John Matter - Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA

Professor: John Matter

Department: Biology

College: Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BI105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

His lectures involves a powerpoint. He can be all over the place and easily distracted. To do well, do not solely rely on the power points. Instead, look up more information on each topic online or in the book. The book isn't 100% necessary but can help for some topics. He is nice and if you go to office hours, he will explain hard topics.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BI361
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Be prepared to spend a lot of time in lab and out looking for critters. matter gives a lot of species to identify for each group in this lab 7 you will need spend ALOT of time studying. Use quizlet, study early and often. He loves to help and will help you succeed in learning to identify. I went to his office a lot for help. Be prepared to study

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BI370
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

he loves teaching this class i would recommend taking herpetology at the field station with him. he is very knowledgeable about the subject and has a lot to teach. pay attention in class, participate in the reptile searching trips the exams for us were take home exams, but he still asks hard questions and grades hard. keep up with the material.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BI105
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I enjoyed upper levels classes with him more than this one. he expects you to learn a lot for this class. take notes in the power points and go to workshops and actually do the worksheets, this will help. He is approachable and hilarious in lecture. he is a great professor.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BI360
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Matter is an amazing professor. He was very accommodating of student needs and would even move a test date if the class revealed they were not ready. He is truly passionate about what he teaches. His exams cover a lot and are very diagram heavy, so be sure to study diagrams. His lectures are always upbeat and he is great to be around.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BI105
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Nice guy, funny in a very dad-like way. Absolutely have to show up to lectures, since he basically ignores the textbook and doesn't tell you what to study.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BI105
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Matter was very excited about what he taught, and it gets you excited to learn it. His material can be very difficult if you don't pay attention or take good notes. His tests can be hard if you don't know what you are doing or have trouble following in the class. He is a great teacher, and his module is the better half of the class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BI106
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Matter is a great guy who really knows what he's talking about. His lectures are fast paced so be ready and take good lecture notes. If you have a question he's always willing to answer and explain it until you understand.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: VERTZOO
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

matter isn't clear and increasing it feels like he doesn't care about students. women in class felt awkward around him. he looked down my blouse, yuck

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BI105
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's a really funny prof, but that causes him to get off topic easily, which causes the class to fall behind, which in turn makes him speed through the following lectures, and it just turns into a mess. Thankfully, the class material isn't that hard, but I don't think I'd want him as a prof for an upper-level bio class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Hard tests sometimes a little long for the amount of time given.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BI105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Amazing as long as you can reach him haha

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great teacher, will literally run and jump around the classroom, and curse spontaneously (which is hilarious). Knows a LOT and teaches it well. Very little homework (in Bio 121), just one case study, but lots of studying. ON his tests, make sure to READ ALL POSSIBLE ANSWER CHOICES, he likes to make tricky choices. Not easy, but not impossible.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BI105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He never stands still so he's interesting to watch.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO2
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Matter loves his job and obviously loves teaching. If you are uninterested in biology or want an easy A, it is a difficult class to get through. You have to learn the material he presents, like any other college class. He is more than willing to help outside of the classroom, such as setting up review sessions before tests.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: BIO2
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The tests were impossible, and he refuses to use the letter "z" in his words. Annoying as hell, and an arrogant piece of crap. AVOID HIM! The creepyness factor is also high.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

he is so enthuastic, and loves his job. he is always avalible and helpful.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BI361
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you're not willing to teach yourself, you're screwed in Matter's classes. He's interesting to watch, really into what he's teaching, and he's got an opinion about everything. His tests will always be murder, but it's worth the pain to just to have one of his classes.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIOII
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class was HORRIBLE with Dr. Matter. He showed power point slides and read them right from the screen. Half the class stopped going, it was pointless and he made you memorize specific information that was not necessary for the MCATS or PCATS. The class was just plain terrible.

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Dr. Matter is a jerk. He maked things wrong on the test that were correct and came right from his powerpoint notes, and then refused to change them.