3.0
Quality2.8
Difficulty43%
Would Retake121
Reviews43%
Would Retake
121
Reviews
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5
22
4
28
3
28
2
27
1
16
What Students Say
“Out of touch is the best way to describe him”
CALC1 - 1.0 rating“honestly, id avoid him if you can”
MATH0220 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
11%
Textbook Required
17%
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Reviews (121)
Ho Ho Ho...Jolly 'ol St. Nick. Open notes, open book tests and final. Jolly guy, but cant teach. I got an A+ and didnt know too much
I took this class over the internet, with Sparling in charge, and got nothing out of it. I was highly dissatisfied with my experience, and Sparling didn't make it any better. There was little to no communication from him, and it was simply awful.
Very good teacher. Absentminded and occasionally forgets what hes doing but hes very explicit.
One of the nicest calc profs. Open book exams made the class as easy as can be. Pay attention to his practice exams as real exams are very similar. Not exactly clearest lecturer, but he's brilliant and I got alot out of the class with a nice 4 credit A!
Sparling is one of the nicest guys I've ever met. His lectures are sometimes unclear, however, he's always open to helping you individually, and reinforces concepts on the computer. I really enjoyed the class!
he gives you the test before the test, and it's open notes. If you are good at teaching yourself, you'll get an A!
THIS IS THE PROFESSOR YOU WANNA TAKE CALC 1&2 WITH.exams were EXTREMLY EASY open every think u got (books,notes, PC.etc)very nice and polite. VERY CLEAR, reminds me of my highscool teacher.you will learn calculus very well and get an easy A+ just like me
Very easy, knows his stuff, but can be a bit confusing. Exams/Quizzes are open-book-open notes, so there's no reason to get less than an A
He is a very easy professor. The class is like 25% homework, which the TAs give you the answers for. He lets you use anything you want on the exams, including the final. He is really confusing during lectures, but you don't really even need to go to those.
sparling is awesome! class is easy-open notes, open book for quizzes and exams. really funny guy in and outside of class. awesome professor- def recommend taking before leave pitt.
He's not so great at explaining things, but he will try to help you one-on-one. He pretty much gives you the answers for the quizzes. Ours were not open book and open note and such, like everyone else's. Also, the TAs don't give answer to Homework. It's still pretty easy, if you can teach yourself.
Great professor. He's helpful. Learn mostly by going over homework and quizes in class. There are quizes every week, but everything is open note and book. Definately take this class. Its quite a bit of work, but completely worth it.
Great professor to take if you want an easy 4 credit A. The TAs do all of the homework for you in recitation, Sparling will tell you what is on the quiz each week. All quizes, exams and the final are open anything you want. Very very very easy class. Gotta love the good old British Santa
This guy is a genius. His classes are easy, but you will learn a great deal. He doesn't work with Penrose for nothing(if you don't know who this is, go to wikipedia and look up Roger Penrose).
Very easy teacher. tests are open book and notes and are exactly like pretest. he doesnt teach well and you cant follow his lectures. but he is a wonderful man and an easy grader. would recommend him if you want a good grade, but not if you want to learn.
Sparling is the poorest professor I have had. Every week he assigns six homework problems, and he teaches his content by going over these problems in class. For each topic in his class, you may only answer two or three problems of a certain type for the entire semester. This makes it unlikely that you will retain most of what you are taught.
he is very friendly and approciable. Everything used to be open book tests, but the final isn't anymore. But there is a heavy curve at the very end which saves lots of students. Take him. he is worth it and also go see him during the office hours.
This man restored my interest in math. Midterms and quizzes are open notes/book, he goes over the homework problems for you and is a really nice guy. Oh, and he is British. That only helps. The final is departmentalized, but he gives a clone of the final in the form of a pretest. Awesome guy overall.
Odd method of teaching - gave six or so homework problems and spent each week going over them. Not extremely clear...likes to prove everything, which can be confusing. Gave voluntary review session and mock final after classes were over and before actual final which really helped.
One of the fairest and most helpful teachers I have ever had. Absolutely take this professor...grades easily...helpful...only concerned that you make an honest effort on homeworks and exams!
Sparling is a great teacher. He moves fast however and leaves alot up to you. If he is teaching an intermediate math course I think that is the way he should be teaching. Homework is very challenging, tests are easy.
Gnilraps (it's his name backwards!) is probably the easiest, most generous teacher I've ever had. I didn't get much from lecture, but his tests were always more than fair and you would probably get a great grade just my making an effort.
TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!!!!! Trust me.Had Athanas for Calc 1 first semester.Hard as hell and had to retake the class.Had him in the spring got an A-.His tests and Quizzes are open book.Also for the test, quizzes,and homeworks he has the ones from the previous semesters up which are exactly the same,but with different numbers.Bring those with you.
He is extremely committed to making his students do well. Open books tests and quizzes are a lifesaver, as is credit for weekly homeworks. The closed book departmental final is the most difficult aspect of the course, and Sparling does all he can to find out the material on the test and offers ample review before the final exam.
A great teacher.u may feel like he is messy & unorganized; he writes all over the board, i found it difficult many times to read hi writing. But he still explains well and put an effort into helping u if u pay him a visit in his office hours?in the Lounge?. Personally, I liked him,he is a nice guy.Take him u?ll learn and do well. Highly recommended
The trick to doing well in Dr.Sparling's class is to look through the archive on his website. There you will find a bunch of old tests and hws. His lectures aren't that helpful and the material at the end can get demanding. He grades easily and it isn't hard to get an A in his class.
He is a product of Roger Penrose's guidance and as brilliant as one would expect, having had such an incredible mentor.
No need to go to class, its boring. but do go meet dr. sparling once in a while because he is a very nice guy and is fun to be around and is a genius. SUPER easy class.
It is extremely easy to get an A in this class, just look over his archives. His exams are open book and open notes. Homework can be tricky.
Most helpful teacher during a test
Professor Sparling is everything a student could hope for. First of all, he is brilliant: he REALLY knows his subject - not that kind of professor who reads straight from the book. Secondly, he understands his students might come from different backgrounds and teaches accordingly. Also, he promotes exploration, something very few do nowadays.
If u like math, you can't ask for anyone better. He is clearly a genius; Proves most theorems on the fly! Not the most systematic and organized prof but is unerring in his logic. his solutions are always sound and rigorous although may appear unconventional..highly recommended especially for graduate level courses
Dr. Sparling is the single most disorganized professor I've ever had. His lectures are rambling, his handwriting is impossible to decipher, and we're much farther behind than we should be. He also does not maintain communication with the TA, so the homework will tend to not be on what you did in class. Avoid if you actually want to learn.
Brilliant mathematician, but a terrible teacher. If you actually want to learn something, avoid him; he's not lucid. He introduces needlessly abstract material. That said, he grades very easily. I would NOT take another class from him if I had a choice.
While grades are uncertain until the end of the semester, an A is definitely possible if you put effort into it. He makes a hard class much less stressful. However, you definitely should go to class in order to stay updated on what the homework is, when it is due (which changes frequently), and what to expect for quizzestests.
Professor went out of town for a month r and gave the sub zero material to help teach the course. Does not seem to care about his students or how they do. His lectures are very unclear and does not use examples well. Basically just does examples from the book in a more complex way.
I took both 1530/1540 with Prof. Sparling. Bottom line, be prepared to WORK. Lectures are EXTREMELY informative; HW can get tough, but that's the point-to prepare you for grad school, etc. There is a grading scale; overall, if you PASS the final you get an A; if you fail the final, your grade depends on your work/progress (i.e. DO HW REGARDLESS!)
Great guy, really knows his material. He covers it fast and goes into too much depth sometimes, but is always willing to help you and answer questions. Always let you know what is going to be on tests and quizzes. Funny too
Sparling flies through the material at his own pace and can be pretty hard to follow, however he's not that bad of a professor and the midterms are open note/calculator /book so its not hard to decent, but you'll have to work a little more to do really well.
First and most importantly, George is good guy and wants everyone to pass. His lectures are usually very difficult to follow, but he is extremely helpful and clear during office hours. Tests and the final are hard, but he curves the class in the end so the majority of the class at least gets a B+.
Gnilraps is hilarious and definitely one of the better Calc III professors. His quizzes and tests are really hard but he is very generous with partial credit. I walked out of both midterms thinking I failed them, but got a B+ and an A-. The final is basically impossible but its departmental. Quizzes are really hard but dont really matter in the end
Terrible professor. He will tell you "not to worry about your grade" and then fail you. Lectures are a scrambled mess. If I could go back in time, I would avoid taking his class at all costs.
Dr. Sparling is one of the brightest professors in the math department, though one of the most disorganized. Lectures and homework are often a mess of high thinking. Tests are brutal, but he curves incredibly generously. To him the grade doesn't matter; the class is about the student learning as much as they possibly can. Go to office hours!
Pretty chill and incredibly smart. His lectures are sometimes messy and it's easy to find yourself lost in the math. But he talked about really cool things and is fun to talk to during office hours. His quizzes/tests are open note+book and he gives additional time if needed. They're very straightforward. No tricks. Also very lenient grader.
Pros: - Good guy, he really knows material, accessible outside of class (office hrs, text message), easy grader, lots of homework points, fairly easy grading criteria Cons: - Prob the worst lecturer at Pitt, he talks way too fast and has no organization, hw questions are hard, must read book to pass even though grading is easy
He is a good guy and I want to like him but I hate having class with him. He is easily the worst lecturer I have ever had and his class does NOT prepare you for the final. He grades easily and allows books and calculators on his tests, things that can't be said about the final. That combined with his lectures make the final a living nightmare.
I think Professor Sparling is great. He gives you lots of chances to succeed, all of his quizzes (5) and exams (3) are open note. He always send us practice exams and tells us exactly what kind of questions will be on the exam. All you have to do it have clear notes and practice problems and you will get a good grade.
it's a mixed bag. On the one hand, he allows open notes on exams/quizzes and is not a harsh grader. On the other hand, his lectures are extremely hard to follow and he's extremely disorganized. I found that the disorganization only added stress to my life. If you are deciding between him and another professor, take a strong look at the other.
Sparling is a good guy who wants you to learn and do well. He is very unorganized and lets you know what's on quizzes/tests the night before. Lectures are kind of all over the place. Office Hours were what got me through the class. Tests and Quizzes are open note/open book and he has a collection of old tests on his website. Study those for sure.
Sparling is the best. Very lenient grader, but he teaches you a ton. All quizzes are scored best 3 questions out of 4 and exams are best 5 out of 8. You have no reason not to get an A+. Doesn't hurt that he's got a good sense of humor. 100% would take him again.
I have never been more disgusted by a professor's utter lack of professionalism and respect for student's time. Due to an unexpected injury, I was unable to write my final. Not only was Dr. Sparling wildly unaccomidating, but he made it hell for me to attempt to complete the course. Ignored my emails for months, so I ended up having to re-take it!
I wish I could give him a better rating as a teacher because he seems like a very intelligent and well-intentioned guy. His class is an absolute mess though. His lectures are disorganized and hard to follow, he's unclear on grading, assignments, and what section you're even on. He's by no means a bad guy though! I just wish I never took this class.
Dont get me wrong, Professor Sparling is a very nice man who will help you, but his way of teaching just doesnt work. When hes showing you how to do a problem, he just simply does the problem on the board and doesnt convey it in a way the students could learn. I would recommend just remembering the topics and looking it up yourself.
Sparling lets you take 5 quizzes and 3 exams all open note. He also gives you 8 questions on the exam and only grades your best five answers. Don't take this for granted though since he tells you what is going to be on it very last minute so you need to take good notes and know what's going on. Definitely go to his office hours.
Could not stand this class. Have to repeat next semester. Makes no sense. Decided on the first day that we weren't going to use MyMathLab after one person said it was glitchy (after I bought my almost 200 dollar textbook). He grades on a big curve but the lessons he teaches are difficult to comprehend. Just does the problems.
Dr. Sparling was very unorganized and his lectures were hard to follow. The saving grace was that he is not a harsh grader and he tells you the topics covered on quizzes and exams (but not until right before). I was also lucky to have an awesome TA (Abby Pekoske). Recitation was much more helpful than lecture.
ok professor, found myself struggling to keep up with what he was writing on the chalk board because he pretty much taught towards that and not the class, very disorganized and takes a lot of time to grade exams, papers are easy to write, exams and quizzes are open note but he doesn't reveal what will be on them until the night before
Professor Sparling is a solid choice for college algebra. He's a little unorganized and sometimes his teaching can get confusing but otherwise, he is a great teacher. He gives partial credit for all of your assignments so don't ever leave a question blank. He teaches almost purely from the textbook as that is where he gets his lecture material.
Less than optimal organization, sometimes a little tricky to follow during class, but gets the point across nonetheless. Study for the quizzes and do your homework and you'll be alright.
Alright at best. A little tough to follow during lecture at times, but gets his point across. Do your homework and study for the tests based on the review guide he gives and you'll turn out
George is great. Pay attention and you will be fine. Best choice for this course.
Everything is open note and open book, even the final. I took him for college algebra and it was the easiest A I have ever gotten. He is also super nice!
Dr. Sparling is one of the brightest professors I have ever seen. He is very caring of his students and gives exams and quizzes that are more than fair. Overall, I highly recommend him.
Professor Sparling's online lectures can be difficult to follow; however, he's always willing to explain any concepts and loves participation. His weekly group problems, LON-CAPA assignments, and few optional textbook questions entirely prepare you for his exams. He gives you LOADS of time to complete tests and is generous with his grading.
Dr. Sparling teaches like a math professor and has very unorganized lectures. That being said, he is VERY generous with test and homework accommodations and grading and is easily accessible. If you teach yourself from the textbook, the concepts are very easy to understand. Tests are hard but VERY fair.
Dr. Sparling is not a great teacher, and forces you to rely very heavily on the textbook. However, he is very lenient and a forgiving grader, which helps your grade, obviously. I felt like was on my own in his course.
he's pretty disorganized when it comes to his actual lectures, but he had really great notes. i didn't need to attend class because he'd post the notes later, which would be super helpful when studying for quizzes and exams. additionally, he was a really lenient grader, especially on quizzes and tests. overall, it was a really easy class.
I normally do well in math, but Professor Sparling's lectures are so disorganized. He expects you to teach yourself everything, and in class he basically just does practice problems. His exam and quiz problems are definitely tricky. Group homework due every week, quizzes every other week. Take another prof if you can
This professor was awful, he was corrected by students constantly, he would work on more than one question at a time , he wouldnt answer questions, he was beyond disorganized, he was way off schedule all semestar so the HWs were way ahead, his handwriting was really bad, he would stand infront of the board and wrote too fast to keep up with. :(
Sparling is a really nice person, but not a good prof. His super disorganized lectures left you weeks behind where you should be. Then, you would get homework based on where you were supposed to be, so it's entirely new material you basically have to figure out on your own. Be prepared to teach yourself everything. Take another prof if you can.
Prof Sparling left me feeling unprepared to advance to any higher math because I learned essentially nothing from his disorganized lectures. Group HW is due every week with super difficult questions. He doesn't use canvas, so due dates are random and often last minute. We find out about quizzes two days before taking them, so no time to study.
Professor Sparling is a very nice professor. His teaching style tends to be very confusing and he is all over the place. You basically have to teach yourself the material because he goes really fast when lecturing. His homework assignments are very difficult and sometimes do not correspond to what we learn in class. Very generous with grading.
Let's just say it wouldn't make a difference if you went to class or not. Lecture were lighting speed paced and often all over the place. You basically have to teach yourself the material. Generous with grading but seriously would not recommend. You'll be stressed the whole semester because of how disorganized it is.
If you dont put in the work, you wont get anything out of this class. Professor Sparling is an extremely lenient grader. Although his lectures may seem disorganized, read ahead in the book and you should be fine. He teaches better in office hours and definitely cares about his students, but you obviously have to put in some effort!!
I took Dr. Sparling for MATH 1010 -- Putnam Seminar, which is a non-standard class, so this review probably isn't relevant to most people reading this. I'd definitely recommend the class; it's mainly just a big group discussion about Putnam problems. He's not super organized but definitely knowledgeable. Content is hard, it's the Putnam after all.
Out of touch is the best way to describe him. He is the only professor Ive had at any level in the pandemic era that outright refused to use canvas, zoomed through lectures like it was the Daytona 500, and overall I learned more from watching a 15 minutes video than taking several pages of notes about his lectures.
im not sure how to describe george. hes very disorganized most of the time and hard to reach outside of class. his lectures werent that useful but his notes on the board are. his exams are HARD. homework, quizzes, and the final curve saved me. hes a very forgiving grader but only on quizzes and hw, not exams. honestly, id avoid him if you can
Calculus 1 with George has to be one of, if not the worst classes I have ever taken. He is very unclear with his lectures to the point where he is telling us to guess the answers to example problems. He is unclear with his grading policy, altered his syllabus multiple times, and does not give you a grade until the last day. Avoid this class!!!!!!
You will be left in grade purgatory the entire semester. George refuses to give anyone an idea of where their grade is until it is too late, then refuses to help anyone get their grade back up. Avoid this man at all costs, I promise you that you will waste so much time and money.
If you need structure and guidance in a math class, do not take Sparling. Every test except for the final is open note with a calculator and he grades easy, but this will under prepare you for the final. He is disorganized and does not calculate any of his student's grades until after the final. All homework is done with a group outside of class.
If you've never taken calc before, definitely avoid George. Very slow grader, extremely disorganized, doesn't respond to emails, doesn't use canvas, and spent first month teaching irrelevant content. Don't waste money on the textbook, just find a pdf online. Practice material exactly like quizzes and exams. Test averages were failing.
Dr. Sparling's teaching style isn't for everyone. Hit fits the mold for math professor - disorganized and hard to follow. My life was made so much easier when I started outlining the textbook for the class (which Sparling follows nearly word-for-word) beforehand to follow along with. Very generous grader on tests and quizzes, but read the textbook.
He is not a good professor, he is just disorganized and doesn't use a canvas page. I never understand what he is trying to teach. If you skip it probably won't effect you. He is nice with grading and lets you use notes but the tests are heard so I get why. I probs would have ended with a B if he didn't totally screw me over with the final.
Very confusing lecturer. So hard to understand the material from his class. He is disorganized, has never used canvas. Sends everything over email. No way to know your overall grade throughout the class. Homework problems are always hard and confusing and graded for accuracy. Only good thing is that we could use notes on tests and quizzes.
Very disorganized and confusing professor. Made it hard to understand material. All exams open note and allowed a calculator except for the final. Doesn't post grades. Homework questions weirdly hard. I would go to the math center every week and they were always confused by the problems he would give. Do not recommend.
Really unorganized, doesn't post anything on Canvas, doesn't post grades so you just have to guess. Quizzes/exams are open note except the final, so you're left unprepared. Homework is oddly really hard and he grades for accuracy so you're left spending well over an hour on it. Lectures aren't helpful at all and aren't even worth going to.
Easy class
He is a very nice man and has some good humor, but honestly, he may make algebra more complicated than it needs to be. He brings in some physics and higher-based calc because that's primarily what he teaches. Tests are open notes, but this may leave you unprepared for the final. The overall class is curved and he's a lenient grader on assignments.
good professor! I love how he graded quizzes/ exams, The exam could have 8 questions and he'd only grade you for 5. He was a little boring at times and he spent a lot of time proving concepts instead of showing you how to solve them. you get a HW group at the beginning of the semester for all HW assignments. Easy class.
George takes algebra to another level, by presenting the information in a way that you will never understand. His lectures are very confusing, all you do is scramble to write down what he is writing down without truly understanding what is he trying to teach. He lets all his exams/quizzes be open note, but not the final setting you up for failure.
Prof Sparling is a pretty easy grader and does teach the material well. On the other hand, he lost my last 2 homeworks at I turned in which hurt my grade a bit. When I emailed him about it, he never got back to me, as the semester was just about over. I had him last semester and still never got an email or anything.
I took this class with George which turned out to be the most rewarding experience of my math major. He is incredible intuitive and his class is full of examples from his expertise of research. And he also makes you works substantially and effectively in the whole process. As a result, my interest in mathematical physics is developed.
If you take advanced and graduate level courses like this with George, you will learn about the examples and intuitions that is not likely to be learnt elsewhere. I would especially recommend him to those with background in physics (QM, EM, GR, etc) since he sometimes starts from physics and explain the mathematical structure in an element way.
Tests and quizzes were open note, which was nice but does not prepare you for the final exam, which is not open note. Everything is on paper, including homework and quizzes. His handwriting is messy and small so taking notes is impossible. Make a friend in the class because he does not post notes or anything. He goes straight from the book.
Chill guy, let's you hand in homework whenever, and has open note tests/quizzes. Overall good professor.
Sparling is a nice professor who cares about his students and what he is teaching. He is an easy grader and tries to give as many points as possible. His homework problems are long and kind of confusing, but he helps, His lectures are kind of confusing. but he also follows the book, that's a good tool if you're having trouble. pretty easy class.
He is just simply okay. His homework assignments are way too hard. Quizzes and exams are relatively easy, as they are open book. I also have no idea what my grade is as he doesn't put grades in canvas. Also has a bad habit of standing in front of what he's writing on the board. Not the worst professor, but take someone else if you can.
Dr. Sparling is a pretty chill dude and is good at teaching basic concepts that require less intuitive thinking(vectors/planes/integrals). However, he tends to lose the class when covering more complex material and spends a lot of lecture time proving theorems/formulas that don't really need to be proved in this class.
Sparling's lectures have almost no structure and he simply talks for a while and quickly writes things on the board, often losing the class in the process. Homework is sometimes convoluted and long. Quizzes and tests are open note and he does curve (individually, not based on the class). Him responding to an email is a coin toss.
George is a nice guy, but at best a decent professor. We were always behind. We only looked at surface integrals on the last day, yet they're often a significant part of the final. His lectures were very unorganized and difficult to follow. Utilize the textbook and watch Prof Leonard. Gnilraps is very generous with partial credit, though.
Sparling is very generous when it comes to grading. He often gives lots of partial credit and only takes off a few points. Midterms and quizzes were open note and calculator; however, the final was not. We tended to be very far behind what we needed to learn for the final. Lectured tended to be unorganized and sometimes hard to follow.
Sparling is a lovely, kind guy, but his lectures were so disorganized & hard to follow I eventually stopped going to class and just took notes from the textbook regularly. All quizzes & exams were open note, which was nice, but his feedback on assignments was useless & lowkey harsh sometimes. A pretty low-stress class, you'll do fine if you study.
George is funny and an easy grader. He is lenient with due dates. His lectures are hard to follow, I should have followed along in the textbook. I ended up very lost by the 2nd midterm. Algebra on quizzes is the hardest part. Homework is time-consuming. Quizzes/midterms are open note but final is closed, made the final very hard
Professor Sparling is a good, funny person but beyond that, he is quite the poor lecturer. Calc 3 is already difficult enough for myself and most people, but it's only more difficult wasting an hour trying to decipher his writing. His handwriting is some of the worst I've seen. The TAs are better than he is, I suggest you spend time with them.
Sparling is the worst teacher I've ever had. He never uses canvas, his lectures are a mess, and his homeworks are insanely difficult and often ahead of the topics we learned in class. DO NOT TAKE HIM if you want to actually learn something. Sparling has to curve heavily and grade very generously to make up for his horrible teaching.
Prof Sparling is a nice dude but he is sort of a weird old guy. His lectures are really hard to understand and everyone seems very confused the whole class. Most of the learning is done in Recitation with the TAs. It's probably best that you have some prior Calc knowledge before taking this class cause the tests can be tricky.
Submitting everything through email. Grading is based on three exams and five homework (one for every 2 weeks); the exam has eight questions, and the grade is on the best 5. All the exams are open notes, and you can use your notes on your phone/iPad/laptop. Super generous on grading.
He doesn't use canvas and everything is always a mess. His handwriting isn't the best and no one can keep up with his lectures. He gives practice quizzes/exams with solutions before each one. A lot of Loncapa homework. His tests for my class were always open notes. His class won't be bad if you can read and learn the material on your own.
Professor Sparling is a very nice guy and clearly very smart, but he lacks the ability to structure a class and convey what he knows in a clear manner. The lectures were so disorganized I stopped going to them a month in. However, he gives practice exams and quizzes that are identical to the actual ones making this class quite easy.
Clearly very smart man. That smartness often hinders his teaching abilities, where he goes too fast for some folks. But for bright folks, he throws in some non-calculus related fun facts and I know I definitely enjoyed his class.
The lectures can be confusing, but the open-note tests and quizzes make up for it. Unstuck study was a huge help for prepping for the final since it's not open-note.
GNilly (gnilraps) is a kind, funny guy. However, his lectures are very disorganized and a waste of your time. Spend time with TAs and the textbook. His tests are easy, open note allowed and practice tests given days before. Take him if you don't care about the actual content. Don't take him if you actually want to learn.
Gnilly is goated with his grading. Easiest grader ive had since highschool. Lectures are essentially hourlong rambles though. If you take him be prepared to learn barely anything
Lectures were very confusing and disorganized, and having no calc experience from high school I definitely struggled and had to use unstuck a lot. However, all the exams and quizzes were open note making this class easy to pass. Sparling was very sweet and helpful outside of class, I just think he struggled to teach to a lower level.
George is just a bit old and out of touch, his class isn't too hard and he's a very easy grader. Lectures are pointless so be prepared to self teach. Quizzes and tests are open note and homework can be done in groups. However this class does not prepare you for the final at all so be prepared to do some serious studying or let your grade slide.
George Sparling is a very smart professor and knows a lot about the course, but his lectures and teaching is so unorganized, it makes it awful to learn. He goes up on the board and just writes away for an hour with no real goal and goes on tangents. Open note quizzes and tests but not on the final.
Lectures were a mess, but the tests and quizzes were open-note, making the class easy.
He's a really nice guy, but his lectures are a mess and never line up with recitation. It's very unorganized, but he makes up for it by being a really reallllyy generous grader. Still, he won't prepare you for the final. (the night class is easiest, half the material + professors final, not the departmental final)
I don't recommend taking this teacher. His tests are open-note which may make the class seem easy, but his lectures are a mess and difficult to understand. He won't prepare you for the final, so you'll have to teach yourself everything.
He's a terrible lecturer but he's very accessible and helpful in office hours. Tests/quizzes weren't weighted so as long as you do your work and pass the final(department final) you'll do fine. For each quiz/exam he tells you what's on them and you always pick the questions you want to do making tests quite easy, and they're also all open note.
Lectures are very bland but worth attending. Sparling is also a very lenient grader, he gives out lots of partial credit, and the final grade for the course is curved generously.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
11%
Textbook Required
17%
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