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Kept class interesting. Hard grader. Learned alot.

fun prof., but very hard grader

Sexy but hard grader

Structured, yet creative teaching approach. Willing to help students.

An excellent professor, if you listen you will learn a lot..keeps class active

Very helpful if you ask. Positive and energetic person overall.

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Professor Peterson knows her stuff and tries to keep class interesting. No textbook and uses a lot of different material, so you learn in a different format. I would recommend her and personnally take her again

Dr. Peterson is fun to listen to in class. Lectures are interesting. Papers VERY hard, and grading even harder. Tests are a bear!

Professor Peterson is an energetic and interestinf lecturer, but makes things harder than they have to be. Obviously extremely interested in the philosophy behind communication, but kind of over the top for a speech class. She's also a hard grader, but very helpful outside of class. Quite a talker.

Professor Peterson is an awesome professor. She is a tough grader, but a great lecturer. She is very funny and always willing to help. I recommend this professor for COM 101.

Classes are mostly lecture. Some readings are hard to follow yet you are expected to understand. She is willing to help during office hours and other times. Homework was mostly reading and notes. Studied an average of 5 hours for her tests and got A- on both. Does crazy unexpected things in class

Best prof. I have had yet! She is so funny, energetic, and lots of fun. She engages the class and becomes more of a fellow student than prof. Do the assigned readings by taking some easy BS notes and you'll do fine on the quizzes...I got an A, it's not hard, trust me! Just do the work, duh! :)

This was by far my favorite class. Prof. Peterson is very nice and hilarious! Just come to class, be involved with activities, and take a few notes, its a breeze! I loved giving speeches, only 3, and she is VERY helpful. If you are considering this class, TAKE IT:)

Great teacher, she was very clear on the topics and easy on the eyes. Tests and papers are tough, but not impossible.

tough but fair....very willing to help

This is a great prof! I had her for both Com 101 and 201. She's a hard grader, but if you go to her during office hours - you won't regret it. She's really helpful and a great teacher. As long as you take notes and get involved, you won't have a problem.

Very Passionate in what she talks about. Not an easy course, you have to put in the effort and present good content in your speeches. She's very helpful though and easy to listen to. I didn't get bored in this class at all but be prepared to work.

Very interesting and personable. talked well with the students and was available for help all the time. Grades very tough.

She's very passionate about what she teaches...maybe a little too much. If you aren't into theories, images, relitivaty and long drawn out conversations about stuff that you proabably won't use in your career, choose another professor. She is helpful if you ask for it, all tests are essays.

Very cool teacher, but really tough grader. She knows what she's talking about, but if you want a good grade you have to do the readings.

Good prof...funny and helpful

She is a great professor, might be a lil wacky but that is what makes the class fun. she has a lot of knowlage about her subject from personal experince but she makes her classes challenging. Assigns a lot of reading for homework and most exams are essay based. She is also, a tough grader.I enjoyed taking her class.

Very nice professor. She wants you to do well and is very helpful. She grades the speeches very hard, so make sure you follow all of the instructions listed for each speech. I was scared to take a public speaking class, but she made it interesting.

Nice teacher with LOTS of opinions. She is a pretty tough grader but she is fair. Does not use a text book in her 101 course. I recommend this class.

she is amazing! i loved her class. she is a ton of fun and really wants you to do well. she tries to provoke thought on all topics but she will make you work hard!

Peterson is amazing! She loves her subject and wants her students to love it too. She makes you work hard but she is very fair. Go to her office hours. She'll help you and she is also very interesting to listen to.

Passionate and excited about her subject. She's a little quirky, but endearingly so. She's fair and eager to help you out. Her tests can be difficult. Study. The reading is heavy, so don't hesitate to ask her for clarifications or to visit her office.

EXCELLENT PROF! Very nice & knowledgable/excited about her subject which made her fun to listen too! No book or readings, just 4 speeches & 1 test. Test was hard so taking good notes is mandatory. Tough grader on speeches but its a SPEECH CLASS, if you follow the syllabus you'll be fine! NOT an easy A, but enjoyable & would definitely take again!

Valarie is a great teacher and professor. she will help you as long as you do not give up. Sje is very interested in her students. I would take any class she is teaching as long as it will further your credits toward graduation.By the way going to class is also visiually pleasing when she is instructing.

Amazing professor! Very inspiring, very helpful, creates very good atmosphere on her class! She manages to make readings that we are doing much more interesting than they actually are. I'd recommend her to everyone!

Valerie Peterson is an amazing prof. She teaches about what she likes, or at least makes it seem like she does. Very fun in class, she's a firecracker. Tests are fair, and she gives you possible questions on a study guide. If you read and study you'll be fine. The readings are not boring either; they actually make you think.

Professor Peterson was the best professor I ever had at GV! Take her classes in a heartbeat. You'll have to work because she doesn't make class easy, but she's so entertaining that you're guaranteed to learn a ton and gain a new appreciation for the subject - especially if the class is called "Rhetorics of Sex and Sexuality."

She is so fun! She really gets into what she is talking about and makes you want to come to class and listen to her. She is a fair grader and very approachable. I hope to have her again. Definitely take her!

by far the best professor i've ever had! at first she was a little intimidating because she is very outspoken and intelligent, but she is just a great person in every way. her class is the first that i really had to work hard at to get a good grade in, but it was totally worth it because she made it so interesting.

It's funny to read about people saying she's a tough grader. She is smart and expects the same of her students, this is college, kids. She is an excellent professor. You can say anything to her and she'll have an intelligent, witty response. She is a riot! Her class is enjoyable and the material interesting.

Prof. Peterson is an overall good prof. This class is not a cake walk. If you do your reading, show up and participate, you will be alright. She is a fairly tough grader, so if you want an "easy A," look elsewhere. Prof. Peterson is passionate about her subject, and she is very easy on the eyes.

One of my favorite profs. She has a lot of fascinating, often quirky information to engage the class with. The essay exams were challenging but her study guides were very helpful and clear.

Absolutely love her. She's smart and engages the class. She tries to make it interesting, you can tell she's really passionate about what she's teaching.

Dr. Peterson is intelligent and passionate about life and the subjects she teaches. She has a great sense of humor and makes class very engaging. You won't get an easy A, but you shouldn't expect to in college. It's like a gym membership, you get out of it what you put in... or something like that

Had SO much fun in this class! She really made learning enjoyable and always encouraged us to come visit her office. Her sarcasm made everyone love the class even more. Was considering failing the final just to take her again. Just saying.

She was very easy going and fun. She tries not to grade with bias and has you write down your G# instead of your name to give a fairer grade. The class isn't super hard or super easy, but a nice in between.

Valerie is an engaging professor that is unbelievably passionate about educating. However, if you're looking for a cakewalk class, this is not it. The material is challenging, but it is interesting. She sometimes isn't open to opinions outside of her own, which can be frustrating. It wasn't what I expected, but it was still a solid course.

Professor Peterson cares tremendously about her students. She really likes her students to lead discussions and with her energetic and friendly attitude, students feel more comfortable in voicing their opinions. I would highly recommend this professor. The material and her grading is not easy, but you will learn a lot if you apply yourself.

Prof. Peterson is such a sweet woman, she was very helpful and she made the class fun. However do not slack off because you will fall behind & she grades hard. Meaning she really makes sure you understand and know the material. She also expects class participation & most of her tests are essay oriented.

Prof. Peterson is the best professor I've had in my three years at GV. She is incredibly passionate about what she teaches and it makes the students want to be involved and engaged in class discussions. Attendance wasn't mandatory, but it was a class that I wanted to go to and enjoyed being in.

Dr. Peterson is a great Professor of Com Vision and Culture. She is straight forward in her lectures and her expectations for attendance and assignments. If you are looking for an easy A you won't find it here. She is fair with her grading and has high expectations of her students. Her sense of humor is hilarious! I highly recommend this Prof!

She's a very fun loving person and always in a great mood. Not very lengthy assignments, but a hard grader on papers especially. Gives you chances for rewrites though. Makes you work for an A.

pretty good, liked it a lot

She's so cute and she really wants to help. I don't know why she doesn't have as good reviews. She's just newer to this whole teaching thing so she's trying to figure out what is best. She's experimenting. She's a good person. Class can be a bit boring and a bit too straightforward though at times. Readings are long. Tests are long, STUDY and READ.

Prof Peterson is super nice and quirky. She cares about her students and she wants you to become comfortable with speaking in front of an audience. We had to give 3 speeches throughout the semester. It was nerve-wracking but overall it wasn't too bad. She's a little bit of a tough grader but I actually learned something in the class!

I love Valerie. She makes this gened SWS class so freaking enjoyable and clearly goes over every reading that is assigned. I was not looking forward to this class but after being in there for a week I learned more than I do in a full semester of some classes. Very entertaining. She gives amazing feedback on papers. TAKE HER you will not regret it.

You are going to have to read for this class(COM101). She is very passionate about teaching and is very kind. Her grading is unclear and she doesn't use Blackboard so you don't know your grade unless you ask. She's such a nice person and the class isn't hard as long as you do the daily reading and understand it because there'll be popquizzes on it

She's very easy going and absolutely hilarious, she makes class enjoyable! Love love LOVED her. Not only does she give good help for in-class problems, but she helps with problems outside of school as well.

Prof Peterson is a good choice. She definitely knows her stuff, and she's funny. She makes class fun. There are pop quizzes on the weekly readings, but you can use notes you took and they're easy if you actually read. Her grading doesn't make any sense, so you have to ask her about it if you want to know what your grade is. Overall, she's good.

Valerie is super nice and easy to talk to. She and I would usually end up having a conversation after class. There's a good amount of reading for the course. Take notes so you can use them on the pop quizzes. She doesn't use Blackboard, so you will have to ask about your grade. The only problem was her grading. VERY picky about wording and info.

Has you print out your "textbook" instead of buying one, but it's just all the readings for the semester, and you really don't have to print them. At least skim the readings before class because she will quiz almost all of them, but they aren't hard. Very energetic and sometimes gets off topic, but overall an easy class.

Professor Peterson is a great professor! She is very enthusiastic about teaching and makes class discussions fun and interesting. Pre-Quizzes can be kind of difficult, make sure you do the reading. I am taking her again for speech, highly recommend her.

Awesome professor, she's super enthusiastic about everything and makes class interesting.

Professor Peterson was one of my favorite Profs at GV for sure. She makes it very easy, and manages to make it not awkward at all when having to talk in front of the class (which youll do everyday). Very easy grader, just get your work done and no reason you should get below a B. If you have to take a COM class, take her.

Prof. Peterson is very personable, she takes the time to connect with students when she can and ask them questions about their lives/school. She gives good feedback on papers and helps you thoroughly understand the readings. Sometimes she rambles on, but I always found it enjoyable and thought-provoking.

One of my favorite professors. She cares so much about her students and makes her class interesting. You have 3 papers but she only grades the rewrite and each week you have 2 readings with 2 five minute quizzes. Readings are short and quizzes are easy. Lectures were laid back and encouraged discussion. I loved this class and learned a lot from it.

Professor Val is, in my opinion, the BEST professor at GVSU. She is so incredibly caring, sweet, funny, and genuinely wants her students to do so well in both school and life. If you miss a class, she emails you to check if you're okay, but never to scold or belittle you for not showing up. She is the sole reason I am a communication major.

Prof Peterson was one of my favorite professors so far. While her lectures can kind of get lost because she can ramble on, she makes it a point to get to know her students & connect with them. There were 3 papers, but she only grades a rewrite of them and give feedback on the 1st draft. The readings were easy and so were the quizzes with them!

Peterson is a very outgoing and spunky person! She genuinely cares about her students' personal lives and is super lenient. However, she does get very very carried away in her lectures. It can sometimes be hard to focus on what she's talking about. Readings before every class with an easy quiz online before each class. Overall, she is great!

There are a reading and two reading quizzes every week. It is hard to get used to at first, but then it is very manageable. She is super nice and caring. Very sweet and will help you with anything you need.

Great professor! Tough grader but very understanding and caring.

She can get off topic pretty easily, but you love her for it. Don't expect to get an A unless you're her favorite, or just know exactly what she's looking for. (Not to say that you can't get a decent grade, though). Super caring person and fun to talk to after class. A lot of reading but you can slip by those reading quizzes if you guess well.

Prof Peterson is my favorite professor so far. She is passionate about her class and clearly wants her students to learn/succeed. She is accessible outside of class and provides great feedback on papers. She's a tough grader, but if you seek help, her class is not too difficult. The content and class discussions were thought-provoking. 10/10

One of my favorite professors I've had at GVSU. She is extremely understanding but also interesting to listen to. She clearly cares about what she teaches and that is so evident in how she runs her courses. The coursework is extremely manageable and straightforward. I felt like I learned a lot and wish I could take more of her classes.

This class was easy and Dr. Peterson is funny and the readings for the course were relevant and interesting.

She was a very good Professor, but she makes it so no one in her class will get a 100%. Just two readings a week each needing to have a journal entry. Easy class if you actually try.

Dr. P is so amazing. Very lively and always makes class fun. I was nervous to take a class about public speaking, but she made it so exciting. Created a supportive atmosphere and was always quick to compliment everyone. I love her so much.

I really enjoyed Dr. Peterson. The class was pretty easy with a few papers but all were such interesting topics. She is a bit of a tough grader though so it almost impossible to get a 100 in the class. She also lectures about off topics things so there was a lot of wasted time but entertaining. Overall a great prof and cares about her students.

This is who you want if you were like me: a freshman who was deathly afraid of public speaking. Dr. Peterson does a great job lowering anxiety and pressure around speaking in front of the class, which you will do each session. Her ability to connect with students combined with her extensive knowledge is the reason her students love her.

She makes this class very engaging and if you establish a relationship with her and your peers, this class can be fun; she's a super interesting person. you'll have reading quizzes but they're like 5 questions and super easy. she is picky on grading so dont think that just because you did the assignment you'll get full credit.

Dr. Peterson is really passionate about what she teaches. She is extremely kind and will work with you if you need some help. There were several reasons quizzes throughout the semester but they were pretty easy If you dud the reading. Overall, great professor.

Prof Peterson is an engaging lecturer who truly cares about her students. While she can sometimes veer off-topic, her passion makes the class enjoyable. The workload is manageable, with just a few papers and easy reading quizzes. unstuck AI was a great study tool for preparing. Overall, a solid professor.

Such a kind soul. Willing to do anything for her students and lets us steer the course 90% of the time. Just do your readings and shell love you.

One of my favorite professors ever. Not much work besides weekly readings and short 5-question quizzes, which are easy. She's a tough grader and doesn't give 100s, so the 100-point grading system can make it harder to get an A. If you participate and do the readings, you'll be okay. She's super kind, passionate, and makes class fun and enjoyable.