Current instructor

Larissa Back

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 1.57/5 from 14 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

AOS425 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
Avoid at all costs. Had her for ATM OCN 522 this semester and it was the most incoherent class I've taken in my five years here. The grading is extremely inconsistent, her lectures are rambly and her answers to questions only left me more confused. Also means office hours didn't help much. She's a great person, but teaching ain't for her.
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AOS425 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 3/5
This Professor has no idea what she is doing, doesn't review topics that she teaches, and has no idea how to answer questions you ask in class.
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AOS425 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 3/5
Larissa is a wonderful person, but a terrible teacher. Her expectations are so often unclear that it makes it seem like she has no idea what's going on. Her grading is inconsistent and it makes it really hard for students. Once again, I like Larissa as a human, but not as a professor.
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AOS425 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 4/5
Despite being switched out of teaching the core courses at Madison (310/311), her teaching style has not changed from any of the other comments. She is dumbfounded that you cannot learn from her poor teaching, unavailable even at designated office hours, and only handed back one graded assignment the entire semester so final grades were a toss up.
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AOS310 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
WORST. PROFESSOR. EVER! Professor Back, should go back to school to learn how to teach. I cannot believe the AOS faculty have assigned someone so irresponsible to the undergraduate core curriculum as Dr. Back. She may very well understand the concepts, but she fails to teach to those it may not come easy. Repeating the same example, does not help.
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AOS311 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
She really tries to help with understanding of material during lecture, but sometimes the best way to learn was to teach yourself from the book and internet. Very clear on what will be on tests.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Larissa Back

ATMOCN 699

Directed Study

1–5 credits

Directed Study offering independent study arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Jonathan MartinAndrea Lang+18 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2024–Spring 2024 · limited sample
ATMOCN 999

Advanced Independent Study

1–6 credits

Advanced independent study in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, arranged individually with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Jonathan MartinAndrea Lang+18 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2027ATMOCN 681Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027ATMOCN 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027ATMOCN 691Senior Thesis
Spring 2027ATMOCN 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2027ATMOCN 698Directed Study
Spring 2027ATMOCN 699Directed Study
Spring 2027ATMOCN 990Research
Spring 2027ATMOCN 999Advanced Independent Study
Fall 2026ATMOCN 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026ATMOCN 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2026ATMOCN 698Directed Study
Fall 2026ATMOCN 699Directed Study
Fall 2026ATMOCN 990Research
Fall 2026ATMOCN 999Advanced Independent Study

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance 
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