Human Geography with GIS
Human Geography with GIS How do geographers study spatial interactions between people and the environment? How does socio-economic status relate to spatial patterns of settlement, social organization, access to resources, and exposure to risks? How can geographic information systems (GIS) help geographers explain these spatial patterns and processes? In this course we will apply GIS to a wide range of topics in human geography including urban, environmental, political, hazards, and health. We will learn how to gather, create, analyze, visualize, and critically interpret geographic data through tutorials, collaborative labs, and independent work that culminate in cartographic layouts of our results.
Human Geography with GIS How do geographers study spatial interactions between people and the environment? How does socio-economic status relate to spatial patterns of settlement, social organization, access to resources, and exposure to risks? How can geographic information systems (GIS) help geographers explain these spatial patterns and processes? In this course we will apply GIS to a wide range of topics in human geography including urban, environmental, political, hazards, and health. We will learn how to gather, create, analyze, visualize, and critically interpret geographic data through …Read more
This class was just incredibly time consuming. And having to physically go into lab to do work made it so much worse. The material itself was not challenging and I enjoyed lectures. There was a weekly pre-class module with recorded lectures and an assignment that took me about 1.5 hours every week. In the past this was instead of a lecture, but ours was in addition to. There were also lab assignments that had to be turned in and often took more than lab time. Exams were project exams and were quite challenging and time consuming. And exam corrections were also really time consuming. There were weeks where I probably spent over 10 hours in the lab room.
This class was just incredibly time consuming. And having to physically go into lab to do work made it so much worse. The material itself was not challenging and I enjoyed lectures. There was a weekly pre-class module with recorded lectures and an assignment that took me about 1.5 hours every week. In the past this was instead of a l …Read more
This was my second course with Niwaeli and she is still great (first was Urban Africa). It is super helpful to have taken some sort of deductive class before you take this, such as CSCI 150 or other coding class. One main objective of the class is to create workflows of your analysis, which are super helpful to make and are a great skill to learn. I can completely understand that someone who is an ES major that is just taking this for a requirement might hate the class, and rightfully so... There is a ton of computer work, and if you are not comfortable with computers or do not enjoy them, you would not like this class. I love working through the independent problems and find both the process (workflow) and presentation (visual essay) extremely satisfying to create. This class even landed me a job working with GIS this summer. Definitely recommend.
This was my second course with Niwaeli and she is still great (first was Urban Africa). It is super helpful to have taken some sort of deductive class before you take this, such as CSCI 150 or other coding class. One main objective of the class is to create workflows of your analysis, which are super helpful to make and are a great s …Read more
I really found learning GIS helpful and was able to then use it for work beyond the class! Definitely a difficult class -- Independent Problems are HARD, but fulfilling if you engage with them thoughtfully. I enjoyed learning how to use QGIS and also Niwaeli is a great human (cares a lot for her students). The weekly Canvas quizzes were a bit frustrating in terms of grading, but the bulk of your grade comes from Independent Problems which she grades fairly and not too harshly since she knows they are hard and meant to push students. One of the most fulfilling classes I've taken in terms of the pride/confidence in workflow generation and QGIS gained at the end. Take this class when you have time to grind in BiHall and do the work, but also you learn so much and sharpen your analytical and creative problem solving parts of your brain throughout.
I really found learning GIS helpful and was able to then use it for work beyond the class! Definitely a difficult class -- Independent Problems are HARD, but fulfilling if you engage with them thoughtfully. I enjoyed learning how to use QGIS and also Niwaeli is a great human (cares a lot for her students). The weekly Canvas quizzes w …Read more
IN-SEASON ATHLETES STAY AWAY. This class is the most time-intensive I've ever taken. 3-4 Independent Problems (exams) which are spread out over two weeks means you spend 6-8 weeks working on exams. Pre-lab tutorials are due Monday morning, so if you have plans on the weekend, you have to find time to spend 2-3 hours in the lab in BiHall preparing for the lab. Grading is tough, and Canvas quizzes are misleading. Hard to get a good grade and takes a ton of time.
IN-SEASON ATHLETES STAY AWAY. This class is the most time-intensive I've ever taken. 3-4 Independent Problems (exams) which are spread out over two weeks means you spend 6-8 weeks working on exams. Pre-lab tutorials are due Monday morning, so if you have plans on the weekend, you have to find time to spend 2-3 hours in the lab in BiH …Read more
This course is really time consuming and detail oriented. I really appreciate how well structured this class is, every week has a similar layout which makes it easier to stay on top of work. It is definitely hard and takes a big commitment to actually understand what is going on, but the subject matter is really cool if you're interested in spatial analysis or if you're a visual learner. Don't be intimidated by its reputation, this class is interesting and useful!
This course is really time consuming and detail oriented. I really appreciate how well structured this class is, every week has a similar layout which makes it easier to stay on top of work. It is definitely hard and takes a big commitment to actually understand what is going on, but the subject matter is really cool if you're intere …Read more
Niwaeli is a really patient instructor. I found it really helpful to go to her office hours after classes to clarify unclear concepts. The first month of the class seems to be fairly easy, but after the first project begins there will be an increase in workload and difficulty.
Niwaeli is great, this course is just a tough prerequisite that is hard to enjoy if you're not a geography person. It really should not be required for ENVS majors. I did feel like I got a lot out of it as a GEOG major and found it interesting but it moves super fast and is definitely not easy. She is an awesome prof though and would take her other classes like Urban Africa.
Extremely time-consuming class. Also, I missed a lab and subsequent lab quiz due to being sick. I made up the work but Kimambo would not allow me to take the quiz, which resulted in an extremely low score that tanked my grade for the first half of the semester. Kimambo can also be somewhat condescending when communicating which is extremely frustrating. Overall, the actual class material is fairly easy, but the course itself is difficult.
Extremely time-consuming class. Also, I missed a lab and subsequent lab quiz due to being sick. I made up the work but Kimambo would not allow me to take the quiz, which resulted in an extremely low score that tanked my grade for the first half of the semester. Kimambo can also be somewhat condescending when communicating which is ex …Read more
Niwaeli cares deeply. I appreciated her personable approach to teaching. But I wish this course had been taught in ArcGIS and not Q. I don’t find QGIS particularly useful to future internships or professional work in the geography field.