4.4
Quality2.5
Difficulty93%
Would Retake114
Reviews93%
Would Retake
114
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
78
4
21
3
7
2
6
1
2
What Students Say
“One of the best and most attaching teacher you’ll ever have”
GEOG250 - 5.0 rating“Elvin is a good prof, but an AWESOME person”
GEOG350 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
46%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.28 avg changeRatings by Course
GEOG
5.0
(1)GEO
5.0
(1)GEOG450
5.0
(6)URST400
4.9
(17)GEOG250
4.6
(29)Difficulty by Course
350
3.5
URB200
3.0
GEO
3.0
GEO300
3.0
GEOG450
3.0
Reviews (114)
Worst prof. ever. Expects way too much. Talks too fast. Don't take this class.
very very nice prof.. boring course though
Awesome prof. He is super nice, easy going and helpful. His tests are pretty easy - just study the class handouts. He is very interested in class material and is also very approachable. I would definaltely take other classes with him.
he is a very friendly man but he dresses like a realtor.
Dr. Wyly is a great professor. He is a really nice guy, but more importanly cares sincerely about his students. Is very passionate and incredibly knowlegeable about the subject matter he teaches. Highly, highly recommended!!!!
Such a great class. He lets the students choose where they want to go with the subject material. He is really motivated and approachable. I would love to take another class with him.
I would say he's a marvelous professor. Not only is he a "geek" (his words, not mine) but he's extremely passionate in material. He'll even help you find sources for your research project. If you see his name for ANY course, I suggest you regist
This guy is the best prof in the universe! Very, very helpful with research and just an all around nice fellow.
great classes, lots of passion. does he have a gf?
This prof is all heart, unbelievably kind, really seems to love what he does, could turn anyone onto urban geog. Lectures sometimes unorganized, but probably perfect prof for seminar. Smart, funny really approachable.
So much energy, very animated, always looked foward to this class.
The most organized, passionate, illustrative professor you'd ever meet. Always willing to help his students. His impressive credentials surely results to his god-like status in urban geography.
Great Prof and a very nice person. He loves what he does and it shows in his lectures.
No Comments
whats with the casual wednesdays?
Interesting? hmmmm, very east coast american, talks about DC too much, this is Vancouver right? Kinda guy that will knock 5 marks out of 20 because you got a number wrong that has absolutley no relevance to your paper.
Prof. Wyly is a very carismatic type and it is obvious through his teaching that he loves what he does. His lectures sometimes drag a little but he distributes "propaganda" that summarizes waht he really wants to say. These were very useful for the exams. Textbook for background reading only.
study his handouts and you will do very well on his exams. He is not tricky. gives students choice about the projects and has a very warm personality. I find it hard to belive that he would take 5 marks off for one wrong calculation (as someone wrote here). Nice prof.
A good class that deals with the various aspects of cities (immigration, municipalities, history etc) from a variety of economic and sociological aspects. Final was impossible. Difficult to do well on. And participation marks were not adequately rewarded.
Prof. Wyly is fairly nice and understanding. He's very easy going but don't be late for his class or he'd pick on you when you enter. He talks about various types of authors that I still have no idea about. Other than that, the class was fairly interesting.
Prof. Wyly is passionate with what he teaches. The material is very interesting and fun. However, the final exam was quite difficult. In order to get a good mark make sure you study and say something in every discussion class.
Elvin is passionate about the material he's teaching and extremely prepared for class. His handouts are very useful for his exams. He's obviously a very well-read man, always introducing all sorts of books for us to read. Overall, it was a good class and I'd take his class again for sure!
He has the spirit of a prof fresh from grad school yet the wisdom of a senior prof. He's helpful enough to practically hand you the assignment plans on a silver platter. Very friendly and approachable. The assignments made geography fun for even green horns. I'd highly recommend him.
No Comments
easy enuf. good enough guy,.
I like this guy, super interesting and very clear as to what is expected.
I am surprised at the praise Wyly gets. I expected so much more from this class. He reads for 1.5 hrs from background papers which is a tedious and boring lecture style. He is rather pompous and scales grades down unequally and without transparency. He also explicitly stated before the exam "I'll have office hours, but I'm not telling you when"
I also had high expectations of the class/prof and I was very disappointed. The point of Wyly's lectures are difficult to find, he does WAY too much reading of random stuff in class, and is very pompous (great word used by the last guy). Midterm was random (read the handouts) but final was fair (take home essay).
I really liked professor Wyly. The first part of the semester was interesting and the last part kinda dry but overall it was a good course. He also marks extremely easily; that is to say, if you have any cerebral activity whatsoever you will do well. While he may not tell you when office hours, I guarantee that he si there ALL the time.
Good slide shows. Very clear (and intense---he writes massive footnotes!) instructions for projects and papers. TA's never showed up to his classes--i think they should have. If you read his course outlines online you will do well, dont need to bother going to class even!
Wyly is really passionate about what he teaches, which results in massive course notes. If you find these interesting and read them, and I did, then I don't see how you won't do well. But he doesn't hide it well when he thinks you've asked a dumb question. I'm not even sure he tries to. I appreciated that honesty.
great prof. easy marking. warm and enthusiastic. and good natured
Guys, he's awesome. Best prof I've had. Really gives a damn, really smart, nice and funny. Take his class. Don't expect to be spoon fed, but I guess that's a given. He's easy if you do your work and readings, so do them, and you'll do great and really enjoy his class.
he's so obssesed with the urban studies - it's contangious - i adore this class, the topics, the slideshows. his examples are smart and realistic, it's all about what's going on in our contemporaru world. he recommends a whole bunch of useful books, i wish i had time to read them all! he's an AMAZING prof and it is a FANTASTIC field of studies!
Wyly has a teaching style you either love or hate. Lectures for me were boring: it's all about urban theories and debates between academics. You have to be a sponge to be able to absorb all the names and what their arguments are. The textbook is useless...and the final was hard! Erg, frustrating. I do feel as though I learned a lot though.
-really boring
Elvin is great. He is always motivating and really cares.
Pompous and childish. Wyly makes the same bad jokes about Rumsfeld's little "Known knowns, unknowns" speech and othe rtrivial matters. Remember names and quotes, not concepts. I had a good understanding of different views on urban studies at the final, but that meant nothing. He wants specifics that really don't even have any significance.
awesome teacher. you get as much out of his class as you put into it. he's easy if you want to slack, and also there for you if you want to take it realyl seriously. dont' take advantage of his good nature- he's an awesome, trusting guy.
I wasn't very interested in the course given my academic major. But his readings and lectures were much more engaging and thoughtful than expected. Recommended.
Very engaging speaker, but must agree with previous neg. comments. Can't hold it against him though because his quirks make his classes worth attending. Great personal website also. Like visiting his office hours, without the awkwardness of explaining that you're not in his class anymore.
Dr. Wyly is the best prof I have ever had, and I am in my fourth year. He is everything that a professor should be: good at teaching, good at researching, ENJOYS talking to his students, and goes the extra ten miles to provide his students with what they need academically. His website is a real resource, and his written work is phenomenal.
Dr. Wyly is a paragon of what UBC professors should strive to achieve as instructors.Lectures are extremely clear.Projects are extremely interesting and relate to contemporary situations that model real world tasks.Unlike most classes, you won't be asking yourself, "What good is all this work going to do me?" I highly recommend Dr. Wyly.
Really great teacher
great guy, passionate and inteligent
Very passionate about urban studies and could go on for days about anything. Engaging lectures and very thorough and prepared lecture notes. One problem is that he doesn't always get to everything in the lecture notes in class which can be frustrating when studying for the final
Elvin is a good prof, but an AWESOME person! He gives you three tries to turn in your term paper; he grades it, comments, and returns it to you, and gives you the option of changing it to get a better mark. His midterm and exam are a breeze, and post entire, in depth course notes online.
Awesomely interesting. Go on his tour of DTVancouver! Will ramble on about anything if prompted, hugely passionate individual. Straightforward mid-terms and final (full MC) which you get all answers from his lovely lecture notes. Paper is very flexible, do it on something you love, and hand it in early because you can edit it and hand it in again.
Elvin is a really nice prof, he's engaging and is truly interested in the well-being of his students. I just found this class really boring though, the material wasn't engaging enough for me. Also, Elvin talks a lot. You also don't need the textbook so don't buy it, just read it at Koerner.
a very passionate prof. He cares about the students and wants them to learn and be engaged with the material and concepts. take a class with him, its amazing
Wyly is like a french movie. One minute he makes you laugh, the next it's all about passion – he’ll tell you something touching about urban injustices that’ll keep you up all night wanting to read more about it. Wyly’s truly passionate about what he teaches, and his passion is contagious. One of the best and most attaching teacher you’ll ever have!
Wyly is a very devoted lecturer and the lectures would be great if they were only for an hour. It's very easy to pass the course without going to lectures, since the mid-term and final were based solely on the lecture slides. Discussions are mandatory though for class participation. The topics in the course are super interesting!
This guy is a legend. Take a class of his. Love ya work Elvin.
This guy has super engaging lectures. You won't find yourself dozing off or losing interest in the middle. He's quite lenient with assignments too, and he gives you chances to improve. He genuinely cares about his field of work and he's passionate. The class was easy credit but interesting too.
Elvin is a great lecturer! His research forms the core focus of his lectures and he is one of the best in urban geography!!! such an enthusiastic academic, must take course.
Wyly is an awesome proff, and if I could, I would take more classes with him. Clear grading criterion, very understanding. He just knows SO MUCH and wants to tell you EVERYTHING, so studying is important, as is attending lectures and listening, but it will so be worth it.
Elvin Wyly is one of the most passionate profs I've ever had. From his lectures, you can tell that just wants to share EVERYTHING he knows in hopes to inspire you. He marks pretty leniently. Also, everything you need to know is in his slides, so you can get an A without going class regularly.. even though it makes him sad when half the class skips.
Wyly is honestly the best prof I've had at ubc. He's super passionate, knows everything about urbanization and is kind and easy to talk to. He is always available outside of class to help you out on your research or to answer any other questions you might have and is very reasonable about his marking. Would definitely recommend taking his class!
Easily the best prof at UBC. He is actually caring, down to Earth, and human. Every lecture was so interesting and gave some insight about the world. They were thought-provoking and made me think about current events and the history that led to them. After his first few lectures I wasn't sure about the class, but staying in it was a great choice.
Elvin is just bursting with knowledge (check out his CV and be amazed) and he wants to share it all so this course is quite content heavy, but I didn't mind because it truly expanded my horizons. I signed up for cities and left with a better understanding of how the world works. Inspirational guy - definitely visit his office just for a chat!
Elvin is an amazing professor, easily the best one I've ever had at UBC. If you're interested in Urban Geography and/or Urban Studies, definitely take a class with him. He's super smart, super humble, and an incredibly caring teacher.
Wyly is the best prof I had this term. He is knowledgeable and passionate about cities. I want to give him a round of applause at the end of every lecture. He cares about his students. Go to his city walk (he'll buy you food if you stay till the end) and office hour (interesting conversations and cozy armchairs)! Take the course you won't regret!
Elvin is one of the most passionate teachers I have ever come across. He is like a walking news reporter knowing so many stories and details that- of course- come back to the city. He makes me want to love the city. I love his humble attitude, saying he always learns from us and how he challenges us to think about the status quo.
One of the best professors I had so far. He is so passionate, knowledgeable, and humble. He is not afraid to show is emotional side during lectures. Even discussion classes with TAs were interactive and engaging. Final term paper leaves the topic mostly up to you so you can choose to explore something that you're passionate about. Highly recommend!
Dr. Wyly cares about his students, he is also a knowledgeable urban researcher. Talking with him at office time every week is very interesting. Do everything he asks, and you will get good grades. These tasks are not difficult. I look forward to studying with him again.
Elvin is such a gem! He is intelligent and passionate about the urban field; He is also so caring - he gives us flexibility on our works, even though that means more work for him. Easily reachable through emails too. One down side is that his slides tend to have lots of words, making it harder to read. Nevertheless, can't wait for have him again!
Despite long asynchronous lectures during the online term, his passion is evident in what he teaches. He has a lot of knowledge about the subject matter and is quite engaging. Exams are very straightforward (though wordy) and I found this course to be more lecture oriented rather than textbook/reading oriented!
One of my the best professors I've had so far at UBC. His passion for his field of study is contagious. His lectures were fascinating and more like documentaries. Going to office hours was incredibly helpful as he was encouraging and made recommendations for my term paper. Inspirational and engaging.
Legend of the scene. Very passionate and inspirational. Very flexible about the deadlines.
Elvin is an empathetic, passionate and funny prof, who is committed to social and climate justice and inspires students to become problem solvers, all while being very kind, open and understanding. He will touch your heart.
A loooooot of reading. The exams are super wordy and you will likely run out of time (source: me and almost everyone in the group chat). Lectures are super dense too. But a really interesting class no matter what your background is.
A knowledgeable and humble professor! He is my favorite professor at UBC! The reason is not that he gives students a simple job or high marks, he really hopes that you will observe the city we live in and he loves what he is doing! Excellent urban learning experience!
Great Teacher. Loves his topic and can really help you brainstorm. To miss his office hours is to do yourself a disservice.
This is my second urban study course with Dr. Wyly. The topics he gave are really fascinating and innovative! The final research paper work may be very heavy, but the score distribution is very reasonable. A knowledgeable scholar, and always inspire your exploration spirit. Excellent professor!
Taking URST 200/400 were by far the best courses I've taken during my degree. Prof Wyly is a great lecturer and holds so much information on the topics discussed in class. Office hours are a must as he'll give you a bountiful amount of resources and help you develop ideas for term papers & assignments!
He is the most caring and kind professor. The class was very enjoyable and interesting, he has so much knowledge that he loves to share. The midterm and final were multiple choice and if you study - very easy. 100% recommend this class and go to the optional walk around Vancouver in the beginning of the semester, it was so fun and entertaining.
Super inspiring professor to drive your thinking and brainstorming! Dr. Wyly's lower-division classes may be a bit tough, as the exams he's assigned will be harder to complete. But in the advanced course seminar, he was definitely an urban studies superstar! Recommend his URST 400 and GEOG 450.
Even though I took this course online Prof Wyly is one of my favorite profs I have ever taken from. He is so knowledgeable and excited about the course material that his lectures were a treat and I looked forward to class. He is so inspiring to learn from about cities and is super passionate and it rubs off.
This is my third class with Dr. Wyly and his lectures are long but super interesting on various urban topics. A flexible approach to the study of statistical research and regression model parts. It's all fair though he's only rated based on a few things. His office has a lot of inspiring content and a weekly chat with him is highly recommended.
Professor Wyly was a great instructor. Course content (technology and the city) was super interesting and lectures were always entertaining! Graded on a few things: participation (25%), oral presentations (25%) and a final paper (50%). Extremely writing intensive. six 750 word assignments as part of participation and the final is 3500 words.
Dr. Wyly is definitely a good teacher and friend in my UBC study life. Quite a few people in the course are unfamiliar with the use of SAS studio, and they are not familiar with code analysis in urban studies. But Dr. Wyly explained everything patiently and was super enthusiastic outside of class. The weekly office hours benefit me a lot.
I had Dr. Wyly's 450 course in the final semester of my UBC undergraduate, an absolutely brilliant scholar and urban studies expert, and the readings were illuminating. SAS might intimidate many students at first, but he and TA are super patient to make sure you understand everything. Stop by anytime during his office hours, super treasure!
UBC's superstar professor, humble master of urbanism! If you have any elective needs, I also recommend that you go with Elvin. Although the lectures are abstract, he is always with the students to learn together. You can really gain enlightening knowledge after the course!
I'm convinced this guy is coming on here and writing himself good reviews. His lectures are so abstract you don't even know what he's talking about 75% of the time. He just takes a previously pre-recorded lecture and plays it in class while standing there and watching. He doesn't answer any questions because he doesn't want to pause the video.
I went on to spend two advanced years with Elvin, an inspiring scholar! Well-meaning warning: it's fair to see the negative comments below, usually you have a hard time understanding his lectures and exams are tough). However, it is recommended to attend the advanced seminar, where there will be more discussions and great conversations.
NO INFO on midterm contents, practice tests or questions. His lecture is written up as urbanism but honestly its closer to sociology than anything else. he also just records him speaking over the slides and plays them in class.
The only caveat is that I recommend Elvin's senior seminar, I've been on his GEOG 250 and the experience wasn't great. His courses with exams are often tough because there is nothing to review.
terrible
Professor Wyly is amazing, I cannot recommend his course enough, he is so knowledgeable and his lectures are so engaging!
The 74 page syllabus was the first red flag. He plays weird videos which barely can be related to the course and never clearly ties his lectures to the course materials. there is no organization to his lectures & they can never load on canvas because of the wasteful attachments he includes. However, he is a very nice and understanding human being.
Super caring professor, and his office time is definitely a new world of learning for me! The disadvantage is that the exam is very difficult and there is no review reference, and the lectures are a bit unconstrained. But I got a good grade for my final paper, mostly thanks to asking him for writing ideas.
Very knowledgeably and interesting prof. However, the midterm was not great, very specific questions on quite complex concepts. Half of the grade can be a term paper though, which is marked generously and he gives great feedback. Discussion groups are meaningless since the grade comes from the reports you write at 3 points in the term
He is very passionate about teaching and geography, and will gladly chat with students about the class. Easy marker for papers. Lectures were text heavy and very long. Very flexible with deadlines (pick the ones that suit you best) and option of either a paper or test for the final. Great prof but not the most exciting class.
Super interesting guy, but this course is a mixed bag. Amazing to chat with about anything after class, and clearly super passionate. Lectures are fun+complex but often go on tangents. Biggest issue would be that the midterm was more about memorizing esoteric examples from lectures than course content (luckily mine was online).
Obviously, as a student who has studied with Dr. Wyly for two years, his URST 200 and GEOG 250 are indeed difficult to use. But when I went to the workshop, everything turned around. Most of the negative reviews are mostly based on grades, but he really has treasures of urban learning in his program I must admit!
Lectures may seem dry and disorganized, and a little eccentric, but the gem of your time studying with Dr. Wyly is his weekly office hours. You will really discover his experience of studying in the city and benefit a lot. Grading is based on just a few things, but grading shouldn't be too tough (feel free to stop and ask for help).
He is a super knowledgeable professor! If you expect to learn everything in class, chances are this course won't satisfy you. Try talking to him during your four office hours. As an elective student, I think for the first time that urban studies are very knowledgeable. The assessment is loose and he supports your revisions.
Took this in my first term ever at UBC and (2nd term 2nd year) haven't had a course cover nearly as much content. My favourite lecture prof and course so far so. I think his way of thinking and presenting information stuck with me and has made my writing less coherent and structured, but I understand what I'm talking about more.
Professor Wyly is a witty, engaging lecturer who often goes on tangents but his whole shtick is "connections." His ability to find connections between things is interesting and helps you understand the material. The term paper has no criteria but it is very much your brainchild, so have fun with it! Lots of readings but they are interesting,
brilliant professor, gives really entertaining lectures. worth checking out his work on urban gentrification too
Elvin is a passionate professor who cares what hes talking about. Overall the Final Paper was fun to write, along with 3 Reports of Articles you have to do. I would recommend him, However the course can be a little disorganized so you might need to talk to your TA about stuff. If you're interested in cities and don't mind writing I would recomend.
Very passionate about his topics, great lectures. Midterm and final are interesting, know his stuff and the way he phrases things and be ready to read.His questions are funky and very specific.
Most passionate and interesting prof I've had! If you're even remotely interested in Geography, take this course because he makes such unique connections and covers a wide range of aspects in urban studies. His passion motivated me to attend every single lecture.
The kindest and most caring professor I have met at UBC. Unique lectures and incredibly passionate about what he teaches. Assignments are straightforward, exams are reasonable, and the final essay option is enjoyable as long as you pick a topic you care about. Go to office hours! Elvin is so welcoming and offers great advice for the final essay.
Really inspired my take on urban studies and its interdisciplinary and opportunistic nature. He trusts his students and provides freedom in assignments for us to explore what we are interested in. He is so enthusiastic about connections and always emphasized that for us. Additionally, I always walked out of his lectures feeling intense emotions.
great professor, very nice person
Amazing lectures and great professor! Midterm is based on memorization of a lot of names tho
Professor Wyly is one of the best lecturers I've had at UBC. He is so passionate and makes this class so interesting, and I ended up attending every 9:30 lecture. If you go to the lectures and USE THE STUDY GUIDE you will be fine on the exams, which honestly do have some pretty eccentric questions that would be tough to get if you miss class a lot.
The most easy-going class and prof ever. Lectures are really boring; he loves to yap.
Best class and best professor I have ever had. It is true that he yapped a lot but it's honestly super interesting stuff, lectures felt like I was watching a deep-dive video on Vancouver and the history of the Urban planning field and how is intersects with so many different realms. The grading is very generous.
Although he yaps a lot in his lectures, he genuinely is a really nice prof. Classwork isn't hard at all, and TA's as well as Wyly are always there to help. Gives really good feedback on graded assignments which is helpful for future growth. Overall such a chill guy.
Wyly is an incredibly passionate professor who loves what he is doing. While he talks a lot, everything he says connect to each other. His lectures weren't boring at all and genuinely ignited a lot of love for cities in me. It's definitely not a class for easy marks, but if you work hard you will do well.
Phenomenal prof. Elvin is an absolute gem and has a very fair system: put in the effort = do very well. Sad this year's his last time teaching 250 and I don't think I've ever learned so much in a class before!
Elvin is the most passionate prof I have ever met, just loves what he does. Grading is super fair, and while lectures can be bland there is a ton of enriching information available to take from it. Truly changed my perspective and pushed me to pursue Urban Studies.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
46%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.28 avg changeRatings by Course
GEOG
5.0
(1)GEO
5.0
(1)GEOG450
5.0
(6)URST400
4.9
(17)GEOG250
4.6
(29)Difficulty by Course
350
3.5
URB200
3.0
GEO
3.0
GEO300
3.0
GEOG450
3.0