2.1
Quality3.1
Difficulty36%
Would Retake105
Reviews36%
Would Retake
105
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
8
4
10
3
19
2
25
1
43
What Students Say
“Not sure what the professor actually does”
ECON120 - 1.0 rating“Tons of typos and capslock on emails for this online class”
ECON120 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
40%
Textbook Required
30%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.33 avg changeRatings by Course
ECONOMICS120
3.5
(2)ECON120
2.4
(43)ECO120
2.3
(20)ECON121
2.0
(20)ECON1201
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECONOMICS121
5.0
ECON101
4.0
ECON120121
3.5
ECON121
3.4
ECO121
3.1
Reviews (105)
He was extremely hard. You could barely understand what was coming out of his mouth. The tests had absolutely nothing to do with what he would teach in class. DO NOT take this class!!!!!
ONLY IN THE CLASS FOR TWO WEEKS. DROPPD BECAUSE HE GAVE A UIZ ON MATERIAL WE HAD NEVER EVER DISCUSSED NOR WAS TALKED ABOU IN THE BOOK. ALSO TALKS VERY QUIETLY AND IS VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
The class was hard, but, if you read and take GOOD notes you will do well. Face it econ. is hard and not too enjoyable.
As much as you read the text and study. The test is not similiar to anything that he teaches. His quizes are not related to his test.
He'll lectures for the first few exams and then after that your on your own to learn the stuff out of the book. But his test are very confusing and are worded completely different from the book. And he's not very helpful.
This guy is in his own little world. Unless youre from his planet you will regret taking this class. There is no help at all. His assumptions are exactly not everyone has a doctorate or else we wouldnt be in school. This guy is totally unprofessional.
This class is a challenge but thats life. You must seek a little extra help at times (office hours, group study, etc.) but the class is not as hard as it seems. Stick to the text when it come to the exams and quizzes and youll be fine.
Took both courses of econ with this prof. econ is def not my major and if it were i'd stear clear from him. has group quizzes that are fairly easy but lecture is practically insignificant for tests as you will have to take excellent notes from THE BOOK.
NEEDS TO EXTEND EXPLANATION ON SUBJECTS ACCORDING TO THE GRADE OF DIFFICULTY OF THE TESTS.
Don't take this course with him. He does not explain enough for the tests and the quizzes we do in class are not helpful at all. His tests are designed to fool you even if you study and understand the class.
I managed to pass with a "B". It was hard but, if you read and ask percise questions you will do fine. Don't expect a free ride. This is a challenging college class.
Dr. Obiya is very difficult to understand, refuses to clarify answers and missed 3 classes in an 8-week session when I was enrolled in his course (2002). I barely managed a "B" and I am, otherwise, a straight "A" student. Save yourse
ALL you have to do to do well in this class is show up, AND READ THE BOOK! Imagine that! A college course that actually requires reading the text. This professor teaches in the classroom what we could use in real life, but he does test on strictly whats in the book. Read the text, and it's a breeze.
Believe the negative comments here. This prof. refuses to answer *any* question, pompous, unprofessional, and very *very* unhelpful. His lectures unclearly explained and have little correlation or help with the exams and quizzes. better off just learning econ from the book yourself.
I loved this guy - kooky, weird. Hard to understand, but you get used to that (sit down front). Participate, ask questions, etc, and he will love you. Yes, read the book - I actually learned a lot from that book, and since the quizzes are group and open book, they were easy. Typos on his tests tho
Like many other people believe, this prof. is hard to understand because of his African accent and is often unclear on what you are actually being tested on.I took an 8 week class and after 2 class's we were being tested on 4 chapters.I do not recomend this teacher. (take class at mesa)
A nice guy, but he is a poor teacher despite his knowledge of economics. If you have to take his class, you'll do fine if you can learn everything from the book on your own. But if you learn verbally, Prof. Obiya might be a disaster for you.
Economics seems to be a very difficult discipline for everyone in general. However, Professor Obiya is more than willing to give you extra help IF YOU ASK.I recieved an "A" I worked my ass off-- just keep re-reading the book and go to his office hours and ask for clarification on unclear concepts
You better be prepared to learn the book on your own to pass this course. His tests are over-bearing. He gives out a bit too much,you feel crammed BIG TIME. I usually leave class with a fat headache. He is overall a good teacher but, his class is tough.
A friendly guy, but I am completely lost in his class. Be prepared to spend more time studing for this class then your others.
He is not very professional at all. He would miss more class then the students! His test were hard.... it had none of the material that I read in the book.
what?!? Can't learn much from someone you can't understand. I got stuck with him when the original teacher dropped the class. Students lose participation points for not showing up. He rushes you to hurry and finish way before class time is over and even leaves the class so you have to go to his office to turn in quizzes.
i never understood a word he said... his teaching and grading was HORRIBLE.. group quizzes sounds great BUT we would always end up with different grades.. and his quizzes were not a good preparation for his DIFFUCULT TESTS!
I personally had difficulty with the class because of the accent and speed at which he would lecture. I couldn't concentrate with the noise level in class from everyone reviewing together. If you can learn on your own from the book and remeber to get with a good group of people for class and you will be alright.
everything the guy below me said. I dont think he should be a proffessor. I feel like ive missed out on my education.
I can not undersatnd a word he says
He does challenge you, and yes that is what a college is meant for! be prepared for class and this teacher puts a clear agenda on the board on what you need to cover! Hey if I managed to get a B so do you? WE ALL HAVE AN ACCENT PEOPLE AND YES HE IS A PROFESSOR AND THAT IS WHY HE IS THERE!I recommend this class to you all who are ready to transfer t
He's the poster child of unclear. His remarks are scattered and haphazard. He frequently gives work to do in class, then interrupts and starts on something else before anyone has a chance to finish. He is rude and demeaning and is constantly implying students are function at a high school level. In the runnin for City's WORST teacher.
Very easy class as long as you attend class. Quizzes are open book and in groups, also out of 5 exams only 4 count. So, you should get a B without any effort. MOST IMPORTANT BECOME HIS CLIENT (THOSE ARE FREE POINTS)
This teacher seems like he has a good teaching curriculum but he fails to execute it well. He is not helpful at all and is quite rude when you ask him for test answers or help to questions on previous quizzes. He is one of those professors who likes to put in the least amount of effort. But I got a B so fairly easy just come to class.
A good class with a good teacher, but the text used math symbol placement in the equations unlike what you'd learn in a math class a couple of buildings over. The teacher seemed concerned about this, but not overly so. This might seem trivial, but if there were other inconsistencies in the text and the instructor didn't care, then there it goes!
He is a TERRIBLE teacher. Niceness does not qualify your ability to teach. He is scattered in lectures, does not explain material, and misses class frequently. He made me HATE economics. Can pass if you read the text, but don't expect to learn anything from him.
Obiya can be entertaining and make= you laugh but he is definitly NOT a good teacher. Actually he is a bad teacher. He wouldn't bother answer to people's question. He is hard to understand most of the times, talks too fast. Rely on the book and your friends/classmates. Got a B
He's a nice guy but he's always all over the place. His office is a clear example of his disorganization. But his lectures stick to what the book says and the tests are all by the book. Easy to get extra points by going to the board (helped in Econ 120) but he does miss class alot!! He's got some serious personal issues or something...
he teaches the same as the book does if you read the book its the same as the going to class but the quizzes everyday are very helpful grading is easy you can do it your self but you do two quizzes but only one is counted but it's ok
Quiz every class (summer). Lectures easy to follow. Write in notebook what he writes on board. Lectures, notes, quizes prep you well for B on exam. Small % of exam q's are from reading assignment and not discussed in class. Read to get an A on exams. He allows teamwork on quizzes but the people that did this got Cs. Rely on yourself.
I am an Econ major, just getting started but LOVE econ. This guy knows less than I do, at least that is how he sounds in class. If you have any other options STEER CLEAR, otherwise just read the book and you will be fine
There was way too much work. Favors students from Princeton and Harvard (they come to study during the summer). Seriously, take someone else, your life may be more simple.
participate in class and he will be eating out your palm. quizes are mostly from the book but he explains well in class. ask questions, write down all notes, and be ready to read.
I took Professor Obiya for Econ 120 and 121. He is a very helpful professor as long as you ask for his help. He does have an accent, but if your patient you can understand the lesson perfectly. He always comes to class with a smile on his face and he loves to tell jokes which makes the lessons interesting.
This professor is nice but very hard to understand. His quizzes are open book/notes and that is the only reason I did well. Not good at answering questions clearly. He tests twice on chapter 1 and takes off the lowest score and depending on your grade (attendance and participation are worth a lot) you might not have to take the final.
I found economics to be interesting, but this teacher was fairly horrendous. He rarely explained the work, I had to teach myself just about everything. Sometimes he would not have time to grade our work and would just give everyone a 100%. Not my idea of an education. After an open book test, he said we all failed. How? he had the wrong answers!!!!
Had this guy back in 03. Very hard to follow. Open book tests were OK. But when he would do a lecture on what he wanted you to know and then gave you a quiz on it, the quiz would be completely different to what he was discussing. Don't take him
I am so disappointed with this instructor. I am currently taking his class Spring 2008. Alex is very unorganized. The quiz and test quality is less than adequate (it looks like he copies stuff and then writes on it). He does not explain what he tests on and does not answer questions when asked. Do not take this class!
Points are given for attendance so dont' miss any days.Each test is worth 50 pts. so study hard or you'll be lost.It's a lot of info to cover and he puts you in groups so you pretty much have to study on your own to really undertstand it. Dont take this class lightly-STUDY or else on test day, you'll regret you didnt. Many people got D's and F's...
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!! YOU WILL REGRET IT!!!! HE IS THE WORST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HAD!
Worthless. Don't take him unless you want a headache. He's unclear and annoying. Easy handouts and a lot of use of the book but don't plan on learning anything from the man himself. He's absent randomly w/o notice because he has another job. Makes you feel great to be a community college student :/
Worthless, spent the first two weeks in class drawing a triangle. Besides not being able to understand him, he has attempted to teach for a total of 3 hours in the 2 months I have taken the class. You would be lucky if you didn't have to teach him.
Terrible teacher. Slacker. Weak lectures. Be prepared to learn everything on your own. Do not expect any help from him with Math to understand Economic concepts. Be aware he is known for losing students tests and assignments.
If you read the book the class is easy...he only covers 5 chapters in throughout the semester
1st he never answers and of your questions, his usual response is to read the book or the handout he provided. The 1st 30 mins of class he covers a few terms and the rest of the class you on your own doing a handout. Strongly recommend working in a group. his test is straight from the book most of time what he cover is never on the test.
I seriously don't know why City College pays this guy. One of the worst teachers I've ever had. Even my high school teacher that had relations with underage students was a better teacher than this guy...ok, that was mean. But I think that if City is going to be doing budget cuts, they should start with this teacher and Maria Villasenor as well!
AHHH...Don't take his class!! You won't learn anything at all you're just gonna have to teach yourself. I too don't understand why City college hasnt cut him out. Worst professor ever.
the class was a complete joke. Didn't learn a thing. If you are a business major and want to learn something, DON'T take this class! Obiya is a nice guy, but has no vested interest in his students. Easy A class, but again, retention is 0. No homework, team quizes, optional final.(Be careful...study for indiv. tests) Thanks budget cuts!
The most useless professor on the planet. He cut and photocopied all notes and homework from part of the earlier edition textbook. Be patient with him, read on your own time and you will get an A.
I am glad Econ 121 was just a transfer requirement! If your major is Econ and you want to learn avoid this teacher. I am still wondering how this guy got the job...
What a waste of time and money. I barely learned anything. The classes are half the standard length because the prof. can't want to get home. Anyone could teach this class better than this guy. His accent is also really hard to follow, you have to strain to understand what he says. He barely teaches and is completely unprofessional. What a joke.
Professor Obiya is some type of African native. Which means he has an accent which can be distracting and can act as a personal interference to class time-learning. It was for me. He barely goes over class readings. Just read the book and take great notes, I am sure you'll pass the class.
"Professor" Obiya is the worst prof I have ever encountered. He is extremely unorganized, not clear on what he expects and teaches you absolutely nothing. He is never able to his students even during office hours nor when he ends class 20 minutes early every day. Everything you'll learn will be from the textbook. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS.such a waste!
worst and useless pro I ever took!
This professor is highly unmotivated to teach. He is always in a rush to end class. Does not explain material clearly. Writes incomprehensible notes and gives cheap copied assignments. Most of the time you have to read every single chapter to know the material well. The only good things are that he is nice and the class is very easy.
I was taking two econ classes, one with obiya and one with another prof. I ended up dropping the econ with the other professor and will take it again with Obiya next semester. All this prof wants is to see people put a little effort and he is extremely helpful. Unfortunately thats is not the case. Take him put in the effort and its an easy A.
I am currently enrolled in this professor's online principles of macroeconomics class and I am honestly clueless as to what is going on. He gives no structure or guidance, and when I emailed him he told me that I am "on my own." He seems to not care about his online students being clear about the assignments. I wish I could drop this class still.
A little unclear in his teaching but if you read through the chapters it won't be a problem. Offers a lot of extra credit and the course is relatively easy. Learn the main concepts and you'll be fine! :)
Very simple, that is all that comes to mind. Easy in away that it seems impossible to not at least get a B. Wouldn't recommend Prof. Obiya if Econ is your major, again he is very simple and keeps it simple. I can see why some students maybe upset with him because the only difficult thing in Prof Obiya's class is understanding his accent and style.
This class was an online course and the professor did not interact much with students. I think it was a fairly easy class. Just do all the work and you will be fine.
One professor for all Econ classes in City - burn out - class more administered rather than taught.
This professor might be hard to understand . When I got him at first I was like oh no what did he say. But he actually helps you alot and if u understand the terms u will pass his exams. His quizzes are open notes open book and open classmates. He always pass worksheets so u can have a better understanding of the topic.Take him his class is great!
Prof. Obiya is a great guy. Very fair and sets his students up for to succeed in his class. I learned a lot in his class and did very well.
The class is easy but the material is not! He allows you to do your quizzes in groups but not the tests. Make sure you sit close to the "smart people" or else you will probably fail the quizzes. Paid 110 for my book and only needed it for 4 short assignments in the whole semester!
He hands out worksheets in class. READ the textbook for exams, Participate in class a few times so he knows who you are. It is possible to get an A but if ECON is your major this is not the righ tprofessor to take. He dresses funny too. Sit next to someone who is smart or understands the material.
His class is pretty easy, just copy everything he writes on the board and read the worksheets and you'll probably pass with a C. For a better grade, read the book. Quizzes are group quizzes and test's are okay.
Obiya is very animated and erratic sometimes. To pass the class, you must help yourself by reading the chapters ahead of time to have any idea what he's saying during lecture sometimes. But the class is extremely easy overall, his quizzes are open book, notes, seatmates. Some of his tests are also open book.
This professor gives a wide perspective with lots of good examples of real-life applications. Feel free to ask him when you have a question, he always seems obliged to provide clarification. I learned many useful theories from his class. You can tell that he really cares about his students.
Mr. Obiya is so hard to understand it's actually pretty funny half the time. Until you're in front of your test and you realize you have no idea where to even start. He spends entire classes on the simplest concepts and nothing on what is actually on your exams. I would really really really recommend taking Econ somewhere else.
Why is this guy even teaching? He doesn't like to answer your questions so if you need help with anything, good luck. The point of being a teacher is to guide and assist students. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. This instructor is unprofessional.
To be honest you guys this teacher is pretty horrible, his accent without the due respect is hard to understand, you gotta be in the front seat to barely understand. He gives lot of extra credit, you need to study a lot on your own because his exams are pretty tough.
Took the 8-week online course for Econ 120 and it was not too bad. He sends a lot of e-mail reminders about upcoming due projects/homework/quizzes/tests which was great. Read the book, do the work and you should pass with an A. He gave extra credit towards the end and also drops lower test score so I didn't even need to take the 4th exam.
It was a partial-ol class. His lectures are very straight forward. As long as you attend, take notes if you need to, and take all the quizzes and tests which are done online I bet you'll get an A. There is no homework, and only one 45m lecture/week. Note that he will NOT help you online, but is very helpful in person. And he has a strong accent.
he likes to schedule tests on only one day online and it just so happens I have a full day of classes. don't forget.
Well, I just have to say you have to read the book, study and you'll pass the class. Simple as that. I've specifically taken Econ 120 and 121 with him.
On the online courses, he provides absolutely no help. He expects the Pearson and McGraw websites to completely teach you. If you're on a budget and can't afford the absurdly expensive textbooks/complete website access he assigns you are OUT OF LUCK. There is no free material that can help you. Worst professor I have EVER had.
I took Eco121 online and I got "A". In the tests, he except you know every thing. Tests not form the book from his imagination.
I took this class partially-online. Your grade is based on three components: online tests (3-4, lowest of 4 is dropped), online quizzes, and in-class group quizzes. The lectures weren't really helpful, but you can pass the class easily if you just read the textbook (only 4 chapters assigned). He takes attendance.
Not sure what the professor actually does. No lectures, everything is from a textbook (expect to pay an extra $140 for this) and all tests are automated. It's a very easy class, but I can't say I actually learned anything. It looks like emails from the professor are automated too, expect a tonne of spam each day.
Professor Obiya is very passionate about teaching economics. I took his online course that required one lecture a week. Honestly, if you read the book and study key terms, you will be fine. His lectures are helpful if you prepare ahead of time. Sit in the front row because he has a thick accent that can be hard to understand at times.
Tons of typos and capslock on emails for this online class. The grade and discussion sections are outdated and combined with old posts. Really unprofessional online presence.
Very essay class, I took it online on summer. The tests are online, one being dropped if you do poorly on it than school is not for you because it is such an essay class C'mon. The class has designed in a very good way that will make you learn besides getting an A. I learned and a lot and got A. Thanks, Professor!
Easy class, but with the online homework be careful to not have any website related problems with it because if you do he will immediately assume you want to fail the class and he and I quote"will not do anything unless he gets a direct email from the IT guys", and after the IT guys contact him he will make fun of you for the rest of the semester.
His accent his heavy and hard to understand. He goes through lecture super fast and is hard to follow. I wouldn't suggest taking him if its your first time taking Econ
He is a little hard to understand like people say, but what a nice guy. You can see he really cares about students and wants us to succeed. The class is easy and he gave extra credit as well. Overall very nice guy, do the work and you'll get an A.
Choosing this professor depends on what you want from the class. If you want an easy A, take him. If you want to learn a lot, don't. But he is a super nice guy!
I took his Econ 120 and 121 class. He is definitely a little hard to understand and isn't the greatest teacher but he is very passionate about Econ and is funny. For both classes, I had to teach myself mainly and there was quite a bit of work but I got a decent grade. If you're looking to take an easier Econ class than I recommend his.
Do extra Credit
I was unable to access Pearson and he told me "Read the syllabus. It states what software you need for my class. No other student in my 7 classes has similar problem. I do not know how to help you. It is a technical issue." As a professor, he needs to ensure that all of his students have access to the material or come up with alternate solutions.
This professor is literally the worse he would not put in my final exam because it did not show up for him and when I showed him proof of the exam and still would not do anything about it. He also does not respond to any emails and is lazy when he teaches.
horrible professor will also never reply to your email and if he does reply it takes him forever to. Also in the emails he has the grammar of a 5th grader.
very rude to students.
asked him a question about an online assignment and responded with "this semester I had 7 classes with 318 students and no one has issues because they understood the rules."
I can't speak to his in-person courses, but I've taken both ECON120 and 121 with this professor online and they have been great. The online courses had clear grading criteria and reasonable due dates for assignments. Both were easy A's in my opinion.
Cold, and not interacting. Makes you feel like a nusicance
I took Econ 121 as an intersession online class and I would say everything was pretty straightforward. There are some homework's that are very long but you have plenty of time to turn them in. There are quizzes and tests but all online. No textbook required but you do have to purchase McGrawlHill. Overall a very nice chill class. Would recommend.
busy work. ridiculous assignment load
busy work. ridiculous assignment work count
Imagine getting upset with students and feeling the need to belittle them for asking why their grade dropped by a significant amount. I had an A in the class, and because of a glitch, my grade dropped to C. Of course, it's natural to panic and message professor about your grade. He gets upset and makes you feel bad for worrying about your grade.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
40%
Textbook Required
30%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.33 avg changeRatings by Course
ECONOMICS120
3.5
(2)ECON120
2.4
(43)ECO120
2.3
(20)ECON121
2.0
(20)ECON1201
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECONOMICS121
5.0
ECON101
4.0
ECON120121
3.5
ECON121
3.4
ECO121
3.1