2.3
Quality4.2
Difficulty9%
Would Retake110
Reviews9%
Would Retake
110
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
17
4
8
3
16
2
28
1
41
What Students Say
“Just took my final and there is no way I passed”
GEO101 - 1.0 rating“Out of the 2 years I've been going to JJC, he was definitely the worst”
GEO101 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
52%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.91 avg changeRatings by Course
GEOGWEACLI
5.0
(1)GEOL101GEOG111
5.0
(1)GEOL101101
5.0
(1)GEOG
4.0
(1)GEO112
4.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
111223
5.0
GEO100
5.0
GEO125
5.0
GEOG111223
5.0
GEOLOGY
5.0
Reviews (110)
very helpful-good sense of humor
No Comments
He made learning impossible and was extremely hard to understand! If your not a genious, run far far away!!!
A very nice & genuine guy. Maybe an atheist, but will listen to someone's point of view, so long as its cogent, and logical. Class is easy, just read and study the text, ask for help & he'll take time to explain the material to you during or after class.
awesome teacher.
No Comments
Wonderful teacher. I really enjoyed his class. If you are a serious student, read text, do assignments, and not sleep in class you will do well. I needed some extra help with conversions and he was more than willing to assist me.
he will put you to sleep. when watching videos, he stops it every 5 minutes to make stupid comments that no one laughs at.
me and my friends liked his class but too much details into maps. not enough time to study the different rock groups. lots of slides/videos/computer things
AWESOME TEACHER!!!!!! Goes out of his way to help you and links his discussions to politics and stuff. I didn't do so well but still LOVED THE CLASS!
He's a great teacher! He's always willing to help the students and makes a lot of amusing comments. Don't take his class unless you actually want to LEARN about how the planet works. Highly recommended for people who appreciate science.
He was a really nice guy, but hard to understand at times (he liked to mumble a lot). I did poor in his class, but that was because I just don't get science stuff. He used to have this awesome long beard, and my friend and I always called him Saruman (from Lord of the Rings)!
He tests on the little things in the text that you wouldn't expect to be on a test- the things you typically breeze over when reading. (i.e. the planet is ___ years old?) You have to know the text AND the discussion. Get your ears, pens, globes, rocks..etc. ready if you take this class because he thinks geography is everyone's major.
Nice guy, not alot of hw but the tests are really hard. Not a bad class to take but be perpared to study for his tests.
Mr. Feldman is a great teacher and loves what he does. He is pretty tough, but wants you to really rely on your common sense! I enjoyed his class the most, and actually learned, plus it challenged me to do better. He is an awesome professor!!!
This class is so flipping hard it makes you want to scream. He does not let you know anything that is going to be on the test, and the tests lets just say are brutal. I am getting 5 a's and in this class i got an f on the test. He is too smart to teach this class.
So true about once he puts a video on, everyone falls asleep including myself. Be prepared to study for tests. Their really rough. Putting effort into class is required to get thru it. Too many jokes about drinking.
Does not teach to the test.
Great Teacher! I thought he was really funny. His tests are a little difficult but the class is worth taking...you learn a lot!
This class sucks and he doesn't teach what is on the tests, gives no reviews and the tests are on like 6 chapters! So confusing
Dry sense of humor. Too many films (the snoring kept me awake!). Too much math! Yet another prof who thinks everyone has 10/week to spend on homework. Do the review questions at the back of each chapter. And pray!
I agree that his tests are very hard, does not teach to the test, you need to read the chapter and do the questions at the end, but there are alot of points from the labs which is alot of what he teaches. Overall though I thought this was a good class, I learned alot and didn't have to try too hard, but then again i like this stuff. Study Hard!!!
Boring class, even though he does make a few jokes and adds his input on how horrible politics are in america. The tests are very hard, and there is very few assignments to make up any points. It is also very hard to take notes because all he shows is overheads and movies. Other than that he is a really nice guy, loves teaching.
he is not a good teacher you basically have to teach yourself and all he does is mumble at the front
Mr. Feldman is the worst teacher I've ever had. He doesn't answer any questions whatsoever. His lectures consist of anything and everything, ranging from rocks to politics. He thinks that everyone is interested in science and can just catch on and grasp an A. HORRIBLE TEACHER. HORRIBLE TEACHER. HORRIBLE TEACHER.
He has a wealth of knowledge about his subject, but this is probably the best thing I can say about him. He is funny, but most of his humor showcases his obvious liberal political orientation (lots of anti-Bush, anti-government jokes), which got old very quickly. He even played Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" for us on the third day of class. D-
He is the most horrible teacher, his lectures are useless, he has no structured notes, he talks about pointless things, he had a political discussion the day before a final. Pretty much all we did in class was watch videos and he put up graphs. As stated before he is a HORRIBLE professor!!!!..his lectures are crap....if you are in this mans class f
doesnt give any sort of notes or study guides.. doesnt even give any heads up about what MAY be on the test and the tiopics that the most class time is spent on are not even on the test and if they are its like 1 or 2 questions.but we went over that for a freaking hr. .do not take him inconsiderate, arrogant, but really smart.
After this guy basically admitted how ridiculous his class would be, I dropped it after the first day and i'm glad I did, I later found out that only about 6 people stayed in the class by the end. How can you expect people at a jr college to dedicate 12+ hours a week to your class alone? Unrealistic and overall a terrible teacher.
His lectures are useless, he says most of this class is outside of class, so why are you a teacher and why did I take this class? He is just a bad teacher, Dont take
This class just had alot to it, it would've been easier if he didn't treat it as a wieghted class, seeing as it was only 101. He was just to unorganized for me, there wasn't enough things to get points on. When it comes to tests, forget it. A good chunk of the points were from essay questions and if they aren't exact you are screwed.
I'm a very hard working straight A student. And this jerk gave me a D!!! He does not explain labs, gives useless information, does not give study guides or notes and BEST of all yells at a student for taking notes on a video we were watching in class!! GREAT teacher! NOT!! DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT TAKE ANY OF HIS CLASSES!!!!
Took him because the other classes were full. The other instructor said I will be fine as long as I didn't slack off and put effort in. He was dead on! All of these reviews seem to forget one thing- If you do nothing but whine, you will get nothing out of a class. I have had nothing but good luck with all of my geography instructors at JJC.
He is deff, the worst techer I"ve had to date. Class is very boring, unorganized and unclear with directions. Its basically a learn it your self class, the exams are tough, and there are no study guides. On a positive note he seems like he would be a nice guy outside of teaching
He teaches like we are all science majors. He will make you hate geology! Not enough possible points and very hard grader.
Good class if you have some intresat in Geo if not watch out
I have a 3.8 gpa and have my last semester of my gen ed to finish before graduation. If your full time stay away. He admits that he has no structure. Taking this professor is a waste of time. He cares, but if you can't catch on fast enough he'll leave you for the wolves. I don't think I've had a worse professor.
Please don't take this teacher! Save yourself. I am still having nightmares and I had this class last year!
Professor Feldman is an information hoarder. He has the knowledge and doesn't want you to have it!
I'm a transfer student (3 semesters into NIU) and this dirtbag's class is still the hardest class I have ever taken. Worked my ass off and ended up getting an A (81%).. which isnt saying much in a class that started with 30 students and ended with 8. Do every thing possible to AVOID TOM FELDMAN! Absolutely terrible method of teaching.
This guy is the worst professor I have ever had. He has no set order in which he lectures. He does not give outlines or does ppt. This is an old school professor with old school views. Weather science is the hardest class he teaches. It's pretty bad when some of the other science professors have a hard time understanding the material he teaches.
I sat front in center. This guy is horrible. Don't take him to fill your schedule. I was arrogant and thought everyone was slacking. I was mistaken. He's the worse professor I have had. No structure and no power points. There are no study guides. Good luck to whom ever takes him.
He is a very soft spoken nice GUY but a horrible soft spoken TEACHER!You will feel bad for how pissed off he will make you since he is such a nice guy. However, you have to fight him to give you any info its almost like he wants you to teach yourself and he forgets he is a PROFESSOR not a TUTOR! Tests are VERY HARD since he gives no info on them!!!
I love learning about the weather, so I was really excited to take this class. Unfortunatly, I took him as my teather. This guy was HORRIBLE. He gave no notes, ppts, study guides, and hardly reviewed with us before a test. Also, his tests were very hard. I thought I would love this class, but I hated it. I even dropped it. My advise don't take him.
The biggest mistake you will unfortunately make in your college experience, is taking this ignorant info-hogging bugger. He looks like a bug, is very unstructured in his lectures, does NOT prepare you for extremely difficult tests, and will fail you. Please, there is a reason everyone here is telling you not to take this ugly guy. Save yourself.
Unwilling to help. He talks down to you and makes you feel stupid, because he doesn't know how to explain things. His class is a joke. He is vey smart, but he has NO clue how to teach. You actually teach yourself in this class! AVOID HIM!!!
Very hard tests, reading and notes are not enough. Doesn't prepare you for it although, he dedicate a full class for review yet 75% of the test is stuff he never went over. Not very clear, makes you feel stupid when you ask questions. He teaches it like it's 1001 class.
Failed his class the first time around. I took the other guy and then felt like I wasted nothing but time and money in Feldman's class. The other guy sat me down and explained things so clearly-I can't believe it was even the same subject. This is a hard class, but what a difference between the 2 geography guys! Avoid this class!
I see that his classes are almost full for this fall, due to the certain students who took him as a last resort. I only have this to say about you poor kids; take someone who nows how to teach. Feldman deliberately feels as though its not his fault that 75% of his class fails. Oh yes, he tells this to during your first week with him. Good luck
Good teacher has fun with rocks this is an easy science class you spend a lot of time looking at rocks
Let me put it this way, I haven't even started class yet, and he already posted an impossible online quiz, that's due the first day of class. If I hadn't of thought to check iCampus, I never would have known the quiz existed. I can sense my own doom already.
Great prof. You really just need to pay attention in class and you'll pass no problem. He does go off topic sometimes but he loves his job and only wants his students to grasp how awesome the world truly is. He went above and beyond to help anyone who asked.
Teacher mumbles, does not articulate speech, and is unorganized. If you request additional help and/or resources in understanding any topic at hand he will berate your lack of understanding instead of offering the requested information. He is often unprofessional using his position to promote his personal ideology.
Will help if necessary, hard class but if you read the text and dont slack off you'll be fine. is very knowledgeable
Just because you're really passionate about a subject, doesn't mean you should teach it. This teacher is one of those examples. His tests are impossible because he doesn't give you a study guide or tell you what's on the test. He has no structure and it's impossible to take notes. You pretty much have to rely on the book to understand the material
I am a 4.0 student. Could not understand him. He rambles. Doesn't stay on topic. Does not review for tests I don't understand why he teaches. He talks down to everyone. I had to drop this class.
He loves Geology, that is apparent; however, he should not be teaching it in a classroom setting. He is prone to rambling and belittles the classroom. He expects you to know the topic before he talks about it. He disagrees a lot with the text, but bases the exams off it...He takes a LOT of patience.
Run for your life! The class will lose half of its students before the first test. people falling asleep. Completely useless. Might as well been a self study course!
Very knowledgable teacher. I took both Geography111 and Geology101 in Spring of 2011. Dr. Feldman follows the textbook very closely and all tests are from the text and in-class labs. You even get to select the open-ended test questions you prefer to answer. Those that are complaining are obviously lazy and don't come to class consistently!
He was a great teacher. He goes off on tangents sometimes but they're usually entertaining. He teaches the concepts not just memorization. I'd recommend him. He made rocks interesting. I mean, THEY'RE ROCKS!
Worst teacher in my college career. I get straight A's and had to withdrawl from his class. Test are terrible and he expects you to know everythin off hand. Terrible I do not recommend!!
I took him fall 2010 and had a 90% going into the midterm. I know his personality and wasn't comfortable continuing so I dropped. His classes are extremely hard. Spring of 2011 I took John Laretta and passed with a 98%. Trust an alumni stay away from this one arrogance will get you a failing grade.
Run! Run away from this man and this class! I don't need to explain anymore than that! The class lost half of its students before midterms. The remaining slowly dried up to about 10. I bet 1/2 were D and below for grades.
I took both Feldman and the other guy Laratta(?). They both teach the same material, but 2 different ways. I had nothing but confidence in both of them and found them to be more competent than my teachers at ISU. Good guys-Good classes-Good teachers. I would take either one again without hesitation.
Worst teacher I had at JJC. Only reason I didn't drop the class was because I had it during my last semester before I graduated. He is very smart and knows his stuff, but he cannot teach. He gives no notes and goes off topic a lot. The tests are very hard because they are over 6 chapters and he doesn't tell you what's on them. Avoid at all costs!
WORST TEACHER BY FAR!! I got stuck with this teacher last semester because I waited too long to sign up for classes. He never tells the class whats going to be on the test nor is anything on the test in the book. I have no idea how anyone in my last class passed. I received an F because of him! He never explained any of my questions I asked.
I have read all the reviews on Dr.Feldman and this is why I never use this site. Dr. Feldman is a rocking teacher! Read the book, take notes, &use the website. if you do not understand something ASK! He won't bite I promise. He treats his students like adults & is very fair teacher. You must do your part outside of class!! Very wise teacher. A+
I have read all the reviews on Dr.Feldman and this is why I never use this site. Dr. Feldman is a rocking teacher! Read the book, take notes, &use the website. if you do not understand something ASK! He won't bite I promise. He treats his students like adults & is very fair teacher. You must do your part outside of class!! Very wise teacher. A+
Very tough class. He knows what he is talking about but does not know how to teach it. Wouldn't recommend his class, try getting a different professor unless you're really interested in this stuff. I sure aint.
Class is very difficult. He knows a lot about the topic, but I don't think he should be teaching an intro class. Is very detailed with what he expects. Doesn't teach the material in an introductory way. Would recommend taking with a different professor unless you are really interested in weather and climate
One of the worst I've ever had. Exclusively uses the book. Has 2 tests a semester. Teaches very little info that can be used on the test, a lot of general info that's interesting but can't be used in the class. Doesn't respond quickly to emails, if at all. Encourages outside help and outside office visits. Half the class was gone by the end.
Before a .357 bullet can leave the chamber of a smith and wesson upon being struck by the hammer, I knew the class was gonna be awful. In a final effort of trying to achieve my lab credit, I stayed enrolled too long to get a refund when I finally decided that there was no way I could pass. Homework and tests were stupid, impossible to pass.
Absolutely the worst teacher I have ever had at Joliet Junior College. I have been there 2 years and all of the professors have been so amazing and helpful. He seems like he knows what hes talking about but expects you to know EVERYTHING without him teaching it. I would HIGHLY recommend taking this class with another teacher. HORRIBLE
Dr. Felman is a great teacher! I had him for both geology and geography and I found him to be extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. With that said, this class is NOT an easy escape from taking a lab class!! It is every bit as tough a course as any science class. You HAVE to show up, read the textbook, and ask for help when you need it!
Only 2 grades in the entire semester. The mid-term and final. Doesn't really teach the material, lets you read the textbook and teach yourself.
Principles of Physical Geology is an interesting course, but the professor isn't very organized. He seems to just talk and the students have to hope that what he says will be on the exam. Be sure to do the "concept checks" in each chapter before each exam -- the questions come directly for those. The average grade on exams is a D.
This class was awful. Before the class i was interested in learning earth's processes. However, now that i have taken this class with feldman and ended needing to drop i'm afraid to retake it with another teacher because he made it seem so boring. He expects you to know what's going on without explaining it. Does not believe in "Study Guides"
I enjoyed this professor. He makes geology of all things really interesting. The only problem was the tests were totally different from his lectures. My advice if you take this class is READ the chapters for the tests.
RUN! You have been warned.
I was really looking forward to taking this class because I was really interested in the topic of Geology. Dr. Feldman has completely ruined that for me. He expects you to learn everything independently and he rants about the same topic the entire class period. I would absolutely not recommend this class to anyone.
Dr. Feldman is the definition of what a good teacher should be. He is there for his students, gives great lectures, and is passionate about his topic. He can be really funny - quirky sometimes. He also tells it how it is - he gives real world implications in his lectures. Definitely a good professor and a really good guy. Thank you Dr. Feldman.
Run as fast as you can. He will lose half of the students by midterm. You have been warned.
Very smart but here's the problem, he doesn't teach. He expects you to know the material before he teaches it, gives no notes, assigns 200 pages to read for the test without a study guide and if you do poorly, he gets upset and doesn't understand why. He treats us like were all geology majors. If it wasn't for the homework and labs, I'd fail. Avoid
Run! Avoid at all costs. If you are a christian or believe in the bible, he will criticize you. This was not suppose to be a religion or polysci class, but Geography. Please just teach us the material!!!
You have to read a lot. The chapters are long so if you want to pass you need to take your own notes. He is really tough on grading and doesn't explain unless you ask.
Worst teacher I've ever had. Doesn't give study guides, only general topics. Doesn't give any extra credit to help your grade out. Reached out to him about my grade and didn't even bother to reply to help me out. For the final all he pretty much said was study everything.
He is very intelligent but cannot effectively communicate. He lectures on whatever he feels like and goes off on tangents about religion and politics. He lectures about 10% of what is on the test, the rest you have to learn ON YOUR OWN. He's not very helpful and when you ask questions is condescending. I highly recommend not taking him, avoid it!!
please do not take this teacher he suck teaching at a junior college because this subject at a 4 year will be counted as an elective. it is best to not this class for yor gen ed and just transfer. he is a waste of your time and money.
He is the type of teacher that, when you ask If he could elaborate on what he just said.... He'll say the exact thing again.
HORRIBLE! I read the reviews on this website before I took him, but because everything else was full - I had no choice but to enroll in his class. I figured that if I just studied more than usual, I would do fine. BOY, WAS I WRONG. I studied so much for his tests, and still did terribly! If it wasn't for his homework and labs, I would have failed.
Dr. F knows a lot about the subject but he doesn't convey it so that the average person can understand it. I'm taking the class for a science credit and probably won't pass it because his tests/homework is graded really hard. He also likes to say how some content is for sixths graders and you should know this stuff by now. Super insulting.
This is honestly the hardest class I've ever taken. I normally get A's and B's like it's no big deal, 'cause it's not. But this class is unbelievable! I study a week prior to the test, only to get a C or D! To which Mr. F says, is a "good thing". He must be used to having everyone fail, which says a lot about his teaching. Don't take this class.
By far the worst professor I've ever had. I've never done so bad in a class. He doesn't believe in powerpoints so notes are just what you can pick up from lecture. The tests are ridiculous, the highest grade on an exam from my class was a low C. Out of about 30 people in my class there are less than 10 left after only 2 exams. Don't do it.
Not a good teacher (trust me). Out of the 2 years I've been going to JJC, he was definitely the worst. I barely got out with a passing grade. Avoid if possible.
Oh God. Don't take him. Just took my final and there is no way I passed. I'm so freaking pissed cause I studied so much. Take my advice, and go with another teacher. Don't be that arrogant person and think you can pass with him, cause you won't.
All assignments, quizzes and tests are graded to on the mark. Not much leniency, no extra credit and very long lectures.
His lectures are so long and he basically just rants the entire time about things that do not pertain with the class. Truthfully, I'm not learning anything. Plus the way he grades quizzes and tests is a complete joke, and not fair.
Just don't do this to yourself
Very long PowerPoints! Quizzes/tests are based from the textbook and not the actual lectures. Very tough grader, takes off points for every little mistake. Very understanding guy and is thoughtful if you get to know him.
Geog 111 was tough, but Dr. Feldman was awesome. He was always there to help me. I asked questions all the time and he appreciated that in class. A lot of poor students who never did any of the work made the class pace slow, but doable. It's amazing how lazy and complaining students can hurt a great class! I learned tons!
This is the most difficult & ridiculous class Ive ever taken. I only took tues thurs classes & he would assign very extensive & hard worksheets at least once a week. Weekly quizzes due on Friday night so if you work or are busy on that day too bad! Tests are 50 multiple choice & then like 10-15 short answer. I studied so hard & still had to drop!
He is the worst teacher of all time.
Do not take this class. He is very disrespectful to his students. If you ask a question he makes you feel stupid. He is monotone & boring in his lectures. He does not believe in study guides. The exams are hard to study for because his lectures are so dry that there hard to follow & there's no study guides to help. Don't put your self through this.
This class was such a disappointment for me because while he is a genuine person and is more than willing to meet with students outside of class to provide additional help he doesn't set up the class in the best format. His "study guides" gave information on how to study but nothing on the chapters we learned. Take this class at your own risk.
Doesnt have notes, makes you do everything outside of class. He is a tough grader! His lectures dont make sense always goes off topic. Must come to class to pass and doesnt give a study guide for test. I would not take this class again and I recommend anyone wanting to take a geo class not to take him!
If i could give him a zero rating i would. He does not teach during his lectures he only babbles about things not relevant to topics. He does not answer your questions and he is the toughest grader. when we do labs he will come by and tell you that everything youre doing is correct and then you will get a 1/5 on your lab after turning it in.
His class is the worst. All he does is talk about irrelevant things for the whole class and its a waste of time. Dont recommend at all!!!
One of the most difficult professors to understand, does not go over anything that is expected. I highly recommend taking any class instead of his!!
He doesnt explain labs correctly, his classes are not even close to what is going to be in the exam. He explain in a hard way, instead of doing the content easily to explain.
Such a terrible professor I felt compelled to come back after years just to roast him. His lectures are excruciatingly boring and off topic. He treats every student like a future Geology major and gets off on making class unnecessarily difficult to stroke his ego. He gets mad when you miss class but doesnt focus on making class more enjoyable.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
52%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.91 avg changeRatings by Course
GEOGWEACLI
5.0
(1)GEOL101GEOG111
5.0
(1)GEOL101101
5.0
(1)GEOG
4.0
(1)GEO112
4.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
111223
5.0
GEO100
5.0
GEO125
5.0
GEOG111223
5.0
GEOLOGY
5.0