3.7
Quality3.6
Difficulty38%
Would Retake95
Reviews38%
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
53
4
7
3
12
2
13
1
10
What Students Say
āProfessor Drake is the bestā
GEOGRAPHY14 - 5.0 ratingāOne of the best professor I've had at SMC, truly inspirationalā
GEOG5 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
78%
Textbook Required
60%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.40 avg changeRatings by Course
GEOLOGY1
5.0
(1)GEOGRAPHY
5.0
(2)GEOL1
5.0
(1)GEO1AND14
5.0
(1)GEOG
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ABCABC
5.0
GEOABC
5.0
GEO1
4.5
GEOG20
4.0
GEO20
4.0
Reviews (95)
Very nice. Really knows her stuff.
Very nice teacher. Lots of work to do but everything that will be on exams is explained perfectly. Lecture outlines, maps, study guides, etc are all provided and help with test preperation.
Very specific. Explains everything in an orderly manner.
No Comments
excellent teacher, you will learn lots. 14 2 page essays required and final project, extra credit essays available, very clear lectures, fair tests.
Great professor. Always willing to explain further. Good study guides for tests/final.
Lots of little 2 page papers, and one giant 12 page! Really nice lady, but alot of papers. Well organized lectures and tests are easy. I dont really recomend her class unless nothing else is available.
She is very knowledgeable. Her tests have gotten harder over the years. Most of the students in my class receieved B's or C's throughout the semester. There are very few extra credit opportunities. DO WELL ON HER TESTS OR ELSE.
This was an fun and interesting class. A lot is required however. 8 essays plus a final research paper and project. Test are not too difficult. As long as you take notes and review on a regular basis, you can get a good grade in this class.
do not take her, her class is the boring class i've ever taken. although, i do have to admit, she's very nice, but she's very hard too. she gives too many essays, and her tests are so hard.i would not recommend her.
the most boring teacher in the world. she gives way too many essays, i've never written this many essays ever in my life...and her tests are so hard! don't take her!!
she's so boring!!i fell asleep in her class everyday. she's nice though, but she's so hard. she gives way too many essays, and a big stressing project at the end of the semester. not recommended!
the most boring teacher on the planet. her tests are too hard, and she gives more essays than a teacher who teaches english 2. and a stressing, frustrating project is due at the end of the semester. do not take her!
this teacher gives too many annoying and stressing essays to write. her tests are very hard, and her class is the most boring class ever. i'd recommend another teacher for this class.
Drake is a nice teacher, but her class is very boring. her tests are wevy hard. she gives a project due at the end of the semester, which frustrates the hell out of you, and she's a tough grader.
this class is soooooooooo boring, and sooooooo hard...this class adds on a lot strees that people already have, it's a very frustrating class...oh and too many essays to write!
Overall she is not too bad for this course. She is verrry boring though. I would not take her for a class that involves any writing though. Geog 20 is mostly computer based, but I coundn't imagine taking her for a Geog 14 class.
she's very very nice. but her lectures are too boring, and her tests are not easy, as long as you go to class, i think you'll do well...but i can't imagine taking her Geo 14.
Easy lecture to follow. Havn't even opened the book and getting an "A". A little more writing than I'd like for a geography class, but she grades easy, but I'm always at class...
her lectures are great, but very boring. her tests are not that easy, she does give a lot of essays for a geography class, and she makes the class do a huge project in the end of the semester right before finals...who does that?
bbbbbbbbbooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnnnnngggggggggg!!!!
oh my god. such a boring class. it took every ounce of strength to go to class twice a week. wish i had never taken the class even though i got an A on it. BS the essays and you'll do fine.
Very intersting, I loved her class. Lots of essays but they will prepare you for the tests. Excellent and clear teaching style. If you like the subject of physical geography you'll love her class - Extra credit makes for an easy A if you do the work.
Ignore the negative feedback. very clear. Lots of essays, tests straight forward & extra credit. She grooms you for university, doesn't baby sit, respectful and interesting. Take this class if you want to LEARN physical geog.
very nice lady. you take three tests the whole year and a final and she drops your lowest regular test. alotta essays for a class like this. 8 essays in total, 2 for each test. she has this really big project at then end sucks! but shes nice! class is boring tho!!!
the most boring class i could ever imagine taking...note-taking and listening to her drone on and on and on and on....but she is nice...don't take her geo 14 class if you have trouble writing essays about subjects no one could care less about
Geography can be boring. This teacher basically gives you 2 pages worth of notes per class,3 exams and a presentation. If you are an average student who does his/her homework, the only thing you have to worry about is the 5-10 min presentation, which isn't hard at all.
Great teacher! Ignore negative feedback. If you have a question, shell answer it in the simplest form she can so you can comprehend it. Extras credit is also available.
very nice
If you want to move on and succeed in science in the upper division, she will help you. She is very detailed, but don't expect to be babied at UCLA either. Her classes can be a challenge, true, but she will go out of her way to help you if you are a serious student.
Drake is a GREAT teacher, but if you're going to take her class be prepared for lots of note taking and hard tests. She is very helpful though and enoys teaching.
I love her! she is so sweet and helpful but at the same time she made the class a challenge. you really have to work hard for an A. She gives many opportunities for extra points. Shes awesome
She is really nice, but OMG she is so hard. her tests are hell and are insane. you can barely get any info from the book. she is really helpful and understanding but she is hard as hell and very boring.
Awesome teacher, awesome class, just do the work and show up to class, she is a great lady and really wants u to do well, i have nothing but good things to say about this class and teacher!
What a nice teacher. She truely is knowledgable on geography. She is very helpful. The field trips are fun. The tests can be somewhat difficult, but make sure to know alll the questions she gives you in her handout, because they will all be on the test. A lot of note taking and a lot of lecture, but plenty of extra credit possibilities.
One of the brightest professors i've ever met. She truly knows the subject to the bone. Class is challenging but she's always available to help you. I highly reccommend her. She's Great.
very nice professor. she knows what she is talking about. you really dont need the textbook but you will need the supplement. very recommended:)the only thing is that you would have to write many essays and there is a group presentation.
This class was so awful I dropped it 3 months into the semester. The tests were insanely hard. She's a super nice lady, but plays favorites with returning students. She assigns 2 horribly boring essays for each midterm, which is once a month. If you don't want to write papers on volcanoes and vegetation, DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS.
Prof Drake is great. Two short essays are required with every test. There are a LOT of lecture notes, but they are helpful for the test. Be sure to purchase the supplemental guide required by the class or you will be lost at test time which by the way are not scantron tests. If you really want to learn about CA geography take Vicki Drake!!
Awesome teacher! Very helpful, clear on the material and her lectures. There are eight easy essays in total. Just pay attention and read the supplemental packet. That's were all the information is. I highly reccommend her. I loved her. One of the BEST teachers.=)
If you are a student who may need help, beware before taking this class. The class itself is interesting but you are not going to get the help you need. BEWARE!!!!!!
Excellent teacher
I Love professor Drake. Ignore any ridiculus comments posted about her giving insanely hard tests or boring essays. She knows the material like the back of her hand, and her lectures are very clear and precise and prepare you for all the essays and exams. She's one of the best professors I've had at SMC. Do the work, you'll get the grade.
I dropped this class midway through because there was just a ridiculous amount of work. Exams every 2 weeks (plus essays due with each exam), in class labs PLUS take home labs, and soooo much reading. It was unbelievable.
She is the best. I am NOT into anything that has to do with science, but i tried hard in her class. I thought i was going to fail the class half way into the semester. But i passed it with a C. She really gives you a second chance in passing her class. Just do well in the Lab exams and you will do fine.
she is very kind and helpfull teacher, i took her class for my first smc semester, and she shown me that in smc i can meet as nice teacher as her. She gave a lots of essay and her exam is not easy at all(from lecture, not book), however if you will keep in touch with her for all semester, she will figure out how to help you to get better grade.
Vicki Drake is a wonderful professor. She is passionate about her profession and her lectures are clear and interesting. If you are a lazy you may want to stay away from her classes but for a good student I highly recommend Drake. She's also a very sweet woman and has a great sense of humor.
She helps out her students she knows that most of us are not going to become geologist! Give you essays due at the exam, the essay questions are on the exam. Lab quizzies are difficult, lab she give you 3 points of 5 just for truning it in. Lots of extra credits and drops the lowest lecture exam. She is very organized and knowlegble!
AVOID ALL THE COSTS. SHE IS THE WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER SEEN. NOT HELPFUL AT ALL AND REQUIRES LOT OF RIDICILOUS AMOUNT OF WORK INCLUDING ESSAYS(ABOUT WIND, EARTHQUAKE)
AVOID ALL THE COSTS. SHE IS THE WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER SEEN.
boring and not helpful
Vicki Drake is the best professor I have ever had. I'm not a fan of science, but this class is my favorite so far @ SMC. Honestly, ignore the negative comments. Shes extremely helpful and you will learn A LOT! Class isn't too hard, but you need to study and pay attention in class. Shes awesome, and you go on awesome field trips too!!!
Overall, it's not a hard class if you study enough. The lab quizzes are pretty difficult because you're applying the concepts, but the lecture exams are straightforward, based on memorization. There a 2 essays due with each exam also, but you get used to it...she's trying to prepare her students with all the torture, don't worry.
I cannot even begin to explain how ridiculous this professor and her classes are. EXPLAIN to me why my Physics class is easier than this. This woman takes her job WAY too seriously, tests are RIDICULOUS! Plus you have to turn in essays too? If I pass this class I'd be surprised and I am pretty good student. I DO NOT RECOMMEND at all.
Here's the deal with this professor.First day of class she says 'If you write too articulate for a community college student,I'll asyou cheated" huh?way to set the tone.This professor plays favorites and once she establishes who her class pets are, you're either one of them or a complete nobody. Plays favorites, is bias and it's very unfortunate.
Drake, Vick is a passioned professor for the area of physucal geography. There are a lot of extra credit opportunities on her class however there is a limit for them. Take the lab exercises seriously that will be the difference between an A and a B. There are many concepts to memorize for her exams, the good news is that she drops your lowest score
SHE IS BEAUTIFUL AND HELPFUL.
Really nice teacher. Class can be boring at times, but overall pretty chill class. She's really helpful, if you ask. Do the labs or else your grade will suffer.
This class would have been a breeze if it wasnt soooo boring, the sound of her voice is absolutely insipid. But other than that, show up to class regularly, take notes, and the supplement that she asks you to provide is wonderful help. a step by step study guide that really prepares you for the exams. oh but be prepared to turn in 8essays...
Proffesor Drake knows what she is talking about. Over all, if you show up every day on time, take notes, pay attention, ask questions, and study her study guide, will defitnely pass her class. It could be boring at times, but overall a wonderful Proffesor
These ratings made me think that Drake would be a bore to me. I think she is one of the most informational teachers I've met. She really is enthusiastic about what she enjoys. Show up, participate in her easy extra credit assignments, complete her essays with each exam, study the power points & you're good! I'm sad to be leaving this class...
She gives 4 exams a semester, they are about 70 questions each. She requires you to map, which is tough when asked to map every river, city,mountain, dam and more. She require 2 essays with every exam. Dont take if your not found of writing. She teaches a University levels and shares there expectations. Shes nice and helpful. Class is a bore.
She does give a lot of writing work, about 10 essays a semester which is much more than any English teacher would give and she grades your essays like one. her test are tough. She nice and helpful but, the class is quite boring and youll fall asleep easy. she put all her note online so you dont have to take any in class that makes things easier.
I took Drake over the Summer and I didn't miss one class because you did labs every day. Labs are what you are quizzed on, and tests are what she shows in the slides. I rarely used the book but the slides were crucial when studying for tests. Find a good group to do labs with because if you're not a science major some tasks can be confusing.
Drake is a great professor. I was scared cuz of these posts but then I took her class Fall 2011. No need for the book. Tests are based on her power points and lectures + lab quizzes. Get in a good group for those. Lab quizzes are exactly like the labs done in class just study them. A lot of EC so make use of that. Class was fun+ field trip
Best professor IĆ¢??ve had in college so far! She is very professional, organized and has a true passion for the subject. The level of difficulty is appropriate (not to hard or easy) and if you are serious, do the labs, study for the tests etc you will most likely get a good grade. Crystal clear lectures and gives study guides for the tests.
truly amazing. drake genuinely cares about teaching her students, this is a woman who is just from the bottom of her heart as nice as she is smart. do the labs, come to class, and you wont be upset. very approachable and will help you every step of the way.
2 papers + 2 labs due on day of tests. Noisy during tests: she types on computer during tests with her long nails - very distracting. Sarcastic and rude responses when questions are asked. Lectures are not direct and to the point for this GE class. Stay away if you value your GPA.
Passes around grade sheet that shows everyone's grade even if you have a code name. Creates a tense environment of learning and the material is enough to deal with. Isn't that against privacy code?Morris is way better!
Study the Maps! This class might have boring lectures but I found the topics interesting. She is helpful, and its not mandatory to go to class. Drake's tests are not hard, multiple choice. The MAPS are crucial so study them !
To be straight forward, this class is not an easy A. It's PowerPoint lecture to lecture to lecture then test. 2 minimum 2 page essay due everyone there's an exam. Then lecture, lecture, exam and continue on the rest of the semester. Maps on the tests are easy , tests in general are hard. I studied and got a C.
Professor Drake is amazing, I took her California geography class and it is the best decision I have ever made. Come to class, review her PowerPoints and use the study guide for the 4 exams! Not that hard unless you don't care at all. She gives 4 exams and drops the lowest one, tons of e.c opportunities too. Best teacher ever!!!
Professor Drakes GIS online class is definitely tough. Only a midterm and a final but many assignments. She is extremely helpful in terms of helping you work through and problemsglitches with the assignments and software used. If you try and care about this class you will do very well. Wonderful professor and great class.
Professor Drake is the best! She is so kind and helpful. She only gives 3 exams and a final, and your lowest exam is dropped. 87% gets you an A. Her powerpoints are all online and they are easy to follow. She also offers extra credit sometimes. It's not a difficult class, and she even provides study guidesmaps.
This was the most challenging class i have taken. If youre looking for an easy grade then dont be in this class. She gives over 10 essays and they are due right before the test day. I really liked this class because of the teacher. She is very helpful and she new I was struggling and help me finally achieve a B. Take this class
Drake's online GIS class is tough because the program you're learning to use is difficult and sometimes counterintuitive. However, once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad. She's extremely good about answering questions, wants students to do well, and seems like a really nice person in general. I'd take another class with her.
One of the best professor I've had at SMC, truly inspirational. She has a lot of knowledge and wants you to learn and understand. She is tough and you will have to study and participate, but its all worth it because you will learn a lot. Groupwork, lab quiz, 2 writings per exam. The class went on a field trip together and we always felt like a team
this class is lecture the whole time with each power point being 50+ slides long. Be prepared to write a lot of essays, luckily they are only a few pages long. 4 exams, 2 essays for each exam, final paper, cumulative final- 4 short answer essays. study guides give no guidance on what specifically to study for 50 question test & reviews EVERYTHING
Not an easy class, but she's awesome. There is definitely quite a bit of studying to do and a few papers to write (ugh) but she's very understanding and helpful. Not a hard grader at all, at least in my experience. Just attend class, review after each lecture, turn the hw in on time and you'll be fine. You learn a lot in this class. I got an A!
Fabulous professor with a great charisma and always happy to see students and take questions after class. 4 Lab quizzes, 4 Exams and 8 , 2-3 page essays. Make sure to build a study guide as soon as you know the chapter. Also lets you start on essays before they are due. Great amount of extra credit available too (30 points)
This was a nice class. If you go over the power points and the labs you will do well.
3 exams(drops Lowest)+ final+ 2 essays due before every exam. 5 lab quizzes. 30 EC points. Labs due everyday. Hardest class Ive ever taken. Make sure you understand the subject, know how to do the labs, memorize the lectures. TONS OF INFORMATION. It was an overwhelming class but you have to work hard for it, requires lots of studying. Good luck!
Can be pretty rude and snarky when asking for help, considering she barely goes over the labs you do every class. She doesn't give precise instrucions for everything and gets an attitude when you ask. Lots of work and lectures are super boring. She can be nice *sometimes*. Wish there were more professor options for thisfuchsia class.
She doesn't care about students academics. If you want to ask her something regarding your points that you didn't receive or questions about the quiz lab she will point out with her long nails and say what does the question say after that she will say well i did mention that. powerpoints 60+ very strict with grading her essays , LabQ. save YourS
Professor Drake is a great teacher, but her class is not easy. If you want to get an A, you have to come to every class and do all of the labs. The tests are pretty hard, but she drops one and gives extra credit regularly throughout the semester. If you just need to complete a lab-science for IGETC, I recommend looking elsewhere.
I love prof. Drake! She is very funny and passionate about her subject. One or two labs every lecture, so do not skip classes because they will matter on your grade. Two essays due for each exam, I recommend you don't skip any of them. Gives a lot of extra credit. Book isn't neccessary, but it can be good to use as sources for the essays.
She is a great professor. Taking notes isn't always necessary as she does post the lectures online. But I would write down things she says outside of whats just on the powerpoint. Do every lab and ask a lot of questions (lots of easy points). Lab Quizzes are straight from your labs, study them. Mid and Final are from lectures. DO THE EXTRA CREDIT!!
Overall she knows her stuff. However, the tests and essays are graded tough. She's looking for a specific style in your writing of geography-something I don't have when it comes to this boring subject I guess. The tests are VERY specific and are to be completed within a short time frame.
Professor Drake is a great teacher. I took her for Geography 5 in winter so this made it very fast paced. The content itself can be a bit difficult to understand, but she is great at explaining whatever it is you are stuck on. If you take her class be ready to work, but she made a subject I didn't understand well easier to learn. I highly suggest!
She's not good at explaining anything. She took over for another professor and was very sarcastic whenever I asked for help. She grades hard and will make you feel dumb for not knowing somethinng.
First of all, the content of this class is weather systems and climatic issues. I thought it would be a simple Geography class, instead its like some advanced science class. Considering most people taking this are fulfilling an igetc requirement, this class should be a lot more accessible. Tons of reading, little help from Prof.
While I understand it's an online course, I felt the way the material was given to us was hard to follow/understand. Only posted powerpoints and didn't provide much "lecture." Research papers/quizzes/discussion posts every other week with one big research paper due at the end. Not an easy A class but doable; I just had to learn material on my own.
ONLINE kids read & reread-Quizzes? HARD! Lots of the questions not provided in materials that are out of date/glitchy but free. Pay attention to discussion dates. Only place to get points when you barely pass all the quizzes. Dates too close together so barely an online class. Slides too slim in information can be entirely different info than book.
Insane amount of reading. No video lectures. This is NOT a geography class that you think it is. This is more of a Earth Science class where you will be studying wind/iso maps/etc Dropped it
Tons of reading, quizzes, and research papers. Felt the online format was hard to follow. Managed to pull off an A with the help of unstuck study and lots of self-study, but it was a rough ride. Not recommended for an easy A.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
78%
Textbook Required
60%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.40 avg changeRatings by Course
GEOLOGY1
5.0
(1)GEOGRAPHY
5.0
(2)GEOL1
5.0
(1)GEO1AND14
5.0
(1)GEOG
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ABCABC
5.0
GEOABC
5.0
GEO1
4.5
GEOG20
4.0
GEO20
4.0