easy, cool, funny, DEMOCRAT!

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Pretty cool guy, tries to keep class entertaining by telling jokes and showing Far Side comics. Notes are posted on Blackboard, so it's easy to skip this class. Overall, relatively easy--not a bad class to take! Lots of videos on natural disasters :)

Altaner tries very hard to keep the class interesting by showing a lot of videos and using the overhead. Lecture notes are online and old exams are available to study off of.

He was funny and provided you with past tests.

He was a funny guy, not the best professor. Material was pretty standard and you could blow off studying until the night before the exam.

Super easy.

nice, funny guy. boring class, does a decent job making it bearable. might be stand-up comedian by night? class is easy if you put in a reasonable effort.

wishes he could make rocks interesting, but he just can't. but he is hilarious and the class is easy and straightforward. i liked him, he cracked me up, and he shows far side cartoons daily.

Semi Boring, but hey, its a class about rocks. Harder than you would expect, if you listen to him you'll do just fine.

Great sense of humor and very fair tests. One of the best professors on campus.

Really Easy.

Very boring subject matter, but an entertaining professor. Tells jokes and shows Farside comics in every lecture. If you study the lecture notes, class is pretty easy.

What an entertaining guy. The material presented is by no means the most interesting stuff in the world, but his class is extremely easy. Read the lecture notes and you're golden come exam time. "Rocks for Jocks"? I think so.

i got an A+ and hardly studied

Altaner is a ****. Shows farside comics in class. Funny in a nerdy sort of way. Good teacher.

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love his farsides! begins everyday w/ joke..he's pretty funny!

He is a good guy. The "Farside" cartoons keep things interesting.

Stephen Altaner is my FAVORITE professor. He always has jokes and farsides. I love his class

He rocks!

This class is awesome! He always has plenty of jokes and FarSide comics to share, and he's just got a great personality in general. The class is simple with notes online and tests straight from them. Very easy A!

Prof. Altaner is an awesome professor. His class is easy and he is hilarious. I enjoy going to his class a lot. Definitely take a class with him if you have the chance.

The class was so easy. He is such a goofy guy and that is important in boring gen ed classes. Take it, it's awesome.

Turned a boring class into an enjoyable fun atmosphere

He likes to tell jokes that are really corny, but the class itself was easy and he seems like a nice guy.

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funny

great class, not much homework, tests are relatively easy and he makes the class interesting. perfect example of what interesting lecture can teach you without the use of a textbook...easy natural science credit

Really easy gen ed. Tries to make it interesting. throws in jokes and comics. 3 tests. final is just the 3rd exam. all class notes online.

Online hw's were very time consuming, there's 6, one's extra credit. Exams not too bad. I'd say this class is an easy B, B+...not an easy A. Classes are always somewhat fun, he's an excellent professor.

A very fun teacher. His lectures are laid back, and his humor is definitely a relief from most professors' monotone lectures. Good teacher, and a good lecturer.

Easy class. He keeps your interest through humor, and his lectures were definitely worth going to. I thought he was a great professor, definitely a break from the boring, monotone professors we are all used to.

Not a super easy class, but as long as you go to lecture, take notes, and study the notes for the exams, you'll be fine.

easiest class I've ever taken. discussion attendance is mandatory, but I went to 2 lectures all semester. Give yourself about an hour before the test to read through the notes on the website and you are set.

Easy class, lecture notes online. Exams come directly from notes and the book does not need to be purchased. Makes somewhat uninteresting content and makes it interesting. Worthwhile class to take.

So fun and laid back. Not afraid to look goofy in front of 500 students. Excellent!

Relatively easy class. No reading necessary. 6 online assignments are time consuming, but easy to do well on. Exams weren't bad at all.

Super!

occasional pop quizzes, which aren't too bad. homeworks aren't bad, need to take notes in class, but overall if you study for the class it's a good one.

Cool guy

great sense of humor. makes lecture worth attending. and beyond that, makes geology interesting, which isnt easy

really easy class, all the notes are posted online, no point in going to class really but it was still fun anyways. he always opens class with jokes and puts up farside overheads in the middle of class

This class was a ridiculous joke. Take this for a gen ed. Prof. Altaner is a master of visual aids-videos, photos, maps-he's really good at making the class interesting. He's got a great sense of humor too. You'll love his jokes. Grade is a farce though, just do the extra credit and study before tests and you'll have an easy A.

very dry subject, but he keeps its as interesting as possible, makes really bad jokes but you cant help but laugh lecture notes online. pretty easy discussion session

He's very funny :) This is fairly easy class, IF you study! You don't have to go every class, but still, you will need notes from his lecture.

Loved his class! He keeps it fun and interesting. I don't really have that much interest in Geology, but I always went to lecture. The tests aren't easy, but not terribly hard either.

AWESOME. Take Geol. 118. Fun and easy class

Unbelievably cool class!!! Prof. Altaner rocks. The videos, jokes and Far Sides kept me coming back for more. Didn't have any interest in geology before the class but now I love it. Take this class with Prof. Altaner before you graduate.

HE IS SO FUNNY! This class was really easy and I hardly ever studied. There are only 3 very easy tests and like 6 homeworks due online, one of which is extra credit. Don't buy the book, it's a waste of your money but you do need the CD that comes with the book to do the homework online.

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The class can get boring at times but at others its fun. You can miss some lectures so long as you understand whats going on. Go to the reviews for the test, he covers everything that will be on it. And just try on the hmwrk & writing. Easy A. Interesting material. Not a perfect class, but you can do alot worse!

Don't buy the book. Just study the lecture notes over and over and the tests will be easy. And you don't need to go to lecture either. Great guy

Very easy, a 20 point homework assignment online every week, 3 pop quizzes over material you did that day so be careful which days you skip. only one paper, very easy tests!

Most likely the easiest class you will ever take in college. Lectures consist of drawing pictures and watching videos of tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. Notes are already printed out and just filled in during the lecture. Studied for about 20 minutes for each test and got a 99% for the class. Take it!

The discussions are the best part of the class! It gives real hands-on experience with geology!

leads off the class with stand up humor, has intermissions to read some Farside comics each day. his subject isn't very hard and he explains it well. very good teacher.

leads off the class with stand up humor, has intermissions to read some Farside comics each day. his subject isn't very hard and he explains it well. very good teacher.

Personally, I thought his incorporation of dry humor and Farside comics were great. I know people who thopught he was boring and not funny whatsoever, but I disagree. I can see how one can find him to be boring though. It just depends, I guess. GEOL-100 is an easy A anyways. Take notes in lecture, no need for the textbook (although it can help).

He is a great teacher. Clarified everything you needed to know for the exam. Did not need to purchase the textbook, we didn't use it. Field trips were fun. It's almost always an enjoyable class when the professor is so interested in the topic. Would recommend environmental geology to anyone

Energetic and fun. His enthusiasm is contagious and keeps your attention. He is helpful and a great guide.

really easy class for physical science gen ed requirement. he starts every class with jokes and then randomly puts jokes up on the projector. personally i think its kind of funny. hes just a weird guy and not everyone appreciates it. he also shows a lot of video clips so the class is not too boring. definitely take this class!

Professor Altaner is one of the best! I definitely recommend GEO 100 for a gen ed and an easy A, but mostly for Prof. Altaner! Great guy, dry sense of humor. I liked him a lot.

this class (natural disasters) and prof. are both awesome. not as easy as you may think, but still pretty easy. material is interesting. highlights include him nailing kids with that blue ball and a family throwing rocks at hot lava as it moves towards their house

Easy as pie. Good class, interesting stuff... but remember he IS a geology professor; good luck with the rock talks. Never used the textbook, only the class notes and a CD that comes with the book. He's a funny guy, tells great jokes. I really enjoyed this class.

If you take this class and don't get an A you should seriously consider dropping out of the university. The class is practically set up to give you a passing grade. I didn't study the entire year and got an A because my discussion grade was so high because of all the extra credit. Take this class, don't buy the textbook. Laugh at the Farside's.

He is a great professor!! He shows about 10 Farside comic strips per class, and he loves his jokes. Overall, the class was pretty easy, just try to go to every class. The discussions are easy points.

Altaner is a good teacher and this is an easy class. Bring a laptop and you don't need to buy the book. All lectures are online so you don't Have to go. I would tho, his far sides can be hilarious

He was a really interesting professor, and he seemed to love his job. I was disappointed that the class was not quite as easy as I thought it would be. If you study a lot, it is an easy A, but otherwise it is an easy B.

Class wasn't as easy as I thought. Easy B, but you actually have to study to get an A. Hardly an homework.

What a great professor! Favorite teacher by far over entire college career. He keeps the class involved and likes to tell jokes and show farside cartoons. Really knows his stuff and is super passionate about geology! Definitely take this class... super interesting and easy A for 300 level class.

Extremely easy class. Textbook was useless. You will do more than fine if you attend lecture. Plenty of extra credit offered.

This class is easy, and even though I had no interest in Geology whatsoever, I actually learned something. The professor is silly and starts every class off with comic strips.

Plays music before class, shows newspaper comics in the middle, and shows clips of tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, and hurricanes at the end. All of his test questions come straight out of his lecture notes.

Really great guy, tells jokes before class so people who walk in late don't miss anything and shows far side cartoons. If you attend lectures and pay attention at all you WILL get an A in this class. Great professor, fairly interesting class.

Professor Altaner is terrific. He keeps the lectures light-hearted through liberal use of corny jokes and irrelevant comics. He promptly responds to emails as well.

One of the easier classes offered at U of I. He plays bad 90's music before class and always put comics on the over head. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THE BOOK! He never uses the book and he puts all his notes online. You are tested on what is in the notes online and nothing else. The home work is really easy and he gives you lots of reminders.

Love professor altaner! His farsides are adorable and he thoroughly explains everything. Final is non-cumulative. Light amount of homework. Don't need the textbook. Exams are easy if you STUDY

Not really the blow off class expected. While the hw load is light, you have to really study for the test and attend lecture because he says somethings that are on the test but not on the notes. Also, lectures are horribly boring, and many people fall asleep. At least he tries to be funny with his comics though.

Remember the lecture notes word for word and skim over the discussion packet..you'll get an A guaranteed. He plays music before class starts, tell some jokes and show some nice far sides.The class is filled with video clips and pictures. Fun class. I wish the students were a little bit nicer they always leave early before he can finish.

Its a really great and easy class. Doesn't test on anything that he doesn't say in class. Really no need to buy the book. Only a couple of really easy homework assignments, and a paper based entirely on your opinion, graded by other students. The tests weren't hard, but you will need to study if you want a good grade. Overall, great class!

boring lectures

His class was pretty easy. You can definitely tell he is passionate about geololgy. He tries to keep students interested with comic slides which is nice. As long as you attend lecture, pay attention, and take good notes, you'll do just fine in this course. The exams are harder than you might think But if you spend a decent time studying youre good.

Altaner is THE BEST professor on campus. He is funny, really intelligent, loves teaching, and makes class fun. Whoever says Altaner is hard or expects too much is too stupid for the U of I. Just go to class, pay attention, and you will get an A+

This class was the biggest joke I have ever taken. I went to a total of about 6 lectures all semester, and got 98s on every exam. Attendance is mandatory for discussion section, but again the work was elementary. Literally we were coloring in rivers and fault lines. Altaner was a goofy dude. If you can take him, do it. Guaranteed A

Very organized and well prepared for classes. He tells jokes at every lecture.

Altaner is a great Professor! He loves teaching and all his lecture is always well prepared. If you attend his review session before exam, it's very easy to get a good score.

Professor Altaner is by far one of the best professors I've ever had. He's passionate about his work, makes himself easily accessible for office hours, and is just generally looking to help his students. As an engineering student, this was NOT something I was used to.

Take this course with this prof. The other prof does i-Clicker points. You don't have to go to lecture, but he does hint what will be on the exam. Go to review sessions because he narrows down the content that you need to study for and some questions on his practice exams are on the real ones. Try to get Ann Long as your TA.

Altaner is awesome! He teaches passionately and clearly, and tells great jokes. Very helpful outside of class, overall a personable guy who loves what he does.

You don't really have to go to class because he just draws diagrams. Notes online. Exams are kind of tricky so you have to study for them. Homeworks are easy. Only difficult thing in this class are the exams.

Literally, everything in this class is simple if you attend lecture. However, the only part, and I mean ONLY PART you should be concerned about is the Collaborative Peer Review assignment. DO NOT ASK HIM TO REVIEW YOUR ESSAY. HE THINKS HE HAS A MASTER'S IN ENGLISH, LITERATURE, AND COMMUNICATION. He doesn't. Ruined my GPA with this one assignment.

Professor Altaner leads a pretty interesting class with awesome videos and examples. There are a couple tests which are actually challenging and you need to put in more time then you think. Make sure to get the highest grade you can on the web activities, because those are what messed me up pretty badly.

Professor Altaner leads a pretty interesting class with awesome videos and examples. There are a couple tests which are more challenging and you need to put in more time then you think. Make sure to get the highest grade you can on the web activities, because those are what messed me up pretty badly.

One of the easiest classes I have ever taken. Lectures are non-mandatory, but it's good to go just in case one of the three pop quizzes shows up. 500 word writing assignment. 3 random quizzes. and 3 Exams. Exams are the easiest thing ever. Just go to the Question/Answer Session the night before, and you'll be fine. Only 1 Quiz between each exam.

Super easy class. As long as you keep up with the course notes, it's and easy A. Although attendance is not mandatory, there are 3 pop quizzes throughout the semester. However they are only worth 6% of the grade, and there is one extra credit assignment worth 5% bonus, so missing quizzes won't cost you much. I highly recommend this class.

GEO 118 and Altaner are awesome! Best class and professor I have had at U of I. He might have bad jokes but he does his best to keep lecture interesting with videos and pictures. The class is not hard, attendance is fairly important because of the pop quizzes. Can't recommend him and this class enough

Great professor. The class was a blow off, but I really liked the field trips and the class!

Very interesting class. Cool topics and shows awesome videos. Commentates with his own humor throughout class. 3 exams including the final, all non-cumulative and practice examsquestions provided. Got A's on all three just reviewing notes and practice tests. Notes provided-just added some pictures and comments. Class website very helpful.

Lectures you don't have to go to because its all online, plus his lectures are boring.

GEOL110 was a ton of fun if you can bear to give up two weekends. If you're interested you'll learn a lot. Get ready to go hiking (and bring your jacket). Prof. Altaner is a great guy. The classroom lectures can be slow, but the field trips are great. Ask him questions; he'll tell you about all kinds of cool geology stuff.

Pretty funny guy, clearly loves teaching this class. Gives a few unannounced quizzes. Notes are put online. Lecture is generally pretty entertaining/worth showing up for. Didn't ever use the book. Homework is a pain but not difficult.

Honestly there was no reason for me to take this class, but I am so glad I did. Stephen shows cartoons at the beginning of each lecture, and they are actually pretty entertaining, as corny as they seem. The class is pretty lax and interesting, and all the opportunities for extra credit make it an easy A. He's a BOSS

Prof. Altaner is everything you want in a Professor. He recognizes that many of students are taking his class just for hours, and caters to them well. Also if you like Dad Jokes, you'll like him. His tests need to be studied for, and he has an ok amount of homework, but I got an A in the class and I went to every lecture I liked it so much

Stephen Altaner is the man. No questions asked. He also loves dolomite

He is one of the best professors I've ever had! Every class starts with a dad joke and he offers tons of extra credit so its so easy to get an A. If you study your notes and take the practice tests you can easily do well on the exams and we never used the textbook. Overall, he's just a great person and teacher.

The professor is really great.

The class was out of 1000 points and there were 100 extra credit points offered. Professor tells great dad jokes and shows lots of far side cartoons in class. Lots of lectures but is worth going to, the class is pretty easy there are only three tests.

Professor Altaner is a great professor! He makes all of his classes fun, yet challenging. Definitely recommend.

Profesor Altaner was a great teacher. I always looked forward to hearing his jokes at the beginning of the class. He brings props in to class to further explain things and he makes a lot of jokes throughout class. Very interesting class.

GEOL 118 was the best class I've taken on campus. Altaner is the coolest guy and gives a ton of extra credit opportunities. The exams aren't hard if you go to the review sessions because he goes over a lot of test questions and do the practice quizzes. If I could take this class every semester...I would

Professor Altaner is very organized and has the entire week planned out on Moodle, so it is easy to get ahead! The course was a lot of work, simply because it was only 8 weeks. Overall, it was easy and manageable.

Love this professor! He makes long lectures about rocks fun and I always appreciated his comic strip breaks! Also has a cute dog that he keeps in his office. Never forget your clicker for this class.