Auguste Gezalyan

This TA has taught: CMSC351H

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Auguste Gezalyan CMSC351H Expecting an A Anonymous 05/20/2024	TL;DR: Take Auguste at all costs, and take this class if you can. Professor: Auguste "The Goat" Gezalyan is probably the best teacher I will ever have. He's superbly good at describing concepts at the perfect pace, and he's extremely self-aware, as in he can tell when people are confused to the point where they don't know what to ask. He'll explain concepts many times in as many ways as he can in order for it to sink in, and his interest and passion shine through. 351 is already a daunting and hard class for most people, and he makes the class a joy to come to and simply be around him. However, you technically don't actually need to go to class since his self-made slides are sooooooooo good (when they don't have mistakes in them but he corrects them quickly) but you should go to class just to be with Auguste. He's hilarious and awesome. I think he said he's done teaching here at UMD, so for anyone at a different school who's looking at this in the future, I wholeheartedly urge you to take a class with him or take him in to be a professor. Class: - Weekly quizzes (10%, drop lowest 3) but they're short and sweet; he gives you the general topics of each question the 1-2 nights before the quiz so you can study. those exact topics. Average was usually a 100, but I found them to be really helpful. They helped with long term memory since cramming for exams doesn't really ever work for actually learning content. They're easy grade boosters and good for your knowledge. - Homeworks (30%) can be difficult but office hours very much helps and they're problems that you feel kinda proud that you know how to solve. There's a wide range of difficulty though so start early, especially since you have to type it all on Latex. I've gotten grades between a 75-100. Definitely the hardest part of the class. - 2 exams (15% each) and the non-cumulative final (30%) had an in-class and take-home portion. They were pretty easy if you truly understand the content, but if you don't, then it is also extremely easy to lose an entire letter grade or two on the last couple of questions which are usually a combined 30 points out of 100. He's also very accommodating for those who need extra time whether or not you are registered with ADS (which actually helped me out a ton) and you can ask questions during the exam in order to get closer to what the solution is, which gives you the best shot to answer a question correctly even if you don't know the correct solution off the bat - Content is so much better compared to normal 351. We cover about 1/3-1/2 of the content for 451 which I found better than doing a billion sorting algorithms that in the real world you'd just google and be on with it. We learn more concepts at a slightly higher level which is better in my opinion, and from what I've heard from other normal 351 students, way better than what they learn. For context, we cover pretty much all of normal 351 by Week 4. An important note I want to add is that the grade distribution for this class is high on the A range because the people who take it are honors kids, so they're smarter on average. Sure, the class is definitely and significantly easier than normal 351. But, it is really easy to get a B by simply messing up a couple of homeworks and 2-3 problems per exam. Go in aiming for an A, but you have to work for it.
Auguste Gezalyan CMSC351H Expecting an A Anonymous 05/18/2024	The best. the 5 star reviews aren't just ur average glaze. This guy might just be the best teacher. The average of the class was probably around 90-95%. The final average was above 95%. Scores are high because he is so good at teaching the material and ensuring the class has full understanding. He goes out of his way to help you in very way possible. He is incredibly kind and understanding.
Auguste Gezalyan CMSC351H Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/16/2023	Auguste is genuinely the funniest teacher I've ever had. Class was worth going to even though the notes were online. As for the class, I do really like the way it was taught. Homework and exams were not overly stress-inducing. Since it was the H version, we covered a large breadth of material rather than spending weeks on a single part. In my opinion, this is for the best, since we're all likely to forget the little details anyway, and knowing the names of the algorithms and how they operate is what I assume will be most important in the field.
Auguste Gezalyan CMSC351H Anonymous 12/05/2023	My favorite instructor I've had so far and probably will ever have. Very easy to talk to about any issues you may be having and makes class enjoyable to be in with all his jokes, whilst still learning. Grades quickly and fairly and is willing to help with questions on homework
Auguste Gezalyan CMSC351H Expecting an A Anonymous 12/05/2023	I now have the great honor of knowing Auguste, and not only is he a great guy to talk to about just anything, but he genuinely cares about your learning more than anything else in the class. Also makes concepts relevant and funny, I actually looked forward to being in class. Man reinstalled my faith in CS classes–easily the best professor I've had by far (except Emily of course). DEFINITELY TAKE A CLASS WITH HIM.
Auguste Gezalyan Anonymous 10/22/2023	Extremely friendly, approachable and understanding instructor. Cares a lot about his students. Really liked how he tries to make the material applicable to what we will see in the future (courses or jobs). If the class didn't understand a concept he always tries his best to explain it in different ways.
Auguste Gezalyan CMSC351H Anonymous 10/09/2023	Most understanding and friendly instructor I've ever had. Truly cares about his students and willing to work with them no matter the situation. Love this man
Auguste Gezalyan Anonymous 07/13/2021	Really nice and understanding guy. Quick and reasonable with grading too.