2.7
Quality4.2
Difficulty32%
Would Retake156
Reviews32%
Would Retake
156
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
156 total ratings5
26
4
26
3
33
2
29
1
42
What Students Say
“Not a bad prof, knows what he's talking about, and really loves graphs and kumquats”
ECON101H - 4.0 rating“The lectures are awful, and the tests are impossible”
ECON400 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
14%
Textbook Required
21%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.74 avg changeRatings by Course
HONORSECON10
5.0
(1)ECONSTAT
5.0
(1)ECONOMICS
5.0
(1)ECON165POP
5.0
(2)ECON586
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
101
5.0
ECON11
5.0
ECON
5.0
ECONSTAT
5.0
ECONOMY10
5.0
Reviews (155)
VERY tough, but fair and nice
No Comments
TOUGH COURSE! But this man is a genius. The work, if you can do it all, will pay off
When the class average is a 55 on a midterm, @ UNC, you know there is a problem. Practice tests don't reflect the material that is tested, and even when all work is done, and tests are studied for tests are still impossible.
Very hard professor. Not approachable at all. He seems to have little personality in class. I'm a chem major-please don't make the mistake I did and take this class if you don't have to.
He's a great teacher, and he is very approachable, never minds spending his time explaining. His tests are incredibly hard but you will learn a lot and it in the end will appreciate the class!
he is really hard. If you have to take Econ just for your major, like I had to, then take another teacher. If you are an Econ major, then take him, you'll learn a lot (and probably change your major).
If Econ 10 is simply a requirement for you, take it with another professor. However, you'll learn a lot less than you would have with Turchi. He is an incredible professor who really knows the material, but his tests are brutal.
Five years later I am still traumatized!!!
No Comments
When the class average is a 55 on a midterm, @ UNC, you know there is a problem. Practice tests don't reflect the material that is tested, and he promises that his practice tests are exaclty like his real tests - NOT TRUE. Try your hardest and it won't matter!
No Comments
He makes us learn songs in order to memorize econ concepts. tests = utterly impossible
turchi's class is extremely difficult, and unless you are passionate about economics, you probably won't enjoy it. (graph after graph after graph). lectures aren't the most enthralling but turchi does the best he can. supply and demand isn't thrilling in itself. if you want to learn... pick turchi
Practice tests and class lecture not material on tests. Most of the handouts are worthless, but one midterm was half on one handout. You learn a lot, but the tests are ridiculous and your grade most likely will suck. If you get him, I suggest to switch to someone else.
If you want to understand economics, Turchi is your man. He explains things in coherent, applicable ways and always wants to make sure you understand. Study, study, study for tests (they're evil), go to recitations and ask questions.
the honors section is significantly harder
If you aren't an econ major, do not take this class.
This was a nightmare! The tests will kill you! Not only is this a tough subject but Turci just recently was able to come back to teaching because he was on probation for 2 yrs for failing too many students!!! If that isn't a big hint to not take his class, I don't know what is.
Both an incredible teacher and a caring individual.
No Comments
Very difficult, moves very quickly, grades very strictly...but curves everything, so at the end of the semester, things turn out okay. You really have to rely on your TA for extra help.
worst class. total jerk. makes tests much too difficult.
take another teacher. not worth the effort.
No Comments
I suffered through Econ 10... the worst part is his amazingly well-modulated and delightful-to-listen-to voice... that put me right to sleep in Hanes 100. But, for all the complaints about him being hard, I have to give the man cred for taking the class se
No Comments
He ruled the world. Hup. Hup. Hup.
If you take this class, go to recitation because that's where you actually learn the material.
I am good at ECON and I didn't do so well in his class, but I remembered everything and that was more important (ECON major)
your grade comes mainly from one term paper you have to write. it is a good interesting class. Turchi is the man!
Knows material well, but sometimes confusing. doesn't know how to work the projector right in Carroll 111. Moves quick. Break for 3 mins. I take about 5 naps towards the end of every lecture b/c it's economics! TA's are helpful. Econ = math + graphs + concepts. enough said.
Tough teacher, this is definately a weeder class. Very helpful. Was very understanding when I missed a week for a funeral. Handled the large amount of material well, considering how much there is. Exams are tough but I did well. Econ is tough for some people, but he tried to demonstrate concepts in multiple ways to play to everyone's thought process. TA's are great, definately reiterate and clarify the lectures. If you take his class, copying your notes is a must. (fast lectures = messy notes =)
Boone Turshi is fantastic teacher. He explains everything with the utmost clarity. His tests are fair. They gauge whether or not you understand the material, not if you can cram a bunch of stuff in your head the night before. If you can follow him in lecture while taking good notes, then you should be okay. And you need to go to class.
This class is difficult to the average student. I never studied for any of my exams and I ended up with a C in the class. This is a great prof on a level of explaining things, but it is extremely hard to be able to stay awake to hear him explain things. I recommend this class, but be prepared to study.
Very boring lectures, practice exams were too easy compared to real midterms.
He's really a great professor... don't let the horror stories fool you, because if you actually TRY to do well then you will
Don't let the horror stories behind this man scare you away from the class. If you're in economics to actually LEARN something, I'd take this class. Even if you don't always get the best of grades, by the end of the semester, at least you can say you learned a lot. His tests aren't nearly as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
Turchi is a decent lecturer, though he moves fast. Be ready to take notes. Tests are not that hard. Just study the material he gives you and it will be fine. BUT you DO HAVE TO STUDY for his class, or you will not get a good grade. Don't expect to just show up for class and take notes and be fine. There are a lot of formulas and a lot of graphs.
Turchi is a good professor who loves what he does. Study his notes in great detail, and you will do fine in the class. He curves on every exam, and at the end of the year. Go to class every day or you will not do well. Be sure to read the handouts. They are on every exam.
lectures are very dry, doring, lots of material to write down. gives a three minute break in the middle of class . hard tests, must study! read the handouts - they ARE on the test. generous curve.
sucks
TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU NEED AN UPPER LEVEL ECON!!! It has to be the easiest upper level class - without a doubt. Truchi is knowledgeable and friendly. Small workload, fair tests, and small class size. Can't beat it.
loves this class! it is one of the best classes that i have ever taken! strongly recommend to anyone who is serious about learning economics and willing to work hard! you will learn so much from his class, a great, approachable, knowledgeable professor who's willing to help you anytime. most importantly, he is very patient and explains everything v
For those of you who attach enormous amounts of self-worth to the grades you receive in school, this might not be the best class for you. But remember, it only hurts for a little while.
hard tests - but if you go to class he explains things really well
It is a very demanding class averaging 5 to 10 hours of hw per week. Tests are very difficult despite how much you study. Classes are boring and Turchi will go over alot of material not on the test. I highly recommend another teacher if you must take Econ. Friends who don't take Econ know to avoid Turchi and he will bring your gpa down.
gpa killer! Turchi is nice but his style is just insufferable. the subject itself is extremely challenging and the class covers so much material. Tests are confusing but he give you half the points for writing down anything. huge amount of homework.
If you are a management major looking to fulfill the stat requirement- take stat principles of psych research it is criminally stupid and easy. If you are an econ major take ECON 400 IN THE SUMMER NOT WITH TURCHI. turchis tests SUCK..HUGE workload and impossible final. Do not buy stata if you take this class.
One of the best professors I had at UNC.
Awful. The tests are impossible no matter how hard you study. He makes no sense in class. He's disjointed with his lectures, and extremely boring. He teaches directly from powerpoints but usually gets confused by what he has on them. AVOID!!!
I heard many horror stories about Turchi but I found the class to be extremely easy. Came out with a 99% average and studied maybe an hour a day.
Turchi is a brilliant teacher but is totally unable to transfer any of his knowledge to students unless they have prior experience in statistics. If you have to take this class, buy the book because that's the only way to learn what Turchi is unable to in class.Exams are very difficult even if you put in the time to study.Don't take unless you must
The class is pretty demanding, but overall, I learned a lot from Turchi. His lectures do get extremely boring. You have to learn the majority of the material from the book. The recitation section was a disaster. His exams are pretty tough, because the multiple choice are worth 4 points apiece. He does give a generous curve on every exam though.
If you don't have to take Econ, don't. If you do have to, try and take it with Byrns. Despite the curve, its kind of hard to excel on exams that are designed for failure. Recitations were useless and the connection between exams and lectures was weak.
Well, I took AP macro and microeconomics in high school and did very well. I wanted to take econ again to make sure I knew it well. Let me say that if I hadnt taken it previously, I wouldnt know what is going on and I barely got a B. He teaches very basic stuff and then test us like a 400 level class. AVOID at all costs
I gave Turchi the benefit of the doubt. I thought perhaps all of these other ratings were just people who didn't study or go to class. Well, I studied and went to class. His tests were not really related to the material we learned. They were hard and most did poorly. However, he does curve. So don't freak if you get a 48. It's probably a C.
I hated this class. His lectures are pointless, and you can still do "alright" on his tests without going to lectures and just reading the textbook. I would sit there in his lectures in the morning in awe at the amount of information that he makes so difficult when it is not. Turchi is horrible, point blank.
This class was ridiculous. The only grades are extremely difficult tests that are curved but still it is hard to do well on them. Don't take him if you can help it.
If you care about your GPA I would avoid taking this class. The tests are extremely difficult (which makes up 90% of the grade), the recitation is useless, and the lectures are disjointed and hard to follow.
Do not take econ with Turchi...that's as simple as it can be put. His lectures are boring and difficult to follow, and his tests are impossible. Like everyone else has said, I went to class and studied for the exams and still struggled in the class...it was terrible, take econ 101 with someone else.
Turchi definitely knows his stuff. And compared to the other professors prepares you way more for higher level econ classes. He really wants his students to understand the application of Economics and not just be able to answer problems. I would recommend him even though he is hard. If you study and work hard you will do well.
Cons: Turchi's lectures are not clear, disorganized, and hard to follow. His tests don't often reflect what he has lectured about. No matter how much I studied, the exams didn't reflect what I knew. You have to study the textbook like crazy. Pros: He does prepare you for further econ classes better than Byrns. He curves exams at the end.
Although I ended up with an A- in the class I would not take another class with Turchi. His lectures are boring and hard to follow, as was the book. Tests are very difficult and hard to prepare for and he often forgot test dates and was very late in handing work back. Office hours were little to no help. He's a nice guy but not a great teacher.
This was a really hard class, Turchi is a nice person but a terrible teacher, the tests have really impossible essay questions that force you to apply concepts not learned in class or in the book. The book was overcomplicated and boring much like the lectures. DO NOT take this class with this professor for any reason.
Turchi is a great professor. A lot of people will say mean things about him simply because they didn't do well in his class. Econ 101 is a hard class but he is definitely the best econ professor at UNC. He's great at explaining things. You definitely have to also read the book. His TA's weren't great the year I took him but they've changed.
Turchi is a great professor. Not only does he really know his stuff, but he explains it very clearly. If you ask questions, he is more than willing to help you out and is really nice. The class is tough and studying and reading is necessary, but you can only blame yourself for the grade you receive.
The hardest class I have ever taken at the 100 level. If you are taking Econ 101 simply to fulfill a degree requirement, avoid Turchi. You will hate this class. If you zone out for 5 minutes you will miss 3 or more important formulas or theorems. No 101 class should be this difficult, simple as that. Most of class is clearly baffled by the material
I did well in the class but he was one of the worst teachers I had. He was boring and did not explain what he was talking about. Also I learned from a friend that he left out some important concepts in econ
Worst class I have taken in a long time. In class, he is fine. But low exam averages made grades basically arbitrary. If the class average is a 60 (meaning the average student only knew a little over half of the material on the exam) then who gets the A is dependent on who guesses the best on the remaining half of the exam. Ridiculous.
To be sure, Turchi's ECON 101 class is difficult. But I found him to be a phenomenal lecturer. I had no interest in economics before his class. But his class made economic so interesting that I went on to take micro, macro and a health economics class. If you came to UNC to be intellectually challenged and want to push yourself - take this class.
HARD!!!!! SO hard. and his TA's are basically useless. Hardest class I have ever taken. On the last exam the class average was a 60...Turchi is a very nice man and isn't a terrible lecturer, but his tests are impossibly hard.
Really knows his stuff. Took me through some multivariable integrations when I asked him how he determines the relationship between a couple different inputs and supply. TA's aren't has helpful, but they get better as the class goes along. you'll do great if you make sure you truly grasp the material.
He's a super nice guy and puts in a ton of effort trying to explain the topics, so of course you think he's good! Then, while studying for the exam, you realize how little he actually taught you, and you begin to hate the guy. You come back to class after the exam and the vicious cycle continues. Congrats to those who actually understand him.
He spouts out common definitions that you can find in the book and then draws a ton of graphs. You think you're learning but you actually understand nothing. (You find that out the night before the exam)
I took Turchi's ECON 101 class as a Junior and it was the hardest class I've had at Carolina. Turchi is interesting in the lecture but be prepared to read the book/do outside work if you want to actually understand the material. His exams have very little connection to what he teaches and if it wasn't for the curve everyone would fail.
This is a hard teacher, but he's probably one of the smartest professors I've ever had (if you care about that - take him). He doesn't use PPT or anything just writes stuff down and talks. Bit hard to stay awake and focused - even though I'm an Econ major and am passionate about the subject. He definitely prepares you for upper level Econ classes.
Maybe Turchi is tough for Econ 101--I don't know--but he is easy for Econ 400. I literally have 100 in the class without putting that much time in. The Stata assignments and homework can take a long time, but beside that, the class is great.
I'm not normally one to be tough on my college professors, but Turchi is the worst I've had in my 3 years as a college student. He spews out arcane economic vocabulary as he draws random, illegible graphs that confuse the whole class. Class average on the test is consistently below a 70, showing how little the class actually learns from him
I made an A, but that was rare. Tests are unbearable and lectures do not help at all. Your only chance is to go over practice Exams and pray
He likes to ramble on and on in lecture with useless information that you'll probably never see on the test. You have to read your textbook and attend every recitation in order to make a decent grade. Gives out handouts and there are ALWAYS test questions with that info. Hardest tests ever. You definitely have to work for a good grade
Rough teacher, very dry and slow. Doesn't inspire nor motivate. He's knowledgeable, might make for a good faculty, but an awful teacher. Ended up just skipping his class (econ 101) and read straight from the textbook. Take Balaban or Conway if you can.
One of the most ambiguous professors I've ever had. Often crams many different ideas onto one single graph, and boy does he love graphs. Graphs take up more space in your notes than words. The practices tests aren't anything like the actual tests although he claims they will be. If you don't read the text you will be lost. Exams are short but hard.
Turchi is a nice man and he tries to be helpful, but in doing so he often over-complicates things that should be simple. His exams are very difficult (he aims for class average to be around a 70), but his homework is relatively easy.
His lectures for econ 400 are completely unhelpful. I ended up just teaching myself from the textbooks.
His lectures are not useful; he just rambles on about data that you don't need to know. You'll have to teach yourself through the textbook. There is a lot of homework (stata and statlab take hours to do).
there are three components of the class - mystatlab, stata, and lectures. and none of the components work together to facilitate learning. the exams are lengthy, complexified expansions of turchi's confusing and unorganized lectures.
Terrible class. Avoid Turchi as a professor at all costs.
His lectures are incoherent. He gets off on wild tangents and I, as someone who doesn't immediately understand math and statistical analysis right away, am left completely clueless. And then there's his beautiful line, "If you want, you can come up here and I'll explain it better with calculus." something that would help me like a punch to the face
Turchi is a nice guy and he loves economics, but sometimes he can overcomplicate things and make them confusing. Reading the book is not necessary, but it helped myself further understand the material. Regardless, ECON 101 is just a hard class regardless.
Avoid taking his class. He wants to clarify every point but his lecture is too lengthy and complicated. Learn from textbook will be more helpful. His grading is too strange and tests are tough.
Turchi's okay, his lectures are tough to stay awake through as he is not the most interesting person to hear speak but they are pretty informational. Our tests were free response and he gave a lot of partial credit. Only homework was studying for the exams and short presentation you would give during recitation every 2 weeks. Class not that bad.
Turchi's tests were ridiculous. The lectures were very clear and he answers questions well, so you feel like you understand the material in class. Then you get to the test and it seems like completely different material. He doesn't seem to care much about whether students pass or fail.
Professor Turchi is a great person but a horrible teacher. He can't break concepts down to answer your questions. Do not take his class. If you do, buy an AP Stat book and prepare to teach yourself. Nonetheless, it is easier to get a better grade in the honors section because you get more attention but are put on the curve with the large lecture.
I really hated this class with a passion.
Regardless his reputation on Rate my professor, I think he is very intelligent lecture and a nice person to deal with. You will get an A if you work.
Really awful professor. He lectures on things that end up never being on his exams. The things that are on his exams, he spends about 15% of his lecture covering. He often makes mistakes in his own lecture supplements and every single day, at least 3 different times, a student has to correct him for providing bad info.
I looked here before taking Turchi and figured the negative reviews were just salty students. I WAS WRONG. The negative reviews are correct. Turchi is a good man but is an absolutely terrible professor. His exams are completely different from practice tests, book readings, and lectures. My tutor was even lost trying to help me. Save yourself.
His lectures are literally just drawing graphs over and over. I wish I was joking. Then as you progress through the year, the graphs get more and more concepts drawn on them, making your notes even more confusing. Take your econ classes with anyone else.
Note: this is a review for ECON 101H (small class), not the big class. Not a bad prof, knows what he's talking about, and really loves graphs and kumquats. Pretty funny guy. 90% of grade came from tests so prepare to study a lot. Textbook is very useful and you should do most of your learning from it. Gives lots of partial credit on tests.
The median on the final was a 64. Prof Turchi seemed sometimes surprised by how poorly we were all doing on his exams, but continued to make tricky multiple choice questions the bulk of the grade because Scantrons are easy to correct. The structure of the class is very discouraging and I don't know anyone who had a positive experience with their TA
I liked class and personally didn't think it was too bad but his exams were very hard. a lot of tricky questions. he curves for individual exams and then has a final curve at the end of the semester but it still didnt help much. be prepared to work hard for your grade
He is the absolute WORST professor I have ever had in my entire life. No matter what you do, you will do poorly. Study for hours? Nope, doesn't matter. Go to every class? YOU WILL STILL FAIL.
I loved Turchi, and I chose him over Balaban. He's like a friendly grandpa, and I thought he made Econ interesting and applicable. Honestly, if you do the reading and homework, you'll be fine. Plus he curves A TON. All of these students who said his class was hard probably only studied from their notes. (PS take this as a sophomore if you can)
The lectures are very informative and helpful but the homework and the exams are difficult. The MyStatLab homework took me 4 hours per chapter. The class is very test heavy. He's very interesting. He's very accessible outside of class and his office hours are very helpful.
Very vague in his lectures and the tests were on random things that are specific and not touched on in lecture or readings. He is very nice but the lectures ramble and are not helpful to learning. Be ready to learn all of the stuff on your own. He cracks some good jokes and lets you out early a lot so thats nice.
Turchi means well but his lectures failed to keep me engaged or help me learn. After the class did well on the first midterm, he gave a second midterm with a 57 average. So he pretty much makes the exams tough so that its hard to get a good grade. The class was disorganized and his expectations of us were unclear. Also, Turchi loves Stata.
You'll read these rates and just figure it can be that bad. IT CAN. IT IS. Not only are Turchi's lectures essentially useless towards the exams, the TAs and recitations are basically busy work. The only way you'll learn anything is by reading the book and studying consistently. Even then you'll still struggle. Take the other two at all costs.
Boone is a good guy. Interesting lectures too. However, after I started to get comfortable and relax in his class my grade took a huge hit. Tests are hard and recitation is a joke. From what I hear, the other ECON 101 teachers are probably a better bet.
Lectures will literally put you to sleep. Most of what he says has no bearing on the difficult exams. Grading is harsh and answers for MC questions can be ambiguous. You really have to read the book to keep up in his class, which is disappointing seeing as lectures provide little help for the tests. Recitations useless & he uses them as lectures.
Tests can be HARD!! BUT every exam is curved so that is really nice. Make sure you read the book to supplement lecture material. He stresses this on the first day but it really really does help.
Despite things I had heard about other Econ classes with Dr. Turchi, I chose to take this as my upper-level Econ class because the subject interested me and I had heard good things about it. I would suggest this class to any Econ major looking to boost their GPA. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and he's awesome!
I had a pretty good time in his class; it might help that it was a smaller section since it was a Honors course. The entire course is graded on a curve (versus test-by-test) in the Honors section, which can be somewhat stressful because you are never quite sure about your true grade. Professor Turchi offers many applicable real-world examples.
Not a good option for ECON101. TAs were not much better. Lectures were hard to connect to the overall topic, or did not do a good job of explaining a concept. Tests were impossible.
The lectures are unbearable. Read the textbook and do the homework to pass the exams. Or just avoid taking this class with Professor Turchi if you plan on taking courses that build off of ECON400. You will be woefully unprepared for all classes that are primarily quantitative.
He is very passionate about Econ, and I learned a lot in the class. His lectures are really dry and sometimes have nothing to do with what you need to know for the exams. Exams were difficult but he curves them all. Overall a hard class that requires a lot of reading the textbook and learning on your own, but he is a great and funny guy.
Turchi is quite possibly the worst teacher I've ever had at UNC. His lectures are a series of pointless graphs that help you very little when going into an exam. Good luck on the stata homework too. He walks you through the first two and then gives you much more advanced questions that are extremely difficult to figure out. Avoid him at all cost.
Ton of reading that is necessary if you want to do well in the class. I thought Turchi's lectures lacked structure as he doesn't use slides, and it seemed he was just saying what came to mind, but he's a smart guy that knows what he's talking about. Grade is decided by how well you do on exams, which are fairly difficult.
Took ECON101 as Econ major with him, having not checked Ratemyprof. Terrible, avoid at all costs if you are an ECON major or not. The usual nice guy bad teacher. Grade decided by exams, which are poorly written. As econ major I felt I learned a lot less than/didn't learn it as well as my peers with other professors.
Boone Turchi is, quite possibly, one of the worst Professors I've ever had in my academic career. To say that is tests are unfair would be a gross injustice to those reading this. The lectures are awful, and the tests are impossible. The second midterm, the median score was a 53%! The practice exams and hw questions are nothing like the tests.
Turchi really isnt that bad... some questions on one test were unfair but besides that really not bad... I literally opened the textbook 0 times and got an A- in the class with minimal studying. Basically, Im saying the lectures taught me all I needed to know to get an A-. Not the best option but not as bad as people say.
This is one of the easiest classes at UNC with one of the best professors. I would definitely take this class. It's an easy A.
Came into this class expecting a challenge. Turns out it was an easy A!
Turchi's lectures are dry but you can tell he enjoys the subject matter. Class is based half on lectures and half on chapter readings from the textbook, so go to class and makes sure to take notes and keep up on readings. Some of the tests were difficult, but he usually curves everything, including each midterm and your final grade.
Your grade is only based on the 3 midterms, so go to lectures and read the textbook. Turchi seems like a nice person but he's not the best lecturer.
I have nothing against him personally, but he gives bad lectures. For a point of reference, our midterm class average was a 50. I always did textbook readings, practice exams, asked for help, etc. but big YEET Even the TAs couldn't answer some essay questions and he didn't reward any credit back or work with us. Definitely find another professor.
Turchi is a nice guy, but his lectures don't contain everything that will be on the test. It's a 25/75 split between his lectures and the book, so study the book and take good notes. Also, his review sessions SELDOM cover the material that will actually be on the test. Good luck.
Let me be clear. If you are going to be on your phone, or goofing off on your laptop during lecture AT ALL, you will not get a good grade in this class. Turchi is a good lecturer and easy to learn from IF and ONLY IF you pay attention to him. Tough exams, but a huge curve makes them better. Solid choice for Econ 101, which is just a hard course.
This class was a struggle. Turchi is an intelligent brother, but his teaching skills are tragic. During his lectures he just muffles into his microphone and draws random graphs. He barely assigns any homework, which is nice in theory but you have no practice for how his tests will be. If you have no experience with econ, avoid this man.
The tests are hard, the homework takes forever. I truly thought I would be fine even after hearing horrible things about this class... I was wrong. He does grade tests with a lot of partial credit, but the tests are so hard that it doesn't make a difference. Prepare to teach yourself everything and still struggle to make a decent grade.
The tests are hard. But if you read your book, go to class, take diligent notes, pay attention in both class/ recitations, do tons of practice and study a lot then you can do good. The material isn't necessarily too hard, his testing strategy is very complicated for incoming freshman to transfer too right out of high school. Overall, can be done
Turchi is easily the worst professor I have had at Carolina. His lectures are extremely unclear and confusing and he gives very few practice material for his exams. The STATA homework is useless and is just a waste of time. Exams are very difficult and not reflective at all of the homework in class.
Not a great lecturer, but not an impossible class. You probably won't learn anything in class, but he is always willing to answer questions. You'll have to teach yourself most of the material. The class is not impossible, just get ready to study a lot before an exam. A smart guy just overcomplicates some concepts.
Sub-par lecturer, but not an awful professor. Passionate about his content, and always willing to provide a funny example.
Dr. Turchi has a terrible reputation at UNC, and after taking this class, I'm not really sure why. If you are the type of student who is willing to put in the work to understand the material, then this class is completely manageable. He gives plenty of resources and his clearly so passionate about the class. His lectures are dry, but informative.
He is a nice guy but I won't recommend his lecture. I had to get a C to pass, but I think I probably would end up C- if he doesn't do a huge curve. You will have to teach yourself a lot of stuff cuz lectures are hard to follow. Practice tests and homework questions barely help you with the actual exam.
Tough class, but great opportunity to learn
Super nice guy. Lectures are boring and not helpful. I learned mostly by reading the online TB used for Statlab HW. Considering the EOY curve (half a letter?), using the TB, lecture slides, STATA HW and practice tests is prolly enough to prepare. He'll help if you ask questions at review session. Use built in calculator stat features on tests.
Worst professor I've ever had. How is he the honors professor. Don't get me wrong he's a nice enough guy but he just can't teach. Get one of the other ECON professors for sure! You can't understand anything he says, given that you have many hours to read each week. For honors, no homework, based completely off exam grades.
Here's the deal. A lot of these bad reviews are just confirmation bias. Turchi has a bad rap on campus and I don't know why. Econ is just a hard subject, period, and all the professors have pros and cons. If I had it to do over, I'd take a class with him again. Hard? Sure, but it's Carolina. It's not undoable, the average grade in my class was a B.
I took the honors section and couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. Professor Turchi was more than willing and even excited to answer any questions we may have. His tests were straight forward and his lectures prepared us well. Reading the textbook definitely helped and he always reviewed the problem set answers. This was my favorite class.
I do not care what your situation is, stay away from taking ECON101 with Turchi. He babbles on about irrelevant topics during class and gives very little actual useful information. Draws graphs on the random and is extremely disorganized. Nice dude but he is one of the worst teachers I've ever had, and ECON101 is a requirement for a lot majors.
This is the worst class i have ever taken. DO NOT take Turchi. His tests are unbelievably hard, and even though there is a big curve, it literally makes no difference because the tests are so hard in the first place. Worst lecturer ever, nothing ever happens in class, all he does is draw a few random things. And tests make up the whole grade.
His lectures are interesting but usually irrelevant to the tests. Luckily, attendance is not mandatory or even necessary. The textbook he assigned for Fall 2019 was useless. However, the tests aren't super hard. Make sure you know the key concepts he wants you to cover but then go watch AC/DC econ or Khan academy to actually learn them.
The lectures had nothing to do with the textbook. This was the hardest class I've ever taken, and I honestly don't know how he's still allowed to teach. This class is significantly more difficult than the other econ classes available at UNC, and I would strongly recommend for students to not take it with him.
The professor is nice, I saw him took pictures during final. But this class is extremely hard :( Exams are way more difficult than material covered in lectures. TA grade the exams and they are tough graders. Points deducted for a minor detail on the graph.
One of the hardest classes at UNC and with this professor its even worse. All he does in lecture is do examples, you have to read the textbook before to understand anything he's doing. After one of the tests he apologized for how hard it was, but didn't change a thing. Best advice if you need it and he's the only one take it another time.
If you take this class, prepare to teach yourself most of the material. His lectures are pretty unfocused. There is no homework except for weekly presentations THAT ARE NOT FOR A GRADE. The material itself is not difficult just stay on top of the assigned chapters so you don't get behind. 2 Midterms (essay-based) and a Final (multiple-choice)
Professor Turchi is a great guy. His exams are based on lectures and the textbook, so taking detailed lecture notes is important, even though he never checks attendance (even in the small section). Turchi makes himself available outside of class, but he's willing to go over anything during lecture. His class is hard, but it's thorough and detailed.
Turchi's lectures are difficult to follow, and the weekly group presentations - which make up a significant portion of the workload of the course - ultimately only count for a tiny portion of the participation grade.
Professor Turchi is one of the most annoying teachers I have ever had. This man simply does not care about his job anymore. Despite being on academic probation for failing too many students, Professor Turchi did not ease up on his extremely harsh grading and heavy weighing of tests with the midterm and final making up almost your entire grade.
The most difficult A- I have ever worked for by FAR. Despite my knowledge from high school economics, this was a super difficult class for no reason because the lectures are not helpful at all. He gives a bunch of graphs without explaining the meaning behind most of them. I had to read and learn everything for this class from the textbook!
Turchi's lecture has no problem. The only thing I don't like is the amount of textbook reading. But it's not crazily heavy, still quite annoying. Tests are fair, depending on whether you really understand the material. I reviewed after every lecture; it was useful and helped refresh. His 101 really helps further learning in classes like econ 410
I lost interest in ECON after taking Professor Turchi's class. He made it difficult to understand many topics because his examples in class were ultra-simplified, but homework and tests had way more complicated problems that almost seemed unrelated. Three tests make up your entire grade.
So my review is 25 years old. All Econ majors were required to take at least 1 honors / graduate level class, for which I chose Evonomics of the Family. It was fascinating, and to this day, still have saved my midterm and papers. Prof Turchi was kind, fair, personable and very engagingsomewhat of a rarity within the field of economics
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
14%
Textbook Required
21%
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B+
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