2.6
Quality3.2
Difficulty41%
Would Retake93
Reviews41%
Would Retake
93
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
16
4
12
3
14
2
21
1
30
What Students Say
“THEY MOVED THE EXAM A WEEK BEFORE FROM ONLINE TO IN PERSON”
ECON1020 - 1.0 rating“Seriously, this guy is so bad at teaching”
ECON3035 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
22%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.76 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON3010
4.0
(1)ECON3022
3.6
(5)ECON3032
3.5
(6)ECON1500
2.8
(45)ECON3020
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECON3020
4.0
ECON1020
3.6
ECON3035
3.6
ECON3010
3.0
ECON1500
2.9
Reviews (93)
Professor Olani is a great guy. His tests are extremely fair with no surprises and he makes it very clear what he expects of you. He may not be the best teacher, but if you can figure out the homework (which is never that hard) you will be fine on the tests. He loves to get students engaged and creates an active classroom.
Oof. He is absolutely horrible at teaching. One of the worst at explaining things and understanding students I've ever seen. Gets halfway through each lesson and runs out of time so you have to learn the hard stuff yourself. Gievs out problem sets very similar to tests, so no surprises, but it's still pretty hard and you learn literally nothing
Olani is awful at lecturing, I had to learn econometrics from the book almost exclusively. Seriously, this guy is so bad at teaching. Tests are mostly straightforward though and he grades pretty leniently. He's much better in office hours and is a really nice guy, I just don't think he should be teaching classes here.
Olani is not a great lecturer, but his expectations are very straightforward and he's very lenient with grading. Also gives a sick curve at the end, so it's not that difficult to get an A if you go to class and do the homework. Helps if you've taken AP stats to get an easy A
He is not a very good lecturer; he could definitely be a lot clearer with his explanations of the material. But in the end, he is very caring and really wants the students to do well. In addition, he is very explicit about what will be on the tests, so the tests will end up being very easy if you're there to hear him explain them.
he is one of the best people I have ever met. He is passionate about teaching and loves the classroom and his students. He will tell you what is on the tests. However, you will have to teach yourself the course. The homework assignments he gives are very helpful towards the midterms and you can drop one midterm grade.
The content is super easy as it is basically identical to AP Stats. In addition, he is a nice guy that wants his students to succeed. It is not hard at all to get an A. However, despite all of this, I WOULD NOT take him again. As someone else said, he is a very mediocre lecturer and not well-organized. I don't think he should be teaching classes
Olani is probably my favorite member of the Vanderbilt Econ department. Absolutely hilarious during lectures, but still an excellent teacher who taught me a bunch about statistics. Sometimes people argued with him during class, but Olani was always right. Homework assignments and tests are graded thoroughly and he gives a sick curve at the end.
Olani is not a good lecturer but he gives homework assignments that are extremely helpful for your midterms. As long as you understand how to do your homework, it is not hard to get an A.
FANTASTIC professor. Super caring, very funny, and a real pleasure to study with. I found myself looking forward to his class every single day, and I definitely want to study with him again in the future. Problem sets take a few hours each but are great indicators of exam questions - the two are very similar. Very fair overall, good curve.
One of the most dedicated profs at Vanderbilt. Truly cares about his students and does whatever he can to support us. No question is a bad question, and stops to make sure everyone understands what he's teaching. Exams are similar to problem sets. Problem sets take a few hours but are doable. Take him.
Does not care much about grades so gives lots of As. The material is easy so it's easy to slack off and fail a test later. He is a very nice guy so ask questions and talk to him in class if that is your thing. Accent to where if you arent paying attention you wont understand, but its a non factor if you pay attention and ask questions. Dry material
Really great guy, a funny professor, super caring, super dedicated. Just not a great lecturer at all. It doesn't help that the material is dry as well. That said, he curves a lot and puts homework questions on the test so if you go to class and keep up with the assignments and study hard you should be fine. Also, the TAs are not very helpful.
He's a really nice person and cares a lot about his students. His lectures are pretty useless though I think I learned 90% of the material by reading the textbook. Problem sets from the homework were just textbook questions that took a while, but very representative of midterm questions. Very generous curve at the end, most kids got an A.
Olani is a great guy, but his classes just don't do it for me. My other econ classes have been much better. If you can, look for other professors.
Professor Olani is a really nice guy. The class feels a little disorganized sometimes, but he wants all of his students to do well. Definitely one of the best prof choices for intermediate macro - take him if you can.
Lectures were basically useless -- tests/quizzes are almost entirely based off textbook reading. He's a nice guy but the class is way too disorganized and definitely the worst of the econ classes I've taken at Vandy. I also felt like the tests/quizzes were hard to do well on because they're all multiple choice and conceptual.
Olani is very nice and cares about his students. He definitely cares more about you learning than your grades, which was refreshing. Lectures can be a bit disorganized but if you have questions he'll make sure to clear it up. Overall, great guy and professor for a difficult course!
Pretty average lecturer, yet very caring and funny. Grade is based on two midterms, final, and roughly 5-6 quizzes. Dropped lowest exam score since the class average was in the low 60s. Overall, above average in the Vandy Econ department.
Olani is an average prof. His lectures sometimes are disorganized, especially toward the end of the semester when he runs out of time without finishing the hard parts of each chapter. Quizzes and midterms are all multiple choice during COVID so make sure that you understand the concepts clearly.
Professor Olani cares about his students. He would proceed through the material slowly, which was a little boring, but he made sure we understood the concepts. The homework is fairly graded and isn't much of a burden, and he is open to any questions you might have about the course materials or just the major in general.
5 quizzes, 2 exams, and a final. Dropped lowest exam grade. Lectures were good; reading the textbook helped clarify. Definitely take Olani - he's a fantastic instructor. Cares SO MUCH about students learning and doesn't fixate on grades at all (he once said he was going to curve so most everyone had an A or B). 100/10. Great choice for econ classes
To say that I know what is going on in this class would be a lie. To say Professor Olani knows how to run this class, even more of a lie. Very nice and funny professor, but you will not learn the material. Doesn't really teach you how to code for homework assignments or anything of substance.
I won't take professor Olani's class again. Econ 1500 is a good class, since I enjoy the process of problem solving. He talks in such a slow pace that I almost forget what he said before this word. Sometimes, he even cannot finish his class content and even required us to finish he homework even he hadn't talked about.
Knew less about the topic than some students, and the tests were poorly made with some questions not even having the correct answers.
Honestly,80% of the content is stuff in AP Statistics. This is an extremely easy course itself, and one could self-study and ace the midterm (midterm is can be tough but it's open book). For a new learner, it can be tough to follow, but since he goes through the content very slowly, it is more efficient to study the content yourself. HW is helpful.
Honestly pretty average, but sufficient to teach the class. You don't have to show up, there are like 3 or 4 homeworks, 2 midterms and a final. The class is chill asf, barely harder than AP stats. You'll be fine.
really bad lecturer, nice guy but awful professor
If you have no experience with stats (aka you didn't take AP Stats in high school), I would not recommend taking 1500 with Olani. He lectures on principle concepts but more complex applications show up on the tests. If you did take stats though, I *would* recommend! He's very caring and it should be straightforward if you have a good foundation.
he literally missed the final grades deadline, along with teaching students how to code max twice the entire semester despite us needing it for every homework assignment
He sucks, doesn't teach the material and just assigns you a grade at the end of the semester.
the class material of econ1500 isn't bad, but olani himself makes the course difficult because of his bad planning and horrible lectures. just don't take him; he will make your life harder than it needs to be
Do yourself a favor and avoid him at all costs. Lectures were utterly useless. He covers the absolute bare minimum of each chapter -- you'll get to the homeworks and exams and have no idea what you're doing. Only reason I bothered showing up to class is to know when deadlines were because he changed them constantly without updating Brightspace.
Prof. Olani really cares about his students. He is the nicest professor I have ever met. However, the class material requires hard work and a solid understanding of mathematic proof. Take the class if you want to challenge yourself. Otherwise, 3032 is a much better alternative.
Horrible lectures, lots of homework that is barely explained, difficult exams (online and ppl only do well by cheating) that you have no guidance for and you will learn basically nothing unless you are teaching yourself. That being said, he makes himself accessible during office hours and can be influenced to increase deadlines and stuff.
He is one of the most flexible and caring professors I've met, and an incredibly nice guy. However, struggled to learn a lot of the material necessary to do well in exams because this class is one of the most difficult ones in the Econ major. Without previous background in a programming language, you need to learn a lot on your own for homework.
Olani doesn't actually teach very much, he loves to go off on rants about random subjects that are only tenuously connected to economics. Just read the textbook; that's the only way to learn the material.
Professor Olani is a nice guy who cares about his students, but his status as a 'professor' is laughable. Absolutely horrible lectures. You're on your own for material, and the only reason students do well on his tests is because they cheat.
Nice guy, give extensions to HWs. Horrible lectures. You have no idea what you're doing on the HWs and exams. The exam questions are sometimes wrong.
Exams are difficult and not related to the lectures at all. Self-study the textbook from the very beginning.
While Olani is caring as a person, he is a terrible professor. His lectures go off so many tangents that he takes forever to get through the material. Better off reading the textbook and looking at slides than going to class. Also oblivious to what students need. Forgets about half the things he says, has zero accountability or reliability.
Don't take his class if you've got better options. Can't explain things to save anyone's life, let have any consistency with his lectures. You won't know your homework grade at all so you don't know what to fix.
Classes are trainwrecks. His tests purposefully try to trick you. Often has to give back points because his multiple choice questions are flat out incorrect. Doesn't tell you how the grades are curved until the very end, so you're pretty much screwed in terms of knowing how well you are doing.
Genuinely a nice guy, but his exams are too difficult and you have no idea what you're doing. Rarely reply to emails (even if you have an urgent concern), which is very annoying. Terrible lecturer as well, I don't know why he is teaching classes here. Avoid if you can.
The worst
Olani is genuinely nice and cares about the students. Lectures are pretty vague and I needed to review the book to do well on exams. Well intentioned but not the best teacher. Not hard to get above a B.
Absolutely the worst lecturer I have seen
I had to say he was really hard to follow. I learned very few.
I think he's good for an instructor. Very nice and easy going.
He's a nice guy, but not a good professor. Expect to teach yourself most of the material. Show up to class because he gives pop quizzes. Our class was constantly running weeks behind schedule and he's a slow grader so you have no idea how you're doing in the class until the very end.
If I could have taken the class with a different professor I would have. Olani is a nice guy, but a terrible professor. He does not communicate expectations and he grades very slowly so most of the time you have no idea what to expect. Our final exam mostly covered material from the final 2 units (which we didn't cover in lectures). Avoid.
Olani is a nice guy and he does seem to try very hard to be a good professor. He is accessible a lot outside of office hours and is willing to answer questions. But it was impossible not to space out during his lectures because he only uses slides and speaks in a very monotone voice. Tests were hard but the final grade is curved.
He will constantly be behind in the material taught in class to the point where we will have quizzes on material not covered. most of the quiz answers are impossible to answer. Not even he knows the answer to them but he refuses to admit it. On top of that, he does not even post the readings on time so you can't get ahead or even study.
His lectures are terrible, honestly not much of a point in going, you can just stay in and follow along on the slides online. Tests are kind of hard, but online
He is a nice guy, but he's up there with one of the worst professors I've had. Doesn't teach; doing well in this class is 100% contingent on whether you read the textbook, and even then, the TopHat program is useless and unnecessarily hard. It might as well have been an online class, because he is 100% reliant on TopHat.
Great guy, terrible prof. You learn from the textbook, but even that is not helpful. Many questions are wrong &he makes up grading, exams, etc. on the spot. Won't answer emails or show to extra office hours that he says he will. Tests & quizzes seem easy, but everyone does bad. FYI, I think he curved everyone by abt 10%. He is accommodating tho
He is passionate but new to teaching intro level courses, had heavy testing (2 midterms, 1 final, 8 quizzes with 3 dropped). Lectures sometimes confusing due to tangents, but he's kind at the end of the day.
honeslty if you show up to class he tells you what's on the exam and most of the class is hw based don't trust these reviews I love Olani
Super kind professor, but seemed a bit disorganized. Grading criteria would change as the class went on. However he really wanted everyone to do well and curved the final grades a ton, so it was definitely possible to get an A. Not the best prof but you don't really need to avoid him
Honestly horrible class. Does not actually teach. Impossible to know how you are currently doing in the class and the quizzes and exams are extremely difficult for anybody who does not cheat. Avoid this class if you can.
Olani's a really great guy. Very caring and understanding, even if you missed a quiz or midterm. His teaching is actually not bad-- yes he goes on tangent BUT he does explain things. the problem is the fact he doesnt make his own tests, so what we learn vs get tested on is different. he explains the basics and the test is far more in depth & harder
Doesn't respond to emails. Many questions are incorrect. Avoid.
THEY MOVED THE EXAM A WEEK BEFORE FROM ONLINE TO IN PERSON. Have to change all my flights and moving times. Absolutely ridiculous.
8 quizzes, two papers, two midterms, and a final. He doesn't respond to emails, skips over content during lecture, and goes completely around any questions you ask after class. Everything is very disorganized and the exam content and material is usually all over the place and isn't always relevant. Would definitely AVOID taking this class.
Worst teacher ever. Don't take class.
Very nice guy, not the best teacher. Lectures were unengaging. There were 2 exams and a final along w/ 8 quizzes with the exams making up a bulk of the grade. Tests & quizzes often had questions that weren't covered in class. He's fine if you felt like you understood macro, but if you struggled in macro Olani's class isn't gonna do you any favors
Kind and means well, but lectures are super confusing and disorganized. Grade is mainly determined by three tests which are difficult and very hard to study for. This class was painful to get through.
Olani seems so sweet and kind but this class was so confusing and hard to get a good grade. Lectures are boring and just a repetition of whatever is in the textbook and your grade is dependent on three tests. The dept made him move our online final in person a week before it was supposed to be which frustrated a lot of students.
Funny guy, super nice, don't need to show up to class. Super test heavy and he isn't great at covering content. Exams are such a gamble. Final got screwed up, but it was the department overruling his decision to do an online final.
Great guy, and I actually enjoyed his class. You can see how passionate he is about what he teaches. It's inspiring.
He is a really sweet guy, and he cares a lot about students. His exams were tough, though.
Professor Olani is a very cute man with a cute accent. He sometimes gets sidetracked during lectures and talk about how he has to pick up his daughter but he cares about the learning of students. Can be sometimes a bit unclear during his lectures but he is super lenient with curving and the class average is actually quit high. FREE OROMIA
honestly a really nice guy. lectures can be a bit unclear sometimes but make sense generally, and he is extremely lenient with exams (depending on how much he gets through, he reduces the amount of questions, topics, etc). despite saying he wont give alternative exam dates, he did just to work around students schedules. less work than other classes
Professor Olani can be hard to understand in class sometimes since he gets caught up in random details but his lectures are overall good. He has an accent but you can still understand him. If you just show up to class, he'll tell you everything on the test and is extremely generous with grades. Also, he's just an amazing, funny guy.
Olani is a great funny person. He sometimes gets ahead of himself during lecture but he does good examples in class. You can learn a lot by studying the slides yourself if it doesn't make sense in class. Also tells us approximately what'll be on tests. He really cares about his students and rounded my grade to an A from a 91.7 without me asking
Professor Olani is actually a nice guy. He does his best to teach the class and usually goes over all the materials that show up on the test, even giving tips. Show up, participate, do your best, and trust me it will be more than enough.
Professor Olani is awesome. His class has a relaxed atmosphere and a manageable workload. He loves to get feedback from students and tries his best to improve. Also, if you go to class, he will tell you exactly what you need to prepare for the exam—highly recommended!
Very kind in office hours, but he's a bad lecturer. If you are good at self-studying, just show up to classes for the occasional attendance check. I was pretty bad at self-studying, so I got a horrendous grade on the final. He does curve though.
He is very kind and funny. You can tell he cares about his students, and it is not difficult to get a good grade if you put forth some effort. He has an accent, but you can still understand him perfectly fine. I would definitely take him again. Your grade is based on 2 midterms, a final, and several problem sets.
He definitely cares about his students and is a sweet person. Unfortunately, he's terrible at job - don't take this man unless you desire confusion and suffering. ESPECIALLY don't take him if you have no stats background.
Easily the worst professor I took at Vanderbilt, and possibly in my entire life, and I'm so glad I took him. Here are some quotes from him: “Suppose you are diabetic… God forbid" “6 or 7 years ago, there was a lady that was sued. Does anyone know? Anyone?” "If you want COVID or a cold, come to my office hours. You're welcome"
he is chill but ........
The worst professor I have met in Vanderbilt. Don't take this class. He puts off nearly all deadlines due to his inefficient class, and gives appalling bad formatting problems and solutions for midterm review. No need to say how he goes off topics during every class.
If you don't have a statistics base knowledge, never take this class
Olani is a funny professor who uses lots of random analogies, but the class is basically intro stats. Lectures aren't very helpful, so you'll need to study on your own. The class is curved to a B+ and has four problem sets, participation quizzes, two midterms, and a final, with a formula sheet allowed.
Hard to understand, and when you do, you get worse at what you're learning. I was better off teaching myself everything. Funny guy though
Sometimes, Professor Olani would say something wouldn't be on the exam, but I would later find it there. Additionally, I really struggled to follow along with his lessons, often wondering what the point was of attending class at all. I honestly found this class very frustrating, even though I tried really hard!
Class is tough, but if you pay attention you should be fine. Uses pop quizzes to ensure attendance, so be warned, but they're graded on completion more often than not. He was always excited in class, though that sometimes got him off topic. He worked with us to adjust course schedule to fit class and material needs.
Show some respect on my guy Adugna! Disrespectful the stuff that these entitled Vanderbilt Nepos are saying about the GOAT Adunga. He is the Micheal Jordan of the Econ department. Half of the students who showed up to class were on their laptops, meanwhile my guy Adunga was telling us exactly what would be on the test. Funny guy with passion!
Awesome professor. Best professor I have taken at Vanderbilt! No Stats background and did great job teaching! 10/10.
Professor Olani is the absolute best! He is extremely helpful in office hours and genuinely wants each student to succeed. He loves when students ask questions and is hilarious. He makes class entertaining and really knows what he is talking about. I do not understand the negative comments here. Olani is a top professor at Vanderbilt. TAKE HIM.
Highly dependent on whether you have previous statistics knowledge for not (ie: if you've taken AP Statistics, this class is relatively simple; however, without prior knowledge, this class will be difficult because his lectures aren't exactly helpful). Kind and funny man, but not a great professor in terns of teaching skills.
Do not take this course if you don't have to
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
22%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.76 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON3010
4.0
(1)ECON3022
3.6
(5)ECON3032
3.5
(6)ECON1500
2.8
(45)ECON3020
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECON3020
4.0
ECON1020
3.6
ECON3035
3.6
ECON3010
3.0
ECON1500
2.9