Steven Keating - Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Professor: Steven Keating

Department: Biological Sciences

College: Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BMB221
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Keating was hilarious in his lectures as well as being an effective teacher simultaneously. Be sure to study because, for the exams, you HAVE to KNOW IT. If not, it will make for a hard time when going to take the exams. If you catch on to how he tests during exams, you'll be fine. If not, one really bad exam could hurt your grade!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BMB211
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I think Dr. Keating was a great professor for the class. He was very clear about what we were expected to know for exams. It is vital to attend lecture as everything mentioned in class is fair game for the exams. The exams were pretty challenging but multiple choice, so not impossible. He also gave us a decent curve which helped.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BMB221
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Keating is a great guy that livens up the classroom with his hilarious personality. Very knowledgeable and eager to answer any questions you may have. He writes down everything you have to know for the exams, so show up to class and take lots of notes. There are only 3 exams all semester, so it only takes 1 to tank your grade.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIOL450W
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took this when it was Keating's first time teaching this class in awhile, so the academic expectations were minimal. He's a professor that is excited to answer any questions or confusions that you may have. I recommend this class for anyone that appreciates forest and aquatic ecology.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: 201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Great guy. Great Lecturer but by the time tests come around it''s foreign and all the studying you did was for no good. To pass you have to rely on the curve.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MICROB201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Awesome teacher. Made microbiology interesting and fun to learn! posts lectures online incase you miss class or weren't paying attention.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MICRB202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Labs might be the easiest lab class at Penn State - always got out an hour early. Knowledge is all based on the quality of your TA; you barely have any interaction with Keating, but he makes the exams. They're pretty tough, but reading the subject matter in the lab manual is really helpful. Grades from lab and the exam usually balance out.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MICRB201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I'm a 2nd yr IID major.Keating is an awesome professor. He makes me love micro! He makes lecture fun and interesting. DON'T BUY THE BOOK! I got a 95% on the first exam, 85% on the second (the hardest one), and 98% on the third. Take good notes in lecture and you should do well. Pay attention to species name and detail. Its all memorization really.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MICRB201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's my favorite science professor. Super funny, I love the way he sets up the class!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MICRB201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The class is meant to be challenging. However, Dr Keating makes it very interesting for something that is pure theory. Definitely recommended. Classes are recorded and posted on Angel, making it really easy to catch up if you miss a class or two.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MICRO201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is an awesome teacher. He is very funny and relates all microbiology to the real world. His lectures are taped and put on angel so if you miss class you are safe. But lectures are fun to attend cause of his humor. Tests are somewhat difficult so do study hard. There is a lot of material.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MICRB412
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Keating is awesome. His teaching style is a different - in a good way. He also tapes all his lectures and puts them online so if you miss class, you don't miss anything. Funny guy, too. Never used the book, test questions are always from the notes.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MICRO201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Excellent, Funny and teaches you many interesting facts!!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BISCI002
• 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:

He loves what he teaches. Very interesting class. Attendance is not mandatory but you'll get an A if you attend class and take lots of notes. If you're taking this an a Gen Ed you must attend all classes in order to understand the material.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BISCI002
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is a nice guy who is very passionate about the subject matter. You have to go to class in order to get good grades, or you will fall behind immediately. Take lots of notes. Can be boring at times.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MICRB202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Easy lab. Grading sooo unfair. Labs themselves are basically worth nothing. Instead, your grade is based on quizzes written by TAs and two impossible lab exams. Oh, I should also mention I should have had an A- (90%) but got a B. Curved down?!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MICRB201
• 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:

Keating is impossible. Grade is only based on 4 exams. The material you are tested on is the most minute of details. Forget the actual concepts, you have to know the insignificant details. Not the greatest professor.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BISCI002
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

First of all, I had to drop his class because he makes you take 50 pages of notes per exam. Waste of time and did not do well on the exams even when I would study a week in advance. Class was absolutely boring but mandatory to get the notes to study. NOT recommended; good guy but cannot teach. Bubble tests are used; waste of time.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BISCI002
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

GO TO CLASS. He gives notes the whole class period so its super boring but all the information is on the test.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MICRB106
• 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:

Hilarious guy! he's got interesting stories and sometimes make side comments that are hilarious.. GO TO CLASS! it may be boring at times, but listening to him talk about the material rly sticks to your mind..and so i barely ever need to study for the exams