Very nice guy, very helpfull and interesting. Tests = Impossible

very good professor, clear explanations

Awesome class. Attend all lectures and get an A.

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Excellent professor. Explains concepts very clearly in class. He said he only asks questions on the tests that come from lectures and he stays true to his word.

Duncachino's the best! All test material comes from lecture and he'll explain things until you understand them. He tells a joke to begin every class and tells stories about his kids (mainly Spencer, the youngest). He has a great sense of humor!

Very good teacher and very funny..pretty easy

Lectures are really interesting and don't drag by... tells quirky jokes and talks about his kids. Really helpful when it comes to questions... great class!!!

Makes learning FUN. Great teacher.

Such a great professor! Dry material, but he tries to make it interesting. Office hours 9 to 5. His exams are very fair and if you go to class and take good notes, you win.

Fitz is the MAN!! Though the material is kinda boring, he makes it interesting. Just make sure you take good notes and go to all the lectures, because everything on midterms comes from lecture. All in all, pretty easy. Joke of the day kicks ass also.

The Fitz is the man. Material can be dull but the class is worth taking just to have him and get a relatively easy A. He'll go over any ?s until you understand. Come on time to catch the joke of the day - don't fall asleep or he'll publicly embarrass

Duncan's great, not only because he's a good professor and willing to help with any questions, but because he's a nice guy who's interested in his students. Very knowledgeable, and provides students with the skills they need.

Good professor, knowledgeable... however, not always clear about what is expected on exams.

90-95% of test material comes right from notes... just go to class and take good notes. Only 1 or 2 questions per test from the book. Joke of the day is pretty funny too.

the prof. is really nice and smart. make sure you take good notes in class because the tests come from the notes but i find it very hard to take notes in class b/c the material is very boring and he's not too clear sometimes.

very hard class, but such a funny and nice professor. love the joke of the day, and is very funny

If you're looking for an easy A, I swear this class is hard. You don't need the book at all, just go off of class notes. If you study you'll be alright, but tricky questions paired with random examples lead to frustration. But, he's cool and class is fun.

The best teacher in the earth science department , if not the whole school, really helpful, cares about his students and takes the extra effort to make sure his students understand the material

He is just such a totally awesome guy in general. Material can get very boring but he teaches it well and brings it to life. He is a wonderful prof. Study for his test and you'll do fine!

he really tries to keep the class interesting, but you do tend to fall asleep during slideshows and lectures. THIS CLASS IS NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK! you still have to study for it, especially since he wrote the textbook.

Prof. FitzGerald is great--he has a joke-of-the-day and frequently jokes during lecture. He is good at explaining concepts. Beaches & Shorelines isn't hard, it's fun & interesting! He is an adorable guy & is very accessible, though it is a big lecture. Field trip to Cape Cod! Take Prof. FitzGerald!

Wow! What an awesome class! Fitzgerald's lectures are so entertaining- he makes the dry subject matter interesting to non ES majors. Grading is very fair and if you go to class and take the notes, it's hard not to get an A. I ALWAYS go to the lectures because they're so entertaining and fun!

One of the most memorable classes I'll ever take. Im not an ES major and I had a blast. Field work was a great way to learn. Somtimes I felt lessons went over my head, but he was always in his office for help. Tough tests and tough grader, get in with a good study group!

Fitzgerald is a really great guy and is accessible, but lectures can be so boring. It's weird because I like him so much, but I feel the opposite about the class. The tests are ultra-specific and picky and class is hard not to sleep through. I wouldn't take this for an "easy A"--you need to study ha

the good news: its easy to get a B. the bad news: its hard to get anything above a B. lectures are a bit tedious, but prof. fitzgerald is an awesome guy with funny stories. don't take as a slacker class-the tests are super specific and picky.

Just a warning...I read all these things and thought it should be a piece of cake and I ended up doing not so hot. The tests are pretty ridiculous, SO SPECIFIC and when you go in to talk to him hes very arrogent.

Awesome professor, he really knew what he was talking about, tests questions were taken directly from the notes, easy to get an A if you do the reading assignments and go to review sessions he has before every test.

Prof. Fitzgerald is a great guy! Lectures can get boring, but he always tries to through in some jokes to make them less dry. Again, don't take class for an "easy A" the tests tend to be on the challenging side. But getting a B doesn't take much work!

Professor Fitzgerald is an awesome professor! His lectures are clear and understandable (as are the notes). The tests are hard because it's basically all memorization, so prepare yourself for that. The joke of the day is always something to look forward to! :)

For some reason, the only thing I remember from college is this class. I still talk about the things I've learned and remember them. It was really interesting and fun. My favorite class from college.

The distinguished gentleman of the Boston University Earth Science Department( if not the entire school) cherio!

Skeptical of this class at first by some of the posts saying the exams are difficult, not the case. If you take all of the notes and understand the diagrams the tests will be easy. All of his questions on the exam come straight from lecture and he even emails you a list of review questions that pretty much all show up on the exam in some form.

Professor is very helpful and office hours are good. However, the textbook is hard to read and going to class is a must. All tests are taken directly from class notes. Tests are hard and somewhat confusing, but you can do well if you study and the tests are curved.

this class is definitely not for the easy A. yeah he can be funny at times, but he's also arrogant. you MUST go to lecture everyday and take excellent notes to do well on the HARD exams. the TAs can sometimes be more helpful than he is. pay attention to every example he gives in class, they're always very useful.

I'm not an ES major, but I loved this class. Exams are easy if you show up to class and take notes (which are all on overheads). I enjoyed the honors section a lot. There is some confusion on what Duncan wants for projects, but he's always around to answer questions so if you ask enough, he'll answer.

Excellant professor but exams are not easy A. You have to go to class everyday because the exams come from the notes, but make sure you pay attention to every detail. Test questions are tricky, but tries to make the class interesting. Helpful when you go see him for answer keys or quick ?, but sends you to a grad student if you need more than that!

I'm amazed that so many people said his class/tests are hard. That's total BS-- all you have to do is go to class and listen. His lectures are good and entertaining and the tests are completely reasonable. I got an A in the class and didn't work very hard. One of my favorite classes at BU.

great, and hot too.

Class seems like a joke but its really not. everything on the test comes from lecture. hes a wicked nice guy who cares a lot about what hes teaching which is one of the only thing that makes the class bearable.

Be forewarned, that this class is NOT a joke. You actually have to study and pay attention. That being said, if you do that, its easy. Duncan is the man, he is very funny and does joke of the day everyday. He is very passionate about what he does. Don't expect to not have to do anything though, study hard and well. Book is not needed at all.

i love this man! but you literally have to go to every class because that's where everything on the tests come from. must take incredibly detailed notes - not an easy A but Fitz is real funny and enjoyable. plus he drops your lowest test grade.

This is a great class if you are interested in how beaches and the world works. Just be prepared to go to every test cause EVERYTHING he puts on the test is discussed in lecture. EVERYTHING. He makes it easy to bounce back after a test you just have to try.

I took this class without having any actual interest in Beaches and Shores, but after taking a class with Professor FitzGerald I feel like it would be impossible not to be interested in the subject. He is an AMAZING teacher and soooo passionate about the subject. It is definitely not an EASY A but if you try and attend class you will do well.

He starts class with a joke each day& has very interesting stories which make class fun. He tries& wants students to understand a somewhat complicated subject. The tests are comprised of MC, Short Answer, diagrams, T/F,& fill in the blank.They are somewhat tricky but he does give out study questions that are very helpful.Fun guy but not the easiest

Not an "Easy A" class. It's hard to learn because textbook isn't used, and everything on the test is from the lecture. The powerpoints aren't very helpful, as you have to spend a lot of time on your own figuring out concepts. Pure memorization of the powerpoints will probably get you a B. Exams are curved and you drop 1.

Best teacher I had at BU.

Everything he says in class is on the test, but he provides detailed study guides for each test and posts lecture slides online. Very easy class as long as you show up and fill out the study guide. Prof is very knowledgeable and passionate about his subject.

I was not looking forward to taking this class, but I ended up loving it! Prof. FitzGerald is super enthusiastic and has a lot of cool stories from his experience in the field. Not a particularly easy A, but attending AND paying attention in class goes a long way. Study guides are useful, and he drops the lowest grade from the midterms and final!

Prof Fitzgerald really loves this topic, and tries his best to get you to love it too. He's not always clear, but there is literally no homework, and if you study for the tests (he gives super detailed study guides too) you'll be fine

Honestly prof fitzgerald is a chill dude. The topic can be dry but he loves it and understands that it's not for everyone - but he'll try to get you interested. Four exams including the final, and he drops the lowest so if you can get a decent grade on the first three, you don't have to take the final. Pay attention in class and you'll do fine.

Solid class and professor to take for natural science credit. Easy to understand concepts from lectures, and easy to do well on the exams with just a couple days of studying. 4 exams, he drops the lowest. Use the practice questions on the study guide!!

Very fun prof. Great guy who has some funny jokes. If you go to lecture and pay attention, as well as fill out the study guides you will do well.

He's really great. So knowledgable, approachable, happy to answer questions. His lecture and lab may be hard, always assume you know something before. Still, he is great at story-telling! You won't regret taking his courses. This course if very useful. He won't trouble you on tests cuz he gave us the questions that will be selected from.

I really liked Prof. Fitzgerald. It's obvious he knows what he's talking about and he's very passionate about the subject. He tells jokes at the beginning of every lecture which I think is really nice. The only problem is that the only grades are four tests (lowest dropped) so if you're not a test-person or bad at memorizing, it's really tough.

Fitzgerald is a great prof, clearly passionate about the subject and always telling cool stories. Grade is based on 3 exams (he drops one of 4 exams). Just learn the study guide that he gives really well (memorize the criteria/diagrams) and you'll do fine.

Professor FitzGerald is amazing!! He is very passionate about his line of work and has great stories about his research.The class content is very interesting and the exams are not hard if you study. He provides great study tools such as questions, review lectures and the textbook. There was an optional field trip was which a blast as well.

Grade is purely based on tests, but you take 4 tests and the lowest score is dropped (including final). Lecture was an 8 am which sucked and he doesn't take attendance but he doesn't post lectures (he posts slides) so u have to attend and take notes. Hilarious dude and u get to go to cape cod

TEST HEAVY! Entire grade based on 4 exams (will drop lowest). Exams not difficult if you attend all lectures and review contnet, but if you aren't a test fan don't take this course. 8am lectures but if you go it pays off, personally found him a bit unorganized in lectures but for the most part the content isn't difficult, just can be time consuming

Great professor!

Duncan was by far one of the best professors I've ever had. He is very inspirational and is very passionate with what he teaches. He is so kind and really wants his student to excel, love this man.

He is the best professor ive ever had. He is so nice and really wants a students to do well in the course. Explaining concepts and overall makes class fun, exciting, and hilarious. This man has some crazy stories if u ask him abt it!

Very good at lecturing, really brought you into the material and you can tell how passionate he is about it. Genuinely such a sweet and caring professor.