3.6
Quality2.4
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake107
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
107
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
44
4
26
3
22
2
7
1
8
What Students Say
“He is very smart and educated”
OCEAN115 - 3.0 rating“UM WHOEVER SAYS HE IS AN EASY TEACHER MUST HAVE CHEATED OR ARE EXTREMELY SMART”
SSSSS - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.02 avg changeRatings by Course
115116
5.0
(1)OC
5.0
(1)OCEON115
5.0
(1)OCENOGRAPHY
5.0
(1)OCEAN105
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
SCIENCE
5.0
OCEANOGRA115
5.0
OCEA115
5.0
GEO101
4.0
OCEANO115
4.0
Reviews (107)
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Very Very Very easy teacher, His tests were ALL true false questions with two short answer questions sometimes at the end. It's hard to get lower than a C in the class, pretty easy to get a B. His accent makes it a little hard to understand though.
Besttttttt Teacher I've ever had. Dr.Pal is a very intelligent man. He knows everything about everything!!!!!! I think everyone should take Dr. Pal's class and get some real education and knowledge for a change. Go Dr.Pal
Boring as hell but a nice man. Easy to get a good grade in his class but hard to stay awake.
Dr. Pal is very very nice and helpful teacher. He is the best teacher you can ever have in your life. I wish all of my teachers were like hime. He is very understanding. He is the best teacher at GCC. He is also very funny.
He's a cool guy..but I didn't like him as a prof because his accent is bad and you can't really understand what he's saying, and the questions he asks on the test have nothing to do with what he lectures on in class. hes a cool guy, really easy going and chill..but not a good teahcer. and hes boring
the class is boring but hes a great guy. the class is so ez you have no idea. there is no way not to get an a in his class
YESSS!!!! HIS ACCENT!! u need an English-Indian translater or something especially if you're foriegn student like me....but i think even native speaker are having a hard time understand him anyway..But hey! He's nice guy..take time to talk and teach. He will answer all QT you have after class.
PAL IS A REALLY COOL AND SOMETIMES FUNNY TEACHER. HE REALLY PUTS HIS STUDENTS DOWN AND CANNOT PRONOUNCE WORDS FOR SH*T. BUT HE IS EASY I NEVER WENT TO CLASS AND GOT A C
big time accent problem you learn sh#t in his class.take him for the hell of it. not so easy but steel you can cheat eassily..
THE BEST TEACHER EVER...tests are sooo easy. I never went to class and I got a B in his class. BEST TEACHER EVERRRRRRRRRR!
Very good teacher. I don't know if he is so easy, but I worked a lot in his class, and I learned a lot. I still remember many things we read about. And for me it was interesting. I recommend this teacher, he is great.
Very cool, smart, and fair. Great teacher take him for sure.
This class was not the easiest class but i still got an A. I never went to class, just got some help on the tests. Make sure you take the SI class... that helps alot, especially on the final. Be carefull of his accent. You don't understand anything.
How come you got an A, but the grades are not ready yet??? Are you trying to confuse us???
The best teacher I have ever seen. Very passionate,and knowledgeable. Those who wants to learn something must take his class. Those who want to get an easy A should try something different.Thank you so much Dr. Poorna.
his class is really boring. i didn't learn anything from him, seriously. his accent sucks.(not a good grader)
No Comments
I took the class but had to drop it because I couldn't understand what he was saying because of his thick accent.
You can't understand one word he says. His boring lectures have nothing to do with the tests. The class is a complete joke. The lowest grade he gives on the tests is a C. He can't teach at all plus after every test he insults the whole class by calling them stupid and says they should drop out of college.
He knows the subject very well. He always gives extra credit assignments. IF YOU ARE LAZY DO NOT USE HIS ACCENT AS AN EXCUSE.. READ YOUR BOOK..AND DON'T BE LAZY GOOD LUCK..
read the book, go to the class, get an A then sMilE It's NoT hard
He's a really nice guy. His class is not that interesting unless you are a science major however as long as you study his tests are not that difficult. Pay attention and ask questions. His accent may be tough at first however you get used to it. As long as you read and study, you will be fine.
Dr. Pal is awsome....he's the reason that I got my degree in geology!
Funny ass hell, u cant understand anything just sit and listen to him ur day will pass, his accent is so funny
i really didn't go to class i went to the SI constantly and got an A in the class. his thick accent was a problem, but he is not a bad teacher, just a little confusing. he has a thick accent and on top of that he uses big educative words!! you come outa there wondering if he spoke English @ all!!
like everyone else said, his accent makes him hard to understand at first. he givse 3 tests and an oceanography cruise and drops your lowest score. he starts babbling on things that are off topic for way too long sometimes, which is annoying, but hes a nice person. dont be lazy like my classmates and whine and complain every 2 seconds & youll be ok
his environmental geology class rocks...lol! he's funny and teaches the materials pretty well. he doesn't assign homework or any other assignment. 3 test(counts only 2) and a final. just be sure you can easily understand his accent, which isn't really bad but you do need to concentrate on what he says at times. Smart guy!!!
Dr.Pal is extremely intelligent. If you go to class and listen carefully, you can understand him. I learned a lot in his class. His accent isn't that bad. LAZY people take advantage of him because they don't go to class and expect an A. I strongly recommend going to SI.
pal is a very smart guy that loves to talk, and talk, and talk. The lab is more difficult than the class. The most impportant thing to do in order to pass his class, is for you to talk to him alot (about anything you want) , and make him rememeber your name. Overall, very cool guy, chill class.
Dr. Pal is the best teacher at GCC. Take him if you can you wont regret. He is very funny and easy trust me.
Dr. Pal is a great professor, he has passion in his field because his class ends at the exactly the time on the schedule! Everything he talked about was very interesting, learning a lot from just sitting there listening! Only the dummies can not pass this course. If you try and do all of your work, it's a solid B in the class.
HIS INDIAN ACCENT IS SOOOOO CUTE. OVERALL HE IS A SMART GUY AND ITS REALLY EASY TO PASS HIS CLASS... EASY A, BELIEVE ME. JSUT DON'T MAKE HIM MAD CAUSE THEN HE GETS LOUD.
There is no homework or project. There are three tests and a final for which you have to study hard.if you take good notes, you'll succeed on these tests.
so easy! i literally only went to half the classes... he has 3 tests... and a final. one test gets dropped. you really dont need to buy the book.. its close to 100 dollars.. but i never cracked it open... I GOT AN A!!! all of his lectures are online.. he gives you handouts on his lectures... AND he's funny!!!!
Intelligent man and knows his stuff. Moody sometimes and takes it out on class but overall hes a good choice. Difficult to understand but helps the students pass.
Okay This teacher his really good. bUt here is the problem you do not understand him that well spc if its your first time w him..bt here is the thing if you go to after class SI's u will be fine..try your best and be recongnized & u should be fine. very good teacher i think he was very understanding in my opinion the class was easy not much txt use
UM WHOEVER SAYS HE IS AN EASY TEACHER MUST HAVE CHEATED OR ARE EXTREMELY SMART!! FORGET ABOUT PASSING HIS CLASS IF U ARE RELYING ON HIS TEACHER METHODS I GURANTEE U U WILL NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HIM !!
Poorna, Pal knows his stuff! I had him for lecture and lab. B in lecture A in lab, bought both books new sold them back new in the original wrappers. Take his class excellent professor! Watch the discovery channel and you will do just fine ;)
Dr. pal is the best teacher at GCC. I had him for Geo and OCE 115 ,116 He is the best. He makes everything clear and easy to understand. His accent you get use to him after a while. He is soooooo funny. How can you get a bellow C in his class? NEVER. Unless you NEVER show up in class. People take his Class. EASY. He is helpful. He helped me alot.
By far, Best teacher at GCC...awsome personality. If you can't pass this class drop out of school...hes extremely nice and helpful...he wants you to pass. He curves all his tests and drops the lowest grade. What else could you ask for.
Pal Poorna is the best teacher at the GCC. He is very kind and generous teacher. he help a lot a answers any question that you would ask. I will recommend you the take his class and you will pass by an A. Just a little study and you will be fine. Don't miss his class. he is awsome teacher. I just love him, he is the besttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
Poorna Pal, best guy! Easiest teacher...he curves all of his tests...you barely need to study. Just show up in class and don't even pay attention you'lls till pass!
Facts: Hard to understand him (accent). Don't need to show up to all of the classes. Take the SI class, very helpful, the teacher checks who is in the SI and takes that in to consideration when he gives final grades. Don't need the book. Study his handouts very hard thats basically the test. Follow this and get an A... I did. Good luck!
Best teacher at GCC. DO NOT BUY THE BOOK. Everything is off lecture, and SI gives great brownie points. Wants best for his students, and is very helpful. AWESOME AWESOME!!
You can show up to class and pick your @$$ for three hours and still walk out with an A. Dramatic Curve on all test. The highest score becomes the 100%.. so you can get a 60% in reality, but end up setting the curve and getting an A. Super Easy... just read the hand outs... Easy A.
People get this class thinking he's such an easy teacher and do bad, well he is not hard,Oceanography in general is a hard class to understand. So its not the teacher, its the class thats hard. He is actually really easy. DONT BUY THE BOOK-all you need to study is the handouts he gives in class. If you study that and go to SI class your good to go
People think its a hard class--all you have to do is read and understand the handouts he gives--dont buy the book!--Not a hard class
Poorna Pal is a great teacher and I recommend him to everyone that needs to take ocean 115. His test are fear and not hard if you read your handouts. He is also a very helpful and caring person. Take him and you will learn alot and you will be very happy with your grade. Great teacher.
Okay...this man is funny yes, intelligent YES. BUT, he has an accent that is so hard to understand, and i don't agree with all the other comments. I went to most of his SI's, studied his handouts and I didn't get an A, ITS NOT AN EASY A! lol. I dont know, I would recommend taking another Prof.
Dr. Pal is a funny man who loves Science. He has 3 tests, and a final but he drops the lowest of the 3 tests and grades all tests on a curve. His tests are not easy and you NEED to study. This class taught me a lot and I'm glad I had a chance to take his class. Make sure to go to the SI classes he has because they help A LOT for tets. Take him!
Pal is very smart and loves Science. He does not let his students out early. NEVER! He does not take attendance most of the time but he sometimes does just randomly. His final was sort of hard but he curves all 3 of his tests. If you want a good grade (B or higher), make sure to go to his SI. It's a good idea to take his class in short sessions.
Ok I am just posting this to say yes these comments are right! Awesome class the man is very funny. He knows what he is talking about and the curve makes it impossible to fail. If you fail the class sorry but you are an idiot. Take him you will get a lot out of it if you want to or else its just an easy c
DO NOT BUY THE BOOK. Read his handouts and go to the SI's as much as you can. They help for the test A LOT. I got an A and I'm not a science person. It's definetly not an easy "A". YOU CANT pick your ass and get an A like that other guy said. You have to study. Overall, great class and I learned a lot.
Mr. Pal, is honestly the best teacher I have ever had. He is also a very smart person and you will learn a lot from him. He is very caring and understanding teacher. Just go to SI and pay attention is class you will be fine. Awesome teacher you will not regret taking him. Do not even think of taking another Ocean teacher he is the best one.
He is a great prof. Helps everyone who wants it. Has a huge curve on tests. Go to SI and you will do great in class. Tests are hard but the essay questions on them boost the score up a lot. The class was long, and difficult but i enjoyed listening to him.
Professor Poorna is a great person. I'm gonna miss his "basically" and "peculiarity" lol. The class is not super easy, but u can get an A if u study for the essay questions. He curves the tests like there is no tomorrow. Higly recommended
By far the best teacher at Gcc. Pal is a very helpful teacher and he cares about his students. I did not do very well on the first test and so I went and talked to him, he told me to watch these films about oceanography and after that I got good grades in the class. He listens to everyone and helps as much as possible. Take him.
he teaches very well.but he has little accent problem. he dropes the lowest score.you dont need to buy the book just read the notes that he'll give you n check his internet page then u will pass the class with A or B.
He was a good teacher, you will get an A if you study before mid-term and final exams:)
He has doesn't like repeating himself, hard time understanding his english, very funny man. Not very helpful, Hated everything about his class
DONT BUY THE BOOK!!! Yes he has an accent, but he's extremely smart and answers every question you have. He's very funny and when you get to know him, he'll pass you. Make sure you go to the SI's which are very helpful. Even though the tests are a little difficult, he grades everything on a curve.
Great person and smart teacher (has PhD) Knows everything about his subject. If you there to learn you won't stop listening to him, it is nice to meet smart person like him. Understands and helps students if they in class to learn and paying attention what his saying. Can learn by just being in class (but not talking).
His lectures (more like tangents) are not helpful. In order to get an A in the class, you have to get at least 90% in 2 of 3 class quizzes. No homework, and I guess that's the only good thing about the class. Just glad I got it over with, but I would recommend taking the class with a different professor
Took Pal in 05'. Great teacher, too bad so many students are little cheaters, certain ones in particular. Got an A in his class, w/o cheating. I'm totally against that. Take him.
Great teacher! If you're lazy and have no interest in Oceanography, don't take him.
Professor Pal is an awesome guy. He is hilarious and extremely smart and passionate about his teaching. He does get off topic frequently but will make it relate to oceanography. His accent does make it hard to understand sometimes, but even he knows it and jokes around. His tests are based off his worksheets and are hard, but are curved.
I definitely would not take this class. His accent is just to heavy to understand, i took him tuesday nights for 3 hours and found it very hard to pay attention, let alone attend. He is a smart guy, just not a good class.
he is a good teacher
horrible!
WHATEVER YOU DO DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS...YOU CAN BARELY UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS SAYING AND HE THINKS HE IS SO FUNNY WHEN HE REALLY ISN'T. HE GIVES OUT USELESS HANDOUTS AND ATTENDANCE IS NOT EVEN NEEDED SINCE HE ONLY TAKES ROLL THE FIRST DAY. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE OTHER POSITIVE POSTINGS BECAUSE THEY ARE WRONG AND I GOT A C BECAUSE OF IT.
Its too bad to hear all these negative comments on here. He really is a good teacher. He does have an accent but it never really bothered me. He lets you know the FACTS! that's whats so great about him. If you listen carefully, you can figure out his political policy, but unlike most teachers, he won't twist the facts around to suit his ideals.
Don't complain. Want an A. Attend all SI meetings, work hard and you will get an A. I did and I got an A. He is the beeeeeeeeeeeeest teacher.
Honestly, his lectures are completely useless. He goes off topic a lot, has a really horrible accent, and still expects you not to doze off. BUttt, if you do go to SI sessions and study all the worksheets he gives you, you will get an A...and without even having the book. Not the worst but not the best either. If you just work, its nothardtoget A
He is a great teacher. He is very smart and inteligent person and i have learned a lot from this class. He has his own site, and even if you have difficulties understanding his lectures, you can go to his site and study from there. Especially study his power point presentation, it was very helpful during the quizes.
Use his website, do the practice test, go over the power points and pdf files. Go to the SI's and don't buy the book.
Very easy use his website a lot attend the classes participate its an easy A
This was an AWESOME class. I took it in the Winter. I barely listened in class and did not even take notes. Before his lecture he passes out a sheet of paper with the Chapter Summary. Read that and you are good. He curves every single test so the lowest you can get is a C. I got an easy A with no stress whatsoever.
Great man and a wonderful professor. Take his class you wont regret it.Best business teacher at GCC period!
He is such a nice person and a great teacher. i would recommend him to whoever wants to take the class. All you have to do is just read over the notes and pay attention during lectures and you will get a good grade :D
Professor Poorna diligently updates his website with information that he wants you to know for his exam. He provides practice questions which often end up being the questions he asks on the test. He always includes anecdotes and examples which make the subject matter easier to digest. He goes on tangents sometimes but easily finds his way back.
Although the class seemed a little rushed throughout the semester, Professor Poorna was able to squeeze in everything he wanted to teach us by the end. His exams were comprehensive, but he provided study sheets and also included everything he wanted us to know in detail on his website. The book was interesting, but I would've been fine without it.
His accent is difficult, but hes understandable. if you dont understand stuff go to the SI's he has a lot. He doesnt take sh*t so dont give it to him. his tests are somewhat difficult to understand but if you know your stuff you cant fail, super easy and awesome!!
Don't buy the books he never uses them. I bought mine for no reason. He was an ok teacher but very difficult to understand. It was a boring class sometimes I fell asleep all the time. Bring coffee with you!!
Very nice man, understanding and will do his best to help you. I personally found the class super boring and useless! i was constantly falling asleep and 3hours was a dragg! Tests are easy, lowest grade u will get is a C.
He is fair and generous when it comes to grading. Everyone seems to think this class is easy but it was very confusing for me.
He is awesome. Super chill. He does teach well, and obviously gets upset with chit chat around the room, but overall he's awesome. He's funny and loves interacting w/ his students. Highly recommended. But don't get me wrong, the subject is tougher than it sounds. He's always there to help you though, :)
He is a great teacher and cares a lot about his students. I took him in the winter and went to Baja with him!The baja experience was amazing, consider taking the trip! His class is very interesting, and he is always willing to help his students, and further explain anything his students have questions on. I highly suggest taking his class!
Excellent class, with wealth of information and thorough analysis. This man really knows his stuff!!!
Doctor Pal is full of useful information. Students should be enough wise to take advantage and learn a lot of helpful things.
He's funny and loves interacting with his students. Highly recommended. But don't get me wrong, the subject is tougher than it sounds. He's always there to help you though.
He is a great teacher and cares a lot about his students. His class is very interesting, and he is always willing to explain anything his students have questions on. I highly suggest taking his class!
Dr. Poorna Pal is an extremely smart man. Oceanography is not an easy class. He grades on a steep curve (well according to your class grades). He reviews right before tests. He will give you hints if you ask him during the test. He is so nice but don't take advantage of it. GO TO SI meetings! He will see you there and know you're a hard worker.
He is very smart and educated. The class is not interesting since he makes it boring for students he goes off topic a lot and I feel like he just talks and doesn't do anything. There are no homework and does not use the book. The tests are confusing. I also noticed that he has anger problems and he get it out on students rather than fixing himself.
He takes role at the END of every class! He's funny but his lectures are hard to understand and he goes off topic a lot. Just go off his notes on Moodle, the book was useless to me. Tests are confusing but they're always graded on a huge curve (depending on ur classes grades) No hwk!! I managed to end the semester with a B!!
He is a very nice and funny gentleman,pay attention in class don't make him upset he ,He has a very heavy accent so better pay extra attention to understand do research about topics and try study test are so hard but if you study dot need to be worry .respect him and don' make him kick you out f class because he will,Got an a good A don' cheat plss
A very good and knowledgeable professor.
STRONG ACCENT!!! I can't even understand a complete sentence in whole semester... Mama bear&Papa bear-Mama beer&Papa beer... I am sorry but I have already try my best to understand, and really can't. He doesn't care what you do while you're taking quizzes, so lots of classmates use their smart device to search whatever they want. TEXTBOOK USELESS.
Good funny , but don't make him mad he will ask you leave . Listen and read you will pass
His tests are prettty difficult but he grades on a high curve so it helps you out alot on your grades. I found Pal super interesting and fun to listen to. He really knows what he is talking about. He doesnt have any quizzes or homework and the book isnt needed. He takes role about 60% of the time.
10/10 recommend. if you fail this class its clearly your own fault. the lowest grade I've seen in his class was a C, this is out of a class of 60 + students.
Oceanography 101 was the stupidest class i have ever token at gcc, whats on the study guide as absolutely nothing to do with the test and when you ask him a question he rambles on with a pointless unhelpful answer. His tests are impossible.
Professor Pal Poorna is a very kind and funny man but his lectures do seem to drag on. If you want to legitimately receive a good grade in this class you must pay very close attention, read the book, and show up to the si. On the tests focus on the essay questions and write as much as possible about things that somewhat pertain to the topic.
He's a AWEOME person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the best professors ever. He is so funny and helpful, I enjoyed his class alot!
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.02 avg changeRatings by Course
115116
5.0
(1)OC
5.0
(1)OCEON115
5.0
(1)OCENOGRAPHY
5.0
(1)OCEAN105
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
SCIENCE
5.0
OCEANOGRA115
5.0
OCEA115
5.0
GEO101
4.0
OCEANO115
4.0