I dont know what kind of grudge that guy has against Fransico, but most of that is false. Ok, he has an accent, so what? Best instructor ever.

Professor Blanco-Silva makes class fun and enjoyable and not boring by any means. He is extremely concerned that students learn the material and always takes time to re­explain and make sure students are understanding before moving on. His tests are fair. I have really enjoyed this class.

Sense oh humor and grades in a lenient manner. Moves a little too fast, quizzes should be easier. Doesn't return tests for 3 weeks.

the professor knows what he is doing, but I feel that the tests are harder than the material we learn. Tests are too long

At the beginning of the year he will tell you the difference between an A student and the others. If you do the homework, pay attention, take notes, and go to SI you can get an A. If you do none of these things then do not expect to get an A.

hard exams but he helps a lot he grades easier than ta

he makes lecture entertaining and gives great practice test. the midterms are easier than the practice, and he lets you bring a big cheatsheet. cute accent too

solves many problems in class gives too much homework quizzes and tests are from hw and allows cheat-sheet Sometimes too fast but explains again if u ask. fun lectures

I am failing but will take him again next semester. Best in usc

awesome!

he's great!

Previous rating was for MATH241, not MATH242. sorry bout that

Nice teacher but sometimes he is hard to understand. His homework is pretty long and hard. He glosses over concepts a lot. Although his homework is hard I thought his tests were a lot easier. If you don't get something, he will help you and it will make sense. Also I found it helpful to go to Supplemental Instruction.

I honestly really liked him. He's really funny and extremely willing to help if you go to him outside of class. Out entire class did so poorly on one test that he gave everyone a huge extra credit opportunity. Since my TA was godawful, I relied a lot on SI. If you pay attention, there's no reason not to get a good grade.

He is really nice and willing to help you, he gives fairly easy examples in class and builds up your confidence, but his tests are hellacious. He gives problems much harder than in class examples and grades very strictly, not much extra credit. I had an A in both Calc 1&2 but ended up with a d+ because of his trickiness.

Tests are much harder than anything he teaches us to do. Grades very strictly. He even gave us a project (which he said was simple), but took us 3 days (no joke) to do, then told us we had the right answer, but still failed the whole class. Avoid him.

Very first class I failed in college. He is very helpful when you come to his office hours, but his tests are unforgiving if you don't dedicate your life to the subject. Plus there is no curve to the tests. Homework will also eat up around 3/4 of your time during the semester. Beware.

Super bro. Makes every class interesting and tells great math teacher jokes. If you need to take calculus, take this guy.

Awesome Professor! Funny and informative. Definitely take him! He gives lots of notes and examples. Most homework is online, but you get multiple chances to get it right. His notes are detailed, but short. Class is usually short too. One time he finished class early to show us parts of his fave movie! How cute?!

Awesome teacher!! Have no clue what the negative comments are about but he was easily the best math teacher I have ever had. Tests are basic and multiple choice, quizzes are group in class, and homework has unlimited attempts!!! Randomly tells hilarious stories and watches movie clips in class and we almost always got out 20 minutes early!

He was a very nice man, he joked and cursed, and his stories were very interesting. However, the material he covered in class was not near in depth enough for his incredibly hard tests. I passed the AP Calculus exam, and it was no where near the difficulty of this calculus course. Homework was online and difficult to input answers. Hate WebAssign.

I had no problem with him! He is extremely sarcastic, but I found it pretty funny. If you go to his office hours, he gives back a TON of points on his tests.

Took him for Diff. Eq. He was a tough professor but it was definitely not a bad class. The material was difficult, but the majority of the time he explained it well. Also he had some pretty funny stories. I recommend him.

Most helpful professor I've had at USC, and a gem of a find in an otherwise bleak math department. 241 was a hard class but he made sure he took the time to make sure you knew it. He by no means spoon fed the material but was an effective teacher. 3 midterms and hw made up 60% and the final was 40% of our grade. Always gave opp. for test recovery.

He is so passionate... won't stop telling you how awesome is the FTC. If you are reading this: I got it! I wish my HS teachers had told me about it too

Most interesting math class ever. Somedays I will drive to campus just to go to his class, and then go back home. Gives you opportunity to get points back after each exam. Tests are fair, but not easy. You have to earn the grade

no cellphones, no computers, no bs. he asks students questions all the time. you need to be ready, but he doessnt rush until you understand. 2 whole weeks to cover story problems. he taught us many tricks i didnt see in ap calc. if you can, take him

He did this thing one day in class and asked us to write our plans and he shattered them in front of us. the most valuable lesson i of had in my life. it is good to know someone cares about the students. his exams are insane if you dont devote all your time to calc but he curves i recommend him

I think the final was fair, but too long. He said that it will be curved. He is the only teacher that learned my name. Like the first day of classes. And he calls everybody by their name and asks you questions all the time. I enjoyed hiis teaching style.

Good Professor. You do have to put in the work like any other class to do well. Helpful during office hours and lectures are mandatory to attend. I would recommend taking this professor if you had to take Calculus I.

Even though that this is my first semester in USC, I will confidently say that this professor is my favorite Professor for the rest of my college life. Easy grader, hilarious and most importantly he is Spanish!

He truly cares about his students and although there's a good amount of homework and he's strict on no technology in class (you will get called out), his class was eye opening on why math was important and he made the class truly enjoyable.

He does a good job of teaching the material. Sometimes he has a little trouble getting the idea across (due to a slight language barrier) but it is not a big deal. He really cares for students. He finds ways to show how we are going to use the math skills in real life. His tests are pretty challenging though.

He will give more exams than anybody else, but that's cool, because there is less material on each. The questions are from the homework. Jokes in class, and really cares that we do understand. He learned my name the first day of classes. Take him if you can.

I used to hate math, but he changed that. He makes sure we all understand a concept before he moves to the next topic, and is fun in class. Sometimes makes mistakes on the board, but I think they are on purpose to engage us. His tests are ok if you do all the hw and dont skip class. I had to miss two lectures, and it was very hard to catch up

Awesome professor, but I fought for my B.

I definitely recommend taking him if you have to take this class. He is funny and cares for his students. Once in a while he can be difficult to understand, but for the most part he is great.

He's like a regular math teacher, but he makes it fun. He also won't move on to a new topic unless he feels as though everyone understands the current one. Really student oriented.

Ver y funny teacher. Usually let us out before class was over. If you've already taken calculus, this class will be no problem. Homeworks are important and attendance is checked every class. He enjoys sharing stories and jokes. Very satisfied overall.

Really funny guy and won't move on unless he thinks the class is ready. The tests weren't that hard but there were 5 plus a final. Had a pretty high A the whole time and the final was so hard that it dropped me to a B+. Doesn't really prepare you for the final because you think its gonna be as a easy as the normal tests. But he's a great teacher!

Very funny teacher. You have to go to every class or you will fail the tests. Attendance is mandatory. Offered extra credit only for the final exam. The material isn't too difficult. Used wiley plus for homework

Francisco is probably the best professor I have ever taken at USC so far; his notes are very useful to study, he is very charismatic and has a sense of humor, and his office hours are very reasonable. He does expect a lot of his students but I think the tests are very fair and reasonable. Attending the lectures is crucial for the notes he gives.

Its Calculus, of course it'll be hard. He had office hours 5 days a week, was open for questions, and actually wanted the students to learn the material and do well. I struggled but ended up with a B. He curved 1 test and offered a retest for the 5th (last). So tests are hard but he's reasonable. Best way to succeed is do the Hw and focus in class

On the last day of class Francisco takes the whole time to give general life advice and talk about our goals for the future and how to get there. He was really interested in learning everyone's name in the class. He's strict in the way he structures and runs his class but is generally a laid back guy who will crack jokes during lecture.

One of the best math professors I have ever had. His lectures are clear and makes sure all students are on the same pace. He is strict when it comes to work but tests are 20 questions and fairly easy. Go to class and you'll pass! He actually cares about his students. His jokes are funny too!

Lots of HW and quizzes, lots of exams. The exams are like the quizzes. The final exam had multiple choice questions, and he gave us a formula sheet. He gave us extra credit activities worth 20 points before the final. Very helpful if you go to his office hour . Very strict with all the rules, and gets upset if you use your phone in class.

He is a very tough but fair grader. He wants us to understand the material more than anything. He gave points back on exams if we demonstrated that we understood the material. Best math professor i've had at USC

Professor Blanco is HILARIOUS, I genuinely enjoyed his class. The tests problems came directly from the examples in class and the online homework. He respects his students and wants that respect in return. I recommend this teacher if you actually want to learn.

Very outspoken professor with a sense of humor. 3-4 tests during the semester. All homework online and some quizzes online. Other quizzes are pop quizzes. Gives optional extra credit at end of semester. Attendance taken every class so come to class and it shouldn't be that hard. Passed with a B. Would reccomend.

Francisco was very clear about the information that would be on the exams. The online homework helped prepare for the exam, and he would comment on which problems in the lectures would "probably" end up on the exams. If you go to office hours, he will walk you through problems and answer questions, you just have to utilize him. Calculus takes work.

5 exams and a final. Homework online after every class. Quizzes in class and online. Takes attendance and there are penalties for missing too many classes. His lectures are very clear and entertaining. He has a great sense of humor. Turn your phone off during his class, and don't even look at it. He gets very upset if you use it during lectures

Very nice notes some of them are slides in the course page. The class wasn't too hard. The questions of the tests came from notes and the homework. Some questions were multiple choice. There was a lot of extra credit. I didn't care much about class participation. But he wasn't too bad if you didn't know the answers and works with you. Fun cl

Makes lectures interesting by adding humor. Also is very conscious about how the class of as a whole is learning and always asks if he is going at a good pace. Very fair

Professor Silva was easily one of my favorite professors my freshman year. The class will take work if you have never taken Calculus but it is still very manageable. He gave homework which was very helpful and related to the class material. Pop quizzes could be taken with classmates. Final was cumulative but he did give extra credit. 10/10 guy too

Blanco was one of my favorite professors because he is funny and a good teacher. Yes, his class was difficult but if you go to his office hours he can help you a lot. If you don't do well on a test, talk through it with him and he will give you a chance to correct it. Don't miss class or you'll fall behind really fast.

Professor francisco is really good, he cares about his students and offers them help during his office hours. The only thing is that sometimes he solves the easy questions in class and leaves the extreme ones in the homework and yeah the hard ones come in exam. But in overall he is really good.

Very funny guy. If you show up to the classes and pay attention, you will do good.

Blanco-SIlva is by far my favorite professor. However, his tests are unusually hard. Everyone I have talked to is struggling in his class but he definitely wants to make sure students understand the material and he grades very fairly. Will not just hand out grades and will make you work for extra credit! Overall a great guy! Would take him again

Francisco is very sarcastic and his class can seem intimidating at times, but he really wants his students to learn the material. 122 is a difficult class, but he breaks it down in a way that you can understand if you work hard and do all of the homework. Very strict on attendance, and there are often random quizzes. Great guy

He is a cool guy, just follow his rules and pay attention and don't use your phone in class. He really cares about students and offer great help. TAKE HIM!!

Guy's solid. Makes you participate, but it's for your own good. Material is fairly easy, since you have to pay attention. He presents everything in a good way, and prioritizes your learning over your grade. Solid choice, if you want to learn the material, but be prepared to do an average workload.

Very clear instruction. Definitely considers class participation and ensures that the class understands the topic before moving on. Will get very specific with grading, but this usually works out in your favor. Cares more about the students' understanding of the material than the correct answer, and will grade accordingly. Gives great extra credit.

I suck at math and I was able to get an A in this course because Blanco-Silva teaches at a really good pace and makes things easy to understand. He cares about making sure students understand the concepts, but he does make you participate in class. Tests are not too bad if you actually study and he is super funny and sarcastic. Great professor

Don't even have your phone in your lap during his class, and don't buy the textbook (you only need the online part)! There are 5 tests (in class), a couple of online quizzes, and also some online homework. I received all As this past semester, except in his class. You get a cheat sheet for the final, and extra credit opportunities are also offered.

Very clear about what he expects and make you work for your grade. If you like a challenge, he is a good pick. He is one of the most intellectual teachers I've ever had and has a great sense of humor, you'll definitely learn a lot but you'll do a lot of work to learn it too. Def utilize office hours and SI help--one of the only reasons I passed!

Francisco is a very good professor. He tells you exactly what he wants on exams. If you don't go to every class you're kinda screwed, although he's a really funny guy so it's worth going to class anyway. I did most of the online homeworks and studied for maybe an hour before each exam and got As and Bs. If you try you can get an A easily

Francisco is one of the best professors/teachers I've ever had. However, I had to work my tail off to earn a B+. His tests will sneak up on you - either you know the material or you don't. I got 90's on some tests and 30's on others. Studied 35 hours for his final exam and scored a 100. Get ready to study, and get ready to really apply math to life

Blanco-Silva is one of, if not the greatest maths teacher I've ever taken a class from. Compared to the other vector teachers at this university, Blanxo-Silva is Christ Reincarnate. Take this man's class.

He is very helpful and makes the class super easy!! Take him

Blanco-Silva is by far the best professor I've had in USC's math department. He is great at explaining concepts, is funny, and keeps class interesting. He can be harsh with homework, but his tests are fairly simple and if you put in the effort, you will do fine.

Really knowledgable professor just incredibly tough grader. Truly wants you to do well, but if you do not understand calculus you will not pass.

He runs a tight ship. Non stop homework and long examsand you are going to work all the time. His classes are great and entertaining He is a fun guy. He gives some nice extra criedit but you have to work for it. The final was similar to a review quiz. I was done in like one hour. He shares lots of stories to show math in ev

Hands down the best vector calc teacher in the math department

I enjoyed his approach to teaching. He gave us a lot of homework He also has many resources to prepare for exams. I wish he had offered more quizzes (I didn't do well in a few and it hurt my grade). He is very clear with expectations and grading criteria. Like with the 40% rule for integration. I wish he were more flexible, but it wasn't that bad

Awesome instructor. Very understanding. He truly cares about his students. Definitely the best proffesor I have had thus far. He makes vector calculus seem easy.

strict, inspirational professor who makes you want to learn. got a 97 something for 142. for 241, he was pretty hard. he teaches fast and gives hard tests but I still liked him. Worst part was that he deliberately made the tests harder bc we were "his most solid section ever." only got a B+ and I had friends who failed badly. practice tb problems!

Makes Math seem important. Great teaching method. Cool guy

Professor Blanco-Silva was awesome. He was always super up front and very fair. If you miss a question on a test, you have a chance to go to him and earn some points back. He was always very engaging and I always wanted to pay attention in his class. I hated calc in high school but it always applied it to the real world. One of my favorites!

Great professor

Probably my favorite professor from this semester. He really cares about your success, takes the exam questions directly from the homework/notes, gives partial credit, extra credit, feedback, and does his best to make the class interesting. Make sure you show up for his office hours early or else youll probably have to wait in a long line

Only take him if you are serious about the class. If you show commitment, he will give you all the tools so you can succeed: great lectures, entertaining, huge amounts of homework, challenging exams, motivational, engaging, constantly asking feedback and using it to enhance his teaching. I have never seen anybody like him.

He is good at motivation. I basically passed this course because he made the course very interesting. He also was great help in office hour. His exams are too hard. You better practice all the time.

Without a doubt the best professor I've had in my entire life. Seriously thinking switching to a math major because of him. He gives inspirational lectures and then makes you work hard. Lots of homework and quizzes. I feel other sections have it a little easier, but then I see how my understanding of the topics is far more advanced than theirs.

Overall Great Professor

One of the best professors I have ever had. Tough class which was expected but he does a really good job to make it as easy as possible. Grades only for what he's testing and he doesn't make you solve unnecessary items on tests.

Dr. Silva is one of the best professors I have taken for any class. The course is extremely straight-forward: 4 tests, 25% each for your grade. If your section does poorly, he does give chances for points but he challenges you to work for them. Lectures are the best part; he makes you think much deeper and critically about the content than others.

The guy couldn't be nicer. His exams are very challenging, but he prepares you very well for them. He has a somewhat forgiving grading if you show that you have mastered the skills. But f you make algebra mistakes or cannot integrate well, you will lose many points. The best way to know where you stand is to look at your HW with him.

He is a VERY good professor. The people who do not do well in this class are the people who do not put in effort. If you do the most of the homework you'll be ready for the exam. lectures are amazing! Dont be discouraged after the first exam bc it is by far the hardest. First exam is on 12 days of class and the other 3 are on 3 days each of class.

He only asks questions from the hw in tests, so I did them all after class and before the tests. He doesn't collect them or grade them, and the are no quizzes, so this is the only way to be on top of things. After my third exam I already knew I had passed. Got a good grade too. I could focus on other finals. Strongly recommend!

He told us the first exam was bad because we lost like 40 points with bad integration. He gave us a 40-pt test for integrals in class as extra credit. After that I was fine. At the end of the semester he gave another 50-pt EC if you could build a water clock using the lesson on Torriceli(sp?). He makes it worth taking a math class 4 engineers

Very fair grading. Excellent teaching. The best pick for diffeq

Very energetic inspirational professor. Best choice for vector calc

Classes: he starts with reviews & warmups, then theory, and then solves problems. Humorous, inspirational. HW: daily sets. Too many problems. Quizzes, tests: mostly from HW. Weekly quizzes, many tests (no in-class review) Office hours: he stays late if you need it. Very popular. Sit and wait (and wait)or make appointment with him. Overall: the BEST

I absolutely loved this class with Professor Silva. He is a wonderful teacher and person, absolutely hilarious, and despite hating math I genuinely looked forward to this class. He is very clear in his teaching and grading, and even hard concepts he really breaks down and ensures the class understands. I cannot recommend him enough!

He's one of the most relaxed professors in the Math department. Office hours are always backed up, so many people show up. Has some cool projects, but the one thing against the class is you don't really know what he wants. Just drop by and he's happy to let you know.

Professor Blanco-Silva was the BEST math teacher I have ever had. I've never been good at math, but he made it fun and easy to understand. He gives so many opportunities to earn points as long as you show up for class and show him that you make an effort. His pop-quizzes are easy grade boosters. Would recommend him to anyone!

Hes a wonderful teacher, great at lecturing, and hilarious in class. He gets the students involved and class is never boring. However, he grades only by four tests, which are difficult even if youre great at math, so get ready to work hard and study a lot.