3.6
Quality2.0
Difficulty35%
Would Retake230
Reviews35%
Would Retake
230
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
87
4
61
3
42
2
17
1
23
What Students Say
“One of the worst teachers I've ever had”
ECON103 - 1.0 rating“All of the work for this class consists of recycled questions from years ago”
ECON103 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
72%
Textbook Required
70%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
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Declining
-0.88 avg changeRatings by Course
104
5.0
(1)105
5.0
(2)330
5.0
(1)103105
5.0
(2)MICROECON
5.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
330
4.0
ECON103ECON1
3.0
INTRO1
3.0
103
2.5
ECN103
2.3
Reviews (230)
A great prof. Energetic, fun, and very interesting. Easy assignments.
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NO EXAMS OR PAPERS
Very good professor. Class is not boring. Definitely recommend this guy
good teacher, very enjoyable, t.a's and discussion are a must
I slept my way to an A, he is so easy, and funny as hell.
Easy A and funny as hell. NO TESTS.
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This guy should be a 5.0--! Gerry Friedman is by far the best at UMass!
He is a riot!! Brilliant-entertaining-always fun to go to class!
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Easy but I learned the stuff too- great teacher
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An absolutely excellant class with this funny, goofy, straight forward new-yorker. Although he does like the Yankees. Easy class but only because he makes learning like fun and i actually wanted to go to the lectures.
great lectures and Discussions. a pleasure
Friedman rules. The best professor you will ever have. Funny, interesting, and friendly as can be.
Fun course, with Friedman that is
best teacher at umass. class was like watching a great TV show.
easy and interesting, you cant go run with friedman
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GERRY is awsome. With a funny Long Island accent - he rides into class on his bike wearing no shoes. Teaches some good stuff - VERY WELL. Very good prof. pretty easy grading. I really recomend his classes!!
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great class...great professor...no tests in 103, and he gives you chocolate
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Class is like a group discussion. Not that easy to get an A tho....because the way his work is set up... Very vague in the directions but harsher on the grading. Stimulates your minds with his discussions... Nice to learn in his class but NOT an easy A
extremely funny, full of energy!!
Friedman is the best professor Ive had at umass. his energy and subject knowledge are unparalleled
fun class but a tough TA grading
Friedman is crazy in lectures. He runs around barefoot and throws chocolate at people who participate. The TAs grade pretty harsh on the work though. Good thing is that there aren't tests.
good guy
He's a great guy, and he loves to make the class interesting. Definitely the best microecon professor at UMass.
By far the best teacher i've ever had...period. If you take this class then i will guarantee you walk away from it with a clear understanding of Economics. I looked forward to this class even though it was on a Monday at 9! TAKE IT W/ HIM!
VERY good teacher. Class is very fun, a must take. He keeps students interested by talking about sex and smoking pot. Class is enjoyable, material isn't too difficult. Don't expect and easy A because quizzes are poorly worded.
Relates subject matter to things I can comprehend
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Awesome prof. Doesn't tend to wear shoes during class; gives out chocalate for speaking in class. Knowledge of subject matter is impressive.
tough ta grading
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AMAZING he made me want to become an econ major. super nice and hilarious
He is the best professor i have ever had. he makes things understandable. actually made me want to go to class. i would recomend it to anyone.
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great teacher, makes you want to go to class. you come away understanding course material and that you actually learned something you can use. Take a class with him, regardless of the class.
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Great teacher, he gives out chocolate if you answer a question...the only reason I am willing to get up at 8:00 in the morning. Sometimes the things he talks about are a little off topic but grading is wicked easy and he always explains things well if you dont understand.
brilliant professor. simply amazing. fun. intelligent
Awesome teacher. Never learned more in any other class. Doesn't give exams and gives hershey kisses in class
class was so easy its rediculas. Microeconomics is nothing more than common sense. Only reason i went to class was because he gives pop quizes randomly and he trys to give them on days he thinks allot of people will skip. Funny guy though keeps class somewhat interesting
Considering class was at 8AM, he kept my attention.
In terms of the amount of work for this class, this was very easy. Unfortunately the T.A.'s are not easy graders. You might want to stay away from this class if you are a Republican.
Great class, great prof! Gets you to participate in class, readings are short, NO EXAMS just problem sets. For an 8AM class- he was an excellent prof. He relates economics to stuff you're interested in and it makes it so much easier to understand! Definitely take this class!
Awesome teacher, very interesting, very clear w/ concepts! he gives out problem sets that you work on in groups! no exams! hands out candy in class! very interesting, keeps you involved in the class! one of the best prof's ive had!
easy teacher, tough material but makes it easy, you will lean nothing
classes are usually interesting, but you dont need to pay attention. pop quizzes in class sometimes, but they are really easy. no tests. hes crazy, but a good guy and a good teacher, very friendly! take this course!
Best class I have taken at Umass so far. He is an awesome teacher and is always full of good stories. Watch out for flying chocolate though which can be good on depressing days. Go to class because he does give pop quizes and that is all.
He hates bush..that alone is why you should take this class.
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i didnt even like economics and this professor made it interesting, funny, exciting, and worthy of my time to come to class. great at reaching out and helping kids learn. brilliant man.
Rediculously Easy. NO EXAMS! Just problem sets that you work on in partners, pop quizzes that are taken directly from that days lecture. TA's can grade a bit hard. Throws chocolate, doesnt wear shoes, rides his bike to class, hates bush. This is the must take macro class.
For people who think an easy class is a good class, go ahead and take this class. you'll leave with an A ( unless you are a complete moron), but you'll have learned nothing and wasted your time.
Truly great teacher.
He's awesome, he's kinda crazy and anti-authority. Some people don't like him because he tends to get off topic, but he is a really interesting prof. and he is funny. Class was actually enjoyable. If your looking for a fun class to take or an easy grade, i recommend it! This a light-hearted and fun class, take it!
crazy professor, but he keeps the class moving at a good pace. He does get off topic quite a bit, but it keeps the class interesting. He grades pretty easy, but his TA's dont always. Highly reccomended
Awesome class to use for a Gen-Ed, Friedman is a great teacher and will not hesitate to lambaste President Bush.
Class isn't based on ECON principles, but professorial opinionations. Political leanings (right-wing leaning) SHOULD have no effect on final grades in REAL world. However, REAL world does not exist in ECON department.
such a hippie... bare foot all the time and throws out candy. Plus very good at making people understand what he's talking about. word friedman
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One of my favorite professors.
I sure learned a lot about his family but not so much about micro economics...
funny teacher but I learend nothing in his class, his text that he wrote is crap. no exams but problem sets
how r the pop quizzes?
best professor! throws candy at you all class, not tests, no mid terms or finals, just 3 problem sets and 10 pop quizes (which he drops 2). easy A!
easy A. lots of books to buy but don't need to read a word to do well. no test. 3 problems sets, which you have to work on with other people in your discussion, and 10 quizzes, which are on what he just finished talking about that lecture.
he gives 10 pop quizes (2 lowest he throws out), there isnt a midterm or final there are just 3 problem sets which you can do with other people; only reason to go to class is because of the pop quizes, but he usually gives one quiz a week; TA's are horrible, don't even pay attention to them they will just confuse you; generally a pretty easy class.
Preofessor Friedman is the mann..i got up every morning @ 8 to go to his lecture...whether your interested in econ or not take this class...easy A.
terrible teacher. yeah, he is funny with every example based on pot or sex and his off topic rants can be amusing, but when it comes to the quizzes or problem sets, what then? the text book sucks, the ta's aren't helpful, and obviously he doesn't talk about much economics in lecture.
Friedman runs a loose class you need to be there for in class quizzes but there are NO MID-TERMS or FINALS and only3 homework assignments all semester.
first off i dont have strong opinions on any teachers but i thought i'd share my experience to help future students: 3 problem sets, 10 pop quizzes you can use your notes on and from that days lecture--your grade really depends on how your TA grades & on problem sets. I wouldnt recommend buying any books and if 1 book the book he wrote
Learned a ton about Rosa... not so much about Econ.
professor friedman is worth getting up at 8am for. economics really isn't my thing, but i enjoyed this class. there are no tests, 10 pop quizzes, (8 of them are used), and 3 problem sets, which count as tests. he is personable and brings candy to lectures to reward students for right answers.
he's cool.
Hilarious and shows just how relevent econ is to the real world. No tests! Only problem sets, which, are an easy A, if you can struggle through them. He literally wrote one of the books you use so read it and you are straight. Attendence isn't necessarily needed every day unless you want good entertainment. Great NY accent and gives chocolate!
Friedman knows a lot about economics and his class can be fun for a Gen Ed or if you're 10 years old and chocolate makes you happy. But...If you are majoring in econ do not take 103 with Friedman. You won't learn anything and it will hurt you down the road... (203, 204, etc.)
Prof friedman is the man! Definitely take a class with him, no midterm or finals. Just 3 easy take home problem sets all semester. You do have to go to class because of pop quizzes but theyre really easy 2 question quizzes. Easy A
Friedman is a great prof. I'm not a big fan of actually going to class but i get up at 8am for every class he teaches. He focuses alot on theory which is clutch. He brakes things down with real world examples and almost everything is comprehensible. Not a class for bookworms or brown nosers. He is down to earth and keeps it so real.
doesnt wear shoes and keeps it real. definatly take this class.
He's an example of why schools should be allowed to fire profs with tenure. He's easy and funny, passionate about econ, but he's unclear and never fully explains concepts with mathematical examples, something that is expected of students in problem sets. Take him for Friedman 101, but don't expect to learn or retain useful econ knowledge.
Prof. Friedman is one of those rare professors who is truly brilliant & a genuinely good person and not some pompous dork. He explains everything well and no exams or finals is great. I said attendance is mandatory but that is really only true if you are going for an A as opposed to a B or C because of the quizzes after class. A great human being.
tries to keep everyone awake at 8am by being crazy. its entertaining and you learn some stuff! not too bad.. pretty easy class. no exam
great class, great teacher
He deserves an award. If i had any other teacher i would hate this class. He uses examples that college students can understand, no exams. Quizzes every class but a 50 50 chance you actually have to take it and 3 problem sets that make up your grade. TAs grade everything.
good teacher, no exams is nice, but the quizzes every day gets annoying, especially since it seems like every easy quiz never counts and all the hard ones do
very funny teacher and he is always entertaining. he loves talking about weed and sex. don't take this class if you are not interested in economics. he goes through notes pretty fast too.
i thought his class was fun and interesting. he talks about sex and weed a lot as well as his children and pets. he throws candy at you and the information is pretty interesting and clear. Worth waking up at 8 for becasue he teaches you a lot
Great Professor! He's extremely funny and teaches you a lot. Plus, he encourages drinking, smoking pot, and having sex - and rewards you will chocolate! The class is a joke, there are NO EXAMS, and if you get a good TA, you are practically given the answers in discussion.
Funny guy, a little too liberal and opinionated, but he keeps your interest during class. Gives chocolate to keep you into it, and gives a quiz every day (but only half of them end up counting). You kinda have to go to class, but the book isn't used frequently at all and there are no exams. Recommend Friedman over anyone else.
Friedman's lectures were interesting but the class is ridiculously easy. He should challenge students more if he wants us to learn anything. I got an A but I don't think I learned very much. That being said, he is a good guy and a good lecturer.
Difficulty depends on your TA. I was lucky and got an A, but several of my friends with different TA's struggled. You learn nothing from going to class, but are forced to go because of his stupid quizzes (answers are in his lecture notes). Books are a rip off, only buy his, it will help a lot on the problems sets (which are extremely vague).
so easy
Class really does depend on your TA. Mine literally did not speak english and made grading mistakes all the time. If you dont like your TA the first week try to switch because it makes all the difference
I think he's high half the time but anyways don't buy the textbooks because you wont be using it for much. Borrow it from a friend because you'll read like 5 chapters for a whole semester. Easy class, easy A -- just do the little work that's required.
The worse thing to hear at 8 in the morning is his New York accent. But easy way to deal with quizzes: u can miss two, u can email him if you're "sick" (and have ur friends do it to) he send u the quiz for u to hand into the ta. problem sets can be kinda hard but u can work with friends so its not that bad
Gerry is great...and hot...go to class and you will be fine
it can be an easy A if you go to class, there are daily quizzes. I feel like he wastes too much time incorporating his personal life and political opinion into the class lecture period.
I had him for econ 103 and i loved it. He is a great guy and i would recommend the class to anyone. No tests but a quiz after every class so attendance is necessary if you want a good grade. Available after class to go over assignments which is really helpful. Easy A if you stay on top of your work.
He's crazy and I hated him in the beginning of the year, but his craziness makes the class more bearable. There is a quiz every class, which means you have to go. But the quizzes are only 1 or 2 questions. There are no tests which is awesome, just three problem sets which you can work on with a partner. He's the easiest econ 103 teacher.
Three problem sets, daily quizzes and NO TESTS. Really not a bad class if you just go. The only problem with going is it's at 8am. A coin is flipped at the end of each class to see if the quiz will count. He really spoon feeds you the information you need to know for the assignments.
Best teacher at umass that I have had so far. he knows whats hes talking about. go to class because you get a quiz everyday but he gives you the answers. three problem sets he does a review for before you have to pass them in. this is a great class considering i hated econ. take it.
there are no tests just 3 problem sets worth 52 percent of your grade. must go to lectures to take quizzes which are very easy (based on lecture slides & 32% of your grade). Overall an easy A
This guys the man. No exams, and can really keep you interested in a very boring subject. I learned a lot in this class and the work wasn't to bad. Make sure you get a good ta and your good to go. I am waiting for my final grade but I believe it is an A. You do not need his textbook, but you need the other ones he tell you to get. Go to class too.
This class is the ONLY 8 am class that could keep me awake. He is very entertaining, and actually a great teacher, I've learned a lot. Having no tests is fantastic, and the problem sets are not very difficult, and he has review sets for them. The in class quizzes are a joke, too as long as you took notes on the powerpoints
This class was almost worth waking up for. He keeps you interested the whole class and you actually learn something. No exams, just problem sets and quizzes. Make sure you have a good TA though. If your allergic to dogs or chocolate, don't take this class. other than that, its a great class!
No tests. No papers. Group take home problem sets. Doesn't get much easier if you do your work, get out of bed and go to class. No excuse not to do well in this class.
Went to every class, didnt learn much. Didnt do great on problem sets but still got a B+. Would recommend if you have trouble in econ to get a good grade. He's funny, never needed the books. overall OK class
This was my first college class ever, and looking back on it, I believe that he will be my all-time favorite professor. He made everything so incredibly easy to understand, he was funny and explains every economic concept in terms of weed and sex. Not to mention he is incredibly intelligent. Please take this class.
By far my favourite professor. And probably the most intelligent too! Made the once a week 8am class worth going to. NO exams or tests just short quizzes that take 5mins in class and one for home to be handed in to the discussion. Brings his dog, throws out chocolate to keep you awake and relates econ theory to The Beatles, weed and sex.
Gerald Friedman is a great professor. He makes the class interesting by relating topics to sex and weed. 3 problem sets are most of the grade, all of which weren't too difficult. I strongly recommend NOT buying the books, I didnt read a single page of any of them and had no trouble with the class.
Great class. Very easy, all the information needed to pass is in the slides. If you want more info he has several videos up on the moodle. Bought the textbooks but never used them. Easy class to fulfill the SB requirement. Weekly quizes but he flips a coin so on average only half counts. No final exam! just 3 problem sets which are easy
Get ready to have Friedman's extremely liberal beliefs shoved down your throat if you decide to take this class. You'll be ostracized if you're not liberal. Otherwise, I'd recommend taking this class cause it's really easy.
This class wasn't extremely easy but it wasn't really hard wither. If you watch the videos and look through the powerpoints it's enough to do the problems sets. Don't need the books, and there are no tests! There are weekly quizzes which are usually easy. The only downfall was it was at 8am-__-
Professor Friedman was a fun professor and gave not exams. Instead he gave take-home problem sets and quizzes after each class. He flips a coin each time to see if quiz counts. Half the class is online but you can go to other class. He throws chocolates at you during class and is a fun guy. Would recommend this class!
Friedman is eccentric but truly a kind man altogether. I would say DO NOT buy the text book, as everything you are graded on is realistically done at home. Oh, and if you're a guy, expect for him to be more or less hostile to you if you appear to be "mainstream" if you will. Tl;DR: Take the class. Do work. Get A.
Friedman is adorable. He is nice, funny and extremely understanding. Definitely DO NOT BUY THE TEXTBOOKS, you'll never use them. There are no exams, only problem sets that he posts youtube videos explaining in detail the answers. Its an 8am class which sucks but its only once a week and once you get to class he makes it worth it. He is awesome.
Great guy and teacher. If you do all your work this class is fairly easy. What makes or breaks it is your TA. I ended up with a B because my TA graded very hard. THe problem sets aren't very straight forward so make sure you clarify with your TA. If you are trying to get into Isenberg take Micro with Friedman!
Friedman's hilarious! And it really makes the class. The TAs are really what make your grade, but it's fairly easy to get a good grade.
Really easy class, no exams and he's really interesting. Try to get a good TA and if you pay attention in class you don't have to buy the books.
Professor Friedman is excellent. He inspired my interest in economics in this class. Weekly quizzes and homework assignments (only half are graded) are straightforward and relate to real life. Friedman brought his dog Beowulf to class sometimes, which is just awesome. Take this class!
Awesome professor, he makes 8 am's much better than usual. He always brings candy and his dog. Doesn't give tests, only gives problem sets and promotes working with others. The lecture is never boring, very enthusiastic guy. I have no interest in economics but he made the class not painful.
Friedman is a great prof, very eccentric, loves pot and sex. Very intelligent, a premier econ professor. He is a bit of a wacko since he is a tenured prof but he tries to make class fun by throwing chocolates. He loves his dog. Buy the textbook, you will need it for the Problem sets which become very challenging.
First class I ever took in economics and glad I took it with him. Class only meets once a week (8 am however). There was a stretch of 2-3 weeks during the semester were class was taught by his TA instead of him, but it wasn't too bad. Makes connections to pop culture and hands out chocolate during class. Very responsive to email. Entertaining class
Very poor textbook. Horrible ppts, confusing quizzes. Lectures off topic and not very helpful. No real help understanding graphing and charts which was the bulk of assignments.
NEVER BUY THE TEXTBOOK! Every class has a quiz, but he doesn't collect the quiz every time. The class is so interesting! The class only has three problem set and no exam.
At first I thought taking this class online would be a good idea, but as time went on the quizzes started becoming uunclear and unrelated to the topic. I would rather take this class in person than online.
While it sucks that the class is 8 AM on a Monday, he makes it as interesting as it can be. He's a funny guy who brings his dog and hands out chocolate. No tests, but almost mandatory attendance because there's a quiz everyday. Easy class for the most part and, even though I learned almost nothing, not a bad introduction to college.
NO EXAMs!!!!! only class Quizs and 3 Problem Sets
There's a quiz handed in every lecture, but the lecture is only once a week. At the end of the class he flips a coin to decide if it will count or not. It's a fun class with no exams.
Hilarious unless you get offended easily. Blended class with online material and one lecture a week along with a discussion. Two quizzes a week, but not all of them count. No midterm or final, just three problem sets.
He's funny and gives you chocolate and he's kind of crazy. You have to go to every 8am lecture because there's a quiz every time, but he gives you the answers throughout class. Very, very minimal work other than quizzes and problem sets. You won't learn much unless you really want to.
The class really isn't too bad as long as you either go through the power points each week or readwatch his videos. No exams and he gives a lot of help for the problem sets we have to throughout the term. He's very funny during lecture but often he gets too distracted and doesn't go over all the material we have to. Brings his dog to classes.
He's a funny guy, and it is clear he loves economics. He gives three problem sets that are worth the majority of the grade, but they are not bad. He also gives quizzes every class, so you have to go.
Friedman is hilarious and clearly loves what he does. He brings his dogs in & throws chocolates at students and keeps our attention for an 8am class. Three problem sets and lots of quizzes. The issue is he gets distracted easily and I never felt prepared for Problem Sets. He really doesnt teach much during his lectures, need to do a lot on your own
Wicked easy class, easy A, everything is take home, no tests, you can get away with not reading. He's also hillarious and talks about drugs and stuff a lot
I took Econ103 online so I didn't technically have Friedman as a professor but I was assigned to watch his lectures on youtube and they were hilarious. He teaches the material in a way that will keep you interested. Constantly talks about weedsex in his examples. Especially weed. His slides were very helpful. I wish I got to have him in real life.
Econ 103 is an easy A with Friedman. There are 3 problem sets that are 60% of your grade and I did them in one day. There is a quiz every class so you have to go and it's at 8 am but it's only once a week. At the end of lecture he'll do a coin flip to see if the quiz counts. He can be funny sometimes but also very offensive sometimes. He hates ISOM
Friedman is a guy good and you can tell that he only goes out of his way to teach the kids that actually care and not the others which is fine. He wastes a lot of time every class which gets a bit annoying but there are no exams and quizzes problem sets are easy enough
I really enjoyed this class, it was a very interesting topic and professor friedman is very competent. I do have to say that you should try to aim for an A in this class considering that they had to scale down the entire lecture due to everyone doing so well so my grade was lower than I really earned (very frustrating). Otherwise a great professor!
Prof. Friedman is the man. He is funny, and makes the lectures more interesting with his humor. The class is extremely easy.
Show up and manage at least an A-
No tests, quizzes every class, easy A. Friedman is hilarious, all he talks about is weed and drugs. But in the bigger picture, you learn nothing from this class because you just do the quizzes to pass. Learned nothing
Though the course is taught at 8:00 in the morning on either a Monday or a Wednesday, he is -by far- the best professor to have in the morning. Friedman not only brings his dog to class, but he also gives everyone who participates in lecture a piece of chocolate. Who doesn't like chocolate at 8am?
Let's be real here; you are not going to learn the first thing about Microeconomics in this class. But you will get an A, so who really cares? Friedman is the man; he's hilarious, fun, and does actually know what he's talking about if you ask him. There are no tests or final, just weekly quizzes that are very easy. Nothing gained or lost from ECON.
You probably won't retain anything you pretended to learn for the quizzes. The class is very unorganized and erratic. Gerald himself is very fun and he brings his dog to class every day, however I don't remember what happened in that class.
He is overall a very bad professor. I think going to his lectures makes me dumber since he barely teaches economics. You won't learn economics, you will learn HIS economics. It is very easy to pass if you just show up and do the extremely simple work. Take this class if you want an easy A, but it is brutal to get through.
I love everything about Professor Friedman, I just wish I tell us where to find the answers to his Problem sets, especially math related problems. The math isn't hard, but I wish his book would have a dedicated section to different formulas he teaches and of the different graphs like MU, MC, ATC, etc.
Any class at 8am is tough, but Friedman makes it worthwhile. There is also a class quiz and a home quiz every week so you have to attend lecture (no exams!). The problem sets can get tough as you have to scour through his many powerpoints to find what you need. Had Mark Paul as a TA and he was great at explaining lecture.
Dudes the man, he throws chocolate at you during lectures and brings his dog with him. There's only one lecture per week which is pretty sweet. There are no tests and there is no final. Grade is comprised of quizzes which aren't too bad and problem sets (60%) which you can work together with other people. This class was a very easy A.
This class is an easy A. You have to do two quizzes a week (one in class, one outside of class). In addition, there are 3 problem sets (20% each). No tests though. Friedman is eccentric (he throws chocolate out in the 8am lectures) and shows his political views in his lectures. However, he does keep the lectures entertaining.
No tests, good lectures, but mandatory. Pop quizzes part of participation. 100% if you listen in class.
Great lecturer, he gives detailed and funny examples to demonstrate the topic. Easy quizzes, no final exam.
Easy A. You can basically just show up to the last few minutes of each lecture and take the quiz. And do the TA quizzes and sleep through discussion. And work with someone smart on the Problem Sets. And, boom, A. Definitely don't need the books. That being said, Friedman is hilarious and really does his best to make the lectures engaging and fun
Very funny and outgoing guy. Kind-hearted and willing to help others. My only issue with him is that he presents his opinions as facts, rather than theories that could be challenged. But that is expected in social science.
He gives quizzes every lecture that may or may not count based on a coin toss, which encourages you to go to each lecture so you don't get a 0 on a quiz. He mainly talks about sex and drugs, not much talk about Econ but it is an intro class. No exams, only problem sets that you're encourage to work on with others. Try to get him for sure.
Dr. Friedman is an inspiring lecturer. You won't fall asleep in his lectures, because he'll make you think and he will make you laugh. Most remarkable is the fact that he manages to captivate in a lecture hall with 300+ students. I thoroughly enjoyed his courses. In retrospect they are some of my best memories from UMASS Amherst.
Gerry is the best, simply put. He makes the class fun and interesting by relating his lectures to things that make students laugh. Sometimes students misinterpret him as spacey, but hes actually teaching the entire time. The class is not difficult because he's not looking to stump anybody and you leave learning more than you thought you did.
The class is very easy. There are short quizzes every class but half of them are not counted and the answers are given during the lectures. The problem sets are a little confusing but are fine overall.
You will learn nothing in this class. The grading system is unorganized. Quizzes just ask you to reiterate socialist opinions. If you have other opinions, you will be marked wrong and you will lose credit. This is not a hard class by any means, its just incredibly frustrating. Only cool thing is that Gerald brings his dog to lectures.
I love Professor Friedman. He is one of the funniest guys I've ever met and genuinely cares about his students. I actually enjoy going to his class and he brings his dog. Just hope you have a good TA because they will really help you in understanding the material since you are only required to go to one of the two lectures each week.
Friedman is a character. His lectures are great in the morning (and only once a week). The difficulty of the class all depends on how hard your ta grades. You have and hw once a week and a paper to fill out every class.
Friedman is a great teacher. There are no exams. Every class he gives a short quiz, which you can look up the answers too if you need to. The class only meets once a week and then there an online portion thats easy. He makes the class interesting for an 8am. He usually gets off track and talks about pot or his dog, and he gives out chocolate.
Easy class, Friedman is extremely liberal and very enthusiastic, his take home quizzes are easy enough, and his problem sets are very tedious but very straight forward. Overall, the class is pretty much an easy A, he is just unclear a lot of the time in his powerpoints and lectures.
Poor professor, easy class. Tries to force his liberal/socialist views on students. Problem sets are challenging, but quizzes are easy.
One of the chillest professors I've ever had. Don't be offended by his humor, he's just trying to make 8AM economics bearable. He's a great guy that cares about students. I e-mailed him about a problem set and he answered my question, then asked how I was doing. He had no idea who I was, but we had a convo over email like I'd have with a friend
Pretty easy class, with the only downside being that it was an 8AM class
Friedman inspired me to become an Econ minor and I absolutely 10/10 would recommend this class. Didn't even mind that it was an 8 am because the lecture was short and engaging. Only have one lecture a week, and discussion on Friday. The TAs will be grading your work and some grade harder than others. Such a fun class, learned a lot
Pretty easy course, but your grades really depend on your TA. Some TAs will grade easy or not take attendance for discussions. Others, however, are really strict. I personally had a hard grader so I was bummed that I didn't do as well as I wanted to, especially since there aren't any exams in this class. Don't procrastinate on Problem Sets!
Go to class. It's at 8AM and that stinks but it's short and he gives quizzes that count for your grade. If you have friends in the class it's a breeze because you can work on the problem sets together. There aren't any exams. This class is about showing up and doing the work and if you do those things you're set for an A.
Easy class, all you need to do is show up. Your grade entirely depends on how lenient your TA is. Friedman is a leftist radical who will make you regurgitate all of his opinions on paper. You will not learn about economics. This is a classic example of a tenured professor who devotes his life to manipulating incoming freshman rather than teaching.
Hands down worst professor I had after 4 years at UMass. Easy class, but you will not learn anything.
In class quizzes force which make up for 20% of your grade force you to show up for class in which he dedicates 20 minutes ranting against capitalism and 10 minutes making jokes about a wide variety of subjects. The other 20 minutes, he spends on teaching. His problem sets are tough but if you have a good TA, you will get an easy A.
This guy is out there. Class is super easy and he's an entertaining guy but spends probably half the time actually talking about the subject. Not something you should really be concerned with unless you're an econ major. Class is early and mandatory but Friedman's energy will liven up the room. Brings his dog and gives out candy.
He's ok I guess, your grade depends a lot on the TA. You have to have textbooks for the home quizes but I guess only getting Real World Micro would do. Only one lecture a week but you have to catch up with the videos he posts. I'm very sorry for Beowulf. He was the best 8am buddy.
Boring but clear. Umm. Not bad.
funny but you have to do quizzes at home
Friedman is a cool guy who loves what he teaches, but it's very easy to get lost in his class. Only one 50 minute lecture a week really isn't enough, and his problem sets can be really challenging. Attendance isn't mandatory, but there is an in-class quiz. He decides if it counts based on a coin flip at the end of the lecture.
Gerald Friedman is a great guy but honestly, he's a pretty terrible professor. Hardly explains his material, his books aren't helpful and expensive, expects you to pretty much study everything just from his powerpoints and his online video lectures. Lecture is only once a week. Discussion is your chance to learn something. Problem sets too tricky.
I was in his online class. All the works were done by his TA. He had never showed up on the Blackboard (online platform that we used for this class). His lectures had nothing to do with the projects or quiz homeworks. I would say don't take professor Friedman's online class. But I would recommend taking his class in fall or spring semester.
One of the worst teachers I've ever had. He spends most of class bashing the rich, yet forces his students to buy his own textbooks that are ridiculously over-priced. No exams, but the problem sets can be tough and contain abstract questions that require you to learn Microsoft Excel. I learned more on how to use Excel than I did Microeconomics.
Gerald is praised for not giving exams, however this is for his own selfish benefit (he is too lazy to give exams). All of the work for this class consists of recycled questions from years ago. He wastes time bashing the rich yet he makes students buy his expensive textbook. He doesn't care about his students-- if he did he would put more effort in
Honestly, it would take me longer to compliment Professor Friedman than it would take to do one of his ridiculous problem sets. Whether or not you get an A in his class is based off of sheer luck-- if your TA isn't a passive aggressive grad student then maybe, just maybe, you will get an A. Please do yourself a favor and take 103 with someone else!
Seems like a decent guy, but is truly a terrible professor. Spends class time brainwashing freshman students with his socialistic, politically-biased views than teaching actual economics. BTW Gerald, women are perfectly capable of doing STEM majors, there is no "discrimination" stopping them-- and this is coming from a woman in STEM.
In my opinion Econ with Friedman is just hilarious. I absolutely love the class strictly for it's entertainment value. As for the actual academic content, you will essentially learn a very biased version of economics, one heavily influenced by socialist views--the guy works for Bernie. Grades depend on T.A. go for Osman Keschwarz, he's a bro.
This class is literally the easiest A you will ever get at UMass. There are no exams, just group projects which you can easily find the answers to. You do have to go to class though, because there are in-class quizzes. The TAs do all the grading, so make sure you get a good one- I recommend Travis. Also, try to argue for points back on problem sets
class was very easy. make sure to attend class and do all the problem sets well and you will receive an A.
Some people just aren't built to teach. I love economics and the underlying principles and information we as business individuals can derive from its use. However, you will be teaching yourself this course completely and the Problem Sets are poorly established.
Every Wednesday at 8am I got up to go to this class and my biggest regret is not skipping a few times. The lectures are not engaging and I felt like we talked about the same ideas every week. A few of the quiz grades drop so you definitely have room to skip a few. 3 problem sets are pretty much your entire grade and they're a little tough.
Easy A if you show up to class and complete all assignments. Don't buy his own textbook Microecomics: Individual Choices in Communities (I lost $65). Pretty lame for a professor that only complains about the rich to rip off his students. All you need is Real World Micro for the take home quizzes.
Friedman was a really interesting guy - he brought his dog to almost every lecture, and he threw chocolate at us to answer questions. He made going to lectures enjoyable, but also made them mandatory because there is a quiz in every lecture and discussion that may or may not count.
The 8 am sucks but he brings his dog and gives you chocolate. The powerpoints are entertaining and none of the quizzes and problem sets are hard. This is who you need to take Econ 103 with.
Gerald is a very smart man and he does a great job to engage all the students in lectures. There are NO exams only in class quizzes and problem sets. You can use your friends and notes for everything. He also brings his dog to class!
This prof was the best for any econ class. At his 8 AM he brings his poodle Corduroy and gives everyone chocolate. I missed about 3 classes because I was sick but I visited him during office hours and he helped a lot. Make sure you go to class though, even if you show up late! There are quizzes every class, and a coin flip determines if it counts.
Professor Friedman is absolutely out of his mind. But he's great. Quizzes are given every class and he flips a coin at the end to see if they count. He throws chocolate at you if you answer a question and he brings his dog to class! DON'T buy his textbook, you don't use it one bit. Buy the Real World Micro book and you'll be all set.
Enjoyed this class even though it is an 8 AM. In classes quizzes are not bad and only some of them count. Teacher shows strong political bias. Never really used his textbook but Real World Micro is a must.
His energy makes this 8am a lot more bearable. He brings his dog to class and gives you chocolate for participating in lecture. No exams, only small in-class and take-home quizzes. Most of your grade is the problem sets, which are tedious but not hard. DO NOT BUY HIS BOOK. You won't use it. Just buy Real World Micro and you'll be all set.
Easy class. Just do the problem sets and show up for easy quizzes. Don't buy or read his textbook, just the dollars and sense one for questions.
Easy class. Teacher shows a strong political bias and provides examples for everything in terms of weed and sex. If you want to actually learn anything choose a different professor for the class
He's aight. Good lectures. 1 problem that I have with him is that sometimes the quizzes and problem sets contain stuff that he didn't teach in class, so you have to teach yourself some stuff.
Class lectures were not very helpful and your grade is mostly based off how lenient your TA is. If you plan on taking this class, be sure to make as any friends as you can to work on the problem packets together.
I took ECON 104 before ECON 103 and I genuinely feel that I regressed in my knowledge of economics. Grades are heavily dependent on your TA and lectures are useless. Don't buy his textbook unless you want to waste money lol.
Lectures revolved around anecdotes connected to substances. A better use of time would be to memorize his textbook, but the majority of your grade will come from your TA. Professor was funny during lectures, but was not as appropriate as his persona in lectures would seem. Nonetheless, lecture quizzes almost require attendance, unfortunately.
Professor Friedman has very good intentions and you can tell he is very knowledgable in the world of economics. With that said, the lectures are very anecdotal and much of the learning is done in the (required) $75 book written by him. The slides come from the book and the book comes from him. If you are stuck on something, Google teaches more.
I truly hated going to the 8am classes especially in the winter. But, Friedman was very upbeat and had his dog with him every class. He always threw chocolate at us too which was cute. He really wanted his student to like him. He posted all the lectures online and the exams were take home. He is very passionate!
Few thoughts: 1) Friedman's non-neoclassical teaching isn't socialism, it's institutionalism and is closer to reality than neoclassicism 2) He often does profess politics but is hilarious 3) If you're an econ major, this class will really help you understand different school of thoughts 4) There're 3 problem sets; start working on them as you learn
I ended with a 95 before receiving my letter grade. I thought I would be getting an A. I saw a B- as my final grade. He ended up fixing the grade to an A-. I asked why not an A and says he grades on a curve to benefit students. This did NOT benefit me in any way. He is grading to benefit students that don't work as hard and hurting those that do.
Prof Friedman is a character. The problem sets are a force but the lectures are always hilarious.
Do not take this class if you can. he doesn't even directly talk about the problem sets which are 65% of your grade. Everything is graded by your TA so you have to hope they grade easily. I got a grade that translated to an A- but he curved it down to a B+. Stay away
Professor Friedman is an amazing professor to learn the basics from. His lectures are never boring to watch because he's so funny and the slides are always great. I found the tasks in this course to be quite easy because I watched every lecture and took notes on his slides. Overall, he's quite a character but you'll learn a lot from him.
The class is mainly self taught, don't even bother looking at the lecture recordings and just look at the powerpoints. Definitely recommend going to the TA sections as that is where you will actually learn. You don't need to buy the books. He scales grades at the end of the year so you won't know what you have until they're finalized
Do not take this class if you don't want to waste money on textbooks and get forced to comply with far-left talking points. Points are taken off unless you embrace his political views in quizzes and p-sets. Also ironic that he hates "greedy capitalists" while also forcing students to buy his $200+ textbook. Would NOT recommend this class.
Do not take this class if you value your time and money. Friedman says the textbooks HE wrote are mandatory, but they are not useful at all and it is clear he just wants the money. His lectures are long, boring, and touch on almost anything but the actual course material. Your grade depends on your TA and the problem sets are long and never taught.
Told us the textbook he helped write was mandatory to buy. Rarely used it, wasn't even helpful. TA taught material unrelated to the class. Lectures start out with purpose and quickly unfold into incoherent rambling. Extremely politically biased. Complained about capitalism, trump, conservatives, and just about anything you could name.
His lectures were stupid and boring and never actually talked about economics. You would probably be better off getting another professor. Your entire grade is basically 4 problem sets that make no sense and if you get a harsh TA, you're done. He makes you by his textbook and doesn't even use it that much. Did not like him or his class.
This is an online class which makes the class much harder. The TA's talk about the material from the lectures but they make it way too complicated as we barely have any idea what's going on, since we don't have a real class to attend.... I genuinely couldn't tell you anything about microeconomics, I have no idea what is going on at all times.
Worst professor you could ever meet at UMass. The class feels like a circus. He hates capitalism so much yet he forces his students to buy a textbook written by him and never uses it. Again, NEVER buy his book.
Good luck
.NEVER EVER buy the textbook written by him. Ridiculous.
While Professor Friedman had a clear political leaning, his lectures were interesting, and I do appreciate how he and the TA's exposed us to alternative economic models. Grading is based on discussion posts, short online quizzes, and four problem sets. Half of the quizzes won't count, but the some parts of the problem sets might be somewhat tricky.
In person this year, Gerald and his pet dog are crazy. Beware of Corduroy he goes after students sometimes. Gerald is nice and the class is engaging but he rambles and is confusing (so go to discussions). Grade is based on 4 big problem sets (which all suck) and quizzes every class (only half count). But no exams, which is nice.
Professor Friedman's lectures were interesting, but his biases were clear. While the textbook he wrote is mandatory, it's not very useful. Leveraging study tools like unstuckstudy ai alongside the course materials can help navigate this class.
Class Info
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100%
Attendance Mandatory
72%
Textbook Required
70%
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