2.4

Brinda Mahalingam

Economics - University of California Riverside

2.4
Quality
3.7
Difficulty
N/A
Would Retake
92
Reviews
2.4
Quality
3.7
Difficulty
2.5
Helpful
2.3
Clarity

N/A

Would Retake

92

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official
92 total ratings

5

6

4

17

3

19

2

28

1

22

What Students Say

She has a bad accent and was very hard to understand

ECON102 - 2.0 rating

Not friendly, lectures too fast and too long

ECON002 - 2.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

0%

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

C

53% confidence
Based on 1 grades
Most common grades:
C (1)
Grade Distribution
A(0)B(0)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(0)
Based on 1 reported grades
C: 1
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.87 avg change
Nov
Dec
Mar
Aug
Nov
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

ECONECON

4.0

(1)

ECON02

4.0

(6)

ECON130

3.2

(5)

ECON007

3.0

(1)

ECON135

3.0

(1)
+8 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ECON103

4.6

ECON102A

4.5

ECON102

4.3

ECON007

4.0

ECONECON

4.0

Reviews (91)
2.0
3.0
ECON002
Oct 24, 2006

Not friendly, lectures too fast and too long. Strict!!!

2.0
3.0
ECON002
Jan 3, 2007

Very hard to understand her lectures. Moves very fast in class. WARNING SHE IS A CELL PHONE NAZI. She might actually fail you, then beat you up outside if your phone goes off. Tests are worded in a very difficult manner and unless you read every word carefully twice you'd get it wrong.

1.0
5.0
ECON103A
Feb 15, 2007

This professor is a TOTAL JOKE. I didnt pay thousands of dollars to have someone regurgitate exactly what is in the book. Im in college for crying out loud. I know how to read. TEACH ME SOMETHING. Give some real world applications. If you agree with me, then DEFINITELY DO NOT TAKE HER.

4.0
1.0
ECON2
Mar 29, 2007

Easiest teacher ever. All you had to do was read the book. The material is not hard at all and her tests were easy. Apparently she gave in class attendance points every so often...I wouldn't know ofcourse since I was never in class. I ended up with an A although I attended maybe 5 class sessions

1.0
4.0
ECON002
Mar 31, 2007

I don't know what to say, but no! Don't take this heavy accent Indian teacher! It was a mistake for me to take this class! Her teachings and the curriculum is fuzzy in a way of students don't know if she is teaching the right curriculum or not. She gives pop quizzes, and her exams are hard though I didn't study as much for the class.

2.0
4.0
ECON103
Apr 5, 2007

As an instructor, she's one of the worst. She's rude, arrogant, and not helpful. However, the course is not as terrible as her attitude. Yet, one must turn in all the HWs and study for the midterm/final in order to get better than a D. As previously mentioned, she does give ridiculous pop quizzes, and most of the exams are based on class notes.

3.0
4.0
ECON103A
Apr 5, 2007

SHES HARD AND EXPECT A LOT. YOU NEED TO STUDY THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT SHE POST UP BECAUSE THOSE ARE SIMILAR TO THE MIDTERMS. GIVES OUT EXTRA CREDIT HERE AND THERE. MUST STUDY FOR THIS CLASS. ALSO, GRADES HWK ON EFFORT WHICH IS GREAT!

5.0
2.0
ECON130
May 12, 2007

She is pretty cool professor with an accent. only two midterms and one final. Her tests are based on textbook. all her lectures are based on the textbook. so u don't need to go to class all the time but u need to go to discussions. attendance in discussion is like 10% of the grade. quizzes are also taken in discussion.

1.0
4.0
ECON103A
May 17, 2007

Very very tricky. Be aware.

1.0
5.0
ECON103
Jun 18, 2007

Doesn't respond to E-mails, gives attitude to the students, and ends not to answer the questions student ask. expects you to know everything. one of the most horrible teacher I've ever had in Riverside. If it wasn't for the TAs, no one would've done well

4.0
4.0
ECON002
Dec 5, 2007

This teacher is very cut and dry. Class attendance is definitely not mandatory, but it is helpful. Mostly, just read the book and the information will be be easy to understand. Keep in good contact with TA's because they are very helpful.

1.0
2.0
ECON002
Jan 8, 2008

Go to lectures print out slides on line fill in what she says, never touched textbook, no homework, TA recomend Serhat...extremly helpful

2.0
2.0
ECON002
Jan 9, 2008

Pretty easy class. Grades are curved a lot at the end. You don't need to go to lecture, even if you do go, you will probably not understand what she's saying. Just make sure to read the book and the class will be very simple. I passed with a B even though I attended maybe 4 lectures max.

2.0
4.0
ECON130
Jan 12, 2008

I actually enjoyed this course and received a solid A. But, the joy stops when dealing with this professor. She is not in the least bit helpful and as others have stated, she doesn't respond to emails and is very arrogant. When she does respond, she acts as if you're bothering her. She curves and the exams are generally pretty straightforward.

4.0
3.0
ECON004
Mar 4, 2008

I just don't understand why everyone thinks she's so difficult. She may not be handing out A's on midterms, but if you study and attend class, it should be a breeze. She started giving extra credit after the first exam. Also, she's giving a make up exam and giving us the highest of the two grades! (: She's really nice, too.

3.0
4.0
ECON002
Mar 21, 2008

Lectures are mostly for clarification so read the book first. If you're not a math person it'll take a bit of practice with the equations & graphs so print the "suggested h.w" answers -you'll need it for the final but not really for the midterms. The professor is o.k, just read (and understand!) the book and you'll do well.

2.0
4.0
ECON002
Mar 23, 2008

She's way too fast during lectures and when you ask her to slow down, she gets upset and tells you that her lectures are provided online already. HOWEVER, she puts them up right before class begins so I have no time to print them out, and they're in PDF format so I can't change them. She is also too prideful and won't admit it when she's wrong.

4.0
2.0
ECON002
Mar 24, 2008

shes an ok teacher, boring class with slides. the only thing i didnt like about the exams was that she expects you to know what things are when she never discussed it during lecture. wording on exams is a little tricky. average for exams is around %60

1.0
5.0
ECON004
Mar 28, 2008

THE WORST TEACHER EVER. GET OUT OF HER CLASS WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHANCE, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE SAYS AND SHE IS VERY MEAN.

1.0
5.0
ECON002
Apr 10, 2008

This teacher just plain sucks!! If you have her you should get out of this class. She expects way too much out of an introductory class. Impossible to understand and she gives an attitude if you try to ask her a question. Only way you will do well is by studying on your own and read the book.

1.0
5.0
ECON002
Apr 18, 2008

She's way too fast during lectures and when you ask her to slow down, she gets upset and tells you that her lectures are provided online already. HOWEVER, she puts them up right before class begins so I have no time to print them out, and they're in PDF format so I can't change them. She is also too prideful and won't admit it when she's wrong.

1.0
4.0
ECON2
Apr 29, 2008

Her lectures are very hard to understand. First of all she has a thick accent, plus her lectures are very unorganized. She jumps around a lot and repeats herself. Her lectures were almost worthless in my opinion. Just read the book and go to discussion, thats all you need to do. I skipped nearly all the lectures and still got a B in the class.

2.0
3.0
ECON004
Nov 21, 2008

Terrible teacher! I had a fairly good knowledge of the subject beforehand but ended up having to teach myself because not only does she not speak clearly, but she is confusing. Even a simple concept could take her half an hour to explain!

2.0
5.0
ECON004
Nov 23, 2008

Avoid her class if you can. It really sucks and makes you not bother coming to lecture at all. She doesn't curve and her test questions are trickily worded plus there are 3 short answers that worth freaking 50 points. The class avg is like 54%

1.0
5.0
ECON4
Nov 24, 2008

Horrible!! worse teacher ever. I didn't learn a single thing in her class other than the stuff i already knew. And her testes are REALLY HARD.

2.0
5.0
ECON4
Nov 28, 2008

This is probably the hardest teacher at UCR. Her homework is all textbook, her lectures are long and boring and the exams are extremely difficult. Mostly multiple choice but also short answer questions worth 50 points each. Also very hard to understand. Id suggest taking Econ 2 and 3 instead of Econ 4 unless you can get a different professor

1.0
5.0
ECON002
Dec 11, 2008

She has thick Indian accent. Her test are extremely difficult. I attended class on a regular basis, but her exams were tricky. Multiple choice especially! Fill in question were the majority of the test and responses had to be detail or else no credit was given. =( She is also VERY rude. oh and she took away a cell phone in class after it went off.

4.0
4.0
ECON002
Dec 11, 2008

People should not be complaining if they took the time to study they would receive a good grade in her class. I took the time to study. I had one of the highest grades in her class and got an A in the end. it goes to show that it is possible to get a good grade in her class. I would recommend not talking to her. she is rude. Go to the TA's

1.0
5.0
ECON002
Dec 12, 2008

she cant teach at all.. cant understand her with her accent

3.0
4.0
ECON007
Dec 15, 2008

This class is moderately difficult. She has a very thick accent which you will have to get used to. I did see a lot of people not pay attention during lectures though. I went to most of the lectures and all the discussions and felt pretty good about how I did. You have to pay attention/read/and study a lot to get an A or B

3.0
3.0
ECON4
Dec 17, 2008

This class you do not need to pay close attention in the lectures but you have to read the book thoroughly to get a passing grade on the midterms and final.

1.0
5.0
ECON004
Dec 21, 2008

going to lecture is useless. just read the chapters on your own. i suggest taking econ2 and econ3 instead of taking econ4 where micro and macro are combined.

2.0
4.0
ECON4
Dec 21, 2008

Do not take her. I could not stand being in class. It's more worth it to take it from a community college & RCC offers it online, even my counselor said to take it somewhere else. It's hard material to pick up on & you have to study A LOT to even pass with a C.

1.0
5.0
ECON002
Dec 25, 2008

Honestly a very bad teacher. Extremely hard to understand, no point what so ever in going to lecture. The best bet is to study your ass off in the book and hope for the best. The midterms are hard the final is slightly easy however the class generally did poorly. Blames everyone for cheating, one midterm she accused over 15 people... poor teacher

4.0
4.0
ECONECON
Jan 3, 2009

This class was good overall people that are complaining didnt understand or didnt get help I basically fell the first midterm and got a very average grade on the second which put me in a bad situation but in the end I finished with a B cause I asked for help and studied dont be afraid take her

3.0
2.0
ECON004
Jan 9, 2009

Not a bad class, but the people who dont pay attention and are on facebook throughout the lecture are the ones who aren't passing the class. Not difficult at all if you do the homework and actually try to understand the subject.

1.0
5.0
ECON4
Jan 13, 2009

hard to understand what she's saying. doesn't know how to teach.

4.0
3.0
ECON103A
Jan 21, 2009

My second class with Professor Mahalingam and she's so great! I really can't say it enough. I don't understand how people don't like her! She's very helpful if you approach her correctly. I can't stress homework and reading/printing lecture slides BEFORE class. It's an easy A, if you do the work. It's not, however, impossible to do well in her clas

2.0
4.0
ECON102A
Feb 24, 2009

She is unclear. Makes a lot of mistakes. She is not very straight forward when she teaches. My TA made me understand more than her. & reading the book.

2.0
5.0
ECON103
Feb 26, 2009

The best comparison to taking this class that I can think of is poking yourself in the eye with a salty toothpick about 50 times. She is unclear, not helpful, and her tests are NOTHING like the review materials and lectures. Don't take her unless you are forced... and if you are forced, pray you have a good TA and work your butt off. Good luck!

2.0
5.0
ECON102A
Feb 27, 2009

Teacher has very hard test. Homework is worth almost nothing. Everything is based on the test which the average score was a D?

4.0
3.0
ECON103A
Mar 2, 2009

Class is easy as long as you "read" text and not afraid to ask her. People failed cuz they didn't care about much on lecture. Exams may be tricky but they all based on the basic materials. People don't complain anymore, the class isn't that hard!!

2.0
5.0
ECON004
Mar 4, 2009

she is THE hardest professor i ever took. cannot understand what she is saying at all; seriously need subtitles when she speaks. barely managed to pass the class with the C ONLY because i had such a nice TA who graded my exams and homework easily. do NOT take her unless you are absolutely forced to.

2.0
5.0
ECON002
Mar 4, 2009

Hard teacher and hard class. you cant understand her, I got a B- only because I learned to stop listening to her lecture n just pay attention to the slides and my TA. You have to teach yourself.

1.0
5.0
ECON002
Mar 12, 2009

Very hard teacher. My friends and I couldn't understand her English at ALL. She tells us to listen but her English is absolutely horrible... when she draws graphs on the board, they're so messy that they aren't even legible... you really have to read the textbook and teach yourself. Her tests go into a lot of detail and are NOT easy...

2.0
5.0
ECON103A
Mar 13, 2009

SUPER HARD!!

1.0
5.0
ECON103A
Mar 17, 2009

She made a difficult class even more difficult. Thanks.

3.0
4.0
ECON02
Mar 20, 2009

If you don't have to take this class, DON'T take another one.

4.0
2.0
ECON103A
Mar 22, 2009

Attend class, tests based on homework problems, sit in the front to see graphs clearly, and STUDY alot!

4.0
2.0
ECON02
Mar 24, 2009

Had her for MACROECON. she's kinda funny. she SOUNDS mean in the way she talks but you can tell she likes econ. either that or she just dreds teaching. I got an A+ but prob most like b/c I like econ and it's EASY with or without her help. Just study hard, ask your T.A. questions, and you should be fine. This ISN'T an EASY A for most. WORK HARD!

3.0
4.0
ECON002
Mar 24, 2009

Kind of a boring lecturer, but macroeconomics isn't the most exciting subject to begin with. Her accent isn't bad like people say. TA discussions were a bit helpful, so go to those. READ the book if you want a good grade. People get lost easily if you don't try to keep up.

2.0
5.0
ECON004
Mar 25, 2009

Worst professor ever. Can't understand a word she says and then she realizes that we have all completely lost any interest we could have had in her lecture and she gets grumpy and snappy. If you get stuck with her your best chance at passing is to read the book over and over again. Not sure why I even went to class because it never helped me.

4.0
2.0
ECON002
Mar 26, 2009

I took Micro before this class, and so it made this class rather easy. This teacher is very good. I got an A, but of course it required studying.

3.0
1.0
ECON02
Apr 7, 2009

i think this was one of my easiest class. she has a very nice grading system for students--88% is like an A- or something; 90% and up is an official A or A+. you basically got to memorize the stuff on the slides to get a good grade.. going to class helps if you dont want to read the text. solve the problems she offers. its easy to understand.

2.0
5.0
ECON103
Apr 7, 2009

i had her for econ 02 and i got an A easy pk. but taking her for 103a was pretty hard but i think its the subject itself. the subject is harder so make sure youre on top of it. go to other people for help like TAS if you dont think she's helpful. she asks like random questions that are kinda like the homework but it seems more far off than it.

5.0
5.0
ECON130
Jun 18, 2009

It was an extremely difficult class. I'm glad the professor was really good. She was extremely helpful during office hours, and very patient as well. If you like finance, take this class with her!

3.0
3.0
ECON002
Sep 24, 2009

I don't know which teacher the other people got but she sucked for Macro. Her thick accent makes her lecture hard to understand, and yes she does yell at the class and gets impatient. Her notes are good for reference only to see what you need to learn, but I got an A in the class purely from reading the book. Don't worry if you miss a lecture

1.0
5.0
ECON004
Dec 5, 2009

do not take this class. you will not pass. she cannot speak english and her tas dont either.

2.0
4.0
ECON002
Dec 7, 2009

She has a heavy accent. But if you have to take an Econ Class, do not take ECON 4 or ECON 2.. take MICRO ECON (ECON 3)

1.0
5.0
ECON002
Dec 7, 2009

I have nothing good to say about Brinda Mahalingam. Where to begin....her lectures are completely useless, her tests are insanely difficult, and to top it off, she is mean and cold-hearted. Doesn't care about her students at all. Don't expect to get an A in this class.

3.0
3.0
ECON2
Dec 17, 2009

TOOK THIS CLASS AND GOT AN A-, GRADING SCALE WAS CURVED, 2 MIDTERM, 1 FINAL, FAILED FIRST MIDTERM ACE NEXT ONE, READING IS MUST!

4.0
2.0
ECON2
Dec 25, 2009

at least with this professor you can get an A as long as you go to class and/or read the textbook. wait til you have other professors in the econ dept like franco, where it'll be almost impossible to get a good grade

4.0
2.0
ECON02
Jan 2, 2010

If you keep up with the reading and do your homework and also take really good notes in class should be ok. She loves those the charts you will always have it on an exam. I had the best TA ever!! really helps to have a good TA. I got a D+ the first midterm B- the second and I ended up with a solid B in the class just do the homework and attend Dis

3.0
3.0
ECON004
Jan 3, 2010

It was very difficult to understand what she was saying during lectures. She also graded very specific on the midterms. If you don't go to class, you're pretty much going to fail.

2.0
3.0
ECON002
Feb 19, 2010

her lecture is extremely boring, attendance is not require. I always skip her lectures because I think it's useless. REMEMBER to read your book, do your homework, and make sure you fully understand the concept, then you will be fine. Overall, I got an A.

1.0
4.0
ECON002
Mar 1, 2010

boringg, heavy accent & she's mean. grade is based on TA's & how lenient they are when grading tests. Chuan Lei is an easy TA. Mi Lu doesn't teach well & very picky, Kevari teaches well but grades kinda hard. Overall, read the book & you'll be fine. Got C- first midterm, B second midterm, don't know how i did on the final, but ended up with A-

3.0
2.0
ECON4
Mar 5, 2010

I don't know why people said she is hard. You don't need to attended to class. You only have to read the text book, do the homework. By the way, do go to the office hour, she is helpful.

5.0
1.0
ECON004
Mar 16, 2010

This class is really easy if you go to lecture and actually PAY ATTENTION. Her class isn't the most exciting, but you didn't actually expect any lecture to be "fun." Just make sure you take notes and listen to her lectures and you'll do fine. She is very good in her explanations and she is also extremely helpful. Make sure you sit in the front.

3.0
2.0
ECON4
Mar 18, 2010

NO NEEEED for LECTURE(MUST READ). . One of my TA told me, when they ask her what to teach, she said teach thing that you think are improtant. DO listen to your TA. your TA grade the test.

1.0
5.0
ECON002
Mar 20, 2010

If you can avoid her, do so. She just reads off her powerpoints that she posts online but with only a few slides taken off. She's boring and hard to listen to with that accent.

2.0
5.0
ECON2
Mar 25, 2010

Just read the textbook. Lecture is useless. I tried to take notes for the first half of the quarter.. it was useless. I stopped going and relied on the book for better understanding.. Go to EVERY SI review sessions too.. much better than her teaching.

3.0
3.0
ECON002
Mar 25, 2010

it isn't too hard, to be honest. got range of 74%-80% on all exams, but i got those grades because i didn't understand the concepts. problem is, you really have to not underestimate the simple stuff. that's what got me knocked off both midterms. memorize a few graphs, & you're good. there's a nice curve--86% is still an A-, 74% is still a B-.

2.0
4.0
ECON004
Mar 26, 2010

You MUST read! Her lectures are almost entirely useless. She will confuse you more than clarify when you go to lecture or ask her a question. TAs and reading are the ways to go if you want to pass this class. Overall a very very poor teacher.

4.0
2.0
ECON004
May 6, 2010

Professor Mahalingam is a great teacher though she does confuse herself at times. Her homework is doable. Just read the book, go to lecture, pay attention to her graphs and examples (they are usually on test)

4.0
4.0
ECON2
May 13, 2010

she's hard so understand because of her indian accent and if you dont like econ, its pretty hard but if you study and go to class then youll get a good grade. shes not a hard grader but you really have to read the book and take a lot of notes

2.0
4.0
ECON103
May 15, 2010

Accents are cool, but don't become a teacher.

3.0
4.0
ECON102
May 18, 2010

no need to attend to class, but do read the book carefully. Do the review question for midterm and final. Good luck taking her!!

2.0
4.0
ECON2
May 26, 2010

She is very hard to understand. Going to class is necessary because she does not put the full slides online. The book is pretty expensive but necessary. Go to office hours and S.I. because she will have you confused by the end of lecture

4.0
1.0
ECON002
May 30, 2010

She is not as bad as everyone stated. Midterms are easy if you do the HW. It's not a hard class. The final was fair. If you do the HW and read the book, you can get a good grade. She does have a heavy accent but it's understandable.

2.0
4.0
ECON102
Jun 16, 2010

Received an A in this class (amazingly) Received 92 in first midterm, 80% on second, 93 on final(surprisingly) She makes a billion mistakes during class & on her final review she gave us the answers online & I think there was only 1 question she answered that she did not make a mistake on. Do examples in the book & read alittle to get good grade

3.0
2.0
ECON002
Jun 16, 2010

oops the one below this one is for Muralidharan vv Mahalingam is easier/a little better than Muralidharan, her final was extremely hard, but I received an A- in this class, even though I received 70% on first midterm, 85% on second midterm & i probably did horrible on the final. Read the book & do examples. It helps alot

5.0
4.0
ECON4
Sep 23, 2010

Excellent Prof!!! Will go over any questions without hesitation!!

5.0
1.0
ECON02
Nov 17, 2010

Mahalingam. very cool last name. Also got an A in the class. SI sessions essential however.

3.0
2.0
ECON130
Dec 14, 2010

She follows the textbook very closely in terms of lecture. The midterms and final however are harder than the questions posed in the textbook or problem sets. She is helpful during office hours.

3.0
3.0
ECON002
Dec 20, 2010

Her class if very interesting. She has a strong accent. Could barely understand her. But she knows exactly what she's talking about & her power points provide very good info. She gives high curves on her tests also. Not too much work. You need to study for the midterms & final greatly. They're pretty difficult

3.0
4.0
ECON135
Dec 27, 2010

I don't advise you to take her class. I have taken her for two classes. Both classes I had a very hard time. She expects you to know everything before the start of the class as if you are the one who wrote the book. I did ok in the lower division class and got a B- in econ 135 but it was hard. There is one midterm, a group project, and a final. Gro

2.0
3.0
ECON002
Mar 22, 2011

strong accent not very good at explaining luckily i understood the info from back in hs and my ta was good but would not advise people to take her class

4.0
3.0
ECON002
Aug 1, 2011

The class was based on 2 midterms (35%) & 1 final (40%). Her grading scaled was curved. If you get a C than the grade would be curved to a B-. She did go over problems in class that was on the midterms & final. I was lucky that I got a great TA. He would get us practice midterms & finals which were almost exact to the actual midterms & final given.

5.0
3.0
ECON02
Aug 1, 2011

Accent wasn't that bad. When she said "assume" it sounded like "azzume" but since she said it so much I got what she meant. You didn't have to read the book to answer the mc questions if you pay attention in class, but I still would just in case. The free response questions are worth the most on her exams. So you should practice them before hand.

2.0
5.0
ECON102
Nov 9, 2011

She has a bad accent and was very hard to understand.

1.0
5.0
ECON130
Grade: C
Dec 2, 2022

Quite possibly one of the worst college teachers I have ever had. Her grading is abysmal. Long winded lectures with information not on the test. Final is worth 20% of grade and YOU HAVE TO PASS IT to pass the class, your grade is irrelevant. would not recommend for any class.

Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

0%

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

C

53% confidence
Based on 1 grades
Most common grades:
C (1)
Grade Distribution
A(0)B(0)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(0)
Based on 1 reported grades
C: 1
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.87 avg change
Nov
Dec
Mar
Aug
Nov
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

ECONECON

4.0

(1)

ECON02

4.0

(6)

ECON130

3.2

(5)

ECON007

3.0

(1)

ECON135

3.0

(1)
+8 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ECON103

4.6

ECON102A

4.5

ECON102

4.3

ECON007

4.0

ECONECON

4.0

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