| Information | Review |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/07/2023 |
Latocca should not be a teacher. He is impossible to understand, and his lectures are just confusing. I ended up just reading the book and teaching myself. After the first couple weeks of class, I only showed up for exams. By the end of the class, only about 25% of the class even showed up to class. The withdrawal rate was unbelievable. The homework and quizzes are very poorly written; many typos which he had to go back and fix after he released them, and still the instructions are unclear and bizarre. The only redeeming thing about the class is that the exams (including the final) are exactly like the practice exams, just changing up the numbers a bit. Still, the average on the first exam was 60%, and he only curved by 1% at the end of the semester. I came out with a good grade, but that is only because I taught the material myself via the book. Overall, I would strongly suggest you not take Latocca for anything. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Anonymous 02/02/2023 |
Doesn’t clean his chalk board, have no study guide for exams, explanations are scattered all over the place, and went off the material in the syllabus and textbook. Worst professor of my life. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 02/01/2023 |
This guy is awesome! He is very misunderstood, his exams are fair and his teaching style is not that bad |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a D+ Anonymous 01/02/2023 |
Gave no study guide/review for first exam because he's "never heard of a study guide before." One of our quiz questions was in french (prof's first language). Only gave 6 HW's and 6 quizzes that were worth like 20% of grade and the other 80% was based on exams. Not to mention the midterms were only worth 20 points and final 40 points, so your grade easily drops with few points off. Stopped going to lectures because board was not readable (chalk made board messy and wrote kinda small). Were given no calculators or cheat sheets on exams, even tho other stat400 classes were allowed these things. No significant curves were given (curved by like 1% at the end of semester). Prof is a super nice guy but just needs to figure out how to be an actual professor and how to treat students fairly with grades. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a D+ Anonymous 12/29/2022 |
What can I say that others haven't already the guy simply cannot teach and while yes the exams might have been fair the fact that I learned nothing from this class despite showing up to every lecture and discussion section and going to office hours says a lot. Mike uses the most antiquated pedagogy that this class will take up more of your time then any other just because you'll have to self learn the material because his lectures are confusing and his notes are just as if not worse. Exams again while fair are weighted so ludicrous that over the course of a few tests if you mess up even slightly here and there across all 3 exams you could easily go from A to C within the course of 2 exams and because his lectures are of no use you'll have to self teach all the material found on the exams, he also refuses to let people use cheat sheets like the other stats classes do requires everyone to write in pen for some reason in a math class and banned the use of calculators on the exams. Class also saw no curve despite him saying at the beginning of the semester that there would be a curve and when asked about it he said that the class would see no curve because "he's stubborn". Take this class with anyone but Mike unless you want to have the most rigorous stats experience. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a C Anonymous 12/25/2022 |
The fact that I have to pay tuition money despite that I learn more from the textbook than his lectures is disgraceful. Horrendous teacher. Makes absolutely no sense, you can't see his whiteboard because he never cleans it very well. His teaching is disorganized and scattered all over the place. Learned more from the textbook than going to his lectures. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/24/2022 |
He can't teach but tests are very similar to the practice exam and homework. Probably best to take another professor. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a B- Anonymous 12/22/2022 |
Stay far away. This guy cannot teach and exams are heavily weighted with two midterms worth 20% each and the final being worth a whole 40%. This weighting is highly unacceptable due to the fact that midterms were only 20 points and the final was only 40 points. This meant that messing up only a few points would instantly throw you to a B range. Furthermore, some homeworks were excessively difficult and this was only exacerbated by the fact that he was inept at teaching any of the material during class. The averages for the midterms and finals were in the C range and homeworks in the B-C range and yet the class saw no curve which Latocca was very adamant about as he is "very stubborn" (he said this). If you enjoy a rigorous statistics experience where you must self-teach yourself all the material and overall don't mind stressing over a class that is supposed to be a basic requirement then go ahead and take this guy. If you're like the majority of people in the class and are just trying to get by STAT400 because it's part of your major requirements stay far, far away from this guy. Just take your time and wait for another professor, it's not worth it. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/22/2022 |
The one good thing about him is that he’s very clear about what is to be expected on the exams, they are exactly like the study guide/homework. However, he’s so bad at teaching that you have to teach yourself all that content in the first place. He also came across to me as very rude in his announcements and his responses to student questions during lecture. The TAs and prior probability knowledge really carried me in this course. Take anyone else for STAT400 if you have the chance. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a B- Anonymous 12/21/2022 |
Prof. Latocca seems like a nice guy but really can't teach without confusing his students. His lectures are not recorded so you have to force yourself to come to class and his lecture notes can be confusing at times. Even if you are knowledgeable in stats, the exams' weight can throw you off as the two midterms and the final accounts for 80% of the grade and the exams itself were a bit on the hard side. Not to mention the homeworks are quite difficult and make you spend a lot of time on them. Overall, I recommend to not take him. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/20/2022 |
I had a generally OK experience with Professor Latocca's class. His lectures were pretty straightforward aside from times where he made a mistake while teaching and couldn't quickly correct it. Also, he decided to use the blackboard in the lecture hall instead of the projector which would have made reading what he was writing easier. However, the lecture notes he created were good enough to use for the homework and exam preparation. On the grading, his grading scheme was 80% towards the exams with the rest being homework and weekly quizzes. Also, the total points for all exams were 80 points and we didn't have much curving, so messing up even one or two questions over all 3 exams meant you probably wouldn't get an A. Additionally, you were not allowed any formula sheets for any exam. This is not ideal, but the exam content itself was very fair, and there were 2 bonus points on the final and the second exam was slightly curved. Professor Latocca made review videos for the final and similar problems were covered in the lecture notes and discussions, so if you practice those, watch the videos, and redo the homework you should be prepared for the exams (especially since Exam 2 and the final were very similar to review problems and our final homework). Overall, this class is not the easiest one to choose for STAT400, but you should be fine in this class if you are able to understand the formulas and see how they are applied for the practice problems. The lectures themselves weren't too necessary in my opinion but reading over all lecture notes and understanding every homework and review problem should prepare you for the exams. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/20/2022 |
Prof. Latocca was a great professor for STAT400. His lectures were well-taught, even more so if you're good at asking questions as a student. My only complaint is that the exams were a bit too heavy-weighted, but despite that, I believe the difficulty of the exams was fair considering the weights. In short, Prof. Latocca is great and I highly recommend taking a class with him. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a W Anonymous 12/20/2022 |
lectures were super confusing, lecture notes were even more confusing, didn’t use the textbook as curriculum, exams were impossible to study for |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a C- latocca_sucks 12/20/2022 |
He is not understanding at all and refuses to curve, and seems proud of it. Very unlikeable guy, avoid him at all costs. As others have said, his lectures have nothing to do with exam questions. Whoever let this person into UMD to teach should be fired. Very outdated mindset (40% final weight!!!), horrible professor. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Anonymous 12/20/2022 |
Terrible professor. His writing on the blackboard is not readable. His lectures are not coherent in nature, there is no structure to his teaching. You are better off using the textbook to learn, which completely defeats his purpose as a professor. The weights on exams are absolutely criminal (20% midterm, 20% midterm, 40% final), this guy is completely stuck in the past. Not welcoming at all. Avoid this person at all costs. Take STAT410 or STAT400 with another professor. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a C- Anonymous 12/20/2022 |
Latocca is a nice guy; however, the weights are not fair at all. Each midterm is 20% of the final grade. This is not the issue, the issue is that his midterm is graded in 20 points which means each point worth 1% of the final grade. His lectures are ok but his handwriting is so bad. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/20/2022 |
Mickael is a very nice guy, very accomodating and actually listened to student feedback which is why I'd rate him relatively highly. Unfortunately his lectures and notes are confusing and hard to follow, and he has a fairly thick accent. Overall didn't learn very much in class and had to mostly study on my own. Exams are not outrageous but he doesn't allow a cheat sheet which is uncommon for a stat class. I believe this was his first semester teaching and he improved a lot by the end. Not the worst choice if you have to but I probably wouldn't recommend. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Anonymous 12/19/2022 |
Lectures are completely useless as others have said, exam weights are absolutely ridiculous… 40%!!!!! (someone tell this guy we don’t live in the past anymore) |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/17/2022 |
I am not a freshman in college and yes I know what i'm talking about. This professor is terrible. There are no 2 ways about it. No formula sheets, no cheat sheet, no hope. To add icing on the cake his handwriting and accent make it hard to digest much of the little he is saying. Wouldn't recommend even to a business major. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Anonymous 12/16/2022 |
Really good professor, posts notes after class and the practice exams + quizzes we take in class are EXACTLY the same as the midterms. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a C Anonymous 12/13/2022 |
I had a terrible experience with my STAT400 professor. Their lectures were completely irrelevant to the material on the exams, and even if you tried to follow along, they were incredibly hard to understand. On top of that, they don't curve our grades no matter how badly we do, so even if you struggle in the class, you're still stuck with a poor grade. The exams are fair, but only if you're willing to put in the extra effort to self-study. Overall, I would not recommend this professor to anyone. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/11/2022 |
Latocca seems like a nice guy, but he isn't a good professor. He teaches on a black board with illegible handwriting and his mic rarely works so his lectures are almost incomprehensible unless you are sitting in the front. His weights for everything make it very difficult to do well in his class since the final exam is worth 40 percent and each midterm is 20 percent, so the major tests alone decide how you will do. If you are not a great test taker, don't take him! He hasn't said anything yet about a curve, but judging by the reviews and the average exam grades so far, if he doesn't have a curve, most people will be getting Cs. He also often gets problems wrong and his teaching often includes a lot of going back and forth correcting his work making it hard for anyone to follow him. He also more or less just does problems on the board rather than actually teaching anything and if anyone asks any questions, he often mocks them and says that the answer should be obvious while thats not the case most of the time. If you really want to learn anything in lectures and get a good grade and not have to self study almost everything in the course, don't take Latocca! |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/08/2022 |
I have been reading all the other reviews for Latocca and I think the reviews are not fair/accurate. Many of the students complaining about his teaching style are freshmen who just entered college and don't know what they are talking about. Stat400 is not supposed to be easy. Statistics is a hard subject; however, the problem with Latocca`s class is the exam weights. The final is worth 40 percent and 2 midterms each 20 percent. The rest of the grade is quizzes and HWs. The HW questions can be tricky but the exam questions are fair. I think he is still unfamiliar with the U.S. educational system considering him being foreign. He is a nice guy and tries his best to teach the material. If you want to learn stat take his class, but if you want to just get a good grade for not doing as much, take someone else. And remember, this is not high school and you are probably not a "communication" major, the subjects are not EASY! |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 11/30/2022 |
Lectures are good and well taught, exams are fair |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Anonymous 11/25/2022 |
I used to talk about how lucky I was to have a streak of amazing professors my entire academic career, but that streak ended once Latocca came to UMD. Everything from his handwriting to his teaching style is terrible. Latocca does not allow any formula sheets for exams (unlike most other stat400 professors), and his exams have an average around 60%. One could attribute these complaints to students being lazy, but if a class as a collective is failing/complaining, then that says more about the professor than the student base. A class such as stat400 should not have exam averages this low (look at the average GPA on PlanetTerp if you don't believe me). These are a few of my major complaints. Would not recommend this professor AT ALL |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Anonymous 11/16/2022 |
The man simply can't teach. In class, he writes on a blackboard in which you can neither see or decipher. You would have to solely rely on the notes on elms. There are no formula sheets on the exams, so the only way to do well is to simply memorize the practice midterms. He also is condescending to students' questions saying things like "why don't you just look at the notes online" or "this is pretty obvious"... when in fact, it is NOT obvious. I believe there is huge faith in a curve at the end of this semester as this is his first time teaching - if there isn't, this semester might be his last. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 11/16/2022 |
Latocca seems like a pretty nice guy, but overall he is just not a good instructor. His lectures are VERY theoretical and confusing. He often makes mistakes during lecture which causes more confusion. I find myself having to teach the course material myself (the videos/material you find online are 10x more clear than his lectures). I strongly recommend you avoid this professor if you want to succeed in STAT400. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a W Anonymous 11/15/2022 |
STAT400 should be an easy class, but Latocca somehow managed to make it one of the hardest math classes I've ever taken. First quiz we took had a true or false section in French (how does that happen??). His lectures are impossible to learn from and if you try to learn from his lectures notes instead, good luck reading his handwriting. I can tell he means well for his students, but the man simply doesn't know how to teach a class. If you want to pass STAT400, don't take this professor. Just don't. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a W Anonymous 11/15/2022 |
Do NOT Take this professor. His teaching does not correlate to assignments in class. His homework assignments correlate more to the textbook than what he teaches in class. If you have previous statistics knowledge, you might do well in this class. But if you do not have any experience, good luck. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a W Anonymous 11/11/2022 |
Stay away and take this class with anyone but Mickael. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/10/2022 |
As much as I admire his french accent and his pronunciation of some of the terms taught in class, this guy genuinely makes me regret life sometimes. The first half of stats isn't bad but that's because my TA could actually teach the material during the review. But up to the second midterm, I don't even know what was going on and suddenly we were doing double integrals and graphing them without being related to the subject of stats. To be honest, he isn't coherent in relating concepts to one another, which often bamboozles me and probably the rest of the class. He doesn't have 1 star right now because I got a 90 on my first midterm. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a W Anonymous 11/09/2022 |
I agree. Unless you are really knowledgeable about STAT400 and want only a couple assignments/HW's, don't take this guy. He cannot teach. |
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Mickael Latocca
STAT400 Expecting a W Anonymous 11/07/2022 |
Don't take this guy, you will regret it |