Fernando Rios

This professor has taught: MUET210, MUET650, MUET660, MUSC210, MUSC438D, MUSC438L, MUSC438M, MUSC632, MUSC677, MUSC679A, MUSC679G, MUSC679K, MUSC679L, MUSC679M, MUSC679N, MUSC679P, MUSC679W

Sort By:

Information	Review
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting a B Anonymous 02/18/2023	Frustratingly, a lot of people around me did really well but I just could not understand HOW. the lectures are boring. and the wrong TA can make this even worse. my TA was not helpful at all and didn't seem to teach cohesively with the class. Avoid this if you want an easy A
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/01/2022	Overall, really enjoyed this class. It's not exactly what it sounds like. When you hear "the impact of music on life," you think more about psychology and emotions and sociology, but this course was very much an ethnomusicology (music/anthropology) course. Also your experience in the course will really depend on the TAs, as they grade exams, and papers. Dr. Rios is a great lecturer and the only negative thing I have to say about him is that halfway through the semester, he stopped using pretty much any text in the slides, only keeping the examples (music/videos). I think he did this because of low lecture attendance. It was frustrating because your notes were literally the only resource left to study for exams. Exams were easy if you pay attention (especially to the review sessions), so can't complain too much.
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/28/2020	This class was very easy and the work was easy to keep track of. That being said, the professor was extremely lazy. The writing prompts for each week towards the end of the semester got extremely repetitive which made the content less engaging. Another thing to note is the class became less and less about music, and more and more about stereotypes, and struggles of different races, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds. Towards the end of the semester, the lectures had less focus on the music, and eventually, the writing prompts did not even mention music.
Fernando Rios MUET210 Expecting a B- Anonymous 01/30/2020	I won't say avoid him, this is just not the course for me.
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/22/2019	If you want an easy A, by all means DO NOT take this course. The concepts and ideas were very simple but the grading was very subjective to the extent that some TA's found a lot of difficulty finding a justifiable reason and would end up giving some points back (only if you review your exam individually with them). They graded harshly for no reason especially at the beginning, so when they realized the ending average would be terrible, they completely loosened their grading style. Stay away from this course by all means if you do not want a lot of extra work.
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/11/2019	Professor Rios was a wonderful professor and really knows the topic. The exams are fair; if you come to class you should do well. My TA Mariangel Villabos was absolutely wonderful. A great class. I recommend to all!
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/19/2018	The course is fairly straightforward and pretty easy. His teaching style is usually interesting, with guest lecturers throughout the semester mixed in. We had quizzes each week in discussion which kept me going and it was honestly worth staying to go over everything with the TA.
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting an A- bambridge 05/03/2018	As a lecturer, Rios is alright and the class can get really boring. However, taking this class is totally worth it because it gives you two geneds and is easy. As long as you look at his outlines before the exam, you should be fine. From what I know, the TAs grade the exams, which is probably why my first two exams were graded pretty leniently. Also, a lot of people don't even attend class, so I don't believe that attendance is necessary to get a good grade, but I still recommend going to class and listening.
Fernando Rios Expecting a B- Anonymous 05/24/2016	I'm only saying B- for people that write exactly what they say down in class. If your wording is wrong, they will not hesitate to chop of half credit. So you are more likely to get a C. The professor is incredibly boring and the "review" sheets are only basic guides. He tests on more stuff that isn't even on the review sheets. They take little accommodation to student concerns about grading. After the final, they will not be available to meet or discuss your exam other than through email, and even then they only tell you what you did wrong, giving no way to correlate what you got incorrect. Nice guy, but as a professor, very unprofessional
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/05/2015	This class was extremely boring. The lectures were helpful though, because he would basically tell you exactly what you needed to know for the exams. A study guide would be released before the exam with "study questions" that were basically copied onto the exam. Therefore, going to lecture was important. The only grades were 3 exams (the final is not cumulative), 2 papers (5 pages each), and participation. The papers were extremely hard to write because the topics were kind of dumb. It also all depends on the TA you get, because they grade all of the exams/papers/participation. Overall, the class was easy just EXTREMELY boring.
Fernando Rios MUSC210 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/26/2014	Rios is probably the best teacher I have had yet at Maryland. He is kind, charismatic, reasonable, and engaging. MUSC210 is a great gen-ed: easy, interesting, and different than anything else you will take at Maryland. I am an engineering major, and music is not really my thing. But this class was so well designed that I couldn't help but enjoy it and do well. Rios picks case studies that emphasize the point he is trying to make: the close relationship of music and culture. By the end, he creates a bigger picture that really stays with you. If you go to class most of the time, spend a little time listening to the music before the exams, you will have no trouble getting an A. Absolutely take this class and do so with Professor Rios.
Fernando Rios Expecting a B+ Anonymous 11/17/2014	This class is only 50 min twice a week. Its a very relaxing class and not a lot of work. Professor Rios is very chill and the TA's are super flexible if you need to go to a different section or something on Fridays. The exams are fair if you study and pay attention in class. He tells you exactly what you need to write down and if you put it a fair amount of effort then theres no reason you shouldn't get an A.
Fernando Rios Expecting an A Anonymous 12/21/2012	Nice guy. Super easy class. Just make sure you show up to class, take some legible notes, and study a few hours and it should be an easy A. On top of that, very interesting material in terms of the music we explored.
Fernando Rios Agraf89 11/13/2012	I really like Professor Rios and the MUET210 class. You can tell that he is really passionate about music. I think that his lectures are interesting (if you like world music). I didn't care for the first 1/3 of the class because of the topic though, but it was not hard. If you show up to lecture, jot down the important concepts and go to discussion it should be a relatively easy class for you :-)
Fernando Rios Anonymous 11/05/2012	WORST CLASS EVER. DO NOT TAKE THIS WITH RIOS! it is painful
Fernando Rios Expecting an A Anonymous 05/23/2012	Rios is a great professor who you can tell really cares about his students. The class itself is not hard but rather boring and the there are only 2 tests and 2 papers. The TA you have will largely determine your grade, if you have May May Chiang I would advise to switch to another section. She is unable to answer or understand the most basic questions and grades harshly.
Fernando Rios Expecting a B hotchips 01/12/2012	I don't have any real issues with Rios or this class. Personally I thought that he was corny and his lectures were boring, but other students seemed to like him. And regardless of my opinion of him its easy to see that he is knowledgeable about the subject. He doesn't always organize and present the info clearly, but somehow its all there. The class entails about 4 exams (including the midterm and final, none of which are comprehensive), and three 7-page papers (none of which are difficult, but kind of annoying). I had a hard time grasping his teaching methods at first, but going to discussions (Jennie Terman) really helped me better process in the information. The exams are pretty easy if you pay attention, so attending lecture is a must. This class wasn't really for me, but I made the most of it. If you are not prone to fall asleep in class, can commit to attending every lecture even though it may seem pointless at first, and have an open mind to really foreign sounding music, then this will be a really easy class for you.
Fernando Rios Expecting an A+ lmc3309 12/22/2011	He is really nice and funny. This class is really interesting and easy. Only way you can get lower than an A or B is by not coming to class.
Fernando Rios Expecting a B+ wombat 12/18/2011	Dr. Rios is great! He makes the material interesting and he is very nice to his students.
Fernando Rios Expecting an A adinas 11/09/2011	He is a great professor. He has interesting lectures and the tests were graded pretty leniently. He wants the students to succeed and to enjoy class. I have Jennie Terman as a TA. She is an amazing TA-- she is really nice and organizes the material into charts and terms.
Fernando Rios Expecting an A Jenae Ramos 05/18/2011	Course taken: Fall 2010 semester. Learn a little about different cultures. Go to all the classes. Lectures are fun when you have an open mind to different cultures. Discussions are great because they review you well for the exams. Don't sweat the class. Have fun with it. :)
Fernando Rios Expecting an A Anonymous 05/13/2011	I really think this is the easiest HA course ever. Although the course itself is about native Andean music, Islam, Chinese music, and African music. I admit, the topic is very boring, but Dr. Rios is amazing. You will get an A with minimal effort if you have a good TA. Get Melanie Pinkert. If you have Emma Diao, be ready to suffer. Run away from her. It will not be an easy A if she is your TA. I took Theatre 110, and this class is so much easier. Definitely the best HA course.
Fernando Rios Expecting an A Anonymous 05/11/2011	Rios is a GREAT professor. His assignments and tests are pretty fair. You can almost predict whats going to be on the exam (if you go to lectures). If you need an HA class, I highly recommend taking this class. It's an easy A and actually really interesting. Lots of youtube and corny jokes (which are sometimes funny)in lecture. There are readings, but if you take really good notes in lecture/discussion, you should be fine.