Tough grader. Good feedback. Challenging class and the way it's being taught. Boring and confusing. unclear directions on labs. 30+ pages of labs (because we are Ph.D. or graduate students, apparently). I am annoyed because all my UD labs aren't that long.
I'm not sure if I'm the only person in class, but his exams are rough. The mid is free-response, and I believe the final will be the same. I felt under-prepared compared to my peers as in I wish we had more information on what to focus on for free-response. Quizzes are ok but they can take multiple hours to study plus the long labs that never end.
Definitely my favorite prof in the Earth department. I've taken both 104A and 115 with him online, labs are very difficult in both classes but important for the courses. Start them early and go to office hours for help. He is very approachable, always answers emails in a good amount of time and seems like he really wants to help. 10/10 recommend!
The labs take forever, the midterm is so long and free response, he doesn't even release the midterm key after students have taken it, he doesn't upload any lectures online, he writes all his lectures out on the board. HE IS TERRIBLE / TOUGH, this should be a 5 unit class with the way he teaches it. DO NOT TAKE HIM
Geomaterials is a very difficult class and the labs are unnecessarily long, however, Matt is the hardest professor to teach this class. He tests you every week on chemical formulas (not that bad but he pulls formulas from week 1 in week 8), the labs are so long and the TAs grade very hard, and the midterm was 5 pages of free response! AVOID
Matt Rioux is one of Earth Science's real gems. He is so caring and in the field he really wants you to learn and helps along the way. (He even climbed behind me as we scaled a mountain to make me feel safe). You learn so much from him and he really cares about his job and students. Also, he climbs mountains like no other, in Matt we trust.
Matt is the most caring professor I've ever had the pleasure of learning from. He knows when the class isn't understanding a concept and is willing to re-explain until we get it. His exams are fair and he is willing to answer all of your questions during the lecture and if not, then after class. ALL Earth Science students love Matt!!!
Matt is one of the kindest professors Ive had. He is genuinely a good person and a concise, effective, clear lecturer. He cares deeply about his students success and will go out of his way to help you. The class is intense and requires 10-15+ hours/week outside of class time to complete the labs. Prep for late nights hanging with your microscope
Matt is an amazing teacher that wants his students to pass. He goes above and beyond to help everyone understand what is a tough subject that requires many hours of outside work to finish. Matt has even come in on the weekends to work on his own projects but stopped to help student. I wish he taught more classes.
Matt is a fantastic lecturer. He clearly states what theory hed like you to know and is extremely helpful when it comes to identifying minerals. His labs are time consuming but straightforward. Be prepared to work hard outside of class. Hes also incredibly kind- I had a serious family issue keep me from completing a lab and he was very generous.
