Student Testimonials

"I found every bit of this class incredibly interesting. I really didn’t expect all of this when I first chose it, thinking that it would just be learning about countries and nothing much more, but I was so unbelievably wrong. It’s such a simple yet intriguing course, and it was so cool to learn about everything that was discussed. Especially the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, because I had been wondering for so long why Ukraine didn’t leave when it had the chance, or why Russia was so desperate to get its hands on it. It also helped me understand Palestine better as well, and why things aren’t as simple as just giving each their own state as I had originally thought. I never realized just how informative one geography class could actually be. I wish I could’ve taken this in person so badly, or any other one of your classes, but my schedule just couldn’t fit it disappointingly. You are an amazing professor, and you kept me so easily hooked and wanting to learn more about the world than I already did. The way you present the information is easy to digest while also being incredibly informative, and the examples and humor are what kept my attention in ways I would usually struggle with." - Student Summer 2025

"This whole class course content as a whole was very memorable, insightful, and interesting ultimately but I wanted to share some specifics nonetheless! I also am grateful to have learned more the historical basis for the Russia Ukraine and the Israel Palestine conflicts / issues right now, seeing as things are still actively happening, and it may be hard to delve deeper into the geographical relations and history without bias. I am very appreciative of the amount of care and passion you have had for constantly reiterating and emphasizing that we should not essentialize a whole group of people, or to consider the nuance and the multiple realities / truths in situations. Conflicts or issues around the world are very complex, very multifaceted and need a lot of care to cover and understand. You covered each respectfully, informatively and empathetically (which is honestly what we all need when covering topics like these). I really do thank you for that, and for pushing us during lectures to think about the connections and the concepts of these topics." - Student Spring 2025

"This course was not only informative and interesting, but it was a lot of fun.  We didn't have the most talkative class but I truly enjoyed the interaction that was asked for every Tuesday during class and how we as students were encouraged to share our thoughts and opinions and what we had read and learned leading up to class.  I often have a few suggestions as to what could make a course be a little better but that's not the case with this class.  The structure and way it was run was perfect and urged us to learn the information presented to us while also acknowledging that we were just barely touching the surface of so many topics and were encouraged to go out and gain more knowledge on our own to in order for us to gain better, more encompassing world views.  The last thing I want to say is that the material and what was expected of us as students was always very clear.  This allowed for me to always know what I needed to do and to just focus on absorbing the content." - Student Spring 2025

"First and foremost, I appreciated the style of instruction of this class as it was not the usual read out of a textbook format. I like that the professor challenged us to think critically and made it fun along the way with his humor. I definitely was able to absorb the information a whole lot more when the professor included lecture videos in the modules instead of just inputting text from a book. I also liked the images provided with statistics and maps; I have a feeling these were not in the book meaning the professor did his own research to add a personal touch, something I am grateful for! I personally removed myself from social media nearly 3 years ago, so it was interesting, but also shocking, to learn about the current events taking place. Since I was not informed on the Russia/Ukraine nor Israel/Palestine conflicts it was sad to learn about but definitely eye opening and these topics served as conversation starters with my family and friends, to educate them." - Student Fall 2024 

"I think you do a great job of teaching these things by giving the history of whatever topic we're discussing and leading into the lecture. I also like that your personality kind of shines through the typed modules! It feels more like I'm reading the transcript of your in person class rather than a typed lecture. Keep up the good work teaching and thank you for everything! :D" - Student Summer 2024

"This class has been my favorite class I have taken so far. I have always had an interest in learning about Geography but never had the opportunity to properly learn the subject. This class solidified my interest in it and I  hope to continue learning about it. One thing I found interesting was learning was learning the proper terms and being able to identify terms like Discourse, Irredentism, Regional Autonomy, Ethnonationalism etc. It makes it easier to identify and understand what is happening in different parts of the world. One cool moment I had with this was being able to recognize why the US could veto the resolution calling for a ceasefire and then teach my little sister why the US was able to veto the call for a ceasefire despite having the majority vote for a ceasefire. It has helped me a lot with the on going conflict in Palestine/Israel." - Student Fall 2023

"I am going to go on a bit of a tangent, but you are easily the best professor I have had to date. It was engaging, enjoyable, and I consistently learned every time I sat down. I really liked how the class was run. The history between Israel and Palestine finally making sense, and the similarities with Russian and Ukraine, were really exiting to be able to more fully understand, even if it is more saddening at the same time. But from start to finish this class was fun, informative, and interesting. Thank you so much for that!" - Student Fall 2023

"I really loved the lectures during class time because you explained topics really well, you were also very transparent about what you would be testing us on while you were lecturing and I think that was very helpful. The reading in the modules was engaging and the way you write them feels like you are talking to the class and not just stating information for us to memorize, I liked reading the modules because they were written as if you are giving a lecture in class. The other topic I liked was the Russia and Ukraine topic. The information you gave was well researched, I wish that the news would explain things as you do in class because it makes everything a lot easier to understand." (Student Spring 2023)

"Overall this class was one of the best courses I have taken so far at Cerritos. My favorite part of this class was how I was able to see real life examples of topics we were speaking about during the class and videos from Professor Goode's travels. Overall I appreciate how well this course was ran and cannot thank you enough for all the new information I have learned now." (Student in Summer 22). 

"I want to say thank you first of all. this is my first semester at Cerritos. I was a student at Rio Hondo and I have never had a class that was this great. There was so much information and I appreciate all your videos that you posted. I also love all the current events that you gave us so much insight to. I hope to be able to take a class by you again." (Student in Summer 22). 

"It is the first time that I see geography from such a practical perspective as the one we have seen during this class. I'm not going to lie, I thought we were going to study cities, capitals, towns, etc. (so at least you could guess what I was thinking at the beginning of the class). But instead we saw the geographical reason why certain places are where they are, very interesting, that with the complement of statistics and reports, all current, made me really enjoy each module. Thanks professor, really cool ride here!!" (Student in Summer 22).

"Despite being a virtual class, the interaction through the messages and video explanations and the Youtube info-videos and links with additional information made it feel like we were actually in class, only from the comfort and convenience of being at home." (Student in Summer 22)

"Overall, every topic in the class was great. I can honestly say that there was not a topic that I did not like. Everything was super interesting and easy to understand. The modules were organized and flowed well. I really appreciate the module on Russia because it has caught me up on the current events and I feel really well informed now. Thank you for a great class!" (Student in Spring 22)

I really enjoyed the way the modules were written, and I can tell you feel passionate about the subject. Everything about the class was enjoyable. The modules were easy and fun to read, the pictures that you took personally added a nice touch, the videos were all interesting. It was a nice surprise because the class was not what I expected from a geography class. I have found a new interest in geography that I did not know I had. (Student in Spring 22)

"I really enjoyed this class. I love the fact that this class was not as biased as most (and when I say most I mean pretty much all) historical lessons are. I think you really taught in a way where I was able to form my own opinions rather than teach your opinion of history which is something I have seen in just about every class I have ever been in that taught some type of history. I felt like the lessons were interesting and relevant as well. I especially loved the videos you created when you would travel and create content for your class. This is something I have never seen a teacher do. I was so impressed with the lessons created and the assignments were actually interesting. You could tell you actually put thought and time into the lessons. I promise I'm not sucking up! As someone who wants to become a teacher, this class inspired me beyond just geography. I loved how much time and effort you put in and your responses were insightful and also fun. You were very involved." (Student in Fall 21) 

"Overall, I learned so much in each module, which is to say a lot in a quarter semester of an asynchronous class. I'm very appreciative of the dedication (and humor) which is so easily portrayed through your lessons." (Student Fall 21). 

"This class was very educational for me in so many ways. I have always wanted to venture into learning more about climate change and issues in regards to what is going on in the Middle East for so long, but I never knew how to get started in researching those topics and educating myself further. This class gave me the ability to learn about those very important topics, and gave me the resources to further my research in them. This was such a wonderful class, and I got so much more out of it than I could have ever imagined. The style of the modules was also really helpful in making it easy to learn the information because it was not the same as just learning things straight out of a textbook. Great job in making this class a really great and easy way to learn the course material!" (Student in Fall 21)

"Something I really like was reading through your modules and videos of you lecturing because you would make a little joke here and there which made it more engaging to read through. Sometimes reading continuously can get boring but throwing those joke in the readings make it a bit more fun. I liked your video too because you provided slides and pictures which gave me a better understanding of the topic. It was nice to see what my professor actually looks like too since we have been on school online for a year or so." (Student Fall 21). 

"This is the first online class that I actually enjoyed and learned a lot from. There were a lot of interesting topics and I loved learning about our history and problems that have occurred around us that I had no idea about. Thank you for being a great teacher and for making this class interesting." (Student Fall 21)

"To start off, this was one of my favorite classes this semester. I've learned so much I didn’t even realize it even existed and it has changed my way of thinking about social and government issues." (Student Fall 21)

"Just wanna say you’re a great professor!! When first starting off I was scared to take this course because it’s not my strongest subject but you made this class enjoyable and very understandable. I’ve definitely learned new things from around the world!! Thank you so much for your time and being extremely patient with this whole class, being a professor doesn’t seem like the easiest job. I’m grateful that you accept late work and are very understanding of your class. Thank you." (Student in Fall 21)