Reviews for MATH131

Sort By:

Professor Filter:

Information	Review
Terence Long MATH131 Expecting a B Anonymous 08/28/2018	Amazing teacher. Great attitude. Straight forward grading policy
Terence Long MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/25/2018	Terence is the trifecta for a great math teacher: he's enthusiastic about the material, he can explain the content in an easily digestible way, and is an overall friendly person. I highly recommend taking a class with him if you can.
McBlaine Boyle MATH131 Expecting a C Anonymous 05/17/2016	Boyle isn't that bad of a teacher and Calc II isn't too bad of a class if you apply yourself. For me personally, I did not put the effort that I should have into the class and that is why my grade ended up being so low. Boyle is not the best teacher in the world, but in lectures I feel a bit bad for him because he is super nice and you can tell he genuinely wants the kids to understand the lesson. He is a bit of a dry teacher and he pulls teeth to get kids to participate in his 9:30 am, but he gives a lot of examples and explains things in great detail. When I did go to lecture, only about 50 kids would be there, but about 200 kids were enrolled :/ Let's just say exam day, I could barely find a seat whereas any other lecture, I had the entire back half of the classroom to myself. I did not have the pleasure of knowing Boyle personally, but his grading scale is: 85% = A, 75% = B, 65% = C. It might fluctuate a bit, but maybe by 1-2% percentage points. I had a 68% in the class and got a flat C. He also drops 6 of your lowest quizzes/biomodules. The discussions are ok. The TAs urge you to come to office hours, but I couldn't because of scheduling conflicts. Overall, I had to abide by the textbook and YT vids the night before the exam during my cram sessions. The average on the final was in the mid-60s, if I remember correctly. Do I recommend Boyle? Yes. His exams are straightforward and moderately easy if you do the homework he assigns and old exams. He also writes the final (which is taken by all math sections), so you are at an advantage since you know his exam style.
Joel Cohen MATH131 Expecting an A nseacoco 05/14/2014	I loved this class! So easy! A lot of people will tell you he is horrible at lecturing in this class, and they are correct, but he also doesn't use clickers which means that you literally don't have to show up to lecture unless there is a test. His practice exams look exactly like the actual exam and you can easily learn all the material from the textbook. It saves your time, gets you a good grade, and you can sleep in. I went to this lecture maybe 5 times all semester and I have a 95% going into the final. Just make sure to show up to all your discussions and do the practice problems in the textbook!
Karin Melnick MATH131 Expecting an A- umdstudent3 12/21/2013	In all honesty, I really regret taking Melnick. She made the tests 10x than the other professor's test, which was really unfair. She purposely designs her tests so that the average is around the low 60s, but when it came to final grades, the "curve" was only three percent, which is nothing comparing to the low average on the tests. She was decent at lecturing but honestly, the exams are so extremely hard that not even the quizzes and bioprojects prepared you.
Joel Cohen MATH131 Expecting an A milk 05/22/2013	Very nice teacher and always willing to answer questions, but his teaching style was all over the place. Explained every single concept in a way that went way over everyone's heads. He had a habit of naming the actual concept/formula AFTER five minutes of explaining it and giving examples, which made everything all the more confusing. Horrible handwriting, tons of mistakes and backtracking, lectures were a complete waste of time and no one went (you really don't have to, it makes no difference). That being said, it wasn't that hard to pull an A - I read the textbook but I learned from the TAs (who were AMAZING). The TAs knew no one went to lecture so they took time at the beginning of every discussion section to go over exactly what you needed to know in a way that was a million times clearer than Cohen's lectures. The TAs also held review sessions right before each test that were super helpful. Cohen gives very reasonable/straightforward tests, there wasn't anything tricky about them. As long as you're willing to learn from the textbook and TAs, you'll be okay. If you're looking for good lecturing, take someone else.
Karin Melnick MATH131 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/29/2012	Unfortunately, I think she made what could have been a good class much harder than it needed to be. She is a very boring lecturer but thats just Math and you have to accept it. However, I feel like she could have done so much more to help the class learn and understand the material but she just didnt. She spends the entire class writing on the board and almost never turns around to see if people get what shes talking about. The only redeeming part of the class is the discussion. Even though theyre SOO ANNOYING because theres a quiz twice a week which means you have to go to every single discussion, they are super helpful. The only reason I was successful in the course was because I payed attention in discussion. Melnick is not the best lecturer out there, but i dont think shes the worst and if youre willing to work hard you can do well in the class.
Christopher Davis MATH131 Anonymous 05/09/2012	NOTE: The review I'm writing for is Courtney Davis, NOT the Christopher guy. I'm pretty decent in math so I'm not just some dumb, lazy student whining about low grades. I had friends who were taking MATH131 with Cremins and were getting A's while our class was basically failing. However she always says the class average is like 75, and that there would not be a curve. I personally think that's total BS because I've seen like 6 people in just one section with test grades below 50. Her test questions were nothing like book problems or what she lectured in class and more difficult than they should be. I was always getting A's on the weekly quizzes and biomodules in discussion but literally failed on the (second and third) midterms, basically because the questions were worded really strangly. Overall, I assume that other students won't have to take her class because she's going away to Cali (why didn't she go sooner?!) but if she decides to return, then just know, never take a math class with her! Oh sure, she's super nice and eager to teach but that's not worth the C/D I will be getting in her class.
Kenneth Berg MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/14/2012	I thought Professor Berg was very good. He explained concepts thoroughly and was anxious to help students understand problems. He seems like a really nice guy (kinda reminded me of Santa Claus with his white hair and belly). Exams were graded VERY generously and were very straightforward. He gave out lots of printed notes during lectures which explained step-by-step ways to approach problems. Overall, easy course and MUCH better than MATH141.
Timothy Pilachowski MATH131 Expecting a B Anonymous 01/10/2012	Math is normally a dreadful subject for me, but Prof. Pilachowski made my Calc II experience as painless as possible. He would often come 10-15 minutes late to class, but he really cares about how well his students do so I wasn't bothered too much by the tardiness. He posts outlines that help the lectures go more smoothly, and sometimes even prints them out for his class. His exams are very fair. The discussion sucked and were mandatory, but there was no way around it. Try to get Yonathan Cwik as a TA if possible.
Timothy Pilachowski MATH131 jcp5383 12/21/2011	HOLY CRAP. SUCH AN EASY CLASS. The posts below were probably made by RETA*S. ahah honestly this class was easier than my Calc AP class. Pilachowski is amazing. His exams are identical to the ones he posts online. Please just do the exams online, don't complain, because if you do, it probably means you're a dumb A. He is great! take him. I loved the TA Yonathan and Geeta. So helpful
Kenneth Berg MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/28/2011	Dr. Berg is a really nice, sweet old man, but he is really a poor instructor. The things he teaches doesn't make sense at all, so I learned everything from the textbook and my TA. However, the reason why I give him 4 stars is because the class is really easy. If he was a poor instructor and the class was really hard, he would have gotten really bad ratings. In my experiences with math, I had to learn and study the concepts behind everything I did to well rather than just knowing the procedures because that always screwed me over during tests. However for this class, you can get away just by memorizing the procedure to solve specific problems. He does not teach clearly on the concepts so it is often confusing. Just memorize the process of how you get the answer and you will be very successful in this class. If you just can't do it, the TA's will help you a lot. All of them are very nice and very smart.
Casey Cremins MATH131 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/16/2011	Personality: B+ He's a great guy, kind, patient and always available outside class to answer additional questions. His only flaw is his accent and monotone voice. Teaching skills: B- He is a good teacher but you will need to read ahead before class because he is not the best at breaking down a concept. If you read ahead though it makes his lecture far more clear. TA: F+ Joe is just an absolute idiot. He made quizzes harder than they needed to be with no time to complete it! We had to form a group of like 10 just to finish. Each of us answered 1 question and then copied each others answers. Is this really the best way to teach a concept Joe? All your years of school and you couldn't see that this didn't make sense? Luckily I had a lot of friends in my class so I was good. So were the Asians and Africans. But I felt sorry for the new folks who worked alone or in groups of 2. They never finished. Joe also grades the exams! This needs to change b/c he's clearly some nerdy kid who is anxious to use his red pen. He needs a life or a girl friend to relieve us from the spread of his misery. Kelly A+ was amazing! She actually taught the class. In short, if you sign up for Cremins, avoid the TA Joe and you should be good. Read one lecture ahead so you know what questions to ask in class. There's no homework. Only quizzes and exams and no multiple choice easy point questions either. Good luck!
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Pochacco 05/19/2011	Justin is a GREAT teacher. He's funny, engaging, and his pace in the class was perfect. During lectures, he writes out (in words) what his steps are. He also points out common mistakes. There's a little homework, but nothing over the top. It just helps you stay caught up. At office hours, he's extremely helpful and also just really fun to talk to TAKE HIM if you can!!
Casey Cremins MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/05/2011	I don't see why he has 1 star rating at all. He was an awesome professor who made everything straight forward and easy to understand and also a very approachable guy when you're in need of help. He clearly knows what he's talking about in class and can actually TEACH. I think this class is the easiest math class I've ever taken. I got a 85% on the first exam and 100%s on the last two. As for the class structure itself, there are 3 tests and a final overall. You have two discussions per week, one for biology and one for math. My math discussion TA was Joe Galante and my biology discussion TA was Kelly Pippins. They are both really nice and are eager to help you. At the beginning of the semester, Joe was an absolute asshole. He just WANTED you to fail my taking as much quiz time away from you as possible. He takes almost 30 minutes to explain shit that we already know and then hands us the quiz to do and we only have 15 minutes left, leaving us unable to complete the quiz. People soon complained to Cremins and he eased up on the quiz questions and FINALLY gave us enough time to do it. At the end, he turned out pretty well... but I still hate him. Overall, everything is clearly laid out for you; I don't even know how you're supposed to fail unless you're exceptionally retarded or don't know what's going on.
Casey Cremins MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/28/2011	Professor Cremins is a good professor. People may think he is boring - well he is a little boring. But you can tell he is really into mathematics and its content. i think people don't really like math, so they don't really like him because he wasn't peppy or outgoing and he didn't make math really interesting. BUT I learned a lot from him. His lectures were in depth; he even showed us how to derive all the formulas used. Overall, his teaching style was excellent - he taught the background of the section and gave examples. His tests were fair. Make sure guys that you do practice problems before the exams. The discussion quizzes were hard - I think they were made by the TA's? but you can always ask them questions and they'll help you. Just work hard and you'll earn at least a B
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 amgarcia 03/03/2011	awesome guy, great teacher!
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/17/2010	This guy is the greatest! He writes everything down on the board and explains all the concepts throuroughly. His exams are extremely fair and he posts sample exams up. He is a very down to earth guy that you can talk to. He also has the best accent ever and is super cute : ) I took Math130 and 131 with him and he made it easy to understand. You wil have to work and practice calculus no matter who you take, but Justin makes class very interesting and he throws little jokes around during lecture!
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/17/2010	I took this course with Cremins in Spring 2010, but got a D so had to retake it. I wish I had taken it with Justin in the first place. Justin writes out his notes neatly in 4 columns on the board, so that they are easy to understand, and when you go back to study your notes everything makes sense. He also gives 2 sample exams prior to every exam that basically prepare you. The quizzes and bio worksheets depend on the TAs, so hopefully you have nice ones. I absolutely loved him, plus I think I was motivated to go to his lecture because of his accent.
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Anonymous 12/09/2010	Justin is one of the best professors I've had during my years here. He breaks everything down so it's easily understandable and the exams, for the most part, are very straight forward since he provides you with a sample exam and goes over it in class. He's funny and very receptive to questions.
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A ayoungin 12/01/2010	If you have an opportunity to take him, do it. You will love yourself for it I had him for 130 and 131. They work the same way: -you gotta go to the hour and 15 min lecture. It rarely ever feels that long and he writes EVERYTHING on the board [so spacing out for a few won't kill you]. -one math discussion a week with a 10 point quiz. he only counts 10. there are 13 or 14. win. -one bio discussion a week with an easy 10 point group work. same deal: only counts 10. win again. -you'll only need the textbook for [optional] homework or extra review problems. - he gives one or two sample exams. he gives an ENTIRE lecture before a test as a review day. go to it,do the sample exams, and YOU CAN'T FAIL. This man was born to teach calculus. And he has a sweet accent. That's the formula for a great professor.
Casey Cremins MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/22/2010	I took this class with Dr. Cremins after having taken MATH140. Compared to 140, 131 was a breeze! Dr. Cremins' notes weren't really helpful - a lot of theory and derivation of formulas, but the math discussion section each week was pretty helpful in terms of content review and questions. I had a great TA (Hana Ueda) and she did a good job of covering necessary material. That being said, go to class and take notes because on occasion, when class has been particularly empty, Dr. Cremins will put a question on an exam that comes directly from class notes and may not be in the book. The exams are straightforward, lots of partial credit is awarded, and I thought it was fairly easy to get an A!
Casey Cremins MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/19/2010	This class consists of three exams 100 pts each, quizzes every Mon. for 100 points total and bio worksheets every Fri. for 100 points total. The final is 200 points. (700 pts total). The exams are not difficult but sometimes he throws in an obscure problem that he mumbled through in lecture. Doing the suggested homework problems will generally prepare you for the exams nicely. Cremins is a NICE person but not a very good lecturer. If Hana U. is your TA for quizzes - you're golden. She's EXTREMELY nice and knows her math. If Kristen is your other TA, well let's just say that she should really cut down on the Hohos. Unhealthy food makes you unhappy. She's arrogant and thinks all students in MATH131 are idiots. She relies on the answer key for everything and can barely teach calculus. She also grades harshly.
Casey Cremins MATH131 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/16/2010	Dr. Cremins is not a very great professor. His lectures are extremely boring and the majority of the time he goes over material that you do not need to know such as history of mathematics and proofs of the material you are learning. I am not one to normally recommend skipping lectures but in this class it truly is alright to skip the majority of the time. The text book (which is very good) will teach you the material just as well as he does. Definitely attend discussions because the TAs will clarify anything he goes over in class. That being said, his class is not very difficult. 90% of the time, it will be obvious what he will ask you on the exams. Furthermore, the final simply tests you on the same material that was on the three midterm exams so there will be no surprises. Do not blow off the quizzes and projects as they are major grade boosters. The quizzes and projects are equal to an entire exam each. As long as you either attend lecture OR read the textbook and attend discussion, you should be able to get the grade you desire. Good Luck!
Casey Cremins MATH131 Expecting a C Anonymous 05/06/2010	If you've had Cremins before, you know that his class is unhelpful, and going to discussion is what is going to make or break your grade. He does unneeded proofs, and takes about 45 minutes to do one problem in excruciating detail. He's very into history, and will go on a random tangent about how, why and who came up with a certain theorem or equation. His exams are very tough, but it's easy to pick up the patterns of the questions he will ask. Whatever you do not understand will be on the exams. The format of his exams are awful (5 Questions, 20 points each). On a personal level, he's rude- and always treated me with disrespect. After a year with this guy teaching me calculus (had him for math130)...I'm happy to say I am done with it. If you are forced, however, to have his as a professor for this course, make strong relations with your TA- they will absolutely help you.
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 02/19/2010	I am certainly not a math person, but I actually did really well in Justin's class. He was such a GREAT teacher. Studying for exams was very doable because he always gave practice exams so you knew what to prepare for. He was also hilarious in class and just an all around nice guy. DEFINITELY take him if you can!!
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A+ acgonzal 02/08/2010	Single best professor that I had last semester. I cant really add much beyond what the other reviewers have said. He is just truly that excellent. He really made math fun, and the only way that he could have made the class easier was to take the exam for you. Beyond that, he really explained things well, so that the stuff that I learned in AP Stat and AP Calc finally clicked into place and made sense in the context of the world. Try to get Justin as your prof if at all possible.
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A nbambata 01/24/2010	Im sure hereally donesnt need anyone else say how great of a teacher he is but for anyone that is thinking about taking one of his classes think no more do it! He is one of the best teachers UMD has to offer!!
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A- Anonymous 01/13/2010	Took justin for 130 and 131 he is the best math teacher I have ever had, not only is he a really awesome teacher, he is soooo chill. the environment in class is fun and loose and he actually cares about his students! Take justin if u can he is the man!
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A Pokarose 12/23/2009	Justin was an amazing teacher. He took the time to explain things to you in an engaging way. His lectures were never boring and they never seemed as long as they really were. He always uses real life examples relating to our field of study so that we could feel as though we were actually learning something. He not only teaches you how to do something, but often teaches you why you are doing it that way and how the formula was derived. His tests were very straight forward and closely resembled the practice exams, so you always knew what to study. He was an amazing teacher who really loved to teach. He also computes your grade two different ways at the end of the 131 course and takes the higher of the two grades. I highly recommend taking Justin's classes, you won't regret it.
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A+ Pugluvr291 12/23/2009	Justin is a fantastic professor. He is extremely knowledgeable, but teaches in a format that is conducive for all students to succeed. He is extremely fun and all students actually enjoy going to his classes. The workload is perfect and his tests, quizzes, and group works couldn't be more fair. He is ALWAYS available for help outside of class. He is the best and funniest professor I have ever met. TAKE THIS CLASS. I promise you that you will do amazing (if you work hard) and you will actually want to go to class. Justin clearly cares about all his students and I think the good ratings below me vouch that he is an amazing professor. He gives sample exams to help you prep for his exams and he drops 3 quizzes and 3 group works. The homework is good practice for the exams so I really advise you do it. However, it is not collected/graded so it is not mandatory. My only regret is not failing this class so I could take him again!!! Overall, the best professor UMD has!
Justin Wyss-Gallifent MATH131 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/09/2009	Highly recommended. Justin is one of the best professors - funny, engaging, and organized. He teaches in a way where even the most struggling student can understand. He takes everything step-by-step in a very organized and simple way. I did not even have to look in my book for help once. The only time I opened the book was when I was doing the homework problems. Also, the sample exams are very similar to the actual exams.