2.8
Quality4.2
Difficulty42%
Would Retake92
Reviews42%
Would Retake
92
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
17
4
21
3
11
2
11
1
32
What Students Say
“Makes the class so much harder than it has to be”
MATH2260 - 2.0 rating“Not overly strict, although he doesn't appreciate phones being out”
MATH2250 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.46 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH3100
5.0
(1)MATH2310H
4.0
(1)MATH2700
3.1
(16)CALC2250
3.0
(1)MATH2250
2.8
(38)Difficulty by Course
CALC2250
5.0
MATH3100
5.0
math1113
4.7
MATH2260
4.3
MATH2250
4.2
Reviews (92)
I had already taken calc AB so my background knowledge in that helped me a ton but it definitely wasn't easy. His lectures only provide a few examples and homework doesn't provide detailed answers, so the best prep for the tests were the assignments. You can earn a ton of partial credit for work. Very thorough and helpful if you go to office hours.
One of the best professors I have had. Great and engaging lectures (although, a bit monotone when speaking). Works through notes and examples with you. Definitely a lot of outside work that is difficult, but he gives great feedback on tests. Great with office hours. Just look out for quizzes and be prepared to put in effort. Great professor overall
Lectures very thorough (almost too much). Lots of online hw but theres unlimited tries so that helps. Wouldnt take him if you aren't great at math, its hard. 3 tests total that are cumulative and only 5 questions each and hard to predict what will be on them. Gives good examples and office hours are super helpful. He's a super good teacher and guy.
You can easily pull out a B if you work hard and have prior calc experience. Anal about doing work "his way". 15-20 pop quizzes a semester. Following along with his notes and doing examples in class are helpful for exams, assignments, and the final. Very gracious with partial credit for work, but sometimes doesn't justify taking points off.
Very nice teacher. His lectures are interesting because he uses paper, so you should be in class to follow his notes for the day. Also, he does make it relatively easy to pass by giving multiple assignments beyond tests and pop quizzes. Not overly strict, although he doesn't appreciate phones being out.
Not exactly the best professor to take Calculus 1 with. Knows too much and there were about 17 quizzes. Does not make the final, but makes every other test (3) hard. Can't argue for points. Goes way too fast. Seems like he cares in the outside but really, he is just trying to get through the syllabus on the exact date that he planned
I ended up having to drop the course, but half of my class did too. Makes the class so much harder than it has to be. Many tutors couldn't even help me. Classes consist of him doing problems and everyone scrambling to copy, not asking questions. Not much help outside of class. Attendance isn't required but you can't make up quizzes (all pop quiz).
He is a good professor. I would take him again. The class was difficult but it was due to the content being hard not because of the professor. Nice guy, has students call him by his first name. He hates when students have phones out. He gives a lot of pop quizzes. You have to study a lot for this class.
Looking back, he did prepare me well and he is a lot better than teachers I've had for other levels of calc. Office hours are super helpful and he gives assignments that help boost your grades. Tests are hard but if you prepare well and really know it you should be fine. I would take him again.
There are 3 test, 3 homework assignments, and one question pop quizzes in the first five minutes of class. There is not a strict grading rubric, he curves grade based on effort and everyone's grade. Go to office hours and get to know him he is very helpful and truly cares about his students. picky about showing and justifying your work. Great prof.
Gary is the most extra professor I have ever taken. He literally made this class way harder than it needed to be. He is a good teacher but he made it so hard for people that did not have any background knowledge of Calc. I would say find a better professor.
better than my previous calc prof. (not at UGA). His use of a projector makes taking notes easier. His pop quizes (once or twice a week) were difficult due to time constraint. The assignment/project before each exam is REALLY HARD and takes forever (dont procrastinate), but leave you more than prepared for exams and help grades. follow his format.
Professor Iliev does a great job explaining things in detail. He's a difficult grader and gives a lot of homework, but you'll understand the material a lot better than most other professors.
I haven't taken calculus in two years and Gary has done a great job explaining the material. He does pop quizzes every week (kinda hard) and posts webwork. He writes his notes in class and doesn't post them anywhere so go to class. This class is just a lot of practice, if you do that you'll be fine
One of the best math teachers I've ever had. Hard class, but he's an amazing teacher. He is always available and ready to help during office hours. He really cares about his students and will help you get that grade you need/want. It is a lot of work though and he sometimes gave assignments back late. Still though fantastic teacher 10/10 take him!
Gary was a great professor. When he teaches, he makes sure to carefully go over each step in a problem before moving on. He teaches through lectures so be ready to take some notes. Not too much homework and the tests are not too bad. Overall I'd say you will succeed if you go to class, take good notes, and do the homework well.
You can read more detailed reviews on Iliev's website for either course 2250 or 2260. Search Iliev teaching and it'll pop up. I will say that he cares abundantly about the success of his students and wants you to learn the material from its core. Be prepared to not know your grade until the end of the semester though. He'll make you earn your grade
Gary is a cool dude. I would say that he makes the content feel a little harder than it seems but it is just to make you understand the complexity of the subject. The homework and work he does in class only prepares you for the basic pieces that you will need for the test. His grading system is pretty strange but is beneficial to the student.
Gary is a really cool teacher and wants his students to do well. The course itself is hard but he tries to make it easier to understand. He sets up one on one meetings after every test to discuss the grade with you, which is pretty cool. He is very clear about his wants for the class.
He is very caring toward his students and is available for extra help if needed. He makes you explain each step you do when solving a math problem, and at first I thought it was a waste of time. However, as the course went on I realized how essential it was especially if you plan on taking the next class. He is a very good teacher -highly recommend
Great math professor especially if you want to build your calculus foundation. His tests are difficult, however, but Gary helps you succeed on these tests by showing you what he expects from you on the tests in his lectures. Make sure to take detailed notes and pay attention to how he shows work on his lecture problems in order to succeed.
Don't take Gary if you've never taken calculus before. Many times during our class throughout the semester, he would blatantly skip over things and say he "assumed we all knew the material". Also, he goes more into the reasoning behind calculus than actually teaching/giving practice problems.
Gary is a nice guy and you can tell that he clearly knows what he is talking about, but it just seemed he made the class so much harder than it should have been. Weekly quizzes were by far the hardest part of the course, the tests were somewhat manageable and beware of the assignment before each test bc it will take you 15-20+ hours to complete
this class is awful. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TO. the material is hard, Gary tries his best to explain it and help but it is hard no matter what. Tests and assignments are very long and hard. he writes his notes on paper so you have to go to class to get the notes.
Awful professor all around. Can be very rude during his office hours, so be prepared to feel attacked for not understanding some concepts. He focuses on teaching more about the "principals" of calculus instead of explaining the problem and giving practice problems to reinforce it. Take another professor if you can.
Gary's class seems great at first. He requests to be called "Gary" and has a relaxed teaching method. It quickly spirals downhill though since he mandates students to show EVERY possible proof on tests/quizzes, leading to low class grades despite knowing content. I've never gotten below a A- at UGA, but had to withdraw at risk of a C. No regrets.
By far, the worst professor I've ever had. He's very rude, does not do a clear job of explaining certain concepts, and will deduct points if you get the correct answer but didn't get it using HIS preferred method. Take another professor.
A lot of the content between chapters repeats, so this class was good for me during Covid-19. Seems cool, and he really wants people to ask questions in a good way. He even provided us a free online version of the differential equations textbook. Lots of little non-timed quizzes helps show progress, no tests besides final. For DE he's solid.
Quizzes can be tough, but he made himself very available. Responds to emails well, gives individualized feedback, concise notes, and not too much HW. He spends a lot of time going over how/why instead of just what, and never mocked me for dumb questions. All in all a great guy who loves teaching and genuinely cares about his students.
I saw his scores before the semester and had high hopes, oh how wrong I was. This class is boarder line impossible, he has no review, and no out of class resources. Also prepare to get things wrong simply for doing the problem a different way than he did. If class goes back to in person he probably isnt bad, but online is absolutely horrible.
While he is a great guy and you can tell he has a passion for teaching and getting to know/help students, the material and the way he teaches it are very hard. Every single friend who was in a higher level calc class I would ask for help never really understood what he was asking. Hard to get outside help or tutors due to odd phrasing.
I have never taken a class this hard. I am strong in math and science but he makes his tests and teaching style almost impossible to succeed. Tests are 4 questions long and are ridiculously hard. He is very unorganized in his teaching style. After the first test, more than half of the class dropped because they got grades ranging from 0%-35%
I should have read the reviews of this professor before I signed up for this class. Ridiculously hard and very specific on how he grades. If it's not Gary's way, it's no way.
Gary emphasized a strong foundation and complete theoretical understanding of concepts. Notes are given out in class, so if you skip, you will not get notes you need. He cares very strongly about student effort and participation and is very accessible outside of class. His class was the first time I have really understood calculus fully.
3100 is a hard class no matter what professor u get. However this professor is amazing. He knows the material extremely well, and his explanations are fantastic. He takes his time going through the material and is always available outside of class. You must put in the work. He does not baby you or coddle you and it will be hard, but it's worth it.
Do NOT take this class if you care about your mental health. You will not truly know where you stand in the class until grades are finalized. There are only two tests and his challenges ("quizzes") are nearly impossible to understand. You have to learn how to speak gary. They are very time consuming just for you to receive a failing grade.
I had Gary over the summer and he's the most caring teacher I've ever had. He's very generous with grading and was super flexible for summer class. Highly recommend!
Gary was by far the hardest teacher I have ever taken. He does simple calculus equations in class and expects everyone to be able to do much more complex problems from them. Only two test before the final, and impossible challenges that are quiz grades. His notes in class are all over the place and are very hard to go back over in preparation.
Very conceptual teaching - amazing if you want to understand calculus! Very accessible outside of class and gives great feedback on what you need to do to in order to do well. Doesn't post lecture notes, but very closely follows a free textbook that he provides.
When I took this class he had to re give the midterm to all of his student because the first one he gave was 5 question and not a single person got a passing grade. The second one was not any easier but you knew what to study. He assigned homework and later made them quiz grades. Terribly unorganized and never gives you any overall grade.
I would recommend people who love math to take his classes. If you don't, you will struggle. His lectures feel unorganized and hard to follow (b/c he skips many steps in his process). His teaching method follows the "if you know, you know" meme, and if you don't, expect many hours watching youtube professors outside of class time.
he is a nice person and cares about his students. however sometimes he goes on a long tangent about something and it takes a while to get to the point, he also wants you to understand why a derivative is the way it is and you will have to prove it which can be annoying. however just participate and ask questions and you'll be good.
Gary gives long winded explanations and has specific steps for how to do problems, that aren't easy to apply to the tests. He is very conceptual and problems require "creativity." There are two tests and he grades meticulously. There are challenges for a quiz grade and webwork that can be impossible. He is also very strict about no phones. :(
Gary was definitely an experience. His knowledge of calculus was very strong, but as a teacher, he was not good. He did not enter grades in, he would tell you what you were on pace for all semester and that your grades were not defined by your tests, then just throw you a letter at the end. I also have no idea of my performance on the final exam.
Gary is one of the best math professors. His lectures are easy to understand and really explains the "whys" behind all the math. He loves to make real world applications and I think it's really cool to see the uses of DifEQ. I had wish for Gary to go over more in depth with the material, but it is a bit difficult for 15 days summer course. 10/10
Very conceptual lectures. Take him if you really want to understand the math. Assigns webworks over the weekends, which can be difficult. Gives pop quizzes. Go to his office hours, he is VERY helpful.
Gary is a nice guy who is willing to help, but the class can be difficult and you definitely need to study hard. Most hw was over weekends. He only takes top 6 quiz grades which is helpful and makes it fairly easy to get a good quiz average, but about 50% of quizzes are pop. Only having 2 tests plus the final was nice and I feel he grades fairly.
This is a challenging class, but Gary makes the material easy. He has a unique teaching style that if you are not used to, his class will be a little more difficult. One thing that is necessary in this class is to practice outside of class as he moves fast. This class will challenging, but if you stay on top of the work, it will be rewarding.
Gary is a very communicative professor who conceptually explains each problem. He is extremely passionate about the subject he teaches and teaches it in such a manner that you're not only learning about math but also learning about what it takes to be successful in a college class.
65% of your grade is based on three tests and is ten times harder than what he teaches in class. At the end of the course, he just assigns you a grade he thinks you deserve. Got an A on the first test and a B- on the second, and was told if I didn't perform on the final like test one, I was going to get a C in the class.
While Iliev was not the best of the calculus professors, he was not the worst. I would personally not take him again because this class caused so much unnecessary stress. He refuses to use ELC, so you must hold on to all assignments to know where you stand. Make sure you participate in class. Attendance not "mandatory" but will affect your grade.
Does not utilize ELC and the only time you will know how your grades are is after you take a term test. He teaches very in depth and does not do many problems in class, you will be expected to do much of the learning yourself. Did not like his teaching style, but if you are someone who loves math definitely go for him. Otherwise, don't take him.
Class lectures are confusing, be prepared to do a lot of outside study to pass. You have SHOW that you care and he'll give you a passing grade, so ask him if you need help. In class prep doesn't compare to the exams much at all, and he bases the end grade on the exams. He is a really nice person though and tries but NONE of us were mathematicians.
He grades things very inconsistently and is an extremely tough grader for no reason. You could get a problem 100% correct with lots of work to prove but if it is not exactly what he is looking for (which is hard to figure out) he will find ways to deduct massive amounts of points. He is also very hard to reach to ask about course/grade
Can often be rude to students in class, and did lectures on a white board. Never posted grades, so you won't know if you're doing well. I never even got my final grade back. Take this course elsewhere! Often gives grades that are not passing such as Ds and Fs, and does not give partial credit. I got ZEROs on exams with lots of work put in.
He was an inconsistent grader, and never used elc for grades. He once yelled at me for not practicing with a timer at home after not finishing a quiz. He also would put material that was harder than what we practiced on the 2 exams we had the semester. Assigned barely any homework, and wanted us to watch hour long youtube lectures outside of class.
I had a (relatively) good time in Gary's class and learned all of what I needed to without any major difficulty, but I'd say you need to be pretty solid in your prior math knowledge and have good study habits or you might not do so well in the class. Some of the test questions were a bit strange but overall I'd gladly take another class with Gary.
I felt like I was at a disadvantage having him for math 1113. very tough grader, never put grades in elc so u go into ur final without knowing ur grade, and lectures were very confusing. It felt like he cared more about proving how smart he was rather than helping his students succeed in his class. he didnt even teach us some material on the final.
DO NOT TAKE THIS GUY. Save your time and PLEASE find yourself a better teacher.
He was very rude when it came to giving and receiving feedback from students. He also would not teach the material that was needed for the course, and would teach math with the hardest concepts which are not even part of the material. He would also create lengthy homework assignments and would post them during the weekend and due Monday.
Doesn't post anything on ELC, assigns HW on Friday due on Monday as well as over break, and has a very particular way he likes you to show work on tests (which he explained). Lectures are fine, but he goes over the algebra of how to solve a problem way too much for a class where the intent is to learn calculus. Final grade scale is also arbitrary.
Homework is given on Friday and due Sunday, so you have to work on it over the weekend. He did not cover a week's worth of class content and expected us to study it over spring break. The in class examples are very easy, but the homework and quizzes, tests are much harder and expects a high knowledge of application , that is not covered in class.
Who knows how he grades, he refuses to use elf so expect 5 emails a week.
Doesn't take attendance but there is no grades or lectures on ELC, quizzes 1-2 times per week, two tests and final. Everything is graded 1-5. I recommend going to every class.
Gary is honestly the worst professor I have had at UGA. His classes are completely lecture-based; however, he goes off on tangents very often, which throws you off. He is also very unorganized since he does not use ELC. You must check your email constantly for homework, quizzes, and test information. Tests are so different from lectures, too.
He is worse than someone that only speaks Arabic trying to teach you rocket science while doing a handstand.
He's very knowledgable and likes to really show how things work and not just tell. That being said, the curriculum is taught backwards, with Series coming first and integration techniques get taught throughout his teachings of series. His grading is weird but is very generous, do the homework and study hard and you'll be fine, Calc 2 is just hard.
He overcomplicates every mathematical concept making it extremely difficult to understand and the entire class he's just trying to prove that he is smart because his ego is fragile. He flips the calc 2 schedule, so you learn everything in the wrong order, he is rude, his tests are ridiculous, and he grades subjectively, grading scale isnt clear.
He seems nice at first but turns out to be extremely rude. His lectures and tests do not align. Very few grades. Will yell at you in front of the whole class...beware. Have to go to his office for your test return, and he is very condescending towards you if you didn't do well. You really have to study to make it through this, good luck!
You will trauma bond with your classmates.
He is rude to students and belittles them constantly. Attendance is not mandatory, but you have to go to every class to know what is happening. He rarely uses ELC and never posts grades so you will have no clue how you are doing in the class. He has some good days but for the most part, he is very condescending and has a big ego. do not recommend.
Do not take any class with him. The worst professor I have ever had. Please save your time and tears and take a different one. He is not afraid to embarrass you in front of your classmates, he is extremely condescending, and his tests are set up for you to fail. If he is the only professor for this course and you need the credit, switch majors.
Gary is for you if you like math and are naturally good at it. He focuses on conceptual understanding more than getting correct answers. Don't be on your phone during class. 70% of your grade is three tests and they are very hard. If you aren't a math person, I would look for someone else, but if you are, he's a good pick.
Gary's class is pretty difficult. You have to really like math, and he gets into a lot of the conceptual stuff. Pretty much two tests and a final determine your grade in the class. His tests are hard but there's a decent curve on them. If you want to do well, keep up with the course, and don't cram before a test. Missing class will set you back.
First off, Calculus II is hard no matter who your teacher is. I think Gary did a great job explaining each concept we went over. His grading was fairly lenient, but notation is very important to him. I think that he is very over hated on this website. The only issue I had was that he taught the course somewhat backwards. But a great class overall.
He pretends to be a much nicer than he is during add/drop. Do not skip class, and stay off your phone. Confusing dude to learn from, so definitely do practice problems on your own. Grades somewhat leniently.
Calc 2 is already a very hard class, taking Gary will just make it harder.
He is very mean sometimes especially about technology in the class. Not too bad to get a good grade, just takes a lot of effort and practice on your part, especially because you have to change the way math is actually done to appease him. His lectures/quizzes are nothing like the actual tests he gives. Good luck if you take him - you'll need it.
I loved going to Gary's class and I never felt like my time in class was wasted. He grades both on an actual scale and "vibes" but that only ever worked in my favor. Great guy and great professor
Overall, Gary knows what he's talking about and is willing to help you during office hours. However, I don't believe this makes up for his evident inability to post grades and use eLC in general. Weekly quizzes on the previous week's materials. If you're present, active in class and do the homework, you'll do fine. Not everyone's cup of tea though.
Gary's not as bad as others make him out to be, good teacher IMO, but he can be offputting with his attitude. 70% of your grade is two midterms and a final, which are hard, but he will curve. Calc II is just hard in general, don't skip, study, and be active in class; you'll do fine.
The class was graded based on our 3 tests, weekly quizzes, and sometimes online homework. He only takes the top graded quizzes in the grade book, but keep track of grades bc he doesn't post them. His grading is based on both facts and how he feels. I'd recommend showing maximum work on tests/quizzes. HW is harder than the actual test.
awesome lectures and a very caring professor. Most of the material is understandable if you pay attention in class. Homework is great practice for tests and quizzes. Make sure to show all your work he gives a lot of partial credit.
Gary very obviously knows his stuff and teaches it in an extremely clear manner. ELC used well just not for posting grades. Personable and gives predictable test questions. Weekly quizzes, drops quite a few. Great professor and course structure.
I took this class a couple of semesters ago, but I just wanted to come back and write a review because I still think about how much I hated his class. He graded on how he felt and was extremely rude to people in our class. 50% of my class withdrew before the withdrawal deadline. Do the practice problems from the textbook before exams!!!
Realistically, I would give him a 2/3 because he teaches his content well and provides clear instructions on what he is looking for with quizzes and exams, but he is very disrespectful. He is not shy to call you out in class on your performance, and does not seem to appreciate all students' efforts.
Okay professor. Would not take again because he has very little material on his course page specific to what he is looking for. He gives vague responses when asked questions on future test material, and gives credit on quizzes and exams based on how he feels.
I liked the way Gerasim had his lectures, he would explain what he was doing then do a practice problem. The problem came from the tests. I had the right answers on most of the questions, but he would take off points because I "didn't explain my steps". I would not take him again; he is a terrible grader.
I hate to give him this rating, honestly. He's a nice dude who knows what he's talking about but... the tests are near impossible for both timing and difficulty. They are unlike anything we do in class, and much of how he teaches is only tangential to the online resources he has. You learn content in class and then learn even more outside of class.
Professor Gary is a great professor who understands and is enthuastic about the class. The most important thing with his class is that you pay attention and learn how to display content his way. If you do this it will help with your comprehension, application, and also just your grade as well. It is of your best interest to attend lecture too.
His lectures are very informative and the concepts aren't too difficult if you put in the time outside of class to really learn them. However, his tests are difficult, lengthy, and tend to deviate from the material taught in class. He also doesn't post grades in eLC so you'll have to manually calculate your grade.
There is no way of getting around the fact that this class is hard. However, Gary tries harder to push his students to succeed despite the challenge. He gives lots of online resources, and is very open to questions. You REALLY have to practice outside of class… he pulls no punches on tests. Falls short of the 5 because he doesn't put grades in eLC.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.46 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH3100
5.0
(1)MATH2310H
4.0
(1)MATH2700
3.1
(16)CALC2250
3.0
(1)MATH2250
2.8
(38)Difficulty by Course
CALC2250
5.0
MATH3100
5.0
math1113
4.7
MATH2260
4.3
MATH2250
4.2