2.9
Quality3.0
Difficulty19%
Would Retake178
Reviews19%
Would Retake
178
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
34
4
37
3
36
2
39
1
32
What Students Say
“Try getting a tutor for your project, it helps”
GPY307 - 1.0 rating“Exams and labs are easy enough but he does not prepare students at all for the final project”
GPY200 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.00 avg changeRatings by Course
GPY235GPY100
5.0
(1)GYP
4.0
(1)GEOGRAPHY
4.0
(1)GEO
4.0
(1)235
3.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
GYP100
4.0
GPY370
3.8
GPY307
3.7
GPY200
3.7
GPY100235
3.5
Reviews (178)
Lectures out of book, class quizs unclear, difficult class to attend
you could never go to class and pass the exams, lectures are boring. Not hard.
quizzes are unclear, lectures from book. not an exciting class at all.
Why go to class? all you have to do is look at the pics in the book
class moves slow, but bear with him.....he gets the point across
review sheets dont help, slow to grade, BAD TEACHER
Seems a little overworked, but nice; deserves more respect from students
Taught the diagrams in the book, do not take him if at all possible
most boring class i have ever had! went once every other week and got a B.
boring. bring a pillow, not tough, but again.......boring
BOREING!! Steer clear! He can't teach to save his life!!!!!
boring class, but easy, good personality
Tests and quizzes easy, and he is avaliable to help when needed
No Comments
No Comments
He's a good prof...very easy class...tests very easy so are quizes
No Comments
Hey if I wanted to learn about China I would move to China
Boring, but intelligent. Easy class.
Lectures are somewhat boring. Quizzes and exams are not too hard.
SO BORING. Quizes are easy, tests are sorta easy. BUT SO BORING
Easy class and a really nice guy.
No Comments
remember being able to have a drink in his class is a privelage
Map quizes are easy, tests alittle harder, Nice guy, lectures mostly.
I'm getting an A......try studying for a change.....it works!!!
Incredibly boring but easy. Lectures are outline of book.
boring lectures, but a nice guy and an easy grader
Really nice professor, you will learn a lot without a lot of work.
excellent prof. highly recommend him, just study!
Nice guy, knowledgeable, and runs class in an interesting and easy way.
good prof, easy but learned alot
Highly recomended, Fair, Good Prof makes Geography interesting
No Comments
Horrible dry lectures but easy grader on test and projects. It's a easy class just unbelievabley boring.
No Comments
very dry boring lectures, if you can make it through them you will be fine. tests aren't too bad but too hard for 100 level class
Basic lectures: bore you to death and have nothing to do with his hard exams
MOST BORING CLASS! The man belongs in a lab, not in a classroom. Exam question do not have anything to do with his lectures. Do not take him!
EASY! Never read and did other homework in class. I just used the study sheet for the tests and got an A in the class. Labs are a breeze. Boring lectures but easy work and tests.
Taking the mon. night class was a drag. Make sure to get the study sheet. He's a good guy, but boring. Willing to help out.
He's a very good teacher, I think everything was fairly balanced in terms of how much time each region got, it's not a very hard class.
This is a great teacher. NOT very boring at all. Uses pictures from all over the world during his lectures, has map quizzes, and uses many different types of teaching aids. I learned a ton!
No Comments
Nice guy, but his lectures are beyond dry. Uses a PowerPoint presentation straight outta the book...so at least he saved me 70 bucks.
He moves fast through the chapters, but if you stay on top of the readings, its not too bad. He is very structured, which is nice for a geography class.
RUN!!!!!!!!!!! If you don't fall asleep first!
Easy class, just BORING! I learned a lot, but monday night was a drag
Lectures are very boring! Power Point presentations all the time. Moves through the chapters quick but if you go to class you'll be fine. Tests and projects seem hard but Prof. Ma is an easy grader and always willing to help.
Some of the tests were hard but it's a fun class and you will do good if you want to and really try to
LECTURES ARE SO BORING THAT YOU WILL FALL ASLEEP EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT SLEEPY. Tests are easy if you study one day before it. DON'T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO DO PORTFOLIO!!!!!!! CAN STILL GET A GOOD GRADE EVEN IF YOU SLEEP THROUGH ALL LECTURES!!!!!!!!!
This class was easy. No need to read the book because he tells you everything in the chapters. He says the portfolio is tough... but, it doesnt take that long to do. Study an hour or 2 for each exam and you will get an A.
He is a really nice guy, but a little hard to follow. As long as you study the review sheets you will do well on the tests.
He is the most boring teacher on the face of this EARTH! Your mind can't help but to wander in his damn class.100 level classes are suppose to be easy? Yeah well he sure did fool the hell out of me. Don't take this man ever!
If you do the work and pay attention in class its an easy A. Mr. Ma is always willing to help if you ask.
I thought he was a good professor. He pretty much just follows the book and is really good at returning emails. Study guides are really broad and exams are somewhat hard.
Extremely boring, dont bother taking notes, can study for tests the day before and pass them all. Takes attendence so you have to sit through the bordem.
You can skip his class for 9 weeks and still get a B in the class! Trust me.... work on the review sheets before exams, and prepare for all the essays... don't worry, they aren't difficult.
Class is pretty boring, tests are very, you can study off the guide and get a good grade easily.
This class is so boring, lectures are pointless-taught myself from the book. Study guides are very broad and cover way too much material. Too hard for a 100 level class... not worth it to take him.
Easy boring class.
Boring, boring, boring. He could mix things up a bit more. Nice guy though. Portfolio is long but easy, and tests are not so bad. Go to class and you'll do fine.
Extremely boring. The study guides are super vague, but if you do the essays before the test and you look over your notes and the study guide, the test isn't too hard. Participate in class A LOT or you won't get the full points.
nice guy, but very boring. didnt have to study for his tests, or quizes. the portfolio can be done the night before and still get a good grade.
I learned a lot in his class. Althouhg it was kinda boring. I was more knowledgeable of the subject after taking the class. If you go to class, take good notes and use the study guides you'll do fine. there is a portfolio to do also but its an easy A
Teaches straight from powerpoint, which are posted on BB. Lecture seems to drag on forever. Group activities waste of time. Study guides too vague. Fill out the blank map before the quiz, study the essays, and you'll do well.
His lectures are pretty boring. You gotta love him for trying though. He is also very good at keeping the students informed and gives you review sheets for the quiz and exams. Overall he's not too bad.
Interesting... He gives you the essay topics, map quizes are EASY, seems like MC on exam have nothing to do with what he give on reveiw sheet (was a waste of my time). Tries to be funny making comments like "It's gonna be hoppin"...
He's pretty nice, but really boring. It seems like a lot of busy work, and like he is trying to make the class harder than it needs to be. Exams are okay if you study and map quizzes are really easy! Portfolio is a waste of time.
Class was pretty hard for a 200 level and he is very picky on labs. Tests aren't that easy either be prepared to work.
The Class is not hard if you go to class and take good notes. The map quizzes are simple and he gives 15 points extra credit. Make sure you give yourself a lot of time to work on the Portfolio, don't do a half-ass job or you won't get the points. I like the professor, he can be funny sometimes.
By the book kind of a guy. he is very clear on what he wants, study the guides that he gives you and it will be fine. There is a portfolio that is kind of a pain if it is put off....get it done early. He's ok, not too much personality and he thinks he's funny but isn't at all.
overall not to bad
he is a nice guy, but his tests kind of suck. they are somewhat hard and have virtually nothing to do with his study guides. on the other hand he does give you the essay topics and his map quizzes are extremely easy. there is extra credit chances too. if you dont want to study alot then leave.
He is clear in what he wants. But the portfolio sucks terribly and he likes to eat in class and he makes throat noises while he does and its just plain annoying he need to stop the eat and not try to be funny. This was a really easy class but he always wants to know whose been some where, gay
The class has the potential to be pretty sweet, but it's super boring. The portfolio sucks kinda bad, and the tests are verrry specific. If you read the book as you go along, you should do well. Bring a pillow though. He seems like a cool guy, but he needs to liven up a little.
Very nice prof and helpful but VERY HARD. Time consuming class. This class took up more time then all my others. Does give reviews for exams. Map quizes help boost grade. MUST GO TO CLASS EVERY DAY, attendence taken
Lectures were kindof vague and were usually NOT interesting at all. Tests are kinda hard but not too bad. AVERAGE professor, nothing more...
Did't read the book, didn't listen in class. Studied for map quizzes and do the review sheet before each exam and I did fine. I took the class pass/fail but ended up getting a B+ and I averaged C's on all my tests haha
I thought this class was very unclear and his classes are very scattered and unclear. Then the test comes and he adds about fifty questions to it that are not even mentioned in class. Plus he also likes to push his political agenda on his students. Quizzes are very easy, tests are very difficult.
Prof. Ma is SUPER nice guy once you work with him. He spent hours with me on a project and was very caring about everything. He comes across very dry in class but he is to the point and you know what to expect. He isn't hard if you stay up on the materials.
Kin is a great guy. He is also a great teacher. He really makes sure that you know your stuff. That is BIG bonus for us GPY majors. If all of the Grand Valley teachers were this thorough, we'd all be ten times more knowledgeable on our subject.
Kin is a nice guy and all, but he shows up late to class constantly, reads straight from the powerpoint, and all together doesn't make the class interesting. I get a grade poorer than my other classes just because I'm not inspired to want to try to learn any ot his stuff.
Class has potentional to be interesting, but his is not. Very boring and dry lectures. Likes to run the class like we are all still in high school. He can act like a jerk sometimes. Quizzes are simple, but tests are really hard. Also takes attendence everyday. Does give plenty of Extra credit.
He's a pretty funny guy and is concerned with how well you learn the material, but the tests are very hard. Quizzes are easy and so is the portfolio...just give yourself a couple weeks to work on it before it's due and you'll be fine. Talked a lot, but class wasn't that boring. Nice guy.
Kin is an interesting fellow. Likes what he teaches but I don't think he is a real expert in the field. Tries to make a boring class interesting, do the study guides and you will be fine.
Kin Ma is the biggest dumbass ive ever had as a professor. He doesnt know what the hell he's talking about in his lectures. I suggest you try to get another professor cuz this guy is worthless.
Very orginized and knew his subject well. The tests are not easy so be sure to study alot. The portfolio was not difficult, but very time consuming. I thought it should have counted for more points than the map tests which were easy if you prepared. Overall an excellent prof!
My only 100 level class, it's for some reason the most difficult to deal with. Prof Ma's exam prep guides are next to worthless, the labs are written to be as confusing as possible, and the lectures are 1 hour and 30 minutes of monotonous sleep-inducing powerpoint slideshows. If you have him, good luck, you're going to need it.
Good teacher, seems to know his stuff. Quizes are easy as long as you do the study guide. Take him if you have to take this class.
he was un organized with his lecture on the countries. He spent 10 min on Puerto Rico, 5 on India and 3 Weeks on China. Do you see a problem? I know I do!
This is the hardest 100 level class I have ever taken. The study guides are little help in preparing for the exams. You could study all day and never be able to figure out what off the wall questions are going to be on the test. The you have place names on the test that are never even discussed over the course of the lectures.
Yes, this class is hard, but there's no such thing as a 200-level class, so they throw it all at you in the 100 level. Prof Ma isn't a bad guy at all. I liked him and he's definitely knowledgeable, but his lectures are very, very dry and slow. His humor is hit-or-miss, but he tries. His exams are tough, and the study guides are vague at best.
This class by far is the hardest I have ever had and its 100 level course. Lots of hard work goes into preparing before taking one of his exams. His study guides are vegue and sometimes not helpful. Make sure you see him during his office hours about the labs becouse he thinks he is clear about his written directions when he is not. Lectures=Boring
I would suggest running....NOW, while you can. you'll regret if you don't later.
Terrible lecturer. That's all the classes were about. They were hardly informative, all he did was show pictures and ramble on about them. The labs were easy; he makes them sound harder than they are. His study guides for exams are terrible - there are questions not on the guide that are on his exams. Good luck with that one. Nice guy, though.
Kin is a very intelligent man. I have personally benefitted from having him. If you are a geography major, he makes sure that you know your stuff. That is one of the MOST important factors of a teacher. Not if you get an easy A, if you learn the material. He is extremely successful at that.
I hated this class!!!! His lectures are so boring they will put anyone to sleep! He is very stubborn and there are only 5 major grades for the class. No late work excepted. I would never take a class with him again!
A very good professor, but not an easy one. He expects a lot, but is fair in his grading and expectations. His study guides are far from vague, they give all the elements on the exams, you just have to take the time to study them.
I found that he does not prepare you for the tests very well. His test are hard.
his lectures are based off of very cluttered powerpoints. he tries to explain things, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. the tests have nothing to do with the actual lectures... you must read the book, however, there is too much reading. the most boring person ever. very strict attendance policy and bad participation grading scale. bad!
A very good professor. His powerpoint lectures are based exactly what is in the book and on the test. There is a lot of material to know, so the tests aren't easy, but with his notes, study guide and if you actually read the book, they are not hard to get an A on. To get participation pts just show up and make some comments in class.
A really nice guy, very willing to help during office hours, but his public speaking skills are definitely lacking. Powerpoints are disorganized and somewhat unrelated to test material, and he usually has a difficult time getting a point across clearly. Not an easy class, but do-able if you study mostly from the book.
Very nice guy, and wants you to actually learn the material. His tests are pretty hard, but I studied a lot and never got under an 88. The projects are easy and are grade boosters. Just study hard for the tests, and come to class and you should be fine. Lectures can drag on at times though.
so this class is a challenge, especially if you are expecting atypical 100 level class. the tests are pretty challenging because of the way he words them. lectures are drab and have lack of information. but if you have some dedication you will make out ok
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!! His tests are WAY harder than he ever makes the material seem in class or on his study guides. It's his way or the highway. He's a nice guy, and attempts to be funny...he's probably better in the upper level classes...but he's horrible for a 100 level class. Book is necessary if you want to get a decent grade on tests.
He is nice, but pretty boring to listen to. His lectures are all power point, and they are very uninteresting. The class isnt too hard though. Labs are really easy, and he gives review guides. If you study for the exams, you should do fine.
He is the most boring professor ever, but a very nice guy. The material is uninteresting and Ma does nothing to make it better. Tests have multiple choice questions that are made to trick you and confuse. Grueling lectures!
Very knowledgeable. Good for subject matter, but not the best for an exciting class. Can get by without reading much at all.
Class was kind of like common knowledge. Tests had some ridiculous questions on them, but overall it was easy enough. He likes to talk about China and has a big section about it. Map Quizes are a breeze. Easy but sometimes boreing. Dont need the book.
He loves China and he does have positive comments about it governmental system. The class is generally easy and anyone with a good geography class in high school will skate on this one.
Cares about geography in ways that few do. Lectures are boring. Tests are easy if you do the study guides.
I got a good grade in the class, but it's really hard to know what he wants. He's not very clear and when he tries to be he's even more confusing. This was a geography of asia class and he grades participation very hard even though he doesn't tell you how he does it till the end of the semester. He favors people heavily when they've been to Asia.
Knowledgable, but expects too much from students considering the large amount of material covered in a short amount of time
This class was difficult, he expects the students to do way to much in my opinion. The exams were extremely hard but all the rest of graded material was super easy. 7 map quizzes that were a breeze. Attendance and participation was strict be prepared to speak in class or your looking at a bad score there. Very knowledgable but gets no respect.
You dont use the book at all except for when you do the study guides. The exams are confusing bc he doesn't cover everything that is on the exams in class.he uses powerpoints but he never has them available for you until after hes done teaching that section, Attendance is a must no excuses and be prepared to talk in class.
Powerpoints and lectures through the whole semester. Very boring but he is very enthusiastic about the material. He is extremely nice and will laugh at his own jokes. :) I would recommend this professor.
Excellent professor. Well-organized. Powerpoints and many online materials. A couple papers but he explains exactly what he expects on them and how he will grade them. Very fair and understanding with attendance. Enthusiastic about the subject and he made the 8:30am class very interesting. I highly recommend this professor.
NOT RECOMMENDED. Doesn't explain things well. He has a power point running during class and most of the stuff in his powerpoints aren't very helpful. His class is boring, the readings are extensive, the tests are hard and tricky. The map quizzes can be difficult also. TAKE MY ADVICE, DONT TAKE THIS CLASS. I REGRET TAKING THIS CLASS.
Worst professor ever. I had to go to the Dean of the department and complain about his lack of teaching style, lack of grading, and not following the Syllabus. Needless to say, I dropped the class and he was severely punished by the department. DO NOT TAKE HIM!
I took him for Gpy 100 and 235, I got an A- in 235 and I will pry get a c in this class. Attendance is mandatory he makes a check mark on the attendance sheet everytime you speak and thats 15% of ur grade.exams r really hard and the labs r poiontless He is very demeaning and always makes you stay late. I would not recomend him I hated this class
He is so hooked on his animations he forgets to find better ways to teach. His exams are somewhat off the wall his multiple choice questions could be two answers every time...his essays are easy. 3 labs that are tideous but give you extra points in the class. do the extra credit so you dont get a C.
Doesnt explain things well, expects a lot out of you. You dont learn anything from his power points. Do well on the map quizes to keep from having a D. I do not recommend this teacher at all.
Lots of complaints for this professor. The information contained in his lecture powerpoints was a combination of obvious generalities and arbitrary facts without any context. When presenting this information, he often spoke vaguely and inarticulately. I aced his midterm take-home essay, but his grading seemed to be based on writing mechanics.
Wonderful Professor! He did an amazing job explaining today's conflicts along with past conflicts. Really helpful, and really wants you to succeed. The quizzes are easy, and the tests are moderately easy. Keep up with the work and you'll ace it!
A very annoying man. Most of the points I got wrong were due to grammar. For instance, he marked me down for using "can't" instead of "cannot". It's a fine class as far as material, but the lectures killed me.
Oh I loved him! I thought he was a great prof. He was very clear on what he wanted, but he is a stickler on grammar and sentence structure when it comes to essays. His tests and quizzes are easy. Go to lecture and you'll get an A. :)
I would not recommend taking this class to fill the gen ed requirement. In-class map quizzes were easy and straight forward, but the final exam was difficult because we hadn't ever been given any assessment over the material he lectured over everyday until the final exam. Also participation was a large portion of the grade.
He sort of teaches like you're in high school and tries to make jokes. Good guy in general. His powerpoints aren't very helpful so you better take good notes because his exams cover a lot of material and are really thorough.
Awesome teacher just come to class and pay attention. He outlines everything for you and puts his power points online. Plus he is a really friendly professor!
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! He is the worst professor I have ever had. His power points are not helpful at all, his lectures are boring, and his exams are hard. He does not cover material very well and says the class average for exams are higher than they really are. I regret taking this class, take a different gen ed!
Not the best professor at GV. Pros about this prof: friendly Cons: his powerpoints are confusing. When he lectures, midway through his sentence he will jump to a different point and not finish the original sentence he started with. The reviews he gave us for the test were not helpful nor specific to what was going to be on the test.
Not a good gen ed to take. Although you may push this class aside and hope it is easy, it is not. You have to work for a good grade in his class. To get a good grade, be prepared to take notes the whole time he lectures and review them. The reviews he gives for the exams don't help much and you need to research a lot of the terms.
Professor Ma is incredibly condescending and extremely unhelpful. He favors geography students and will put their success ahead of yours. Every time I asked him for help he would confuse me more or just give up. His lectures are right off the powerpoint and the labs can be done while he talks. Try getting a tutor for your project, it helps.
Be prepared for a lot of boring lectures. Also he focuses extensively on Asia, so if you're not really interested in Asia, dont take the class with him. He loves to help people, but isnt clear on what he says and often acts as if youve done something wrong when you ask for clarification. Be prepared for bad jokes.
This professor is not very insightful. He talks the entire class, yet grades on participation point, and leaves no open window to participate. Don't ask question because he does this weird sound that makes you feel stupid. If you could avoid this professor, I would take that opportunity.
Do yourself a favor and do not take this professor! He is not helpful. Even if you ask him for guidance, he is not willing to assist.
Prof. MA is a tough teacher to follow. His lectures are spastic, he takes months to grade papers, and when you ask for help he offers no advice. Although this class is required for many students, if you want to keep a decent GPA, I would strongly recommend taking another professor. Good Luck
This professor had very extensive keynotes that were even more confusing. If you go to class make sure you try and take notes, although it won't be easy because he tends to jump around and move through the slides pretty fast. His exams and study guides cover a huge amount of information. He focuses more on E. Asia than any other area.
This is an intro course for GIS, but it seemed like he expected students to have a lot of background in geography, which I did not have because I took this for NRM. His lectures are more about the geography/inner workings of the program and not how to use the program itself. Labs are straightforward and easy, but lecture exams are tough.
He only posts his lectures and labs in a desktop folder in the GIS lab he's teaching in. It is SO. FRUSTRATING. When I'm at home & I want to go over some labs &/or a powerpoint for the exam, I'm SOL because they aren't available. Uses blackboard infrequently, often takes things down for no discernible reason (but you're still supposed to know it)
Very good lectures however, they do not pertain to the coursework. Two papers, 5+ papers each, graded very hard. Three very easy quizzes. Up to 10 extra credit points area offered.
Professor Ma is an unreasonable grader when it comes to the papers you have to write. There were 2 papers that were assignments and a paper you had to write after attending a cultural event. If he likes you (and you participate) you will get less marked down, if not then expect your paper to be graded like an English professor would.
His lectures are very boring and I have a hard time staying awake in class. He also tries very hard to convince students to become a Geography major. He also has poor time management. He will make the first exam over the first three chapters, however, he only covered chapter three in one class period. However, I found his class easy to pass.
His lectures drag on and his power points aren't helpful at all. He doesn't tell you what will be on tests and will slam you with a quiz, exam, and quiz back to back to back in classes. I self taught myself most of the information in this class because his lectures aren't that relevant to the tough exam questions.
I have had this professor many times, for 200 level class to 400 level class. He does create power points and teaches off of them, his labs/project can be challenging. But this is a class that you have to put in the effort. I think I am a pretty lazy student, and I get an A in his classes, but I attended all of his class and did all the work
Your grade will only be a few things, which are mostly papers. "Teacher" is kind of an overstatement he basically is just a talker. He does know what he is talking about and will explain any questions you have. Choose a good person to sit by the first day.
posts power points on blackboard but they are so hard to understand. reviews for tests are useless, class felt like it dragged on through boring lectures, buying the textbook was useless, warns you a day before quizzes that there is one, though they're easy . 20/20 if you study right . definitely wouldnt take his class again. very smart guy though
If you study hard for the tests, you will pass. Do well on all of the geography quizzes, which are easy. The 3 exams and 6-7 quizzes are virtually the only thing that matter to your grade. Save your effort for studying for these. This professor has frustrating lectures, and he takes attendance. Show up for class, and do homework for other classes.
Exams and labs are easy enough but he does not prepare students at all for the final project. This is an intro class and he expected everyone to know how to find data and clean it up for arcmap with literally no previous expericne. Dont bother asking for help hes probably the least helpful professor Ive ever had.
The lab is divided evenly between lectures & labs. The lectures are straight to the point and mildly interactive, but there all online and you do not really need them until the exams (3 in total). The 7 labs are all done independently and all the textbook says exactly what to do. Until the final lab where you have to do EVERYTHING without much help
GPY 353 is based on the textbook, and Prof. Ma lectures matched up to the book. He lectures the whole time and added personal experience. Participation and attendance is part of your grade. He gave no test, only 3 map quizzes so the final exam was hard. Quizzes were easy if you studied. He had one big group project that spans the whole semester.
Really nice guy if you talk to him, just make sure to relate to through Asian foods or visiting places in Asia. I did miss a quiz that he moved around multiple days and he didnt let me take it. The reason Im writing this is to inform that he will give you a lot of work during finals week and I wish someone wouldve told me that.
Professor Ma is one of the worst professors at GVSU. Avoid at all costs!! He made an issues course the hardest I've ever taken at Grand Valley. He grades insanely hard on papers and has zero sense of humor. Terrible professor and doesn't reward those you even try. He boasts about not giving students A's!
Tough professor but you do learn in his class
Ma's lectures are very boring and will lose your attention fast. It's hard to understand what we are even learning when he uses his powerpoints and talks monotone over them. The only real grades are the labs which are very confusing and time-consuming because they cover content he is supposed to teach us, but his lectures don't leave an impression.
Worst class I've taken at GV. Takes FOREVER to grade material & hand it back. You'll be wondering how you did on a test/lab for weeks, maybe even months! Unacceptable imo. He's nice and cares about his students but I considered changing my major I hated this class so much. Don't buy the book it's just throwing money away! I owe Google my life!!
GPY353 is a pretty easy class. You have 3 map quizzes a semester on states, cities, and rivers, and a few papers throughout the semester. He does grade for participation, but hes a nice guy and its a fun class.
Prof Ma was fine, I just wish there were more opportunities for points (there are basically no assignments outside of class). You will have to do well on your tests, map quizzes, and group project to get a good grade in this class. He's helpful with student questions/concerns though.
He is a very nice guy and just seems very innocent. I feel bad that we do not engage more as a class, however, the class is boring. The lectures are boring and very hard to sit through. The lectures barely help in the exam and the multiple choice is very hard. The map quizzes are easy if you study but except to do bad o the exam unless you studyalo
I actually hate this professor. He's a great guy but absolutely sucks at teaching. He doesn't know how to explain things and he makes everything more complicated than it should be. He is so extra and everything he does and has his students do could be done SO much easier.
This professor is so awful at explaining everything, and he has terrible online organization skills. He has no idea how to efficiently use blackboard and in every assignment I found remnants of years past because he half updates the instructions for the next year and leaves behind outdated, confusing, unnecessary details. Get the workbook online.
Our final exam is today... he only has 2 grades in blackboard! I literally don't know if I'm failing or getting an A. His class does not prepare you for a job either, because his projects and tests are all on useless info about satellites instead of actual remote sensing. His class was a waste of time, he demonstrates no real knowledge in GIS.
Literally only had 2 grades in the entire semester and had no idea how well I was doing in the class. He lectures on and on but seems like he's just making it up as he goes. His labs are detailed, but sometimes aren't accurate, and I've spent up to 8 hours on one before. Won't respond to emails so don't bother sending one. Find another professor!
There are many bad ratings on here, BUT I enjoyed the subject & taking the class has inspired me to add a GIS certificate to my major! Prof Ma is VERY kind, his teaching is just not great. Long lectures, moving quick through lessons (1 lab due each week), & didnt put grades in until the last week. That stressed me out, but I got an A in the class.
Unfortunately, this is the second class I've taken with Professor Ma (I left a review on GPY 235 too). His lectures are heavy and the exams are really hard. It's not easy to ace this class. He's a nice and helpful person, but doesn't use Blackboard very efficiently, making instructions unclear.
Absolutely the worst professor I have had through my time at GVSU. The lectures are extremely boring and Professor Ma struggles to answer student questions in a way that makes sense. It is the last week of classes and he still hasn't put in grades from the third week of class.
Doesn't grade on time, doesn't give a lot of extra credit chances, exams are ridiculous. Would not recommend.
Overall horrible professor. He waited until 10 hours before final grades were due to put in all of the lab grades, which were turned in months ago. I went into finals having no idea what my grade actually was since I was missing grades from every assignment and labs. Also the lectures and PowerPoints were close to useless.
If you miss class, Ma will ask you for proof of whatever reason you give for missing. A classmate was asked to send information about which hospital they were at after missing a couple of weeks for medical reasons. He is understanding of some things, but seems skeptical when giving any reason for absence. He also will pile on work towards finals.
If you have no prior background using arcgis pro, or if you are not very tech savy DO NOT take this class. I thought I was pretty good with technology but I quickly realized that I was not. He did not at all go over this program, threw us to the wolves and said good luck. I took this online so I cannot speak to how it is in person fyi
Professor Ma's GPY307 class is challenging, but engaging. While the lectures can move quickly and the workload is heavy, using resources like the textbook, study sessions, and unstuckstudy helped me stay on top of the material and earn a solid grade.
Prof Ma is nice and funny, but when you ask any question, you will never be answered clearly. Labs were a learning curve but manageable. However, the lectures are rushed and are very inefficiently set up, making tests hard. Confusing instructions and class in general and grades aren't put in for months. Only the ArcGIS tutorial book is needed.
Kin Ma is very dedicated to his field and the class as a whole was good. My only issues come with his tough grading, on the midterm the class average was around 70% (not terrible) but the highest grade was only an 88% (tough when a 95% is an A). Also be prepared for a busy finals week with a poster/report, presentation, review paper and final exam.
he's a nice guy but an awful professor. switched to arcgis pro super late & hasn't updated lectures & clearly isn't familiar with software. textbook is always on locations based out of cuyahoga co in ohio rather than anything else that could give us more practice. lectures are hardly related to textbook material & probably haven't been updated
Worst prof I have ever had. Lectures are sparse and boring, a lab due every week, does not prepare his INTRO LEVEL students for the huge final poster project, crams so much into the last two weeks, does not post grades, exams are arbitrary and confusing, does not answer emails. Worst thing, he is condescending and rude when answering questions.
His course material is not informative at all, the labs do not go into anything useful about remote sensing, everyone argues points on exams and he admits he wrote the question incorrectly. He assigns a final presentation and gives you two weeks to do it with no prior training on how to actually make the maps. You only need the arcgis workbook.
If you have him, I am so sorry. He takes forever to grade things, when we took our final, there were labs from before midterms to post so you can't calculate your estimated grade. He also grades very unfairly and weird, never responds to emails, deflects answering questions, pokes fun, and is overall difficult. Every bad review about him is true.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
33%
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GPY235GPY100
5.0
(1)GYP
4.0
(1)GEOGRAPHY
4.0
(1)GEO
4.0
(1)235
3.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
GYP100
4.0
GPY370
3.8
GPY307
3.7
GPY200
3.7
GPY100235
3.5