everyone out. you can talk him into helping you out alot
He is a great individual who'll go out of his way to help you grasp the concepts he is soo passionate about. He loves his students and he loves science and education. A brilliant, salt-of-the-earth Ph.D
He's so easy! Incredibly boring but EASY!!!
Great guy, great class, great information on the state of the world.
He rambles on and on..about things that end up not even being on his test. he gives out these study sheets for the chapters but then in the end he gives a total different one for the test. usually there is so much information on one thing. i had a test in there that had 12 chapters on it. he does help with the giving points at the end. but watch out for some homework assignments he gets really into them even if they have nothing to do with what you are studying at the time in class.
He's sweet, and cares about the things he teaches. The class didn't respect him cuz he's so nice. Rambles a bit. He curves and gives out lecuture summaries so you don't have to take notes if you are in class to get one. Don't try to derail him to postpone an exam though - you'll end up with one exam on 2 chapters, and another on 11.
good teacher. very very understanding and is willing to help you out any way he can. very nice which causes him to get some disrespect from people. great guy overall
He is an extremely nice guy. Class is very boring and test can be easy or difficult (some ?'s come from back of chps, but some tests cover lot of chps). He curves some on the final grade. Again, very nice man, relatively easy class, but very boring.
Dude is sooo passionate about everything. Great guy, but don't be fooled by his kindness. The 1st quiz and the 1st test will catch you off guard if don't prepare. However, if you attend class regularly and DO THE WORK, you'll do just fine. Easy A baby..
WORST TEACHER EVER! He is the sweetest man in the whole entire world, but cannot teach to save his life. He rambles on an on and is extremely confusing. The tests are hard and don't cover anything we have gone over. Just don't get him, apparently flick is good :)
horrible teacher. He is a very nice man, but a very bad teacher! His tests are extremeley hard and cover nothing that he goes over in class. Class is a complete waste of time, but you have to go to get the full attendance points. On the final he tells you what to study but it is insignificant since you are tested on something entirely different.
Dr. Patterson is so sweet, I'm still in his class so I don't know my overrall grade yet but he's old and adorable. He loves biology (especially plants) and has an interest in it that is out of this world! He always gets off topic, but it kills time so whatever he doesn't cover will not be on the tests. The tests are not hard with the study guide!
All of these people before me obviously don't know how to study. Dr. Patterson is a great teacher and one of the nicest professors I have ever had. He is so passionate about what he teaches. As long as you copy everything he puts on the board, go to a study session before the test, and at least skim through the book, you'll get a good grade.
Dr. Patterson is a very nice man, and tries hard to teach his class, but it is just impossible to stay awake. Even with falling asleep every day, if you use the study guide that he gives, you can easily be susccessful on the tests. I slept every day, there were 4 tests, i got 86, 67, 92, 82. EASY!
Really easy class but also really boring. lecture and tests are straight from the book so READ! He drops a lot of grade at the end so its very easy to get an A.
Like others rated about him, "Dr. Patterson is a great teacher and one of the nicest professors I have ever had. He is so passionate about what he teaches. As long as you copy everything he puts on the board, go to a study session before the test, and at least skim through the book, you'll get a good grade".
great teacher! really cares about his students and their futures. he gets off on tangents, so lectures are very random, but tests are very easy. outlines every assignment you will have throughout the semester in the syllabus. lots of guest lectures, spent much of the class sleeping or doing other homework. I highly recommend this class!
This is the most adorable old man i have ever met. His class is an "experience" class and he really wants you to be present and complete community service. ATTEND EVERY CLASS - frequent yet easy pop quizzes. Big curve at the end. Not a normal from topic A to B to C class, very scattered but interconnected. You get out what you put in
TAKE THIS CLASS! This is the best professor i've ever had. He is so passionate about what he teaches. Tells alot of stories, doesn't give too much homework. Really cares about his students. May seem scatterbrained at times but its because he has so much to share. A brilliant man. Bob Patterson has forgotten more than most people will ever learn.
I took the freshman inquiry STS323 class. Dr. Patterson is truly inspirational. It's true he cares deeply for his students. He often goes on long tangents where he tells many stories from his international experience. He also brings in awesome speakers, some of whom have completely redirected my career path. Take this class! It will open your world
Hands down, Dr. Patterson is the best professor at NCSU. The class seemed kinda hard while in it but the key is to get to know him by going to his office hours. He is a very inspirational man with incredible wisdom, he honestly cares about the world and his students. There are a lot of guest speakers which can get boring. Take with a friend!
Quizzes and Exams are nearly impossible. Impossible to pay attention in class. Never know whats going on. Assigns random assignments just cause. 15 hours community service required. Ridiculous reading assignments you can't do. This is just information I learned the hard way and I am not the only one. Regret taking this class
Worst teacher I have ever experienced. I learned absolutely nothing in this class and I was actually interested in it in the beginning. Always had guess lecturers. When he did lecture he went off in tangents and I had no idea what was going on all class. Sat there twiddling my thumbs most days. Exams are hard and study guides ever harder.
He is the nicest man I have ever met. He cares more about his students and subject more than any prof I've ever had. He wrote me amazing references for grad school and was always willing to answer questions and talk after class. His lectures were a bit confusing, though. If you actually study, you'll get an A. I got an A+ in this AND BIO.
Dr. Patterson is a very nice man, but he's extremely confusing. Unless you are very interested in this class, it will be awful. It's very boring and tests and quizzes are impossible unless you have prior knowledge. There are so many guest lecturers who all have very different topics, which is confusing. Deadlines are always moved around.
Absolutely hated this class. Bane of my existence. DO NOT TAKE IT. Trust me, you don't have to and don't want to. The way he teaches is miserable, even if he is a great guy. It's a very difficult and depressing subject to teach already, but he is disorganized, his tests and projects are ridiculous. Save your time and sign up for something else.
He cannot teach. He is disorganized and his lectures are everywhere. His quizzes are setup, so that you have to remember random details like where is this organization located. The difficult part is that he mentioned seven different organizations the past lecture.
Dr. Patterson is the most passionate, inspirational, and informative instructor I have ever had. He puts the students well being above anything else, and goes above and beyond the call of duty. His guests lecture are very informative and gives a lot of feed back on the subject matter. I have learned so much, it is worth every penny!
He is very passionate about his students. Although he is an amazing guy with a lot of experiences to share, I didn't care for his course. Definitely go talk to him, he wants you to engage with him. The midterm and final will seem impossible and you will probably do badly, but if you go talk to him and show up for class you'll get an A regardless
Dr. Patterson is a great man and although his lectures were boring, the class was interesting. You have a lot of guest lecturers (too many, IMO), and he gives pop quizzes that ask random details. The midterm and final are doable (try and find a copy of a past midterm to study with). If you put forth effort, Dr. Patterson will give you a good grade.
Great guy good class can be boring at times, but overall if you come to class and do the work you make an A
A wonderful human being and professor, a true gem of the university. He can be difficult to follow in class because of his teaching style but this course is generally easy if you attend class and study before the tests. You MUST visit him, he loves nothing more than talking to his students! And it will be reflected in your grade, I promise.
He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He is incredibly passionate about what he does and cares so much about other people. Although the lectures are sometime irrelevant to the test, they are still interesting. If you do the community service hours (super easy) and just do the assignments, you will get an A. He is so awesome!!
He is by the far the most considerate and sweet professor you will ever have. He wants to see you succeed and honestly cares about what you have to say. His lectures are long but the material taught is eye opening. You can learn a lot from this man.
Dr. P was an amazing teacher! He does ramble a lot but he knows the subject better than anyone else.
Bob is a genuinely sweet old man who cares so much about this topic and his students. The volunteer project might be a pain but everyone knows they should be volunteering anyway. Tests are on quizlet, but he is an easy grader anyway. There is so much to learn from Bob, I will never forget his amazing enthusiasm for helping the world.
Classes are definitely not clear-cut in terms of what goes on the tests. Dr. Patterson is incredibly kind and he genuinely wants you to succeed. You should retain a basic understanding of why the world is struggling and what can be done... If your responses are heartfelt, you won't have a problem passing.
Truly inspirational! Class seems a bit disorganized sometimes, but if you ever had a grandfather that you enjoyed listening to stories from, you'll like this class. Dr. Patterson has a ton of life experience and many great life lessons to share. Even unrelated majors can learn something from this course. Overall very good!
Amazingly helpful and genuine. His lectures can be a bit tangential but you can tell he truly cares about his work and most of all his students. Lectures can be a bit long and lots of guest speakers but they all discuss pretty interesting topics. Just show up to class and you're guaranteed at least a B.
This is absolutely the most amazing man to ever exist. STS 323 is basically story time with Bob Patterson. If you ever have a chance to take a class with him do it. I wish he could teach all of my classes.
Dr. Patterson cares deeply about every student and will go far out of his way in order to help a student in need of help. He genuinely believes that everyone in the class will go on to better the world in some way. After the last class the entirest class gave him a standing ovation. I hope I have him for another class eventually.
Dr. Patterson is one of the most understanding persons I've ever met. While I didn't enjoy his class as much as others, I am very thankful to have him as a professor and friend. STS 323 taught me more outside of the classroom and I say that in a good way. Listen, try not to doze off, you might just learn some great things from a great man.
Patterson might be the main reason I changed my major to Crop Science. He is the most knowledgable person you'll ever meet and as long as you talk to him and make sure he knows you, its an easy A. I'd take any class that he taught and wish he taught them all. Talked to him about being stressed over an exam and let me take "whenever was best for me"
I love mr. patterson
Mr. Patterson may be the sweetest man in the world. It's worth going to class just to hear him tell stories. I've never had a professor who seems to enjoy teaching as much as he does. I guarantee he would do anything for his students. I dare someone to go to his class and not smile.
Bob Patterson is the best teacher that I have ever had. He is sweet, encouraging, and caring. His tests are hard, but make sure you offer to help him and show that you care and he will help you out with your grade. He is so knowledgeable in the subject and you can tell that he truly loves teaching... and talking about legumes.
Dr. Patterson is SO great! He truly cares about his students and wants you to succeed. Definitely go to office hours if you are struggling, his tests are insanely hard, but he is very fair with them! Definitely would take with him again.
Dr. Patterson is an extremely kind person with lots of stories to tell. He truly cares about his students and their success. Always willing to extend due dates and clarify when needed. Some assignments have vague instructions. The two tests are difficult in that lots of the material is taught by guest lecturers so it's hard to know what to study.
Legend
Such a great class, learn a lot and it's not super hard. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone. I took it as an elective for my major and wish I had more professors like them.
This class changed my life. I am not kidding. Dr. Patterson cares about making students think about their actions and place in the world. This is not a traditional class - lots of stories and life lessons, then tests that are respectable but still important. Everyone who is interested in being a better person loves this course and Dr. Patterson
Bob is the best professor at State. He is truly the most caringcest man I have ever met in my life. His classes mostly consist of guest lecturers&him telling stories about his past. There's only one exam & the final exam (on quizlet). He goes completely out of his way to helpnuinely cares about his students success. Wish I could take again!!!
This class is an easy A. Dr. Patterson is invested in his students and wants them to make a good grade in the class. Show up and you will make an A.
I truly hope Bob Patterson never leaves NCSU. He's easily my favorite professor at this school. Not only an engaging and funny lecturer, but also a genuinely caring professor who wants his students to succeed. He makes you feel like you can take on the world. I adore him and everyone should take his class! Wonderful!
Dr. Patterson is really passionate about the subjects that he is teaching. His class is an easy A, and you will learn a lot about both his life (he is a storyteller!) and the topics in the class. I highly recommend this class as an easy GEP.
Bob is one of those professor's who truly wants to see his students succeed and make a difference in the world. He's very caring, and is always willing to talk with his students outside of class. There aren't many professors who are as passionate about teaching as Bob.
Do the work and you'll get an A. You pretty much get an automatic 100% on all work except tests as long as you turn it in. The multiple choice test questions and their answers are on Quizlet. The essay questions are tough, but if you answer them like a politician you'll get credit, the graders are extremely lenient. Easy class, great professor.
Dr. Patterson's lectures (story time, really) feel long-winded and unnecessary, but if you take the time to listen and reflect on them, you will actually learn. Be sure to do the assignments (specifically the community service) and you will be fine.
He is a legend at NC State for good reason. Universally beloved for his unparalleled kindness and care for students. Being in his presence makes me wish I were a better person. Many interesting guest lectures. His class will force you to consider many perspectives surrounding diverse issues and should be required for all students, in my opinion.
Attend lectures because the lectures will appear on the exams. STUDY HARD FOR MIDTERMS AND FINALS THEY ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT COULD TRIP YOU UP. Look up the class on quizlet and just drill the flash cards for a couple days and you'll be fine. Easy 100s on the rest of the assignments, graded for completion.
Dr. Patterson is an amazing person and awesome teacher. If you show him you are interested and committed to learning his material he will reward you! He does tend to get off topic A LOT, but usually its because he's telling one of his many interesting stories about his travels around the world. He is the most caring professor I have ever had!
Dr. Patterson is such an amazing teacher and he extremely cares about his students. He typically gets off topic or constantly is interrupting his guest speakers but its typically in good spirit about a story he has from traveling the world. He will speak of the children a lot and there is required community service but its easy. STUDY For test!!!!
Professor Patterson is hands down the most amazing teacher I've ever had. He is extremely caring and so so inspirational. highly recommend; you will learn a lot
Professor Patterson is a good professor, even though he does get off topic easily and likes to take up time. If he finished lecture or a lecturer finishes early (let's say 11:25 and class ends at 11:30) he makes sure to tell everyone that he has four minutes and 39 seconds left and continues to keep you in. I loved him though! Super sweet guy.
Absolutely the sweetest guy ever, but I didn't get much out of the class. Lectures mostly consisted of him showing photos and telling stories from his travels, so it was hard to take notes and know what was going to be tested on. However, there are lots of quizlets out there with the test questions. Also sends a LOT of emails, be prepared.
Bob is the greatest man ever to walk this earth. His soul transcends our mortal understanding of reasoning. His essence is beyond the fabrics of our reality, as his mere presence can cause the laws of physics to alter. God himself regrets creating a man more powerful than himself, as at any moment Bob could claim his rightful spot on the throne.
Dr. Patterson is the MOST caring and inspirational professor at NC State! He truly wants all of his students to succeed and has vast numbers of stories and knowledge to share. I truly wish I had paid more attention in this class, and I highly recommend you do so. Easy A if you don't bomb the exams, study w/Quizlet, hw assignments are easy 100s
Bob Patterson is a nice guy, but the class sucks. Most lectures are given by random guess lecturers who show up and just plug their own stuff. The class is easy as there are only a few homework assignments that are easy in themselves, but Bob himself is easily distracted and tells stories that I personally couldn't stand.
he's genuinely a good person, the lectures are kinda boring, but you definitely do learn if you pay attention and put in the effort. he's super understanding and updates you frequently on assignments. the grading is also lenient. i wish he taught more classes.
Do all the project in the first two weeks of the class. It's easier to get them out of the way early, and the lectures and emails won't help you complete them anyway. Then I'd sit back and listen to lectures passively to get info for exams. He's nice, but between 3+ daily emails and the guest lecturers, it's more like a blog and expo than a class.
Easy class to pass but a complete waste of time. If you were hoping for some clear instructions on what to do for assignments youve signed up for the wrong class. He beats around the bush so much that sometimes its hard to know exactly what he wants you to do. Don't even bother showing up for class, he loves to hear himself talk but he's a nice guy
Dr. Patterson is the most genuine and caring professor I have ever had. He cares that his students succeed and he will do anything to make it happen. He send very emails with sources that will help you succeed on tests and quizzes. Like I said, Dr. Patterson is the best professor I've ever had. The world needs more Bob Pattersons.
literally take his class. do it. he is the coolest ever and literally cares so much.
No doubt hes the best professor at NC State
Bob is so awesome and incredibly sweet. His class is not hard. Take this class I would recommend.
Dr. Patterson is such an amazing teacher!!! He is so caring and always willing to meet with students and often times extends deadlines! In addition he brings in a lot of guest speakers who each talk about a unique subject related to agriculture. I highly recommend him<3
One of the best and nicest professors at the University. Gives many extensions, and grades leniently. Barely showed up to class but he uploaded all the lectures online So I did not miss anything.
Dr. Patterson is more than just the greatest professor at NC State, he's one of the friends that I have made since I have been in school here. His exams were hard but if you pay attention to his lectures and take GOOD notes it isn't that bad. He responds to his emails quickly and student interaction/feedback is something he takes seriously.
Such an easy class, mostly due in part to Dr Patterson, who is such a caring and knowledgable teacher. The class lectures can get boring at times, but there are a lot of guest speakers that give talks on a plethora of topics. Easy class if you're looking for a laid back class & easy A.
Bob is very nice and cares about his students. But his class can be pretty boring and a majority of his lectures are guest speakers who talk about their life and work. This makes it hard to take notes and not be bored. But his projects are not that difficult and he does not grade super hard. His exams and final could also be found on Quizlet.
His lectures are so interesting, he has SO much knowledge to share. He helped me to figure out my major as an exploratory studies student.
STS323 with Dr. Patterson is super easy. The guest lectures are boring but passing the class is super easy. Assignments are easy. Both midterm and final are online.
Such a sweet professor and by far one of the easiest classes at state. Attendance was not mandatory, but classes only consisted of lectures that gave life lessons. Only a few assignments the whole semester and 2 exams that were online.
Patterson is a very passionate teacher and has many amazing stories about where he has been and how he has helped others. Very easy class 5 homework assignments and a midterm and final. The tests are online and you can find the answers easily. Attendance is not mandatory.
One of the nicest professor and human on the planet. He truly cares about each and everyone of his students and provides each one with the greatest chance to succeed in his course.
Best Prof I have ever had. Many professors view their students as just a name and grade on a paper, but Dr. Patterson has the most genuine caring heart and truthfully wants his students to succeed. I learned so much, he makes you feel comfortable asking questions. He's been an inspiration for me during my studies. TAKE HIS CLASS IF YOU CAN
He tells a lot of stories
A very understanding professor! Midterm was on online, and there are only 6 total assignments. Each assignment was all self-explanatory and easy, but his instructions can sometimes be unclear. He rarely gives lectures. There is always a guest speaker, so it does get boring and repetitive. I recommend taking this class as a GEP requirement.
Bob is the sweetest soul. His class is very lecture heavy but he is not strict about attendance and is very lenient on the few assignments he gives. Midterm and final are both online and everything is on quizlet.
This class is extremely easy. He has guest lectures throughout the semester. I rarely went to class. Just do the assignments and ur fine.
love him
Bob is actually the goat. He cares more than any other professor about his students, his class is super easy, and most things are interesting. Take him if you can for sure.
Bob Patterson has the sweetest soul. He has like 6 assignments throughout the year and his tests are all on quizlet. Attendance is mandatory if you want extra credit at the end of the semester. Lectures are VERY boring though, since they are all basically guest lecturers. Overall, such a sweetheart and really cares about his students.
Dr. Patterson is truly one of my favorite professors at State. He truly cares for his students, and has so much knowledge. You can truly tell he loves being a professor, and sharing his life experiences with us. Definitely recommend this class and more importantly this professor!
Absolutely love him!!! He truly cares about his students and is always willing to have a conversation. Please don't be mean to him, I will cry. He tries his best to keep you interested and tells stories about his experiences around the world. 10/10 recommend!
I mean you see how many people love him, he is just too sweet, the tests are so easy, and he honestly loves being a professor which 100% shows. The class was always engaging, and if you talk he will appreciate it a lot, take this class if you ever get the chance!!
Professor Patterson is the most genuine and kind person. If you get the chance to take a course with him, absolutely take it. He is understanding, thoughtful, and truly cares about his students and their well-being.
Dr. Patterson is one of the kindest professors. Truly cares about the subject and the students he teaches. Very understanding and passionate. Lecturers were mostly guest lecturers and were boring, but I just worked on assignments during them. Tests (midterm and final) can be taken outside of class. Content is very powerful, but the class is easy.
Dr. Patterson is a very caring and gracious professor. Even in the online class he was willing to meet with me in the office when I was on campus. I needed an extension on one of the exams and he suggested I take the exam "whenever it is best for you." Love this guy! I will say though some of the exam material did not match well with lecture.
He is so sweet and truly cares about the topic. Being fully honest, attendance wasn't recorded so I rarely went to class. I just did all the assignments online (very easy) and occasionally watched recorded lectures. Midterm and final are online, study guides and answers can be found on quizlet.
Bob's class is pretty easy - just do the assignments and you're good. Attendance is mandatory, but the tests are all on Quizlet. I found Unstuck AI really helpful for study prep too. Overall, a chill professor who cares about his students.
He is truly one of the best teachers/professors I have ever had. He is caring and sweet and you can really tell he enjoys teaching and making sure the students understand the material. I would recommend this professor to anyone and everyone. He deserves some sort of award.
The sweetest human in the world. Take his class.
Dr. Patterson is well respected in the Crop Science world, and has a lot of knowledge and experience to share with his students. Recorded lectures that he has you watch leading up to each exam.
Has many guest speakers, classes can be boring but the assignments are very easy and hard not to get a good grade on them. He is a very kind man and loves what he teaches.
Professor Patterson is genuinely the most caring professor I've had at state and this was my senior year. Despite having so many students, he takes an interest in each and every one of us and is extremely passionate about what he teaches. He honestly shifted my perspective towards so many things and for my future career
I seriously cannot say enough good things about professor Patterson. He is the most kind, genuine, caring professor I have ever had. He cares so much about what he teaches and is very inspiring. The class was super easy and not super time consuming either, I would 100% recommend.
He is the sweetest most caring person on the planet
Please please pleaseeee take his class you won't regret it.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
30%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.70 avg changeRatings by Course
MDS323
5.0
(1)STSQ
5.0
(1)CS213
4.7
(10)STS323
4.4
(84)BIO105
3.8
(15)Difficulty by Course
105
2.5
BIO105
2.3
CS213
2.1
MDS323
2.0
STSQ
2.0