John Gyakum - McGill University, Montreal, QC

Professor: John Gyakum

Department: Science

College: McGill University, Montreal, QC

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ATOC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: No
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

awesome prof, straight up gave me an exact example for my term paper when we were supposed to come up with it ourselves. easy class, easy A, 2 group projects in place of midterm, and 20 short answer questions for the final

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ATOCEPSC185
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Prof is alright, but did not learn much from his lectures which I stopped attending as the pace was too slow. Clearly passionate about the subject, but keeps talking about concepts that are not important for the exam. Just read the slides each week by myself and it was enough as the only exam's (final) questions were just memorization from them

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ATOCEPSC185
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Overall - pretty average prof. He really knows the material, but lectures move at a glacial pace (often only 1 or 2 things are significant, and the rest just examples). He gives little to no feedback - grades are not posted, apart from your final mark on Minerva. But at the end of the day - show up, do the assignments, and you'll pass.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ATOCEPSC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Very knowledgeable and passionate about what he teaches. LOVED him! Wish I could take him again!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ATOC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE... unless you have to. It's not an easy elective anymore, they have dumb TAs and your grade will depend on the TA who grades you, like a roll of dice (you might get lucky or NOT). And they don't give any grades back until your final grade appears on the transcript. I DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ATOC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Boring lecturer. Disorganized, doesn't explain terms. Loves to use bombastic vocabulary. ATOC 185/EPSC 185 is still okay with him, because John Stix lectures half the time. Course is still do-able! 2x group projects - worth 15 % of your grade each. TAs seem to be reasonable. Term paper - 30% (10 page case study paper) Finals - 40%

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ATOC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The class was way harder than expected. I'm a science major and I did not consider it an easy A. TAs are really strict about answers they want and will dock marks on right answers. Take it if you're interested in the class, but not if you want an easy elective.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ATOC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The class is really easy and interesting. I can understand why people say that he is boring but I would still highly recommend it.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ATOCEPSC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Extremely boring and monotone. Takes him about 5 minutes to get out one sentence. Also chews gum while he lectures which is really weird. Only a good course when Stix was lecturing, Gyakum put me to sleep!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ATOC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Gyakum is so funny. This class is basically an easy A as long as you put a little bit of knowledge into it. Great for Arts kids because it focuses more on natural disasters effects on the world, not how they scientifically work. His experiments/videos are fails but make class entertaining.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ATOC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great elective for even students with absolutely zero scientific background. Prof. Gyakum (his name is really fun to say!) is helpful and clear, assignments and midterm very straightforward. Extremely easy final. If you study, you will get an A. Textbook useful for clarification and assignments, though not required.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ATOC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

It was overall a quite nice course. Sometimes classes were kind of boring because natural disasters is still science after all, but overall it's a quite interesting class if you don't get distracted.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: EPSC185
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Easy class. Really do not have to go to class. JUst look at his powerpoints, and when it comes time to the midterm or final, just look over them and make a little study guide. Studied a fair bit, but all relatively easy information. Not as much of a bird course as some say, still have to study and a long term paper. Easy topics. Prof is monotonous.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: NATTYD
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Natty D is the greatest class ever. Seriously. Not just because it's a bird course - it is actually very interesting. Gy****is not as great as Stix.. but still a decent prof when he's not being too boring!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ATOC250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very interesting subject matter. Gyakum can seem a little drole at times, but is still a very good professor.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ATOC240
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Gyakum is a nice guy but man he can be boring at times. I think it must his voice. The class was pretty interesting as you learn about tornadoes, floods, storms, etc. The assignments are pretty straightforward and exams are non-accumulative. Nice and easy elective that I took last year. He is one of two profs (Stewart is other) to teach.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ATOC250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Nice professors and lectures don't seem too hard but be warned- this is NO bird course. They made it hard because it was too easy last year.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ATOC250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The lectures are recorded and the class is very easy. Best decision as an elective I have ever made. The prof is nice and knows his material very very well. He is very experienced and works hard to get guest speakers in to chat with the class. He cares for his students.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ATOCATOC
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is quite boring to listen but this course has lots of video to watch so this compensate his material. Good class to take as elective.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ATOC250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Easiest class in McGill, for Arts and Science students alike. If you're looking for a good elective don't go for anthropology, history etc... stick with GEOG, ATOC, ESPC classes! Ask your advisor for an easy course, and they'll recommend this one for sure!