L. Graham Smith - Western University, London, ON

Professor: L. Graham Smith

Department: Geography

College: Western University, London, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144B
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Definitely my favourite professor at Western! Graham is absolutely hilarious and his lectures are the only lecture I legitimately enjoy attending. Content is interesting and Graham just makes the whole lecture fly by.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144B
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

There was nothing significantly challenging about any of the tests if you showed up and paid attention, as he said at the beginning of the year. The exam was changed from an essay format to multiple choice due to possible strike. But I had fun, and there was nothing stressful about the course. I had to study an average amount for me.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tells us that questions are conceptual but asks the most specific things like the names of beaches in a country. The $80 textbook was not even a book, it was a powerpoint downloader. Just because the course is simple, he made the hardest questions to keep the average lower. worse course in my university time. Bad attitude towards students Q too.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: GEO2114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Says the course isnt about memorization but then only asks trivial questions on the exams about the most specific and irrelevant things . The textbook is a joke.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

If you want to take a class where you learn all the info by yourself while the prof takes your textbook money to go on his vacations, then this course is for you. He shows no compassion, exams make no sense & the last update on his "renowned" textbook (powerpoint slides w/ out-of-date and contradictory facts) was 2011. Arrogant, and doesn't teach.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

This professor was the worst I've ever had at Western. He is sexist, racist, and makes extremely inappropriate comments no student should ever have to hear. His midterm was very easy with everyone scoring between an 86-96% but then the final mucked everyone soooo that was pretty unfair. In short: don't take this geo class simply bc of the prof.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: GEO2114
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Terrible professor!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I really like Professor Smith, his exams are easy. If you go to class, pay attention and take notes you will do well. The majority is common sense, if you are just knowledgable about the world in general. Yes, he make you buy a textbook, but share it with you friends. Better than buying the 180 dollar other textbooks for less interesting classes.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Extremely rude, insensitive and arrogant.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

If you can avoid this professor and any classes he teaches do it at all costs! There is nothing worse than Mr. Smith's classes, textbook and teaching!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144B
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Graham Smith must have attended the school of pay-doh and barbies because he knows about as much as my 2-year old brother. His prized "textbook" that he created is a website with a dozen powerpoints on it. He proceeded to charge every student in the class $60USD to access these powerpoint presentations. Enjoy your vacation you bought with my money.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: GEO2114
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Graham Smith makes many rude remarks in class, including one where he said, "Girls love to take pictures, but guys only take pictures if their is a naked woman in it." He then proceeded to show us a picture he took of an unsuspecting woman lying on the beach in a bikini. He really needs to act more professional.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: GEO2114
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

When a girl asked a very useful question on the class forums page, Graham Smith replied with a link to a page that said "Someone thinks you're too lazy to use Google before asking a question. Now someone is tired of answering stupid questions and sent you a link to this site to point out that you can easily find the answer yourself."

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

warning geo2144 is not the "bird" course it used to be before. will make you buy his useless textbook that you cant resell to get access to the slides. midterm is very easy... but be prepared for the final to drop your mark. Class average for the final was a 65. ps prof smith is very rude avoid if u can.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This course is terrible, the content is useless and boring. Smith as a professor is egotistical without merit and teaches extremely poorly. His lectures are all over the place and he jumps from one thing to the next. Glad he will be retiring soon.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: GEO2114
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Just a forewarning: they changed the course format this year (2017), and it is no longer necessarily true that it's a bird course. Be wary of the reviews from before! I found it extremely easy last semester!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• 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:

Be REFLECTIVE and you will do just fine. The more time and effort you put into your projects the better the mark you will get, make sure you state how things "changed" you. Studying is not needed for this course but looking over major topics he discusses in class helps for the final. You will be strapped for time on the final exam, 2 essays in 2hrs

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: GEO2114
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

There's a trick to the madness. I pulled off a 90 simply by being reflective. For example just write about how travelling made you more self-conscious of your own inhibitions and how it allowed you to exit your comfort zone (or some other bull like that). DO NOT STUDY ANYTHING, and DEFINITELY do not buy his god-awful textbook LOL enjoy your 85+

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: GEO2114
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Comments below mentioned, "just be reflective". Okay, but the truth is since you get A and someone has to get B. I didn't get why I got C on my assigned Text essay that I put lots of effort on. I spend $70 on the ugly online textbook and got C for no reasons. It is a really subjective course, and it is really based on which TA marks your's.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: GEO2144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

awful teacher with awful exams