2.8

Alex Liu

Mathematics - Kwantlen Polytechnic University - Surrey

2.8
Quality
3.3
Difficulty
38%
Would Retake
101
Reviews
2.8
Quality
3.3
Difficulty
3.1
Helpful
2.6
Clarity

38%

Would Retake

101

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official
101 total ratings

5

17

4

22

3

22

2

18

1

22

What Students Say

wasn't hard for me as i took calc before, but half of the class failed in each of his exams

MATH1120 - 1.0 rating

Alex tries to explain the concepts instead of having you memorize everything

MATH1112 - 4.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

53%

Textbook Required

38%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

74% confidence
Based on 8 grades
Most common grades:
A- (3)
A+ (2)
Drop/Withdrawal (2)
Grade Distribution
A(2)B(1)C(0)D(2)F(1)A-/B+(4)
Based on 12 reported grades
A-: 3
A+: 2
Drop/Withdrawal: 2
Incomplete: 2
Common Tags
Get ready to read (5)
Tough Grader (3)
Test heavy (3)
TEST HEAVY (2)
Tough grader (2)
Skip class? You won't pass. (1)
Participation matters (1)
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS (1)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.22 avg change
Nov
Aug
Oct
Aug
Aug
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

CALC1120

4.5

(2)

1130

4.0

(1)

MATH2232

3.5

(2)

1120

3.3

(6)

MATH1112

3.1

(28)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

2232

5.0

MATH

5.0

MATH1220

5.0

MATH22321120

5.0

1140

4.3

Reviews (100)
2.0
3.0
MATH1140
Apr 25, 2002

No Comments

5.0
4.0
MATH1112
May 13, 2002

No Comments

1.0
5.0
1140
Nov 19, 2002

No Comments

2.0
4.0
1120
Nov 23, 2002

what did he just say? dis-organized notes/teacher

2.0
3.0
MATH1140
Nov 30, 2002

Messy teaching, unorganized notes (which is exactly whatever in the text)

3.0
2.0
1112
Jan 4, 2003

Not good / Not bad.

1.0
5.0
1112
Jan 7, 2003

No Comments

4.0
3.0
MATH1112
Jan 10, 2003

his tests are almost exact replicas of his sample tests or notes.

2.0
2.0
1120
Jan 13, 2003

No Comments

3.0
3.0
MATH120
Mar 5, 2003

it's hard to understand what that dude's talking about! very unclear...looks at the chalk board more than he looks at the students!

2.0
3.0
MATH1140
Mar 12, 2003

Can't tell what he's saying under the accent sometims!

1.0
5.0
MATH1120
Mar 19, 2003

useless teacher

1.0
5.0
MATH1112
Apr 9, 2003

Worst teacher I have ever had!

2.0
3.0
MATH1112
Apr 17, 2003

He expects people to not make it through the course. Hard in the beginning but near the end of the course it gets easier.

3.0
5.0
MATH
Jun 25, 2003

Worst teacher ever becareful

5.0
4.0
1112
Jul 31, 2003

This guy knows his stuff. His lectures are really good, and he trys to help struggling students. The best thing is that his sample tests are almost the exact same as his real in class tests. Anyone who cant get atleat a C+ is a moron.

2.0
4.0
MATH1120
Jul 31, 2003

he does know the stuff, but he doesn't know the proper way to teach. His explainations are always not clear enough to let me understand the problems. He is just a teacher below average in teaching. He just need to learn a "better" way of teachin

2.0
5.0
MATH1112
Aug 27, 2003

His teaching is not clear and boring.Also the exam is very difficult. Hard to get the high mark.

3.0
3.0
MATH1120
Sep 3, 2003

some said his test is hard, that because they sux. well maybe he is not doing well on teaching something, but he get a good personality. u'll be always welcome when u get problem.I got a A+ on math1120 coz i working hard and really do the homework.

3.0
2.0
MATH1112
Sep 8, 2003

Alex is a good teacher and is pretty funny. Easy tests but final screws you over.

4.0
4.0
MATH1130
Oct 31, 2003

Alex's lectures are difficult to follow and scattered everywhere, although he is always available in the learning centre and his office to help. He's pretty funny too!

4.0
2.0
1130
Nov 14, 2003

Good Teacher. Quite amusing. His tests are sometimes a challange, but very clear. He tries to help students do well. If you cant get at least a C+ u are a dumbass.

5.0
2.0
MATH1112
Nov 26, 2003

A great teacher and reall helpful. His test are easy as long as you study his notes and do more excerises. He is a bit hard to follow sometimes in class but he makes sure you understand it.

5.0
3.0
1112
Nov 28, 2003

Teh best math teacher I've had post sample test which are almost exactly as the ones he'll give you do em and you'll do fine

2.0
4.0
MATH1130
Dec 3, 2003

Easy tests but you can fail his final exam.Difficult to understand sometimes.

5.0
1.0
MATH1112
Dec 19, 2003

best teacher i've ever had. he makes u understand what really mathematic is

4.0
1.0
MATH1120
Mar 20, 2004

He is ok. Tests are easy.

3.0
4.0
MATH1130
Apr 22, 2004

His teaching style is sucks, he just uses examples that are used in the text book, and his finals are really hard!

3.0
4.0
1140
Jun 8, 2004

teaches the course like a review, likes to skip a few steps in between b/c he understands what he is doing, but the class doesn't. knows his stuff front and backwards but loses the class halfway while teaching it. hard tests too.

1.0
5.0
MATH1140
Jul 30, 2004

I think he should go back to the ESL class to learn more English first... one time he mentions to me "biscults apllications"... and I use a long time to find out that he minds.. "business applications"

4.0
2.0
MATH1112
Aug 5, 2004

His a good prof if you go seek help from him. But sometimes during lecture, he can be very unclear. But if u go seek help from him, he will explain it till you understand.

4.0
1.0
MATH1140
Aug 19, 2004

he is very nice. and i gotta say that if u understand everything on the sample papers, you can get a A easily!

1.0
5.0
MATH1112
Aug 24, 2004

I am hopeless about his teaching. He likes to give students lower marks. Also, it is hard to understand his english.

3.0
3.0
MATH1140
Sep 7, 2004

not great, not that bad.

1.0
5.0
2232
Oct 6, 2004

One of my worst and most unclear profs ever. He cant teach; tells you to go home practice this-that. and then you fail because he taught you nothing.

5.0
3.0
MATH2232
Oct 26, 2004

he is a nice guy. I love him so much. he is very attractive.

4.0
1.0
MATH1140
Nov 4, 2004

I took his Math 1112 and 1140 at the same time and i got A+ on both classes. you just have to do the sample tests and understand every questions. It's interesting that ppl complain about how hard the tests are while he hands out sample for every quiz/test

5.0
2.0
MATH1140
Nov 16, 2004

I liked him...Tests can be difficult but this is calculus folks..I can understand him perfectly and I grew up speaking english. He is also funny remember this course is hard no teacher will make it easy

1.0
4.0
MATH1112
Nov 18, 2004

No Comments

3.0
5.0
MATH1220
Nov 22, 2004

His tests are so hard. And sometimes its so hard to understand what he is saying. I recommend that u not take hime, unless u got plans to fail.

3.0
2.0
11202232
Nov 29, 2004

Blame it on Cal. instead.

3.0
4.0
MATH1140
Apr 15, 2005

ehh. please stop talking during the class. heavy accent. hard to concentrate because he simply just goes over the test book and repeatedly. hard to study because there is no study guide and basically you have to know everything just to be safe not to fail a mid-term.... eheheheheheh I hate him ever.

3.0
2.0
MATH1112
Jun 9, 2005

Well...i think he is pretty good...especially when he posts sample tests and solutions to da web..the questions in da sample test are much likely the same as the real...easy to get marks mann!! i got 2 perfect from the last 2 tests alridi ^^

2.0
2.0
MATH1140
Jun 28, 2005

His post sample test on the web, which is similiar to what the real test will be. That's a good thing. But i feel he is irresponsible on replying email and marking test. Most teacher get test back within a week or even next class. Class bores to hell. You basically don't have to go to his class since u can study the book and recommend questions.

3.0
1.0
MATH1112
Jul 21, 2005

he's a nice guy, & kinda confuses people (at least once each class) and bores students. but if u can do his sample tests, then marks will come easy

3.0
2.0
MATH1130
Sep 8, 2005

His English is much better than most of the second language ppl. but he talks 2 much about some unrelated things in class. afterall, a nice guy,easygoing,except those unexpected questions on his tests.

4.0
3.0
MATH2341
Nov 9, 2005

our class average for the midterm was 40% lol, yeah, that's pretty sad, also, it was his first time teaching a stats class so we never got any post sample tests to make life easier. U study n do the hw, but somehow the midterm is quite difficult. he's a bit unclear at times, but is very nice and tries to help.SO, hes not dat great but not dat bad

2.0
3.0
MATH2232
Nov 27, 2005

No Comments

2.0
5.0
MATH1112
Dec 6, 2005

He has pretty good english. When he teahes he's everywhere, not all that organized. His exams/assignments are very hard.

1.0
4.0
MATH2341
Dec 13, 2005

he is a good/nice guy. But he does not really know how to teach. The course is hard itself. Also, his exams, quizes, hw are not that easy as wel.

1.0
5.0
MATH22321120
Dec 26, 2005

As a second language teacher, he is sucks on teaching in English; by comparison with Mandarin Teacher, Dr Qu has great Canadian English than Liu's Mandarin English. He also complained by unknown email and showed it to the student as well. He feels suprised and happy on it but actually he didn't know that we are mocking on him. HE IS SUCKS!!!!!!!!

3.0
4.0
MATH2341
Jan 14, 2006

The course is pretty hard, but he really doesn't make it any easier. I struggled to even stay awake during class or even to stay for the whole thing. But he's fair and will go over things if you ask him to.

4.0
4.0
MATH1112
Aug 3, 2006

hardest Math 1112 prof

1.0
1.0
MATH1140
Aug 22, 2006

he is one of the worst teacher that kwantlen has hired.he is not at all helpful during and after class.the worst part is when he starts giving science applications in a business calculus class.save your money and avoid him.his sample quizzes and exams which are meant to be help totally misguide the students.worst teacher and not a good man either.

1.0
5.0
MATH1140
Sep 7, 2006

i totally agree this teacher is one of the worst KUC has hired. he does not like it when students go to him in his office hours. he is no help outside class and in class he has the weird style of teaching.he justs talks and talks and covers the concepts without any interaction with the class...totally a waste of everone`s time.worst teacher

2.0
4.0
MATH1112
Oct 7, 2007

Not a good teacher at all. Probably would not have passed if I hadn't taken math 12. Course is hard, leaves no time for review and tests are not fair. Covers concepts greater than what is covered in class and in the text book. Hard to understand and looks like he's trying to fly when he's erasing things off the board.

4.0
3.0
MATH1112
Dec 7, 2007

I didn't find him as bad as some of the ratings suggest and I'm terrible at math but managed to do pretty decent. His tests are based on his recommended HW questions and his notes so keep up with those and you should do okay.

4.0
2.0
MATH1112
Dec 27, 2007

the first person Makes me understand a bit about math. not easy, not bad.

2.0
5.0
MATH1140
Jan 15, 2008

he is an okay teacher for all those that are intersted in science courses. if he is an option for a summer calculus course,dont take him. you'd rather work at a tanning studio for free than to go through failing this course

3.0
3.0
MATH1112
May 14, 2008

I honestly walked into class with positive thoughts thinking can't be too bad..i'll try really hard but he needs to realize he's teaching basics of algebra to a precalc class..there's so much more that needs to be covered in precalc but he sits there explaining properties..notes are not helpful enough and he looks at math from a prof's point of vie

4.0
2.0
MATH1140
Jul 21, 2008

If you are chinese student, u can speak chinese with him privately,so u won't have any problem about understanding. Anything he taught is very logic and makes sense to me. Not Bad. P.S: i got an A+

4.0
1.0
MATH1140
Aug 8, 2008

Alex isn't as bad as people he is. I haven't touched math for 3 straight years and I went into his class thinking I would probably fail his class but i ended up with an A+. As long as you do your homework questions and the q's he goes over in class. You can easily end up with an A. Obviously you need to put in some time and try !!!

4.0
3.0
MATH1140
Aug 23, 2008

This teacher is not that bad.well i didnt find him that horrible and that was maybe because i took calculus 12. But he is helpful and a very fair person. What i really liked about him was he always encourages his students (unlike some other professors). i got an A- in his class and if i can do u can do it too. he is very approachable and committed.

5.0
2.0
MATH1112
Dec 1, 2008

I first found he's quiet strict, but u will find he's really nice after. He's such a pro. and would like to help students. He's super clear although his class is a little fast if u know nothing about what he's talking.

5.0
3.0
MATH1140
Jan 16, 2009

He is a very approachable professor who knows his math. His exams are modeled after the assignments and I found doing the homework really helps. Often there are questions that are similar to examples in class or homework problems.

5.0
2.0
MATH1140
Jan 16, 2009

I'm not usually into math, but I found he was very fair and I enjoyed taking the class.

2.0
4.0
MATH1112
Mar 9, 2009

I found him a horrible teacher. I am not good at math and have a difficult time understanding it in the first place. He jumped around all over the place and I could barely understand him. Will never take him again.

4.0
3.0
MATH1140
Aug 5, 2009

Goes very fast and basically kills your brain. His tests are okay. Some of his test questions are from the notes. He does not provide students with sample tests though, which is unfair because every other prof does. The midterm was brutal, but he is a nice guy and will help if you ask for it. So if you need help...ask!

5.0
3.0
MATH1115
Dec 23, 2009

He is a super nice guy, always willing to help. His tests can be hard but he is a fairly lenient marker. Very quirky and funny guy too. I normally have trouble in math but I showed up to class and actually did well.

4.0
5.0
MATH1120
Jun 29, 2010

Find his notes are disorganized and does not cover everything during the lectures. He's the type who expects you to learn everything by yourself. If you ask questions, he'll help you.

4.0
3.0
MATH1140
Sep 1, 2010

Alex is a great guy. He cares about every student. Exams are tough, but as long as you study his notes and do the exercise in the textbook , you will be doing fine.

3.0
3.0
MATH1140
Sep 1, 2010

Alex is absolutely hilarious, of course, in that nerdy, math-geek kind of way. Rely completely on his notes - DON'T USE THE TEXT or you WILL fail.

2.0
5.0
MATH1120
Sep 18, 2010

He has great knowledge of the subject, but unfortunately he is a very lazy and discouraging teacher. If this is your first calculus course...DO NOT take him! He makes many unnecessary comments that are his own personal opinions about the educational system here in Canada and how 'inferior' he finds it. In short, he's a prick.

5.0
2.0
MATH1120
Sep 29, 2010

I have to say that someone who thinks that this teacher is not helpful should never touch calculus again because there is not a teacher can save you... Trust me, if you want to know math, follow him.

2.0
5.0
MATH1140
Sep 21, 2011

Worst teacher I've ever had. Uses complicated examples to explain new concepts and his tests are WAY too long and not always clear.

5.0
3.0
CALC1120
Aug 22, 2012

Amazing prof, if concepts are not very clear just see him after class or even ask in class he will be more than happy to explain it to you. His examples and proofs really help understand the course. I got a B with reading his notes alone, and ask a lot of questions. His exams are fair but this is calculus so don't expect an easy ride.

4.0
3.0
CALC1120
Dec 4, 2012

Ok, but could be better.

4.0
3.0
MATH1112
Dec 19, 2012

Alex is a generous instructor. His tests are reasonable, but do require lots of exercises in advance. He knows what he is doing. In terms of getting a good grade, I would recommend people who already have some mathematics background to take his course, or else you may find yourself lost halfway through the course. Overall a very fair instructor.

3.0
3.0
MATH1112
Aug 20, 2013

He loves math, and it is evident by his stories and facts. But if I'm being honest, I ended up learning much more on my own that i did in class. and that is not how its supposed to be. his notes are not updated and he doesnt go through the material properly. avoid him if possible.

4.0
2.0
MATH1112
Sep 4, 2013

Alex tries to explain the concepts instead of having you memorize everything. This worked better for me because if you understand the concepts and blank out during an exam you can make sense of it and still do good. I got a B.

3.0
4.0
MATH1112
Nov 19, 2013

He uses his own notes to teach class which are confusing and about 4x harder than what is in the textbook. So on his assignments your out of luck because the textbook is a walk in the park compared to what he expects of you. You'll be learning a lot on your own, rather than in class.

5.0
1.0
MATH1112
Mar 5, 2014

Probably the hottest teacher I've ever had. A downright superstar.

4.0
2.0
MATH1140
Grade: B
Aug 13, 2014

He isn't the best teacher when it comes to explaining things (a little too complicated for my liking), however he cares alot for his students and hear it someone who has taken Calculus before and failed miserably; his tests are MILES easier than my last prof. Most of the questions in test are identical to assigned HW questions lol.

1.0
3.0
MATH1120
Grade: A+
Sep 9, 2014

wasn't hard for me as i took calc before, but half of the class failed in each of his exams. and i don't know why he keeps telling jokes, only 1 out of 10 of them is actually kind of funny but he just won't give up.

1.0
4.0
MATH1140
Aug 18, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Very bad not a good choice to take this professor

Tough Grader
Get ready to read
TEST HEAVY
1.0
3.0
MATH1115
Dec 13, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Alex is a very nice person. However he is not a good prof. It is hard to understand him because of his accent. He jumps all over the place while explaining the subject. There is no connection of what he is saying. He needs to organize he thoughts and speak more clearly.

Skip class? You won't pass.
3.0
4.0
MATH1140
Aug 16, 2018
Wouldn't take again

He's a nice guy makes jokes here and there but I personally didn't like his teaching style. He wants us to study mostly from his notes and some of the math questions on his notes were difficult to understand. He has lots of office hours available. I basically taught myself most of the course through online lectures you can find on youtube.

Tough Grader
Participation matters
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
1.0
5.0
MATH1140
Dec 20, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Awful. The grammar of his exams are awful. It is hard to understand what is happening in class because alex uses very hard math examples while other students in the same math section are given easier tests etc.

Tough Grader
Get ready to read
TEST HEAVY
2.0
4.0
MATH1112
Jul 12, 2019
Wouldn't take again

disorganized

1.0
4.0
MATH1112
Grade: Drop/Withdrawal
Jun 9, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Took this as a COVID-19 class. AVOID this teacher please, tests do not relate to his notes (which are not helpful at all). You're forced to only read the textbook because his notes are wack. Only get 50mins for a test designed for longer times. And the worst part is that he's never replied to any of my emails!! PS: Tests worth 50%

Test heavy
1.0
4.0
MATH1230
Sep 23, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Super Confusing Teaching Style. Really a bad "teacher". Does not teach from the perspective of a STUDENT WHO DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING, DUDE YOU KNOW WE DONT KNOW THIS STUFF YET, RIGHT?! THATS WHY WE'RE HERE!!!! He will skip steps but won't explain, then instead just re-read aloud things he JUST WROTE WHICH WE CAN SEE. Dude has no idea how to "teach"

3.0
1.0
MATH1140
Grade: Incomplete
Jul 8, 2021
Would take again

Recorded lectures and Don't have experience with technology Overall, a good professor with lot of experience. Teaching style is little tough to understand but I already had background with MATH so its wasn't difficult. Only choose him if you are good with basic CALCULAS and be prepared to learn on your own.

Respected
EXTRA CREDIT
So many papers
1.0
4.0
1140
Grade: Incomplete
Nov 25, 2022

Terrible professor, does not know how to teach. -Lectures go off on tangents about life stories, does not teach the basic material. -Boasts about how his courses have the lowest passing rate of all courses offered, basically wants you to fail. -Says his daughter switched majors because of calculus, she did not want to learn from him for a reason.

Get ready to read
Lots of homework
Graded by few things
1.0
5.0
1120
Grade: F
Aug 24, 2023

Please take anything but this course literally solves his own questions again from the prior presentation. Self- study and honestly he said on the first day that it is the most difficult calculus course and you might want to watch videos on the internet to understand. Thus, 4-5 students out of 30 attend his class. Drop it if its not too late!!

Tough grader
Test heavy
1.0
4.0
1112
Grade: Drop/Withdrawal
Oct 30, 2023

Do not take this course with Alex. His lecture videos are difficult to follow as he spends most of the time off-topic. Lectures consists of him repeating what he says in the videos and notes are VERY understand. He is a tough marker and blames test results on the lack of effort. More than half the class fails, and its due to his way of teaching.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
3.0
3.0
MATH1140
Grade: A+
Aug 15, 2024
Would take again

Pro: Prof explains things in great detail and is awesome for students who enjoy learning about math (me) HWs super similar to exams, so if you can do the HW, exam is no issue. Con: Barely shows examples on how to solve problems, so you gotta figure it out on your own. If you're not good at math (B or lower in H.S) you're most likely going to fail.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
5.0
3.0
1120
Grade: A-
Aug 14, 2025
Would take again

Awesome teacher who is really nice

5.0
3.0
1120
Grade: A-
Aug 17, 2025
Would take again

Kind and cares for his students

5.0
3.0
1120
Grade: B+
Dec 15, 2025
Would take again

He teaches through a whiteboard and essentially goes through several example problems in the notes. His assignments are not difficult and completing them properly will yield a high grade. His exams are generally straightforward too and match pretty well if you took calc 12 in high school, although I would study for the final exam more than anything

4.0
3.0
MATH1120
Grade: A-
Dec 16, 2025
Would take again

Alex is a very approachable professor and is willing to help during his office hours. However, his lectures are often confusing. Since I've never taken calculus before, I have to teach myself most of the material.

Accessible outside class
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

53%

Textbook Required

38%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

74% confidence
Based on 8 grades
Most common grades:
A- (3)
A+ (2)
Drop/Withdrawal (2)
Grade Distribution
A(2)B(1)C(0)D(2)F(1)A-/B+(4)
Based on 12 reported grades
A-: 3
A+: 2
Drop/Withdrawal: 2
Incomplete: 2
Common Tags
Get ready to read (5)
Tough Grader (3)
Test heavy (3)
TEST HEAVY (2)
Tough grader (2)
Skip class? You won't pass. (1)
Participation matters (1)
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS (1)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.22 avg change
Nov
Aug
Oct
Aug
Aug
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

CALC1120

4.5

(2)

1130

4.0

(1)

MATH2232

3.5

(2)

1120

3.3

(6)

MATH1112

3.1

(28)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

2232

5.0

MATH

5.0

MATH1220

5.0

MATH22321120

5.0

1140

4.3

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