3.5

Fei Xu

Mathematics - Wilfrid Laurier University - Waterloo

3.5
Quality
2.8
Difficulty
55%
Would Retake
83
Reviews
3.5
Quality
2.8
Difficulty
3.5
Helpful
3.4
Clarity

55%

Would Retake

83

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

35

4

11

3

8

2

15

1

14

What Students Say

He is very clear really cares about the students

MA104 - 5.0 rating

Clear and concise slide shows

MA104 - 5.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

49%

Textbook Required

13%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

95% confidence
Based on 43 grades
Most common grades:
A+ (13)
Not sure yet (10)
A (9)
Grade Distribution
A(22)B(4)C(2)D(2)F(1)A-/B+(12)
Based on 56 reported grades
A+: 13
Not sure yet: 10
A: 9
A-: 8
Common Tags
Respected (21)
Caring (15)
Lecture heavy (14)
Amazing lectures (8)
Get ready to read (8)
Test heavy (8)
Graded by few things (8)
Skip class? You won't pass. (7)
Rating Trend

Declining

-1.28 avg change
Jan
Apr
May
Jun
Nov
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

MA110

5.0

(2)

MA201

5.0

(5)

MA305

5.0

(1)

MA104

4.0

(4)

MA100

3.5

(37)
+3 more courses
Difficulty by Course

MA122

4.0

ma123

3.7

MA305

3.0

MA101

2.8

MA100

2.8

Reviews (83)
5.0
1.0
MA100
Jan 7, 2015

Id say this professor is smart and knowledgeable. He knows how to teach and let you understand things easily. You will never regret being in his class. I bet he is the best professor ever.

5.0
1.0
MA101
Mar 25, 2015

Best Calc Proff ever!!!!!!!!!!. Love to have him again :)

4.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: A-
Jun 26, 2015

great prof, easy to approach. Very kind. Attend class and do the practice to get an A. Compared to all the other profs that were teaching the course at the time he had the best notes. (notes not posted online).

5.0
3.0
MA101
Grade: A-
Jun 26, 2015

explains well. attend class and he will hint at "important" examples that will most likely appear on a midterm or final.

5.0
1.0
MA101
Dec 29, 2015

The best professor ever!

2.0
3.0
MA101
Grade: Not sure yet
Feb 1, 2016

He conducts a lecture by posting up slides of math questions and explains them while we are trying to take down the notes. It's hard to hear what he is saying while we are writing notes

5.0
3.0
MA101
Feb 11, 2016

Really nice guy and super clear! He gives ample time for everyone to copy down the notes, makes sure that everyone around the room can see the board, and has really fair clicker questions. He's also really clear in his lectures and is easy to follow along

5.0
2.0
MA110
Mar 27, 2016

Great professor. Very clear lectures.

5.0
2.0
MA110
Apr 18, 2016

Extremely friendly and smart. Midterms and Exams were very reasonable and fair, and he posts very helpful sample exams. The lectures are important and his voice is clear, so if you pay attention you will be successful.

5.0
2.0
MA101
Grade: A
Sep 15, 2016
Would take again

Amazing prof.. teaches so well that you can understand the concept very easily. Midterms and exam are very basic if you do the textbook questions.

5.0
3.0
MA101
Grade: A
Oct 26, 2016
Would take again

Amazing, he chose the easiest questions for the midterm and if you go to his office hours or ask him a question after class he helps a lot. Wrote out the answer for a webworks question and explained it. A little hard to understand but just go to lectures and ask questions

5.0
2.0
MA201
Oct 28, 2016
Would take again

Nicest person I have ever met and the best prof I've had at Laurier. Clickers and Midterm are easy and he want's students to do well.

Gives good feedback
Respected
Caring
5.0
2.0
MA201
Grade: A
Nov 15, 2016
Would take again

Nicest guy. Easiest clicker questions and midterm. Blessed notes.

Inspirational
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
Caring
5.0
2.0
MA201
Grade: A+
Nov 15, 2016
Would take again

Hands down one of the best profs I have ever dealt with. Extremely genuine person, really cares about the students.

Gives good feedback
Inspirational
Caring
5.0
2.0
MA201
Jan 3, 2017
Would take again

Fantastic professor! He's a really nice guy, he wants students to succeed and is always willing to help. He explains things really well and does a great job answering questions. All profs at Laurier should aspire to be like him.

Respected
Inspirational
Amazing lectures
5.0
3.0
MA104
Grade: A-
Mar 8, 2017
Would take again

Amazing prof. Clear and concise slide shows. Open to all questions and explains with clarity. Extremely polite as well. Usually finishes early

Gives good feedback
Respected
Clear grading criteria
4.0
3.0
MA104
Grade: A+
May 4, 2017
Would take again

Excellent lectures with good and thorough examples, but Xu seems to have a hard time answering student questions on-the-spot and goes all the way to the beginning of a concept when asked a specific question instead of just answering what was asked.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Amazing lectures
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
3.0
MA104
May 7, 2017
Would take again

Amazing Professor! He is very clear really cares about the students.

2.0
1.0
MA104
Grade: A+
May 15, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Hmmm, simply reading powerpoints. He didn't help much.

Respected
Caring
4.0
2.0
MA101
Grade: A+
Feb 9, 2018
Would take again

he is such an adorable proff!! his lectures and notes are clear and precise. he cares that his students do well. his iclicker are so easy. gives you as long as you need to answer the clicker questions. dont need to come to class before the midterm! best math proff i ever had

Respected
Amazing lectures
Caring
3.0
3.0
MA100
Dec 9, 2018
Would take again

Very hard to understand and lecture material is not helpful at all. Q's don't really get answered, teaching yourself outside of class is a must. BUT his midterms are extremely easy, very similar to clicker questions he does in class. If you can teach yourself material (for the labs and midterms) then his class is worth taking for the easy testing

4.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: A-
Dec 14, 2018
Would take again

Very nice prof, hard to understand but slideshow is an exact representation of the midterm. Practice midterms were way harder then the exam.

5.0
3.0
MA100
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 15, 2018
Would take again

lectures consist of copying notes down with minimal audio such that you just copy the notes and he doesn't explain; but, he's so adorable and precious. you can tell he wants the best for his students. reviews are hard on purpose, midterm was easy, and final caught everyone off guard.

Respected
Caring
4.0
5.0
MA100
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 20, 2018
Wouldn't take again

The slides are not posted online so you're forced to go to the lectures for him to just read off the slide. He's really caring and considerate though!

Skip class? You won't pass.
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
3.0
MA100
Dec 27, 2018
Would take again

Best professor I've ever had!

Respected
Amazing lectures
5.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: A+
Jan 5, 2019
Would take again

Lectures are simple to follow if you actually focus, let him speak, and write them down efficiently. Clicker marks are a great booster in the course, and the questions are very simple. If you can't grasp the simple concepts, be a big boy/girl and read the textbook + do the work.

Respected
Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
2.0
4.0
MA101
Grade: A+
Mar 27, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Fei Xu is this really cute man that is very monotone and reads off the slideshows. Makes the midterms pretty easy but then the exam is insanely hard. I would not recommend. He does not do anything that reading the textbook doesn't provide. There are clickers every class so you have to show up, but ya I would not recommend.

Test heavy
Lecture heavy
3.0
4.0
MA101
Apr 7, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Fei Xu is an adorable man who cares about his students however, his notes are merely a powerpoint that he just reads off of in a monotone voice. He doesn't post his notes and he has really easy clicker questions that force you to show up to class, but it usually ends early either way. The exams are all lecture based.

Respected
Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
1.0
2.0
MA101
Grade: B+
Apr 12, 2019
Wouldn't take again

You will learn approximately nothing in class. You will teach yourself the course material entirely from the WebWork assignments and online derivative calculator. He made the midterm super easy (90 average) then pretty much failed the entire class on the exam the even out the overall average. If it weren't for clickers, no class required.

5.0
3.0
MA305
May 12, 2019
Would take again

Absolutely amazing professor. He is very knowledgeable and his lectures are very clear.

Respected
Inspirational
Caring
1.0
3.0
MA101
Jan 8, 2020
Wouldn't take again

This professor is the most useless professor I have ever had. He didn't even apply for a course on MyLS, no syllabus or grades are ever posted. His lectures are just him reading equations in a monotone voice and his response to your questions are usually 3 words or less. Who let this guy teach anything, let alone a math class?

5.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: A+
Jan 8, 2020
Would take again

Professor Xu is the best professor ever. His lectures are very clear.

Respected
Amazing lectures
5.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: A
Jan 11, 2020
Would take again

He is a fantastic professor and really cares about the students.

Respected
5.0
2.0
MA101
Jan 17, 2020
Would take again

He is the best professor I've had and explains the material very well.

2.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: Not sure yet
Jan 24, 2020
Would take again

I hate to be harsh on this guy because Im sure hes nice outside of class, but his lectures are SO boring and incredibly slow. He simply reads off of slides in a monotonic pace and throws in a clicker question at the end of the class. Without that, hardly anyone would show up to class.

Participation matters
Graded by few things
Lecture heavy
1.0
5.0
MA101
Grade: Not sure yet
Feb 7, 2020
Wouldn't take again

You will not learn anything. There is no active learning as he reads off of the slides as the class copies. Clickers for extra credit or else no one would show up. Everything is self taught since nothing is ever learnt in lecture. Do not take!

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
5.0
3.0
MA101
Grade: A+
Apr 6, 2020
Would take again

Honestly his classes are a little dry and tedious. But make use of office hours. He is so incredibly helpful and welcoming during office hours and actually takes the time to clarify any confusion and really does a great job of it. I have a whole new respect for him. Hes a gem, finished both MA100 and MA101 with 98%.

Accessible outside class
1.0
4.0
MA101
Grade: A-
May 7, 2020
Wouldn't take again

He is an extremely dry monotone professor. He reads word for word off of the slides and does not change his script when you seek clarification. There were a few instances where he would wait until everyone showed up to class and then would cancel it, after a 45 min commute for an 8:30 am class- I was very unimpressed.

3.0
4.0
MA101
Grade: B
Jun 24, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Youtube videos and symbolab will be your best friend. Tbh, did not really learn anything from his class. Midterms are super easy but exams are very difficult. Especially if it is online- do NOT take it. Labs are hard too but webworks is more easier.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
2.0
4.0
MA100
Grade: B+
Aug 2, 2020
Wouldn't take again

He'll be more than happy to give you extra time to finish copying a slide if asked. Cracks jokes once in a blue moon, but when he does, the entire room laughs. A respected prof, however, reads off the lecture slides, with the only addition to the lecture being explaining concepts. Clickers are very common. I didn't touch the textbook all year.

Respected
Get ready to read
Clear grading criteria
1.0
4.0
MA101
Grade: B-
Aug 10, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Hes a good guy but absolutely sucks at online lectures. He Still does the same thing where he just reads the slides and doesnt explain them. Symbolab, YouTube and the textbook will be your best friend for being online this semester. Lab questions were nothing like the ones done in class which makes the lab extremely hard.

Get ready to read
1.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: A
Nov 4, 2020
Wouldn't take again

He's a really bad prof online. He doesn't actually teach, just posts videos in the most bored, monotone voice, reading the slides. He doesn't explain what he's saying, he just reads the slides word for word. I don't even know what I paid for, since I could get a better education by just googling it. If you can avoid this prof, do it.

Lecture heavy
2.0
4.0
MA100
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 13, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Professor Xu is a very nice person and he tries his best to explain things in his office hour if u go, but his method of teaching is very poor. He does read off the slides. for example. yx^2-4 -> (x+2)(x-2). he will literally say the x came from here, the 2 came from here. Watch his lectures but youtube EVERYTHING if u want to learn O.o

Accessible outside class
Lecture heavy
4.0
3.0
MA100
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 7, 2020
Would take again

He is a good prof. A bit hard to understand but you could honestly teach yourself a. lot of this stuff through the textbook. The course is manageable, even if you are not great at math.

Respected
Skip class? You won't pass.
Clear grading criteria
4.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: A+
Dec 21, 2020
Would take again

Dr Xu is an amazing professor. Attend his office hours because he will definitely help you. For midterms and exams focus on his lecture questions and the mock exams because they are very similar. Overall a great prof!!

Amazing lectures
5.0
3.0
MA100
Dec 22, 2020
Would take again

One of the best professors at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Respected
Amazing lectures
Caring
2.0
1.0
MA100
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 31, 2020
Wouldn't take again

He's a really sweet man and seems to really care about his students, but the course itself is kind of irrelevant. All he does is read off the slides and even then the information is kind of vague. If you actually want to learn stuff, Khan academy and the textbook help, but if you want to pass, just show up.

Accessible outside class
5.0
1.0
MA100
Grade: A+
Mar 1, 2021
Would take again

he is one of the best profs ever even though alot of people don't like how he teaches , the way he teaches is one of the best ways I learn I have an A+ !!! in his class and I haven't had such good of a mark in math like this not even in high school. he gets straight to the point and he makes everything SO SO SO easy I really recommend him!!!!!!!!!!

Respected
Amazing lectures
Caring
5.0
2.0
MA100
Mar 15, 2021
Would take again

Professor Fei Xu is an amazing Professor.

5.0
2.0
MA101
Mar 17, 2021
Would take again

He is the best professor I ever met.

Respected
Caring
5.0
2.0
MA101
Apr 20, 2021
Would take again

Dr. Xu is an incredible professor. He gives an excellent explanation on course content.

Respected
3.0
3.0
MA100
Grade: Audit/No Grade
May 7, 2021
Would take again

His recorded slides were really boring but straight to the point, just practise the examples he goes through in lectures , his mock and the mock provided from math support and you will be fine. I honestly, put the least amount of effort in this course and time so I'm not to mad about my mark. He will answer lab hw questions during office hours.

Accessible outside class
Lots of homework
5.0
2.0
MA100
May 18, 2021
Would take again

Dr Xu is an amazing professor.

Respected
3.0
4.0
MA100
Grade: A
Jul 13, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Very hard to understand lecture notes, reads right from the slides, labs are super important and have good examples, only thing that is for marks is the midterm and exam (aside from labs).

Test heavy
2.0
2.0
MA100
Grade: Incomplete
Oct 29, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Professor Xu is a caring proff, and he cares for his students. However, he reads straight from the slides, and doesn't give good explanations when asked. Some of the concepts in class can be tricky, and he is not good at explaining it. I watch a lot of videos online to get through his class as his lecture slides were unclear and hard to understand

2.0
3.0
MA100
Dec 20, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Tbh the organic chemistry teacher and khan academy will be your best friend during this class. His lectures are basically him reading the slides and they're not that helpful. The lab's/ homework problems are important for your grade also the exam and midterm weigh the most. Goodluck.

Test heavy
2.0
3.0
MA100
Grade: Not sure yet
Oct 26, 2022

He is a very nice man, and seems like he cares about students. I found his class difficult becuase his lectures are just him reading directly off of slides that can be hard to understand if you're not great at math. I spent a lot of time reading the textbook to figure stuff out. The other issue is that he does not post the lecture notes on MyLS.

Caring
1.0
4.0
MA122
Grade: C-
Nov 11, 2022

Really bad, Just reads the textbook

2.0
3.0
MA122
Grade: C+
Dec 24, 2022

His slides were direct copies of the textbook and he didn't answer questions. I stopped going to class after the midterm and just read the textbook (which is horrible) and watched YouTube videos. That was the way to go. Other profs are 100% better so try going to other lectures at the start of semester to see what's best for you!

1.0
4.0
MA122
Grade: F
Jan 11, 2023

Professor SUCKED. No Point in going to lectures, ur better off studying on ur own. I failed the course and have to retake it, hopefully with a better prof. If I realized youtube was more helpful than his lectures I would've stopped going to his lectures earlier. Bro's voice has built-in autotune and is really really hard to understand or follow.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
1.0
4.0
MA122
Grade: B
Jan 24, 2023

would only read from the textbook throughout the lectures and would get upset when asked questions. never posted any slides or practice questions on mls.

Graded by few things
4.0
3.0
MA100
Apr 1, 2023
Would take again

Very nice man. I personally like his teaching style, even though he reads off the slides he explains everything well. My only issue is that he does not post slides before or after class. Attendance is very useful if you don't want to miss out on material.

Lecture heavy
Test heavy
5.0
2.0
MA101
Jul 6, 2023
Would take again

Absolutly the best Professor.

Respected
5.0
2.0
MA201
Jul 6, 2023
Would take again

He lectured very clearly. Very good professor.

Amazing lectures
Caring
Respected
5.0
3.0
MA101
Jul 14, 2023
Would take again

Professor Xu's lecture is amazing and very clear. He is the best professor ever!

Amazing lectures
Caring
5.0
2.0
MA100
Feb 5, 2024
Would take again

Prof. Xu's lessons are basically from the textbooks. However, he does a really good job on explaining the concepts, gives good examples which are helpful for the math lab, and is the sweetest guy ever. His tests were fairly easy as the practice midterm was the same format, different questions. Also, he loves making jokes esp about pizza

3.0
4.0
MA100
Grade: B
Mar 26, 2024

Dr. Xu seemed really nice, but I would not take his course again. Lectures were mostly him reading off of slides, and he didn't really answer questions. Exams were pretty easy and based almost entirely off of his review material. Did not post completed slides - attendance was actually mandatory.

Lots of homework
Caring
2.0
3.0
MA101
Grade: A
Apr 12, 2024

He lets you copy the answers off the slides (which are not posted after so u gotta be there) and then goes through them. Not an effective method for me as he's not solving it with u. Goes through the material quick, that's about it. I've been teaching myself everything this year.

Participation matters
Graded by few things
1.0
5.0
MA100
Grade: B+
Sep 9, 2024

would not recommend

Tough grader
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
1.0
5.0
MA122
Grade: B+
Sep 15, 2024

This guy doesn't speak english

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
2.0
3.0
MA100
Jan 6, 2025

Lectures were very boring, nearly nobody attended, very uninformative. Used extra help and khan academy to get a good grade. When asked to explain a concept he would just repeat what was previously said or read off the slide again, neither would be helpful.

Test heavy
Graded by few things
5.0
1.0
MA100
Grade: A
Jan 14, 2025
Would take again

Fei Xu is the goat.

Clear grading criteria
Test heavy
Graded by few things
3.0
3.0
MA100
Grade: A-
Jan 17, 2025

would not recommend lectures are boring and are just copying down solutions of questions, and can be hard to follow as he kinda zooms through questions. you might find yourself wanting to ask him to explain a step quite a lot

Get ready to read
1.0
4.0
ma123
Grade: D-
Apr 10, 2025

His lectures are the worst biggest bot in Laurier literally just reads from slides he gives you zero help

Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
3.0
3.0
MA101
Grade: A+
May 4, 2025

Lectures are hard to understand if you don't pre-study the material from the textbook. Mock midterm and final exams were very similar in question type and difficulty to the actual exams. Dr. Xu's explanations can be a bit difficult sometimes so I always referred back to the textbook for some parts.

2.0
3.0
MA101
Grade: A+
May 6, 2025
Would take again

The final is 45%, so it doesn't even matter if you're doing well, if you do bad on the final, there's not going back. His mock final has similar questions to the actual final, but the functions he gives you are nothing like what you've been taught. Do well in the rest of the course (labs, midterm etc.) And you should be fine?

Graded by few things
1.0
5.0
MA100
Grade: Rather not say
May 11, 2025

Don't take a class with this prof unless you want to get a bad mark. He literally doesn't know how to speak english, and while teaching he just reads off textbook questions and solutions without writing anything or explaining anything. He expects everyone to know what he is talking about.

2.0
3.0
MA101
Grade: A-
May 27, 2025

Dr. Fei Xu wasn't the greatest professor. During the lectures, he would tell us to write down what was on the board and wouldn't go into depth on what he was teaching. Although he did seem to care for his students.

Clear grading criteria
Lots of homework
1.0
5.0
MA100
Grade: Not sure yet
Jun 18, 2025

The worst professor i have ever seen in my entire life

4.0
3.0
MA100
Grade: A-
Nov 10, 2025
Would take again

Dr. Xu seems great! I don't attend lectures much since I find his accent hard to understand, so I usually study on my own, it's not too bad even though I'm awful at math. I'd take him again for MA101 because he's chill, not too demanding, and the practice midterm was super similar to the real one. The only thing I struggle with are the math labs!

Get ready to read
5.0
3.0
MA100
Grade: D
Dec 14, 2025
Would take again

He is very dull to listen to, but knows what he is talking about and takes a lot of time explaining concepts. He also provided fill-in-the-blank notes and gave plenty of time to fill them out in class. He is a fair grader and shifted the weight of the final if you did badly on the midterm.

4.0
4.0
ma123
Grade: A
Dec 14, 2025
Would take again

Primarily read off of slides, would only do more in depth examples if asked. Textbook is a huge help to supplement the lectures. Overall decent prof and a nice guy.

Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
4.0
3.0
ma123
Grade: A+
Dec 17, 2025
Would take again

Lectures could be more engaging, reads off slide. Overall, he taught the content well and provided excellent help when you approach him.

Gives good feedback
Caring
Lecture heavy
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

49%

Textbook Required

13%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

95% confidence
Based on 43 grades
Most common grades:
A+ (13)
Not sure yet (10)
A (9)
Grade Distribution
A(22)B(4)C(2)D(2)F(1)A-/B+(12)
Based on 56 reported grades
A+: 13
Not sure yet: 10
A: 9
A-: 8
Common Tags
Respected (21)
Caring (15)
Lecture heavy (14)
Amazing lectures (8)
Get ready to read (8)
Test heavy (8)
Graded by few things (8)
Skip class? You won't pass. (7)
Rating Trend

Declining

-1.28 avg change
Jan
Apr
May
Jun
Nov
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

MA110

5.0

(2)

MA201

5.0

(5)

MA305

5.0

(1)

MA104

4.0

(4)

MA100

3.5

(37)
+3 more courses
Difficulty by Course

MA122

4.0

ma123

3.7

MA305

3.0

MA101

2.8

MA100

2.8

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