3.0
Quality3.0
Difficulty38%
Would Retake121
Reviews38%
Would Retake
121
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
23
4
33
3
23
2
21
1
21
What Students Say
“If you pay attention like I didn't you'll do great”
MA141 - 3.0 rating“Makes waking up at 8 AM not so terrible”
CALC - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
18%
Textbook Required
23%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.68 avg changeRatings by Course
MA117E
5.0
(1)HST103
5.0
(1)MAA
5.0
(1)MA150
5.0
(1)MA117
4.2
(5)Difficulty by Course
MAT118
5.0
MA154
5.0
140
4.0
141
4.0
MA11A
4.0
Reviews (121)
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Very good teacher. Highly recommended!
just okay, nothing exciting
Took him online this summer and he was extremely unhelpful, could not be bothered with questions.
good job
Absolutely hysterical but very strange.
Explained things thoroughly, but at a quick pace. His personal appearance is less than perfect, most obviously his unkept hair. He once tried to slip a quarter in a girls back pocket in return for doing a problem on the board. Quite entertaining.
-Good for students who understand math concepts quickly, moves at a very fast pace but is still a good teacher. Gives bonus quizzes weekly to give opportunites to add points on to test grades. Very accomodating and is very relaxed.
HAHA this guy lives up to the name Cornelius. a true nerd, this guy cracks the corniest jokes in class, but he gives 1or2 bonus quizzes a week to add to the exam grade.EXAMS ARE CUMULATIVE,so beware!but because of that i didnt have to study for the final.
Funniest teacher I've ever had. King of corny jokes, but they keep you awake and alert in class. Very good teacher, and gives lots of bonus quizzes. Great teacher.
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A true hippie and the definition of a great teacher. He may be quirky but he is clearly a genius.
Over all a good teacher, just don't get behind. He offers lots of extra credit so even if you do bad on a test you can make it all up. No midterm and final isn't too difficult. He collects hw but its only 5% of grade.doesn't take attendance...i think..
doesnt take attendance, gives bonus quizzes, no midterm, hw is graded but doesnt count for a lot of your grade
he is soooooo easy. basically, just listen to him in class, come to class so you dont miss the bonus quizzes, and you will get an A for sure
Good teacher. Fast pace. Gives bonus quizes. Doesn't take attendance. Only 5 homeworks, which total only count for 5% of your grade. 5 tests, not hard if you pay attention. Explains things well.
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Great teacher. So easy...if you have taken calc before it's no sweat. funny guy, nice guy. youll like him
Terrible teacher. He doesn't mind seeing struggling students fail. Effort means nothing to him. Grades are all that matters. It is easy to cheat in his class so I recommend it. He would rather you cheat and get a good grade then be honest and score in the 70s. Avoid at all costs!
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This guy knows what he is talking about, but he probably cant explain it to you.
Really funny...kinda weird...fast paced.
WEIRD! GREAT TEACHER. No attendance, doesnt check hw. 5 tests BONUS quizzes that can only help you.
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good, easy class. easy A.
Easy class...tons of bonus points added to the exams. Homework assignments impossible but they don't count for too much. Definitely recommend him, the class really was not difficult.
this guy is so funny, but on a different level. you have to pay attention in class, but as long as your not a complete failure as a student and person, you will do just fine. totally helpful and i would recommend him to any one, anyday!
One of the most intelligent guys ever but couldn't explain a bit of it to you. I would ask questions in class and even after explaining it twice, I still didn't understand. Would recommend if you have an ability to grasp things early on, but not if you struggle with math. Doesn't take attendance
Easy class. Bonus quizzes every week before a test.
He is so awesome. If you fail his class then seriously you should never take a math class because you get at least ten extra credit points on every test. Take notes, go to class, and do the homework problems before a test and you will be fine. Just make sure you go to every class before the test day to get the ten points on the bonus quiz.
Great guy! He will help you with anything you ask him. So funny too. Hes a great teacher and gives lots of bonus quizes. Make sure you go to class so you dont miss the quizes. overall he is great
I was awful at math before having his class. As long as you write down everything in class youll have what you need for tests. I somehow have a higher grade than my grades show. just study the notes for tests and make sure you are there for the quizes for extra points and you really cant do bad. very funny and nice! take him!
His notes for class are really helpful. Only have one homework assignment for every test taken and he is extremley nice, helpful, and funny. Gives extra credit which really helps your grade. Awesome teacher!
While his teaching style might not be for everyone, he will help you out with anything you dont understand. VERY HELPFUL, funny, and considerate. Oh, and all the quizzes count as extra points for your test grades
He is probably one of the weirdest people on this earth but he probably couldn't teach any better. He's good at answering questions. Big homework assignments are due before every test but they are the only way to do well. He hit on me like the whole class though so girls- be prepared!
Very helpful and understanding, always available for extra help when you need it. Gives bonus quizes that get added on to your test grades. I had no background in calc and he really helped understand everything!
Probably the best math teacher this school has, class is easy. 4 tests, 8 bonus quizzes that are extra credit. most definitely recomment him
Funny guy, great teacher. Bonus quizzes help your grade a lot. Tests are fairly easy as long as you know what you're doing. A little hard to keep your attention at 8 am but he definitely tries and usually succeeds with jokes and random comments. I would definitely take again.
Sure, Prof. Nelan sweats a lot, tells weird stories, & is all around eccentric, but he's a great teacher. There are big assignments due before each test that ensure that you do well. If you do them, you're in great shape. He puts you in groups to do practice quizzes before the test that only give you extra points & are great study guides. Take him!
He is extremely quirky and kind of weird but a good guy who tries to make the class fun. Tests are pretty easy and before each test you will have a bonus quiz to give you extra credit points. Really easy class to fill a requirement
I am seriously mathematically challenged and I highly reccomend his class. Nice, quirky guy. Teaching style is learnable. He offers tons of help and doesn't make you feel stupid. He also gives out a bonus quiz before every test to earn points. HIGHLY RECCOMEND.
We don't actually learn mathematical concepts in this class, rather we learn how to plug equations into a calculator and not use our brains at all. Nelan cannot explain anything in detail or answer questions. If you're looking for an easy A, take it. If you actually want to challenge yourself and acquire real skills in math, DO NOT TAKE IT.
He is an easy teacher,kinda weird man who tries to be funny. There are a lot of bonus quizzes which will actually help you in the class a lot. Everything on the tests is exactly what was learned, but this class requires a lot of studying and hard work. all the homework is graded.
I really did not learn much in this class. He's alright but he doesn't always explain everything so I was left confused. Your reference book is very handy though... He's nice but creeps me out because he always puts 666 when he tests the calculator. Not my kind of professor, but then again, I don't like math. He's cool but eh...
I would highly recommend taking a math course with him, he is pretty easy, gives extra credit and is extremely helpful. Math is not my strong suite but he made it interesting and fun. He is really wacky has a very different sense of humor but he keeps the class lively and interesting.
Great teacher. Very helpful. Just write down what he writes on board and just do odd problems the go with the evens he assigns and you are guaranteed an A.
Clear and easy professor! Tests are generally very easy, except for one on optimization that he warns you you'll do bad on in advance. (Go to the learning center for that topic!!) But there's lots of opportunity to improve your grade with bonus points if you do bad.
This man is the worst professor I ever had. Does not know how to explain answers, just pulls them out of thin air. If math is not extremely easy for you then avoid at all costs. Even a math major in my class is failing because of this guy.
Great, helpful teacher. Willing to help you in any way possible. Take advantage of his office hours. His tests are very easy & he gives you bonus quizzes that have a great impact on your final grade. TAKE HIM!!
Decent teacher, very average. If you get him, you'll be okay, but don't go out of your way for him. Also note, he has HORRIBLE hand writing.
Love him. Fair policies. Corny jokes. Makes waking up at 8 AM not so terrible.
The class was easy and waking up at 8am was a struggle, but he made it a little better with his corny jokes. Before the test we would take a open book quiz that adds bonus points to the test. 5 tests and 1 final and it's an easy A as long as you pay attention and don't fall behind.
Odd ball type of guy. Not a very good teacher if your looking to learn something. Other kids seemed to do OK but I know others like me who struggled bad. He gives extra credit but theyre a litle hard and less than 10pts. Homework is in the text and collected once a week. Not the worst, but certainly not the best. Go to his office hours
A nice guy but a bad teacher. He consistently writes things on the board, then stands in front of them talking about something else before erasing what he wrote, so you can't really copy it. He doesn't teach so much as he reviews, and considering that calculus was new to me, this made it hard. Office hours are helpful but he rushes you. Don't take.
He is very unhelpful and is very hard if you don't have a calc background. Gives bonus quizzes but tests are very hard
This is probably the worst professor i have had in my life. I took his class because he had good reviews but frankly i dont know why he had those reviews. He doesnt know how to teach. the only way youll pass is if you have a calculus background. good luck if you take him
Don't understand how this man got the reviews he did, he is the worst professor have ever had at Quinnipiac. He never answers your questions, and when he teaches he sweats profusely, not kidding extremely distracting. Extremely hard grader and barely gives partial credit on tests and grades extremely hard. Since no one here said it I will, AVOID!!
By far the WORST professor I've had. Flys through the material and is a very hard grader. No partial credit. He claims his bonus quizzes are helpful but they aren't. The only way you will pass this class is if you have a strong math background. He will talk down to you if you don't understand something. Prepare to drop or receive a D. AVOID!!!
He's definitely strange, but his class was pretty easy. I don't know why the reviews are so bad. He only gives five tests and homework's and they're all about twenty questions. He also gives tons of bonus points which boost your grade a ton. Never takes attendance, but he does grade all your homework which can bring down your grade.
THE WORST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HAD. I don't care if he's weird or not but he has no patience for people who are bad at math. This is a required course for business majors and he is such a hard grader. No extra credit or help. It was nice getting a F and trying to find a school to take the class over the summer!
Very difficult if you, like me, are not the best at math. Not a lot of tests, but the are very hard, and he gives quizzes that are only used for extra credit. Hard to understand.
His hand writing is terrible, but if you pay attention and do well on the bonus quizzes (there are at least 10 of them) and gives you a lot of extra credit (finished with over 20 extra credit points). Easy class if you have a basic understanding of math.
Yes, prof. Nelan is kind of strange, but that makes his style. He was willing to help students for any difficulty after class. Lectures are not really interesting, but not too boring. I have 4 tests totally and none of them was under 98. And by the way, he doesn't take attendance.
Professor Nelan is a bit of a weird guy, but a great teacher. He gives good examples and is always willing to explain things again if you need him to. Gives "bonus quizzes" that help boost your test average. Would definitely recommend.
He's a really funny and good guy, but when it comes to teaching, if you have no background of math you won't pass. All homework is online which sucks. He does give bonus quizzes that raises your grade by a lot. Attendance is not mandatory, but most of the bonus quizzes are in class, so if you are struggling, I suggest going to take those.
Prof Nelan is a very difficult grader and forgets that nobody in class is going on to higher level math classes. Unclear what exams will be on. Gives bonus quizzes which help a little
Dr. Nelan is a good teacher. He's a little weird, and tells corny jokes, but that makes the class less boring. He gives extra credit at least once a week (bonus quizzes) that boost your test average. If you pay attention in class and take notes, you'll do fine on the tests. Lets you have a printer paper sized notecard on the final.
I thought he was a very tough grader and when I asked him about certain times he took off points, he was very stringent on doing things his way. Difficult tests
Not specific with what will be on exam. Never only takes off 1 point, 2 points or more for small mistakes. Grades homework we have not gone over yet, although it only counts for 10% of grade. Take if you have a math background. If not, good luck
Having taken AP Calc in high school I thought this class was easy. If I had not taken AP Calc in high school I might have found this class much more difficult. He is confusing at times but for the most part isn't bad. Gives extra credit which is good.
Good teacher. Cheesy jokes, sometimes actually funny. Very thorough and understanding.
Really laid back and chill guy. If you have not taken calculus before I am not sure how you would do, but I took calc in high school and I found this class not difficult at all. Homework is completely manageable. You basically just have to show up, try, and do your homework, nothing crazy.
His teaching is so unorthodox and he does make a few inappropriate jokes, but he's not terrible. A little confusing because he skips around a lot when he's speaking, but you won't fail if you show up and take notes. He gives you bonus quizzes too which can help. Uses MyMathLab for homework. Get a 60 or above and you get 100 on the assignment.
Professor Nelan is a really good teacher, and as long as you pay attention you're guaranteed to do well in the class. Also the funniest teacher I've ever had.
Oh Cornelius, good intentions from this guy, but I did not do well with his teaching style. He was very scatter brained, I didn't feel like I was learning anything at all and I never felt like I could ask questions. I always got A's in math too, but this class was a struggle for me to get through. Homework online helped with upcoming tests though.
Really boring. Isn't very helpful at explaining confusing concepts and won't give you clear exam criteria. Overall a barely bearable lecture.
he's a great teacher and knows what he's talking about. he's patient and explains when someone is confused. he's really funny and nice.
Bonus points are the only good thing about this class. Tests are more on the difficult side. There are 3-4 long homework assignments per unit which are very time consuming but as long as you get a 75% he gives you a 100. He is overall one of the worst teachers i have ever had and one of the most awkward human beings ever.
He's an overall average teacher, meaning nothing to praise or complain about. He's nice and willing to work with you if you need help, and gives a lot of extra credit which helps your grade A LOT. He tends to get off topic in lecture on wild tangents, but manages to teach everything before a test. If you pay attention like I didn't you'll do great.
Nelan was fair. If you don't do the homework you won't do well on the tests. You can predict which types of problem will be on the test based on the homework. Bonus quizzes are everything, and he gives almost one per week, so if you want those points, don't skip class.
Nelan has been teaching this class for years, that is why is it difficult for him to explain the concepts and problems in this course. Homework is graded!! I felt as though to really understand the class you either had to have previous knowledge in Discrete Math or willing to get tutoring. It's very abstract mathematics.
Overall, I thought he was a very good professor. However, it definitely helped that I took calculus in high school because he moves very fast. He gives extra credit pop quizzes throughout the unit and right before the test he gives one in a small group. He usually tells you what the test will consist of before you take it.
His handwriting is awful so be prepared to have to guess what's written on the board and for corrections on papers. Exams aren't hard as long as you study and the homework isn't too tricky (he'll let you check answers with him if you go to office hours). Explains things well one day and not so much the next.
His handwriting is pretty bad but if you go to class and follow along with the examples that he does you will be fine. He gives bonus quizzes that give you points on the tests and cannot hurt your grade. Do the homework as it comes because you won't be able to get it all done the night before.
Took this course over the summer. Made us drive to school twice to take the mid-term and final. Homework's are very long. Provided extra credit during the last week. Not a terrible professor, but would've appreciated him making Powerpoint reviews instead of expecting us to teach ourselves the material.
Professor Nelan is a great guy. He knows that not everyone likes math and doesn't pretend otherwise. He explains everything and gives lots of extra credit. Make sure to do the homework because it is really helpful in preparing for the tests.
Math is always going to be difficult. He is accessible outside of class, little vague in his teaching though. Can use a little refinement, you do get bonus quizzes to help boost your grades on exams, but the class itself is condensed and fast paced. You're not graded on much which means your grade really depends on your exams, beware.
Completely relies on assigning us 100+ questions for homework as a way for us to learn the topics but does not give clear instructions on how to solve the problem. Only grades you get are tests and homework; for every homework grade assigned, the old one gets replaced. If you want to teach yourself the entire curriculum, he's the perfect professor.
Prof. Nelan is very nice and sometimes funny. He answers any questions you have. He has pop quizzes, but they dont hurt your grade. The points are used as bonus points for the next exam. A lot of homework is assignment between each exam, so dont leave it until last minute. Overall a pretty good prof.
Really great class. He gives bonus quizzes which dont hurt your grade at all. The points earned from them are added to the next exam, so it can only help your grade. A lot of homework, but you have multiple chances to do each question, and they have hints to help you along. His handwriting is horrible though. Ask for explanations when needed.
Pretty chill man, your grade heavily depends on the tests and final. As long as long you study and do the homework, you will pass the class. Ask questions if you are confused on something.
Nelan is hard to understand, boring and his handwriting is mostly not understandable. He is very much available outside of class, so use that opportunity. Office hr is the key to passing this class(he gives assignment answers in office hr).
This was a transitional class between MA 141 and MA 152 and I believe that he really helped me with the transition. Math, especially calculus has always been difficult for me, but he made learning it much simpler. I'm still surprised at how much information I have retained from that class. If you can take him, do it. He also gives extra credit.
Worst teacher I've ever had. You would be better off skipping his class and using the time to watch YouTube videos to learn the concepts. He lectures from the very first minute of class until the end, and all he does is read equations typed out in a Word doc and basically narrates them with no explanation. He also can't answer student questions.
His brain goes 100 different places. If you don't know calc before entering the class, you will fail. I am currently struggling.
He does give a lot of extra credit but is awful at teaching.
I would never take him again, his lectures are really incomprehensible, and his writing on the board is illegible. I find the way he teaches puts everyone to sleep and is very confusing for an already confusing subject. He takes off points for not showing work on problems that you can do in your head and is overall an annoying professor.
DONT TAKE THIS MAN! You will be teaching yourself the course because his lectures are awful. He has the worst handwriting and never has a clear lesson. LOTS of homework but it was the main method of studying so I didn't mind it. The only good part about the class is he gives bonus quizzes which he just adds whatever grade you get to the test grade
Professor Nelan is awful, his handwriting is impossible to read and he does not explain anything. I never felt comfortable asking questions. Even if you take Calc in high school, this class will still be difficult. The one positive about this class is the bonus quizzes he gives because all the points you get are added to your exam.
Avoid if you can. His handwriting is absolutely horrendous. He scribbles on the whiteboard the entire class and does the same thing for your homework and exam corrections. His lectures are also pretty unclear at times and he doesn't always really answer your question when you ask. Also...the tests are 20% each. Very high stress class.
This professor is really difficult and is hard to understand his material because due to the fact that he teaches like everyone already knows what he is saying also he is very test heavy and on top of that he expects you to basically teach yourself becuacuse when he writes you can barely see what he is writing out.
My man needs to go back to penmanship class. It's ridiculous. Every class I spent most of my time trying to understand what I was even reading. I don't want to blame his handwriting on why I did horrible in the class but it didn't help. He's a nice guy who is very knowledgeable about CS. If someone else ends up offering the class take them.
He was alright. Not as bad as a lot of the other reviews have made him out to be. I didn't love his class, it's math, but I didn't hate it either. He's not a bad instructor and the examples he'll give in class can help. Handwriting is awful, though, and the homework is really long. Take good notes and you'll probably be okay.
Cornelius is a very nice guy, and gives a lot of opportunities of extra credit which is why I would take him again. BUT his handwriting is god awful. Tests are fairly simple and you are assigned homework that isn't due until the exam. Not the best at teaching concepts, but going to the extra help meetings every week help a lot.
I think that Professor Nelan is eager to teach us and he wants us to do well. However, had I not taken calculus before, I would have struggled.The one complaint I have is his handwriting. Sometimes I will have no clue what something says and students will have to ask often. However, he gives bonus quizzes and his tests are fairly easy. He wasnt bad
Took this course online over the summer and literally wouldn't have passed if I took it in person. Two exam, midterm and final and around 8 quizzes which all count towards extra credit to the midterm or final. Lots of homework which took up most of my time
If you've taken calc in high school, you'll do fine. Even if you haven't, Prof Nelan is pretty good, but he might go a little fast if it's your first time learning this material. Gives lots of bonus quizzes to help your test grades. Handwriting is okay but honestly not that bad. Overall a chill guy, would take again
Really nice guy but his handwriting is atrocious. I would have to copy whatever scribble he wrote on the board that day and decode it in my dorm. If you end up taking him sit near the front and write what he's saying rather than read his handwriting off the board cus there's no point.
He's a goofy guy but his handwriting sucks so you have to listen to what he says instead of what he writes. He gives bonus quizzes that are only meant to help you, not hurt you. Most of the tests are 20 questions worth 5 points and theres 4-5 webassign homeworks per test. Theres worse teachers and i took him for pre-calc and calc and did fine.
His lectures are boring and unengaging, but he is helpful outside of class. He does not provide very many resources to enrich your learning, and his handwriting is impossible to read most of the time; so expect to study on your own accord.
Professor Nelan is overall a nice guy. His tests have questions from previous chapters on them so it is hard to study. He expects students to remember things from high school and spends half of the class going over the homework. I would personally avoid if you're not strong in math. He does give bonus quizzes that add to your test score.
His writing lowkey sucks but if you listen to what he says you'll be fine, he lets you use a calculator for tests, he gives a lot of bonus quizzes that only add points to your test grade. Prob wont be able to read his handwriting corrections on the test, but his tests are also very fair and easier then the homework's.
I have been unwillingly stuck with this man for multiple semesters through pre-calc, calc, and discrete math. Most people stop showing up after the first few weeks because his lectures are him mumbling to himself and scribbling on the board. If you end up taking him, don't skip, he passes out extra credit quizzes you can use to study for the exam.
Professor Nelan is the wrong guy to have if you're not a math person. He does tons of mental math, never goes by the book, and all you have to practice with is the online HWs. Which don't have questions that are similar to the very vague tests. The Final is commutative of the 4 units and you don't get a study guide for it.
his handwriting sucks and he makes racist comments towards the webassign guy. people stop showing up after 2 weeks bc being in class is useless + he just mumbles to himself + told us he wont learn any of our names im not good at calc struggled sm + had to learn everything on my own. hes rly old + a lot of ppl would cheat so he started taking phones
Before taking this class, i had never taken calc. After taking this class, i still feel like i havent taken calc. I slept through half the lectures and did fine. He gives bonus quizzes which just add points to your exams, and the exams are fairly easy. But trying to read what he writes on the board is like trying to read morse code without the key.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
18%
Textbook Required
23%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.68 avg changeRatings by Course
MA117E
5.0
(1)HST103
5.0
(1)MAA
5.0
(1)MA150
5.0
(1)MA117
4.2
(5)Difficulty by Course
MAT118
5.0
MA154
5.0
140
4.0
141
4.0
MA11A
4.0