2.6

Elena Goldman

Finance - Pace University (all)

2.6
Quality
3.4
Difficulty
19%
Would Retake
98
Reviews
2.6
Quality
3.4
Difficulty
2.6
Helpful
2.5
Clarity

19%

Would Retake

98

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official
98 total ratings

5

21

4

11

3

16

2

16

1

34

What Students Say

Goldman for data analysis in finance

FIN325 - 5.0 rating

THE WORST PROFESSOR EVER

FIN325 - 1.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

47%

Textbook Required

61%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

C+

68% confidence
Based on 6 grades
Most common grades:
Not sure yet (3)
B (2)
F (1)
Grade Distribution
A(0)B(2)C(1)D(0)F(1)A-/B+(2)
Based on 10 reported grades
Not sure yet: 3
B: 2
F: 1
C-: 1
Common Tags
Tough grader (7)
Test heavy (5)
Lecture heavy (4)
Graded by few things (3)
Tough Grader (2)
BEWARE OF POP QUIZZES (2)
Skip class? You won't pass. (2)
Get ready to read (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.48 avg change
Apr
Jan
May
Nov
Apr
Feb
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

301

5.0

(1)

FINANCE

5.0

(2)

MBA630

5.0

(1)

MBA632

3.5

(2)

FIN260

3.3

(6)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

BUS510

5.0

FINAN325

5.0

MBA648

5.0

econ1102

5.0

FIN358

4.8

Reviews (97)
3.0
4.0
FIN301
Oct 3, 2002

She does not know how to teach, she's also hard!

3.0
3.0
FIN301
Oct 16, 2002

She is hard, but curves a lot!!!

5.0
2.0
FIN301
Nov 13, 2002

she explains well. don't need to read the book. study notes and u will do well

5.0
3.0
FIN301
Nov 15, 2002

She is great.Works very hard to make sure everything is clear.

2.0
4.0
FIN301
Dec 19, 2002

She doesn't know how to teach yet, but is nice to students. Funny Russian accent

4.0
2.0
FIN301
Dec 30, 2002

Not Bad for a first time teaching in Pace, I would recommend her

5.0
2.0
FIN301
Jan 4, 2003

She is nice and very helpful.

4.0
2.0
FIN301
Apr 3, 2003

GREAT PROFESSOR WITH MANY EXAMPLES. SHE IS ACCOMODATING TO STUDENTS. VERY HELPFUL AND A NICE PERSON. TRIES HARD TO BE A GOOD PROFESSOR.

5.0
1.0
FIN301
Apr 15, 2003

Very nice, linear, understanding professor. Easy A. No need to read a book. Great person

3.0
3.0
ECO622
Apr 30, 2003

She is not clear in expalining students doubts. The finance part of International Economics was a disaster. She practically read from her notes and did not even give practice questions befor she gave assignments.

1.0
2.0
FIN301
Jul 10, 2003

Not that good...

1.0
5.0
ECO622
Jul 14, 2003

I was very unhappy.

1.0
5.0
BUS510
Jul 16, 2003

I was highy unhappy, and veracitily situated within the context of joint anger.

1.0
5.0
BUS510
Aug 3, 2003

I would rather kill myself with a toothpick rather than have to sit through this course again, which was the most boring and unintersting experience of my life. And what language exactly is she speaking?

1.0
1.0
ECON301
Sep 1, 2003

To not, or to, is whatever needed to understand this. It is unusually regardless of challenge to create this opportunisim.

4.0
3.0
MBA626
Nov 3, 2003

She has a great resonsibility to students and tries hard to explain the subject. I would recommend this class.

5.0
1.0
FIN301
Nov 10, 2003

Very easy and healpful

1.0
5.0
FIN301
Nov 17, 2003

terrible... do not believe anything good what is written here.

4.0
3.0
FIN301
Nov 19, 2003

She is a good professor. If you are not good in math (don't be a management major, since this course is REQUIRED). She tries very hard to explain but moves along if no one asks questions. Ask questions and take good notes (read the text, much easier).

3.0
2.0
FIN301
Dec 16, 2003

She does need to work on her pronunciation and attitude a little more, but other than that she does a good job. She posts lectures and HW solutions on blackboard,allows cheat sheets. Just do all HW and you are guaranteed an A.

2.0
5.0
FIN301
Dec 16, 2003

I did well on both tests and for some crazy reason she gave me a horrible mark. She doesnt go according to University rules. she should not teach here. I wont forgive her for the torture she put me through this past semester....all for nothing....

5.0
2.0
MBA626
Dec 19, 2003

She is not a bad professor at all. I appreciate the fact that she tries to teach beyond the text book. BTW, it's helpful to read the book, but she gives enough class notes, you'll do well without the book. Now I enjoy Squawk Box more because this class.

1.0
5.0
FIN301
Feb 2, 2004

listen Pace University, I dont know why you hired her, but she doesnt respect the school rules. she teaches over the class time, she doesnt give tests according to rules. AND she isnt a good teacher. you know my suggestion....

2.0
4.0
FIN301
Feb 19, 2004

One word: HORRIBLE. Avoid as much as possible!!

1.0
3.0
MBA626
Mar 2, 2004

i want to see person who hired her. run as far as you can.

1.0
3.0
MBA626
Mar 22, 2004

This class is terrible, as is the professor's attitude. All the students are miserable, or at least appear to be. Also, she perpetually comes back late from class breaks, and we rarely end class on time. Avoid this class with this prof at all costs!

1.0
5.0
MBA626
Mar 29, 2004

It's obvious she knows her stuff...unfortunately she can't seem to find the right way to impart that knowledge onto us. She's condescending when you don't "get it" too. Find another professor.

4.0
2.0
FIN301
Apr 6, 2004

Good and helpful in teaching and assistance.

2.0
4.0
MBA626
Apr 7, 2004

This professor has zero connection with the class. She knows the material but doesn't have the ability to convey it to the students. The class is bored and nothing is related to real world business issues. You are best to find another teacher.

5.0
1.0
FIN301
May 8, 2004

She explains the work clearly and the exams are fair...just review her problems in class and do the homework u will past the class with no problems...

1.0
4.0
MBA626
May 16, 2004

I know she has a firm grasp of economics - unfortunately she is unable to communicate this to the class. She is confusing and uninspiring. Why has Pace combined Micro and Macro into a one semester course - do they really expect students to learn it all&

4.0
2.0
MBA626
May 18, 2004

I think if you follow all she class example and homework, your will do fine. She willing to help also if you need assitant.

5.0
2.0
FIN301
May 18, 2004

She allows cheat sheets and does try to help you. She might just have a slight attitude problem.

5.0
2.0
FIN301
May 23, 2004

Nice Prof but can't "teach" to class, have no clue what she's saying at times. easy on some tests cos of her reviews & cheat sheets.. but be careful on her finals cos it turned out screwy.. harder than the in-class n mid-terms..

5.0
3.0
FIN301
May 27, 2004

She's only mean to those who wastes class time or thinks they can get away cheating in the exams. Go to class, take down notes, do the hw, and ace the exams. Simple as that. Take her!

1.0
5.0
MBA
Jun 1, 2004

If I only knew what's she like, I would have never taken her. My grade for her: 'F' - she's the worst professor ever. Doesn't know what TEACHING is. She TEASES instead. She shouldn't be teaching. What a waste of time and money!

4.0
3.0
MBA
Aug 20, 2004

She's good-looking and smart. What else can you ask for? Take her if she lets you :) .

5.0
2.0
FINANCE
Dec 19, 2004

if you follow all problems she gave you gonna be fine.

1.0
3.0
MBA6363
Dec 27, 2004

Too thick Eastern European accent. Her dialect is atrocious. To make matters worse, she words the tests just as though she were speaking it. Unless you're from her country, good luck understanding her! The only thing she suceeded at was taking an otherwise simple subject and making it complex.

2.0
3.0
FIN301
Jan 25, 2005

I think she's a hot redhead. Thick accent. It's a mediocre class- not particularlly hard, but not easy either. Allows for extra credit. Midterm and final she tells you what chapters to study, and allows a cheat sheet.

3.0
2.0
MBA632
Jan 31, 2005

Good Teacher. She's very organized. teaches according to her notes. Not a challanging course, but easy A. I do find this course interesting. I would recommend her.

3.0
3.0
FIN301
Feb 14, 2005

No Comments

5.0
4.0
FINANCE
Feb 15, 2005

She gives her notes and ready to help you, very organized. Just follow the problems she gave. I would recomend her.

3.0
2.0
FIN301
Mar 21, 2005

Straight foward professor, easy material if you show up to class. First day i went to class i thought she was nice. Boy was i wrong. Don't bother asking her any questions becuase her answer will start sounding like gibberish to you, and she will look at you like your an idiot.

2.0
2.0
FIN301
Mar 25, 2005

nice but don't ask her questions since she doesn't answer them, just follow the examples, and study!!!

3.0
2.0
FIN301
Apr 19, 2005

Her class was not hard at all. As long as you do all of the homeworks and examples, you should get at least a B. But whatever you do, don't bother to ask her questions, she doesn't know how to answer them.

5.0
2.0
FIN301
Apr 20, 2005

easy to follow. As long as you show up for class you'll do fine on the exam. her accent is fine!

4.0
3.0
MBA632
Apr 21, 2005

She gave her notes , you do not really a book.She tells you exactly what to ecpect on exam. No suprises. I would recomend her.

1.0
5.0
FIN301
Nov 14, 2005

Stay away. Accent is hard to understand and train of thought is even harder to understand. The material is actually easy if you read the book. She's pointless to try to understand. Will make you feel like an idiot for asking a question and doesn't answer it clearly anyway. Very nervous person.

3.0
2.0
FIN301
Nov 15, 2005

Her accent can be a pain, but you'll get over it quickly. She is a pretty easy professor, but you actually learn about the topic. ALOT of extra credit available just in case you slip up on the quizzes (taken directly from HW) or exams (cheat sheet allowed). At minimum you should get a B in her class. She is a must take.

4.0
3.0
FIN301
Jan 4, 2006

An eassy class, her notes help u a lot in the tests. This class helps me raise my grade!!!!

5.0
1.0
MBA630
Jan 18, 2006

good professor

5.0
2.0
FIN301
May 25, 2006

THE BEST TEACHER AT PACE

5.0
2.0
301
May 26, 2006

shes a really great professor, she goes kinda fast but if you do the HW and the practice and go to tutoring then u will do very well

1.0
5.0
FIN301
Oct 19, 2006

I hate this woman. She needs to get a personality and stop flirting with the guys. She also needs to get a reality check on her atittude because it sucks. As far as her teaching...her in class notes are 300x easier than her tests.

3.0
4.0
MBA651
Oct 27, 2006

hard to understand, too much homework, but very smart and cares.

1.0
4.0
FIN301
Nov 2, 2006

not good at all......does not care how the students feel....NEVER ask questions in her class.....they will get you no where.....they will just make her angry

3.0
1.0
FIN301
Nov 13, 2006

She gives you an equation you need to know then gives lots of examples using it. Homeworks are the quizzes and the exams are easy as long as you know the equations, plus she allows a sheet of notes. Take her!

4.0
3.0
FIN301
Nov 14, 2006

The only thing that I can say is confusion..."what was I gonna say again?" She is confusing, if you can handle that she is easy. Doesnt know that we write 2006 sometimes...could happen to be 1996 for her!

2.0
4.0
FIN301
Nov 14, 2006

If you want an easy A dont take her! If you can get past her heavy accent; you quickly learn that she cant teach. you ask her one question she responds with an answer that has no relevance. She is a nice lady but that is all

2.0
4.0
MBA651
Dec 4, 2006

Zzzzzzz

2.0
4.0
MBA651
Dec 4, 2006

never well preped for lectures. Zero integrity with plans. Never able to fit all she wants in each class. 80 and 90+ slide lectures!

3.0
3.0
MBA651
Jan 19, 2007

Class was so sleepy. She always give you tons of homework that you have to spend whole week solve it. But her test is not too tough.

2.0
3.0
MBA651
Dec 10, 2007

Great person and very smart but a horrible teacher. Long lectures, out of focus.

5.0
2.0
FIN260
Apr 13, 2008

Great professor, clear tests based on the HW and her review. She does not care about attandace as long as you understand the material. I would take her again.

2.0
5.0
FIN358
Oct 2, 2008

This is her 1st time teaching an undergrad class & it shows. She has a wealth of knowledge, but can't transfer it because SHE CANNOT TEACH! If you ask questions she'll give you an answer that is irrelevant. All of this makes the class difficult. I don't take her unless you're willing to devote lots of time for grade you cannot achieve.

1.0
2.0
FIN260
Nov 7, 2008

dont like her at all,not horrible,but can't teach at all,just there to get paid.I don't think she cares about students.I understand y teachers won't help/care 4 students that show no effort, but if a student shows effort/works hard,professor should work with student,so he/she can do well.Goldman is def not one. But she does curve the final grade

2.0
4.0
FIN260
Nov 20, 2008

One of the worst professors I've had at Pace, if not the worst. Rushes through the material and her accent doesn't help clarity. If you can't teach yourself the material don't take her, especially if your not a Finance major. My feelings are shared with a majority of my class.

2.0
3.0
FIN260
Apr 16, 2009

i cannot express how horrible this person as a teacher. she may be a kind person, she cannot teach.I often hear her around lubin, complaining about half of her students failing in her class, and she has to come up with extra credits constantly.she needs a new job.she does not care for the students. please stay aware from her.she's a waste of space

1.0
5.0
ECO653
Apr 29, 2009

Goldman is impossible to understand, talks too fast and doesn?t answer questions clearly. Her attitude is condescending. She does not make an effort even to learn student names. She is consistently late to a 5:30pm class and often runs out of time at the end. Do not take this class.

1.0
5.0
FIN325
Apr 14, 2010

Goldman doesn?t know how to teach. She doesn?t care about students and plays favorites. She does not explain class materials at all and teaches too fast and grades hard. Taking this class is the biggest mistake I have ever made, and I ended up dropping it?This class is new and it?s nothing related to finance. It?s purely econometrics that is harder

1.0
5.0
FIN325
Apr 14, 2010

than any undergrad eco class. Avoid if you are finance major!!! You learn nothing from her, waste of time and money. But you can still take it if you have a master degree in econ or you just wanna kill your GPA.

1.0
5.0
FINAN325
Apr 15, 2010

Avoiding Prof. Goldman is my biggest suggestion here. I am a honor student and I am taking two finance courses with her. However, they all turn out as disaster. Personally I consider her as the worst professor in the finance department and in fact she lacks of ability in teaching.Guys,dont take her unless ur ready for confusion and challenges.

1.0
5.0
FIN358
Apr 20, 2010

Goldman is horrible!!!! She never answered any questions in class. Her accent is also annoying. Hard homeworks and exams, no curves. I have never got anything below B but got a C- from her last semester. What a GPA killer~ my friend took her for fin260 and his GPA was ruined by her too. STAY AWAY!

1.0
5.0
FIN325
Apr 20, 2010

THE WORST PROFESSOR EVER!!!!!

5.0
4.0
ECO653
Dec 20, 2010

Excellent class. If you'd like a firm understanding of statistics and how it relates to finance, take this class. Professor Goldman is very helpful. Be prepared to do a lot of homework and to ask a lot of questions. This class isn't an easy A.

5.0
1.0
FIN260
Jan 29, 2011

Core class, fundamental of FIN, very easy. She is clear, go over every HW problems, and exams are all based on HW and allowed cheating sheet. Allow you to download the calculator on your iphone or any kinds instead buying more expensive one. But the class may be too easy if you want to learn more.

5.0
1.0
FIN260
May 27, 2012

It's understandable that many of you feel as though the class was hard. This is Pace University, after all, not Columbia or NYU. Look, this is finance, not physics or economics, but as an economics major, I found her class thoroughly unchallenging. And btw, she is helpful. I talked to her for an hour about finance, and found her quiet insightful.

3.0
5.0
FIN358
Dec 21, 2012

Smart, but not a good instructor

2.0
4.0
FIN325
Nov 19, 2013

One of the most confusing professors, she explains things too quickly and is very vague in her answers. You use a program that is only on a few computers in the Lubin Lab, which is extremely inconvenient. Homework every week, one group project with a presentation, and a final.

1.0
3.0
FIN325
Nov 30, 2014

Most people in the class don't pay attention because it is very boring. She compounds this issue by going even faster through the material then she normally would. She is a very nice person and loves econometrics, but it's difficult to follow her. The hws are easy the quizs are usually easy, but the last one was impossible.

1.0
5.0
MBA648
Dec 18, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Worst professor I've had in my 5 years of college experience. She is knowledgeable about the material, but is horrible at teaching. She goes very quickly and expects the class to keep up, even though everyone is lost . The last few lectures were wasted on "extra concepts" that had nothing to do with the exams. Class got a C average , no curve

Tough Grader
BEWARE OF POP QUIZZES
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
2.0
5.0
FIN358
Oct 31, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Goes through material way too fast Doesn't explain topics clearly HWs are pain in the ass Very enthusiastic about the topic but not a teacher material

Tough Grader
Skip class? You won't pass.
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
3.0
4.0
FIN358
Mar 7, 2018
Wouldn't take again

I took this prof for finance 260 and she was great, but I also think its because it was just an easy class. When I took her again for data analysis, it was very difficult. When she shows us things on the computer screen using eviews/excel and we are supposed to follow it along, she goes through it so quickly that I can miss 5 steps at once.

BEWARE OF POP QUIZZES
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
5.0
FIN325
Dec 21, 2018
Would take again

Had Prof. Goldman for data analysis in finance. She made this class eye-opening and we learned different models to measure volatility in financial time series. She provided us with everything needed to succeed in the class, and was willing to explain concepts further if we didn't understand them. Definitely NOT an easy class but I gained a lot.

Get ready to read
Caring
GROUP PROJECTS
1.0
5.0
FIN325
Nov 15, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Class is inherently difficult, but the problem is compounded with this one

1.0
5.0
FIN325
Grade: B
May 2, 2020
Wouldn't take again

FIN325 is the worst class I've ever taken. Her online class "lectures" are PDF files and are clearly talk-to-text. Lots of errors which makes learning a tough topic even worse. Explanations are just repeating the lecture. The whole class we use a program called "RStudio" and it's impossible. If you're not a Stat genius and computer whiz, good luck

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
1.0
4.0
MBA651
Grade: F
May 20, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Goldman's class is much harder than it needs to be. She does not account for those that are trailing behind in class. If you mess up a couple times on hws she grades your work much harder because of it. Doesn't offer help to those that need it to pass the class. If you can avoid please do so!

Graded by few things
Test heavy
Tough grader
3.0
3.0
FIN325
May 3, 2021
Wouldn't take again

The course wasnt that bad the professor was nice although the material can be quite confusing it wasnt as bad as what the reviews below make it seem to be. If you stay on top of everything and study you should be fine. At first seeing all the reviews you get scared that the course will be bad but in reality it was quite valuable, and useful.

1.0
5.0
FIN325
Grade: C-
Apr 13, 2022

Elena does not curve, and is an insanely harsh grader. The class is difficult as is, and the lack of motivation she hardly puts in is very sad. she is here for the paycheck, not to sculpt the next generation of students.

Tough grader
Lots of homework
Test heavy
2.0
5.0
FIN325
Grade: A-
Apr 22, 2022

Elena is a nice teacher as a human being. She is very smart (2 phd) but not very good about teaching students. The class is very challenging and it goes at a very fast pace. During office hour when students asked questions, she does not explain well and let us in the dark most of the time. She will need to teach at least postgraduate students.

Tough grader
Test heavy
1.0
5.0
FIN325
Grade: Not sure yet
Jan 26, 2023

Terrible. Does not care if you have coding expirience you jump streight into it. Dont take!

Tough grader
So many papers
Lecture heavy
1.0
5.0
FIN325
Grade: Rather not say
May 8, 2023

The words Id like to use to describe this professor's teaching methods would be too inappropriate for this website. She doesn't care about her students. Only cares to receive a paycheck. It's embarrassing how her pdf designed to "help you" documents are a manuscript of her PowerPoint lectures. Fire this sorry excuse for a professor immediately.

Tough grader
Lots of homework
Test heavy
1.0
5.0
econ1102
Grade: B+
May 8, 2023

Please avoid her stats class. Awful professor who shows no respect toward her students. She would read from her slides every class and provide little to none explanation. I believe that she doesn't understand students are frustrated at her even as attendance of her class drops with an increasing pace. Please find another professor if you can.

Tough grader
Graded by few things
4.0
4.0
FIN325
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 28, 2023
Would take again

The class itself is difficult but manageable if you follow the professors lectures, notes, homework, and participate on the discussion boards. Professor, is clearly knowledgeable about both finance and statistics.

Gives good feedback
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
1.0
5.0
FIN325
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 16, 2024

Truly the single worst professor I have ever had. She teaches an inherently difficult subject by standing up and talking for the entire class without making any effort to see if students are understanding what she is trying to teach. If you ask her a question, she gets visibly annoyed and provides a useless answer that leaves you more confused.

Tough grader
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
3.0
4.0
FIN325
Grade: B
Feb 7, 2025
Would take again

The class is challenging, but manageable if you stay on top of the material. Utilize resources like Unstuck ai alongside the professor's lectures and notes. While not the most engaging teacher, a diligent approach can lead to a valuable learning experience.

Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

47%

Textbook Required

61%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

C+

68% confidence
Based on 6 grades
Most common grades:
Not sure yet (3)
B (2)
F (1)
Grade Distribution
A(0)B(2)C(1)D(0)F(1)A-/B+(2)
Based on 10 reported grades
Not sure yet: 3
B: 2
F: 1
C-: 1
Common Tags
Tough grader (7)
Test heavy (5)
Lecture heavy (4)
Graded by few things (3)
Tough Grader (2)
BEWARE OF POP QUIZZES (2)
Skip class? You won't pass. (2)
Get ready to read (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.48 avg change
Apr
Jan
May
Nov
Apr
Feb
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

301

5.0

(1)

FINANCE

5.0

(2)

MBA630

5.0

(1)

MBA632

3.5

(2)

FIN260

3.3

(6)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

BUS510

5.0

FINAN325

5.0

MBA648

5.0

econ1102

5.0

FIN358

4.8

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