2.9
Quality3.5
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake117
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
117
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
26
3
18
2
31
1
18
What Students Say
“What an awful teacher”
GEOL101 - 1.0 rating“Worst professor I've had at WVU”
GEOLOGY101 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
0%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.44 avg changeRatings by Course
GEL101
5.0
(1)GEL
5.0
(1)GEO100
5.0
(1)GEOLOGYINTRO
5.0
(1)GEOLOGY
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
101
5.0
103
5.0
GEOLO101
5.0
GEOL101006
5.0
GEOL202
5.0
Reviews (117)
Entertaining - the best public speaker that I have ever seen.
Like seeing a stand up comedian everyday!
Hilarious, I couldn't pass his tests, though
Fun to go to class difficult tests
the best teacher that I have ever had - EVER! - and I was his student in 1975
damn hard tests but I'll bet some people would pay admission to see this guy!
Such a funny teacher, went to class just to hear him tell jokes.
Dr. Renton has been the best professor since i've been at WVU. Funny lectures, and jokes.. He is concerned whether students learn material or not. Challenging but fair tests.
No Comments
TAKE DR. RENTON!! I pass his test with flying colors because he gives a study guide! He's a GREAT teacher-funny, too!
No Comments
Very funny, tests are basically from the study guide. Take his class!!
Fun class, you don't have to go, but the tests are hard
I dont know what everyone is talking about, hes not that funny, and his test are hard, and with his grading scale its almost impossible to get an A.
MUST take him for geo 101!! amazing--soo funny yet makes rocks relevant to real life--honestly concerned w/students' knowledge of info, JUST ASK HIM!--yet you gotta study for tests! exactly how college courses should be
Awesome guy, and the class was great. I guess everyone who said the exams were difficult must have rocks for brains
I would highly reccommend Dr. Renton. He's a beer drinking Scotsman whom you will learn from and go to class just because he's so damn funny.
Looks like yosemite Sam or however you spell it. decent guy, he is funny at times but the his class is irrelevant and you dont have to go. his tests are hard, but getting a C is easy if thats good for you
Awesome prof....Test questions based on his fave movie, and "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?'
Easy class , and the exams are easy if you use the study guide. great sense of humor
Renton can be funny, uses beer references a lot somehow in his lectures. You actually learn some neat things that you'd never think of normally. Grading is on a bell curve so study, the study guide helps, some questions come right from it. Just know your stuff.
This man is funny and makes references to college life so we can understand. He's a mix between Mr. Rogers and the Crockadile Hunter! He's awesome!
He's hilarious and nice, but his tests are pretty hard even with the study guide. I don't care too much for rocks, but he's really intelligent and a great teacher.
He is funny guy very clear about topics, but test are rather difficult. Doesn't take attendance but if you better then a C you should go.
He grades on a curve so its almost impossible to get an A or B.His classes have nothing to do with the test material.I study for hours and still don't do well on the 33 question tests. Also he doesn't give any points for attendance or in class activities.So your grade is simply based on 4 tests.
Renton is really funny, but his lectures are still kind of boring if you're not interested. But you don't have to go to class at all. Literally not once except for exams. He even posts exam dates online so you don't have to worry about that. use the study guides and you'll do fine.
Wow...this guy is off the wall. He talks about spacemen, not geology. Then again, if you have the study guide why would you ever need to come to class?
my dad suggested this guy since he had him 25 years ago. Dr. Renton does a good job of making a class called "rocks and****" interesting and fairly humurous. Take some notes and review his study guide before tests and you'll get an easy A.
fun guy
Very funny! He makes me interested in rocks and I never thought anyone could do that! I have learned a plethora of facts in his class.
funny guy curses alot. i fall asleep alt but i still have a C without trying
He talked about space people and space travel on the first day of class. He is out there but a funny guy.
L>et's up it like this, this is a 101 class and only 7% of you will get an A because he grades on that stupid curve where 40% of the class gets a C. I had straight A's my freshman year except in Dr. Renton's class. If you need to take geol 101 take it with toro or someone who draws all class then makes a test with no drawings.
half of the tests have ?'s directly from the study guide, the other half of the questions come from outer space... this class is ridiculous.. my first C in over 60 credits, thanks renton.
Swears like a sailor and is full of funny stories, but teaches a large lecture hall class better than anyone else. You will hear people griping that he is hard... those guys are chumps who want grades handed to them.
Renton was an amazing teacher! He made geology really interesting. Class was fun and I never wanted to miss it. He is a clear speaker and is funny. I loved being in his class.
funny and clear. fair with tests
He wrote his own book so what he teaches in class is exactlly what he talks about in class
its geology...meaning its boring, but he keeps up interest in a boring subject. Class is rather hard, but then again, im not into rocks
Class based only on test scores. If you study your okay. Grades on a stupid curve which hurt my grade instead of helping.
nice guy but very boring class periods and confusing tests....grades on a scale
The curve really helped me--I could never get my B up to an which kept me from a 4.0 that semester. Was not very helpful. When the marching band went to the Maryland game, he almost didn't let us make up the exam. After some coaxing from our director we were allowed to take the exam----on the bus after the game!
Tough class. Curve will probably help you. Tests are hard. Take another geology professor.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. You will regret it. I have yet to miss a class and have received no benefit from attending. Only thing you can do is try to memorize his study guide and not be fooled by tricky questions on the test. Interesting yes, but scaling grades AGAINST the student? Ludicrous and if I get a C I'm going to complain to the school
Honestly, Professor Renton is a very likable and entertaining guy. However, tests were very difficult, and most of the stuff you discuss in lecture has nothing what so ever to do with what you need to know for the test. I stopped going and just studied the study guide -- I got a C. Awesome guy, though!
DO NOT TAKE HIM!!!! I am a junior and this is supposed to be an easy freshman class but i need it to get into my major for some stupid reason and i have never failed a class before and i failed this class because nothing in the lecture helps you on the test and the tests are just ridiculous anyway.
Do yourself a favor and smash your head into a rock....you'll learn more.
renton is a great teacher, despite what others have said. his class is not difficult as long as you actually attend lectures. BUY THE STUDYGUIDE. 97% of test material is from the study guide. his lectures are funny, and he's a really great teacher. i reccomend that anyone take him who needs a geo class.
Professor Renton keeps things interesting. If you attend you are much more likely to understand test questions. Remember to pay attention to the bold in the textbook and the study guides and you'll be fine. Good instructor.
funny teacher, class attendance is highly recommended, but the study guide is real helpful. yes, it's on a curve but so many people dont study that if you do, you have a good chance of doing ok. the tests are quick, but know your stuff.
Actually keeps me interested. Good instructor. Going to class helps with the exams. Alot of reading though.
If you have a chance take another professor. I went to every class the entire way up to the first test and stopped going. Class doesn't help you at all. He goes off on tangents in discussions and his notes are terrible. He trys to make Geology alot harder then it is. He was the only reason I didn't get a 4.0 this semester.
class is pointless read your textbook and do your workbook assignements his teaching ability is terrible worried about laughter
Overall, Good professor. Keeps things straigtfoward, but makes a fairly boring subject seem interesting
He doesn't have a good train of thought. I went to every class until the first exam and did not learn anything that would be on the exam. His book makes no sense, and the study guide he uses on his website has nothing to do with the exam. He is more worried about keeping you awake then trying to actually teach you what you need to know. Do not take
Geology is BORING. and he makes it lil bit more interesting. Fair tests graded with respect to the average of the class. Attending his class is useless unless u wanna hear some funny jokes.
Geology is boring and so is renton. however, the class is easy. if you buy the book you really dont even have to go to class. his tests come straight from the book because he wrote the book.
He seems to love what he does, and the tests aren't hard at all as long as u have the study guide workbook. THe only downside is...his class is pointless. There's nothing he goes over in class that cant' be learned by reading the book. He tries his best though
Renton was awesome. He was always very helpful, and would answer his own study guide if you took it to him. Very easy, and a good guy.
Do not take this class, I went every day, did every single study guide, read every chapter and still got a C in the class. His lectures are all over the place and have nothing to do with what is on his tests, and neither does the book. you take the tests on a computer and get the most random questions that have nothing to do with what you learned
Renton's class is so easy. I haven't been since the first week, because the study guides are online. But during the one week I did go, he was a pretty cool guy. Really funny.
renton is a good guy, but is lectures and teaching skills are pretty terrible. You will learn nothing in his class. buy the book because thats the only way you will do good on the tests.
the worst professor you could ever have. his lectures are pathetic, and his text book is also pathetic, they go hand in hand. do not take geology with this guy!
Horrible teacher. If you take the class don't take it with him. His lectures are pointless and his test are all from the study guides that come with the book. If you don't have this you will fail. He's a smart guy, he just doesn't know how to teach.
Professor Renton's class was a challenge. One has to read the book to get a good grade. His lectures are interesting if you are interested in geology and it's better than physics. He knows his stuff but he expects the students to read.
good guy
Good hearted guy. However going to the lectures are pointless. All the work is straight out of the book. I went to every lecture but I would have done better if i stayed in and read the book during the class time instead of going to the lecture.
i loved this professor. his lectures are quite interesting (if you like science). and he also gives quality advice on how geology could relate to the average person's life. i recommend him to anyone.
If you want to learn about Geology, too bad. You will learn about aliens, starfish, pirates, and granite countertops. I went to five lectures this semester, and got the same grade as my friend to went to ALL the lectures and took notes. If you fail, it doesn't matter. The curve is so high, you will get a passing grade. TAKE SOMEBODY ELSE.
Renton is a nice guy and he tries to be funny but his lectures don't help you out, he goes off about random things and doesn't teach very clearly. I would take someone else next time.
Honestly, don't go to class. it's pointless you will learn nothing the guy is really nice but he draws circles everywhere and talks about granite countertops so i would say read the textbook and get the study guide book with it! study guide book is they key to getting a good grade.
Renton is a funny guy, and if his class wasn't graded, it would be great. Crazy curve, pointless lectures, and a textbook -mind you, that he wrote- that has numerous typos. Study guide with book is the key to a good grade, just study that. Would recommend an alternative teacher, for sure.
Study Guide + Going to class = A or B
Literally the hardest class I've taken. There is way too much work and studying to be put into this class when it's 101 level. I studied for hours and finally gave up. There's no incentive to go to class regardless of if he takes attendance bc you don't learn about anything that's on your tests. Only grades in the class are the ridiculous tests :(
This guys lectures are ridiculous! On and on about pointless stuff. Tests are pretty hard designed to have everyone fail but there is a crazy curve. Take him if you need a sleep aide.....
HOLY COW MAN! This guy is a nut case. Nice guy at heart but god darn if this guy sucks at teaching. Please i beg you, do not attend class! You ARE, I repeat ARE wasting your time. Dont let him tell you need to come to class. The man lies. Get the study guide and the text book. Guaranteed C-B. If you are thinking about taking him RUNNNNNN AWAYYYYY!!
I did not enjoy this class! The tests are creazy hard and lectures are not interesting or usefull. If you do take this class MAKE SURE you do the study guides! I love the man because he seems very kind but def. not the best teacher.
Renton's entire class is just rambling about things kind of involving geology. Nothing he discusses will be on the tests so just read the book.
Like everyone else said, do NOT attend class, waste of your time. Tests are ridiculous, memorize the study guide every test and youll get a C - B.
Great teacher, boring class. You can pass without even trying. Likes to talk about "daddy daddy" "freezing himself" "free style" etc, alot. He gets off topic alot and about subjects that don't go with the subject. For example above.
Most intresting teacher ive ever had. Makes earth history extremely intresting. Test are hard but if you go to class and rea the book you'll be fine. I wish he would teach all my classes
DO NOT GO TO CLASS! The lectures will never help you, I took him freshman year 1st semester and went to class - Big Regret. He's a nice guy with funny stories, but get the study guide! Memorize it, Worship it, Use it. It'll help you pass the unexpectedly hard tests.
This was the most boring class ever! He does not believe in extra credit so grades are just on tests and the tests are VERY hard! He talks very low and has really bad hand writing. Not very helpful and classes were pointless.
I don't konw what everyone else on here is talking about. Dr. Renton was hilarious. His class was the easiest class I've taken at WVU. He's an awesome guy and the tests are easy. The curve is unreal, 80's were A's in this class.
His lectures are absolutely useless. If you want a good grade in this class, stay home and read the book.
Renton's class is boring and useless. He says the same things in class that are said in the book because he wrote the book. The tests are hard, but he scales a lot. As long as you read the chapters and do the study guide the class is okay.
Dr. Renton was astounding! I honestly only took geology to fill my GEC's, but I'm so glad I took his class. He wrote his own book, so everything he talks about will be familiar to you when you go back and read the book later. He's funny, interesting, nice and cares about his students. Just be sure to read the book. He curves his tests as well :)
good teacher, easy if you read the book, boring in class, study and you pass, that simple
Class is boring and pretty much useless. He is off topic and it seems as if he would rather be a chem teacher, because that's all he talks about....the book is actually interesting, skip the class and read the book...he wrote it.
boring. the entire grade is your four testes you take. stupid class
Worst teacher ever. Going to class is pointless. The tests are absurd and have nothing to do with anything in lectures. I would never recommend this teacher to anyone.
His class was pretty hard for a 101 class. For his exams, you really have to study. I'm usually a straight A student, but I barely passed his class with a B. Sometimes when he starts talking really fast, he becomes hard to understand and his lectures can get pretty boring. But the man is a master at what he teaches, & he has a really cool mustache
Wouldn't recommend this professor, felt as though grading was unfair
Don't recommend this class due to the insignificance of the lectures. Tests are incredibly hard as well.
Don't bother going to class, read the book and get the study guides from the library. I had a B because I didn't study for the first exam, but for the other 3 I only studied the study guides the night before. Everything that you see on the exam is on those study guides
knowledgable in his field. speaks in monotone. take the calss only if u r motivated.
He makes no sense in his lectures, and is not clear. Handwriting is impossible to read and rambles about useless stuff that does not pertain to the information required for the tests.
Okay this class is a complete joke. Thought geology 101 was an easy A? Guess not. Talks about random stuff that doesn't pertain to what were studying . DONT attend class & DO READ the textbook and USE the study guides at the lib! Only way you can pass the class! DO NOT RECOMMEND. PERIOD.
where can you find the study guide at that everyones talking about?
Eh, don't go to the lectures nothing he talks about is on the test. Read the book (he wrote it) and pass with a C.
This professor is the worst professor I've ever had. I typically have an A average in all my classes, but this class was horrible. The lectures are useless, he only rambles about things that are pointless and not on the exam. He wrote the book, but it's not much help. Use the study guides and pass with a C or B. Terrible class.
Lectures were interesting, but never useful for the exams. The only grades consisted of 4 exams. Get the book, study it!
Great Teacher but read the book and get study guides!!!
First off attendance is not mandatory, usually not a bad thing, right. The only problem is that his lectures are useless and everything comes straight from the book. Had I known this prior I feel I might of been better off. He was absolutely useless to listen to in class because his lectures weren't even on the material.
Don't bother going to class or using the professors notes. If you want to ace this class you NEED to read the textbook. If you don't like reading, take this course with another professor.
I took this class because I heard it was the easiest science to take. I would NEVER RECOMMEND THIS PROFESSOR TO ANYBODY. Lectures are completely irrelevant to the four ridiculously difficult exams that equal your ENTIRE grade. If taking this course with Renton, you HAVE to do the study guides and really, really study them, or you will not pass.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH RENTON. Took it because i got an A in geography easily and ended up studying for days only to get B's and C's on the exams. Going to class won't help you pass them because the information is irrelevant. Must use his book and the study guide in the library if you want to pass and study them hard
Don't bother going to class. This guy talks about irrelevant stories in class, every class. Mostly about his amazing travels around the world. You have to READ the book. And get the STUDY GUIDES from the library. It is a must. I got an A, which I don't know how. But all the tests are curved. Just don't take him pretty much lol.
Worst professor I've had at WVU. I went to lectures and took notes, which was a complete waste of time. He rambled about aliens and other nonsense. I read all the assigned chapters, made flash cards and study guides. The test material was completely irrelevant to any of these materials. The only thing that helped was the library study guide.
My whole grade was based on 3 or 4 tests, I don't remember cause I didn't care at all. His in class notes have nothing to do with the tests so there is no need to go to class. The tests are extremely hard. I don't think grad students studying geology could get As on the tests. Look for another teacher when taking Geology 101.
You have to really focus hard on the lecture and try to relate to what is going to be on the exam. He never gives review classes before exams. Don't get me wrong he is very knowledgeable and knows what he's doing. I would choose another professor over him.
A funny guy, but his lecture is pointless. Went to every class and paid attention, but that didn't help come exam time. Should have come to this site first
DONT TAKE THIS CLASS. Nothing that he lectures on is on tests. I read the chapters in the textbook that the test was on, & the material on the test was no where in the book. I memorized class notes & the textbook & still barely passed the tests. He doesn't teach anything that is on the test nor is anything in the textbook on tests. Horrible class.
he is an awful teacher. His tests are hard and his lectures are useless. I would not recommend this teacher ever. THe worst teacher I have ever had.
Absolutely terrible professor. Nothing he goes over in class is on the test and he doesn't give review sessions. His tests are the only grades in the class and they are pretty difficult. I would not recommend this teacher to my worst enemy. What a worthless man.
What an awful teacher. His notes are long and boring and have nothing to do with any of his tests. There is pretty much no point in going to class. The tests are hard so good luck, you will need it. I would not recommend this teacher to my worst enemy. Worst teacher I have ever had!!!
he is good
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
0%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.44 avg changeRatings by Course
GEL101
5.0
(1)GEL
5.0
(1)GEO100
5.0
(1)GEOLOGYINTRO
5.0
(1)GEOLOGY
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
101
5.0
103
5.0
GEOLO101
5.0
GEOL101006
5.0
GEOL202
5.0