2.5
Quality3.2
Difficulty70%
Would Retake107
Reviews70%
Would Retake
107
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
7
4
28
3
20
2
22
1
30
What Students Say
“He can be unorganized, and he does make mistakes alot”
ECON101 - 3.0 rating“He doesn't seem to know much about teaching stats at all”
ECON310 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
12%
Textbook Required
90%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.20 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON100
4.0
(1)101
3.0
(4)PA818
3.0
(4)ECON102
3.0
(1)POLS203
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
POLS203
5.0
PA818
4.3
ECON310
4.1
ECONOMICS101
4.0
101
3.8
Reviews (107)
No Comments
Can't do simple math he puts on the board, tests you on things before he teaches them. Says he will apply curve, and doesn't.
Can't explain things. Homework sucks. Gives you one set of things on the board in lecture and asks questions that have nothing to do with it in homework.
keep up with the reading in this class, or everything will become very confusing-homework is hard, but graded on effort
The test are hard, and not curved. He doesn;t like a lot of people to get A's
He can't teach 101. Tests are way too hard.
horrible lecturer, difficult tests
Great teacher with a wonderful sense of humor. One of my easiest classes.
Terrible teacher. Do not take this guy!!!!
horrible! very unprepared for class...made many corrections to his notes...didn't understand the subject himself yet expected us to, avoid this professor!!!
On the first day, he tried to scare people by saying he gave out few As and harder homework than the other Econ 101 teachers. However, if you pay attention to lectures, you don't even need to read the book. Very easy class.
Really Really Easy... lots of practice questions... Funny for a teacher
Oh, man, this class is easy: entertaining lectures and easy tests; I don't even have to read the course text to keep up.
His class was just plain evil. He was SO unclear, and a terrible lecturer. He made tons of inside jokes the whole time, and did an awful job of presenting the topics. He constantly made mistakes and had no idea what he was even talking mostly.
Man, this class is a walk in the park. His lectures are a little bit unorganized and he's always screwing up on example, but makes up for it with simple tests and funny jokes. He talks a lot on the 1st day about how he only likes a few A's, but its fals.
i would take him if you have to take 101, really easy
Didn't even show up to his own review session, "he forgot". Material is hard to learn with his teaching style, exams are difficult. I could barely stay awake!
I can't imagine a better taught graduate level statistics class. He is always very clear and very and willing to help. He gets a little excited about his math.
Let's face it, not everyone is all that interested in Econ, but if you got good eye candy... it makes it that much easier to listen!
Easier Econ 101 prof than others teaching 101
he's ok
Although Wallace is pretty hot, he is often confusing and unclear. The exams are very difficult.
A jokester, who has a little fun in lecture but isnt the greatest at teaching. The good part is, is that his tests are easy
The guy can't write. Nor can he spell.
Although he cant spell and often forgets words in overheads, he still explains material very well. If you pay attention and go to lecture, no way you do worse than a C. I recommend taking him if you like fun lectures, he'll make you laugh a few times every day but exams are difficult but curve fixes all that.
I wouldn't consider Professor Wallace as a teacher, he is at the University merely for research therefore he could care a less how well his students do in this course. Lectures just consist of notes that you could get out of the textbook. He doesn't give good examples and somehow finds a way to confuse nearly everyone by the end of class.Take Kelly
I don't like the way Wallace lecture in class. Basically, ****ed up. His exams were totally different from practice exams. Don't take classes from this guy. I don't consider him as a professor
by far the worst professor i've ever had. lectures make no sense. wallace also typically comes to class 15 minutes late, completely unprepared, making up stuff, and being corrected repeatedly. take kelly, at least she knows what she's teaching.
He makes students uneasy about asking questions because of his reactions to them. He doesn't understand..."No question is a dumb question." Homework problems do NOT correlate with exams. Book does not follow with class, but I found it better to study with than in class notes. Only problem is that exams are based off his notes.
No Comments
Wallace is very self-centered and arrogant. Lectures often make no sense and he's really bad at answering questioned asked during lecture. Tests are tricky and difficult. You'll learn more from the book than from lecture.
His exams are written by the TA's so he never has a clear idea of what is on them or even how many questions there will be. Discussion section is a must in order to understand his class.
No Comments
This is the worst professor I've had while at UW. Wallace makes snide remarks to questions he thinks are 'unworthy.' The midterm exams are written by the TAs, so even Wallace has no idea what will be on them. Midterms were impossible, the final was easy. If you want an A in econ, find another professor.
I will gladly take this prof over kelly ANYDAY!!! i dont know if it was just the fact that he didnt lay it out for the slow people baby step by baby step or if it was the fact that he doesnt need a mic and was my fav prof to listen to or what. the tests were hard yes, but the curve was big... this was my best class ever
Terrible professor. Students had to correct his mathematical errors in nearly every class. Never prepared, careless with his work. Unfortunately, he's your only option if you're in Public Affairs.
Honestly if you attend lecture, take notes, try on the homework its pretty impossibly not to do well in the class. The midterm and finals were essentially vocab tests.
This man is the bane of my existence.
Prepare to write TONS of notes everyday. He does have some sense of humor and he lets class out early a few times, probably because he goes through material too quickly. If you have a decent TA don't bother reading the textbook because it sucks. All you need to know is from lecture and exams were fair.
He can be unorganized, and he does make mistakes alot. However, he goes through material very comprehensively, and the exams are very easy. The curve for the class is also very easy, the vast majority of the class receiving a B or higher. The book sucks and you probably dont need it. Take Geoff if you want to learn econ and get a good grade.
Although the curve for the class is rather generous (due to the fact that absoultely no one understands the material), the class is incomprehensible. If you take Wallace expect to be able to magically pull mathematically equations out of thin air because you won't be given them in class. Be prepared for possibly the most frustrating class ever!
Makes you take notes incredibly fast, and don't bother buying the book he never uses it. The class itself is really easy and his tests are really easy. I don't understand how people can say they don't understand him, this class is simple
Wallace is terrible. He doesn't use the textbook (so there aren't many problems to practice on - there's no way to effectively study for exams), and he does an absolutely awful job in lecture - his pace is WAY too fast (and you can't get his notes online). Ignore what people said years ago about being easy - I worked very hard and only got an AB.
I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about him. This was my easiest class this sem. Exams are super-easy. Half of the final was repeat questions from midterms. His homeworks are sometimes ambiguous and not asking for anything concrete, but still manageable. He lets lecture out early often. Goes a bit fast in lecture but slows down when asked.
If you've never taken Econ before, I wouldn't recommend Wallace. Lectures at a ridiculous pace, and you can't get the notes online. If you miss a lecture, you're pretty much screwed because he completely ignores the book. Homework is pretty difficult but the tests are fairly simple.
he has very good dress sense....lol but besides that, he recquires you to take hundreds of pages of notes, which are very sloppy and error ridden. you can save youself some cash by not buying this book, which he completely ignores.....other than that, hes not exactly a good prof, but not as bad as everyone on here says. pretty meh overall.
Wallace's class was one of the easiest classes that I have ever taken. HW was weird sometimes, but the tests were incredibly easy. If you know how to do simple algebra then you won't have a problem with this class. And the majority of the questions on the final were from the other two exams during the semester.
Wallace is outstanding. He doesn't exactly follow the textbook- but the textbook is useful for understanding concepts more clearly. His lectures are somewhat boring- his pace fairly quick (But he will slow down if you ask him to). Econ is a pretty easy class if you know how to do basic math - I learned everything in the 5 days before the exam.
He's a really nice guy and has a good personality, but he goes WAY too fast. It's nearly impossible to learn because you'll be scribbling down pages and pages of notes. If you're already familiar with econ, take it with someone else.
He is without a doubt the worst professor I have ever witnessed. He reads word for word from the overhead and does not know how to teach. I hope one day no one signs up for his classes so he is unable to teach.
funny at times
really nice guy, means well, funny at times, but can not teach for his life. exams are short and fairly easy, but his teaching style needs help.
Wallace explains things clearly in lecture and draws very helpful graphs to illustrate concepts. He goes a little fast, but will always slow down if asked and answers/encourages all questions.
Wallace's teaching is bland and uninspired. His "lecture notes" are 14 pt times new roman wordy paragraphs, and haven't been updated in 10 yrs. However, that doesn't negate the fact that his exams were SO EASY! Get the book study guide (not the book) and teach yourself. No class necessary! Questions come straight out of the guide /old exams, Easy A
boring. uses annoying overhead projector. nice, but boring
Incredibly hard to follow in lecture. He reads too fast off of slides that display solid paragraphs of information. Does not know how to teach, just recites information. Tests are fairly easy though. Just teach yourself from the book.
Lecture is unbearably boring. He reads directly off the overhead projector (even though all these notes can be found on his website). The old exams are INCREDIBLY helpful, because most of the questions will show up on new exams. It's easy enough if you read along in the book, but don't expect to be inspired whatsoever by his teaching.
There were two ways to get a good grade in this class; go to a very boring lecture every day or read a very boring book. I went to every lecture and my friend read the book and we got the same grades. Just review his previous exams.
Very bland lectures. Staying the whole lecture is truly a struggle with Wallace. Do all practice exams because most questions are from previous tests. Overall boring but very little work and not too hard of a class.
The man cannot teach. Tests/homework/lecture notes are so riddled with typos they are at times incomprehensible. Also, all the TAs struggle with English which also makes them useless. Stick to the book in this class, it does a fair job of explaining what you need to know for the tests. Prepare for tests with practice exams/homework.
I nearly changed my major from Econ because of this class. Wallace is very knowledgeable and truly a great guy, but God love him, he just isn't cut out for teaching. The TAs are no better. Lecture is hellish - luckily he lets you out early pretty frequently. Uses a Paul Krugman textbook, thank God, which is also boring, but very helpful.
This class was clear cut and overall an easy A. As long as you read the book and attend lecture you will get a good grade. Practice exams were helpful when studying for exams. Overall a really laid back professor that I would recommend!
Not my favorite class. Showed everything via Powerpoints, which was nice, but unless you really stayed focused and knew exactly what you were doing, your grade would plummet fast. Discussions were helpful but ultimately didn't help prepare me for the exams. Curve wasn't nice to me.
If the other reviewers are right, he has done a lot of work to improve his teaching. I think he's very personable, speaks clearly and in a friendly way, and especially helpful during office hours.
he seldom draw pictures. If he could draw pictures and substitute those name "Geverse"......to easier name "Tom", a 75 minute class could be finished in 20 minutes. I did not attend all his classes except those on exam days.
His exams are fairly easy, however, he isn't the best lecturer...class can be frustrating and boring at times but the book does a wonderful job of explaining things. He uses names in his examples from shows he watches...try to figure out what shows!
Nice guy, terrible teacher. Lecture notes & homework often incomprehensible as they're riddled with spelling & grammatical errors. Makes hollow promises about passing if you try. Knows stats well, but hasn't a clue how to convey his knowledge to students. Emphasizes intuition over memorization but teaching methods completely fail to fill the gap.
econ 101 is not interesting at all. "coach" wallace makes the class a lot better. there to answer questions. don't read the book, just go to lecture. he tells you what you need to know. if you don't know what you are doing go to office hours. discussion sections are optional but they do help you actually learn the material
Good teacher! I thought the class would be extremely boring but it was not. Don't need to buy the book, but you do need to go to lecture.
hes a horrible professor. period. dont ever take him for econ 310! he doesnt know what he is talking about, and he has so many typos in his lecture notes. had his lectures been helpful, there would be so many students attending, but people are getting more and more overwhelmed. hes by far the worst professor i have ever had in this school!
he is the worst professor i have seen so far. do not ever take his 310, really do not. learn nothing and have very hard exams.
difficult exams. horrible lecturer/ doesn't communicate with his students well (doesn't respond to students' emails most of time). really regret taking his class
He doesn't seem to know much about teaching stats at all! I took stats four years ago and covered the same content but understood it much better. Nobody in my lecture finished the first exam. Ridiculous. Don't take with Wallace.
Class was very straight forward and didn't cover an overwhelming amount of information. Very manageable and not as tough as people are suggesting. He goes over any questions people ask at beginning of lecture.
People saying bad things don't know how to learn
Worst class I have ever taken at UW only because of this professor. Seriously doubted this professor's ability to teach anything; only read off printed papers of nonsense, didn't go through problems, many errors and mistakes on everything. Exams were a train wreck. Never take Econ 310 with this prof.
I would have failed in this course if I had not taken other statistics class before. I just want to say he intended to be humorous in the class. He intended to clarify what he was saying. But he failed to do so...
This professor should not be teaching economics. His lectures are boring resulting in low attendance so much so that he has made lab section attendance compulsory giving busy work assignments that could be done independently. He also swears from time to time in lecture and shows a lack of interest in his students. He is contradicts himself a lot.
very very unsatisfied with econ310 taken by this professor. never seen any professor that hates his students as much as he does. horrible lecturer, very difficult to follow along and comprehend his lecture. several typos in his notes. if possible, avoid his classes.
Simply the worst. If u want to learn to hate stats and learning this is your guy
if you wanna get high score, take this class with different teacher!!!!! that would be better for sure. not really know about other teachers but taking this class with McKelvey. Easy A. Ma friends took this class with him before and got all A. Six of them. No idea the way Wallace teach and why he makes it even harder. lol
Put it this way, after taking econ 310 with Wallace you will be writing one of these for the first time like I am
I really don't understand why the Professor made sooooo much TYPOs in the 2 midterms, and the FINAL!!!! Correcting TYPOs during exams was so frustrating!!!!!
The reviews on here are unreasonably harsh. Yes, Professor Wallace wrote a first exam that was too long, but the second midterm and final were definitely fair. While he wasn't always clear, he was willing to answer questions and make clarifications. He also posts the full notes online. Attend lecture, do the practice problems, and you'll be fine.
This is my fifth semester at UW Madison, and never before have a been compelled to give a review. However, I must warn you guys, professor Wallace is the pits. He is confusing, prone to errors and typos on exams and homework solutions, and when students started to perform poorly, he all but outright blamed us for being bad students. Try to avoid!
Totally agree with others. Professor's job is to explain stuff to students clearly and let them learn something. But you need to learn this course by your own. You can never really understand what's going on in the lecture.
Wallace makes mistake after mistake. On almost all his tests and presentations, he makes all sorts of errors. He is very sloppy and messy as well. The class was not majorly challenging, but Wallace didn't do much to help. He's a nice guy, but not the best instructor.
He's a good lecturer, but don't skip class because he explains things better than the book and doesn't always put notes online. Provides practice tests to study from and outlines as to what you will be expected to know for the midterms and final. Don't know why he has to many bad reviews, he was my favorite professor.
Prof Wallace was excellent. He explained the material clearly, and always included real-world examples. He has a good sense of humor, and is more than fair when grading and curving exams. If you study the material, you will do well on his exams no problem.
Do the practice exams and homework that he assigns. The textbook and myeconlab are highly useful to increase your understanding. Prof Wallace has definitely improved his teaching style to engage the class more and he is also going at a more understandable pace.
If anyone wants to take this class, he or she just needs to read the book. Even one goes to lecture, the lecture won't be much help. LECTURE IS CONFUSING & UNCLEAR.
Just finished econ 101 with Geoffrey fall 2014. Overall, he was a pretty average teacher. His lectures were very boring. He simply reads through powerpoint slides for 1 hour and 15 min. His tests are easier than the other econ 101 professors, but at times they are still tricky. He is pretty generous with the curve, however.
His lectures were very boring. Could not focus in class. Nice guy though, makes funny jokes. He brought my class beer!
no need to go to lectures nor discussions. tests were really easy.
I don't understand why there are such harsh ratings for Professor Wallace. I never took an econ class in high school and found this class to be relatively easy. Reading the book helped clarify some things as his lectures were usually okay. Text book was expensive but needed online homework code. STUDY FROM PAST EXAMS! There were even some repeats!
He's very to the point in his lectures. It can get a bit boring, but overall I thought he explained things very well. Go to lecture and take good notes, and you should be just fine. Slack off, and you get what's coming to you. The professor's just fine. Ask him a question and he's sure to give you a good answer. Friendly guy, too.
Wallace didn't seem to care about the class at all.. he obviously didn't proofread his lecture notes and there would often be mistakes in them. He was pretty unclear, but the class and exams were all easy. Go to discussion or read the book and you'll be fine.
The rating he currently has is very inaccurate. I believe Wallace is a great professor. His lectures are a bit boring but very clear. Read the book and you have the answers to his exams. Overall very easy class.
He does not seem to care. Every lecture he just reads through the slides and does not put effort into explaining things. All in all he is not a good professor and does not care about his job and does not explain things well at all.
Wallace tends to under-explain and move too quickly through the more complicated lectures in class, but all of the material in lectures is relevant to what appears on the tests. Tests primarily cover basic material as opposed to mastery questions, so anyone willing to study should earn a desirable grade.
Graded off of homework which is easy 100, two midterms, and a final. only have to do well on one midterm and final for A. Everything he says is in the notes he posts. If it isn't in the notes it won't be on the test. Boring as all hell.
Econ 101 is what you make of it. IMO, it was a relatively easy class as long as you know how to study. Lectures seem long. Join a BLC and you'll do fine. Wallace wants his students to do well. If you work for it, you'll at least earn an AB.
I really liked Wallace, he's not the most interesting guy but he seemed to care about students understanding the material and tried to crack a few jokes here and there. He always asked if anyone had questions before moving on and would answer with thorough responses. As long as you read the book, his exams were incredibly easy and straightforward.
Professor Wallace is overall a good professor. Lectures can drag on however. Wallace is a funny guy, which helps spice up the lectures occasionally. Exams were pretty easy, especially if you study from past exams, which he loves to use repeat questions. If you go to discussion and pay somewhat attention in lectures, you can easily get a B or higher
He's pretty good, stop uploading lecture slides without notice, but he's a good guy and knows his stuff.
Prof Wallace talks really fast, and his PPT will not have much information so you'll have to listen during lecture. The quiz section helped to clarify information that the professor said. He also post a lot of extra readings (u'll have to read, cuz u have to cite info from the readings during exams); not a lot of homework or essay, just READ.
Had him for Poverty, Inequality, and public policy. He seemed more interested in the political changes throughout the ages than the subject of the class. Class discussions were always awkward because Prof Wallace would ask questions, then argue with students who gave opinions that conflicted with his own. Avoid this guy.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
12%
Textbook Required
90%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.20 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON100
4.0
(1)101
3.0
(4)PA818
3.0
(4)ECON102
3.0
(1)POLS203
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
POLS203
5.0
PA818
4.3
ECON310
4.1
ECONOMICS101
4.0
101
3.8