3.1

Elena Lioubimtseva

Geography - Grand Valley State University

3.1
Quality
2.6
Difficulty
55%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
3.1
Quality
2.6
Difficulty
3.4
Helpful
2.7
Clarity

55%

Would Retake

103

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

24

4

27

3

17

2

19

1

16

What Students Say

GPY 410 is a theme 11 class and is very easy and fun

GPY410 - 5.0 rating

Overall, she is not a horrible professor but not a great one either

GPY100 - 3.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

27%

Textbook Required

60%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 29 grades
Most common grades:
A (9)
A+ (5)
B+ (5)
Grade Distribution
A(14)B(5)C(0)D(2)F(0)A-/B+(9)
Based on 33 reported grades
A: 9
A+: 5
B+: 5
B: 4
Common Tags
Graded by few things (12)
Tough grader (8)
Clear grading criteria (7)
EXTRA CREDIT (6)
Gives good feedback (4)
Get ready to read (3)
So many papers (3)
Participation matters (3)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.46 avg change
Dec
Feb
Apr
May
Jul
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

GPYALL

5.0

(1)

GPY112

4.7

(7)

GPY307

4.5

(4)

GPY352

4.0

(2)

GYP100

4.0

(2)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ALLCLASSES

5.0

GPY412

3.7

GPY356

3.5

GPY235

3.4

GEO100

3.2

Reviews (103)
4.0
2.0
GPY307
Nov 30, 2000

Wonderful, friendly prof! Not a lot of graded work. learn lots

5.0
2.0
GPY307
Dec 15, 2000

Great lady! Realy wants you to understand. Definately recommend her!!

3.0
4.0
GPY100
Dec 18, 2000

This class was difficult! I would not recommend to anyone.

4.0
4.0
GPY100
Jan 2, 2001

Very hard for a 100 level class. At least she is new and is willing to adjust.

3.0
5.0
GPY235
Mar 5, 2001

Very hard to understand; teaches as though she is still in Russia won't adapt

3.0
4.0
GPY356
Mar 10, 2001

I would not recommend taking her

5.0
3.0
GPY307
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Apr 11, 2001

Spent $120 on books I never had to open. Got $22 back. Great class and prof!

4.0
5.0
GPY356
Apr 29, 2001

a lot of work, likes to ramble, does genuinely care about understanding

2.0
3.0
GPY235
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
May 18, 2001

Every lecture involved a vido. Very unclear. Very unorganized.

4.0
3.0
GPY307
Jul 19, 2001

she cares about students, isn't as horrible as the other comments said.

1.0
4.0
GPY235
Sep 26, 2001

hard to understand, doesn't really teach anything, rambles about unrelated stuff

1.0
5.0
GPY100
Oct 16, 2001

She is very hard to understand, not a good professor at all

1.0
5.0
GEO100
Oct 16, 2001

She is very difficult to understanding not a good teacher.

4.0
2.0
GPY352
Oct 30, 2001

"Looks nice in the leather pants"

4.0
2.0
GPY352
Nov 1, 2001

Very nice lady

1.0
5.0
GPY235
Nov 5, 2001

i don't think she knows what school she's at or what country she's in.

4.0
3.0
GPY100
Grade: Rather_Not_Say
Nov 25, 2001

A very knowledgable and fun!

2.0
3.0
GPY235
Dec 11, 2001

hard to understand, expectation unclear, lectures scattered thoughts

5.0
3.0
GPY235
Dec 11, 2001

Good teacher, willing to help, knows her stuff, interresting person.

5.0
2.0
GPY235
Dec 18, 2001

No Comments

4.0
1.0
GPY235
Dec 21, 2001

Too hard to understand accent at 8 a.m. Easy class. You'll sleep a lot (videos)

4.0
2.0
GPY100
Grade: B
Jan 9, 2002

Hard to understand, but easy class. Just do the work and make it look good!

2.0
4.0
GPY101
Feb 21, 2002

Speak English!

2.0
2.0
GPY100
Mar 2, 2002

Very hard to understand, take notes and you'll pass the class

1.0
2.0
GPY100
Mar 13, 2002

AWFUL, AWFUL instructor, but tests are easy & she likes it when no one shows up

2.0
3.0
GPY235
Mar 19, 2002

No Comments

2.0
3.0
GPY235
Mar 26, 2002

She was very hard to understand and she wasn't at all clear in her expectations.

3.0
3.0
GPY100
Oct 23, 2002

No Comments

1.0
5.0
GPY235
Oct 25, 2002

No Comments

3.0
1.0
GPY100
Oct 31, 2002

I found her fairy easy to understand, easy exams, powerpoint lectures, easy

1.0
4.0
GPY100
Nov 13, 2002

Hate her. Can't understand anything she says. Not helpful at all.

2.0
3.0
GPY100
Nov 25, 2002

I didn't learn anything. I hated this course, but got a good grade.

4.0
2.0
GEO100
Dec 5, 2002

passionate, no common sense. Got stuck in a rain storm to look @weather station

5.0
1.0
GPY100
Dec 7, 2002

Easy if you read and pay attention

2.0
3.0
GEOG225
Dec 10, 2002

Hard to understand and scatterbrained lectures. Terrible Terrible Terrible.

4.0
2.0
GPY100
Dec 13, 2002

Can be unclear about grading criteria; tests fairly easy; classes are boring.

1.0
2.0
GPY356
Jul 28, 2003

Keep everything, all your notes, all stupid maps, print off the powerpoint lectures. Use it all on test and you'll get an A..otherwise you'll fail the test.

2.0
1.0
GPY100
Oct 27, 2003

The accent is very distracting. Ask her to write things on the board so you're not sitting there wondering what the heck she's saying. Wears interesting clothes. Read and use online study guides, you'll get an A.

4.0
1.0
GPY100
Oct 28, 2003

Easy class and easy grade. Exam is 30 questions word for word from the study guide, about 60 questions, that she gives you. Dont waste your time with the T/F or short answer b/c there not on the exam. 2 exams, no papers, very very easy A.

2.0
3.0
GPY100
Nov 6, 2003

She probably knows alot about the subject but the way she teaches is scattered brained and VERY hard to understand. For exams don't waste your time copying all the t/f, multiple choice off because she will give you word for word what you need to know!

4.0
2.0
GPY100
Nov 20, 2003

heavy accent....sometimes difficult to understand. very friendly...very understanding with a couple absences.

5.0
1.0
GPY100
Dec 6, 2003

Really easy class/prof, but it is quite a bit of work for a 100 level. Exams come straight off the study guide. All multiple choice. Thick accent, but don't let that stop you from taking her.

5.0
2.0
GPY410
Dec 8, 2003

Is very helpful and interested in student comprehension.

2.0
3.0
GPY100
Dec 15, 2003

She doesn't teach the material I expected, it's mostly a NRM/GEO class, I was disappointed. She's very unclear on difficult concepts without illustrating them. She knows her stuff, but isn't great at communicating it. Great lady, though.

2.0
3.0
GPY100
Jan 5, 2004

She hardly actually taught any of the material and the book was impossible to read. When she did lecture it wasnt on the stuff we needed to know.

5.0
2.0
GPY350
Apr 5, 2004

She knows a lot about Russia since she is from there. Her experiences and excerpts from the book make the class very interesting. Learned so much from this class-wish we could have taken a field trip..hahaha :)

1.0
5.0
GPY350
Apr 5, 2004

Absolutely terrible. She has horrendous expectations and an even worse conception of how to teach the material. Useless, redundant powerpoint and stupid videos. Abysmal. Vile. If you're Russian Studies, I'm sorry.

5.0
2.0
GPY350
Apr 8, 2004

She's very helpful and easy to get along with.

5.0
1.0
GPY100
Apr 28, 2004

Very understanding, gives extra credit, and once you talk to her allows you to turn things in late. She can answer any questions that you have, and gives so much of her time. The course is straight forward, just study for the easy quizzes.

4.0
3.0
GPY100
Aug 18, 2004

She did not teach this class like a 100, it felt more like a 200 level. Studying for the quizzes is a must, they are picky details. She is so nice and helpful though, and you know she wants you to succeed.

5.0
1.0
GPY100
Nov 4, 2004

This prof. is so nice and incrediblely helpful. Quizes are easy as long as you study. She gives you a study guide and they are the same questions on the quiz. There is a lot of work but it is doable.

4.0
4.0
GPY100
Nov 5, 2004

Her directions are sometimes confusing and groupwork is redunant. I feel like I didn't learn a THING about GEO, but I learned about how to teach. Very helpful and made class adjustments when we whined about workload. A very reflective practitioner, but I don't REC.

4.0
1.0
GPY100
Nov 9, 2004

Workload is EZ. All quizzes are verbatim, 2 map qzs and ALL features (25ea) are on the qz. No note taking, all PwPt. Her grading is all over the place. "450" pts for the class but the amended sylb. only adds to 400 pts and she is indignant when called on it. Commonly misenters grades on BB. EZ class

3.0
2.0
GPY100
Dec 1, 2004

Well you can't understand her most of the time, and there is a ton of work and it is only a 100-level class. But the work is very easy, she grades like a high school teacher so you can get an A pretty easily if you do the work. She's very helpful and can be funny at times.

4.0
1.0
GYP100
Dec 5, 2004

A very nice lady who was very helpful. The class had quite a bit of work, but if you did it you could get an A very easily. Not always the most intellectually stimulating class however.

5.0
2.0
GPY412
Dec 15, 2004

Class was pretty laid back and she is VERY open for suggestions and help. She knows her stuff! A little bit of an accent but not bad.

4.0
2.0
GPY100
Dec 15, 2004

She is a very nice lady. The workload is not at all bad. Quiz questions are right from study guides. Final is from all of the study guides. Very easy class. No reason not to get an A or a B at the least. She's very understanding and a really nice lady. I would take her again.

3.0
3.0
GPY100
Dec 17, 2004

DO NOT TAKE HER! Didn't teach us anything, students taught via presentations. Picky grader. Not an "easy A". Loads of work compared to other professors. Sarcastic and rude, interupts presentations.

3.0
3.0
GPY100
Grade: A-
Dec 18, 2004

Nice lady but horrible class. I didn't learn anything. The whole class was taught by students, never onced opened the books she had us buy. Tests were just memorizing where the answer was( 1 is A, 2 is C etc.)because the tests were word for word the review guide.

3.0
3.0
GPY100
Jan 8, 2005

She is very sweet and cares about what the majority of the class is majoring in and trys to focus everything around that. A little confusing but dont be overwhelmed she usually changes everything up after a couple of complaints.

1.0
5.0
ALLCLASSES
Mar 2, 2005

Stay away from her at all costs. She is the worst teacher that GVSU has to offer. She is hard to understand, inconsiderate and makes your life awful. She is so bad she has to give major points on tests so students will pass. Run as fast as you can.

3.0
3.0
GPY356
Apr 27, 2005

We spent the last month of class listening to nothing but presentations by the students. The other times, bored through long and tedious powerpoint presentations. Easy grader though.

1.0
1.0
ALLCLAS
Apr 20, 2007

Worst teacher I ever had in GVSU. She doesn't like to work at all!

1.0
3.0
GEO495
Jul 14, 2009

Terrible Prof. Hard to understand. Rambles on for the whole class period about nothing. Easy grade though. Just some quizzes (no reading neccessary) and a big project. It sucked to take this class b/c it was for a theme and I had absolutely no interest. Those with interest still hated the class. Every complained.

5.0
2.0
GPY100
Aug 4, 2009

Nonsense to these past comments. She is easy to understand and does not grade very tough. She rewards people who show up consistently and do the work. I don't know about anyone else but I thought she was quite attractive haha...pulled an A in this class

2.0
3.0
GEO100
Aug 31, 2009

This was the worst class I have ever taken at GVSU. She was rude and hard to understand.If you said something she disagreed with she hated you and ostracized you as a student.They really need to do something with her. The whole class complained how she made no sense.

5.0
3.0
GPYALL
Aug 25, 2010

I don't understand all the bad ratings. Especially about her being rude--must be some immature teenagers that have no respect and are not GPY or ENS majors/minors. She is very kind and helpful to students. Not a very hard grader at all either. I would defiantly recommend her--for any class.

5.0
1.0
GPY410
Jan 5, 2011

GPY 410 is a theme 11 class and is very easy and fun. You choose a study area that you would like to change and go forward with creating a proposal. There are no exams only presentations on the study area. As long as you follow the guidelines for each lab you're golden. There is also an opportunity for extra credit.

5.0
3.0
GPY350
Apr 30, 2012

Awesome professor! Very smart, very nice, and very awesome. You will learn a lot!

5.0
1.0
GPY350
May 18, 2012

Prof. Lioubimtseva is a good professor. As a geography major this class is not very challenging overall, just to the work she assigns and you can easily walk out with an A. For non-Geography majors this class is very broad and goes over basic concepts of Geography. If you can learn maps and simple geographic concepts then you will do fine.

3.0
1.0
ENS01
Jun 12, 2012

The professor was nice and helpful. However, regarding the subject of the class, I did not learn much compared to another class I hava taken with a different professor in the Geography department (Dr. Penn)

2.0
2.0
GPY410
Nov 14, 2013

She is VERY vague in her instructions for EVERYTHING. So you never know what is going on or what she expects. But she takes you for walks outside and cancels class all the time just so you can go walk outside by yourself, so there's that. Also, don't buy her course pack, it's a waste of money.

3.0
2.0
GPY100
Jul 5, 2014

I was not very impressed with the PowerPoints she put up on the course for our lectures. I have seen a lot better from other online learning platforms such as Coursera. And that is free. Overall, she is not a horrible professor but not a great one either. Pretty average overall. Recommended, but with reservations. Mostly because of her vagueness.

4.0
1.0
412
Grade: A+
Sep 28, 2015

I have taken three 400 level classes with her, and have loved all of them. She gives you general guidelines to follow and allows you to figure the rest out by yourself. If you want someone to hold your hand and explain everything, take someone else. If you want a class that allows you to control your education, Prof. Liobimtseva is for you.

1.0
4.0
GPY350
Dec 20, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Should not be allowed to teach, terrible educator. She gives you no help, and hardly teaches, actually doesnt teach at all. AVOID AT ALL COST

Tough Grader
4.0
2.0
GEO100
Grade: A+
Aug 6, 2018
Would take again

Super duper easy class, straight up with all grading criteria. Ended up with a 97% in the class with minimal effort.

Get ready to read
Clear grading criteria
Caring
4.0
2.0
GPY101
Grade: A-
Dec 8, 2018
Would take again

She seems really nice, but I didn't get to know her that well since the class was mostly online and we only met in class four times. The class is only six weeks long. The final is really easy and as long as you do the discussions and journals on blackboard it's easy to get a good grade.

Gives good feedback
3.0
3.0
GPY350
Jan 6, 2019
Wouldn't take again

This class was okay. I'm not a a GPY major and was taking this class to fill issues credits, the class I found was fairly easy but was not very interesting, being that it was a hybrid it was hard to enjoy the content of it.

Clear grading criteria
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
GROUP PROJECTS
1.0
4.0
GPY410
Grade: Drop/Withdrawal
Oct 25, 2019
Wouldn't take again

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I am a good student, 3.9 GPA, and she made this class impossible. Quizzes are impossible. She grades ridiculously hard on the huge group project. Didn't let me make up a quiz because I was sick (even had a doctors note). SO much work outside of class, should be an SWS course. Course is only worth 200 points so good luck.

Lots of homework
Graded by few things
So many papers
3.0
5.0
GEO100
Grade: B
Apr 22, 2021
Would take again

who gets a B in geo 100? Anyone who takes it with elena. Shes a TOUGH grader, and for what? it was the most difficult class i had this semester, and hurt my GPA. Not even in my major requirements, it was just recommended by my advisor. Dont take this class dude, i had more work in here than ACC212.

Participation matters
Graded by few things
Tough grader
4.0
5.0
GPY412
Grade: B+
Apr 26, 2021
Wouldn't take again

I've had Dr. L for 4 classes. In person > online with her. She expects you to teach yourself with provided materials - a rude awakening for the GPY dept, where most teachers hold your hand with old school multiple choice. Bc of teaching myself, I felt like I missed out on learning some things. Vague and tough grader, books required.

Lots of homework
Graded by few things
Tough grader
2.0
3.0
412
Grade: A-
Apr 14, 2022

I took this class expecting it to be easy. She grades really tough and there is a lot of writing. I thought I did really well on things and received critical feedback

Tough grader
EXTRA CREDIT
So many papers
5.0
1.0
GPY112
Grade: A+
Nov 25, 2022
Would take again

This class was a 6-week, online asynchronous class and I loved it! It was super easy, just a few discussion posts, a project, and an exam. She's a very kind professor and grades things quickly. I definitely recommend taking this class!

5.0
2.0
GPY112
Grade: A
Dec 7, 2022
Would take again

During the first week of class I a question regarding the reading and she replied very quickly. Her weekly emails were clear and included everything we needed to know for that week. The class is easy, you just have to put some work in to get what you are trying to achieve.

Accessible outside class
4.0
1.0
GPY101
Grade: A
Dec 9, 2022
Would take again

She is overall a great professor. Although this was an asynchronous online course, everything was easy and simple to understand. In her lecture videos, she has a pretty thick accent, but the videos are not essential to most of the assignments. If you need an easy one credit class, this one is great!

EXTRA CREDIT
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
GPY112
Grade: A
Jan 2, 2023
Would take again

Easy 6-week course for one credit. I think that if you need something interesting yet easy to get you an extra credit point I would recommend this course. The professor responds to emails quickly and is very understanding when you need an extension for circumstances out of your control. I would 10/10 recommend.

Clear grading criteria
3.0
4.0
ENS01
Grade: B
Apr 14, 2023

I don't normally leave reviews for profs but I had her for my ENS capstone and she was AWFUL. She never gave exact criteria for any of our assignments, is a harsh grader, and I understand that English isn't her first language but she berated my group and I in front of the class multiple times because she never understood what we were trying to say.

EXTRA CREDIT
3.0
2.0
412
Grade: A
Apr 28, 2023
Would take again

This class was easy tbh. One large paper and presentation, but she was not a tough grader. TONS of extra credit. Was not super helpful through email. Optional synch classes once a week. Exams and labs were pretty easy. I spent like 3 hours a month on this course. It was interesting and I learned a lot through my research.

EXTRA CREDIT
Gives good feedback
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
GEO100
Grade: B+
Nov 16, 2023
Would take again

Loved Professor L. The course itself was very easy and helped me apply my learning outside the classroom regarding sustainability. Professor L was very accessible outside of class, gave great feedback where necessary, and was extremely straight-forward on assignments + grading. Definitely recommend for an easy 1-credit course!

Get ready to read
Gives good feedback
Accessible outside class
2.0
5.0
412
Grade: B
Feb 9, 2024

This is a 400-level course. It will be difficult. Made more difficult by not being able to understand what she was teaching, as she has a heavy accent and at times mixes up words. It would be fine for an easier subject. There is a 16 page paper, basically 32 pages because it isn't double spaced. Lots of reading. Big presentation. Not worth, avoid.

Get ready to read
Group projects
Graded by few things
4.0
1.0
GYP100
Grade: A
Apr 17, 2024
Would take again

This was a short class so I dont know her as well, but she seems like a great professor. Everything is clear on what is expected for the week and grades fairly. Easy weekly discussion posts and one project.

Clear grading criteria
Graded by few things
5.0
1.0
GPY100
Grade: A
Apr 23, 2024
Would take again

super easy and chill

1.0
4.0
GPY101
Grade: B+
Dec 17, 2024

Professor provided weekly lecture videos, however I did not watch a single one of them and found them a waste of time. Course was overall easy, however the professor made it more confusing than it had to be.

Tough grader
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
5.0
1.0
GPY112
Grade: A
Feb 16, 2025
Would take again

6 week, 1 credit course about climate change. Very easy, one discussion post per week based on textbook readings, one project, and a final exam. Easy way to gain a credit without any added stress. Easy A as long as you keep up with the discussions and follow instructions for the project, which should only take less than a week to complete.

Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
4.0
3.0
412
Grade: B+
Feb 23, 2025
Would take again

This class can be challenging, but with engagement and utilizing resources like Unstuck study, you can succeed. The professor has a unique teaching style that encourages independent learning. Expect a heavy workload, but the knowledge gained is valuable.

5.0
1.0
GPY112
Grade: A
Apr 16, 2025
Would take again

This was an easy 1-credit, 6-week online class with weekly lectures, light reading (Truth to Power), and Blackboard discussions. The book's simple with pictures and graphs. There's a 6-slide climate change project, easy online final, and clear grading. Professor has an accent, so subtitles help. Easy A. Definitely recommend this class.

Clear grading criteria
Graded by few things
1.0
4.0
GPY101
Grade: B+
Apr 16, 2025

She was a terrible professor! She never got back to me on time and was horrible at understanding what I was asking! She consistently didn't want to message back, and the final project was awful. Apparently, photo credits were required, and nowhere in her layout did it say anything! What a waste of a class!!! Not even okay for 1 credit!

Tough grader
Participation matters
Graded by few things
2.0
4.0
GPY412
Grade: D
Apr 21, 2025

Strict late penalty policy that cuts your grade in half, even if you complete the entire assignment. Tests were quite easy, just use the sources and textbooks she links for the class. The group project only works if your partners are willing to communicate with you. Let the Professor know if you're having problems ASAP or else your grade suffers.

Tough grader
Group projects
So many papers
2.0
4.0
GPY101
Grade: B-
Apr 23, 2025

Needed one credit to graduate and figured this 100-level class would be easy. I've been working full-time and expected something light, but it was graded like a 300/400-level course. Coursework wasn't super time-consuming, but a B- felt like more effort than a one-credit class should require. Waste of my time and money, but hey I graduated!

Tough grader
Graded by few things
2.0
1.0
GPY101
Grade: A-
May 6, 2025

I just needed an easy, 1-credit course and this seemed like a good option. I had an A until I got a B+ on the final because I "didn't complete all the criteria" and my citations were "wrong" (they weren't). An A- isn't bad but like really??? Easy course but take it with someone else if you can

4.0
3.0
GPY112
Grade: A+
Jul 16, 2025
Would take again

this class was so easy to me. she read off of powerpoints for all the lectures, but added a little bit of extra information. there were only really a few grades, being the final project, the pitch for the project, and discussion posts. super easy and nice professor :)

Gives good feedback
Graded by few things
3.0
2.0
GPY101
Grade: A
Dec 13, 2025

She wasn't quite bad or anything but it was an above average workload for a one-credit class that was online. Weekly discussion posts that weren't hard but just took a while to complete. There's a presentation that wasn't very difficult but time consuming.

Tough grader
EXTRA CREDIT
Graded by few things
4.0
1.0
GPY112
Grade: A+
Dec 13, 2025
Would take again

I needed an easy 1-credit course and this was easy. Weekly discussion posts and a presentation due at the end of the class. None of it was difficult but sometimes it could be time consuming. She does offer extra credit and I would highly recommend doing it as it isn't difficult

EXTRA CREDIT
Graded by few things
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

27%

Textbook Required

60%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 29 grades
Most common grades:
A (9)
A+ (5)
B+ (5)
Grade Distribution
A(14)B(5)C(0)D(2)F(0)A-/B+(9)
Based on 33 reported grades
A: 9
A+: 5
B+: 5
B: 4
Common Tags
Graded by few things (12)
Tough grader (8)
Clear grading criteria (7)
EXTRA CREDIT (6)
Gives good feedback (4)
Get ready to read (3)
So many papers (3)
Participation matters (3)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.46 avg change
Dec
Feb
Apr
May
Jul
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

GPYALL

5.0

(1)

GPY112

4.7

(7)

GPY307

4.5

(4)

GPY352

4.0

(2)

GYP100

4.0

(2)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ALLCLASSES

5.0

GPY412

3.7

GPY356

3.5

GPY235

3.4

GEO100

3.2

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