John Ruben - Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

Professor: John Ruben

Department: Zoology

College: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: Z432
• 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: Mandatory

Comment:

This is by far the craziest class I have ever taken. Ruben has a very old school style of teaching and you must attend every lecture and take very good notes. The material is confusing and hard to understand and the exams are even worse, he does not teach what he puts on the exams and you are left guessing, and each question is worth a lot points.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: Z473
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

z473 I should have dropped the course and taken it from another instructor. Ruben's lectures were very confusing and hard to follow, when asked for clarification I would only be further confused. I never understood his graphs and when asked for help in recitation he was never able to explain in a way that made sense. A student; received C-

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: Z432
• 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:

Ummm ya pretty much what everyone else said. Not quite sure what I was suppose to study and the convoluted graphs and figures he posted were poorly scanned and confusing. I got a 36% on the midterm and that was average! No one else teaches the class so there's nothing you can do. Brace yourself. (He is very nice though!)

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: Z315
• 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:

The subject matter is interesting and he seems to be very knowledgeable but his tests are garbage. They're open-ended short answer questions that are vague. If you don't put down exactly what he is looking for, you'll be given only partial credit. Each question is worth way too much at 25-35 points a piece so if you miss one, your grade WILL drop

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: Z432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Horrible experience. Doesn't matter how much you study, expect a low score. He doesn't teach what he test. And his test is ridiculously hard! Its impossible to do. That's because he test you on things that was not taught in class. It can't be found in text books or online. Worst class ever.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: Z473
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Excellent professor. Makes you actually think and work for the grade, but you won't learn as much in any other class!!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: Z532
• 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:

Horrid.He says one thing & a minute later he says something totally opposite.I went to ask him a question & he even admitted to doing this.How are we supposed to learn something new if he can't teach it correctly?Only have 1 exam & a final.He admits that the exams average around 52% & does this on purpose,his logic is backwards.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: Z432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Although I would have a beer with this man, I would never take another course from him. He garbles his words in lectures and often leaves students confused after attempting to make a point. If you want a difficult class to teach yourself take one from him because he doesn't know how to teach... but he is still a pretty cool dude.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: Z315
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are enjoyable. He provides last years test on blackboard. His tests are free response. The only issue I had was that the class is based solely on your test grade, one midterm, one final. No extra credit. You don't need a text book for his class, just take good notes. I highly recommend Dr Rubin.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: Z315
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

had no prior experience in dinosaurs and limited knowledge of anatomy, i hardly ever studied because i was preoccupied with other classes, but i went to class every day, if you make it to class and do a little studying, there's no reason not to get an A

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: Z315
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Awesome teacher....head of the dept and it shows...didnt get an A but learned ALOT as well as college level thinking. be ready for short answers and essays, but its easy to get partial credit. learn scientific names...no textbook.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: Z315
• 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:

I loved the class and I liked Prof Ruben, however on the final, Missing one question means you drop a letter grade. I wasn't happy about that, it was the difference between an A and a B. Overall not bad at all and a lot of fun

Rating # 13

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

This class is excellent. It really is very interesting and the professor is very clear and presents the material well. The thing about this class is that it requires critical reasoning, not just regurgitation of what the teacher told you. The ablility to create graphs from seemingly useless/unrelated information is an important skill!!!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: Z432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is the head of the department...and he doesn't have his materials together at all. He expects you to be able to draw a graph from some stupid numbers he gives, that have nothing to do with it! Not a good experience at all!!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: Z523Z532
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Ruben is an excellent teacher. He doesn't sweat the small stuff, and he really challenges the students. Granted, some of his desired answers were subjective, but he's a great teacher. I have to admit that I didn't do too hot on his exams, but I learned a HECK of a lot from his instruction. I would take ANY class from him.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: Z523
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I am a very good student, that can tackle almost any new subject. Dr. Ruben was unclear in his explanations and I could not understand what he was writing on the board. He was rude to students who asked questions. He should stick to research, and leave the teaching to people who care about learning.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: Z432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I am a straight-A student, and i had a LOT of trouble in this course. I understood what he SAID, but not what he wrote on the board or gave as homework. The recitation questions seemed purposely misleading. The subject is not hard, he makes it hard.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHYSIOLOGY
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

one of the best courses i ever took. it's a very hard course, and i didn't get an A, but i learned what's really essential--how to read and interpret graphs, as opposed to simply regurgitating stuff from lecture. you learn techniques here, not just facts.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: Z432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Ruben is nice, but the course is extremely difficult