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K
Kirk PETER
PETER,KIRK A
Email
Position

Teaching Faculty III

Department

Risk and Insurance

Credentials

BS 1988 Univ of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Grade Point Average
3.37
Completion Rate
96.36%
A Rate
48.29%
Students
2307
Rating
4.8
Difficulty
3.1
Would Take Again
88.9%
Attendance
Unknown

78.9% of students reported.

Comments

One of the best professors I have had here. He can be a little intimidating, but you will learn so much in class, and he often brings real-world experience into lectures as he was an actuary for about 20 years. Lectures are very enjoyable, but class can be very difficult if you aren't prepared, especially the final exam worth 50% of your grade.

He's very upbeat and chaotic, but a quality teacher that cares about students.

The class itself is challenging especially since the final is such a large portion of the grade, but Kirk was always willing to help out in any way. Besides just office hours he also had weekly review sessions for any questions. He is the kind of professor that genuinely cares about his students well being both in and outside of the classroom.

Best professor I've ever had in college.

Kirk is the best professor I've had so far! He is caring towards everyone and is extremely accommodating. He also records lectures which is extremely helpful when reviewing material especially for the exam FM. I came out of this class gaining a lot of knowledge and feel prepared to take FM.

Kirk is an awesome professor and an awesome guy! He makes the lectures really interesting and gears them toward taking the actuarial exam, which is really helpful for those who take it. This class prepared me extremely well to take Exam FM, and Kirk played a major role in that.

Kirk is a very intelligent man who has a passion for what he teachers. He gives very good lectures and is fairly engaging. However, he has a tendency towards favoritism among students in the lecture and it is very obvious which students he likes and dislikes. He can come off as condescending or rude. Overall I would recommend him, but be wary.

Kirk has been my favorite professor at Madison and clearly understands how to teach actuarial concepts and get students involved and prepared. Coming into the actuarial science field, 303 is the first class required and Kirk made it such a memorable experience to have very necessary in-person lectures, even in the midst of the pandemic (Fall 2020).

Great teacher; tries to relate and actually cares about his student's success. Accessible outside of class and even holds review sessions outside of normal office hours. I 100% would love to take any of his classes again.

Kirk was an awesome professor. Life insurance/contingencies makes for difficult material to understand and Kirk acknowledges this and does everything he can to make sure students aren't left behind - his in-class examples and homework problems supplement the material well. That being said, you have to put the effort in as his exams are challenging.

Kirk was my favorite professor to date, and was really approachable and caring for his students. He knows the material well, and is good at teaching it. Overall, he's a really nice guy and a great teacher. Kirk's also a really good person to know in the Actuarial Science program so I would recommend taking his courses if you get a chance.

Fine as a lecturer and clear he enjoys teaching the info. That being said, he's not for everyone, or even many. For ex., on one occasion he mocked a Malaysian student for how he said the number 3 in front of the class. To many he isn't helpful and may even offer a condescending remark if asked for help. If these bother you, proceed with caution

Literally the best prof I've had to date! The material can get tough at times, but Kirk is always there to help students succeed, to the point that he even knows everyone's name. The three exams given are tough, yet fair, and everything is meant to set you up to pass exam FM.

Kirk really made an effort to connect with and learn all of his students' names. He was easily accessible via email or during office hours, and was really invested in his student's success. I also really liked that he made the topics more relevant by expanding upon how you would use them in practice.

If you are an international student, I would say he might not be so nice to you, despite he received so many praises. Every time I asked questions after class, he always answered in the shortest words and he never tried to tell you more about it. The same situation happened to some of my friends as well.

He is the best professor I have ever had. I would take the class again or any of the classes that he teaches in a heartbeat.

Kirk is one of the most respected Actuarial Lecturers. He teaches the material how students understand and shows genuine care about whether his students understand the material or not.

Makes an effort to learn everyone's name and really cares about his students. He's very easy to understand and tries to make the subject as interesting as possible. Go to lecture because it's easier to understand and way less dry than the textbook. The homework is very helpful if you actually do it without looking at the answers.

This is a tough class and you need to pay attention in class. Kirk is great and simplifying the material and his supplementary homework is just like his tests. His tests are tough, but if you put in the time and effort, you will do fine in the class. His job is to prepare you for exam FM and he does more than help with that

Kirk is one of the best professors I have had. Don't get me wrong, the course content isn't easy and Kirk also makes his midterms relatively challenging, but the class is curved and the hard work will pay off for when you take exam FM. He is very good at explaining topics and has the experience to know how Act Sci students learn best.

The best professor I've ever had. Although the materials are difficult, he made it easy and made sure that everyone understand. He did care for every students in class, he would like everyone to be successful. He also gave life lessons and inspirational stories. His lectures are very active and he encouraged everyone to help each other.

By far, the best professor I've had at Madison. He honestly cares about his students understanding the material as well as passing the FM/2 Exam.

Kirk is a great person to take a class with. He's funny, gets to know his students, and explains things well. Exams are not necessarily easy, but they're not confusing or ridiculously hard, either, and fairly reflective of the difficulty level of FM.

This was my third (and final) semester with Kirk and I'm going to miss him. He is a fantastic professor. He really cares about his students and is always willing to help out. Extremely personable and fun to talk to about any topic. He is definitely my favorite professor at UW. Exams aren't easy, but are fair and prepare you for MLC.

Peter's lecture is very interesting and clear. He is a funny and helpful professor. Love him!

Hands down the best professor I've had in Madison thus far. 303 is a tough class, but Kirk makes it easy. He's such a great guy and his lectures are interesting to listen to. The tests are tough, but if you put in enough time doing practice problems and studying it's not too tough to get an A. There's a lot of homework, but it pays off to do it

The course is fast paced and there's a lot of homework between 303 and 301 but Kirk is an amazing professor. He really cares and does a great job of preparing you for the big exam. Makes going to class easy.

Kirk is awesome! Best professor ever. He is extremely helpful and makes sure everyone is understanding the material. He always answers question and goes above and beyond to help his students succeed. Exams are challenging as is the nature of the class, but he is very fair and will help whenever needed. Take this course, you won't regret it

Kirk is awesome. Truly wants everyone to succeed. Always willing to help you if you are having trouble. Exams are difficult but fair.

Kirk is a wonderful teacher and person. He is passionate about teaching and the material - and making sure every student understands the difficult material. Take any class you can with him!

Kirk is a awesome guy!! The class is not easy and it have lots of material to cover. Kirk did a great job and he was ready to help everyone. Really good.

If you want to be an actuary you should already be prepared for hard material. It is not an easy class, but Kirk is one of the best professors I've ever had, he is funny, helpful and all around a great guy. He covers all of the information you need to know. Take any class that you can with him, you wont regret it.

Kirk is one of the most personable, down-to-earth, and approachable professors I've known. He also does a fantastic job of teaching the material, which is inherently difficult. His exams are difficult though, so you may have to dedicate more self-study time than a normal class demands to understand the specifics of the more challenging material.

Kirk is the best professor on this campus. The material is difficult but he does an excellent job teaching it and helping you understand it.

I HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS. HE IS THE BEST PROFESSOR. I WILL DEFINITELY MISS HIM AND HIS LECTURES.

Extremely helpful, funny, and made the material interesting. VERY GOOD with remembering student's names. I would say he is the best professor I've had so far at this university. However, his class & exams are tough, but the class does contain difficult material. Despite the difficulty, he prepares you very well for Exam FM.

Kirk is awesome. You will not regret taking his class. He tries his very best to make sure that his students are understanding the material. He is courteous and respectful. His love for teaching is reflected through every lecture. I loved this class!!! But don't think this class is easy - you will have to work hard!

Kirk is the best professor I've ever had. Extremely helpful during office hours. Get to know him. He is great to talk to and he loves to get to know you. Course is not easy but you can certainly do well. Kirk does a great job making the info clear and connecting it to the real world. There is weekly homework but it really helps you learn the stuff.

As everyone in the actuarial department knows, Kirk is an incredible professor and a really nice guy. This class requires A TON of work but Kirk does a great job of teaching the material and encouraging students to seek help during office hours. Best professor you'll have at UW.

The material is covered at an extremely fast pace, but Kirk does an excellent job of presenting it in an understandable manner, and he is very approachable and the most down to earth professor I have ever had. I highly recommend him.

Kirk is very nice and very efficient in trying to prepare you for the Exam in only one semester of class. He encourages students to come in for extra help, and his exams are difficult but fair. He's great at getting to know students outside of class to with his extensive involvement in the school.

Approachable, down to earth... a genuinely nice guy. Enjoys teaching, and gives challenging, but fair, exams. If you know the material well, there shouldn't be any surprises on his tests. Office hours are extremely helpful, too.

Kirk Peter's great. Very approachable, helpful, and down-to-earth. You can tell he enjoys teaching and helping students succeed. Exams are a fair representation of how well you know the material. Kirk represents actuaries very well.

Kirk is the best professor anyone could ask for. I will miss his caring, helpful approach to ACT SCI. Recomend him and his classes to anyone interested in the field.

Great professor! Kirk learns the names of most of his students and gets to know them on a more personal level. e is very helpful and tries very hard to make students understand the material. Act Sci 301 was more of a problem solving class but he was always there to help if you had any questions.

Kirk is a great teacher! The content is not simple & requires a lot of thought - beware. But he is always willing to help. I would recommend going to office hours - big advantage!

Awesome prof and a great guy. The class is very challenging but he prepares you well for the first Actuarial exam. Attend office hours if you can even if you don't have any specific questions.

Great professor, taught both actuarial science 301 and 303. I did not get as good a grade as I had liked, but he did a good job of preparing us for the actuarial exam. He is a very helpful and cool guy and learns most students names.

Great teacher. Willing to help out even though I had him as a teacher during a prior semester.

No Comments

The most approachable teacher I've had here. Will do all he can to help you out in every way.