AI Rate Professor

Science

Mike Van Ry

GEOL1 · GEOL3 · 5 lifetime ratings

AI rating
31/100
RMP rating
3.4/5
Take again
42.86%
Difficulty
2.6

The decision

Skip unless you can confirm the ; recent students report a .

Best fit · Self Taught ProTough GraderTest HeavyInconsistent GradingPolarized ReviewsConfusing Exams
  • Recent in-person GEOL1 and inconsistent tough grading.
  • Older and some online reviews call the class easy with open-note multiple-choice exams.
  • Email response and support quality are frequently criticized in low-rated reviews.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

36/100

Older sections offered open-note easy As, but and tough grading that block high grades even for strong students.

Online has one easy-A report and one poor-alignment report; ones.

Is the course easy?

Standard

44/100

Content is intro geology, but recent students say lectures assume prior geo knowledge and .

Online comments call weekly work easy; and exams very hard.

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

72/100

Most reviews mark attendance as not mandatory, though one .

; one online review said yes.

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

40/100

Would-take-again is only about 43 percent because recent tough experiences cancel out older glowing easy-class praise.

Positive recommendations cluster in older in-person and one online review; .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

26/100

Tough grader tags dominate recent reviews, with and .

Format shift

One online review calls him very lenient; and inconsistent.

Workload

Heavy

30/100

Recent students report 3-6 assignments weekly, huge point totals, and multiple high-value exams.

Format shift

One online GEOL1 review reports only two easy weekly tasks; in-person recent reviews report heavy load.

Teaching experience

Average

45/100

Students either call him funny and and confusing instruction.

Format shift

Online quality is split one five and one one; fives.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

72/100

Exams carry large point weights, with frequent quizzes, labs, and .

Format shift

Both formats emphasize exams; older in-person reviews mention open-note tests while .

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

5 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person GEOL1 is highly polarized: older students loved open-note exams and humor; recent students report 800-point exams, 3-6 weekly assignments, and .

Main concern

and .

What students said

“This was honestly the .Hardest class coming from a straight A student. .”
geol1
“Easiest class ever. you identify rocks, but that one was super easy.”
geol1
“ . Did not respond to emails.”
geol1

Remote format

Online

2 reviews

Low confidence · Best fit for Easy A Hunter

one easy lenient GEOL1 with and MC exams, one GEOL3 with , and poorly aligned tests.

Main concern

Inconsistent course quality and delayed or .

What students said

“Professor Van Ry's class was amazing! It's very easy and you can work ahead!”
geol1
“no feedback, never responds to emails, grades every 6 weeks, materials full of typos”
GEOL3

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exam style ranges from easy open-note multiple choice and format.

Open Note ExamsMultiple ChoiceHigh Point ExamsConfusing Question WordingRock Identification Lab Exam

Assessment risk

Varies

42/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

older reviews describe open-note exams; recent ones describe 800-point confusing exams and .

Open Note ExamsHigh Point ExamsConfusing QuestionsHard Labs
“ you identify rocks, but that one was super easy.”
geol1
“ and extremely hard. 4 exams worth 800 points each”
geol1

Online

Online comments mention multiple-choice module exams that can be easy if you read materials, or .

Multiple ChoiceModule-Based TestsMisaligned Test Content
“There are 3 exams throughout the course but all multiple choice and easy if you read the modules.”
geol1
“ with bad phrasing and choices.”
GEOL3

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“This was honestly the worst professor.Hardest class coming from a straight A student. . and extremely hard.”

Voice snapshots generated from 7 reviews spanning 2024-2026, highlighting polarization between older easy-A praise and . Credibility rating: Medium.

🎯 Teaching Quality

45/100

“Hes not really structured or consistent with . His lectures were fine but the as the questions didn't make sense”

👍 Recommendation Split

40/100

“ as a Polisci major myself!”

⚖️

26/100

“ . Did not respond to emails.”

📚 Workload Load

30/100

“Lots of homework at least 3 per week. The total class grading points was over 4000 pts.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • Super funny and passionate professor!
  • Felt like it wasn't a .
  • He teaches the classes as if you are geology majors

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • Easiest class ever.
  • . and extremely hard.
  • He is a .

Theme 3

✉️

  • and provides detailed rubrics!
  • .
  • no feedback, never responds to emails, grades every 6 weeks

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

7

Recent reviews read by the AI

5

Lifetime ratings

58/100

Evidence confidence

Seven recent detailed reviews show a and format split, but the small sample and sharp year-to-year swing limit confidence.

Inside 7 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 53
4 out of 50
3 out of 50
2 out of 50
1 out of 54

Course coverage

geol16 reviews
GEOL31 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

6 reported outcomes

A range

3

A+ 2 · A 1

B range

3

B 3

C range

0

No reported values

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

0

No reported values