Richard Harwood's Courses

Physical Geography 102

Physical Geography 102
Student Comments

Yosemite National Park, California

Below are some of the student evaluation comments for the Physical Geography 102 course. These comments and evaluations are collected by the instructor at the end of the semester. Comments are reproduced in their entirety as written by the student and are in no particular order. Opinions, views or grammatical errors are those of the student and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the instructor or Black Hawk College.


Most Recent Comments

Take notes and make time to study.

As long as you're interested in how different geological features function and were formed, this class is really great. Harwood does a great job explaining things and answering any questions you may have.

Make sure to take all notes provided and STUDY THEM. Study for lab practicals as much as possisible and don't be afraid to ask questions.

If were worried about taking course after the first day, don't be worried. If you're to put in the effort to show up to class everyday, and study you will do fine. I think this class is also easy not to do well in, if you show that you're willing to learn I'm sure you will do fine.

Professor Harwood knows a lot about what he teaches so listen and study. Thats all.

Remember to study before the first test because it's the hardest, make sure to have good shoes on the field trip, and relax and have fun learning in this adventure about the earth.

Past Comments

This class was a lot of fun. Professor Harwood is enthusiastic about what he teaches and he teaches well.

Be sure to study your material and review with the book. It will be very helpful to look on the course website for help on tests.

print out the power points and read the book

I highly recommend printing out the notes Mr. Harwood puts on his website and also printing out the study guides. The notes are almost the same as the ones on the slides he shows in class and the study guides are very helpful to use before taking the exams.

To anyone taking this class, the instructor expects you to really have a good grasp on the subject matter so studying is required for getting anything higher than a C. It is not a class that you can just breeze through without effort. Having said that, if you do give a good effort it is a really fun class and very interesting. Professor Harwood does a great job of making the topic very interesting and he really knows his stuff. You will learn so much in this class. The labs get you engaged in the content and the final lab is a nature hike that is very fun! One final tip: TAKE GOOD NOTES and review them often! Each test has a few questions from previous material on it. Overall, it's a fun, interesting, and you learn a lot but be prepared to work hard for a good grade. Good luck!

If you want to succeed in this class, take notes and study them. He gives you all of the information you need to do well. The book that is required for this class was never used, so don't waste you're money buying it (but you'll definitely need the lab manual and rock identification manual)! Professor Harwood is one of the brightest teachers I've had in the history of my schooling, don't be afraid to ask questions, because he probably knows the answer and if he doesn't he'll help you find it! I've thoroughly enjoyed this class and his Astronomy class and would recommend his classes to anyone, no matter if you're getting a science-based degree or not.

You will learn a lot in this class, and if you are interested in learning a wide variety of information about Earth's surface then you will enjoy it too. As long as you attend lectures/labs and review your notes thoroughly, you will do well.

This course seemed more geology oriented that geography, but I was nonetheless satisfied after completing it. I recommend it, it's very informative and not difficult if you're interested in the subject matter

Instructor Harwood is a gifted instructor with years of experience, if you would like to do well in the course print out all of the notes online, and read the book for essay questions that will relate to exams.

This is not you fifth grade geography class, you really need to study and ask questions.

Do not be put off by the first week of class. It seems like alot to handle but I am taking 18 credit hours this semester and am having no problem in completing the class to my standards. Prof. Harwood definately knows his stuff which greatly helped me retain the knowledge needed to excell.

Probably my favorite class at BHC so far. You have to be willing to work really hard. Good attendance is a must. Be there every class period, take really good notes, and study them. You will learn a LOT in this class if you do that. It has changed my whole view of the world. Great teacher, great class. Mr Harwood wants VERY thorough answers to his short answer questions with a LOT of detail. Good luck!

Its a hard class, dont take it.

This class is fun! It can be difficult at times but Mr. Harwood basically gives you all the answers in the notes. It is up to you to study them, but it is worth it. Favorite class so far!

This is my message to future students that should help. First study your notes. Then see if you can answer the study guide questions without looking at the notes. Keep trying until you can answer the questions without looking at the notes. O yeah the labs are hard so be sure to take a couple ibuprofen or tylenol or whatever before each lab. But study the labs and after a while you'll understand it. Another friendly reminder just remember you DRINK you DRIVE you LOSE.

This class is amazing and very interesting. But you have to Print off the notes, do the study guides, do the reading, and pay attention or you will be totally lost!

An absolutely brilliant teacher. hes very enthusiastic with is courses and is extremely knowledgeable. However if you miss days you really do need to play catch up because of all the info in one day. i learned that the hard way. otherwise, it was a very interesting course to others interested in science or the earth.

This class can be hard if you don't do your work. If you do your study guides and ask questions you should do fine. Although the class can be hard Mr. Harwood knows his stuff. If you have any questions he usually knows the answer.

The book wasn't required, but it really helped with visualizing and looking up other information on topics. Having the book really helped when it came to studying for tests. Mr. Harwood uses great visual examples of the topics that we are learning, and I think that helps to understand the material that we are studying.

Awesome, awesome, awesome class and instructor. Here's some advice though...don't buy the book.

The instructor was great; always willing to help and was really fair about everything. Course material was very interesting; hard at times, but well worth the studying! Have fun and work hard and you'll do great!

Dont SKIP class!!!!!...go to every single lecture...get the lecture notes from online and study study study!!...this class isn't easy...but it's not too hard if you put the time and effort into it!

This is a good course to take if you don't like doing HW. The professor is helpful with arranging dates to make-up missed assignments. The course sites contains worksheets that can be printed out and filled out during the course lectures.

If you are interested in the natural processes of the earth then this class is for you! The Lab class is easy but the Lab tests are hard. The regular tests are also easy if you study. Professor Harwood makes the class enjoyable by using powerpoint presentation for inclass notes. He has made complete outlines of the notes for you to print out and bring to class. Alot of the class is about what types of physical landforms you can see with maps and also how these physical landforms shape the earth. I found the topics in this class very enjoyable and entertaining.

this class is as good as you make it. its a great class but you need to study hard on test and lab practicals to do good. remember always travel with a camera you never know when you'll see a good mass wasting event!!!

I you think that you can get a good grade in this course without studying then you are by far mistaken. This is a hard course but it is easy if you study and put enough time into it. Do not believe people when they say that this class sucks or the Harwood is a bad professor. Those people were the ones who just like to complain, and did not put the time and effort into the class. That and they just did not understand the importance of this course. There are things that you learn in this course that you can use in your everyday life.

Print off lecture notes and study guides! They help immensely!

Physical Geography 102 is a challenging, yet interesting class to take at Black Hawk College. Richard Harwood has to be the most knowledgeable instructor of science courses at BHC, because he can answer any question that a student may have with ease and without hesitation. I would suggest to any student that takes this class in the future to be sure to study long and hard for tests and to take excellent notes of Mr. Harwood's PowerPoint presentations. Also, when it comes to Lab, be sure that you know what you're doing and why you're doing it, because when it comes time for the Lab Practical and you are clueless as to what you accomplished in Lab, you're up a creek. The keys to success in Physical Geography 102: Attendance, note-taking, and studying. If you can accomplish these three tasks, you should be able to obtain a decent grade in the class.

look at your notes everyday. review, review review.

STUDY, STUDY, STUDY!!!!!! READ THE BOOK PROVIDED FOR THIS COURSE! DO ALL STUDY GUIDES!!!!! ASK QUESTIONS AND GET INVOLDED TO MASTER THIS COURSE!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

I think this class was extremely hard and difficult. There was too much to try to learn all at one time. Also, we had labs once a week and worked hard and long on them and they only ended up being ONE POINT!

Great course, I'd take it again in a heartbeat.

As you sit there in your seat on the first day of class scurring about to get your newly aqcuired papers in order stop and take a deep breath and take serious heed of the words you are about to read...... This class is not easy.....you will not e able to fly through by the seat of your pants.....Even if the material is not your favorite and the only reason you are in this class is to statisfy some requist for you transcripts LISTEN to Mr. Harwood....He may not be the most enertaining or exuberating man, but he knows his sh*t, and while you can in no way imagine how Geography will affect your future you can never say with certainty where you will end up, and who (if you give them the chance) may influnce your life. The subjects that Mr. Harwood speaks of can offer rewarding futures not only in capital but in satisfaction.

Come to every class and take notes. Don't just use the online notes. It will help you in the long run.

Take good notes, and make sure to read lecture materials. If you do the study guides then you should be able to soar through this class. This class was very interesting, and i do not regret taking it. I learned so much!

Make sure that you take advantage of the online notes and use them. I found it easier to use the notes so that I could listen to the instructor instead of writing while he was talking. If you want a good grade make sure you study!! Have fun with the class!!

Physical Geography 102 is a very informative and interesting class. In order to succeed in this class, attendance is crucial. You also need to spend sufficient time completing study guides and studing for the exams. If you do these basic things- this class is not that hard. Professor Harwood is very knowledable of the various subject matters and is available before, during, and after class to help any students with questions that they have. He will not give you the answer, but will help you to come up with it on your own. In doing this, he doesn't make you feel stupid. I never cared much for science classes, but I enjoyed the class, the instructor, and all of the great photos he shared with us. This class is definately worth taking. However, if you don't want to make the time to study or come to class- don't take the class or you may not pass it! He doesn't give grades- you have to earn them.

print notes offline it saves a lot of time and is easier to study. also fill out study guides becasue they do help a lot.

Geography 102 is an excellant course both for science and non-science students. In order to be successful in this course one must show a little initiative, be willing to participate in class discussions, and devote the time necessary to learn the material. It is very helpful to print off and bring to class the lecture notes provided by the instructor (on the course web site), and to complete the study guides that are also provided. These study guides provide the basis for some of the short answer questions that you will see on exams. Do all of the labs, and don't hesitate to speak up in lab if you are having difficulties. Don't just rush throught the lab assignments to get them done and see how fast you can get out of the room. Make sure you know what you are doing or it will bite you later. Pay attention to the details, this is a science course and should be approached accordingly.

This class was very good. Mr. Harwood had an excellent grasp on the topics he discussed. The one thing is that it is no cake-walk. You have to study hard for each test. I found it helpful to study the notes just about everyday.

This is a good class for those who enjoy learning about rocks, volcanoes, and streams. This is not a geography class that goes over continents and structures. I would of liked to of learned more about certain continents than the rocks we studied.

If you don't have alot of extra time don't take this class because it requires alot of out of class work

i found the material covered in the class interesting. i am not a science person, but do enjoy learning about new and interesting things in our world. i am not the biggest fan of labs, but it was interesting. he is enthusiastic about the material and uses tons of visual aids, which made it pretty clear as to what was going on. overall i enjoyed the course and would recommend it to students that are intimidated by science.

I enojoyed most of the course. With the exception that the teaching should deal more with including the students and not just sitting there staring at a big screen with the lights off.

"this class takes alot of notes, so be prepared for that. study and go to lab and you should pass this class no problem"

"Come prepared for each unit with lecture notes printed off from the class website. Lectures notes are nearly identical to Powerpoints so students need to only write down minor changes instead of copying the entire slide."

"If you don't test well you don't belong in one of Harwood's classes. Also you must be able to think logically as well as abstract."

"I have taken many college level courses over a long period of years. This course was one of the most interesting I've attempted but it was also the most difficult. I thought Intermediate Accounting was the worst until now! This course is relevant and certainly well-taught. It is well worth the effort."

"This was a great class that was diffenantly worth while. Mr. Harwood made this class quite enjoyable and if I could I'd take it again."

"I feel that this was a great starter course to get a brief knowledge of the earth and our natural surroundings. Just make sure you do a little reading before you take the tests, and don't be afraid to ask questions."

"This course was one of the best classes I have ever taken at Black Hawk. I have learned so much interesting information about this world that we are living in. I would definitely reccommend this course to any future students, but if you take it, be prepared to learn! This is not your typical, stress free, easy going general ed. class. The material is extensive and you will be overloaded if you want to get an A. But it is very possible to do so, as long as you put in the effort. Professor Harwood is very knowledgable, and very helpful. Don't be intimidated by him, because if you have a question about anything related to earth science, he will be glad to answer you. He is sort of like a living reference book on the earth. Overall, I really enjoyed this class and I wish there were more like it."

"The class is hard, but it covers alot of interesting material. Do not take this course in combination with a heavy workload or it will have a negative effect on your GPA, if you can't keep up with studying. The teacher is awesome though, he knows all his material because he has actually been to these places andstudied the sites. He is not a text reader teacher that is unknowledgable about the subjects. I give the teacher an A, the material a B, and the tests a C; as far as quality is concerned."

"Web page was helpfull in learning w/o taking notes. Tests were too comprehensive. Too much info to cover on one exam. Lecture was boring at times. Slides were very helpful in actually understanding material."

"Having online notes helped & the extras online helped to re-emphasize the subjects. He was very thorough. He did, though, expect us to understand and absorb way to much material in a short amount of time."

"Do not have lab and lecture on the same day. It makes it really hard to attend all classes."

"I think this class was fun and interesting. I enjoyed it more than my other classes."

"The lab practicals I felt were more difficult than the tests and that is no good. The test questions were sneaky at times, but overall okay. Some topics could be considered confusing."

"Lots of information for what we were told was an introductory class. Didn't really use the textbook we bought. Only had one lab practical practice exam/study guide - found it helpful to practice before tests."

"I thoroughly enjoyed this class and have no complaints."

"This class was interesting, but I do not see it as being an introductory class. The class was very detailed. For an introductory class it could have been a little more general."

"The text book was a waste of money - the online resources were more helpful. More pictures or the slides being available on the web site would be helpful."

"The Power Point definitely helped out a lot. I discovered that when I took the notes down off of the slides, I learned better than when I printed them off of the internet first. Also, the slides were helpful to see these things. Lastly, you definitely are excited about + interested in the course. Your liking of the subject came through."

"Do you realize how difficult it is to remember all of these things you have taught us? It is way to hard to remember all of this stuff for the final. Everyone that I have talked to think is crazy to have to know all of this stuff for one test."

"I found that Mr. Harwood was always prepared and organized. The use of powerpoint and slides made things easy to understand. Being able to go online and get the notes made it easer to pay attention in class rather than writing all the time. It made the class more exciting because Mr. Harwood was always excited to talk about things."

"The online notes are very good - helps me out so I don't write so many notes. Slides are good too - hepl create and remember what the example would look like. Very enthusiastic, not boring or monotone. Online study guides are good to study from."

"It seems as if the instructor has broken the material down to a science (no pun intended). His organization and enthusiasm contributed to a very informal and comfortable learning environment."

"This class was an intro class, but we covered probably about 2 or 3 semesters of work. We flew through multiple sections at a time, which created a ton of stress on my schedule. I understand the number of hours to put into this class, but I have 13 hours outside of this 4 hour class, so simply ask that you lay off the workload."

"The time spent in lab/class was interesting due to instructor's enthusiasm. I would be interested in taking classes further along this subject matter. Good class!"

"Mr. Harwood is an excellent teacher. His organization is impressive. He is very enthusiastic and knows geography well. He explains things in a way tht anyone will be able to understand. The notes and study guides on the WebCT are a great help. This class has been very interesting and loads of fun. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 10. The insturctor gets a 10 too. Geography is the bomb!"

"I think that we, students, were fortunate to be able to see actual photos that you took of sights in foreign countries. The lectures were very organized, and the powerpoint presentations helped a lot. Thank you for sharing your experiences and your knowledge!"

"I personally think that this class is at a univeristy level. I have struggled through this class because I had other classes I had to study for as well. I would recommend to everyone that this class be the only one on the schedule. There was way too much information to learn. It also was not fair to give study guides for all tests but the las one. Mr. Harwood, you are so good at your study that this horrible school doesn't deserve you. I wish I was more intelligent so I could absorb more information. I love the use of slides and powerpoint. I hope you find a school that deserves your talent."

"The use of PowerPoint coupled w/ the slides (as well as the internet distribution of course materials provided a very professional, polished presentation for the course. I appreciate it as I believe it makes it easier and more fun to learn, when the instructor is a passionate about the material as you have been. Thank you. You have been one of my favorite instructors @ BHC. I only regret I did not take you for more courses."

"The class was well-structured + very informative. I appreciate the teaching style as I am a non-science person and felt that everything was explained clearly. The slides and diagrams are an added assistance - which cleared many questions. I do wish the last section had study guides - as they were helpful in my study process. Overall great instructor - will recommend to everyone especially those who are non-science majors. Thank you for the time you take to prepare for the lecture - powerpt + notes online are great."

"Enjoyed the class, you made it interesting. Liked being able to print lecture notes. It would of been nice having exams only over material covered, as done in lab practicals. The information broke down into part alot easier to retain versus old + new material. You take alot of interest in your field, making this unfamiliar subject clear + understandable. I just couldn't remember all of it at one time."