2.5
Quality3.7
Difficulty17%
Would Retake120
Reviews17%
Would Retake
120
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
15
4
23
3
15
2
34
1
33
What Students Say
“WORST PROFESSOR ever known to man”
MATH52 - 1.0 rating“He is funny and mean but he teaches good,no hw required,watch out on your tests he may try to mistreat you, but u can argue with him hopefully”
MATH7 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
89%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.17 avg changeRatings by Course
CALCI
5.0
(1)MATH84
5.0
(1)STATS
5.0
(1)MATH21
4.2
(6)MATH2
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MATH23
5.0
DIFFEQ
5.0
MATHDE
5.0
MATHMATH
5.0
MATH4357
5.0
Reviews (120)
He made it clear his class was hard to pass-not very motivating.thick accent
Changed grading policies and test dates w/o notice. Often berated students.
No Comments
explains well but tough exams. Gives extra credits but very hard ones. changes exam dates without notice.
He was a sub one day for algebra class and I thought he was great because he showed us some shortcuts on problems that our original teacher did not show us which helped me get a better grade on my test.Thick accent but its kind of cute :-)~ Nice guy too.
tests are kind of hard. but the class is fun.
DO NOT TAKE THIS MAN! RUN THE OTHER WAY!!! VERY thick accent. Boring. Never checks homework. When he talks, he somewhat souds like the guy from the VISINE comercial("got dry red itchy eyes...") only with an accent. EGHH DON'T TAKE HIM!
Great teacher, hard class
Very hard. Does not like to help us. Has a problem explaining things. Not very clear.
Took him twice and had to drop both times.
Do not take him. He is a brilliant man and I know he knows his field of study very well but he is a HORRIBLE teacher. He does not explain and makes exams unbearably difficult. In Math 32 I swear on all tests he only put the toughest proofs known to man.
This guy is a GENIUS. He didn't mind reviewing or answering questions. However, you gotta know your stuff to make it in this class. He was very funny throughout the semester but he was just as hard. I failed. Great guy, hard class. "Please don't comp
I had him for the summer and I failed. He's a smart guy with an okay personality, but he is not so good at teaching. He tip toes over the problems in class and isn't clear on what he is going to test the class in, can't feel ready for exams.
Knows math but not how to teach it. Spends an equal amount of time teaching math as he does talking about life in the Ukraine. Generally unhelpful to most students, demeaning and arrogant. Would not recommend to anyone I like...
No Comments
So misunderstood. His chatter breaks up the boredom of math, and then he gets down to it and tells you exactly what you need to know. No sugar coating of math. Just the facts. Many students fail his classes because they think they don't actually need to learn math to pass.
He's super smart, but if you're a little slow in this subject like me, don't even think you can get by with him. He offers to answer your questions but goes so fast and is way unclear about the solution. His "reviews" don't prepare you for the exams at all. Don't take him!
goes through the problems really fast. he just does the problems on the board, w/o any explanation at all! So what's the point? Tests are 1 page long but very hard. A lot of HW assigned. , he is unclear about what's going to be on the test so you're in for suprises!
Class is very hard; you MUST study outside of class. He gives sample exams that are almost exactly like the test, but tests are still extremely hard. My test grades did improve over time. He did give me a B although my grade computed to a C. He does not like to answer questions nor befriend students
At first i didn't like him cause he used to talk about stuff like his payroll etc. he actually showed us all his w2. but in the end i started to like him more and more. if u are a science major i recommend him, if not i would try some one else. you need to know your stuff. he is a genius though.
Mr. N is a great person and he is an absolute genius. Although he tells a few stories the subject is often related to his lecture in one way or another.
No Comments
He is this funny, hectic, disorganized bear of a man with a thick Russian accent and a quirky sense of humor. Grades on a curve, so you can get a C if you only show up half the time. Put in a little effort, and you'll get an A no prob.
He is a great fun person. He keeps class entertaining with his negative jokes :D Many people doesn't like his jokes, but I found it funny. His math15 class in summer was fun and enjoyful. His tests were not hard except the final was a little bit crazy.
the most evil man ever, i got the best grade in class, a B, NO A's and he hates evereyone, worste teacher ever, don't take him unless ur nuts.....
He is a nice teacher.
I love his class. His jokes are fun. This course is a little bit hard, many students gave up after took his 1st test. His 'practice tests' are very useful. It's not easy to get a A, esp for non-Eng speaking students; however, if you spend more time study, get a B is not hard; if you study crazily, get a 100 on final is possible :)
'cuz he's a fanatic mathmatician n'maybe a genius in math, he never knows where i get confused. n' unfortunately not enough opportunity 2 ask him questions. if u want a good grade u need a good tutor wiz whom he'll enjoy competing through u. i kinda liked his jokes. i studied so hard on each test but i regret that i din't drop da class earlier.
Weak on terminology and explaning. He might know his teaching material but does not know how to translate that into something a student can understand. I was qualified to get into Math 2 and this class was hard enough for me.
He's the worst teacher ever, know his stuff but no teaching skills what so ever. Plz save don't waste your time on the guy
No Comments
Waste more time talking about self than teaching. Arrogant and believing in blaming student for not understanding subject rather than trying to help. His idea of clarifying information - go to a tutor.
He is not an easy math teacher unless you like math and think it is easy. He has a way of making the material seem very understandable while he is talking about it. It is really up to you to remember it. He is not an English Major's math teacher. He is a math majors teacher for sure.
I transferred to UCLA from SMC. Nicholaychuk gave good lectures, but his exams are inordinately difficult. Changed his grading policy on the final after we took it. He's extremely challenging. He has an accent, but if you don't like accents, don't go to UCLA.
dont take this math class.. its hard... doesnt care bout the students...and teaches horrible...
He's a very funny guy. Makes the class easy. For the tests he tells you EXACTLY what problems to study so you don't have to study whole chapters. Goes over sections very quickly and you might need to go over sections on your own, other than that, very easy.
..he is not very good at explaining stuff and very not approachable. but he teaches you math and prepares you for more math. he tells you what questions will be on the test. his final is mostly composed with questions from the previous tests, word for word. and he tells a lot of funnie stories
I enrolled in elem stats because it is a pre-req for grad school. Many folks assured me stats is fun. (I already took Calculus in college.) Unfortunately, Nikolaychuk was insulting, obviously didn't care to teach non-advanced math, managed to imply all poor people are dumb, and even revealed his salary - all in the first session! Avoid - awful man!
Good teacher! if u listen carefully and ask about the problems, he will kindly help you. Quite challenging tests and he also likes to tell stories:(
No Comments
If you are not naturally good at math, do not take him. I felt that he was inapproachable, and generally answered every question by saying that you should have learn it before. Perhaps he is better with higher level math, but for lower level math classes I do not recommend him. I think his greatest talent is telling you what a great teacher he is.
NOT EASY TO UNDERSTAND. DOES NOT EXPLAIN MATERIAL WELL. BAD TEACHING STYLE. DO NOT RECOMMEND.
He's awesome, a smart guy. He tells a lot of stories which keep the class interesting. His tests are quite easy and before the tests, he tells you exactly what to study for the test. If you listen carefully, you will be able to get an A. Do not try to memorize stuff, gotta try to UNDERSTAND 'em.
by far the biggest piece of trash of a human ever born from his garbage can parents. just thinking about this guy makes me wanna slit my own throat and pour vodka all over the wound... basically i cant write anymore cuz thinking about him hurts very much. NIKOLAYCHUK IS THE BIGGEST JERK EVER, if u take his class, ur totally screwed. trust me......
He's NOT as hard as people make him out to be. He's actually a good professor who knows his stuff and who, despite not being very approachable, helps the students and wants them to succeed. At first, he may scare you and the first test doesn't have a practice test, but all others do. Follow them, and you're sure to get an A. Really good professor
horrible teacher! makes you feel stupid if you ask a question. no homework, but test are HARD. he has such a thick accent you cant tell if hes speaking in english or his native tounge! if you cant teach yourself dont take this class!
No Comments
Calculus. I found this professor to be rude, disrespectful, boastful, and having no interest in providing any kind of clarity. Simply a wild cannon that each student must handle each class. I love this subject, but chose to pursue my love with another professor because I hated going to class and hearing him insult people and be rude.
His class is not very interesting. He tells a lot of stories that get annoying in the end. I sometimes left class behind clueless about what went on. The only good thing is that he gives a practice test which is very helpful.
i totally suck at math and spent only 2 hours per week for class but i still got an A. he gives out the practice tests before real tests, very similiar. take good notes from the lecture, study "the notes, not textbook." he's very intellegent. you people who dont like him are just too lazy to study! easy B, and an A with a little efforts.
He is not a very good math teacher. He spends too much class time telling how he “let’s what students say to him go in one ear, and out the other” and how much money he makes ($2 per minute). He does not lecture on mathematics, but mostly works problems on the board. The college would save a lot of money by hiring TA to do what he does.
He is a very positive person....nearly too positive...However, the way he teaches really didnt suit me....He has a pretty heavy accent and worst of all...he expects you to already be good at math....He is the least motivating teacher I have ever had....Man, he kinda made me lose hope...
He comes to class early... then leaves and is 20 mins late to class...he lectures for 30 mins on his math club, then proceeds to do a problem on the board faster than you can understand and refuses to answer questions. Welcome to nicholaychuk's class.
Definitely different. He comes from a difficult, strict country and still has those ideals. He purposely tells a lot of life stories in class to waste time. All he does in class are problems and he gives a study guide that is exactly like the test. Pay attention, come to class, and do the study guide. I loved his class and want him for Math 7 too.
Comes in early, leaves and comes back 10-15 min later, then spends most of the lecture time talking about his math club at LACC. Hard to understand with accent, deviates from required material, and wastes class time on stories. Tests are harder and don't resseamble anything from lecture and homework. Has high expectations without motivating you.
Out of 45 students who started the class only 21 reached the final. He made a mistake to tell us that we can have all the time that we need for the final, so over 5 hrs into the final there was still over a half of the class writing. He is taking too many points for basic algebraic mistakes, nor caring if you understood the material from this class
he's the most arrogant teacher I've ever seen. Spends most of the time talking about himself than the subject matter. Spends most time correcting his own mistakes and telling us how good he feels about it than actually teaching something.
Class started with 34 students. Ended with 8. Be prepared to sit down and be quiet because he doesn't like questions. He is a little sadistic. If you have taken Calc I before, you will do OK. If this is your first time with Calc 1, you are in for a shock.
Out of 34 students who started the class only 6 reached the final. He made a mistake to tell us that we can have all the time that we need for the final. He is taking too many points for basic algebraic mistakes, nor caring if you understood the material from this class. He should never get tenure and go back to USSR and teach
Probably the worst teacher I've ever had to take at SMC. He needs to retire. When he wasn't rambling about how better things are in the Ukraine, he was talking about how much smarter the kids in his math club at West LA college are than us. His teaching style is pathetic. He absolutely will not help you with problems you have.
He is great when it comes to teaching, but the worst when it comes to grading. Takes off more than half of points for making simple algebraic mistakes. Overall, made Calc pretty understandable and since it was a night class, very enjoyable and entertaining by sharing different stories with us. Very fun class, but hard on grading.
i have never had a worst math teacher, NO theoretical coverage of the material, arbitrary unfair grader, and as if it weren't bad enough that he isn't a good teacher, he is also an annoying person, that repeats the same jokes everyday. bad for your gpa, I DON'T SUGGEST HIM!!
Anatoly is an insensitive, rude person. Most people in the class didn't like him, but the difficulty level of his class is extremely low. Easy A, as long as you pay attention to the practice tests he hands out the day before.
WARNING!!! Do not attempt to take this class with this Prof. He is one of the WORST teachers at SMC! Hard/unfair grader on tests, no teaching ability, and likes to share his cynical opinions that waste time. DO NOT take this class with him. You have been WARNED!
Extremly bad teacher. One of the worst teacher at SMC. Take him and you will fail. Extremly unfair at grading.
This guy will ruin your life! His grading has to be the worst I've seen at SMC. On long tedious problems, he'll take tons of points off for any algebraic, arithmetic, or conceptual errors. You can sit down and not know the material, or sit down knowing everything but drop a negative, and end up with the same grade. Ridiculous. STAY AWAY!!!!!!!
He is very entertaining, but unless you've taken Statistics before and are just using this to fulfill a pre-requisite or as a brush up, you're likely to fail!
awesome teacher.only math teacher you should take .no homework, expains math problems you chose.without questions take him.
STUDENTS BEWARE: You will get a part-time clown with this "professor." He wasted time balancing rulers and God-knows-what on his foot while ragging on American students and boasting about his precious Ukraine. The man is a fraud of an instructor because he doesn't like to teach, he likes to FAIL people. He is the worst instructor I have EVER HAD
This guy needs to be shipped back to the Ukraine. He's very clever with his words, don't be fooled. He will change test dates and grading policies without notice and leave you with the desire to engage in a physical confrontation with him. He wastes time and God help you ask him a question. He will make you feel stupid and useless, BAD TEACHER!!
I cannot believe this person is a teacher. He manipulates words and seems friendly, but he is fake! He would show up late, waste a bunch of time and he would always change the dates for testing. I almost quit going to school after taking his class. He made me feel dumb when I would ask questions. He knows his stuff, but he won't teach it to you.
He is funny and mean but he teaches good,no hw required,watch out on your tests he may try to mistreat you, but u can argue with him hopefully.
This teacher is amazingly awesome! He's the best teacher ever! Yes some students might not like him, but thats only because of the stupid questions you keep re-asking him! Overall, he's the best! and grade counts on the Test scores! WOooooooHOooOOooo! GooooOOOooo NiKOLAYCHUK!!!!
This calculus teacher gives very difficult tests and loves to fail his students. On the first test over 50% failed. On the second test, the students that failed apparently studied and then 8 people got A's on the test. On the third test, angry about the success of his students, this teacher gave us an extremely difficult test that most people faile
Good Teacher. Hard Tests. Gave us the wrong final, took it away from us and then gave us an about hour to complete the correct final... 8 questions = 400 points. Very hard. Study a lot. You'll do fine...
HE IS THE BEST TEACHER I'VE EVER HAD.OH MY GOD...HAHAH...HE IS SO FUNNY.I STUDIED A LOT AND I GOT AN A,BUT SERIOUSLY IF YOU ARE AN ACTOR OR YOU HAVE A SENCE OF HUMOR U SHOULD DEFFINETELY TAKE HIS CLASSES.WHAT A GREAT CHARACTER IS THIS TEACHER.YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IT.IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BE IN HIS CLASS.
He is a nice guy.
Seriously, he is sooooo boring. His teaching style is pathetic. All he does is copy things from the textbook and ask us to pick a question and he just writes the answer with unclearly explanation. Even a solution book can do what he does. He gave out 4 test and only counts 3 and one final$
i like the class but i think he pays very little attention to explaining how to follow directions in writing statement/reason in his geometry class.
hes ok
seriously. don't listen to the people bashing on this teacher! sure his jokes might be a lil harsh, but i guarantee you, take the class and STUDY! and you will pass for sure. i had to drop because of my own laziness. tests are VERY VERY SIMILAR to the practice test he gives out, and aren't hard at all. trust me, im basically a D student in math.
he is soo annoying.. all does is talk about his story ingod damn ukraine accent. he doesnt explain any problems or anything.his test are pretty short . and the only good thing abt him is that he gives out practice test
Not an easy teacher. If your gonna take him during regular semester. Does not explain enough. Not an easy A.
Fantastic teacher! You will have to work hard to earn your grade. DO THE HOMEWORK! If you plan on coasting take a different teacher. He is very fair, you will know exactly what is on tests. Most importantly, you will understand the concepts. Funny sense of humor, like your weird Ukrainian uncle. Listen to his advice! It's all true kids!
Teacher makes alot of mistakes, in fact if you had taken Geometry before and had gotten A's yet he hands you a C... I took some problems from the test else where and discovered that some of the test problems have horrible errors in them. Teacher focuses on speaking about his friends from Ukraine and not on the subject. Bad at teaching and testing.
Im so happy I took this class and didn't listen to the previous posts! I was dreading Statistics, but while he teaches he likes to make us laugh.Not a bad way to take a hard class.Gives practice test a couple of days before each test. If you put in the time to at least study well the practice tests u will get an A,or B for sure. He is fair & Great!
WORST PROFESSOR ever known to man. PLEASE do yourself a favor and DO NOT take any of his classes.
So disgusting. How did he get hired at such a great school like SMC? His class was a waste of time and money. He tells his students they don't know logic, but he doesn't know how to teach.
HES NOT REALLY A GOOD TEACHER, MOST OF HIS CLASS FAILS , AND HES KEEPS IT THAT WAY SINCE HE DOESNT LIKE POEPLE GETTING A'S IN CLASS,WHICH IS ABSURD, HE EXPLAINATIONS ARENT THAT GOOD, AND HE GETS OUT OF TOPIC WAY TO MUCH TALKING ABOUT HIS UKRAINING PAST , HE'S GOT A SENSE OF HUMOR THO .
He spends the entire class recounting his life in Ukraine, telling you how smart he is, and how he only works at SMC to get extra money. Yes, he has a sense of humor, however, he prefers to criticize his students about their lack of logical thinking instead of explaining the lesson at hand. DONT TAKE IT.
Study by yourself haha
I took his plane geometry class and decided to give it my best. But I just could not understand what he's teaching/saying. As mentioned, he really spends most of the time reminiscing about his life in Ukraine. To me, it seemed that he was teaching philosophy instead of geometry. I really disliked the way he teaches geometry.
Nikolaychuk admitted he hates teaching Math 52 and bragged about how many fail his class. I am an A/B student, but did not get this. He said students with a C or below are lazy. I am a mom, work full time and go to school full time. Lazy? When asked a question, he would respond you should know that or go to math lab. It is his job to teach!
He teaches in Los Angeles City College, and I see everyone does not agree with him. In his class only 14 students are in class. He does not know how to teach and pay attention to describe well for studet. Only he care about for money he receive from goverment not care for teaching. If you want waste your time go and take his class in SMC or LACC.
Yes he doesn't like teaching Math 52 because its hard teaching students that don't know basic math. But attend every class, pay attention to the way he solves problems, go over study guide before every test, and go over problems in textbook. I got an A!
I've taken him for math 52 and 21. He's truly the best teacher out there. Just pay attention to his method of solving and get easy A. Tests are less than 10 questions, all very similar to the ones from the study guide. Final study guide is all study guides combined. He's the best! Got an A!
He allows graphing calculators on 4 of the 5 tests and the final, making it REALLY easy to cheat, and cheat I did. If you are absent 4 times, you get dropped. Bad teacher, easy class. Admits he only cares about the paycheck, doesn't follow test schedule (SO GO TO CLASS TO FIND OUT WHEN TESTS ARE), but is funny. Has thick accent, if you care.
Personally, I am not good at math, but i really enjoyed and loved this class.
Great person.
You must take him! You won't regret. The final was much easier than I expected. If you study, you can do it without difficulties.
He gives out list of homework problems similar to the ones that will be on the test. But on the test he gives questions that are much harder than any homework question in the book. Extremely difficult to pass and not worth taking him unless you already know calculus. He is a very nice man, but *extremely* difficult.
I took winter class, which is intense. Exam every week. Took 3 exams three days in a row. Honestly, you need to know the materials from previous math courses. But he gives you trig sheet, and cheat sheet later in the course. BEST part is that he gives you the study guide that tells you whats going to be on the exam. BET NO OTHER PROFESSOR DOES THAT
Hardest teacher ever. 7 question test, no extra credit. Drops one test. Uses book during class for problems but not for test. You'll have to buy a harder book if you want to get a C or higher. Study daily and you'll hopefully get a C.
His class is boring. He's not funny to me. I took him for the summer and we had a test every week. HE LOVES TELLING STORIES.He doesn't throughly check the homework. He gives cheat sheest, just practice those problems. When it comes to the material, I had to literally teach yourself because instead of doing the problem step by step.
It feels like I've been to war and not everyone made it out alive. The man is a genius, but this is a very hard class. Start using the free tutors in the math lab right away so you don't fail the first two tests like I did. I don't know whether to love or to hate him, but thanks, Dr. Nikolaychuk, for the life experience and lessons in logic.
He is kind of mean. He can be funny at times but I would not recommend taking this professor. You need to put in ample time outside of his class to understand the subject because he does not really teach. If you get stuck in this class, I strongly suggest going to math lab immediately. It's possible to understand if someone else teaches you.
Don't take him, unless you want to spend hours & hours at the math lab teaching yourself!He keeps talking about how smart he is & how everyone in Ukraine it's sooo SMART that 8th graders are learning the material we are learning in class right now.He also changes test days & goes sooooo fast!! Oh & admits that he is only doing it for the money
He's super easy. No homework, no quizzes. I don't get it when people say his tests are hard. Common people. What do you expect more than that? Just 20 MC questions and they're the same as what he taught in class, just need to bring the formula card. Just need to review for 1 hour before the test. That's it. I admit that his class is super boring.
This professor is extreamly kind and inviting. He likes to joke, but is very repetitive. He truly wants you to pass this class. Tests are not easy but are easy enough, the final is the worst part. My advise is to get as many points before the final and take great notes!
Easy-going professor. Willing to help and likes to see his students get good grades. His tests can't get any more simpler than what they are. He literally tells you the exact problems that are going to be on the tests and final. if you don't pass this class then I don't know what's up with y'all.
I'm appalled that this man is a professor. He blatantly insults students based on their major, once describing any student not taking calculus as lazy. He doesn't allow any discussion, unless of course it's about his personal life. Who cares? Avoid this professor for stats unless you are comfortable being subjugated to bragging and insults.
People considering this professor: I did not get a chance to take him but if he's not an understanding human. He sticks to his syllabus and does not care about what you have to say. Full-Time Student Approved. Working Student with possible schedule conflict NOT WANTED. He told me to quit my job if I intend to take his class.
Class is for the "resourceful student". The instructor will not hold your hand here, you'll have to find someone else to teach you/teach yourself. Don't wait. In my opinion, he is too smart to teach this level of math - he can do it but he cannot simplify it for you. Pros: Tests are same as examples, lowest grade replaced with final grade, no hw.
Mr. N is "okay" to understand b/c of his accent. Three things I really liked about him is that during class he does a lot of math problems. He will re-do a a whole math problem just for you. And he gives you similar math problems beforehand that show up in the test. He is sarcastic which can be very funny or very rood. And you have to study!
He's a joke, in general.
Professor N. Is a really cool teacher . Don't listen to the reviews. If you do the work, study and ask questions when you don't understand something you will pass. Like anything if you put in the work you will pass.
The tests are very Heavy. 5 Test each test is 20% + Final 40% .
This class is the epitome of a difficult college class. Only non-A I've gotten in SMC. Straight-forward, lectures into exams, nothing else counts in your grade. His lectures are not all that great - consisting of mostly just practice problems in class. The final exam had questions that I felt he did not prepare us for at all.
Okay. This is the worst professor I have ever had. He's disrespectful and said a lot of offensive things to his students. If you are in a low level math class with him he will straight up tell you and the class you're dumb. If you make any mistake on a math problem, you get the whole thing wrong. DO NOT TAKE.I promise. Worst choice ever.
Throughout the whole course he would 90% drift from talking about a math problem to a situation that has happened in his life. Would often bash the American Lifestyle and compare it to his former country, like this is math? Who cares. Would not clearly explain the chapters and would skip certain problems we needed to know for the final.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
89%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.17 avg changeRatings by Course
CALCI
5.0
(1)MATH84
5.0
(1)STATS
5.0
(1)MATH21
4.2
(6)MATH2
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MATH23
5.0
DIFFEQ
5.0
MATHDE
5.0
MATHMATH
5.0
MATH4357
5.0