A nice man

A nice man.

He's a very nice man. If you have any trouble with the concepts he is more than willing to work with you to make sure you succeed. His lectures can be dry but his slides are very helpful and they're all on Sakai. If you put in the work and make sure you learn from your mistakes on quizzes you can get a decent grade. At the end he drops some stuff.

Take 411 with Brent! It is definitely hard, but I think he teaches at a slower pace and makes the concepts easier to understand. We also got to drop our lowest homework, lab, and 2 quizzes, which helped a lot!

He's a great professor! Highly recommend taking 411 with him. His grading is fairly lenient (I had the option to drop two lowest quizzes and one lab). If you decide to take him, doing the homework before quizzes can be very helpful, the level of difficulty is similar. I recommend doing the readings as well, especially during the second half.

I came back here a semester after I took his class just to leave a nice note. He is one of the funniest professors i've ever had and extremely knowledgable on computer organization. He does an excellent job of teaching the material (which can be difficult at times). I looked forward to going to his lecture. Highly recommend.

Munsell is such a nice and reasonable professor, and he will listen to his students and work things out with them. Lecture is fine, there's weekly quizzes but as long as you know the material it's not bad at all. Exams are very straight forward and we usually have very high class average for them too. I would say definitely take class with him!!!

Lots of quizzes (every week) and def a solid amount of work. Labs shouldn't take to long and make sure to use OH and piazza. Standard comp sci class and not that difficult if you're paying attention in class.

Dr. Munsell is a really great professor. He really cares about students and answers most - if not all - relevant questions during lectures, no matter how simple they may be. He wants everyone to succeed and learn a lot. His tests can be a bit tricky, but overall I think that we had a very fair grading scale. I highly recommend taking his class!

Dr. Munsell always tried his best to answer any questions that students had. Although his lectures did get slightly boring at times, he covered all of the material clearly and explicitly. Dr. Munsell emphasizes learning the content rather than stressing about your grades, so he was kind enough to drop many assignments and quizzes along the way.

Dr. Munsell is an excellent teacher and explains concepts thoroughly. The course structure made this class very manageable thanks to Dr. Munsell and his TA's (big shoutout to Justin Do). The exams and quizzes were very fair and I found this course enjoyable overall.

There is a good amount of work for this class. Each week there is a quiz, lab, and homework. These assignments are fairly easy but on some weeks can be moderately difficult. The exams for this class are medium difficulty. If you do the work then it is easy to get a good grade. 1 lowest hw, 1 lowest lab, and 2 lowest quizzes are dropped.

This is a really tough course but Munsell is fair and help is always available if you need it.

Comp 411 is a difficult course with confusing content - but Professor Munsell does everything in his power to help you through and make it as easy as possible. Seriously. On the surface, the class may seem intimidating; however, as you progress through, you'll come to see that Professor Munsell truly does have your best interests at heart.

Loved this class! The material was broken down into parts that were very easy to understand. He dropped the lowest grade in homework and quizzes. Quizzes and tests were easy too, just pay attention in class. His lab instructions were very clear and well written. Homework and labs are not hard if you read the book.

Professor Munsell is very fair. He clearly cares about the material, wants everyone to learn, and provides a ton of resources. If you put in the effort into this class, listen to his lectures, and use the resources you will do well in his course!

Loved this class! The material was broken down into parts that were very easy to understand. He dropped the lowest grade in homework, labs, and quizzes. Quizzes and tests were pretty easy too, just pay attention in class and look over the notes. The lectures were amazing, and very clear to understand the topics. Definitely take 411/211 with him!!!

Condenses complex ideas down well and answers questions in class actively. Some people don't like his short/sassy responses, but he genuinely wants you to learn and has always been willing to go the extra mile to explain something when I go to his office hours. Assigned asynch lectures on days we missed, but all his study materials make up for it.

For someone that crammed all the lecture videos right before the quizzes and exams, I did pretty fine in the class. Towards the second half of the class, the material got a little bit harder, and quiz/test questions had 1/2 q's that were weird and confusing. Overall, grade distribution on UNC Sakai says more than half the class got an A/A-

Brent was so fun and explained everything pretty well. He knows his stuff and takes things lightly, yet holds you to reasonable standards of performance. I would recommend this--if you're willing to put in a little work, it's an easy A! Sidenote: Brent is who I want to be in 40 years, lowkey.

Great teacher overall. Average lectures, relatively easy tests, lots of homework.

Brent clearly cares about the subject and is passionate about sharing his knowledge. Conceptually, the class is difficult, but he gives take-home quizzes so that lessens the load a ton. The programming assignments were very confusing but we had designated office hours cohorts, so it was easy to get help. It can be hard to stay awake in class though

COMP 530 is like an advanced COMP 211 (but easier than 211). Concepts are confusing, but the reading helps, and quizzes/exams are on the easy side. Labs can be a bit of work. You can drop 1 lab and 2 quizzes, so some flexibility. C programming skills required. Brent is pretty chill, fine lecturer. No final exam, and the final project is not bad.

Dr. Munsell delivered clear and informative lectures and assigned solid coding assignments that helped supplement the material learned in class. A handful of quizzes helped prepare for the 2 midterms and final, which were not too difficult. Overall the class was well taught and solidly structured for students to succeed with average effort put in.

Competent professor. Dry lectures, but his slides are great. They don't seem detailed on the surface - that's because there's so many details you can't immediately understand from a glance. Study them hard before exams. The assignments were fun as well. Grading wasn't bad. He'll say otherwise, but he assigns too much unnecessary reading.

The lectures were much better than in 211, and the labs were very well-designed and really helped me understand certain concepts, but this is still a very difficult course. I usually had to go back through the lecture slides to really get the material down. Also the exams are very difficult; you have to work hard to earn every point.

211/311: Easily my two favorite CS classes. Labs are fun, often did those the day they were assigned. Most quizzes had 1 seemingly innocent but actually tricky question, need eagle eyes & brain. Exam 2 was brutal, but they gave a lot of points back to compensate. You will learn more than in any other CS class and it's possible to have a lot of fun.

Prof. Munsell is very likeable and really good at introducing new topics and giving students a good baseline understanding of the material. However, I would say he didn't excel very much at giving more detailed explanations of material. Even though it is enough to succeed in this class, it can make lectures pretty boring and unengaging.

I liked Munsell, he was very fair on exams (you never have to worry about trick questions). The cohorts are helpful and he provides practice questions through poll everywhere and other resources on sakai. Comp 311 with Munsell was significantly better than 211. Take him!

Not sure why people don't like him on RMP, but Brent really is my second favorite CS professor at UNC (only after Aaron Smith). Lectures are very clear and detailed. He also goes over poll questions that are good practices. Homeworks are easy and you don't feel unprepared for the quizzes or exams. Very nice guy, would take again

Brent provided plenty of practice material for the exams & quizzes, and the labs were reasonable. Was scared of this class before taking it and it wasn't that bad. His grading policy is quite generous imo (1 quiz drop, 1 lab drop, rounding and 1% for course evals). I did very bad on the first midterm and ended up with a great grade in the class.

Class wasnt too bad but could be really slow sometimes, labs were not that bad and he had a really generous grading policy. I had the most trouble with the exams, but you do get a cheat sheet for them so load it up with info.

I'm sitting in lecture right now and I already know this class has opened my eyes to a whole new world. Learning about pointers not only woke me from the slump I was in after my 8am, but also showed me that Brent is the best professor UNC has to offer. I cannot wait to come to class again next week.

Labs can be tough, but your lowest grade is dropped. Lectures can be slow and he usually doesn't finish all the slides on the day he plans. There are readings, but they aren't necessary to get a good grade, especially if you go to lecture/watch the videos.

Even though the class moved a bit slowly at times, Brent explained material clearly in class that could be directly translated into exams and lab assignments. There were also plenty of opportunities to ask questions, and he and the TAs provided lots of out-of-lecture material. I think he was a lot better teaching this course than 211 last semester.

I think Brent gets a bad rep because this class has a lot of content to learn and its generally the first time many students learn about systems. Lectures are okay a little stalled out at times but the poll everywhere questions are helpful. Quizzes, Labs, and Exams can be tough at times. TA system is horrible in this class. Extra credit given.

Brent is a very good professor, he really knows what he's talking about and seems like he enjoys it too. His lectures can be boring sometimes but they are very important. Midterms are very similar to the quizzes and questions he goes over in class. The material is very difficult but Brent breaks it down very well. The assignments are hard too.

Beginning of this class was great! Digital logic wasnt too bad and was fun to learn, second half with MIPS was less great, but Brent did a good job teaching it. Start early on the MIPS labs and make good cheatsheets!

Professor Munsell is a very motivating professor who truly cares about his students' well-being and success. He is always more than willing to help you out when you need assistance during office hours. Take him during the summer session!

Good professor

Lectures are a little dry and classes are mostly just recaps of the videos he records about the material. The videos are super helpful though and all the assignments are doable. Go to office hours, make sure you know what's going on. Brent explains things super well and the tests are pretty easy. Good option for 211

Munsell is one of the better CS professors when it comes to teaching. Lectures are clear and showing up to lectures is very helpful. The material and assignments/labs/quizzes/exams can be very challenging. Deadlines are for the most part rigid, but established clearly. Do not expect extensions very often.

The class material itself was very hard, but Brent was a nice professor. He gave extra credit on quizzes, made two of our midterms take home, and allowed multiple cheat sheets and use of the terminal during the final. Once again, the material was complicated and hard to follow, but Brent was very accommodating.

211 is a hard class, but Brent gives you the tools you need to be successful. If you watch the (sometimes boring) lecture videos and start labs early, you'll do well. Lectures not mandatory but helpful for understanding content. Brent is a nice guy. Favorite movie is The Matrix -- checks out.

Brent Munsell keeps it real. Took him for SS1 and he was great. Makes an effort to make things understandable for people without a CS/coding interest or background. He's a funny and chill guy and is clear about his expectations and grading criteria for the class. Pacing was very manageable. Amazing 116 professor!

His class seems to have been easier this semester than in years past. Quizzes and exams are all online open note and are fairly easy. Labs can be tough but if you meet with your Cohort LA they can help. Need a 94 for an A but it's doable.

Solid Professor. Was super accommodating this semester, having both are midterms online due to loosing class time. Thought the contents difficulty was average, with the labs being a lot easier than what others say on here (I also did not have any C experience). Just start early, and keep up with the lecture videos as things can move fast.

He is overall good. His lectures were somewhat slow and dry, but he was clearly enthusiastic about the content. He is a good explainer and has clear and generous grading policies. The main problem is the class content is both boring and complicated. Good teacher, but not a great class. Would definitely take classes with him in the future.

211 is fundamentally a difficult class. Brent does do his best to make both pre-lecture videos and lectures interesting, however C sucks and it gets really confusing towards the end. The course gets super hectic at times (lab, quiz, midterm in 1 week), but it's not hard to earn an A. TA's are hit or miss, don't expect office hours to be smooth.

Brent is a nice guy, and he explains the material very well. The videos were also very helpful. Quizzes and exams were tricky, but fair. Labs were somewhat interesting and not too difficult. Need a 95 for an A, but he gave everyone a free 1% grade boost.

Fun class. Material is interesting and the exams are fair. Labs can be tricky.

This was the WebGL class, and it was the easiest CS class I have ever taken, maybe the easiest ever at UNC. Only a couple of actual assignments, which were all group assignments... usually one guy does all. Do have to show up for in-class exercises, which are pretty easy and open friend/TA. All projects! Happy to take my last CS class with Brent.

Brent was a good professor. He clearly is very passionate about CS. One of the easiest CS classes I've taken as every lecture was recorded. I didn't even go to class and got an A easily. Labs could be very tricky but if you get a responsive TA they can be very helpful. Quizzes and midterms were online open note as well which was a huge help.

Previous reviewers are really projecting their entitlement and arrogance (UNC CS trademark)... taking personal blame for a singular test score would hurt one's ego too hard, so instead blame it on everyone else. Attacks on the character of your professor won't solve anything other than cope with the fact that CS is more than just web frameworks.

Good lecturer, passionate and answers questions in a clear way. Most of the bad reviews are based upon one single midterm grade, the contents of which were difficult, but we had a cheat sheet (front and back) we could use on the midterm. He also curved that same midterm after the complaints. It is not an easy class, but very over-hated.

Brent's class is a bit boring but he does give you all the resources to succeed. He has prerecorded videos and his slides are well made. The tests are definitely tricky and require good understanding of the material but if you keep up with the course material you should be fine. Wished he posted more study resources though.

The course material is hard and there's a lot to cover, so you have to keep up with the resources he provides. Other students don't do the readings or watch the videos he provides to teach the material, and blame him when they fail. 211 takes time and repetition to understand effectively, if you do everything that's required you'll be fine.

He is a nice guy who does his best to give engaging lectures even though this failed at times. Most of the hate comes from the first midterm which had a failing average but he ended up curving it anyway. Content can be tricky at first, but once you put the time into studying it, it's genuinely not that bad. Allows cheat sheets on exams.

Brent is honestly a great guy and you can tell he tries to make lectures as engaging as possible. The course content, however, is dense and extremely boring at times if you aren't into OS stuff like me. Lots of complaints after the first midterm but I would say he definitely made up for that with easier exams afterwards and lenient regrading.

I want to object to some of these characterisations of Brent. While his courses are heavy, I've not met a professor that cares more about their disabled students. He meets with every one of us individually to ensure our needs are met, and has always gone above and beyond to ensure my success. He's far from the villain many are making him out to be.

Brent's COMP211 class can be tricky, but engaging if you put in the work. The lectures are hit-or-miss, but the recorded videos are super helpful. Labs can be challenging, but the TAs are there to support you. Unstuck AI was a lifesaver for practice problems and exam prep.

He's a solid professor, makes jokes and is thorough in his lectures. His tests are hard and covers a lot of edge cases, but he lets you make your own a printed cheat sheet. The course is hard, but he gives recordings for all his lectures. Seriously, if you go to class/watch the lectures it's not that bad, most bad reviews are from absent students.

I had Brent for both 211 and 311 this year. His exams and quizzes are hard, but manageable if you've prepared yourself. The best part of his classes are the labs and projects, which are very relevant to the material and honestly super fun. His expectations and syllabus are very clear, and he's always willing to take extra time to help you.

A bit of a boring lecturer but presents all the information clearly.

Honestly, people on here are a bit harsh against Brent. If you go in with the right mindset, and if you are actually willing to learn, his class is great because it's structured well, albeit lecture repetitive, for you to learn the concepts. You will learn a lot. There are 6 labs (3 hardware focused, 3 assembly related), final project and quizzes

First I agree with all 211/311 comments. However, his 590 is completely different, it's one of the easiest course in CS department. All group projects, but you don't really have to work with them, you can go solo. Brent won't care. TAs are lenient graders. Just make sure to submit everything on time because he has almost 0 tolerance for late work.

Easiest comp class I've taken tbh. He was okay when I took him for 211 but for this 590 class (3d graphics) there are no exams and pretty much the whole grade is group projects that are easy to get 100s on. Don't need to go to class at all, there are some days when he takes attendance but it's rare and usually he tells you on canvas ahead of time.