GVPT390 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Piotr Swistak GVPT390 Anonymous 12/24/2022	The man is an absolute genius, but I enrolled in GVPT390 under the impression that he would use Game Theory within the realm of current events as they relate to Government and Politics… It is falsely advertised as a GVPT course and is more of an economics class. Swistak knows exactly what he’s talking about, but has a way of taking the most basic of concepts and making them nearly impossible to comprehend. Given that he makes it a priority to “make the course challenging,” he provides little to no guidance when it comes to the long, extensive homeworks. That said, definitely utilize the TAs, as they will be of great help. Do NOT register for this course unless you are mathematically inclined. There were four exams (excluding the final which is optional) during the semester, and the average score across all four was around a 64. Swistak has a fair makeup policy, however. If you go to his office hours and redo the problems you got incorrect, he will award half of your missed points back to you. With this policy in place, though, it is incredibly difficult to escape the B range. Again, Swistak is arguably one of the best in the world at what he does, but there’s a difference between personally understanding the material and being able to convey it to others. He only has a grasp on the former.
Piotr Swistak GVPT390 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 12/01/2022	Professor Swistak is kind, witty, and definitely a smart person who knows what he's teaching. That's just the thing - he teaches as if all the students have also spent years studying game theory. Because of his teaching style and inability to provide further, clearer explanations on concepts that make sense to him but not to students, the class is a definite struggle to pass. If you're interested in game theory, you're better off watching YouTube videos on it. I wouldn't recommend this class to anyone, especially if math isn't your strong suit.
Piotr Swistak GVPT390 Expecting a B Anonymous 10/25/2022	It's a hard class if you're not mathematically inclined (which I am not), and his lectures can be a little boring, but he is hands-down one of my favorite professors at UMD. I find him easy-going and funny. The homeworks are more difficult than the exams and are weighted lower. He understands that many students who take the course are in the social sciences and makes allowances for that. One thing I would have liked is to have more TA office hours, but if you're even marginally interested in game theory, I would take this class. It's not necessarily an easy A, but it can teach you to think a little differently.
Piotr Swistak GVPT390 Expecting a W Anonymous 09/06/2022	Swistak has a long, drawn-out teaching style that leaves you on the verge of sleep and then proceeds to give you some of the longest homework. Definitely the type of professor that takes pride in how "challenging" he makes his course.
Piotr Swistak GVPT390 Anonymous 05/22/2019	Best professor I have had at UMD. He is a genius when it comes to math and Game Theory. His classes will definitely change the way you think about daily interactions in life. Very fun and interesting and he is hilarious. Definitely take a Swistak class before you graduate. It is an experience that you should not miss out on.
Piotr Swistak GVPT390 Expecting a B deli996 05/06/2015	Class can be pretty boring as he tends to talk a lot, and the material is often times difficult. That said, he puts a lot of things into place to make it so that everyone can do well enough in the class, and to make sure the grading is completely impartial. There's a lot of problems in class for extra credit to keep you engaged and thinking about the problems, although it seemed like mostly three students got all of the extra credit.

Piotr Swistak
GVPT390

Anonymous
12/24/2022

The man is an absolute genius, but I enrolled in GVPT390 under the impression that he would use Game Theory within the realm of current events as they relate to Government and Politics… It is falsely advertised as a GVPT course and is more of an economics class. Swistak knows exactly what he’s talking about, but has a way of taking the most basic of concepts and making them nearly impossible to comprehend. Given that he makes it a priority to “make the course challenging,” he provides little to no guidance when it comes to the long, extensive homeworks. That said, definitely utilize the TAs, as they will be of great help. Do NOT register for this course unless you are mathematically inclined. There were four exams (excluding the final which is optional) during the semester, and the average score across all four was around a 64. Swistak has a fair makeup policy, however. If you go to his office hours and redo the problems you got incorrect, he will award half of your missed points back to you. With this policy in place, though, it is incredibly difficult to escape the B range. Again, Swistak is arguably one of the best in the world at what he does, but there’s a difference between personally understanding the material and being able to convey it to others. He only has a grasp on the former.

Piotr Swistak
GVPT390

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
12/01/2022

Professor Swistak is kind, witty, and definitely a smart person who knows what he's teaching. That's just the thing - he teaches as if all the students have also spent years studying game theory. Because of his teaching style and inability to provide further, clearer explanations on concepts that make sense to him but not to students, the class is a definite struggle to pass. If you're interested in game theory, you're better off watching YouTube videos on it. I wouldn't recommend this class to anyone, especially if math isn't your strong suit.

Piotr Swistak
GVPT390

Expecting a B
Anonymous
10/25/2022

It's a hard class if you're not mathematically inclined (which I am not), and his lectures can be a little boring, but he is hands-down one of my favorite professors at UMD. I find him easy-going and funny. The homeworks are more difficult than the exams and are weighted lower. He understands that many students who take the course are in the social sciences and makes allowances for that. One thing I would have liked is to have more TA office hours, but if you're even marginally interested in game theory, I would take this class. It's not necessarily an easy A, but it can teach you to think a little differently.

Piotr Swistak
GVPT390

Expecting a W
Anonymous
09/06/2022

Swistak has a long, drawn-out teaching style that leaves you on the verge of sleep and then proceeds to give you some of the longest homework. Definitely the type of professor that takes pride in how "challenging" he makes his course.

Piotr Swistak
GVPT390

Anonymous
05/22/2019

Best professor I have had at UMD. He is a genius when it comes to math and Game Theory. His classes will definitely change the way you think about daily interactions in life. Very fun and interesting and he is hilarious. Definitely take a Swistak class before you graduate. It is an experience that you should not miss out on.

Piotr Swistak
GVPT390

Expecting a B
deli996
05/06/2015

Class can be pretty boring as he tends to talk a lot, and the material is often times difficult. That said, he puts a lot of things into place to make it so that everyone can do well enough in the class, and to make sure the grading is completely impartial. There's a lot of problems in class for extra credit to keep you engaged and thinking about the problems, although it seemed like mostly three students got all of the extra credit.

Reviews for GVPT390