Reviews for ECON305

Information Review
Kanat Isakov
ECON305

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/27/2024
Great professor. I took him in the winter of 2023 going into 2024. You need to participate in class to earn the participation grade which is 10% of your final grade. The assignments are in myLab and don't take crazy long, I'd estimate 1-2 hours per assignment. The class is definitely worth it, so get it done. I was nervous because I saw no reviews but I made the right decision. As long as you're not a bum and have some type of initiative you're chillin'.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/12/2024
I forgot most of intro to macro and micro and I was just fine. The material is interesting and you learn a lot. She's very knowledgeable and provides examples of real-world cases which help you understand the theory. She explains most concepts 1) in words 2) in numbers 3) in applications, but I heard many students saying "I get lost in the variables," but it's easy to make excuses. Read parts of the textbook when I struggled and it was very helpful. Showed up to class and asked questions, also very helpful. Didn't go to a single discussion or office hour and I was just fine. In short, be competent and the material will be EXTREMELY logical and simple. Exams and final were conceptual, no heavy math. The curve was too generous (not complaining). She's also very funny :)
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/21/2023
Professor Copelman is very knowledgeable and is adamant that you should come to her or the TAs to ask for help. You really should if you are struggling or you are sure to fall behind. This class is not easy. The structure of the class is pretty good and the workload isn't very demanding. Just a couple of video questions and weekly Pearson assignments. However, if you don't take time outside of those assignments to study you will not do well. There is a lot of material and the conceptual questions will kill you on the exams. While she is very knowledgeable, the professor will sometimes overcomplicate topics and make no sense in the lecture, only for it to make perfect sense when you go and read the textbook. As long as you do better than average on the exams you will get a B/A. Exam averages this year were 60s and 55 for the final.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/19/2023
Really hard exams but she’s a great teacher with a super generous curve. Saved me tbh, love her for that
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
12/16/2023
Her exams were so hard but she curved so much it kinda made up for it. Her averages were in the mid 60s usually.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
04/13/2023
Class is tough but professor Copelman is really good at what she teaches. There's extra credit and curve. Not an easy professor if that's what you are looking for. If you want to learn this is the way ;)
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/31/2023
I love dr martina, she is the coolest professor at UMD. Class is hard though
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
12/30/2022
I read her reviews before taking the class and thought to myself, "I can do it - it'll be fine!" I was mistaken. Please avoid Martina Copelman at all costs. She is rude, inconsiderate, and expresses little care for how her students perform overall. I will also list some positives: she has a lot of inclass questions that even if you answer incorrectly, you get 0.5 points for which allow you to get full points for that section of the grade at the end of the semester. That was a huge help. The homework is tough, the exams are tougher, and the averages are usually around the lower end of 60%. There is a large curve at the end of about 5% points, give or take, but she is not willing to hear you out if you are close to the cut-off.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting a B
Anonymous
07/17/2022
This class requires a lot of effort. If you want to get a decent grade, you must read the book, practice problems, and go to office hours. Dr. Copelman is an okay professor. She offer a lot of options for office hours. On the exam, some questions made no sense. Some questions were on the exam were very different to what you have study in class. The exams average are low 60s. Expect no extra credit opportunities, but she had a big grade curve at the end of the class.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
01/25/2022
This class is a really hard class. You need to put a lot of work to pass this class. The exams were ridiculously hard the average was 50% on the first exam. The exams are completely different than the learning catalytics and the homework we do in class. You only get an hour to do 25 questions that have calculations. She comes off as rude when she talks to her students but at the end of the semester she had a major curve that's what made me pass her class. If you can avoid her at all costs.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/21/2021
Great professor! Professor Copelman is very friendly and always willing to help you if you're not 100% on a topic.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/19/2021
You're going to have to put in LOTS of work – she isn't the best at teaching and her lectures alone will not be anywhere enough for exams and assignments. Save your ECON200 or AP Macro notes, you're gonna need them. If you're a BMGT major, I suggest looking for another ECON class to satisfy the economics requirement.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Anonymous
04/08/2021
Listen, do yourself a favor and don't take her. She has easily become one of the WORST professors I've ever taken. This is the first time I'm compelled to write a thorough review because I don't want anyone to have to pay to deal with this absolute joke of a class and her lack of self awareness. I have PTSD from this class and it's not even over yet. Background: I'm a Business student and this is easily the hardest class I've taken this semester, Econ isn't even my major but I've done well on past courses. Structure: 1. Exams: Her exams are an absolute nightmare. This semester we have 5 exams (75% of the grade) which is a little extra but not too bad right? WRONG. These exams are extremely difficult. We don't even have enough time to think through the concepts because she expects you to know the answer right after you see the question. It's a 30 minute exam with material that we haven't even learned with many parts questions and honestly, an absolute nightmare. 2. Professor's lack of accountability: She makes a Groupme for every class to listen to the students? no. She reportedly says she will ignore it because we are becoming little babies and complaining too much. The first exam was fairly simple concepts but the class average was 50% because nobody had enough time. She agreed it was a little rough, but we aren't studying enough. She basically sugarcoated it and called us all stupid. And she didn't curve the exam. It seems like she has no self awareness, she thinks she's right and we're all wrong and will not listen to any suggestions and is not accommodating AT ALL. 3. Course load: The course load isn't too bad to be honest, it's all HW on Pearson and some video quizzes that are pretty straightforward. Attendance is mandatory because there are LC questions going on during class in which you get participation grade. But you know what sucks? She had class when the university specifically closed all classes due to snow and bad weather and had the audacity to still grade the class because we're all babies and she's doesn't care. Summary: I get good grades and this is the first time I'm basically failing every exam. Well, the whole class is but the exams aren't curved. We're basically just waiting till the end of the semester to see if she can find it in her cold heart to give us a curve. She curved backwards last semester apparently so.... maybe I shouldn't be too hopeful. This class will make you 100% more stressed than you need to be, college is already so hard and nobody needs this in their life. I'm not being dramatic, I'm really trying to help whoever is reading this. Literally I don't think I know anyone who had a positive experience with her. I'm thinking of dropping this class..... and I don't ever do that. If you can avoid taking her, avoid her at all costs.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Anonymous
03/11/2021
Please do not take her unless you want to fail. She is terrible... I've never had such a low grade in any class ever. Her exams are extremely difficult and her grading scale is unreasonable. On top of that, she is not understanding at all and blames the students for her incompetency. Sad I had to pay to deal with this..
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Anonymous
02/18/2021
Blatantly Rude & no self-awareness. Had her for more than 1 course at a time and both classes had a failing average for exams, yet she'd blame the students for poor preparation. Puts insanely quick time limits on exams & gives no partial-credit. Complains about lack of participation but always talks down to students who ask 4 help. 0/100 - would not recommend. appears talking down to students may be a genuine hobby of her's.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Anonymous
01/04/2021
good teacher but CURVED BACKWARDS?
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
12/22/2020
She curved backwards at the end of the semester even though the final average was a 65, take anybody else
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/20/2020
she's passionate and experienced with econ. however her teaching style is dry and boring. you must show up to class to earn learning catalytics poitns. her TA's were something else. her exams are extremely tough, but she curves and provides extra credit options.
John Neri
ECON305

Anonymous
02/07/2020
Dr. Neri is a great prof. but his class is very challenging. However, if you work hard and go to class, an A is possible.
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/24/2019
A pretty good professor that knows her stuff. The course was challenging but definitely manageable. She's always extremely helpful/friendly at office hours.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/25/2019
Make no mistake, this is a hard class. However if you show up to class everyday and do the problem sets, at least a B is pretty attainable. Neri himself is a nice guy and a decent lecturer, but you really need to show up to class since much of the stuff he teaches isn't in the book or on Google. Class average is very low so if you have a B pre-curve, you're pretty much guaranteed an A-/A
Martina Copelman
ECON305

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/16/2018
Tough, but a good professor. You have to go to class
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/02/2018
Everyone gives him a hard time, but he is nice and his exams aren't that hard. Just do practice problems and go over past quizzes before exams.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting a D
terp4hire
06/01/2016
Professor Neri did a great job preparing me for Econ305 this Summer!
John Neri
ECON305

Anonymous
12/23/2015
Do not take this course. You will be extremely lucky and fortunate to get a B-. There are three tests and the average on the second and third one (final) were a 68 and 66. There are 7 quizzes but two are dropped and it is easy to cheat. There are nine problem sets and most of the answers are online but for the ones that aren't you will be spending hours trying to figure them out. Quizzes and problem sets are on Fridays which can often ruin your Thursday nights. The class is extremely boring and although Neri knows the material he is awful at keeping the class interesting. Unlike the lower level econ class there was only one bonus point lecture (oct 28). I went to class everyday after so I wouldn't miss another one only to find out there wasn't another class where bonus points were given.There was a curve at the end because of the low averages on the tests which basically boosted your grade up a letter if you were in the 60s or 70s. However, this curve is not guaranteed. The tests are two days and the short response isn't that bad because most of the questions are just algebra taken from the problem sets. Overall this was the toughest and least interesting class I've ever taken. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/17/2015
HELP. What class is easier econ330 or econ305 please help?????????
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting a C
perry125
12/18/2013
Honestly, it was one of the most boring classes I've taken here. Nothing about it was interesting and it just gets worse as the class goes on. You'll spend half an hour talking about a graph and the wonderful theory behind it. Captivating. Not an easy course either. The average in the class is a C, and on the 2nd midterm the average was a 67. The exam was also broken up into two 50 minute periods (a midterm).
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting an A
GreenApples
05/15/2013
Neri is a great lecturer and explains concepts thoroughly. He was always enthusiastic and willing to answer questions. I know the content of 305 is dull and it's easy to skip, but if you attend lectures and pay attention, you don't have to study for the exams. Neri literally covers all aspects of his exams in his lectures and the reason so many students hate on him is because they don't pay attention. I agree the exams are challenging, but they are doable if you go to class. Neri is friendly if you approach him with questions or if you go to his hours, though I didn't find the TAs to be much help. There is occasionally a bit of a curve at the end of the semester, but don't count on it.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting an A
clue
09/18/2012
I took Professor Neri in Fall 2011 for Econ305. I found his class to be very, very difficult. He's a good teacher and he knows a lot about the material, but he goes pretty quick and the concepts can be hard to understand. He was a pretty generous grader though; I did an extra credit assignment at the beginning of the semester, and in the end, I was a few points shy of an A and he used it to pull me up to an A, which was nice. The exams are challenging. The questions can be hard, but mostly the exams are just really long. I would recommend doing the free response questions first because they take the longest, and then do the multiple choice. I had kind of middling grades on my exams, but the quizzes and problem sets boost the grades as long as you do them all.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/13/2011
Neri is not the problem for these classes. I have had Neri before and I think he is a great professor. The problem is the class. The material is very hard and it's very hard to teach yourself if you don't pay attention in class because some of the concepts aren't explained well in the book. This class consisted of 2 exams, 1 comprehensive final, 7 problem sets, and 6 quizzes (2 of which are dropped). The exams are pretty tough and test you on more than just memorization. The problem sets are pretty tricky too. Some of the answers are online verbatim, but most of them aren't online. The quizzes weren't that bad because they were only multiple choice. Overall, Neri is a good professor. This class is hard if you hate econ or find it boring, but if you really like it, it shouldn't be a bad class.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting a C
Anonymous
11/01/2011
The absolute worst professor at the University of Maryland. DO NOT TAKE HIM. I attended all lectures, went to the study sessions, did extra credit, and still bombed his exams. He is NOT nice, and neither are his TA's (probably because they have to deal with HIM). He doodles on the chalk board and it's really easy to get lost in what he's talking about. I closed with a 79.9, and he wouldn't raise my grade to a B. No joke. I was appalled. Take ECON305 over winter or summer if you have to take this class. It's not worth it.
John Neri
ECON305

TerpsAllDay
06/08/2011
Neri is a good guy and fairly funny for an ECON class, but tests are next to impossible. I honestly don't even know how to recommend studying for them because they cover a wide array of topics and many of which were not thoroughly explained in class. If you have to take ECON305 expect to do a lot of studying for tests and quizzes and work on problem sets, but if you do all the work and study a lot, you'll probably do ok.
John Neri
ECON305

Kevin Garcia
04/25/2011
Your typical Econ professor: not the most engaging, teaches through PowerPoint slides that are posted online. He's a nice guy, just not too far from the norm. There's no point in showing up to class because, as I mentioned earlier, all of the slides are online as are the Problem Sets. Lots of graphs and a hint of math. He often sends quiz and exam reminders, so you won't have to worry about memorizing the syllabus. I only took this class because I had to in order to fulfill my core requirement. Otherwise, I'd avoid the class.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/18/2010
oh boy, John Neri. He lectures, but it is so difficult to try and study from the notes I take in his class. There's no order to them, and he just randomly draws graphs without full explanations. There are 7 problem sets, 6 quizzes, 2 midterms, and 1 cumulative final. The quizzes are very detailed, the TA's pretty much give 100% on the problem sets if you make an effort, and the exams are hard as crap. They're the kind that no matter how much you study, he always tweaks the information just enough so that you have no idea where to even start. Neri truly doesn't care about his students, and displays that when going to office hours, which I hated doing because of his annoyed and rude attitude. Unfortunately, the TA's have the same attitude as Neri and had no interest in providing help. Overall, I hated this class and am dreading the fact that I have to take another class with him. Oh and I swear he has PMS all the time.
John Neri
ECON305

Anonymous
12/16/2010
Don't believe some of those bad reviews you see below. John Neri is a very good professor. His lectures are pretty good. Some of the materials in this course aren't too straightforward, but that's not his fault. His exams are fair. Don't miss lectures, you'll be sorry if you do. I know I am.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting a B
umdgirl21
11/27/2010
Neri is one of the better professors I've had at UMD. The material is difficult to understand if you're not particularly fond of economics, and he draws a LOT of graphs! His exams are hard, but you can do well if you come to class!! Take notes, understand the homework -- I rarely used the book at all! I'd suggest maybe splitting the book costs w/ a friend because you really don't need it if you come to class. Overall I would recommend Neri as a teacher.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/19/2009
this class is pretty difficult. to do well on the exams, you MUST understand the problem sets. you can't just be able to replicate them, but really understand why things are happening. the exams make you think about the concepts that the problem sets teach. going to class isn't necessary, i was unable to pay attention because the lectures were boring. but read the book, go to TA office hours if you have questions on the problem sets and study the quizzes and you'll be fine.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting a B
a3ng25
12/17/2009
Neri knows what he's talking about. Unfortunately it's hard to get to that point yourself. Following what he's teaching in class is relatively easy. The course moves about a chapter a week which gets to be a pretty decent amount of information. There's 2 tests and a cumulative final...all of which are pretty rough. I ended up with jsut over 100% in EC200 after the curve and a solid A in EC201... but 305 ran me for a mid B first test and a low C second exam. If you had problems in the lower levels I probably wouldn't suggest this course for you. I only went to office hours once and Neri himself answered my question. He's personable and wants to help. It's jsut that the he expects ALOT of you and the course material is rough to master that fast. As to anonymous... he only gave one attendance quiz this semester... but he hates if you leave in the middle of lecture... jsut dont go if you can't stay. And I didn't use lecture slides... I went purely off class notes I took and the latest (7th) edition of the book...although he said that all the way back to the 5th edition was still ok. Drops 2/6 quizes... doesnt drop any problem sets.
John Neri
ECON305

Anonymous
12/08/2008
One of the worst professors. Lectures have nothing to do with the assignments he gives and the information in the book doesn't help either. You have to really think outside the box in order to complete the homeworks which takes around 2 hours to complete despite being only 3 questions. Even if you put in the effort to complete the homework, it's impossible to get perfect score on homeworks since you were technically never taught how to do the assignment. Exams are difficult and they're essay problems. He always has that detestable smug on his face when people look to be struggling with the exams. Avoid this man.
John Neri
ECON305

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/25/2007
Strengths- He's one of the best professors in the entire department. He has a clear understanding of the material and he truly won't steer you wrong. He knows all of the concepts and if you're attentive and ask a lot of questions he won't leave you unsatisfied. He has GREAT curves. Everyone in that class will either get a B or a C. No one ever fails unless they didn't really give a crap. Drawbacks: That being said. This class is BUTT-HARD! Like it's ridiculous how often me and my friends (the do-gooders that sit in the front row) have to go over and over the material before even a homework assignment. The problem is not with him it's so many other factors. 1) TA's: I hate THEM!! They will hardly help you if you need it 2) The material itself is confusing and there is no right answer. Even Neri will admit it. You will often find some sort of conflict with the professor's answer, the TA's answer AND the book's answer. 3) The exams: The exams take a lot of time and are hard even though they're like 8 multiple choice and 2 short answer. Remedy: GO TO CLASS!! So serious, you'll never get it doing it by yourself. Recommendation: Thus, if you're not into ECON and just want to take an upper level for business, DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS!! Take ECON340 or ECON306! If you want a challenging class with some really interesting material, by all means take it, but don't say you didn't know what you were getting into.