Great class! Prof was knowlegeable and explained concepts clearly. Demonstrated relevance of material. Fair exams, easy marker. Prof made class interesting. However too much info to cover for the cummulative final. Overall would highly reccommend! Better than most EAS profs.

She is nice, makes material interesting, and DOES seem to know her stuff. She's a geologist so has some practical knowledge and obviously is interested and excited about the material - write down lots on her exams to get full marks.

She is a left wing tree hugger

Great teacher, great class. Even the textbook was good. Many people who took this class had taken EAS 201 first, and were at a major advantage. Tests were very fair. MC/Short answer.

The class could be boring at times but the exams were easy as they were all from the notes and what she said in class.

Very interesting class and an excellent professor. Tries to 'nice' the material up too much. A course about how the earth kills people should have some pictures of the destruction. The exams are nit-picky on material. Does not test your understanding as much as your memorization. Nice professor... beware the exams!

seems to really know her stuff and tries to make it fun for us to learn. exams were tough unless you really studied the material, lots of definitions

She's fantastic. I wish this were my faculty so I could have her again. She enjoys her material, and presents it with energy. It wouldn't be that hard to make this class boring, but the way she teaches, I looked forward to it everyday. Her exams are pretty hard, though, so make good study notes consistently -don't let the work pile up - trust me!

good prof. textbook was absolutely USELESS, waste of 140 bucks. go to class and write down the things she says and study the notes before exams. memorizing everything is important and writing a lot for the short/long answer questions gets you a better mark (given that you're not trying to BS your way to get the marks).

Has a wry sense of humor, making the class interesting. Topics good at the start, boring in middle and end. Found text very helpful (make notes from it). Short/Long answers on test quite easy.

great prof/course, but final hits ya... right in the Balzer

I took this class thinking it might be about more than rocks..it wasn't but that doesn't factor in to her teaching. She is ok, sometimes extending what she wants to say about a particular subject a bit too long causing the class to fall behind. Midterm was fair, basically it's mostly memorization.

A really good, fair prof. Lecture notes are clear, well organized. Tests are fair (long answer and mc). Straight forward material and it's worth going to class for her lectures.

I really enjoyed her class. I found her lectures to be interesting, relevant and clear. Her multiple choice questions are tough, but she is clear about expectations. Notes are great, I bought the textbook and didn't use it unless I wanted to check a figure she had in the notes. Highly recommended.

A very nice lady. Going to class means you don't really have to read the textbook (except to refer to figures if you want). Very fair tests -- a good mix of MC, matching, and short and long answer.

Great prof. Notes were very good and detailed and exams were fair!

Great teacher, interesting class! The multiple choice questions on her exam are very tricky. The textbook is pretty useless. Do your labs seriously and its an easy A

pretty awesome

Honestly, she is a great teacher. Her power points are extensive and if you do your readings and lecture notes you will pass with flying colors. But...it's hard to stay awake in a class I don't like. Even harder to pass when I didn't have the textbook.

She is so enthusiastic about the material which is nice. The material was very interesting and her exams were ok.

I loved Balzers class alot however, I could have tryed alot harder. Make sure you try hard because these are one of those classes that everyone is good at, so the curve could do some damage. midterm and final were easy, but tricky. KNOW YOuR ROCKS!!

Her class was really interesting and pretty basic. her posted notes are great - but some in-class examples aren't included in the notes and are tested. its an easy class. her MC tests are tricky- read carefully. i didn't crack the text once - don't buy it. no assignmets, just 2 midterms and a final.

She's very helpful!! I'm bad at science, but she helped me a lot after the class and in her office hours. You need to study hard, but she can help you a lot if you struggle with your study.

Great intro to EAS class with a great teacher. Really made it fun and interesting (liked the few SCi-fi references). Also, seemed to have pretty fair marks, I got a 4.0, but I've also got an aptitude. Easy labs, but know your minerology!

Her testing is fair but you have to be careful on her multiple choice as they can be very tricky. Very approachable/nice lady, willing to help and make sure you understand concepts.

A great prof to be teaching an intro-level course. She's engaged with the material and doesn't drone on in any sense. While the material is wide-spread and abundant, that's the nature of first-year courses. Her quirky examples and conviction made it a fun term. You may want the textbook for labs though, as many answers can easily be found there.

She was such a nice professor and had a very interesting and engaging teaching style. I couldn't imagine a better professor for this class!

Very enthusiastic prof, made lectures interesting. Exams were straightforward but required you to know a lot of material. Would frequently make references to bad sci-fi movies which would make me laugh (in a good way).

Balzer is probably one of the best instructors you can get in any EAS course. She taught both my 210 class (introductory) and 205 (focuses on Earth Hazards), and as long as you follow along in class and review your notes you shouldn't have any trouble aceing her exams whatsoever.

Took this class as my science credit and actually really enjoyed it. Material is very interesting and relevant. Attendance is key to doing well because a lot of the information is not included in the slides. Relatively easy class and I would definitely recommend it!

Very nice professor, will take the time to talk to you. However, takes this course WAY too seriously for a 200 level EAS course. Her MC are so vague and difficult, but her short answer and long answer are easy.

Decent prof, who may seem a little boring at times but is working with some pretty dry material. Very open to questions. Tests can be pretty hard and in-depth. The final will have basically every type up quesiton you could possibly think of-MC, T/F, Matching, Multiple essays, lab practicals, etc

Interesting lectures and material. But her multiple choice questions are so vague and sometimes even subjective. Not enough example questions, and for those that she gives out, there won't be any key. Probably because she uses the same questions in the final.

For a class like this, fantastic prof! Exams were tough if you didn't study, if you study and take the time to see her in her office, you'll do great. DO THE PRACTICE EXAMS and don't miss class. Don't even need the textbook. Note though that it's difficult to get over a B though...

loved the class and her teaching..hated how she marked on exams. i dropped 2 letter grades after the final! she expects ALOT from the long ans. otherwise, practical material and is very knowledgeable. you'll learn alot by being in class. must memorize and understand the material well and be able to pull examples from the notes. overall recommend.

Great prof, very knowledgeable and makes class interesting. You can print off all the notes but she elaborates on everything. Textbook is useless, all exams are based on notes, study and you're fine. Exams are a mixture of MC, T/F, short answer, definitions, and long answer (only on final). No assignments. Posts practice questions but no answers.

She is really good,the class is really helpful,and the exam is easy if you attend every class.there is no need to buy the textbook.

U can tell she knows what she's talkin about and she seems like she's really passionate about whats shes teaching. Go to class cuz her online notes aren't very detailed. The book is quite helpful but she tests you on some stuff she mentions in class and her notes that arent in the book. Know ur terms! she tests u on that. But her exams are fair

I can't get enough of this women. She is an awesome lecturer, really gets you interested in the topics. Her multiple choice questions are very vague, which can be frustrating if you over study. Generally if she puts emphasis on a topic it is tested. Her practice tests were a carbon copy of the final. Overall fantastic.

She is an excellent lecturer and does her best to make the material exciting for her students.I did this course as a 3 week summer class and it wasn't exactly a good experience.There is tons of rote memorization,so I wasn't happy with her giving us non-m/c sections on the exams.Sucked how she didn't have the texts ordered at the bookstore for us.

Take a class by her! This is my second class I've taken of hers and it won't be the last. Her lectures are super interesting, although it's completely unnecessary to go to class in order to do well on the exams because her notes online are exactly what she tests from. Also, she takes questions directly from her practice exams.

Seriously consider taking this class!! DO NOT buy the textbook, you never use it. If you never attend lectures you'll do just fine, but if you do attend you'll pick up on the small things she talks about in class that she uses on a few MC questions. Also study the example tests CLOSELY as they are pretty close to the same questions on the tests.

It's obvious she knows what she's talking about and clearly loves it. However often she expects students to understand terms that have never been taught and seeing as she doesn't really follow the textbook it's difficult to read ahead and know them before class. Recommended for a science student but not the great arts option everyone says it is.

Very thorough. Her powerpoints are fantastic, and she uses great examples to explain things. Has an off-sense of humour that is entertaining. Gives good feedback on exams. Also, exams are non-cumulative. Nice!

I enjoyed Solweig's lectures, they were clear, interesting, and shows her passion and crystal understanding of the subject. I did find her notes a little disheveled and did not like to use them. The text book is good for studying for exams, but its not necessary to read it before lectures. Her exams are very fair. Good prof.

Its a very interesting class. Need to attend lectures as she tests on things she says. Need to write down what she says. Get old midterms from friends as she doesnt change her questions at all. Her final is difficult, but if you ace the midterms and do some cramming for the final, itll be fine and youll def get an A- or above!

EXCELLENT professor. Clear lectures, slides and notes. The perfect combo for a science requirement class. If you attend all of her lectures and take extra notes, you shouldn't have to study more than a few hours for each exam; yet you learn so much.

GREAT prof. Clear explanations. She rewords the textbook chapters so you are sure to understand. attendance is not necessary,but recommended. Her tests are partially MC, and long answer (which will help you achieve). Tests were fair. Read the textbook

Dr. Balzer did an awesome job with lectures. She also was very helpful with questions you had regarding the material (at times she would go a bit too muh into detail, but at least you could tell she really wanted you to understand). Her exams and marking are pretty fair. Highly recommended!

Dr. Balzer is a really good professor because she's very passionate about what she does. I would not suggest taking EAS-205 as a 3-week spring class; it was not a pleasant experience. The textbook is recommended because her notes don't go into depth about terminology/concepts. Also, answer every question on her practice exams. They are testable.

I took this class in the condensed 3 week spring version, and it was pretty enjoyable. Prof. Balzer clearly loves what she does. Still, parts of this course are dry (mineral identification, ugh) but pretty decent overall. In the 3 week version, there's an exam at the end of each week, so if you pay attention and do any studying, it isn't tough.

Amazing prof. Funny and helpful. Very easy course to take. A definite GPA booster.

The material itself is easy although there is just A LOT of material to cover for this class. She explains concepts well and if you don't understand anything, just send her an email and she will reply promptly! She's clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about what she teaches. Definitely recommended!

A lot of material to cover and you will be tested on every single thing whether big or small! Tricky exams but the material is not very difficult to learn.

Loved her!! Amazing prof, great sense of humour. Her exams test applications, and a few trivial questions. Class is curved so it's fine, but you have to understand the material and apply it, not just memorize it for the exams. A really interesting class, I enjoyed it and would recommend this class and her to others if they can apply the material.

Great prof, makes class interesting. You need to attend this class in order to succeed in it. Midterm and final were challenging, however if you attend class and take active notes you should have no problem beating the curve. Questions were mostly right out of her notes. Very approachable as well.

Great prof! This was an interesting class to take and she made it better by showing videos and real life examples. Must attend this class and make active notes to succeed. Midterms and final were similar in style with the exception of a long answer on the final.

She's great! She's careful to provide background information for the labs and tipped us off about things guaranteed to be in the exams. Very clear presentation and well-organized. One of the better professors that I've had.

Dr. Balzer was by far the BEST PROF I had over my 4 years at school. If you attend class and pay attention to your notes regularly the class is not difficult at all. She will test on little trivial things, but hey it is a bonus to the kids who showed up to class. I would HIGHLY recommend her for EAS 204 or 205.

Taking this as a spring class can be very intense. A huge amount of information crammed in so short a time. Exams are VERY thorough so be prepared. Would have preferred this over longer term, to have a deeper understanding, but overall an excellent class. Prof knows her stuff. Often stayed after class to answer people's questions/concerns.

Dr Balzer is really nice person and she really wants to help her students understands the concepts. She posts notes online and I'm thankful for that. She mentions a lot of stuff in class, but most of it is FYI. She only tests material that she has emphasized over and over. Her exams are pretty simple and straightforward. Nice lady overall

I actually really enjoyed this class, I think she was a GREAT prof. Even though her lecture notes are minimal, honestly if you attend class, everything makes sense and flows. Also a lot of eas205 is common sense, so attend class and listen and you will do fine. The text book was super helpful also since a lot of the material overlapped heavily.

The beginning of the course was interesting but the last few lectures were brutally boring. Exams are fair - made of MC and written. Her MC is based on little things she said in class NOT on her notes. Not an easy class unless you can find someone who has the midterms from last year.

I thoroughly enjoyed this class with prof Balzer. She explained everything well and covered a wide variety of topics. I liked how she didn't use a textbook however it means attendance is mandatory. Her MC is tricky but SA and LA are incredibly easy. Overall a great prof that I would recommend and I would take any class with her.

The textbook isn't required (which is nice) but it is nearly impossible to study for her exams because her notes are all over the place. She lectures on A LOT of material and the details she expects you to remember are immensely overwhelming. Her exams are HARD... especially the multiple choice.

I loved this class and this prof. While many in my class did not like prof Balzer it was very easy to do very well in this class by just showing up and paying attention. She puts minimal notes on eclass but adds immense detail in class. no textbook which was a bonus.

Super interesting but would NOT take again. Her MC are impossible, even open book - SERIOUSLY, even for a 4.0 student -tests things that were not explicitly taught. She talks really fast (like it's obvious) and has confusing notes so the text can help. Most stressful course this semester. She is snarky in a funny way, and very kind if you see her.

This was the hardest EAS class I've ever taken (they're usually easier). No textbook required but I definitely used it to clear some things up. There are only 3 assessments (two MT & final) which I go for when choosing classes but they're tough to study for in that I would walk into the tests with MINIMUM notes. Show up to learn and you'll be fine.

Easy class in terms of workload, although the exams can be challenging if you don't know the material. Dr. Balzer is a good lecturer who tries to keep it interesting and will go over concepts if necessary. All lectures are posted on eClass.

Write down as much as you can from what she says. She says a lot but its very interesting and you can tell she likes what she's doing. Midterm and Final are quite tough, tests the little things sometimes but still.. Just memorize everything and your good to go, like everything

She clearly enjoys the subject matter, but I found the lectures very dry. You have to go to class and write down as much of what she says as possible because there is no homework. She posted notes, but they were extremely bare bones. The lab coordinator for this class was also incredibly irritable for some reason.

Despite the textbook not being required, I do think that it has helped supplement my grade. She does test on things mentioned quickly in class, so it is important to be able to go and to pay attention. She gives one practice midterm/final with no answers provided, which sucks. I do like her though, I think she is very passionate about the subject.

The class was 2 midterms (worth 25% each) and a final worth 50%. The tests were part MC and part written with the final being majority written. This class is very lecture oriented, as long as you go to class you should be fine.