Beckett, Jonathon  

I had the Becket and Pettey combination winter quarter of 2007, and apparently they had completely reinvented the class since the previous quarter. Eventhough i would understand that it wouldbe difficult to totally re-organize a course these two were beyond incompitent, we had two mid terms and a final which were supposed to be comprehensive, but the class average for the first midterm was 63% and wasn't curve instead they decided to make the second comprehensive midterm count for both, again the class average was in the mid 60's, so once again they offered a mandatory non-comprehensive final, and an optional third mid term that would be comprehensive, and again i believe the class average was in the D range. They constantly forgot to give assignments that they told us would be given at the beggining of the quarter. They are so absurdly retarded that their two different colored tests are completly identical and when there would be a mistake on it they would say, "Well coincidently #8 is the same on both tests and is a screwed u question so you can all skip it" this did not happen on when of the tests but three out of the four. If you take this class good luck, but drop it if at all possible.

I was very surprised to read such good reviews of Dr. Beckett considering my impressions of him last quarter. Dr. Beckett is no doubt an intelligent professor, but when it comes to recognizing student difficulties he is lacking tremendously. The class average on the first midterm for our class was around 62%. The highest class average on the following exams I believe may have been a low C. He refused to curve any of the tests, and the structure of the class was more frustrating than anything. He didn't seem in control of the course, yet he acted like he had everything all figured out. In addition, the entire class was unaware of their overall grades at 3 weeks before the final. Beckett's poor organization of the class, and his stubboness to listen to any of the students trying to express their dissatisfaction with the course, made me determine that this was the worst professor I have had at Cal Poly thusfar. I am a student who takes school seriously and am able to carry a good GPA. I was convinced I was going to recieve a C in the class. I have no idea how I walked away with a B-.

Dr. Beckett is one of the best professors I have had a Poly. His classroom lectures are jam-packed with info from his Power Point presentations, and other computer related stuff. He also put lecture outlines on the ASCI web site, a definite plus! His tests are multi-choice, t/f, and short answer. Definately, the best professor in the Animal Sci. dept!!!

Dr. Beckett is the best. Is Power Point presentations go right along with his outlines that he puts ont he ASCI website for students to download. There is a lot of information but it is presented in a manor that is easy to grasp and understand. His labs are excellent and always fun. The weekly quizzes kind of suck put do prepare you for the Midterms and final.

DO NOT BUY THE REQUIRED TEXT. I never opened the book once. He is a great teacher. Take good notes from his nifty Powerpoint presentations and you'll be fine.

One of the best professors in the Animal Science Department. Don't make the mistake I did by not going to lab because it is 25% of your grade and Beckett is a by the book guy, so if you had a 79.5% don't expect a B-, he gives the exact grade. Attend all the lectures, you will want to though because he is fun and he provides outlines with half of the information printed out, and the other half on power point which you fill in during class. There is nothing tricky about his test, very fair, just study your outlines from class and do the homework calculations and you'll do fine. Have fun, i'm waiting for the day i can take another class from him.

Dr. Beckett presents really well-organized lectures and gives really fruitless assignments. Ex: Go to the store and compare beef prices to those of other meats. (What grade are we in?) If you are not a beef-eater you will probably get frustrated with the quarter-long "Beef: It's What's for Dinner" commercial, but I suppose it's understandable why a Beef Production class would be that way. make sure you pay attention to seemingly-unimportant details, (Such as the exact name of pharmaseudicals) becuase Dr. Beckett tests you on that stuff. He's a really nice guy and good about office hours, so overall I'm happy...(I'm happier the class is over with)

Dr. Beckett really likes girls. Just letting you know. If you buddy up to him, it's easier to challenge grades, but this class is really not demanding. If you can memorize stuff well, then you'll do just fine. The material is not hard to understand, and Dr. Beckett really is a good professor. He's fun and interesting, and makes each class enjoyable.

Dr. Beckett is one of the best teachers that I have had at Poly. He will make you laugh if you are amused by dry humor. He is a cool guy. The most interesting mix that you will ever find a computer nerd cowboy.

Dr. Beckett was such an awesome teacher! He was pretty funny and entertaining in class....which made it much more tolerable early in the morning. You don't need a textbook. All of his lectures are easy to understand AND you don't really need to take notes--just fill in sections from his powerpoint presentations. Exams could be difficult if you don't study, but otherwise this class is a relatively easy A.

Beckett's a great teacher. His power point presentations give you all the information you need for the tests. All you have to do is memorize your notes. I had no problem paying attention to his lectures because he makes the boring aspects of Market Beef Production a little more interesting. If you study, his midterms are completely reasonable. Tip: the second midterm was harder than the first midterm. If you have problems, you can go to his office hours and he's completely willing to help you. He's one of the best Animal Science professors at Cal Poly!

Dr. Beckett is an awesome man. He is extremely well educated in the Beef Industry. His lectures are fun, and interesting. His lectures are all on power point but it makes it alot easier to listen to him as to what he is lecturing on. This class is highly recommended. I grew up on a beef ranch and I still learned alot even though I have been raised around them.

Dr. Beckett was a wonderful teacher. I highly recommend all students to take ASCI 141 or any class with Dr. Beckett. He loves what he does and has a strong desire to teach the material in a fun and understanding way. The best way to prepare for this class is to take good notes, study the notes and go to lecture. Take Becketts lab as well, it was really fun! He grades fairly, his tests provide every avenue to excell, theres multiple choice, fill in the black, word problems, short answer, its great because if your bad at multiple choice thats not all the test is based on. Also go to his website because he posts a lot of terms you will need to know, notes and worksheets there that will be of great use to you in the class. I highly recommend you take Dr. Beckett!

beckett is awesome. his lectures arent bad even if you arent so into cattle. dont buy the book, you dont need it. dont take hall for lab.

Dr. Beckett has taught several classes I have taken: ASCI 141, 450, 462,463 and the swanton enterprise. Dr. Beckett is probably the smartest teacher I have had at Cal Poly. He actively performs research and is a great senior project advisor. Contrary to the other review, Beckett is very knowledgeable in science and cattle. I have found the endocrinology course he taught very beneficial to my success in other courses. He is a great teacher and a HUGE resource to the animal science department. I strongly recommend anyone to take a course from him.

Dr. Beckett is an awesome proffesor. He is energetic, fun and alway playing his movie sound bytes in the beginning of class. The class is eady if you study. Highly reccomended!

Dr. Beckett is a great teacher who knows his beef stuff. He's a fair grader and will give back points or scrub a whole quiz if it seems unfair. We had one midtem but quizzes almost every week. The final is worth 30% of your total grade for the class and is comprehensive. I had Joel Judge for lab and enjoyed his experience. The first couple labs were boring and unexciting. He grades based on attendance and nearly weekly quizzes and a few assignments. As the quarter progresses, though, the labs become a lot more interesting: vaccinating 30 heads of cow, freezebranding, and finally the "taste test".

I love hearing from Freshmen and their little views on teaching. Dr. Beckett is Great! He is not one of the closed minded farmers (like many AG teachers) he is up to date on many aspects the beef industry. I did take the 112 class with him and Dr. Pettey, not that hard. Just to let all of you little kids know...college is hard. But the reality of it is the 112 class does get you OVER prepared for many of your other classes. Dr. Beckett is a great teacher to know at Poly, and can help you with anything. He is a teacher who will go the extra mile for his students. Take him!

This class is not that hard as long as you study, the quizzes each week will make sure you do that. I'll agree that Dr. Beckett is a pretty nice guy, but definitely has his favorites. If you do anything enterprise related, at Swanton, BCEC or any other kind of cattle related activity he already loves you. It is unfortunate because I attended every class, participated and did very well and he still gave me the look of total contempt. I dunno what else to say besides how important it is to get involved to earn his favor, or simply make him feel like he is the omnipotent one.

Dr. Beckett is an outstanding professor, and an asset to the University. He made a rather difficult subject much more clear, and he definately knows his stuff. This class is NOT an easy A, but if you attend class, take good notes and study for the exams (some of which may be take-home), it's not hard to do well. I would recommend this class to anyone who would like to learn something.

what an idiot! he tried to talk cattle toward the end of the quarter but you could tell he was a wanna be cattle rancher who never had a spread of his own. he was not even very up to date on his science (suppossed to have a PHD). Hey, get your head out of your ass and start teaching, ENDOCRINOLOGY! Well I only say this cause I am pre-vet and grew up on a cattle ranch. So WHATEVER YOU DO DO NOT TAKE HIM AS A TEACHER!

Wow, whoever is below me is a complete asshole. Dr. Beckett may not have lived and breathed cattle since he was inside his mother's womb, but he's THE smartest professor I've ever had at Cal Poly. He knows a lot about the beef industry, and even more about Endocrinology. He's an amazing professor and he's also pretty damn funny, which makes class even more enjoyable. I don't see how you can dislike the Beckett, he's way tight. But even if your personalities clash, there's no way you can deny his semi-geniusness. Come on, don't be a deutsch.

Dr. Beckett is amazing. He is by far the best professor I have ever had during my schooling career. I had him for a variety of classes, as well as my advisor. He went above and beyond to help me with anything I asked of him. Even after I've graduated, he is still there to help me tie up some loose ends. Dr. Beckett is not only a knowledgeable professor, he is also entertaining to speak with, prompt at returning emails or phone calls, and will do anything in his power to help his students understand the material. Don't be afraid to stop by his office hours to ask questions, or even just chat. He is super friendly! Anyone who is able to take a class with him should consider themselves lucky!

What the guy/gal below said. Amen. I too took this class and have long since graduated from Poly, but I was cruising Poly Ratings for a kick and thought that I should pipe in and let you know how much of a joke this prof is.