1.9
Quality3.9
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake87
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
87
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
1
4
6
3
19
2
41
1
20
What Students Say
“Terrible professor and one of the highest paid people at this school”
ECON1202 - 2.0 rating“Worst professor I've ever had at UConn”
ECON2202 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Not enough grade data to predict
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.31 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON2110
5.0
(1)ECON1200
2.6
(22)ECON1201
2.6
(17)1202
2.0
(2)ECON111
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECON111
5.0
ECON219
5.0
ECON245
5.0
ECON2110
5.0
MACRO1202
5.0
Reviews (87)
Bob is very impatient in class, does not care about the students. He was supposed to allow a note card for each of the 4 exams, but he changed his mind after the first exam.
He is not interested in students, Aplia is your only key to sucess for this class, he puts very little of his own effort, power point slides he uses, quizes, and textbook are all on aplia so he does very little work. If you ask him a question is seems like your bothering him, he is very defensive.
He is not interested in students, Aplia is your only key to sucess for this class, he puts very little of his own effort, power point slides he uses, quizes, and textbook are all on aplia so he does very little work. If you ask him a question is seems like your bothering him, he is very defensive.
lectures are power pt. slides that he'll put up before the exam but attendence is taken so you have to go.
Awful. No lie, I'm writing this while I'm in class right now, that's how disinteresting he is. As said before, "Aplier" (Aplia; he talks with sort of a Boston-Connecticut accent) is your only chance to do well. Does not give practice exams or reviews, does not garner interest. I leave early literally every day. Avoid Martel at all costs.
Not interested in students, avoids answering questions if he can. "I don't believe in practice exams". Aplia does all his grading and makes his slides, he will not do anything to help you should you miss an assignment. A student came to him during the second week explaining he had been in the hospital, Bob would not allow him to make up any work.
Easily worst teacher i have ever had. Does the bare minimum of work. Lazy. Doesn't even grade his own class, has a "grader" do the work. Doesn't care what you have to say. Sits down the whole class and clicks through slides. Avoid this teacher at all costs.
Clicks through slides too fast for anyone to copy them down, but you have to go to class because he takes attendance. Doesn't know what he's talking about, no help whatsoever, won't even give you a general idea of anything you need to know. Very boring.
the other comments all say that he takes attendance, but i rarely go to class. the few classes i've gone to, i don't remember him taking attendance. i've only been to class three times. i find the class to be extremely easy, but that's probably because i took AP Econ in high school. don't avoid this class, but don't take it as a first choice either
Probably the worst college professor I have ever had...not because the class is overly difficult simply because he's a jerk. He doesn't care about his students at all and is simply lazy.
The class was useless. His powerpoints were copies of the text. But you need to do ALL of the reading and aplia assignments.
Awful class. Definitely don't need go to lectures, all slides and examples are straight from the book. Discussion section is worth only 5%, I made it to two of those and ended up with a B. Online activites are super easy and worth 20% of total grade. The final was taken straight from previous exams. Easy to do well but boring.
He was pretty easy, but he pretty much did slides off of the MyEconLab website, so they weren't completely useful. He was a pretty good teacher, and the class was pretty easy, but try to get another teacher.
I took the integrated econ class. It is intense. I don't recomend it for not-so-serious students. You need to read and take notes on 2 chapters a week. The aplia is a pain in the butt, and its hard to focus during lectures. Slides are exactly from the text book. read your stuff ahead of time or else you wont understand it in class
Posts everything online and reads right off the slides in class so you dont need to go. Isnt generally understanding of student issues but the class is easy so you shouldnt have too many issues. He played the pipe flute wearing all leather at our final so he's a bit of a character
He wasn't that bad of a professor, he just made the class hard. He is cocky also. His exams are pretty tough, and his grading scheme is midterm/final so if you fail the midterm, it is close to impossible to get anything higher than a C. He is just a tough professor.
Was scared by the reviews saying he was the worst professor ever. Wasn't the worst professor ever but definitely not the best. Difficult class. Basically all of the grade was based on Aplia. Not necessary to go to class, just read the book.
It's not a hard class. Just read the chapter and take notes on it before the lecture and then go to the lecture so he can explain it again. That way you learn the info better. Homework and tests are easy as they're online and multiple choice. This is one my easier classes.
he doesnt help you out at all. if you screw up in anyway he does not make any effort to help you. his online tests are difficult but his midterm was not too bad. avoid him if you can. i couldnt and killed my gpa because of it. he is just awful and i had a horrible experience in his class
He is a pretty terrible professor oveall. Doesn't want to help anyone out. He, "doesn't believe in practice quizzes" and removed them from the website. He is lazy, but tries to make us work as hard as possible. Online homework and tests are easier if you have friends in the class. The hardest-easiest class if that makes sense.
Don't take this class. He reads the slides provided by the book in class so if you read the book class is useless. Unless you have a gift in Economics you will spend your semester teaching yourself micro and macro economics and this doesn't work out well...... trust me don't take the intensive with Martel!
Bad teacher because he does not actually teach you anything-he just reads off powerpoint. Is getting bitter so makes quizzes/exams unnecessarily difficult.
He is an alright teacher, however he teaches directly out of the book. If you get the online book right away he even had his pre-made slides on the site. However once he opens them they aren't accessible. He teaches right from the slides and just adds examples for clarity. Very easy class if you keep up with the easy online homeworks.
He is the man. Bob Martel = Uconn economics...I love the history of economic thought. Bob Martel > Adam Smith
The worst professor in the history of professor I've ever known. Even though I got an A-, but it was solely my work. He did not really helpful at all. Just read the slides provided by Pearson. If you can read the book and make sense out of it, you don't even have to go to the lecture
He's a good guy and he tries to make class interesting, but it's hard to sit through an hour and 45 minutes of economics lecture. If you can make yourself go, and read the chapters (like he tells you to), this class should not be a problem. The tests are easy too and aside from the midterm and final you can use your book since they're online.
He just reads straight off the slides that Pearson made so you can get them somewhere else. He is very bad at teaching you basically just need to read the book on your own.
Comments on teaching ability...he has none. Pearson teaches the class, he just sits there. All HW and Exams were online, exams at odd hours of the night. Terrible.
he gets paid?
This guy sucks, he just uses the website and reads off the powerpoint that the book provides him, he does no work on his own other than comes to class and reades the slides. No point in coming to class because everything is straight from the book
Going to class is pointless. Every graded assignment is online except for the final; he reads off slides so fast and ambiguously skips slides, so you can't even copy the notes down sufficiently. The only teaching is done by yourself as you read your book.... Pretty much from my experience with Martel you're paying for the GPA not knowledge.
If you go to class, pay attention there, and do the readings, you'll do well. And if you actually talk to Professor Martel instead of expecting him to tell you everything you're doing wrong, you should be successful. But if you just sit back and let everything come to you, it won't.
THE WORST PROFESSOR TO EVER EXIST. never take him. he goes through the slides so fast that you cannot possibly take notes. he doesn't care about his students.
DO NOT TAKE MACRO WITH HIM. Very boring and difficult to learn the material from his teaching style.
He is a cranky old man! Doesn't use his brain at all in the class, pretty much you're on your own. He doesn't put up lectures and talks too fast in class to take notes. Good luck on exams, material is out of thin air on them!
Avoid having him as a professor. He does NOTHING for his class and doesn't give a rat's ass about his students. Exams are ridiculous and he's just a bitter, old man who NEEDS to retire, immediately. The book is a bit confusing and intimidating at times and he doesn't clarify at all, just quotes directly from it. Save your GPA, don't have him EVER!
He's a funny old guy but not a very good teacher. Everything is online except the final. The only motivation for going to class is to hear him say exactly what's in the book. Some of the questions on the tests are complete surprises and were never covered that well. Put in extra work yourself and you should be fine.
Good man, poor professor. Dont bother coming to class. Sit at home and read the book. Powerpoints for Macro "aren't" online, but if you look at the powerpoints online for the parkin economics book, the last half of the powerpoint are macro and are almost identical to the ones he shows in class. So don't scramble to write anything down.
I went to class all semester and didn't get much out of it. Basically all of the exams are right out of the book. However, it's not a bad class to take if you already have a background in ECON, especially UConn's ECON 1000 since the 1200 book is quite similar to it.
Good guy who basically teaches right out of the book, i found his slides online which really helped me (he didnt provide them) not too hard of a class if your willing to put in the work, it was pretty easy to teach it to myself with the slides and book. all of my tests and homework except the final were taken online.
by far the worst professor i have ever had at UConn, avoid him at all costs!
I got A's in all of the other classes I took the same semester as this one. I got a D+ in Martel's class. Even the best students do poorly in this class! Do not take it! It's a complete GPA killer!
he teaches you the material, however, it is all straight from the textbook. its easy to fall asleep during class. keep up with the homeworks and the readings and the tests shouldnt be too hard.
Easy class if you have friends taking it, tests are online so can take them together, ignorant/conservative. do not take the class with himif you are easily offended. he made comments such as "having to learn spanish to get room service in hotels" and that we will not have jobs when we graduate because of the economy,rarely went to class,dnt needto
Very bad professor- sped through slides in class. Impossible to take notes. Online exams, but given in a very strict time period. Must study A LOT if you want to do good. I'd advice taking this class with a different professor
Goes through slides WAY to fast. He just summarizes the chapter anyway. Says nothing useful in class. Go to class only for the extra credit. Best grade by memorizing every word in the entire book. Ask a question after class and he seems irritated. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!
Martel is pompous and self-loving. He switches online exam timings from a consistent schedule to random timings, in an attempt to target the students who don't attend the class (class attendance is about 10%). I was 5 mins late for an exam b/c of a mandatory meeting and he would not allow me to take it, resulting in a zero.
Useless professor. no need to go to class all the reading, homework, and tests are online. His lectures in class are given from slides he takes off the internet and repeat what you read giving no further or different analysis. do not recommend taking his class unless you want to teach yourself everything.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!!! I'm an econ major, in the honors program, good student. Trust me, this class sucks! Online tests so you don't learn the material, then cumulative final at the end. TON of material.
Professor Martel is the worst professor I have ever had. He is not a nice guy and he is completely useless and not helpful at all. He teaches right out of the book and goes really fast in class so you are better off just reading the book and teaching it to yourself. Which, unfortunately, did not work for me. Save your GPA and don't take this class.
AVOID THIS TEACHER AT ALL COSTS. HE IS AWFUL AND THERE ARE OTHER PROFESSORS AT UCONN WHO ARE MUCH MUCH BETTER. Teaches strait out of the book, but gives no direction toward what will be on test. To boot, he grades absolutely nothing himself, all assignments are online, and passess off any and all questions to his TA.better options are available!!
Essentially, Martel is a good guy who know his stuff. Expect no coddling. However, if your ready to actually do your reading, you can learn a lot and do well. PS He wears a hearing aid, thats why he responds to gruffly sometimes to questions- he can't hear you.
I thought Martel was a great professor. Grades are heavily based on online tests and homeworks, but they are easy as long as you pay attention in class and read the book.
martel class is so boring,but his homework and tests are online.
This professor does not care about the students learning. He does it his way and only his way. You do not need to go to class; slides are strictly word for word from the book. Will not slow down; expects you to know all material before class. Just a mean teacher; is not a professor you can go and talk to.
Horrible professor. Not helpful at all and he doesn't understand that students have other classes so he loads on a lot of homework. Don't bother going to lecture. He is a heartless man and would not let me take a makeup test when my grandmother died on the day of. AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Terrible professor. Copy and pastes things right from the book and reads directly off the power points in class. Hard to get anything higher than a C online tests at night on a certain day which is very inconvenient! Homework online weekly. You would be better off teaching yourself the topic. Avoid this professor.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Worst Professor, just reads off the power points which are not even his! He changes the dates on the graphs to the present year and they are really from 2008.
Not that good of a teacher, but if you read the text on your own you teach yourself more than he does.
This class was miserable. Martel cannot clearly teach the material. His PowerPoint slides were confusing and he went by too fast. All you need to do for this class is read the book yourself, because his lectures are solely spoken about it. I strongly don't recommend Martel as a professor.
"I think a lot of you are in the wrong room right now because usually there's only 20 people in here during the week" : Bob Martel on the day of the final. Pretty much sums it up
Essentially a nice guy, but a tough professor. He isn't particularly interested in being there for his students and leaves it on his TA's. He does online HW and tests which is convenient though, making it a little easier to get a higher grade.
Only have to go to class for the midterm and final. Got a B+ just by reading the book. He lectures straight from slides he didn't even make. I question his knowledge of the subject; never learned anything in class. Very unorganized. Emailed him about my grade and he told me I needed to do the homework. I did every assignment.
He is not interested in teaching at all, he uses online resources for all the HW and tests, and rude to the students asking questions.
Easily the worst teacher I have ever had.
Really boring professor, but you can get 100s on all the homeworks, making it difficult to fail the class, everyting is online-based
Didn't seem to want to help, not open to your point of view. Unaware that there are schools of economics outside of Keynesianism. Also, frustrating to get out of a class even for a school event that every other professor would let you out for.
He was not helpful at ALL! This professor never comes up with original things to say in class (boring), his basically repeating what you read in the book in lecture, doens't post slides online, he doesn't curve the grades and IF you do honors research with him he doesn't include the additional work done in your cumulative grade for the class!!
No Comment
As a professor, he is not helpful at all when it actually comes to teaching. His lectures are pretty boring but I went to basically all of them. If you read the chapters and take notes on them before lecture, then lecture will fill in the gaps of what you don't understand or will give you a little extra. This class requires a lot of self teaching
Martel is one of those people that makes you shake your fist at tenure. The pre programmed quizzes, homework, and power point presentation are what to expect from his class. He does offer extra credit to students who come to class, and we did read a book, In Fed We Trust, which was quite interesting. IMO that is not a good reason 2 take his class.
martel is just meat needed by uconn to stand in front of class. any course with martel is essentially an online course. hw, tests, and grades are all online. he uses slides made by the textbook company and doesnt explain, just reads word for word what is in the textbook slides (which is in the textbook) i had read the entire book the weekend before
Yes, Martel relies a tremendous amount on online assessments. Yes, his Powerpoints are straight from the textbook company. But he's a smart economist who - if you actually listen to his lectures - complements the textbook you should've already read very nicely. He's grumpy and old, but he knows his stuff and shouldn't be underestimated.
He's boring. He's dry. He rushes through lectures. But it's straight forward stuff. Homework is an easy 100. Five exams, but if you look online you can find the entire pool of possible test questions to study from. Final was MC.
Martel is hands down the worst teacher in the entire university. If you are able to read the book there's absolutely no use in going to his class. You'd better have a good TA because he won't bother responding to any emails you send him. I found myself teaching myself econ this past semester and if you can't do that you'll be miserable.
DO NOT HAVE HIM AS A PROFESSOR. Doesn't even teach, just reads off slides that HE DOESN'T EVEN MAKE. Also, he made a rule that if you fail the final you fail the class regardless of your current grade. Take my words seriously stay away from this man, If you ever see the name "Martel", run. Run as fast as you can.
By far the worst professor I have ever had. Puts in absolutely no effort to teach class. Quizzes are made by the TAs and hw and tests are online via the textbook's publisher. Do not take his class. If you don't get a 60 or higher on the final he fails you regardless of your grade. Terrible "professor".
Reads slides verbatim, doesn't care at all for welfare of students. DO NOT TAKE A CLASS WITH MARTEL. you will be miserable!
I would recommend that you not take Martel. I attended every class, did every homework, and studied myself ragged for his final and yet, I feel as though I have nothing to be proud of. Why? He doesn't care whether you learn or not. If you're looking for a teacher who cares about his students, look elsewhere, because you won't find it here.
He was the worst professor I've ever had so far. He is boring, his slides are from some other university and they are directly from the textbook. There was no point attending class and I really hated all the online assignments and tests (and I'm sure everyone else did too.) Only the final is a paper exam and is cumulative which was just impossible.
Martel is the WORST professor I have ever had in my entire life. Usually people over exaggerate on this site but I TRIED very hard to do well in this class and it is impossible. Does not teach, does not care about anyone in the class and I question if he even knows economics. DROP OUT WHILE YOU CAN.
Terrible professor and one of the highest paid people at this school. Doesn't care about his students and didn't make anything himself, all his powerpoints are online.
Lectures consist of him reading off his powerpoints that are already on line-just google it. That's it. Contributes nothing if his own to his class. Not good at presenting his info, although he is extremley organized and you have all the material you need. Not recommended, so stay organized if you have to deal with him
awful class. Martel knows what he is talking about, but he just keeps talking and flips through his slides very fast so you can't really listen or take notes. Four online exams worth 10% of your grade, the final exam is 40% and it's in class, so it's harder. I would not recommend this class at all.
Worst professor I've ever had at UConn. Started off wanting to learn the material of this class and 3 weeks in I couldn't bring myself to go to class. AVOID at all costs if you want to learn ECON
He just reads off his slides in class which he won't post online, and expects you to know all the stuff before you come to class. The course was very challenging, covered a whole book of 25 chapters. And you need to be familiar with ALL of them on the closed not final.
Not as bad as people say. If you go to class and put in some effort you should be fine.
Class Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Not enough grade data to predict
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.31 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON2110
5.0
(1)ECON1200
2.6
(22)ECON1201
2.6
(17)1202
2.0
(2)ECON111
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECON111
5.0
ECON219
5.0
ECON245
5.0
ECON2110
5.0
MACRO1202
5.0