2.4
Quality4.1
Difficulty25%
Would Retake109
Reviews25%
Would Retake
109
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
8
4
23
3
15
2
30
1
33
What Students Say
“never think about taking that class with him, you will hate geology because of him”
EES230 - 1.0 rating“The worst professor I have ever taken, he is a sarcastic and impossible grader”
EES220 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
55%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.35 avg changeRatings by Course
EES 220
4.0
(1)ECON371
4.0
(1)GLY220
3.4
(12)EES360
3.3
(3)GLY110
3.0
(16)Difficulty by Course
220
5.0
GLY120
5.0
GLY235
5.0
GEO101
5.0
GEO210
5.0
Reviews (109)
AMAZING PROF!!!! he makes rocks funny (which is not easy)! test are pretty simple if you know your notes (doesnt use textbooks) Just an all around fantastic, funny, and sweet guy who LOVES to teach.
Not a hard class to make a good grade in if you show up and take notes. Don't worry about buying the book- he doesn't use it. Trys to make class interesting but also a stickler on rules. Come to his office hours and he is more than willing to answer any questions you may have.
I was told GLY110 was supposed to be easy.. but this class is hard for me because of this professor. The information is very boring and hard to study. I just really do not like this class. You need to attend class because he puts things on his test that arent in the notes or in the book- some of the information is what he says in class.
Here's the thing. Maybe he's ok for 110, but you are going to hate 230/235 because of this man. He's the only one teaching it-- sorry about your luck. But stick with geology if you're a major, not all the professors are this unhelpful and rude. Beware if you ask questions in class, he will likely make you feel stupid. Smart guy, not a good prof.
He's hott and seems like a good guy but his class is so hard. It's impossible to learn the material, sounds interesting...it's not. Tests and quizzes are impossible. I had to withdraw from his class.
Great Professor. ATTEND CLASS! As long as you go to class, listen, take notes, and print off the slides afterwards you'll have no problem in here. Exams are all multiple choice, and so are quizes, and are very straight foward. And he has a sense of humor, makes the class go by a lot smoother.
hardest class ever! do not take with this teacher! tests are impossible and its hard to understand what he is even talking about in this class..i had to withdraw because it was so hard.
you don't have to take notes and the lectures are really clear pay attention and look back over the powerpoints and you'll be set, oh and an 85 is an A
Kent was not helpful to students, and always assumed that the entire class was interested in Engineering. That, combined with his inability to explain things to his students, and his inability to be in his office, he was terrible.
this teacher was by far the hardest teacher i had at UK. My friend and I literally made 13 page study guides for each exam, right off the study guide he gave us.. and still struggled with the test. We went in very knowledgable about the material and then once we recieved the test, the information was much different. Hes a nice guy but the test suck
Hardest class I've ever taken!!!!!!
Dr. R is a terrible professor. The average score on all exams were around a 65 and somehow he doesn't notice that his teaching style is the cause. His power points had a lot of geology vocabulary that he wouldn't explain. His tests are very tricky. The only good thing is that the range for is grading is very broad. Do not take him!
Not a cake class, but very doable and isnt that hard to get an A. He is extremely organized and provides everything for you. Lecture notes are posted on Blackboard, but additional info is covered in class (so take notes). Tests are fairly easy. I studied about 8-10 hours on each one and got an A. Lab is easy and counts for 35% of grade.
yes, you do have to work harder than you might expect to earn a decent grade in this class, but he's not a bad teacher. and he's not mean he just doesn't waste time. study the slides (which you can download) and GO TO CLASS, because he loves to pull from lectures. memorize memorize. DON'T BUY THE TEXTBOOK just borrow the CD from a friend!!!!!!!!!
too much info is taught at a time. texbook is not useful. Teacher assumes this is the only class students are taking.
Kent is the worst teacher I have ever had. His powerpoints are useless and his tests do not reflect what is taught in class. If you ask questions he will try to make you look stupid. It is sad that all geology majors have to suffer through a year of classes with this guy. Goodluck.
Very difficult professor. Without going to class you WILL be lost. His biggest fault is that he writes his exams seemingly with intent to confuse and trip up his students. He has a tendency to stoke his ego in his teaching by making obvious how detached he is from the daily workings of the grading process. Not the easy A you think it will be.
Horrible teacher. Does not like students to get good grades. The first day of class he says how he doesn't expect many A's mostly C's. DO not take this class or any class from him
HARD, very very hard. WAY too much information to possibly learn. Tests are just masses and masses of info. I had to withdraw.
He was a hard teacher, but I liked his personality... the subject matter got boring a lot. His tests are difficult but not impossible, but those are the main grades you have and he doesn't give any extra credit. Overall I liked him, but I would've rather taken an easier class.
This professor will not answer your question. Consider it DIY geology
Had this professor in 220 and he seemed like an okay professor. I have him now for 230, obviously he doesn't enjoy teaching 230 or my perception of him in 220 was incorrect. Answers every question asked with either "did you read the book" or "didn't I teach you that in 220". You eventually quit seeking help because you feel stupid.
Not a bad professor. He gives pop quizzes which are pretty annoying and sometimes difficult, but if you go to class, pay attention, and study the study guides he provides before test, you'll get an A.
Sorry, but you have to go to almost all the classes for an A. The material isn't that hard, everything on the test is in the notes that he puts online. It is alot of memorization, but nothing too hard. He is sort of rude when it comes to answering questions, or helping students. Go to the TA for help or questions. Anne is also the best TA for 220!
Kent hates students, he will not help you unless you are one of his geology picks. Since geologic event can be interpreted in different ways you may be pursuaded to ask a question about kents interpretation, wrong idea. He will make you feel like a complete idiot if you go against his view. Would be an easy class if the professor wasn't full of him
I took this class online to complete my science requirement. While the material is simple he presents it in a complicated way. He is not a good speaker. He is NOT helpful and will not answer questions. The tests are poorly worded and set to trick you. DO NOT TAKE!
Tries to make lectures fun. Succeeds most of the time but tries to hard. Kind of soft spoken. Tests are basically memorization of lectures. Pretty lenient grading system (85-100 is an A) Not a bad class
If you study the notes the test are cake! All you need is an 85 in this class to get an A. The homework can be difficult, but doesn't take more than 30 minutes! He's hilarious and tries to make the content fun! Great prof!
Pretty cool teacher. He really knows his stuff and likes to interact with the class. Drops the lowest test grade and they aren't too awful hard if you study well. Posts the notes online and only gives six pop quizzes just to make you come to class. Lab was pretty easy. 85-100 is A so that helps. I recommend him.
Horrible painful class. Just because the tests are super hard, he makes them like that on purpose. Expects you to be a geology dictionary. Labs are horribly boring. Avoid if you can
His grading scale is C(65-75),B(75-85), A(85-100) and for good reason. His lectures are extremely boring and dry. He expects you to know entirely too much information in relation to what he actually teaches you. Worst class I've been in so far in college. If you are taking this class to get away from a BIO or Chem class, you're making a mistake.
Awesome teacher. Jokes are stale sometimes bu he makes it fun to come to lecture. He is easy to contact for office hours. Puts all of his notes on blackboard which are mandatory to read for tests. Tests can be challenging if you don't attend class. Drops your lowest test score outside of final.
Very good professor. I have taken 2 years of engineering and mathematics courses, and Dr. Ratajeski is easily one of the best professors I have had. The material itself is very easy, and he does a good job of teaching it. Class gets boring sometimes, but his sense of humor makes class tolerable. I definitely recommend him.
He is straight forward. All content from his slides are on his exams. Posts lecture slides on BB, read over those once are twice and you will do well on exams. Has pop quizzes in class, so go to class. I thought his class was fair and he kept lectures interesting with his sense of humor and videos/music etc. I recommend him.
He has extremely hard test. The class is easy if you go and just pay attention and do minimal studying. He is not a whole lot of help but is entertaining during lectures. He is strict but has a good grading scale and lets you drop an exam.
Grading scale s fair. But the tests.. I've found them to be really hard. If you can't memorize almost every word he says in class, your test grades will drop a lot. Labs are pretty easy but kinda boring. Wouldn't recommend the class, but Mining and Civil Engineers, you gotta have it.
Not the worst class to take. Very possible to get a good grade. However he expects a lot. I felt like he expected people to be GLY majors and I am not. Not a big science guy but he kept it somewhat interesting. Tests are damn near impossible. HW is childish but everything else is alright. good luck
The worst professor I have ever taken, he is a sarcastic and impossible grader.
so rude
Very difficult teacher. He expects you to know about geology prior to taking this class. Often makes you feel poor about asking questions after class. Pop quizzes are given and are often very challenging. He is a knowledgable person but struggles to make class appropriate for new students. Overall, I do not recommend him as a teacher.
Do not take this class if you are black or latino.
Him is the reason why UK´s Geology department is ranked amongst the worst 5 schools in the U.S
This class was super hard and A LOT of work. Do not take it especially if you have no interest in geology (like me) and know nothing about it prior to the class. The pop quizzes/tests are almost ridiculous and do not follow lecture very well. Also, the semester long project was hard. The grading scale is the only good thing.
Class was difficult. This was my first semester at a larger University though so that may have had an effect (Fall, 2011). Very large class and all material is presented on powerpoints. Kent knows his stuff but the exams are very hard. The lab was really cool though. I would find another professor if possible.
He is the rudest professor I have ever had. He made you feel like an idiot.
I find it arrogantrude to tell a class "I'm not going to ask you this question, because you won't get itbe able to answer it." Note are downloadable, but not the complete set used in class. Sections of graphscharts are missing. To me, the instructor seems defensive and will talk over you before you finish what you are saying.
Tests are hard as heck. Good teacher though!
He's really approachable and super smart; take him if you need an easy A. But don't buy the textbook! I got an A in the class and never once opened it.
It may be different on campus, but this online course was much more difficult than any 100-level I've taken. Lectures were longer than necessary and there were often additional videos. HW was busywork and exams cover a lot of information. Grade consisted of HW, quizzes, two exams, and one finalcumulative exam. Take if interested in material.
KNOW EVERYTHING!!!!
He knows his stuff but tests are super hard even if you do know what you are talking about but if you fail a test it wont kill you as the labs are where a lot of the points are at so do well in lab its the easy part
never think about taking that class with him, you will hate geology because of him. I am (f worked+ed) to get that B homework need at least six hours to get done, sometimes more than 10 hours. tuff grading, no help,,,, simply, everything works against you...
Dr. R is a much better professor than people make him out to be. He is very corny and attempts to make the class laugh. It's somewhat difficult to fall asleep in his lectures because he plays music and tries to keep you engaged. You can tell he loves the subject he teaches. He doesn't give much work and you hardly have to go to class. Hard tests!
never think about taking that class with him, you will hate geology because of him. You need at least six hours to finish HW, sometimes more than 10 hours. tuff grading, no help,,,, simply, everything works against you...
find another major if you want to stay at UK
Hes cool
He's a very good guy
Dr. Ratajeski is one of the best professors I've had. His sense of humor makes the class enjoyable. The content is heavy but logical If you're that kind of person. He makes the material easy to understand but you will work hard to do well on the exams. He uses great examples and models for teacher as well. Including watching stuff explode.
Hardest professor in the Geology Dept. Very rude over email but very nice in person. He makes you memorize extremely specific information and you have to pay to take exams. Interesting class, but very difficult.
Kent has a really funny dry sense of humor, that not everyone gets. If you are considering being a geology major, PLEASE keep going. Your first few classes are with Kent and if you don't put everything into studying for each exam it can be discouraging. Kent is a nit picky grader, even other geo profs have acknowledged that, and his busy work.
"This class, is more difficult than my 300 & 400 level geology classes" -The people in my class who are actual geology majors. Kent made this class unnecessarily difficult. You aIso will need to pay about $80, just to take your exam. I also agree about him being rude to students (previous review). He talks to you in a noticeably condescending way.
I'm not understanding these bad reviews; Kent is a good professor. He tries to make the class laugh and teaches the content of the class very well. His exams are difficult, but it's nothing that a lot of studying can't handle. He even offers to go over your exam with you after the fact to see what you missed in his office hours. Hilarious prof.
It is rare that I see a full class (about 25 students) unanimously dislike a professor to this extent. The class material itself isn't bad, but he presents it in a very ineffective way. His stubbornness and condescending attitude makes the class much more difficult than necessary, which is surprising since EES 180 is a new class. Avoid this guy.
I have had Kent for multiple courses and do not like the way he lectures or how he treats students. Avoid him at all costs but if you do have to take him(geology majors) make sure to visit his office hours and make yourself known. If you show that you are trying to do well in the class he is a little more helpful. Do not expect an A. Most get B/C
Personally I think this class is better than the other courses he teaches. I have taking 4 classes with him. This class requires a lot of work, time, and effort. I suffered from some exams but I learned a lot from this class. If you like minerals then you would like this class.
He is good at presenting the material, and it helps if you are already interested in geology, but his grading is incredibly harsh. in my experience, exams will be ugly even if you know the stuff. Also, he's less concerned about the students and more concerned about being in charge/control, so contesting a grade or late work is pointless!
Kent was a very unfair professor. His grading scale was an 85-100 gets an A, and so forth, yet no one could get an A. This is an entry level geology course and he makes it impossible for his students to succeed. It is used as a weeding out course for engineering students, yet environmental science students are still required to take it?????????????
Tests are 15% of your grade and the final exam is 30% of your grade. The homework and quizzes are online but aren't that difficult. However, the exams are very hard to prepare for. Grading scale is 85-100 for an A. All classes are lectures and attendance is randomly taken on specific days that he decides to. Drops your lowest grade in each category
Because this was an online class, I didn't interact very much with Dr. Ratajeski. His online lectures were well structured and informational. He was excited to teach. His course was well organized, and he tries to communicate with you frequently. Tests and quizzes are very detail specific but not impossible. The field trip was enjoyable.
Kent gives a lot of lectures and is very passionate about what he teaches. However, the test are very difficult and you have little error to mess up or your grade will suffer. You can obtain an A if you study hard for test, attend class (he does random attendance checks), and do well on most assignments. This class is not an easy A.
I had Kent for an online 100-level earth science class and I am a non science major. He would post very dated and dry lectures that students would be expected to essentially memorize for the exams. The exams were unnecessarily difficult and specific. Do not take Kent because you're looking to knock out a requirement, there are better options.
I don't think he's an awful professor at all. He's a good lecturer, but his tests are difficult. He rarely takes attendance, but everything he says in class is fair game for exams or quizzes and you should take that seriously. You do have to pay attention and work in this class to get a good grade, and people don't always like that
Kent is a really nice guy who is clearly passionate about what he teaches. It's a 100 level class but one of the hardest classes I've ever taken. You basically shave to memorize every detail from every lecture for the exams. If you don't do well your grade can't be fixed. He's nice but I wouldn't take him unless you're a literal geology major.
Hardest thing is this class is just memorization everything else isnt too bad.
I took this class to fill a gen-ed requirement and it is the worst class Ive ever taken with the worst professor Ive ever had. He does not care about students receiving good grades, he is condescending, lectures are dry, rubrics are nothing like how an assignment is actually graded. I only began passing exams when I found quickest online. AVOID.
This class was the biggest waste of my time. Mr. Ratajeski is an awful professor who is not at all flexible when students need him to be. The online course EES 180 is an insane amount of work and honestly not worth it. I was also advised to purchase the textbook and I have not had the need for it once through the entire course. Waste of money.
He started off very nice and understanding, but this changed fast. Easily one of the worst professors at UK! Its an elective class big guy, you aren't teaching anything important. If you want to study rocks I would recommend picking one up outside, you'll learn more from it than you ever will from this horrible teacher.
T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E!!!!!!!!!!
"Okay, it's online, it won't be too difficult." I was VERY wrong. He REQUIRES the use of the Lockdown Browser and the Webcam. Genuinely the only way you can get an A in the class is if you cheat on the exam. Lectures are also very long and detailed. Basically expects you to memorize everything within 6 weeks (compressed). Impossible to get an A.
"Online class about National Parks? Oh cool!" That's what I said at the beginning of this class. It is the hardest 100 level class I have ever seen. I cannot believe this guy makes you memorize so many tedious details. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
Dr. R made an unfamiliar subject a blast and pleasure to learn. Geology is not always easy to understand; however, Dr. R is a strong lecturer and I would not have the appreciation I do for geology if it were not for him. Go to every class and take good notes. There's a lot of content in the class so don't get caught behind.
Dont take this class. I needed it for UK core and thought itd be a pretty reasonable class since its ONLY A GEN ED but he makes the class as if its only for geology majors and an honors class. Tests are impossible and the lectures are YouTube videos that are around an hour long. Quizzes are over multiple lectures. I dont recommend !!!
This is the most time consuming course for a class thats Gen Ed. The lectures stretch on from anywhere to 40-60 minutes. Some lecture are combined with 2 parts such as the Yellowstone NP lecture being a combined 96 minutes. The exams require lockdown browser, are filmed with audio, and all questions are small details from lectures. Very boring.
Don't take this class unless you absolutely have to. Tests are impossible and the lectures are so boring. He's a nice guy, I just don't think he understands that this is a 100 level introductory gen ed course and not an honors course for geology.
Ratajeski is nice, helpful, and is VERY passionate about Geology. But as a teacher I cant recommend him. His lectures are extremely long and frequent, and his quizzes/exams require that you watch them all the way through. To echo what others have said, he teaches intro Geo like youre planning on becoming a Geophysicist. Good guy, meh prof.
There is a lot of information- but my best advice is start very strong. What you learn early will appear again in different ways and help. Many complain his tests are hard but they really are not- they TEST you. He is a very thoughtful nice guy and really cares about his students.
His class isn't about how much you learn in his class its about your ability to memorize random facts about random geological occurrences throughout the world. Don't get me wrong he's super nice but I don't think he knows how to write a test that will accurately test knowledge rather then just memorizing everything he ever said.
Man, this guys class was harder then STA 210! His lectures are so boring and he makes you remember so much for the exams. I am an A/B student but his class brought my GPA down.
Very challenging class. He doesn't care if you end up with a bad grade. For some weird reason, he expects you to memorize every single small detail related to class. I would say avoid him at all cost but there is no one else to take...
Very fun professor with difficult yet fair tests.
He is a great person and can tell he truly loves geology and what he does, although this is an introduction class and I have studied more for this class than I have for all other engineering classes combined! His lectures are boring and very long, and you are required to memorize every detail about geological events, and minerals. Wouldnt recommnen
Kent is one of the worst professors I have ever had. He, himself, not that bad probably a good person, and tries to be funny. But this class. SUCKS. Worst entry-level class ever, treats it like a graduate class. I wish there was any other possible professor but sadly there was not. Just try to do your best, you may not end with the grade you want.
If you study very hard for at least for 5 hours everyday, you will still not be able to get a C grade. Seriously though, this class is probably the most difficult one in UKY. IDK about the Prof, since it was online class. If you get an a in his class, call me I will pay for your tuition.
I really see this as a pointless class, that will take up large amounts of your time. The tests are completely memorization and there is a TON of material to memorize. Unless you're very passionate about rocks and minerals and considering this as an elective, AVOID THIS CLASS. If you're an engineer, you'll study for this the same as calc classes.
He seems like he'd be a nice guy but he's not a good professor. He randomly takes attendance and targets students who aren't there by taking attendance on those days. This is a 100 level course and he treats it as so much more. I have taken 400 level courses that were not as difficult as this course. I've also taken other EES classes with no prob.
Thought this would be an easy class, I was wrong. Do not take this class if you don't have to, for exams he uses lockdown browser and the camera stays on during the exam. He does seem like a cool guy though.
This was by far the most difficult class ever taken. He uses computer/eye detecting software to monitor online exams. Lectures are extremely long and you have to remember countless concepts and terms for exams. Homework every week and is difficult. Kent himself seems like a good person and he is very passionate about geology but difficult class.
this course ruined my life.
Mr. Ratajeski seems like a professor that is passionate and willing to help. However, between the lectures and the required videos, it is not unreasonable for a student to spend 1.5 hours watching the videos on some weeks. This doesn't include the weekly homework and studying for closed-note tests. I've taken other EES classes that were easier.
Dr. R is an insanely tough grader. His archaic style of grading severely wrecks your grade. No matter how often you go to class and participate, how well you do on homework or a quiz, if you fail an exam you fail the class. His exams are so difficult that I had to get help from my other geology professor and she knew the exams were hard.
Kent is overall, or at least seems to be, a solid dude. However his exams are incredibly tough. The exams are based on things that he says in lecture. Anything that he says can be on the exams. The powerpoints are very image heavy. Makes you wonder whether he wants you to grasp concepts or just wants to know people listen to him when he talks.
Thought it would be a normal, easy gen ed class, I was so wrong. Takes this course so seriously, basically making it a 300/400 level course. So many details you need to know and so many homework's and quizzes. Worst teacher I have ever had throughout my schooling career.
Just a slides reader, extremely boring lectures in my opinion. Hard to retain anything from the majority of his lectures, I only remembered about 3 of the lectures he gave us from the whole semester. Class is very hard, and has 6 exams.
class was unnecessarily difficult, outside of the scope of an 100 level class. He told us exams would be based on "general understanding" but all things had to be memorized including dates etc. Overall, this class was frustrating and asked way more than the capabilities of a non geology major.
I took this class thinking it would be an easy credit and its online, but was I wrong. I assume the professor is a great guy, but he makes this class a living hell. It fully online and he makes super long lecture videos and the tests are extremely hard. DO NOT TAKE IT BECAUSE YOU THINK IT WILL BE AN EASY CORE CREDIT
I was initially excited to take this course, but that was short lived. The lectures are long, boring and mandatory. Speaking of exams, there are a lot of them, all of which require lockdown browser. The minutiae of details you have to memorize for an entry level class is insane. DONT TAKE THIS CLASS!
Dr. R's class was difficult, but also one of my favorites this semester. Stick to the syllabus schedule, show up, take good notes, and stay proactive and you'll be fine. If you are a big procrastinator it will probably feel like a lot but it is manageable.
This professor is very passionate about his profession. He is very strict with grading and does nothing to give students any chance of improving their grades. On the other hand, as college students and adults, it is up to you to put in the effort. Show up, take thorough notes, and study. Do your best, and push through if you take this course.
Kent is all around a great guy. He is a genuine guy that is very educated and passionate about what he teaches. However , as someone who takes this class just to satisfy credit, I highly recommend you do not take this. This class is taught like a 300/400 level class. The tests are practically impossible with highly specific questions.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
55%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.35 avg changeRatings by Course
EES 220
4.0
(1)ECON371
4.0
(1)GLY220
3.4
(12)EES360
3.3
(3)GLY110
3.0
(16)Difficulty by Course
220
5.0
GLY120
5.0
GLY235
5.0
GEO101
5.0
GEO210
5.0