2.8
Quality3.5
Difficulty24%
Would Retake89
Reviews24%
Would Retake
89
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
21
4
14
3
12
2
24
1
18
What Students Say
“Taking this professor's class will be the worst mistake of your life”
MATH215 - 1.0 rating“This class was incredibly boring”
MATH100 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
60%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.17 avg changeRatings by Course
111
5.0
(1)ALGEBRAMATH
5.0
(1)MATHALGE
5.0
(1)MATH100
3.8
(11)MATH108
3.3
(9)Difficulty by Course
MATH112
5.0
MATH226
4.5
100
4.0
112
4.0
MATH215
4.0
Reviews (89)
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Greatest & coolest math teacher in the whole world!
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He is in no way cute, plays with his hair more then he teaches. I don't think he is a very good teacher and only has about 6-7 questions on the test and they are hard. Do not like him at all.
He doesn't help in the class much at all. You have to learn from others or on your own. I found this class pointless. I had a 100% going in to the final and ended up getting a B in the class...something isn't right there.
To be fair, I cannot say that his is the easiest class to pass, but we all need challenges and it's not like we're taking a Calculus class here. He helps when you approach him. The key here is to STUDY!
He is not the easiest teacher but he will get you ready for what is ahead. the best way to pass this class is to study. this professor will explain anything to you but you have to work on your part.
He is the WORST math teacher I have ever taken!!! treats his students like idiots, monotone voice, does not explain things. DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER!!!
He is an awesome professor his tests are hard but they are supposed to get you ready for 111 and they do. He explains things very clearly and hes very funny
His tests are quite difficult, there are only 6-7 questions on them. It is hard for him to answer students' questions clearly, leaving the students more confussed than they already were. I would take another teacher for math, if possible.
Mr. R is the coolest. Although his tests can be difficult if you actually try you'll be okay. I switched to his class after having Mr. Williams and it was a good choice! I recommend having him as your teacher. He's a good teacher.
Took him twice. Yeah I'm dumb. I thought he was a good teacher, he kept me awake, and I didn't try too hard the first time around, so I figured if I took him again, and tried I would have no trouble getting out with my C. Nope. His tests are hard, and that's about it.
He does try if you keep asking questions and explain that you are totally lost as a class. He will work with and considering the choices you have he is one of the best.
Very clear and precise. Funny and kinda cute! Would take him again in a heartbeat!
as far as math teachers, Mr R cant be touched. i found him to be much more informative than other math teachers, and his humor is much needed due to the lack of interest this subject brings about. he only treats people like idiots if they are idiots, as he should.
He so looks like the gay guy from Mr. Doubtfire but I don't think he's gay. The class is boring but easy . STUDY for the test, they're harder than you think they'll be.
This class was very difficult. I took the final in the Fall of 2004 and I still don't know what I received on my final! I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to get an A in the class! I would NOT recommend him.
He kept me interested in some very boring subject matter. As long as you studied and paid attention the class was easy. I would take him again if I could.
I hate math and mr R didnt help! He is a very hard teacher but a nice guy! I would undertand what he was teaching but then i would completely bomb his tests! I had to drop the class because he moves so fast!!!
if you don't understand just keep letting him know where he is losing you. every question i had he answered as best as possible. honestly, he was the best math teacher i EVER had!!
So we started the class with 26 and 5 took the final. Every test and quiz average but the first 3 was failing. Tests are WAY too difficult for material covered. Definitely not imporessed by his delivery of info...
He is very helpful when he gets to a point in a problem that you are lost. He will stop in the middle of the problem and explain the answer to your question. He adds a sense of humor to the class as well which is need very much in math. I would take his class again. =)
This class seems easy...until you get to the test. I had an A until the final, but the final was nearly impossible to finsh in time. I think he's changed it some now though. Wouldn't take him unless you have to!
His tests can be difficult at times and sometimes he moves a little too fast to understand, but if at any time someone doesn't understand he will stop and answer their questions step-by-step. I would take him again if I needed to. He is funny sometimes and makes a usually boring math class more interesting.
I thought he was GREAT! He was always there to help you & wanted everyone to pass. Available a lot & an all around GREAT guy & good professor. Made things interesting & explained set-by-step every problem.. and if you had a question, he was always there to help! I would DEFFINETLY take him again if I had to!
Good guy!! He makes math more fun! His test are a little hard and sometimes he speaks over your head but if you ask him for help he will give it to you!
Very nice person, but the class was really boring and useless for el ed majors. He tried to explain as best as he could, but i dont think he ever wanted to actually be there. since math 205 will no longer be offered, this class wont bore anyone else. Test are reallllly hard and assignments are ok. Take him if you can.
Great class, computer class, no homework! Do the stuff on the computer and you'll get an A!
He shouldn't be teaching this class! He comes in and just sits there for the first 10 minutes of class, but that's if he's there on time! He doesn't really know what he is talking about, so he can't explain things at all. He never fully answers your questions. Also, it takes him weeks and weeks to get homework and tests back to you.
Ohhh Ritterskamp...I know a lot of people that love to hate him. Personally, I think he's a nice guy, but his tests are hard. You never know what's going to be on them. Overall, not the worst, not the best.
The bad parts about class are sometimes it's hard to stay awake and he doesn't really give examples, but he does help you understand. He is there to help though, and will try very hard to help you outside of class. If you want to benefit from this class, take him, if u wanna bird class, not really a good teacher for you.
Mr. R is a great guy. His class isn't easy (but I hate math). Mr. R is always there if you need him. He is very understanding and respectful. His way of teaching is very effective. I have never had a teacher whose teaching style was flawless... TAKE MR. R...PREPARE TO BE CHALLANGED...BUT LEARN A LOT.
I don't think he is a good teacher. Test is too hard.
When he teaches the information is like crystal clear, but when you take the test if seems to be a little harder, but it isn't too bad. If everyone does bad on the test he really doens't count it. But as far as the class material it is just like first semester pre-calc in high school. Not to bad at all
I would definitely not recommend him if you are not good at math! He's a nice guy, but his teaching is not effective at all. His tests are very hard! Practically everyone in my class fails his tests and no one can understand what he is trying to teach. Only take him is you HAVE to.
Mr. Ritterskamp is awesome!!! Prior to this class, I'd failed MAth 100 before. With his help, I get math! I reccomend him to anybody with trouble in math, he's very available, a good expalainer, and a nice guy.
I have never been given a test and looked at it wondering "did i miss something?". The questions he gives on tests are no where near the same as the book. I also find him to be monotone. Nice guy though.
This is the only math class I've taken and enjoyed. The tests are a little difficult but if you do badly on one you aren't doomed for the course. He uses humorous examples but sometimes gets off topic. I got an A but I don't think many others in my class did as well. Being a person that doesn't enjoy math, I thought he made it interesting.
He is a horrible teacher. I am a Junior now and have a 3.8, earning mostly A's but somehow earned a D in his Math class. He doesn't know how to teach and even told us that he went to school to major in math and not teaching so if he does a problem on the board then we should understand it. Half of my class is retaking it!
The examples he uses during class are no where to be seen during the test. He is very helpful when you ask him after class. The test are pretty hard. His jokes are lame. He does not remember names so he can not call on anyone to answer questions. I had to answer 80 percent of them so the class could move on. Overall, I'd give him a C+.
He is an amazing professor. I hated math before I got into the class and I still hate it but he made it easier for me to get through it. If you need help he has no problem helping you. Just ask for it. I would definitely recommend him to other students especially those who struggle with math.
He was a good professor. Sometimes during notes he was very skatterbrained, but that wasn't a big deal. I was able to understand math a little more with his help. He will help you, but ask for help in person and not through email because he will never respond until right before class.
I thought it was odd that I got terrible grades on all his test he made but on the mid-term and finial test's the department made I got good grades on. I hated when he would post 2 or 3 sections on math xl a couple days before the test. It pretty much eliminates your study time. I actually like math but I dreaded his tests.
If you have ADD do not take this class. We have spent 15 minutes talking about a camera, lady gaga, facebook and poptarts. We are not allowed to use "fancy" terms such as: parabola and equation. instead we should say squigily line and numbers. I would not take this class again.
He has good examples. The more active you the better you preform
Homework is not required. You can choose to do homework but you don't have to if you don't want to. His tests are really hard. Lectures are kind of boring and off topic
Lectures boring and off topic. I could not pay attention. Homework and math xl not required. He's grading scale is 100-88 for an A. Tests are hard.
He intentionally made his office seem a million miles away. Marked many of my correct answers wrong, because he didn't like the way I found the answer. Overall just not a teacher.
I couldn't understand what he was talking about half the time.
He is really great, not to hard. He talks about a lot of different things and math. I would take him
Really good instructor fair in grading, he looks for the process rather than jumping to the bottom of the page to see if you got the right answer on the tests. Only takes off a couple points if you understand the process, but get the wrong answer. Uses lots of real world applications in this class, and is very laid back and easy to talk to.
I enjoyed having Mr. Ritterskamp as an instructor. I took this class over the summer. 4 days a week 2 hours a day. He gave us a break after the first hour everyday. He explains material and the process well. Tests are very hard and most students had trouble getting done on time. Ask questions and do the homework and you will do just fine.
This class was incredibly boring. I felt like his lectures were a waste of time and I never had a clue what he was talking about. He had a way of saying things that made them so much more confusing than they needed to be. He had incredibly random analogies that had nothing to do with anything. Without math XL I don't know how I would have passed
Was not really clear on the subjects, as if he didn't really understand them himself.
Professor Ritterskamp is a great person and really loves math, but he tends to go on long rants about math while not writing anything on the board. If he does write problems on the board, he goes super fast and makes it easy for you to get lost. I spent a lot of time in academic skills just so someone could explain my notes to me
Homework for this class was optional, but if he gives problems from the book, then I suggest doing them. He only gives tests, so there is no other opportunity to raise your grade besides future tests. He has a sense of humor, which helps with the long lecture.
This class was absolutely dreadful. Although I have an A, some of the topics he doesn't explain very well. Your grade is completely based off of your tests. No homework is assigned. Prepare for a long, class where he just talks about random life situations..
This class was very difficult for me. I found it very hard to follow along with what was going because he would work through a problem and wouldn't explain the process. The tests are very hard! The tests were only a couple questions each. Since the course grade was based off of the tests, you have to do good or you fail. However, was a nice person.
Professor Ritterskamp does not explain things clearly. He does things once and expects you to understand. He tends to ramble about things and uses a lot of excell for examples therefore when it's time for you to do that problem on paper you have no idea what to do. When he writes on the board write it down and try to pay attention. He goes quickly.
I dropped his class in the first week. If you're a freshman like I was when I took it, then boy you're going to hate it. It's an extremely difficult course, and it will likely destroy your GPA. He's a cool person, just a rough teacher.
Taking this professor's class will be the worst mistake of your life. If you want to ruin your GPA, take this class.. WORST PROFESSOR I have ever had and I am a junior & have had plenty of professors. The subject is NOT THAT DIFFICULT but the professor has VERY POOR TEACHING SKILLS and makes this class more difficult than it needs to be.
Horrible professor and that is all that needs to be said.
I didn't even get to choose my instructor since the one I signed up for moved Universities, I ended up getting stuck with this professor and disliked his teaching style very much. He made this class much harder than what it really was. The only "good" thing about this professor is that he skews his grading scale for example: 85-100 A, 72-84B Etc.
Not a bad professor. I got a B in the class. 3 tests and some online homework as well as a final exam. As long as you go to class, do the online homework, and study some, it's really not bad at all.
He gives a lot of partial credit on tests. An A is also set at an 88. He is very open and helpful for office hours. He rushes when he teaches, but he also has A LOT to cover. Overall, he is a decent instructor (and better than the alternative professors, I've heard).
Really enjoyed it
I loved Mr. Ritterskamp as a person, but not as a teacher. The graded coursework consisted of a few online homework assignments, 2 tests, and the final. We were not given our 2nd test back until exactly 3 weeks after we took it. At that point, we had forgotten what was on it and it was 1 week from the final.
I dont know whats going on, how my notes pertain to anything, why I even bought a book, etc etc. this is guy is funny & will keep you awake, but the random stories & analogies make you confused. most of the lecture is verbal. no powerpoints or lecture review available on blackboard. homework isnt ever collected. you have a few tests over ??? ya
test heavy. Class is based on your test, no homework or quizzes.
Professor Ritterskamp is a super friendly and nice man but is a so-so teacher. During his lectures he gets largely off topic and talks about things that won't help you prepare for the tests. He also doesn't give many example problems during lectures either. Homework isn't mandatory but really the only thing that will prepare you for the tests.
optional HW was never mentioned. doesnt use blackboard or input grades. no book. you have 3 tests and a final & thats it. easy math, but some seemed like english to me lol. he WILL round your grade if youre close & gives partial credit on wrong answers. take good notes when hes talking & youll be fine. very nice & approachable
Ive never failed a class before but this will be my first. This is the type of class where you have to go home and teach yourself and spend a lot of time in academic skills if you want a good grade.
Very very very bad. Always rambled about random things that had nothing to do with class. I took calc in high school and this class is killing me. He doesnt teach and then the test is over things you never learned. DO NOT TAKE HIM!!!
Mr. Ritterskamp is a very fun guy, and I feel like if you went to his office hours he would help you. But in class, i dont find his teaching style to be effective. With such an easy class, he makes simple concepts seem like rocket science. During lecture, he often talks about whatever comes to his mind. I do not recommend taking him!
He did not teach to teach. He kind of just worked out problems for himself, and poorly explained the reasoning. Homework is pretty much optional. There aren't many chances to receive points except on quizzes and exams. Would not recommend.
During his in-person class, he is really nice, but his teaching style is hard to understand and follow. You have optional homework and he doesn't use the book which causes your entire grade to be based on tests. When we switched to online Ritterskamp was even harder to follow and his tests became significantly harder due to the lack of lectures.
It was online so you practically have to teach yourself. Test weren't terrible. He likes to ramble and get off track with stories. Very easy to listen to and homework really helps with understanding the material. Homework isnt hard and gives plenty of time to complete it.
Currently still in the middle of this semester taking this class. I give my experience with David Ritterskamp a 0/10. I have emailed him multiple times asking for help with the class and to see if there are any opportunities for me to get help such as tutoring etc. I have not received a response any of the times I have emailed him. Ridiculous
Second worst math professor I have taken at usi. He doesn't respond to emails, his lectures are nothing but example problems that don't even make sense. Homework is so easy but his tests are hard and he will nit pick your answers and work.
Dr. Ritterskamp was not a bad professor. My only problem with this class was that the only grades were the four tests we took. So if you do bad on a test then you will do bad in the class.
WOULD NEVER TAKE AGAIN!Took this course for Math081,two out of the three days of class was just sitting in a computer lab learning from videos we had to watch on our own time and doing the homework and quizzes, his lecture days are just him doing example problems and he basically does them for himself and doesn't explain it well to the class AVOID!
Mr. Ritterskamp was my least favorite professor. I had taken this class in high school and it wasn't anything like it. He lectures on and on about whatever comes to mind which is rarely about math and tests you about "the math" at the end of the week. he also RARELY put grades in blackboard. Great guy personally but not a great teacher in math.
David Ritterskamp is the GOAT. He is such a great and silly guy. I took him for two semesters and he pushed me in the correct path every time and never left me astray. He always helped any time I needed and he would do it flawlessly.
Dr. Ritterskamp was great. I don't think his class was as hard as everyone makes it out to be. As long as you're paying attention and taking notes you should be fine.
Very great guy, but his teaching is really bad. Rambles and rambles about why we do something, and not a lot of how. Does give us chances to practice but a lot of the times it's hard to follow and/or know what you are doing. Says somethings are on the test, but it ends up not being the only thing in the test. Barely puts in grades and takes grades.
As a person there is nothing wrong with him and he seems to know the content he is teaching, but he doesn't seem to know how to teach. Every problem in class is gone through too quickly and he doesn't really explain how to do them. Test "study guides" are nothing like the actual test. One test everyone in the class left at least one problem blank.
Please do not take this class with Ritterskamp. We have 4 tests on the schedule before the final and he forgot to give us one of them. I've never struggled with math before and I'm literally fighting for my life in this class. All of my classmates seem extremely confused too. Everyone agrees when we had a sub for 2 days we learned more with them.
Do NOT take this professor if you don't have to. His lectures were extremely hard to understand and didn't align with the homework at all. The assignments did nothing to prepare students for quizzes or exams, and he also failed to grade anything in a timely manner. Overall, he was a pretty awful teacher.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
60%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.17 avg changeRatings by Course
111
5.0
(1)ALGEBRAMATH
5.0
(1)MATHALGE
5.0
(1)MATH100
3.8
(11)MATH108
3.3
(9)Difficulty by Course
MATH112
5.0
MATH226
4.5
100
4.0
112
4.0
MATH215
4.0