2.0
Quality3.9
Difficulty16%
Would Retake110
Reviews16%
Would Retake
110
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
6
4
16
3
17
2
19
1
52
What Students Say
“If you can avoid taking him, do it”
MTH229 - 2.0 rating“Avoid him if at all possible”
MTH121 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.64 avg changeRatings by Course
MTH130108
5.0
(1)130
4.0
(1)MTH265
4.0
(1)MATH203
4.0
(2)MTH203
3.4
(5)Difficulty by Course
PRECALC
5.0
CALC2
5.0
MTH331
5.0
MTH
4.7
MTH427
4.5
Reviews (110)
great teacher, very helpful, understands and explains material well
Does not explain very well, but an interesting character.
Take a bath and get a new attitude!
Doesn't explain well, but tests are relatively easy if you do homework and follow along.
never, ever take this man for an upper level math class. he has absolutley no idea what he is doing and just copies the book on the board. inconsistent grader, but does curve
very hard, but smart
A little odd?? I thought he was a total weirdo and didn't think he was a good teacher.
Odd man, but a nice guy. Tests aren't that hard if you just follow the study guide he gives you. Let's you have all the time in the world for tests as well, which I liked a lot.
Terrible teacher who didnt explain...inconsitent grades...and can we say shower?
horwitz assigns problems that he admits he can't do himself, plus he told the class he doesn't even completely assess our homework before giving grades....bad teacher!
This man does not care if you get it or not. His tests and homework are rediculious. He does not explain well, if you are intimidated by math this is not the man to take. He attends all campus functions for the free food and I think he lives in his office
Second stab at calculus, did worse than the first time. He is averse to helping students. When a person gets so smart, everything else goes out the window (people skills, hygiene)
Very weird man. Wears the same clothes all week and he brought his 2 pet turtles to class and let them walk around the room the whole time. Didn't learn anything at and he has a bad attitude toward the University. WEIRD!!!!
I don't know the #, but many people dropped. He is a nice man, but he is extremely hard to understand and he is really picky with grading. I do not recommend him.
nice man, HORRIBLE teacher!! don't take if you don't know EVERYTHING about math. doesn't explain very well.
DO NOT TAKE HORWITZ!
He is a crazy guy, but not altogether a bad teacher. You must study on your own quite a bit, but he gives you study guides and keeps class interesting. Would not recommend him for sometime who has trouble with math.
He is a horrible teacher. He does not explain anything very well, and I really do not even think that he knows what he is doing.
Worst teacher I have ever had! I do not recommend him to anyone.
Awful teacher. This man couldn't teach his way out of a paper bag. DONT TAKE HORWITZ
Dr. Horwitz is an awful teacher! Do not take him for any math classes under any circumstances, you will do badly. If Marshall is so concerned about budget cuts, they should fire Dr. Horwitz and save some money.
an ok teacher- explains things the HARD way a lot of times instead of giving shortcuts. picky with grading- unfair. nice man though and lets you come and ask for help. VERY unorganized. treats class like little kids- ELEPHANT HAND PUPPET & TURTLES!!
Very odd guy. Difficult teaching. although a super nice guy.
too hard for a normal class
Dr. H is very very hard, but he is willing to help you if you need it. He's a bit of an odd guy, but it keeps class interesting. He's always got chalk on his nose. His class is a big wake up call to freshmen, because you have to put a lot of effort into it.
The class is hard if you haven't had math for a while and try to go straight into calculus. Grades hard but the study guides help a lot.
He's a good teacher. If you study at all and listen in class you'll do fine. His business calc class is pretty easy.
One of the best math teachers i've had. Sometimes unclear but makes math fun. Wish I could take him again.
Do not take Alan Horwitz!! He is a horrible teacher and does not have proper hygeine. He likes to make you feel as though you are stupid! NEVER TAKE HIM
Hes always behind in lectures because he makes mistakes on every problem he does on the board and problem you ask for help.Hes not organized at all. His surprise Quizes suck.Hes a smart ace.He lectures on only about 1/2 of what he wants you to know.I recieved an A in Calc 1&2 but have a low C i here
Professor Horowitz is not a bad teacher, if you excuse his personal appearance. He explains things some often and so clearly that you have to understand. He tells you exactly what to know for each exam, and he gives partial credit. He tells a lot of really dumb jokes, but that is acceptable
Dr. Horwitz is quite a character. He does some very strange things and makes strange remarks. Overall if you go to class, like math, and pay attention you should do ok.
Horwitz is a decent teacher, lots of ways to bring up your grade if you are struggling. It takes awhile to get use to his type of teaching but overall if you want to do well do the homework, participated in class, do the board work problems and make sure you are in class.
strange strange man... ok teacher. go to class and DO HOMEOWORK. do the board exercises and try to do well on the quizzes, they help a lot. tests are kinda hard. he brings a turtle during exam time... weird man
Man did I not like this teacher. He was not helpful and was very rude to students. He seemed to make things much harder than they should have been.
No Comments
Well.. this guy is a strange fellow. The ratings don't lie, he really DOES bring his pet turtles to class during tests. He wears weird jeans & running t-shirts every day. Overall, the class isn't all bad. Don't miss--the attendance points will eat you alive. You can make it up with boardworks, but trust me, there's not enough!
Even if you come to class, its still hard to understand because he wants you to do it his way, even if u understand the other way. He treats you like a child (We're adults!). He is the absolute worse! It was hard to stay awake. It doesn't matter how hard you are trying in class, he refuses to compromise. For your best interest, don't take Horowitz
weird man. not to "toot my own horn", but i used to be pretty good at math. until i took this class. not very willing to help you prepare for tests. if you ask he'll say "yeah, you might need to know that". i suggest you find another professor.
Okay just dont even take him. Save yourself the time. He may know what he is talking about, but he is the only one that does. Not to brag or any thing, had a 27 on my act's in math then almost always had a A in any math class I've taken and came out of this class with a C. So just dont take him...
Very unclear professor. Makes class much harder than what it should be, and he is not there to provide any help or answer questions. Would not recommend this professor at all!
bad. drop it NOw! ASAP!
Not a good teacher, unclear in lectures. He expects you to know everything before you even cover it. His "office hours" are a joke...half the time he's not there and if he is, he won't help you. He makes everything harder than it has to be. I made my B by the Grace of God, Horwitz had no hand in it.
2 days before the final he have us 6 chapters that he "forgot" to teach us about and the final was basically just those 6 missed chapter. Do not take Run for your LIFE
Horwitz is a terrible teacher. He is a hard man to talk to, and is not helpful what so ever in any academic situation. He introduced a whole new idea 5 days before the final. His class is ridiculous. He is ridiculous. Do not take him at any costs, it will not be worth it. His "explanations" are cloudy at best. He also brought turtles to the final.
Not a bad teacher, although everyone seems to think he is. This is a high level class, you will have to work.
He's scatter-brained. He'll demonstrate everything you ask but nothing else. It's hard to follow him, but he tries to keep it interesting. It you ask him for help, he'll lead you to the right answer but he doesn't exactly show you how it's done. Class attendance is necessary. He makes sure to tell you pretty much everything to expect on exams.
this guy is something else.. i personally enjoy learning from him.. but sometimes its quite difficult.. he knows his stuff.. but often he's the only one that knows what is going on.. his pop quizzes are the suck! He does give you a list of topics for the exam though.. i loved his sense of humor and the turtles on test days!!
The worst teacher in math department. needs to retire and go play with his turtles.
He's a little bit weird cuz he brings turtles but overall he's ok. Tests are easier than some of difficult HW and quizes def help you to do better on real exam. As long as you do HW (easy one) you are fine. If you ask a question, he's willing to help you.
Professor Horwitz isn't a bad guy, he could just use some better teaching skills. He is excellent at math, but he needs to know how to make it easy for the students. Some concepts he explained well and others I was totally clueless about. His exams aren't that hard once you know what he's asking for, and the pop quizzes are miserable.
This class was awful! Alan is VERY hard to understand. He knows what he's doing, but he explains it in the hardest most confusing way to understand him. He gives quizes alomst every week and the tests are short, but cover a lot of information. If you struggle with math stay FAR away from his class!!!
RUN!!!! He is hard to understand and does not explain things very well. His quizs and test are short, but hard. He's weird and if you suck at math don't expect to learn it from him!
He knows what he's talking about.... He's kinda fun to watch!
very funny and great man overall..
This is the worst teacher that i have EVER had. do not take. test are nothing like what he teaches. i repeat DONT TAKE... you will fail!!!
This guy isnt a bad teacher at what he does teach if u pay attention...but he'll give u a bunch of worksheets and not explain them well and give u a test on them...but his chalk moustaches are funny and his dry humour cracks me up
He is kinda entertaining and fun to watch. I thought his tests were pretty easy
Gotta love Marshall appreciation day when he wore Ohio State gear since they beat MU football and hung out in the bookstore all day eating the food. So typical of him since he does it year after year. I think he needs to focus on who is paying his salary, Marshall, and the reason he is there to teach, not eat all of the free food.
Dr. Horwitz is very unique. He knows his stuff, but he sometimes finds it hard to get across. Little things tend to bother him, you can tell, but he is more than willing to help anyone, and his boardwork bonus points are very generous on his part. I would recommend him, but having a math background will let you enjoy his class a little more.
He's a smart man with odd dry humor, but I enjoyed the class. It's amusing watching him get aggravated when the whiteboard doesn't clean well. He will help you if you need it, and his tests aren't exceptionally hard if you study a decent amount. He won't ask you something that he didn't teach.
the WORST teacher I have ever had. Its hard for a professor to teach the students when the professor doesn't understand it half the time either.
Dr Horwitz is awful. His tests are tough, he gives little to no partial credit. Class always goes over five minutes making other students late for classes. He tries to schedule class outside of official class time and frowns upon those who don't attend. He's putting material on our final that we haven't even gotten to because he moved too slow!
Worst professor I have ever had. He spent the entire class going over proofs which he rarely finished correctly. We stayed in the classroom 10 minutes late every day. After only seeing proofs in class, the test (which was 10+ pages long) included no proofs. We were expected to apply the theorems which he had incorrectly "proven" with no example
Professor Horwitz is alright, but he could use a little bit more clarity in his lectures.
He was absolutely the worst professor I've ever had. He was completely rude. He, also, did not let me make things up because I missed and had an excuse. I would NOT recommend anyone take him. Take Cuisick instead. He's much better.
Horwitz is a nice guy but he does not explain things very well. He confused me on things that I originally understood. If you're already good at math then you will probably be alright.
Horwitz is awful. I love math, but being in his class made me want to switch majors. His test are hard. Gives little to none partial credit. Smart but he can't teach. Barely passed his class with a C.
His quizs are easy. His tests are not difficult if you read the textbooks before. I don't do any homework he gave me but I could get A. Textbooks are important!
Great professor! Very fair, just do the work and don't whine. He is super organized too, which no one seems to be at Marshall. Gave us all the hw problems the first day of class!
The worst prof. at MU. DO NOT TAKE HIM PERIOD! He does not follow university policy and is very rude. His tests are longer than they should be, even if you know the material better than him you can't finish on time. Makes you come to class on random days. Don't miss class, he won't accept university excused absences. Headed towards a grade appeal.
His class isn't the easiest. The tests are really hard and his surprise quizzes are a nightmare! He is a little harsh on the partial credit, and takes off points for little procedural things. However, he is pleasant to learn from, and he teaches the material thoroughly. His presentation is enhanced by his dry wit; he is actually pretty funny.
I very much enjoyed my time in Dr. Horwitz's class. He isn't easy to pass so I'm not surprised to see so many bad reviews from students who likely didn't want to put time into their education. He tests on what he teaches, he gives extra credit, and he is willing to help. In his class Calc II class I was able to get an A where I had failed before.
Horwitz is funny. He immediately caught my attention when he started writing with both hands on the first day. However, he is a harsh grader, but he gives extra credit opportunities. He holds class after every single day. Also, he doesn't collect homework. If I hadn't taken calculus in high school, then I wouldn't have any idea what's going on.
I took calculus in high school, and i had a great understanding of all the concepts. Horwitz took everything that I knew and screwed it up. He's a confusing person. He'll ramble about things not related to the course, and skip book sections but still give you quizzes on what he skipped. Avoid if possible.
Horwitz is a nice guy, but not a good calculus professor. He spends way too much time in lectures trying to prove theorems rather than giving practical applications of them that you will need to solve homework problems and exam problems. He offers little to no help. If you can avoid taking him, do it.
He is a great guy to have in class but he isn't a good teacher. He will ramble on much of the time and won't explain concepts very well. He is a very tough grader and likes to give pop quizzes. Little to no partial credit, but has extra credit opportunities. Prepare to teach yourself.
Admits to grading inconsistently. Even if you did the work correctly he will take points off and won't correct them after reviewing them. Avoid if possible.
Horwitz knew the material that he was teaching about. However, he was completely incapable of explaining any of the material to the class. He likes to give pop quizes and instead of giving feedback circles incorrect answers and just writes "no". I think that he lives in his office. Avoid him if at all possible. Once said "nobody deserves an A"
Easy Math class. Great teacher! He is available and has a good sense of humorism. You have to do online hw. Attendence is mandatory otherwise you will lose some points. Little and easy surprise quizz each week. Exams are easy and he always provides handouts and study guide. You can get extra points by doing boardwork. He never cancelled class.
He is horrific His grading is extremely difficult and he will not provide any practice problems tests or quizzes He gives approximately a 5 page list of test topics that are very non specific Generally has a bad attitude if you attempt to talk to him afterclass
He gave about 12 pop quizzes. He said he would assign online homework but never did. He gives study guides for exams and curves them pretty generously. You lose points for missing class, but he gives extra credit board-work problems. Really quirky/fun guy; he once brought in a centrifuge to get all the ink out of the markers. Class is never dull.
I ended up with 93 in the class but it was in spite of Horwitz. The man goes out of his way to make basic calculus concepts more complicated than they have to be. It was more annoying than anything. I feel bad for kids who don't grasp mathematics as easily as I do. I had a great HS calc background so that was huge for me. I do not recommend him.
Worst math teacher I have ever had. He rushes to get through too much at a time and doesn't explain well at all. When you have questions he makes you feel stupid for not knowing and he grades quizzes and exams tough. Overall, he should not be a professor.
He's alright/a little odd. Lectures tend to stray to unrelated topics. Assigns hw from book that are important for tests. Offers plenty of Extra Credit (pre-assigned "board problems" - get to class early/be greedy & MAX OUT THESE POINTS!!) 10/10 would take if you already have a good math/trig background for an easy A.
He is horrible. DO NOT TAKE. He does half the problems wrong which causes notes to be hard to take. He also writes with 2479387938 different color markers which makes the problems very hard to follow. He grades extremely hard and is picky. Gives pop quizzes on things taught weeks prior. He does provide some extra credit, but overall is BAD
Horwitz is very knowledgeable. However he is very quirky at times and doesn't explain difficult concepts well. I took AP Calc and passed the test, but his class left me confused about general concepts I already learned. Very pop quiz heavy, do things EXACTLY his way or else you'll fail. Very funny, but not great at teaching
He is absolutely a waste of time. He is a joke of a teacher and has made me want to drop out just to not have to deal with him. He doesnt teach and get distracted very easily. Rude, annoying, and mind numbing is just a few things that describe Alan Horwitz. Id rather work at McDonalds than take his class again.
Prof. Horwitz is a kind man, however for your own sanity, do not take your math with this man. My entire class taught ourselves this semester. He makes things more complicated than they need to be and does not make sense half of the time. He is certainly funny but also makes you question wtf is going on 3/4 of the time.
I once asked him in class to explain what he had wrote on the board. His response to me was "I am not as good at math as you may think that I am." He then continued what he was doing with no further acknowledgement of my question. Makes me wonder why he's getting paid to do math. Grades terribly inconsistent.
You are required to have a textbook thought he typically never uses it. He will only grade quizzes, board work, and tests. This man is very unorganized, has no concept of time, and reassigns things on the same day its due. I wish I would have known before taking this class with this professor.
Do not take him! I was able to get an A, but it was in spite of him. He falls asleep during tests. He does not give correct answers to questions. He wastes class time. He is not a consistent grader; two people will put the same answer but get different grades. He is extremely disorganized. If you do take him, get ready to teach yourself everything.
I beg you to spare yourself the most stress you will ever encounter and do not take this class! Even if you are a good math student, Horowitz will have you questioning everything you ever knew. He does not lecture well at all. He gives 3-4 page pop quizzes unannounced with 5 minutes let in class. Do yourself a favor and take this class online.
Easily tied for the worst math professor I've ever had. His notes make no sense, he doesn't lecture well, he gives exams with barely any notice, and his grading is extremely hard to decipher. Forget learning anything if you take him, and be ready to retake the class.
Hardest class Ive ever taken. I barely made a passing grade despite me generally being a good math student. Please do not take this class if you can, your grade will be determined by 5 pop quizzes which are impossible to finish in the time he gives, and he never gives enough time for the main exams either. Definitely would not recommend
He is a very intelligent man, but in my opinion he is not a good teacher. He gives long detailed and UNORGANIZED lectures. There is no homework, you can do "board work" for extra credit. I felt like I never knew what was going on in this class. Really bad about straying off topic and doesn't explain things very well. He is nice though.
I just want to start with that everyone of you sorry sacks who gave a 1!!! to Horwitz will ROT. He is a blessed professor to this old soul college town. Ive joined him on jogs and love his nightly runs. He is a easy grader too. His work isn't two hard if you work hard and study hard two. All work... no play... type of deal. UMm, his tests are a bre
This class was very disorganized. Professor Horwitz is a nice man, but he is not meant to be teaching. He complains every single day about Marshall, does not explain concepts well, and grades very critically. I would not recommend this class if credit is needed
Very interesting professor. I am typically a straight-A student but I barely got by this class with a C. Learn how he wants you to learn, FOR THE FINAL MEMORIZE HOW TO DO THE PREVIOUS EXAMS. Study using the book, he's not the best teacher but if you have to take him good luck.
This man has no business being a professor. I have never been more confused in my life. He teaches things wrong and backward and expects you to remember his nonsense. DO NOT TAKE HIM. INSANE AND SO OFF-TOPIC. It is so bad that the university hides that he is going to teach the course and then blindsides you a day before the class starts so beware!
Alan Horwitz is the worst math professor at Marshall University. Tests are graded harshly, lectures make no sense, and little help is given to understand the material. Avoid his classes if possible. Save yourself the headache and steer clear of Alan Horwitz
If you can teach yourself the material based on notes then you're good, otherwise...... CONS: He is a big-time rambler and gets side-tracked a lot. Bad at explanations, and teaching in general. PROS: Somewhat easy on grading. Gives an answer key right after a test/quiz. The final is made-up of previous test/quiz questions.
Professor Alan Horwitz is undoubtedly one of the worst educators I have ever encountered. His teaching style is disorganized and lacks clarity, making it nearly impossible to grasp the material.
Honestly I feel bad for this man. he showed up to class everyday, wearing no socks, when he did wear them there were holes in them and he stunk. I honestly wonder if he's homeless. but besides that point he is a terrible professor. I had to attempt to teach myself. didn't work bc I had to drop. very political oriented as well...
I'm sitting in class right now with a paper I got almost every question right on but with a 70%. Hope you love extremely strict tests on "lectures" where he rambles about something random while you have to teach yourself this. He looked at our class average, a 63, and said this was really good. WHAT!?!? In the end, take another professor...please.
Alan Horwitz is unengaging, unhygienic, and provides an overall poor learning experience. I had to teach myself most of the course content because his lectures were convoluted and senseless, and on top of that he doesn't even post grades so good luck figuring out where you stand.
Average class test grades are in the 60s, focuses on obscure details rather than broad concepts.
He's a nice man, but he doesn't know what he's doing half the time. As the semester went on, he was forgetting things more often. The lectures are always extremely difficult to follow, nobody in my class has learned anything because he just rambles. You basically have to teach yourself to even learn anything.
He doesn't post grades. As the semester has went on, he's been forgetting everything (including how to even log in to a computer & how he takes attendance..) His lectures make no sense and he just rambles. Some classes he spends just on 1 problem which he gets incorrect. You basically have to teach urself if you wanna pass.None of us are doing well
Horwitz's class is a real challenge, but the unstuckstudy app helped me stay on track. His lectures can be scattered, but the practice tests were invaluable. Attend class, use the textbook, and prepare thoroughly - it's doable with the right approach.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.64 avg changeRatings by Course
MTH130108
5.0
(1)130
4.0
(1)MTH265
4.0
(1)MATH203
4.0
(2)MTH203
3.4
(5)Difficulty by Course
PRECALC
5.0
CALC2
5.0
MTH331
5.0
MTH
4.7
MTH427
4.5