ENSP101 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/14/2024	she is very passionate about the subject and keeps the lectures interesting. don't slack on your hw though!!
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A- Anonymous 11/13/2024	The course isn’t too hard. The lectures are pretty boring to sit through.Attendance is optional though and the slides are posted. Grading is very weird in the class though. On tests, some questions were graded pretty leniently and some were very nit-picky with random points off probably from different TA’s grading. My TA was also very harsh grader often docking points not relating to the actual rubric. The class is probably fine with a different TA but my experience wasn’t very good. There’s extra credit so if you want to get an A, it shouldn’t be too hard but would not recommend to take as a filler class for an easy A because there’s a lot of annoying assignments and a 8-10 page paper.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A vivelaviv 12/13/2023	Professor Spivy was one of my favorite professors this semester. Her lectures are interesting and she is a very sweet person. For the tests, they are easy to ace because the TAs tell you exactly what to study for a week before the exam, and there are only 10 short answer questions for the exams I took. There are discussion posts every couple of weeks (easy af) and only 4-5 homework assignments that lead up to a final paper. You will get full points on the assignments as long as you meet the criteria and turn it in on time.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/13/2023	Lectures are pretty boring, I found it hard to stay engaged. Not a lot of assignments for the class 4HWs, 3 exams, a final paper and weekly discussion post which means each one is weighted pretty heavily. However, the work is not hard and it's an easy A. If you come to the class before the exam she literally tells you what every question on the exam will be like. They are 10 paragraph responses and if you pay attention to the 10 topics she tells you and study those, it's extremely easy to get an A on the exams.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/12/2023	This class is pretty good, I can't say I ever spoke to Prof. Spivy directly but she seems nice enough. I found lectures to be quite boring due to their content- they generally consist of writing down the definition of concepts or practices, which isn't very stimulating and makes it easy to zone out. The tests are 10 free response questions, which aren't terribly difficult but they oftentimes dock points for (in my opinion) trivial reasons, such as not referencing a certain vocab word. Overall, this course was fine for an introductory 101 class, not the most engaging but not too hard.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/06/2023	She's super passionate about what she teaches and that makes her lectures really engaging. She's also very nice and understanding if you need an extension. She basically tells you exactly what's on the exam before you take it so you know what to study, and once you get over the learning curve of the format of the first exam it gets pretty easy to understand the expected answers to her questions. Also the exams aren't cumulative. You have 2 opportunities to earn extra credit, 25 points each, and if you go to class frequently enough there is another opportunity. Overall, super interesting class and great prof!!
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/01/2023	Dr. Spivy is a great professor overall and the class is super easy. Lectures are engaging and simple, you can earn up to 50 extra credit points, and she says exactly what you will be tested on for each exam. Attendance is not required, but she does talk about some key things that are not on the slides. The only iffy thing is that on exams, she will dock 2-3 points if you miss a vocab word which can be annoying, but there is almost always a curve on the exam. The final is not a cumulative exam, it is basically just exam 3 which is nice. The textbook would be helpful for reinforcement, but is not necessary. Overall an easy class and would recommend her.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/14/2023	Really good professor who definitely gives you all of the materials needed to succeed in this course. The exams are all open ended questions, but they are super fair and reflect the course material well. I don't have any experience interacting with her personally, but she seems to care about her students' success and offers extra credit opportunities. The homework is minimal and keeps you on track for your final paper. My only issue is that I find the lectures really boring so I usually only attend on exam days, but this is probably more of a me problem than her because she is a very good professor.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/28/2023	According to other reviews, this was supposed to be an easy A, not when I took it though. I felt like I was putting in so much effort into the class and yet I was still getting marks off for stupid mistakes. Maybe it was just my experience, but I would not take this class with her or her TA's again.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/29/2023	She’s an interesting and kind lecturer, who’s clearly very passionate about her field. Exams are easy. Also, the day before an exam, she will pretty explicitly review all things you need to know.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 04/04/2023	I do not understand how Spivy has such high ratings. Her teaching is fine, incredibly boring and sometimes with incorrect data but fine. However, she as a person is a nasty piece of work. She’ll pretend to be on your side and blame the TAs and then give you hell. For example, I asked for a one week extension over spring break for an essay draft because I had three midterms the week it was due and two the week before that. She would not give it to me until I had to go to ADS get them to send her my accomodations and set up a meeting with her. She had previously (about the extension) accused me of lying that I had accomodations. Even when in the meeting with my advisor, she tried to say that I wouldn’t have enough time to write the final draft when I had told her I would write the draft and the final over break. Her grading is horrendous. If one of your discussion posts isn’t as long as the others or one part of it isn’t as long the other, she will say you didn’t show as much effort and doc a third of the points. The grading (which she does not post anywhere) is either full points, 2/3 points, or no points. There is nothing in between and nothing in between. As for exams, use all the vocab in your answers. She won’t ask for it in the question but will doc you 2-3 points for not using it. She also docs you if you are too wordy or didn’t explain it to the point a two year old would understand it. Furthermore, one of the questions she docked me on was just plain wrong but I was so fed up I didn’t even argue at that point. She asked about ways to reduce water usage. I had answered that you could collect runoff from buildings and parking lots and then reuse that water in grey water systems like toilets. She gave me zero points saying that that wasn’t how runoff worked. I’m a LEED accredited professional and what I described is a common practice recommended by LEED’s building accreditation system. So take her if you have to but be meticulous about everything and enjoy her unhelpful pickiness.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting a B+ MisterArpa 12/14/2022	The course is not difficult given that you attend lectures which I found extremely boring but I am somewhat biased since I was not really interested in the course. Professor Spivy however is very helpful and tries her best to get you an A. The extra credit also helps.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/11/2022	Probably my favorite teacher ever. She is SO engaging with her lecture I never find myself getting bored during class. I will say that I took APES in high school so I pretty much knew everything already, which made the class pretty easy. I don't know how easy it would be without that experience (probably still not very difficult). Extra credit is CRAZY. You can get 75 extra credit points (meaning 75/0) from doing relatively simple assignments. People saying the exams are hard are the ones who don't come to class (she tells us exactly what is on the exams during class).
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/08/2022	LOVE, Love, love. Easy class, really interesting too, basically reviews what is going to be on each exam. The textbook is not needed If you listen to her lectures. Take note of her examples they are really beneficial for the exams. The textbook is good for review if you need more clarification, but she does an amazing job you won't really need it. Amazing teacher, passionate about what she teaches, and great at it too. Lots of extra credit and gives you entire work at the beginning of the semester, so you are never surprised. Always asks about student input and ends up normally extending deadlines.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 02/22/2022	Imma keep it a buck. I was going thru some stuff and missed class very frequently and still ended with a high B. Just go to class and you will be 100% fine. Exams are oddly structured and can be graded weirdly, but overall it is a solid class if you like science
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 03/24/2021	Great professor! Easy to understand the material. Tests are logical and fit the material. She also provides many opportunities for extra credit.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/27/2021	Fantastic teacher that rewards interest.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/22/2020	Took her class during COVID here, she is a very down to earth person and if you want a easy GenEd course to take, this is it! Homeworks are straight forward and the final is a paper. Tests are also very straight forward and you can use open note slides to easy do them. She also offers extra credit which gave me an A+ in the class
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/16/2020	Excellent teacher! Cares about her students and offers lots of extra credit
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/01/2020	During COVID, all her classes were her going through her Powerpoints and explaining the concepts. Even though I highly recommend you take notes as she's talking (so that you don't miss any explanations), she still provides the powerpoints online after going through them. The only homework is working on the final paper and a few readings for discussion section. The textbook is helpful if you want additional notes, but I never used it and it was fine. All of the exam questions are straight-forward and have been taught in class, there's no big surprises. Overall, she's very understanding and really friendly, and a good professor as well. I definitely recommend taking her class!
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/05/2020	She is so sweet and her tests are fairly straightforward. I am taking her online due to covid and her lectures are not too bad. i enjoy the class and the conversations about the environment are golden def recommend. The class is also fairly easy.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Anonymous 12/15/2019	I think anyone interested in the environment will really enjoy this class, but also people who don't really care that much for environmental issues. She has a down to earth personality and makes her lectures interesting. It's easy to follow her explanations and she thoroughly explains the concepts. You can tell she has a strong background in this field, but she's able to breaks things down to make sense. Even if you're majoring in something else I think you'd enjoy a class with her. The work load is also pretty chill.
Annette Spivy ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2018	Very passionate about what she teaches. Really kind and cares for her students. Offers a few extra credit assignments which helped me clutch an A. Show up and participate in class to get all the discussion points. There are few homework assignments but those are to help you with your final paper. She gives really good feedback. There is also a final group presentation but that is slight work since it is based on your paper.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2012	Fantastic professor, very understanding and helpful. Pretty clear. Lots of writing as others have mentioned, but nothing terrible. Highly recommended.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A PossePrincess 11/10/2011	Dr. James is an awesome guy, and a great professor. His lectures never seemed like lectures. They were interesting and I always enjoyed attending. It was easy to take notes and understand everything he was talking about. Discussions were good. We typically read articles and then discussed them in groups, sometimes having debates. He allows up to 100pts of extra credit for attending various seminars. I'm looking forward to taking him for ENSP400. Tests are written, and require understanding of the material. Due to shipping snafus, I never received the textbook, and was fine without it. Look at the exams from the previous years, go over the lectures, and you'll be fine. The paper topics were interesting, but its important not to put off finding scientific sources and starting the papers.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/18/2011	Awesome teacher!
Bruce James ENSP101 ilenerf 01/25/2011	Professor James is an amazing professor, he knows his stuff. He is engaging, does not have unrealistic expectations of his students and the class is actually really interesting. He does not try to trick you the exams and papers are straight forward and he even gives extra credit, which I highly recommend doing. Overall amazing class! Would love to take a class with Professor James again!
Bruce James ENSP101 Anonymous 12/03/2010	Professor James is genuinely concerned with his students. Even if you have only talked to him once for like 3 seconds, he will know and remember your name the whole semester. he knows nearly our whole lecture and is able to have personal conversations with all of us. This course is challenging, be prepared to work hard and have to study. Professor James and the TAs are extremely friendly and willing to help with anything you need. You can also get up to 10 percentage points added to your final grade with all the extra credit offered.
Bruce James ENSP101 lovinlife1492 12/02/2010	Dr. James has been my favorite professor so far, he's the best! He's very approachable & will learn everyone's names (somehow) regardless of the classes size. His lectures are somewhat hard to follow at times, and his tests are quite challenging/detailed, but he gave my class a curve on the first test and allowed a cheat sheet for the second exam. He seems genuinely conerned with his students and seems open to suggestions on how to improve.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/30/2010	Powerpoint lectures, they're posted a little bit before the exam which is annoying because sometimes you can't write everything down. There are 2 exams, the final, 3 problem sets, and 2 papers. The problem sets are easy. The exams are a little difficult, the second one we were allowed to have a "cheat sheet". The papers have very strict guidelines. There are 2 opportunities for extra credit: attend a seminar related to enviro science and/or a paper on a news article. The discussion sections are kind of useless. Some of the material we learned wasn't what I expected from this class. I thought it would be more focus on global warming when it was really more of global systems like biomes.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting a B RLJ2009 01/21/2010	Great teacher! I learned a lot about a subject I did not take in high school. Grading is fair and I recommend his class for any incoming freshman. You will work hard, but your efforts will pay off. 3 tests, 2 papers, 3 home works, and a final. Tons of extra credit as while and hardly teaches from the book. Teaches from slides and posted them online before the exams.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A rose11 01/08/2010	By far the best professor I've had. His lectures are interesting and he makes a great effort to know each of his students. Within the first week he knew each student by name, all two hundred or so. Dr. James is very friendly and approachable. Work for the semester consisted of two tests, two papers, and three problem sets (short answer assignments). There are also several extra credit opportunities that can considerably boost your grade. The TAs were very nice and helpful as well. This course was required for my major, but I highly recommend taking it as an elective or core.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/07/2010	I love Dr. James!!! He is definitely the best professor I had this past semester. He genuinely cares about his students and wants everyone to succeed. I wish I had gone to his office hours because all of the conversations I had with him before and after class were fascinating. He really knows the course material and takes many questions during his lectures. He also encourages class participation by asking many questions of the class (and 5% of your grade is class participation). Dr. James is definitely a fair grader and as others have said do the Extra Credit because it will significantly boost your grade. I failed the first test (85 points out of 150 points), but I still ended up with an A in the class because of the other assignments and extra credit. Don't be discouraged if you fail the first test, because most of my class did and I know that most people did NOT fail the class.
Bruce James ENSP101 stealingsheep 12/08/2009	He is SUCH a GREAT guy. He really cares about his students, takes alot of questions in lecture (which is impressive since it is a 100 level course). He wants students to do well, and will give you a "cheat sheet" for the final and second midterm exams. These help you learn and study the material better. There is alot of extra credit opportunities, so take advantage of them. The 3 problem sets kind of are long wound and annoying, but they do help to learn the material, and are not entirely too difficult.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/08/2009	Dr. James is a great professor. I highly recommend his class. He is able to make the class interesting and is an overall nice and helpful man. The test are not too hard and if you do badly on them he gives out extra credit assignments. There is a 1000 points in the course and you can get an extra 100 based on extra credit which can raise your grade an entire letter. Also you can appeal specific questions on the tests. If you appeal a question and your appeal makes sense you will get the points back. Dr. James is my favorite professor at UMD so far.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/16/2008	Hands down one of the best professors you'll ever have. He cares about the subject, and genuinely cares about the students. Always respectful and makes class very comfortable. His anecdotes are often amusing and he's open to questions. Exams are mostly short answer and essay. He provides lots of guidelines for the papers, and offers lots of help if you want it. The subject matter is also very interesting. BONUS: although an environmental scientists, he doesn't preach. He gives you the facts.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/08/2008	The exams are long, you must write a lot. There are a couple of small paper assignments. Lots of extra credit. The discussions were a little boring. Overall he is very interesting and if you are into environmental science, like I am, you'll enjoy his lectures.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting a B bkretzer 12/06/2008	He is a great teacher. It is a challenging course but fair. He wants his students to do well. There is a lot of extra credit to help with your grade. His tests are long and there is not a lot of time to finish so you have to know your stuff. If you take this course make sure you enjoy this field becuase I do not enjoy environmental science and sometimes I am very bored.
Bruce James ENSP101 Expecting an A annon 03/10/2008	He's a really sweet man, who cares a lot about environmental science. He learned the entire class's names by the second class period. The midterms are hard though. They are applications of the concepts learned, and longer than they should be for the time allotted. He'll give you lots of opportunities for E.C. by attending events and write papers about them. On the final, he lets you use a "cheat sheet" which was very helpful. There are also a few longer papers you'll have to write.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/14/2024

she is very passionate about the subject and keeps the lectures interesting. don't slack on your hw though!!

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
11/13/2024

The course isn’t too hard. The lectures are pretty boring to sit through.Attendance is optional though and the slides are posted. Grading is very weird in the class though. On tests, some questions were graded pretty leniently and some were very nit-picky with random points off probably from different TA’s grading. My TA was also very harsh grader often docking points not relating to the actual rubric. The class is probably fine with a different TA but my experience wasn’t very good. There’s extra credit so if you want to get an A, it shouldn’t be too hard but would not recommend to take as a filler class for an easy A because there’s a lot of annoying assignments and a 8-10 page paper.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
vivelaviv
12/13/2023

Professor Spivy was one of my favorite professors this semester. Her lectures are interesting and she is a very sweet person. For the tests, they are easy to ace because the TAs tell you exactly what to study for a week before the exam, and there are only 10 short answer questions for the exams I took. There are discussion posts every couple of weeks (easy af) and only 4-5 homework assignments that lead up to a final paper. You will get full points on the assignments as long as you meet the criteria and turn it in on time.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/13/2023

Lectures are pretty boring, I found it hard to stay engaged. Not a lot of assignments for the class 4HWs, 3 exams, a final paper and weekly discussion post which means each one is weighted pretty heavily. However, the work is not hard and it's an easy A. If you come to the class before the exam she literally tells you what every question on the exam will be like. They are 10 paragraph responses and if you pay attention to the 10 topics she tells you and study those, it's extremely easy to get an A on the exams.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/12/2023

This class is pretty good, I can't say I ever spoke to Prof. Spivy directly but she seems nice enough. I found lectures to be quite boring due to their content- they generally consist of writing down the definition of concepts or practices, which isn't very stimulating and makes it easy to zone out. The tests are 10 free response questions, which aren't terribly difficult but they oftentimes dock points for (in my opinion) trivial reasons, such as not referencing a certain vocab word. Overall, this course was *fine* for an introductory 101 class, not the most engaging but not too hard.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/06/2023

She's super passionate about what she teaches and that makes her lectures really engaging. She's also very nice and understanding if you need an extension. She basically tells you exactly what's on the exam before you take it so you know what to study, and once you get over the learning curve of the format of the first exam it gets pretty easy to understand the expected answers to her questions. Also the exams aren't cumulative. You have 2 opportunities to earn extra credit, 25 points each, and if you go to class frequently enough there is another opportunity. Overall, super interesting class and great prof!!

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/01/2023

Dr. Spivy is a great professor overall and the class is super easy. Lectures are engaging and simple, you can earn up to 50 extra credit points, and she says exactly what you will be tested on for each exam. Attendance is not required, but she does talk about some key things that are not on the slides. The only iffy thing is that on exams, she will dock 2-3 points if you miss a vocab word which can be annoying, but there is almost always a curve on the exam. The final is not a cumulative exam, it is basically just exam 3 which is nice. The textbook would be helpful for reinforcement, but is not necessary. Overall an easy class and would recommend her.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/14/2023

Really good professor who definitely gives you all of the materials needed to succeed in this course. The exams are all open ended questions, but they are super fair and reflect the course material well. I don't have any experience interacting with her personally, but she seems to care about her students' success and offers extra credit opportunities. The homework is minimal and keeps you on track for your final paper. My only issue is that I find the lectures really boring so I usually only attend on exam days, but this is probably more of a me problem than her because she is a very good professor.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
05/28/2023

According to other reviews, this was supposed to be an easy A, not when I took it though. I felt like I was putting in so much effort into the class and yet I was still getting marks off for stupid mistakes. Maybe it was just my experience, but I would not take this class with her or her TA's again.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/29/2023

She’s an interesting and kind lecturer, who’s clearly very passionate about her field. Exams are easy. Also, the day before an exam, she will pretty explicitly review all things you need to know.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
04/04/2023

I do not understand how Spivy has such high ratings. Her teaching is fine, incredibly boring and sometimes with incorrect data but fine. However, she as a person is a nasty piece of work. She’ll pretend to be on your side and blame the TAs and then give you hell. For example, I asked for a one week extension over spring break for an essay draft because I had three midterms the week it was due and two the week before that. She would not give it to me until I had to go to ADS get them to send her my accomodations and set up a meeting with her. She had previously (about the extension) accused me of lying that I had accomodations. Even when in the meeting with my advisor, she tried to say that I wouldn’t have enough time to write the final draft when I had told her I would write the draft and the final over break. Her grading is horrendous. If one of your discussion posts isn’t as long as the others or one part of it isn’t as long the other, she will say you didn’t show as much effort and doc a third of the points. The grading (which she does not post anywhere) is either full points, 2/3 points, or no points. There is nothing in between and nothing in between. As for exams, use all the vocab in your answers. She won’t ask for it in the question but will doc you 2-3 points for not using it. She also docs you if you are too wordy or didn’t explain it to the point a two year old would understand it. Furthermore, one of the questions she docked me on was just plain wrong but I was so fed up I didn’t even argue at that point. She asked about ways to reduce water usage. I had answered that you could collect runoff from buildings and parking lots and then reuse that water in grey water systems like toilets. She gave me zero points saying that that wasn’t how runoff worked. I’m a LEED accredited professional and what I described is a common practice recommended by LEED’s building accreditation system. So take her if you have to but be meticulous about everything and enjoy her unhelpful pickiness.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting a B+
MisterArpa
12/14/2022

The course is not difficult given that you attend lectures which I found extremely boring but I am somewhat biased since I was not really interested in the course. Professor Spivy however is very helpful and tries her best to get you an A. The extra credit also helps.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/11/2022

Probably my favorite teacher ever. She is SO engaging with her lecture I never find myself getting bored during class. I will say that I took APES in high school so I pretty much knew everything already, which made the class pretty easy. I don't know how easy it would be without that experience (probably still not very difficult). Extra credit is CRAZY. You can get 75 extra credit points (meaning 75/0) from doing relatively simple assignments. People saying the exams are hard are the ones who don't come to class (she tells us exactly what is on the exams during class).

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/08/2022

LOVE, Love, love. Easy class, really interesting too, basically reviews what is going to be on each exam. The textbook is not needed If you listen to her lectures. Take note of her examples they are really beneficial for the exams. The textbook is good for review if you need more clarification, but she does an amazing job you won't really need it. Amazing teacher, passionate about what she teaches, and great at it too. Lots of extra credit and gives you entire work at the beginning of the semester, so you are never surprised. Always asks about student input and ends up normally extending deadlines.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
02/22/2022

Imma keep it a buck. I was going thru some stuff and missed class very frequently and still ended with a high B. Just go to class and you will be 100% fine. Exams are oddly structured and can be graded weirdly, but overall it is a solid class if you like science

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
03/24/2021

Great professor! Easy to understand the material. Tests are logical and fit the material. She also provides many opportunities for extra credit.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/27/2021

Fantastic teacher that rewards interest.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/22/2020

Took her class during COVID here, she is a very down to earth person and if you want a easy GenEd course to take, this is it! Homeworks are straight forward and the final is a paper. Tests are also very straight forward and you can use open note slides to easy do them. She also offers extra credit which gave me an A+ in the class

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/16/2020

Excellent teacher! Cares about her students and offers lots of extra credit

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/01/2020

During COVID, all her classes were her going through her Powerpoints and explaining the concepts. Even though I highly recommend you take notes as she's talking (so that you don't miss any explanations), she still provides the powerpoints online after going through them. The only homework is working on the final paper and a few readings for discussion section. The textbook is helpful if you want additional notes, but I never used it and it was fine. All of the exam questions are straight-forward and have been taught in class, there's no big surprises. Overall, she's very understanding and really friendly, and a good professor as well. I definitely recommend taking her class!

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/05/2020

She is so sweet and her tests are fairly straightforward. I am taking her online due to covid and her lectures are not too bad. i enjoy the class and the conversations about the environment are golden def recommend. The class is also fairly easy.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Anonymous
12/15/2019

I think anyone interested in the environment will really enjoy this class, but also people who don't really care that much for environmental issues. She has a down to earth personality and makes her lectures interesting. It's easy to follow her explanations and she thoroughly explains the concepts. You can tell she has a strong background in this field, but she's able to breaks things down to make sense. Even if you're majoring in something else I think you'd enjoy a class with her. The work load is also pretty chill.

Annette Spivy
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/19/2018

Very passionate about what she teaches. Really kind and cares for her students. Offers a few extra credit assignments which helped me clutch an A. Show up and participate in class to get all the discussion points. There are few homework assignments but those are to help you with your final paper. She gives really good feedback. There is also a final group presentation but that is slight work since it is based on your paper.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/19/2012

Fantastic professor, very understanding and helpful. Pretty clear. Lots of writing as others have mentioned, but nothing terrible. Highly recommended.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
PossePrincess
11/10/2011

Dr. James is an awesome guy, and a great professor. His lectures never seemed like lectures. They were interesting and I always enjoyed attending. It was easy to take notes and understand everything he was talking about. Discussions were good. We typically read articles and then discussed them in groups, sometimes having debates. He allows up to 100pts of extra credit for attending various seminars. I'm looking forward to taking him for ENSP400. Tests are written, and require understanding of the material. Due to shipping snafus, I never received the textbook, and was fine without it. Look at the exams from the previous years, go over the lectures, and you'll be fine. The paper topics were interesting, but its important not to put off finding scientific sources and starting the papers.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/18/2011

Awesome teacher!

Bruce James
ENSP101

ilenerf
01/25/2011

Professor James is an amazing professor, he knows his stuff. He is engaging, does not have unrealistic expectations of his students and the class is actually really interesting. He does not try to trick you the exams and papers are straight forward and he even gives extra credit, which I highly recommend doing. Overall amazing class! Would love to take a class with Professor James again!

Bruce James
ENSP101

Anonymous
12/03/2010

Professor James is genuinely concerned with his students. Even if you have only talked to him once for like 3 seconds, he will know and remember your name the whole semester. he knows nearly our whole lecture and is able to have personal conversations with all of us. This course is challenging, be prepared to work hard and have to study. Professor James and the TAs are extremely friendly and willing to help with anything you need. You can also get up to 10 percentage points added to your final grade with all the extra credit offered.

Bruce James
ENSP101

lovinlife1492
12/02/2010

Dr. James has been my favorite professor so far, he's the best! He's very approachable & will learn everyone's names (somehow) regardless of the classes size. His lectures are somewhat hard to follow at times, and his tests are quite challenging/detailed, but he gave my class a curve on the first test and allowed a cheat sheet for the second exam. He seems genuinely conerned with his students and seems open to suggestions on how to improve.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting a B
Anonymous
11/30/2010

Powerpoint lectures, they're posted a little bit before the exam which is annoying because sometimes you can't write everything down. There are 2 exams, the final, 3 problem sets, and 2 papers. The problem sets are easy. The exams are a little difficult, the second one we were allowed to have a "cheat sheet". The papers have very strict guidelines. There are 2 opportunities for extra credit: attend a seminar related to enviro science and/or a paper on a news article. The discussion sections are kind of useless. Some of the material we learned wasn't what I expected from this class. I thought it would be more focus on global warming when it was really more of global systems like biomes.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting a B
RLJ2009
01/21/2010

Great teacher! I learned a lot about a subject I did not take in high school. Grading is fair and I recommend his class for any incoming freshman. You will work hard, but your efforts will pay off. 3 tests, 2 papers, 3 home works, and a final. Tons of extra credit as while and hardly teaches from the book. Teaches from slides and posted them online before the exams.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
rose11
01/08/2010

By far the best professor I've had. His lectures are interesting and he makes a great effort to know each of his students. Within the first week he knew each student by name, all two hundred or so. Dr. James is very friendly and approachable. Work for the semester consisted of two tests, two papers, and three problem sets (short answer assignments). There are also several extra credit opportunities that can considerably boost your grade. The TAs were very nice and helpful as well. This course was required for my major, but I highly recommend taking it as an elective or core.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/07/2010

I love Dr. James!!! He is definitely the best professor I had this past semester. He genuinely cares about his students and wants everyone to succeed. I wish I had gone to his office hours because all of the conversations I had with him before and after class were fascinating. He really knows the course material and takes many questions during his lectures. He also encourages class participation by asking many questions of the class (and 5% of your grade is class participation). Dr. James is definitely a fair grader and as others have said do the Extra Credit because it will significantly boost your grade. I failed the first test (85 points out of 150 points), but I still ended up with an A in the class because of the other assignments and extra credit. Don't be discouraged if you fail the first test, because most of my class did and I know that most people did NOT fail the class.

Bruce James
ENSP101

stealingsheep
12/08/2009

He is SUCH a GREAT guy. He really cares about his students, takes alot of questions in lecture (which is impressive since it is a 100 level course). He wants students to do well, and will give you a "cheat sheet" for the final and second midterm exams. These help you learn and study the material better. There is alot of extra credit opportunities, so take advantage of them. The 3 problem sets kind of are long wound and annoying, but they do help to learn the material, and are not entirely too difficult.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/08/2009

Dr. James is a great professor. I highly recommend his class. He is able to make the class interesting and is an overall nice and helpful man. The test are not too hard and if you do badly on them he gives out extra credit assignments. There is a 1000 points in the course and you can get an extra 100 based on extra credit which can raise your grade an entire letter. Also you can appeal specific questions on the tests. If you appeal a question and your appeal makes sense you will get the points back. Dr. James is my favorite professor at UMD so far.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/16/2008

Hands down one of the best professors you'll ever have. He cares about the subject, and genuinely cares about the students. Always respectful and makes class very comfortable. His anecdotes are often amusing and he's open to questions. Exams are mostly short answer and essay. He provides lots of guidelines for the papers, and offers lots of help if you want it. The subject matter is also very interesting. BONUS: although an environmental scientists, he doesn't preach. He gives you the facts.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/08/2008

The exams are long, you must write a lot. There are a couple of small paper assignments. Lots of extra credit. The discussions were a little boring. Overall he is very interesting and if you are into environmental science, like I am, you'll enjoy his lectures.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting a B
bkretzer
12/06/2008

He is a great teacher. It is a challenging course but fair. He wants his students to do well. There is a lot of extra credit to help with your grade. His tests are long and there is not a lot of time to finish so you have to know your stuff. If you take this course make sure you enjoy this field becuase I do not enjoy environmental science and sometimes I am very bored.

Bruce James
ENSP101

Expecting an A
annon
03/10/2008

He's a really sweet man, who cares a lot about environmental science. He learned the entire class's names by the second class period. The midterms are hard though. They are applications of the concepts learned, and longer than they should be for the time allotted. He'll give you lots of opportunities for E.C. by attending events and write papers about them. On the final, he lets you use a "cheat sheet" which was very helpful. There are also a few longer papers you'll have to write.

Reviews for ENSP101