3.0
Quality3.7
Difficulty28%
Would Retake198
Reviews28%
Would Retake
198
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
198 total ratings5
45
4
43
3
32
2
46
1
32
What Students Say
“Ruined the entire subject for me”
GEO201 - 1.0 rating“The only grades are the awful current events packets and exams”
GEO201 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
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-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
201202
5.0
(2)GEOGRAPHY
5.0
(1)GEOG201202
5.0
(2)GEOG
5.0
(1)GEOG101CI
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
101
5.0
GEO340
5.0
GEOG341
5.0
GEO341
5.0
GEO460
5.0
Reviews (197)
tests are hard, but have a big curve. will ALWAYS help. knows his stuff.
No Comments
Very nice and helpful, tests are difficult, got a C without opening the book.
good teacher and funny!!!
tough tests
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No Comments
Sunderman wasn't bad. The tests weren't hard, you just have to study and make sure you write a freakin book for the essay part, cuase it does have to be 8 paragraphs or so. He's a cool guy.
You can get an A in this class; just read the book very thoroughly. Enjoyable class!
Definitely buy the study guide! Go to class, skim the book, use the study guide and you'll get an A. Make sure you take the map quizzes seriously - they bring up your average considerably.
Geography and History are not my favorite subjects but the information is quite interesting. He is fair and is very enthusiastic about the material which makes his lectures interesting. 3 exams and a paper. He is tough but fair.
great teacher but tough class--start on term paper early and study for tests--take sundermann over grolle anyday!!!
Dr Sunderman is tough but fair! He is enthusiastic about all aspects of Geography and the morphing of the civilizations around and with he land. I enjoyed the class and recommend him as a professor! He is a very interesting person!
hard exams, very boring class.
excellent professor...you must read and study to get a good grade..pay attention to study guides and map quizzes--they will help you get better grades..start early on the paper for N American Geog...interesting prof...good lecturer..really knows subject.
A good professor. Lots of notes. I hardly read the book and got an "A". You take 3 exams (all have mult. choice, fill-blank, & 1 essay). One research paper is required. Take him. He gives you the grede you deserve.
This class is very boring. However, he is helpful when you need it and you can always go and talk to him. There are 4 test and he gives 80 definitions for each of them,plus stuff from the book and essay. Exam questions are difficult and not clear enough.
Really hard EXAM!!!!You must read textbook every single page.....
great guy, actually tries to learn your name and remembers them even a year or two after the course. Easy on te eyes....
A good teacher, the tests and the out of class assignment (7 page paper) were a little challenging, though. Other than that the class was bearable.
I will be taking his class again. The test were pretty hard,he made them harder than they had to be.His class average was never over 73%, that should tell you something. If you can take someone else then you should do that.
Awesome teacher. He makes you learn the stuff, but it's not bad. Three tests and a paper when I had him. Mult choice, fill-blank, & essay. Study and you're good to go. He's such a nice guy, and very helpful. Had him as a freshmen and was fine. :)
Probably one of the few people in the world who can make geography somewhat exciting. Take his classes!
Lots of detail, demands lots from students, but quite a bit of fun to listen to.
He is really hot and funny also. I loved going to his class, even though in both I think i only got an A- and B. Tests are kind of hard but he is so cute I didn't care...
you definitely have to do the reading in the book. he gives you a study guide for the exams so make sure you know the essay questions. attendance is super important so if you like to miss class do not take him!! very nice guy overall.
The worst prof I have EVER had! Can't relate course material to the students in an intro course. Always makes you feel inferior, and grades WAY hard on a 10 page paper! Word to the wise: For an easy A, SUCK UP!!! Oh, and he is NOT "easy on the e
One of the worst profesors I've ever had. Makes you feel like an idiot in an intro course. Very hard grader! A bit of advice: if you must take him always show up to class and SUCK UP since 1/4 of your grade is on attendence/participation!
Sucking up is not a bad thing...It is a lot easier than studying for hours. Attendance is a must in everything so just be there. He is cool, very intelligent, and sometimes humorous. He knows his stuff. Just study and have fun with him.
Horrible professor. He is demeaning. He embarrassed me for being late. Only gives a 5 min break in 3hr class. Grades unfairly. Talks only to suck-ups. Course is bias towards people that are not well traveled because class discussions focus on them.
Dr S. is very knowledgeable and shares a lot of real info. I took a trip to SD (Badlands & Blackforest) and remembered a lot from class to share with my friends who traveled with me. He makes geography interesting and relates the land w/ people & history
Dr. Sunderman is a great professor. His test come straight from the book. You must go to every class though because 15% of your grade is attendance. There are hardly any outside assignments and he is a pretty nice person also.
This was the worst teacher that I have ever had. He makes you feel stupid and he mis-uses a lot of big words. He is an absolute jerk when it comes to grading exams.
hate the class
He teaches the course like its a graduate course. I had a 3.82 GPA going into his class and I am getting a C right now. He tries to cram way to much stuff. He also talks way over everyones head. Someone needs to rmeind him that the course is a soph le
Worst teacher that I have ever had. He lectures for 3 hours straight and gives you a 10 min. break. His quizzes/tests are horrible. He picks the littlest, most irrelevant details to question you on. He is very annoying and not helpful at all.
I loved this class and thought Dr. Sunderman was a great teacher. His tests really are not as hard as everyone says, as long as you take the time to go over the study guides. He talks about his experiences and uses powerpoint and pictures -interesting!
An easy class if you work at it. Does give help on the final paper and as long as you spend some time on the study guides and show up you shouldnt have a problem passing. He is very arrogant though. Not your typical sophmore gen ed class!
Dr. Sunderman is one of the hardest teachers I've had at SVSU. His quizes and midterm had the littlest details on it, stuff that isn't even in the chapters or lectures we went over. The paper we have to write, that's horrible, wants little details, and confuses you if you ask for help
Not that good of a prof. Focuses on only students who have travelled. Expects you to know everything. Tests are really hard and looks for really small details in papers and stuff like that. Don't take him unless you've travelled and know places really well.
I've had Dr. Grolle for 201, and I'd definitely get Grolle if at all possible.Grolle is more straightforward.Sunderman wants you to read all the chapters and then asks 45 questions on 2 exams for 45% of your grade and takes picky things that "you were supposed to read about on your own." Get Grolle!
I hated this class, but he is a good professor. I felt like he makes the exams too hard on purpose. I studied my butt off for the final and when I took it I never rememeber seeing any of that stuff in teh books or in class.
I hated this class! Wants you to remember everything, expects way too much. Exams are extremely hard, little details are on the test we didn't even talk about in lecture. I have above a 3.5 GPA and I got a C+ in the class. Be prepared to work hard!
I did not read the chapters all I did was attend class and take notes on the words he wrote on the board I got a B+ The paper was a killer He expects you to submit it early for a grade then you can't get an A because he wants things that are not in the MLA format. That paper was a big waste of time!
Dude, who cares about how hard the class is. HE IS HOTTT!!!!
Lots of work, but he's a great guy and is very enthusiastic about his subject. Work hard and work early on your research project.
I think he is very enthusiastic about his subject. It is not a breeze though. Quizes/tests have some tricky questions and he grades somewhat harshly on papers. We were an honors class and most of us found it hard getting an A
This man is a true TEACHER. That is my highest compliment. He has a broad knowledge base and uses it well to impart a solid education for his students. All you are expected to do is to go to class and do your assignments. Isn't that reasonable?
Nice man and very knowledgable. After taking his class a second time I wanted to drop out of school. His test are hard, no mater how hard you study. As far as the paper goes get as much feed back as possible. I made the changes that he told me to make and I only got 3 extra points. I would take someone else if possible.
He thinks he knows everything, and expects you to, also. A little bit of studying, and the tests are fine! The quizzes are so-so. The paper is what you need to watch out for. Prepare to have your feelings hurt. No telling what he'll say, and don't get me started about how he grades presentations :(
This is the worst class I've ever had in my life. I felt like I was being spanked everytime I went to class and those were on the good days. I think about the paper all the time; I promise you that it will take over your life. He expects you to be a professional geographer. He always talks about the prerequisite but it doesn't exist. STAY AWAY! :0
I did not like this class at all. At first it was an alright class and he seemed like a good teacher. But then all hell broke loose on our butts. He graded our papers hard, and did not even give us the guidelines for the paper. Then the midterm has so much information that Professor Petersen would fail the test. This teacher is crazy, stay far away
I know this was an honors class, but it was the worst of my life. Went to office hours and he didn't even help. The 10 page paper was pure hell. I studied and got a worse grade than when I didn't. Pulled off an A, but it wasn't easy, and it was just to spite him for being so tough on us, and not even being clear on his expectations.
Extremely specific about what he wants from his students, gets disappointed very easily. Only one paper the whole semester, but hard grader on it- quizzes are easy, material is overall easy, midterm-some essay- somewhat hard...don't miss class, DON'T BE LATE, very passionate about teaching Geog.- overall recommend for the CI course!
Expect to work but this guy rocks. He is very intelligent and tries to throw in humor. I do not even think he grades right because I got a B and I know I should have failed his class. A tough class but better than most at SVSU.
There are no words. I was warned not to take this class, but was forced to because I needed a CI. This class beyond boring. He waits until the last possible minute to give you the guidelines for the paper and the paper will seriously kill you if you're not working on it ALL semester. If you have ANY alternative, DO NOT take this class!
he expects a lot for a gen. ed. class. the paper is quite hard because you have to do it on something that you don't even learn until the semester is over. he tried to fit too much material in the alotted time. quizzes were easy, if you take notes and read the book. overall, not what i expected and i didn't really enjoy the class.
I took this class because I had to, Sunderman really loves what he does... I think he needs to realize that the rest of the world doesn't love geography. He is a good prof. I would recommend taking this class.
This class is not an easy class by any means, but is very interesting. Dr. Sunderman has real life examples for everything and has a lot of office hours if you need to clarify something. I really wasn't looking forward to this class, but now I am so glad that I have taken it! He's easy on the eyes too, which definitely helps.
O my gosh he is nice but avoid him!!!!
who ever said he was hott was smoking some crazy drugs. THIS CLASS SUCKS AVIOD AT ALL COSTS
Who ever said he was hott was on some serious CRACK. MAYBE if you like a caveman sure with the hair ass beard sure! If you love people that make EVERYTHING difficult even the most simplest sentences you should take this class! Very unclear and unprepared. Dont worry I am sure youll ,love the wonderful stories of his hiking experiences! GOOD luck!
Dr. Sunderman is fantastic. This class was my first in geography. Your grade is based on 4 quizes and two exams. Both quizes and exams are ridiculously easy. The paper is challenging, but it's not impossible. Don't blow it off. He's enthusiatic and you can learn a lot. I highly recommend this class and professor.
very hard class, but with lots of work it can be done. Don't procrstinate at all on paper. Don't be afraid of office hours--you'll need them
The paper will kill you if you do not work on it all the time. Ten pages and a 4-5 minute presentation (he has a stopwatch) doesn't sound so bad, but it was evil. He was a double major geography and English, so he marks off for the smallest detail. He did not seem to understand that this was only a 100 level course. Very knowledgable and boring.
It's an okay class, but he is not prepared and not very helpful. He doesn't email you back if you have questions. If you read you'll do alright on quizzes and tests, but he is very harsh on grading papers. He told me stuff that I did wrong that every english/writing class taught me differently. He is ok if you have to take the class.
The paper is VERY hard and he is not very kind in grading it but the quizes are SO easy it isn't even funny. I never opened my book and got A's on every test and quiz. If you take notes and participate you'll do fine
If you take good notes and study them the exams arent too bad. The paper sucked! The class overall isnt too hard, but Sunderman as a teacher is often discouraging. In the section I was in, he often opened his class with a lectures on how we were bad students. He was also hypocritical-he expects us to be prepared, but he occasionally wasn't.
This was an advanced course in GIS which I had hoped to prepare me for fuure career options. Fred was only interested in the "young" people in the class, and totally ignored my needs as an older student.
paper is long and drawn-out, but pace yourself and you'll be fine. somewhat harsh grader and expects ALOT of his students. tests weren't too bad but many short essays made my wrist hurt. be personable and he's much friendlier.
He has an over-inflated ego. His class requires a lot of work. And his was always very ambiguous as to what he specifically wanted in the massive term paper that he assigned. don't take him - he's really hard and not that nice. I hated it.
I've taken two classes from Mr. Sunderman and would take more if I could. This man is a real TEACHER. He is organized and clear. Things I really appreciate. Yeah, you have to do your homework...so what, you're in college,that's what you're supposed to do.
Nothing good to say...
would never recommend this professor to anyone
This instructor does not like older students (meaning over 30), attending his class. He used book not used by anyone else in the field, and was constantly conferring with the author about the meaning of the text. AVOID!!!
Heavy on the PowerPoint, but very clear.
This instructor needs a reminder that all students do not perceive at the same level. He was hostile to questions about the text, he did not like those that did not understand the highly confusing book, nor was he forgiving of a student being absent because of sickness, which in my case, was a flareup of my chronic Lupus conditon.
He is a tough grader. if you takes this class, make sure you don't miss a quiz. I usually get a's and b's and i struggled in this class. It isn't what you expect a US geography class to be like.
DO NOT TAKE, this guy thinks everyone should be a graduate level geographer. He grades extremely difficult. I put a lot of effort into the research paper and he told the entire class no ones paper was worthy of an A.
Treated the class like it was an English class. Exams were not to bad, make sure you look over his notes on vspace. He expects you to know a lot coming into class. Goes off on a lot of tangents. Would not recommend him. very boring. hard to learn.
Treated the class like it was an English class. Exams were not to bad, make sure you look over his notes on vspace. He expects you to know a lot coming into class. Goes off on a lot of tangents. Would not recommend him. very boring. hard to learn.
Fred Sunderman may be boring, but he's intelligent and straight-forward. When I had him, we had to write quite a lengthy term-paper and take 3 tests. I would definitely recommend him!!! You can't go wrong by studying the material and doing the work.
Hes a very informative teacher, loves to talk sometimes too much,knows his geography. Its a pretty easy class considering its a CI course. Would recomend it if you still have to fill that requirement.Mandatory attendance kind of sucks but at least then you dont have to read the book.There's one big final project at the end that kinda makes ur grade
I left this class angry everyday. His lectures made me wish I was ANYWHERE else. He's picky on the paper, but the exams weren't too difficult. Always wanted you to expand more on your answers. Boring boring boring.
Sunderman is the worst professor I have had at SVSU. He tries to stimulate class discussion, but if you answer a question he barrages you with about five more. I was verbally attacked and humiliated when I gave my presentation. He's a jerk plain and simple. I had four friends take the class with me, at the end of the semester there were 2 left.
If you are looking for an easy CI course, do not take this dude! Grading scale is off the charts. Expects you to write like a professional Geographer. I did not enjoy this class at all, this was the only class holding me back from a 4.0
I think for Dr. Sunderman a lot of people just had him misunderstood and didnt want to do the work. If you did the work went to his office and asked questions he was amazing. One of the most caring and amazing professors i have had in a long time. I think he just gets a bad reputation because he makes his students try harder! Very stimulating!
Most arrogant professor that I have had. Continually told I was not 'specific' enough in my explanations despite hard work to achieve a more specific topic for him. Plays favorites. Don't waste your time.
this guy was the biggest prick i have ever had for a teacher. he makes u feel stupid with every question asked and is the most picky and anal person i have met, do NOT take this guy!!!!!!!
If you are looking for an easy A, don't take him. If you want to work for a grade you deserve and learn alot, then take him. He's not always clear about things but gives a TON of xtra credit for going to his office. Exams and Quizes not too bad. He's SUPER knowledgeable so I think it can be a little overwhelming, but I really enjoyed the class.
Eh, this class kind of sucked...it wasn't that hard of a class, but he was often unclear about assignments and due dates, and the major paper we had to write for the class took forever to do because he did not really explain how to do it until way later...so the whole unclear thing is troubling. He isn't a super great prof, but he's alright.
Good teacher, he knows what he is talking about. Gets off subject easily. Uses powerpoints to expand on book, all slideshows posted on Vspace. One research paper, not hard if you do as he asks and listen to his criticisms. Willing to help when you need it. Quizzes aren't too bad.
Great professor! Class was actually interesting unlike every other class I've taken here.
Very full of himself and will talk for 30 minutes about his time in grad school in Louisiana. Plays favorites in grading, but will give you extra opportunities to turn something in if you messed up the assignment. SAYS he'll help if you go to his office, but he won't. Overall not a terrible class, but avoid if you can.
Good teacher. Sort of dry/boring. Term paper was easy-just follow instructions and make adjustments based on his critisms prior to final submission. Interesting class. Overall enjoyable. Would recommend.
Worst Professor ever!! I normally do not rate Professors but I felt I had to warn everyone about him. He doesn't do what he says he will, gives assignments with out clarifications, he is very full of himself and he is the worst grader. Like I had 12 sources for the term paper when we only needed 6 and I got unsatisfactory for amount of sources used
Interesting class. Good prof. Will definitely make you work for your grade, but you'll learn a lot because of it. Not a class to just sit back and take up space. Very knowledgeable guy in many respects, not just GEOG. I recommend but know that you will have to do some work. Go to his office a few times for clarity and/or advice. It's worth it.
I would not recommend this professor. If you have time to ready every single letter of every chapter, then you'll be okay. However his exams are extremely hard, he doesn't teach 80% of what is on the exam... DO NOT TAKE!
He is a useless professor. He spends most of the time talking about his vacations and when he lived in Louisianna. He rambles on like an old man with dimentia. His lectures rarely pertain to the actual tests itself, you have to read the chapters word for word, even though he never opens the book in clas. He is very unorganized.
Tough teacher, but wants you to learn and is willing to help you outside of class for anything you don't understand. Dr. Sunderman adds humor to lectures and makes class feel comfortable participating in class discussion. His classes were so intriguing I changed my minor to Geography! VERY intelligent prof, eager to teach intelligent students!
Sunderman's lectures are boring, but my biggest complaint is his lack of feedback. He returned things to us SO LATE. He is helpful if you go to his office hours, just don't expect him to give back any papers unless he has had them for a MONTH.
Tough teacher, does not give material back till last minute, tells students if you read every word of your book and were in class you will do fine on the tests
Professor Sunderman is incredibly knowledgeable in his field of study. Expect to do some work to pass with an A in his class. He tells students right up front that in order to do well they must read (and preferably take notes on) every word of the textbook. Grading is fair and class is well organized. Highly recommended!
He's not horrible but not great either! If he's only option don't panic. You do have to work for your grade in this class! But he lays it out very well. There will be a HUGE paper due start working on the paper right away! Don't wait or you will be sorry. He's a little arrogant and sometime rude to students. But if you go into his office he helps.
Professor Sunderman is not a hard teacher at all, and he's a pretty nice guy. If you expect to be able to get an A with no effort, then maybe you should not be in college. If you actually try, this class is not hard at all.
He is the worst professor I have had here at SVSU. He is very boring when he teaches. His lectures have nothing to do with the tests. In order to past the tests you need to either know geography or memorize the book word for word. He gives assignments back very late too! I would not take any of his courses.
A lot of work, read every word of the text book. Gave an early chance to start on the term paper, visit his office and talk with him about it. He is very helpful, participate, read, a few quizzes and two exams. Very interesting, learned a lot.
I do not like him. He gets super off track in lectures. He also takes FOREVER to get papers graded and back to us. There's a research paper to do, and you do current event assignments. His tests/quizzes are basically from the book and barely uses lecture materials.
He is a super nice guy! However, his class is very confusing! He gets off topic a lot!! You basically have to read every word of the textbook. Who has time for that? Everything on the quizzes and tests are straight from the book. The research paper is very confusing and hard! He takes FOREVER to get back grades to you. Pick a different professor!
Great teacher, if you are willing to learn you'll do great. And get on his good side, go see him on his office hours, he tends to be nicer to people that come for help. I learned a ton, it was a lot of work but worth it.
All in all Fred is a pretty good guy he gives a mid term and a final then 4 quizzes throughout the semester. You should read the book for the quizzes but as long as you listen and take notes you wont need to. He is pretty funny and a nice guy go see him during his office hours he will help you on you 10 page paper.
This class was difficult because there were few things he graded you on; 20-25 pg paper, leading one class discussion, and attendanceparticipation. Each class consist of a student presenting on a chapter from the text book. He defiantly expects you to ask and answer questions. If you hate presenting this class will be your worst nightmare!
Professor Sunderman is a very intelligent man, the main problem I had with him was that he provides you with practically NO feedback on ANYTHING. If you want to do better, he makes it to where you have to show up to his office hours because he doesn't leave any comments on your papers. Gets off topic a lot, and his lectures are extremely boring.
Dr. Sunderman is a good teacher after the first part of the semester. His class consists of 8 papers, 2 pages long on a question at the end of one of the selections that you read for class. Reading is always assigned and is heavy, which is expected in a honors class. Come ready to talk! No one gets a 100 on their paper unless it's press ready.
I liked Sunderman a lot. He cares about his students. Put effort into his class and he will do whatever he can to help you succeed. I suggest reading the textbook for quizzes and tests!
He loves what he does and that is what makes him so good at his job. However, lectures are take up all hour and he tends to get off topic which can be boring. He has 3 exams and 4 current event papers so there I not much room for low grades on the papers or exams because there is no work to help bring them back up. Exams are really tough!
I liked Dr. Sunderman. His lectures do take all hour, he gets off topic sometimes, but he is really passionate about geography and helping students pass. He is a little sassy at times but he means well. I would take him again if needed.
He's a nice guy. He lectures all hour and he can be kind of annoying to listen to after a while, but he's passionate about the subject. He's very long winded and has a habit of using more words than necessary. Like, he'll actually talk himself out of breath sometimes. He's dorky but knows his stuff and it's actually a pretty interesting class.
He is generally unpleasant
Awful professor and thinks that his class is as important as life itself. Does not understand that this class is a gen ed. He told me to memorize every single sentence in the book. You have to do assignments that require using Google Translate to read articles from other countries and color maps. Do not take him if you want to keep your GPA up.
he is very passionate about geography and often went into more detail than what was needed for a gen ed class. his lectures were long and often went up to the very last minute if not over the scheduled class time. he expects you to read every word of every chapter for the examsand it is not a blow off gen ed class if that is what you're looking for
He's awesome as a person, but I don't like him as a professor. His current events assignment requirements aren't clear and his lectures were awful and hard to follow. Would totally be friends with him, but would never want him as a professor again.
Really knows his stuff. Class was very enjoyable; attendance taken daily. Posted ppts online to print and use in class. Research paper due at end of semester, with presentation. Helpful in prepping paper. If you show up to class, participate in lecture, and take notes, you'll have no problems. Loved the class, loved the prof, would take again.
You can tell that Professor Sunderman really loves his job. He sometimes goes off on tangents, but he tells funny and interesting stories about his travels! The current events assignments are difficult, but help with the tests. This class made me want to travel the entire world. Plus, he has a great beard.
Awesome professor and knows his geography really well. He gets side tracked and tells stories. He provides powerpoint that are extremely clear and helpful. If you study the powerpoint he provides you will do well. The only concern is his current events assignments. His grading on those assignments is a little confusing and they are time consuming.
He really loves his job and loves his students. He use to be close to his students, was more like a friend and made communication easier. Only difficulty I had was with his assignments because he didn't give out assignment sheets and his instructions weren't clear. Totally recommend him.
he's an awesome teacher and really loved geography. Had his travel stories on every topic that we were on and asked his students to contribute too. Was really friendly and would totally be friends with him. He was hilarious too. Would totally take him again.
Was not my favorite prof. Not good at pacing his lectures and stresses group discussion yet interrupts students quite a bit. It is easy to do well in the class if you follow directions and study the PowerPoints.
Dr. Sunderman is a nice guy. He tells TONS of stories and gets off track often. He told our class to read the book cover to cover. His lectures covered basic concepts of the material, but his exams covered minuscule details found within the reading. Current event assignments are heavily weighted.
Pretty good professor. Expects you to participate in lectures and go to his office hours. Exams arnt too bad if you study the powerpoints and skim the chapters.
Only get graded on few things in class. He is awful about putting in grades, so you never know where you are at. You have to participate and talk in class, so if you are quiet you better get over it. Not the best professor honestly.
Sunderman lectures w/ power points, they're online, but don't take that as an invitation to skip class b/c your attendance grade will fall dramatically. There's a big research paper we work on, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE, oral presentation with it. If you don't want to do it, don't take his class. Quizzes are based on chapter reading, not power points.
Took Sunderman for GEOG 201, and have already registered to have him for 202!. honestly one of my favorite professors. he does his best to make the info clear and the grading specific, but hi is lenient. Overall really understanding guy, willing to work with you.
Sunderman expects a lot of attention from his students during lecture, and expects students to read the materials assigned. Current events assignments are lengthy and graded tough. Exam questions are specific and not based only on information in his powerpoints, they are based on the textbook as well. Not much extra credit opportunities.
Dr. Sunderman is by far the best Geography professor on campus. You will learn more in his classes than with anyone else, hands down, but he is an intense grader. He expects a lot out of students, however, he always lets you know what he wants and gives great feedback.
You must read the assigned material and be ready to actively participate in class if you want to do well. His expectations on essays are unclear and no rubric is provided. Even students who went to his office hours to get help were confused and almost never received As on their essays. Some of his suggestions for edits were grammatically incorrect.
There was always reading to do in preparation for each class, and participation is a part of the final grade. There are 8 essays throughout the semester, but grading criteria are very unclear and it was excessively difficult to score anything higher than a B. I can understand wanting quality work, but I felt his expectations were too high.
Grading is extremely unclear (no rubric) and often contradictory between essays. Participation is graded, but you don't know how you're doing bc he doesn't put grades in. Multiple long reading assignments for EVERY class, which is time consuming and irritating if you have other difficult classes to study for that actually count towards your major.
Dr. Sunderman is no easy A. He is a great lecturer, but one of the toughest graders I've encountered on this campus. However, he is fair and on the biggest paper, he allowed corrections and if you showed you cared about improving greatly (as I did), my grade on the paper rose 15% on the next draft. Doable-but you must work hard!
Dr. Sunderman cares about the success and learning of his students. One of the best I've had. He is very easy to talk to in his office and will always give honest feedback with helpful tips about your work. Plus his beard is awesome and he looks like a sea captain.
Great professor, amazing lectures. His tests cover exactly wat he covers in class and what you are expected to read in the chapters. If you do the work, show up to class, and pay attention you will find his class to be fairly easy.
I loved him and his class. My honors class was my favorite this semester and he made class very enjoyable. Although he is a tough grader, he gives great feedback, so as long as you take that into consideration you will do well. I highly recommend his class.
He does not know how to grade a paper!!! His feedback is controversial, because he'll give you worse grades if you do what he tells you to do. No matter how much effort you give on a paper he doesn't give you a good grade for it (and I normally get good grades on papers.) All you do in class is discuss what you read and there are 8 essays
A nice guy, but not the best professor. Only lectures in class and goes off on tangents abt random stuff that is never on the test. If he says that we didn't get to something, so it won't be on the test, you better study it anyways because trust me it will 100% be. The class is also only based on 3 exams and 4 current event assignments & attendance
He's not a bad prof, he's just so incredibly smart and a heavy lecturer that it was difficult to follow along. If you put in the work and DO THE READING, you should be fine. Also, I strongly suggest visiting him during office hours. Even if you're just saying hello, he grades your "presence" and it's good if he knows your name/face.
class is based off of 3 things: exams(3), current events(4) & attendance. would not suggest taking this class because even after hours of studying the exams were still extremely hard. I hardly learned anything from the exams or lecture and I am positive I learned more from doing the current event packets. WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST NOT TAKING THIS CLASS!
Worst professor EVER. His lectures make absolutely no sense, everyone in my class emailed each other because he was so confusing. If you ask questions he doesnt give a clear answer. If you want to be confused and get a bad grade, even though you have asked questions, then take him. But I recommend that you DO NOT TAKE him, you will regret it!!!
Sunderman is the toughest grader I've ever encountered. He is a nice guy, but a tough professor. There are four current events assignments which take weeks to complete. He takes off 3% of your paper grade per spelling error. Unclear in his grading. Test questions don't always match the book or lectures. A lot of tangents. Prepare to study hard.
Professor truly cares about the subject and has so many stories to positively enhance learning experience! One minute, he's moving slowly through material, and the next, a bunch of stuff is due, so it's important to stay on top of things. Current event assignments and exams aren't that bad if effort is put in.
62 credits so far are 4.0s for me. I can say I know what I am doing and how to get an A. However, Sunderman's grading system is so skewed. He gives poor grades even when you follow the rubric. You may ask what he expects, but if you take the advice, will still fail. He also humiliates you by comparing you to other students. FERPA violations!
Do not take him! I have done really well in school and he is by far the worst professor I have had. Tried asking for help and basically made me cry after. He expects you to know everything and its not clear on his research project. Do not take him!!
Absolutely the worst professor Ive taken. On the paper he refuses to grade your drafts and outline if even one element is missing. Is no help when you ask questions and just expects you to know everything. DO NOT TAKE!
I have all As in all my classes but this 1. The class is divided up of 4 huge current event packets that are graded harshly, 3 exams that cover multiple chapters in the textbook that u must read every word bc you dont know whats going to be on it. I would say that this is the worst class I have taken. Not much work till exams. Very hard class.
Lots of long readings, unclear grading (very subjective, no rubric), maximum 2 pages for each paper but if its a few lines short you will be marked down, and you have to assume the reader of the essay hasn't read the reading assigned reading.
Professor Sunderman Does Not work with his students when they have situations outside of their control prevent them from doing work. He expects you to be IN CLASS 100% of the time and hardly teaches any geography. He is very political in his class, and sometimes his political information is highly incorrect. Ruined the entire subject for me.
I did not expect the class to be as difficult as it was. The problem is that Dr. Sunderman is very smart and does not really understand that not everyone is at that level. He does not work with students at all when it comes to grading and such. The only grades are the awful current events packets and exams. I passed the class, but it was close.
Sunderman does not know how to communicate with his students. He is incapable of showing any sort of sympathy or understanding. His Canvas site is so poorly set-up that its difficult to find when something is due. He does not email students- he prefers using a landline? Very unprofessional in that aspect. His lectures are just him telling stories
Fredrick expects students to know everything instead of teaching it. He will ask questions to the class that no one, but a select few, actually know the answer. We were graded on three exams and four current events packets. The exams were worth 60% so if you did bad on one, you're SOL. "Read every word, of every page." TAKE SOMEONE ELSE.
Your entire grade is 3 exams, 4 current events projects, attendance, and participation, all worth 100 points each. Do not procrastinate on the current events projects, they will take longer than you think. Exams are based heavily on notes; read the textbook too. I never thought I'd wish a teacher would give me homework until I took this class.
Basically said nothing in class is important, just to read every word of every chapter because that will be the quiz. 7 total grades, would always go off-topic in class. Current events are difficult and time-consuming and the exams, like he said, have nothing to do with lectures.
Loves what he teaches, but a little too much. Would spend the majority of a class on a sidebar and not actually learn anything. And be expected to later read & understand what wasnt covered in class
You're only graded by 3 exams and 4 current events packets so you better ace those. He says he grades you on "presence" to make you participate but I never said a single word besides "here" and I got a 90% in that category. It's obvious that he loves geography but he gets carried away sometimes. Doesn't give much relevant feedback.
No homework besides the 4 current events packets(do NOT wait until the last minute to do) says participation matters and takes attendance every class but i never spoke in class at all and got like a 90 for participation. very obvious that he loves geography but he gets off track a lot. take him if you're an extrovert I'd say bc he wants you to talk
I recommend getting the textbook because the exams are mostly from the book and not from the lecture. Barely anything you learn in class is relevant. You only get graded on 3 exams and 4 current events. He is a tough grader on the current events and gets off topic easily during class.
DO NOT TAKE! Sunderman expects you to know everything you are learning and if you do not know it, learn it by "reading every word of every page in your book". Lectures are as useless as they come! Spends the whole hour talking about personal experiences and stories that do not connect to the material at all. Awful class. Waste of a Semester.
Honestly dont take his class, Especially if you have combinations . He loves what he teaches but poor communication skills. If you read all of the comments for this professor there relativity all the same so dont wait your time with him. If you are not a geography major your probably wont get anything higher then a C and your GPA will suffer.
He grades every assignment so hard. The first draft of the major paper was graded like it was the final draft. You must read the book in order to pass the class!! His lectures are sometimes helpful for tests but mostly over the book. Participation matters, go to his office hours, email him, call him. Do anything to show that you are trying.
Attendance was graded but not needed. Lectures were pointless everything on the exams were from the book. Only got graded on 3 exams and 4 current events packets, which were very time consuming.
Professor Sunderman is a great guy! He's willing to help students after class and during his office hours. The material is very interesting. However, when he lectures he tends to get off-topic. While the conversation is usually great we don't cover a lot in class. The book is 100% needed to review and his exams focus on it a lot. Expects good work!
He just teaches from the textbook and PowerPoints, very note heavy. The class is easy enough, just prepare for the quizzes/exams beforehand and DO NOT put off doing the term paper. He isn't worth trying to email, it's better to just call his desk phone during office hours. Be prepared to get called on to answer a lot. He expects a lot of validation
The main topic of this course is horribly explained throughout classes, you are to write a paper about a regional landscape that may or may not be covered in class. There is no guidance on how to write this paper and the rubric tells you nothing.
I thoroughly enjoyed having him as a professor. You're graded on 3 exams and 4 current events packets, which are easy and can be done and over with within a few hours. He's very funny and while he struggles to stay on track during lectures, the off-topic tangents tended to be enjoyable and just as interesting. Definitely recommend.
I knew almost nothing about geography when I started taking Sunderman's class, which is why it was so hard for me, but now I know generally where most countries are off of the top of my head. A few tips: start reading the book from the beginning. Take lots of notes. Listen intently. Exams are multiple choice. Read the current events guide.(Geo-201)
Dr. Sunderman is the perfect professor if you need to take this course for the gen ed credit. The entire course is 3 exams, 4 current events packets, and participation. If you read the book he assigns you will do well on the exams. He will get you to study countries of the world related to the chapters, and so long as you study it, its really easy.
I thought I'd enjoy this class at the beginning. The professor SEEMED approachable. However, I was extremely frustrated after being FALSELY ACCUSED of using AI to write my submissions. Unless you have mistakes (grammatical or sentence structure errors) he considers it auto generated. Not clear grading AT ALL! EXTREMELY RUDE! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
This professor is not a good fit for me. He is lecture heavy and often goes off on tangents. Class is graded on 3 exams and 4 assignments which are graded hard. Requires attendance but all the exams are based off of the readings in the book, its a waste of time to go to class but you still have to go. He puts participation points in at the end.
Professor never gave clear feedback or grading criteria on anything. No grades higher than 90 the entire semester for anyone in the class. Impossible to gauge how you were doing; there were no rubrics for any essays- just said they "weren't perfect papers." Ridiculous amount of reading/writing that I'm not sure truly prepared me to write a thesis.
Professor Sunderman was nice, and passionate about his job, however the entire grade was based off of only 3 exams and 4 packets. The exams were multiple choice but you are given absolutely zero guideline of what will be on it, and with all of the material, it was extremely hard to know what to study. The packets are graded pretty difficultly.
He is a nice person, but he changes everything he wants for the current events assignments. One time its great and another time he changes all of his instructions without telling us. His lectures are so BORING, and will get off topic for almost the whole class.
Kinda of a boring class to take for 16 weeks. The only thing you will do is listen to Fred talk while showing slides and you will sit there taking notes, thats it. The only homework is doing 4 current event packets that are instructed to take hours to do. 3 exams too
I recommend avoiding this professor. He is unhelpful, does not provide good feedback, and is unapproachable and rude. He tends to call students out in front of the entire class. His final project was not well thought out. He is a hard grader. Exams were long and had 6 essay questions.
Professor Sunderman's class covers a lot of material, but his lectures can be unfocused. The textbook is essential, and the 4 current event assignments are graded strictly. unstuck ai helped me stay on top of the content.
Very hard to sit in class, He shows the notes on a powerpoint while going off on other tropics not needed. Power points can be used in the canvas page. The course is made up of 4 current events packets that he changes the directions on. As well as 3 tests. Read the book only way to pass. His feedback is unhelpful and he comes off as unapproachable.
Graded on only 3 exams and 4 projects. Exams were very hard, seemed like it covered things we had not gone over. His lectures are long and boring and he often gets off topic, making it hard to learn. The projects were graded harshly, and he expects things of you that he does not specify in the instructions. Don't take his class unless you have to.
he does not use the textbook at all, everything he quizzes you on is from the lecture so just copy down the slides and study those and you'll be fine.
Only grades exams and projects. Gets off topic *very* easily. Only fully made it through 5/10 chapters he had planned in the syllabus. Will mark you down without telling you how to fix it. Seems passionate about the topic, but a little subpar in his actual teaching. Very powerpoint heavy.
You are graded by very few things, 3 exams and 4 current events packets. Purposely talks so you don't understand him. If you show up but don't ask questions/talk you won't get full credit for attendance. Goes off topic very easy and often. Very rude and impatient. Drop class while you can and don't take unless you have to.
He is very lecture heavy, lots of notes, gets off track very easily, only grades on 3 exams and 4 current event assignments, doesn't give good feedback on what you could improve just gives a bad grade, i would not take this class if you don't have to if you do find a different professor.
Gets off track a lot, ignores emails, always talks about random friends he has around the world, and the way he lectures will not help you on the tests at all. Will put you on the spot shows no sympathy when grading does not give good feedback
He is strange. Very friendly and personable if you speak with him outside of class. Clearly loves what he teaches. That said, he will absolutely crucify your writing so make sure you listen to his critique. Gets off track often, has a million stories from a million different places. I like him but I also like geography. Most others dread his class.
Professor Sunderman is a funny, passionate fellow who leads a very interactive and engaging class. He loves telling stories about himself and his friends, which I always found hilarious, and it added to the charm of the classroom environment. He is a critical grader; however, he always leaves thorough comments and feedback, which is helpful! :)
A nice guy, and is definitely very knowledgeable and has lots of stories to tell that are relevant to what we're discussing. However, he didn't provide us with rubrics for any of our essays. You probably won't get a super good grade unless your essay is perfect. Participation matters a lot - read the text and have things to say about it.
If you have the option to take any other professor, do it. His lectures are pointless, yet mandatory; he spends the entire class talking about nothing that has to do with the material. The only way to do well in his class is if you spend at least 2+ hours reading the textbook because he does not teach, and he is a really tough grader.
This is a hard class, but that is not out of the norm for Honors classes. This class is graded based on eight papers throughout the semester, but be warned: Dr. Sunderman will not give an A unless it's flawless. Expect a lot of reading and participation in discussions.
if attendance wasn't weighed so heavy i simply would have never showed up. he spends every lecture talking about NOTHING that applies to the course so you have to spend a lot of time teaching yourself the material outside of class because his exams are super hard and he dosent teach!
if you do not read the textbook word for word you will not pass this class. there's not many grades in the class either, so if you mess up in one thing you're screwed. attendance and participation are weighted the same as exams which really sucks because he dosent really teach at all in class. take the class with another professor if you can.
This class had mandatory attendance & participation. Showing up and talking in class is worth 20% of your grade, exams are worth 60%, and 20% is a packet that he grades harshly. Reading the textbook is imperative to doing well on the exams. He will lecture for an hour and a half on something irrelevant, but expect you to know all material.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
86%
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