Current instructor

Shanan Peters

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.38/5 from 96 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

GEOSCI 110
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Loved this class way more than was expecting. The professor knows their stuff and is genuinely into the material, which makes a big difference. The midterm and final are 5 choice multiple choice, which is about the easiest exam you can get, but you go to go class and actually study to do well.
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GEOSCI 110
Quality 4/5Difficulty 4/5
Professor Peters is very interested in the course. The weekly quizzes can be confusing. The midterm average was VERY bad but if you studied you should be able to do well. You must attend lecture to do well in the class. Cheating was apparently quite prevalent and the professor takes it VERY seriously, you will get a violation if he suspects you.
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GEOSCI 110
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Very cool professor, clearly passionate about the topic and well-spoken. I will say that if you don't attend class and consistently do the readings, there's just no possible way you'll be able to learn and retain all of the information necessary to get a good grade on the final. Not always a fan of his music before class, lol
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GEO110 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Really liked this one. I feel like I learned much more than in other 100-level gen ed classes. Multiple choice exams are just like the weekly quizzes, so there are no surprises. Would highly recommend.
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GEO110 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Best 100-level class I've ever had at UW. Great balance between introducing concepts and going in to some depth. Exams are multiple choice, which is as easy as it gets but you do have to study.
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GEO110 · course not matched
Quality 2/5Difficulty 4/5
Although the workload was not terrible, the content itself was very difficult to grasp as an intro level course. Took this class reccomended as a social science major to get gen ed credit and hated it. Too much information for students, final exam was incredibly difficult.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Shanan Peters

Covers the origin and diversification of life, evolutionary processes, and crises such as mass extinctions and Earth-life co-evolution.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Shanan Peters is described as an engaging lecturer who uses humor and multimedia to entertain students. Reviewers note his passion for the subject and clear delivery. Some find the content heavy, while others appreciate that he focuses on material relevant to quizzes and exams.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

GEOSCI 691 is a mentored individual research course for students completing a senior thesis.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

No recorded grade history

GEOSCI 692 is a mentored individual research course for students completing a senior thesis.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

GEOSCI 699 is a directed study course allowing students to conduct independent research or study arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

GEOSCI 875 covers advanced and special topics in geology and geoscience for graduate students.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=9 letter grades); Fall 2024: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026
GEOSCI 990

Research

1–12 credits

GEOSCI 990 is a research course where students conduct supervised independent study projects.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

No recorded grade history

A lab course covering Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, emphasizing the qualitative and quantitative description and interpretation of sediments and sedimentary deposits.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Shanan Peters receives criticism for teaching this course in a condensed 8-week modular format with reduced lecture frequency. A reviewer reports that Peters puts in very little time and effort into teaching the class, resulting in a low quality rating.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026GEOSCI 110Evolution and Extinction
Fall 2026GEOSCI 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2026GEOSCI 692Senior Thesis
Fall 2026GEOSCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2026GEOSCI 875Advanced Topics in Geology
Fall 2026GEOSCI 990Research
Fall 2026GEOSCI/GLE 431Sedimentology & Stratigraphy Lab

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

Instructor identity & provenance
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