3.3
Quality2.8
Difficulty80%
Would Retake129
Reviews80%
Would Retake
129
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
42
4
23
3
31
2
17
1
16
What Students Say
“Sure, he's not the most exciting lecturer but the TAs are great”
ECN100 - 3.0 rating“I hate this professor so much, i mean hes nice and everything but hes one of the worst teachers i've ever had”
ECON100 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
59%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.18 avg changeRatings by Course
ECN160
5.0
(1)ECON136
5.0
(1)ECON101
5.0
(2)100
4.3
(6)130
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECON121A
5.0
100
4.3
ECON160B
4.0
ECON100
3.9
ECN105
3.3
Reviews (129)
No Comments
Speaks in a boring tone but is very knowledgable.
Absolutely horrible. He obviously knows what he's talking about, but he has no idea how to convey it to the students. Tests had no reflection of material covered in class. Not worth your time.
No Comments
has alot of personal business expierience that he uses in his lectures, if you are like global economics take him. His exams are very straightforward, he does not try to trick you.
Very knowledgeable! Nice guy.
Lectures were very boring... yes, he is knowledgable, however, he does not convey his points clearly to the students
very boring lecture, like he speaks to to himself, but easy if you read thru the textbook
Frenkle is boring, but nice. Tests are fair. He has a lot of experience in the field of economics and occasionally tells an interesting story about his personal experiences in the field.
This is a good class if you are a self starter and don't rely solely on his lectures for studying and tests. Read the book!!! The class is the book. Frenkel could use work on presenting his information to the class.
He can be a little boring but his is interesting and knows his stuff. If you put in a little effor the A is a shoe in.
Frenkel is awesome! He's always willing to help you, and this guy definitley knows his stuff. He genuinely cares about teaching.
he is the most boring professor i ever had. but he really knows the stuff. you don't have to to go lecture and get an A if you really read the book. overall, a hella easy class!!!
I guess he knows his stuff but he does a bad job of teaching it. He draws graphs with no labels and erases them right after he draws them so you must be quick at copying notes.
you have to read the book before lectures. otherwise the lectures do not make sense at all. his tests are not that hard and does a good job preparing you for them. does not grade homework. lectures are very quick paced and it can be hard to read the board
he's a really boring teacher, reuses the same exam from last quarter, keeps talking too much in a monotone fashion
Terrible terrible terrible. Boring lecturer, and an evil evil man. Really, I cannot stand him. Only take him if you want a class that you don't need to go to because it is so bad
A very knowledgable, fair professor. Class averages will be a 75, and I presume this is why he's called 'evil'. Class lectures are good. This is economics, not film studies, and if you don't enjoy economics you probably shouldn't be in the major.
Even though his lectures are unclear through unlabeled graphs and tangential stories, his tests are very fair. During his office hours, he does a very good job explaining difficult material from the book. To do well in his class, always study the book!
This man deserves respect. If you need a high school nanny to hold your hand throughout lectures then avoid this class. If however you demand the dignity of being treated as a responsible student then you will benefit from this instructor
Boring lecture, monotone, almost no notes you can take, so just read the book, thankfully the TA is VERY very helpful. test is medium hard, so if you study book you're ok. remember, discussion is your saviors
lectures were not helpful, could barely take any notes. Professor was very broad on econ topics, learned better through the book. TA were helpful and midterms were not that bad but for final, go to the last lectures.
He's very knowledgeable about economics but he's not a very good teacher. His lectures make no sense but his exams aren't too hard as long as you read the material.
I'm torn between opinions. This guy loves what he does but his lectures are VERY unclear and boring. Reading the book seems to be as good. Your grade will depend on the generosity of the TA. I suggest going to discussions b/c they help.
I don't get how people can bash this guy. His tests are so easy, he's incredibly nice, and he has a great teaching style. I also LOVED his book- Thrive, Catching The Personal Spirit of Economics. It's great. Sometimes lectures are a little boring, but he tries to make it understandable for everyone.
he is a nice guy, but somewhat unclear during lectures. tests are easy, but the TA was very helpful because he provided us answers to the homework which most of the test was based on. So it ultimately depends on the TA to get an A on tests.
you have to pay attention to his lectures because they are very hard to follow. He is a nice guy and his tests are easy. However, i had a great TA who provided us with answers to the homework so that helped a lot on his tests.
Dr. Frenkel is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Go to his office hours if you need help. Overall, very nice guy and a good professor
The textbook and his book are great! Just read over the two book well, then you will get good grade. I like his extra credit question on the midterm too... easy. His lecture is absolutely boring, he rarely labels any graph he is trying to explain...The pace of the class is fast. It is not that necessary to go to class as you read your books well.
this teacher is not difficult if you can teach yourself the material. he is allll over the place. he knows the material, but is terrible at teaching it.
He's very nice but his lectures aren't very organized. Unless you pay very careful attention to his lectures, you'll get lost during class. Texbook helps a lot as well as discussions. He grades on improvements. His exams comprises mostly of graphs and explanations, and sometimes multiple choice and definitions.
He's obviously interested and has material in int'l macro, but he is not highly organized. Overall I recommend, but not highly.
His classes are boring and his lectures are dry. Although his lectures relates to the materials we are learning, it's never used in the exams. Discussions and textbooks can get you through the class. As a professor, he seems really nice and laid back. It's all self-learning in this class.
i thought he was better than what i was told in lecture he is all over the place read the book and know the definitions flat out and u should do fine! go to the last few weeks of lecture for the review he****whats ont he final! skip class if you like its not really necessary at all
The only negative are the long, sometimes monotonous lectures. Very helpful in office hours, and his lectures are a clear indication of what will be on the exams. Exams are fair and straightforward. Very knowledgeable professor.
One of the worst profesors I've ever had. He writes little things on the board that he qualifys as notes and then erases then before you can even tell what he wrote. The midterms were easy but the final was extremly difficult. You have to read the book because lectures are useless but the book is horrible too. Don't buy thrive. You don't need i
Lectures are extremely boring. Do the reading and understand the multiple choice in the study guide and you should be set for a B but you must understand the reading. You don't need to get his Thrive book to answer questions about it in the test, it's common sense.
The entire class itself is just common sense, so I'm not sure what the people are complaining about. The final was all multiple choice questions. EASY! He also has a different style of grading, which awards improvements.
best teacher ever. period.
Lectures are sometimes boring with needless rambling, but you can tell that he is very knowledgeable about the subject. Good notetaking can be a challenge, since he only really draws graphs on the board; words are mostly your own responsibility. His grading scheme rewards improvement, so don't give up if you stumble out of the gates.
The professor creates his own problem sets. His lectures are fast and pretty unclear. This combination proves very difficult for students. The most frustrating thing about this class is the LACK OF SOLUTION SETS for homeworks. Better hope your TA covers all the material in section or you'll have no answers to the questions.
he just rambles. his handwriting is the WORST i've ever seen. it's impossible to take notes! and he gives no practice exams and no solutions to the hw. the only thing i liked is that he rewards you for improvement on exams, which had only 2 or 3 questions each. you know it or you dont!
dont need to attend class, but discussion is really really helpful....DO HW even though hw is not graded.. tests are mostly based on the hw.....short answers questions...not hard if u understand the hw..grades on improvements on the test
This class has two midterms and one final. I went on day one. I went to first midterm. I overslept and woke up 55 minutes late! I went to the test, he told me to go home. I took the final. Final grade in the class, C. I can't comment on how great he is though. J.
nice guy, but horrible teacher. lectures were worthless and not worth going to. your situation depends a lot on your TA. mine really sucked and wasnt helpful. he doesnt really give answer keys to HW. if you're a serious student, dont take this class. its a mess. his HW questions are scattered and just thrown together.
Knows his stuff, but not a great lecturer. If you go to class, do the HW, and go to discussion, you'll be fine. I got a B-, C-, and pretty much failed the final but ended up with a B. That's because he knew my name. Go to his office hours and you'll be fine. Be prepared to work. READ THE BOOK!
he is a really great guy and definitely knows his stuff. he destroyed the peso by himself. but class was really boring. if you stay up listen go to section and read the book you have a pretty decent shot at an A. I LOVE HIS LEGO WATCH!!! I BOUGHT ONE JUST LIKE HIS ON AMAZON!!!!
Interesting lecturer, but if you have to take notes. No slides, everything is written on the blackboard or just talked about. He knows his stuff though and has very fair tests.
i hate this teacher. have 93% in class but he still gave me an A- for some reason, and his explanation of why was stupid. he is a reallly easy teacher but his lectures suck. just do the homework problems and u will do good in the class. he should really not be an econ teacher and should go back to bank of America and give that company losses
He is not a great teacher. Lectures are boring and tests are stupid. Its a class that takes an hour to study for because he puts so much weight on definitions. Is ridiculous.
I previously gave Dr. Frenkel a very generous review and have since had a change of heart. The guy does not provide answers to homework problems, which is very frustrating considering they're his recommended study resources. You also have to take your own notes, as Frenkel does not use slides, and basically only draws graphs.
I loved this class and dr. frenkel. Hard class, yes, but fun, interesting, and relevant. Homework is difficult, but exactly like exam questions. come to lecture or you will be screwed. only class with country risk. used to work n private sector, so get lots of info not given by most professors. take this class with this professor!!!!
EXCELLENT TEACHER! if you are actually interested in economics, this is the man to take. Lectures are a tad on the dry side, but if you go YOU WILL understand the information, tests are just like hw, do the hw sets and you WILL do fine on the tests. Overall EXCELLENT PROFESSOR, im taking him again next quarter as well
He is awesome, really willing to help, and he gives you everything you need to do well. Go to lecture and office hours!!!....He is a great teacher.
Dr. Frenkel is an outstanding professor. He E-mails the class homework on every chapter he covers in class and the homework, if done diligently and answers checked, will prepare you very well for the exams which are quite fair. Great lecturer and very helpful in OH...not sure what else you could want from a prof.
Dr. Frenkel is a great professor. I like the way he grades, it motivates me to improve over the whole course. He's very nice and extremely helpful in his office hours. Lectures can sometimes be boring, but not because of the lecturer, it's because of the course itself. Reading textbook helps too.
Doc. Frenkel is one of the best Economics professors that I've ever met. He tends to liven up the classroom with dead-pan humor and wit and his wry delivery plays on usual assumption that firms seek profits first and foremost. Still, this hasn't really soured his delivery and he is able to maintain optimism and a positive atmosphere. Great teacher.
Do the homework and study the solutions, and you'll probably do well. Dr. Frenkel is a great lecturer who brings real-world experience, which I especially appreciated. Highly recommended.
Great lecturer. Rarely writes on the board so you have to listen to every word that he says. HW not mandatory but will help you in the test. TA's were picky on grading, knocking off points for minor stuff which make it hard to get an A.
He's a great professor. He has a pretty good sense of humor although class can get a little dry from time to time. Uses the book a lot. Exams are pretty fair.
First time teaching it and it was great. Learned a lot in the class and actually wanted to attend lecture. Sometimes, he reviews material which can get repetitive but the class was easy. Book was useless, DO THE HW (optional) because the test is exactly alike.
also took 136 with him. SUPER nice, really easy. 130 was very interesting; 136 was a bit boring but easy. Discussions are super important so attend those, as the TA's get you really prepared for the exams. He's not lying when he says the HW questions are exactly like the exam, so you should study them more than anything.
I am takig him this QTR and I love him already. Very helpfull and uderstading. Babbles under his nose in lecture sometimes which makes it very funny to listen to him. Seems to enjoy teachig... happy he found what he loves to do! My TA is often confused which makes it frusterarting. The HMWK problems are all about theory, so should understand that.
He's a really nice guy. His lectures were kind of confusing because he would talk very fast and draw graphs quickly, but the good part is that you can still do well in the class because the exam questions are from the homework. Read the textbook. The class averages tend to be high, and he still gives a generous curve for your overall grade.
Frenkel's a swell guy, but I dislike the way he runs his class. Lectures feel disorganized at times, and a good 95% of what Frenkel writes on the board is graphs. Problem sets are vital to adequately prepare for the exams, but homework isn't turned in, nor are keys given (though, some of it is reviewed in discussion). There are no practice exams.
his lectures are disorganized and not clear but still a great class. exams are just the same as the hws
I really like him as a professor. He assigns this book he wrote and I am actually glad I have it-It's his own little world view and it's very positive and makes the class seem less dry because he really seems to find joy in what he teaches (in the book). It would be contagious if ECN wasn't so boring... You just have to like the guy...
Lectures can be pretty fast paced and confusing. Be expected to draw many graphs and take lots of notes. However, Dr. Frenkel is fair. He cares for his students and wants them to succeed. Do the homework and I am sure you will do great on the midterms and final. I enjoyed this class but it was not my favorite.
Book is not really necessary if you attend lecture regularly. Concepts are kind of jumbled and assumes decent knowledge of microecon. Drawings can get confusing on the board, but TA does a decent job clearing it up. Frenkel's real life experience is the best part about his teaching; he's been in the real world and was successful. Glean all you can
You can tell that Frenkel is really passionate about macroeconomics. If only he can teach and explain the concepts and graphs as well. He goes through class very quickly - most of the times, graphs are not labeled. That being said, he is a nice guy but just not a very clear professor.
Graphs are very important for econ classes;however, this professor draws really confusing graphs on the board. He is very hard to follow. People who think he is an easy professor, still, I recommand dont take him, because the curve in his class is very high.
This guy is terrible. He mumbles, grumbles, and has completely illegible handwriting. Don't bother taking notes because he goes so fast and is difficult to understand. There are no answer keys for homeworks or midterms. The class is easy, but the curve is so high that it makes it difficult to get an A. Steer clear of Frenkel.
Highest curve you will ever see in a class! Only way to get an A is to get an A on every single test. I still got an A- after getting A's on every midterm. Class is ridiculously easy though.
The worst professor I never have in UC Davis. He cannot explain very well, jumping around and talk about diffreent topics. The curve in his class is very high,so it's very hard to get a good grade You cannot learn anything from his class because sometimes he confuses himself as well.he does not know how to draw graphs ...so BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He mumbles in class and talks about different topics. The scribbles a graph without labeling anything and expects us to know it. The answers he wants are not what is said in the book but his own ideas. Worst economics class I have ever taken!
I did NOT enjoy this class. I felt like it wasn't very organized. The exams are from the homework, so you better do them. Even if you know the answers, the TAs will still find ways to take points off on the exams. Read the chapters before lecture because it is easy to get lost.
I can't believe all these people complaining about professor frenkel. The exams are WORD FOR WORD the homework. If you do and understand the homework, you get an A. I only got a B+ because I slacked off to study for the exam. This professor is very fair and I thought the class was easy to follow, in fact it was more on the easy side.
The curve in this class is so high which makes it difficult to get an A or even a B. He does not write on the board, and do not label his graph, very disorganized professor.
Professor Frenkel is SO kind! Just go to his office hours, he's extremely helpful and insightful. He really cares about his students. The homework is the best way to prepare for his exams. He doesn't surprise you at all. Would definitely take a class with him again!
Tests are much like the HW. Pay attention to examples in class, HW and your TA and you should do fine. Good personality and nice person, just has a hard time staying on point in lectures. Would take again
Dr. Frenkel has outstanding experiences in the business field. His exam are base on the HW, but he has change that recently. The exams now covers any details in the class. He is extremely nice, but he has the worst hand writing and graph drawings.
Not a great lecturer. Only things he wrote on the board were unlabeled graphs. I suggest reading the corresponding chapters (or at least have some knowledge of the lecture topic) before attending lecture so you know what he's talking about. otherwise its easy to get lost. tests are taken directly from the hw which is nice.
He is a wonderful teacher, and I love his teaching style. Make sure to do the homework because that will be on the test.
Entertaining guy. Don't question his knowledge just because he digresses. He knows his stuff. That being said, be prepared to be confused in his lectures and space out because he doesn't write much on the board. Do his homeworks, listen to what he says, and check out the book and you'll do fine. One of the real characters in the econ department
Mumbles, goes off topic, very unclear chalkboard writing, and hard to follow. You really have to stay awake and make an effort to stay along with his rambling. Tests are quite long and pretty difficult, homework sort of helps, sort of.
Nice guy, but he isn't clear in lectures. Handwriting is chicken-scratch, and he mumbles. You have to keep up in class because his entire lecture is just messy, messy chalkwork, no powerpoints, no reading, no online notes, etc. That, and sit up front because of the mumbling. On the upside, his homework is doable and his tests are fair.
All his examples are about Baskin Robin's jamocha almond fudge and Jamba Juice. Enunciates his n's a lot. Sometimes hard to understand. Fairly easy homework and tests.
Very unclear, hard to understand, doesn't write anything down, you have to self-teach
I hate this professor so much, i mean hes nice and everything but hes one of the worst teachers i've ever had. the TA actually said for a test write down what the professor said even if its wrong, which apparently he is alot of the time.
Easy class, but expect to learn the material on your own. I stopped attending lecture because I would often leave more confused than I was to begin with. Exam questions are almost word for word from the homework, which makes studying pretty easy. If you attend section and have a half-decent TA you should have no issues.
Lectures are very confusing. He doesn't explain things well. Graphs are very messy and unlabeled. You are better off learning from the textbook or TA. Exams are based on HW so make sure to do the HW. Bottom line: avoid if you can
For first midterm, I went to every lecture and got a C. For 2nd and 3rd midterms, I only went for discussions and got B on both. He's not a great lecturer so it's better to learn on your own through the homework problems he give you. Take this with a grain of salt.
Much harder class expected. Very conceptual, no numbers really. Pay attention to what he says in class, because the graphs he draws on the board are too vagueunlabelled for use on tests. Grading is very strict. He's a very smart though, and he held a seminar on his time as an international economist that was interesting.
Tests are directly from homework and lecture material so no surprises, that being said if you don't get the EXACT 100% answer they want, you will get 510 on each problem and fail, even if you have the correct answer. VERY TOUGH GRADERS! Take with caution.
cool guy, easy class to get a B, have to work a little for an A. Do the Homework over and over again to memorize it. Its the exact same as the test.
Easy class, his tests basically mirror the homework. My only problem was that he isn't the best lecturer in terms of making the material interesting, and with microeconomic theory that's a bit of a must. Correct elaboration and interpretation of graphsanswers on tests is really important.
I cannot stress this enough: DO THE HOMEWORK. His tests are almost identical to HW problems. Sure, he's not the most exciting lecturer but the TAs are great. If you just go to office hours, they will help you through it. He doesn't post HW answers, so that's the only tricky part. It requires you to actually get off your butt and go places for help.
The class ended up easy for me becuz I had a great TA; otherwise, the class would be a total disaster! U would have no idea what he's talking about in the lecture. It's becuz he mumbles! The way he talks is just mumbling. The whole class u would be wondering how come he talk like this. And no powerpoint, no notes! his hand writing just horrible
I never went to class. only to discussion and TA office hours. He was that bad of a lecturer. When he wrote on the board it was bad. His hw is long really wordy. some pointless questions. the tests are very alike to the hw with a couple modifications. Avoid if you can. But if you can memorize the hw answers you will do well. didnt learn anything
Frenkel tends to have long lectures but he is clear of his expectations. Be sure to do the homework for at least a B in the class. I highly recommend him, his class is easy if you try.
I stopped going to lecture after the second week because the professor would spend the whole hour rambling about vague concepts. I read the book and got an A-. Exams were pretty easy--as long as you answer the questions you'll most likely get credit. Exam questions were mostly theoretical and just needed common sense to answer them.
I took Frenkel for 100 and 101 at the same time. Yes the lectures are long and I get sleepy sometimes but I still love this guy. If you want to study on your own, the book and the TAs are very helpful. And yes do the homework and you will pass. Take him if you can. His grading criteria is very very clear and the final grade is based on your trend.
Frenkel is by far my favorite Economics professor! His lectures are boring and most of the time useless but if you read, do the homework, and go to office hours you are guaranteed an A. His tests are equivalent to the homework, do the homework over and over again and you'll be fine.
He's a VERY knowledgeable man. His lectures are really terrible though; monotone, boring, but slightly humorous. His own knowledge will benefit your future. The homework is the midterms, I got an A+. Repetition is key.
I thought Frenkel was great. Lots of complaints about his lectures but I was able to follow and learned a ton from them. His graphs may be sloppy but that's not a problem if you follow his lectures which isn't that hard todo. He is also someone who spent time in the private sector as an executive from which he adds different insight on the material
Easiest A of my life. His homework is literally word for word the test. You don't need to go to lecture because he explains everything on the homework. You'd be making a mistake not taking this professor.
I thought this class was really. I stopped going to lecture because he's monotone. If you do the homework then you're pretty much guaranteed an A+. Professor Frenkel basically tells you what's going to be on the test
Ridiculously easy. Midterms are 3 questions, pick 2 you want to answer. Test are basically the homework. I didn't study for the class and still got an A. Easiest econ professor
Study the concepts and not the minutiae and you'll be okay. Once you boil down what the HW questions are asking its really quite simple. I printed other teachers slides available with a quick google search that covered the same material and it made for a much better lecture experience.
Just do homework and automatic A. I never showed up to lecture because he would just basically repeat stuff in the textbook. He's hard to understand and monotone. However, I did the homework and it was the same exact wording on the test. He has a policy that if you get an A on the final, you get an A in the class. Probably the easiest ECN class
Interesting guy. His lectures are disorganized, messy, and in a monotone. However, the book is okay. Midterm and final are both exactly like the HW- do the homework, and do it over again.
Do homework, pass the class. Test questions are identical to homework. Also, according to him, he invented Baskin Robin's Jamoca Almond Fudge back in LA.
The lectures are quite confusing and the exams are also very different from assignments
Definitely avoid this professor. He mumbles a lot and had worst writing ever. Weird grading criterias and overall unorganized. His teaching methods are no longer suitable for 21th century anymore.
His lectures are disorganized but interesting. He gives real life examples to help you understand the stuff. He makes everything "seem" easy, but the exams are on a different level. The grading criteria as a whole is definitely unconventional, and the grading of exams themselves are not completely fair, I thought.
Frankel is cool, but he's not for everyone. Teaches old school, so you better be good at taking notes, and even if you are, you should read the book to get a bigger picture. This class is really dependent on the TA, ours was terrible, saying "that's partially correct" to every answer, even if you're literally reiterating the professor. Good Luck!
Frenkel is the best economics professor I have ever had. Take him.
Professor Frenkel wasn't easy for me, but he really appreciates students who wanted to learn and was always available to help. He's very smart and will help you succeed. Highly recommended!
He is not a modern professor that will upload notes or have slides, but the way he teaches is fine. He was my favorite professor at Davis because of how knowledgeable he is. He also genuinely cares about his students and will always answer questions and clarify things. He is mostly exam based, but they are usually pretty easy, maybe 1 hard question
His class is just like 1B, no new material, so super easy. He doesn't have office hours, and he pre-records the class. His lectures are more about the time he worked in Bank of America than about econ. A joke of a class; not sure how Davis has someone so bad teaching.
Loved this professor. Clear explanations. Finally a macro class I truly enjoyed. He understands and is very lenient given the pandemic. He goes over problem sets (not turned in) and exams are taken from the problem sets. Old school but I wish more professors were this caring.
good professor..
Professor is straightforward - do the homework and you'll do well on the tests. Lectures align well with the textbook, and attending class is helpful. Unstuck AI was a great study tool alongside the textbook.
ok professor
good professor economics and finance - UC Davis Phil Ecn Class 2017.
good professor international microeconomics.
good professor international microeconomics...
good professor international microeconomics.....
great professor microeconomics with economics and agriculture resource economics.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
59%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.18 avg changeRatings by Course
ECN160
5.0
(1)ECON136
5.0
(1)ECON101
5.0
(2)100
4.3
(6)130
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECON121A
5.0
100
4.3
ECON160B
4.0
ECON100
3.9
ECN105
3.3