2.4

Gordon Turpin

Computer Science - York University - Keele Campus

2.4
Quality
3.7
Difficulty
N/A
Would Retake
117
Reviews
2.4
Quality
3.7
Difficulty
2.2
Helpful
2.5
Clarity

N/A

Would Retake

117

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official
117 total ratings

5

14

4

14

3

22

2

29

1

38

What Students Say

One of the worst professor

CSE1030 - 1.0 rating

It's not worth your time

COSC1030 - 1.0 rating
Class Info

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

68% confidence
Based on 6 grades
Most common grades:
B+ (2)
A (1)
B (1)
Grade Distribution
A(2)B(2)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(2)
Based on 6 reported grades
B+: 2
A: 1
B: 1
A+: 1
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.67 avg change
Jun
Aug
Oct
Dec
Apr
Jun
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

3221

5.0

(1)

COSC

5.0

(1)

CS2011

4.0

(1)

COSC2001COSC20

4.0

(1)

CSE3421

4.0

(1)
+35 more courses
Difficulty by Course

1030

5.0

3421

5.0

COSC2221

5.0

COSC10202

5.0

COSCANY

5.0

Reviews (116)
1.0
4.0
COSC1030
Grade: B+
Nov 28, 2001

He CAN'T teach. It's not worth your time.

1.0
5.0
COSC2221
Jan 25, 2002

This guy is so out of touch with reality, and so BORING, get some one new!!!!!!!

1.0
5.0
ALLCOSC
Feb 25, 2002

No Comments

1.0
4.0
COSC1020
Feb 26, 2002

His teaching style is not directed towards beginners, but only the experienced.

3.0
3.0
COSC1020
Grade: A
Feb 27, 2002

He is no Santa, he know his stuff but is no teacher for first year courses

2.0
3.0
COSC2001
Feb 28, 2002

No Comments

1.0
5.0
COSC10202
Mar 15, 2002

No Comments

2.0
3.0
COSC2011
Mar 28, 2002

santa brought me coal for christmas this year, and a D+

3.0
4.0
COSC2001
Mar 29, 2002

No Comments

2.0
4.0
COSC2011
Apr 7, 2002

Very unpassionate, unfriendly and makes course material boring

2.0
3.0
COSC1030
Apr 9, 2002

No Comments

2.0
3.0
COSC2011
Jul 11, 2002

if you have sleeping problems, take him.

2.0
2.0
COSC2001
Aug 31, 2002

Jingle Bell... Jingle Bell.... My Christmas present... D+ and C+

5.0
3.0
1020
Sep 5, 2002

I liked his way of teaching. He likes students who asks questoins

2.0
4.0
COSC2011
Sep 9, 2002

a lazy prof, always absent during the term. Bored to death.

1.0
5.0
1020
Sep 12, 2002

Hes not nice and isnt helpful to beginners.

4.0
5.0
COSC2001
Nov 30, 2002

Good teacher, but if you want a good mark don't take a course with him.

1.0
4.0
COSC1020
Dec 4, 2002

Not for first year

1.0
5.0
2031
Dec 8, 2002

terrible, so lazy that all his tests are recycled except for the exam: suicide!

2.0
3.0
COSC2001
Dec 17, 2002

No Comments

1.0
4.0
COSC3421
Dec 17, 2002

No Comments

2.0
5.0
COSCANY
Dec 19, 2002

No Comments

2.0
4.0
2001
Dec 20, 2002

doesn't encourage class participation, but writes on the board(good)

5.0
3.0
COSC2011
Dec 20, 2002

My favourite prof. Always willing to drop a hint if shown work in progress.

1.0
4.0
COSC3421
Jan 7, 2003

Worst prof I ever had....extremely unhelpful and mean. Doesn't know DB at all.

4.0
2.0
2031
Jan 16, 2003

No Comments

1.0
4.0
COSC1030
Jan 16, 2003

No Comments

3.0
4.0
10202001
Feb 12, 2003

tough tests...dont ask 'stupid' questions, he will put u down.cancels lectrs lot

4.0
3.0
CS2011
Feb 19, 2003

helpful to me, show only key points in the lectures

1.0
5.0
1030
Feb 20, 2003

No Comments

1.0
5.0
COSC2001
Feb 28, 2003

Lazy, tough test, self-centre, indifferent

1.0
5.0
COSC2001
Mar 5, 2003

No Comments

5.0
3.0
20012011
Mar 10, 2003

cosc 2001 2011 2031. He is a excellent teacher. you have to concentrate in class to get the points. hard exam but reasonable.

1.0
4.0
2001
Apr 7, 2003

Haha, who's that giving him good marks? Ain't that the prof. himself? AVOID HIS COURSES AT ALL COST ! Hates students, hates being asked questions. Impossible to talk to ... don't cry if you take his course after this msg, I warned you!

1.0
3.0
COSC1030
Apr 9, 2003

Terrible prof, didn't really encourage anybody, someone would ask a question and be shot down almost instantly, avoid if you can!

2.0
3.0
20011020
Apr 17, 2003

He is a disgrace to our computer science department. Clear, sure, he is clear. But he's got no intrest in teaching. Just copies the book (partially) on the board. He was so darn lasy he cancelled some assignments in 2001. Most people took 1020 again.

3.0
4.0
COSC2001
Apr 24, 2003

No Comments

2.0
4.0
COSC1020
Apr 25, 2003

Arggh...he teaches almost every course out there. Avoid as much as possible even if you know the course by heart. All he likes is his beloved C even in a JAVA course. How is he still around?

1.0
5.0
2001
Apr 26, 2003

OHHH MY GOD!!!! STAY AWAY!!!

2.0
3.0
COSC2011
Apr 27, 2003

He teaches so many courses, but you can see that he doesn't enjoy it. He looks like he suffers from every moment, and.. well... I can not say that I enjoyed it more than him. Has to work on his social skills.

1.0
5.0
20012031
Jun 6, 2003

No Comments

1.0
5.0
2001
Jun 9, 2003

No Comments

2.0
4.0
ALLCOSC
Jun 13, 2003

No Comments

1.0
5.0
2011
Jul 4, 2003

No Comments

2.0
5.0
COSC2001
Sep 11, 2003

No Comments

1.0
4.0
COSC3421
Oct 27, 2003

No Comments

5.0
3.0
COSC2001
Nov 26, 2003

He's a good professor if you want to learn without being spoon fed. He seems to know the subject matter well, and goes beyond just reciting the book in lecture.

3.0
3.0
20011020
Dec 2, 2003

sure he's grouchy, but teaches 2001 well; got B and B+ in his classes; get a hold of his old 2001 tests-reuses questions sometimes

2.0
5.0
3421
Dec 12, 2003

Run away ! Nasty attitude, hard tests, unclear explanations.

5.0
2.0
20012031
Dec 14, 2003

He is one of my favorite profs. Clear mind, well spoken. Great for good students because he only gives you enough hints to let you figure out how to solve problems yourself. I would pick his class if I have choices.

1.0
4.0
ANYCOSC
Dec 15, 2003

No Comments

5.0
1.0
COSC
Dec 23, 2003

He is the best professor at York, he has the easiest tests and he is extemely clear and helpfull to his students. He likes to give free marks to all his students and loves to teach. His lecture is very motivating, I have never skipped one of his classes..

5.0
1.0
2001
Dec 24, 2003

The best ever.

1.0
5.0
2001
Feb 9, 2004

No Comments

2.0
4.0
CS3421
Feb 11, 2004

No Comments

5.0
3.0
3221
Feb 14, 2004

Wow ! He changed soo much ! Havent seen the midterm yet but this is no longer the Turpin all new and ran away from. He's so nice and helpful now! Explanations are clear too! unbelievable !

3.0
5.0
2001
Mar 24, 2004

He has a very good knowledge of what he's teaching but he's incensitive to students input, and he slams people down right after having asked the class for input

2.0
4.0
COSC2001
Mar 30, 2004

Very unapproachable. Makes you feel like an idiot for asking a question, then doesn't answer it.

1.0
5.0
20012011
Apr 14, 2004

look at his rating. enough said

3.0
4.0
COSC3221
Apr 22, 2004

This guy is extremely lazy. He cancels class majority of the time. His tests are somewhat difficult, but you can do well if you work really hard. He is pretty nice though, he just needs to stop cancelling lectures all the time!

1.0
5.0
2001
Apr 26, 2004

Alright, I am convinced that the last person that posted was turpin himself cuz I aint never seen anyone say that Turpin the is the best prof of York (or anything for that matter) this guy doesn't know how to teach.

1.0
5.0
2031
Jun 18, 2004

this guy destroyed my average, now i have to take 2031 again because ig ot a D and i cannot continue to the following year, on the ratings some guys talk well bout this guy, that is BS, this guys is brutal in all sense of the word

3.0
5.0
2001
Jul 23, 2004

Took a summer class with him; he would finish half an hour early every time. His tests include brain-twisters that you can't necessarily study for.

2.0
4.0
2031
Grade: B
Aug 25, 2004

The lectures are extremely useless, he covers the simplest things ad-nausium. And when the mid-term came half of it was on things that were never covered in class (Unix scripts). As far as learning goes, you can learn more and faster on yr own.

1.0
5.0
COSC2001
Sep 7, 2004

Very disappointing lectures. Not at all enthusiastic when teaching. Boring lectures. Gets angry when students ask questions. Not helpful after class. Replies to e-mails in an unkind manner. You will be very happy when his class is over.

3.0
3.0
2031
Nov 29, 2004

i dont see a single smiley. n i tell u why, cuz he DOESNT deserve it! he gives away the assgnment solution but thats all, dont expect him to teach u, dont expect him to answer u kindly, just dont go to his class, and get some old exams, he is 2 lazy to make new ones so u wud get some repeated q's

1.0
5.0
COSC2031
Dec 8, 2004

if you get him for any of your courses, switch to a different class with a different prof

4.0
4.0
COSC2001COSC20
Grade: A+
Dec 22, 2004

I liked this prof unlike my classmates, I found him to be clear in the concept he teaches , He may let you leave early everytime but he does explain well, though he might skip the hard parts that u would need someone to tell u what they mean, generally i like him.

1.0
4.0
2011
Jan 3, 2005

worst prof I have ever had

2.0
5.0
2011
Jan 6, 2005

This guy was brutal, his lectures were just a skimmed through quick version of the other section, and the midterm was extremely hard compared to the other section as well. Switch out if u can.

4.0
2.0
COSC3221
Apr 22, 2005

He's a good professor for COSC 3221 (Operating Systems). He actually cares about the material, and he presents it engagingly. A bit too focused on the UNIX side of things, but a definite improvement over the last time I had him in COSC 2001. If you get him for OS, don't lose hope. He's not bad.

1.0
5.0
2011
May 22, 2005

Here is the truth ... Turpin is never the course director of a course so his material is always off. meaning .. he will teach something and the test will be something else. Even if he is the course director, he will use information never taught on his tests. This is the type of prof he is.

3.0
3.0
COSC2001
May 26, 2005

hes really not that bad. stack up on old tests and do the assignments solo, then collaborate with others. study the old tests and exams and you should do fine. he replies to emails really quickly, just dont ask a dumb question. one problem with turpin, he takes forever to post assignments.

2.0
4.0
COSC3221
Jun 10, 2005

Very slow to respond to emails. Barely keeps the course website updated. I found that he was very unclear as to what topics we were covering. I found his lecture style very slow and boring. He does know his stuff but this alone does not make a good prof. He does not welcome questions. 1st assignment given a few days before midterm.

4.0
3.0
COSC2031
Jul 29, 2005

He is not as bad as ppl say, ppl just get pissed for bad marks!He is messy in class but he will teach exactly what he wants students to know and with him you can always study from last exams(he repeats questions).He is very helpfull, answers email extremly fast.Do the assignments yourself, stick with old exams and ask what you dont get and u r fine

3.0
4.0
COSC3221
Aug 21, 2005

VERY gender-biased. If you're a female, no chance of getting a grade you deserve. He'll bell-curve guys by 5% up but not girls. He does re-use the questions from previous exams a lot, but your actual learning doesn't apply when you memorize 40 old tests. Makes the class material as un-exciting as can be. Cancels every 4th class.

1.0
4.0
3221ETC
Sep 22, 2005

I don't think he is a professor!! It is too bad to have such a stupid guy in computer science.

4.0
3.0
CSE3421
Oct 31, 2005

only teaches well the subjects which he is interested in

5.0
4.0
COSC2031
Grade: B+
Nov 10, 2005

His teaching is very clear. Makes you understand the material. He will curve if necessary.

2.0
5.0
COSC2031
Grade: B-
Nov 24, 2005

This prof is horrible...stay away from his class. He follows no structure at all, so it just seems all muddled together. Also, he doesn't like it when you take notes in class. He simply does not know how to teach the topic, but he knows it very well. I will never take another course with him

2.0
4.0
COSC2001
Dec 18, 2005

His teaching isnt the best but isnt the worse either. If you don't have a good book AVOID him. He's very rude so becareful, he's a pretty old fashion grandpa.

1.0
4.0
CSE3221
May 10, 2006

Turpin is an awful prof. He is slow, doesn't explain well (often confusing). He doesn't care about student success and often misses class for various reason. He will most likely make the midterm easy and then screw you over big time on the final. Avoid this decrepit prof at all costs. He shouldn't even be teaching anymore.

2.0
3.0
CSE1020
Nov 2, 2006

one of the crappiest professor at york, if not the worse

4.0
3.0
CSE2001
Mar 14, 2007

He is late for class, cancelled a couple times. But, very clear and methodical in his teaching. I like how a he overviews what he's gonna talk about at beginning of lecture. He speaks exceedingly good english unlike most of my profs (thank god). Tests/assignments are tough though. Problems answering student's questions though. He's a lil blunt.

1.0
5.0
ITEC3220
May 15, 2007

I wonder if gordon taught ITEC3220 b4(how come CSE teacher teaches ITEC courses), he doesn't prepare lecture b4 class & know what he is talking about. Makes easy stuffs difficult to understand. Maybe he knows material but I am 110% sure he doesn't know how to teach and his class is the most boring class I have even attend. He gives wrong answers 2.

3.0
4.0
CS2031
Jun 27, 2007

This guy has a Santa Claus complex. I think Santa could've done better, and he's busy in North Pole

1.0
5.0
CSE1020
Oct 21, 2007

trust me..!! he;s boring..and doesn;t give u anythin to prepare for exams.. he jus comes to class..talks..and walks out... like c'mon not everyone is very clear in 1st year.you got to understand tat. and try to help out someppl before exams

2.0
4.0
CSE2031
Jan 4, 2008

I'm very glad 2 have him 4 a course I don't need a prof. If u r interested in learning a subject, run like a thief from his class.U may walk out with a pass grade but would've missed an opportunity 2 learn. A capable person not doing justice to his work is a greater malady to fix than fixing an incapable person loving to teach.

3.0
3.0
COSC1520
Jan 6, 2008

Tests do not correspond to what is taught during class- Read the text,do the labs,and know the binary calculations (80% of first test).Get them from the website, anything complicated, he is useless to explain it.I didnt attend one class and got a 90 on 2nd test.Take him if u can learn on your own.If u need a prof that explains clearly,he isnt for u

2.0
4.0
CSE1520
Jan 6, 2008

Seems like an uncaring prof who shows no interest in what he teaches. The tests aren't too bad...lectures are not very interesting. Not helpful at all and does not like answering questions very much.

1.0
5.0
CSE2011
Jan 14, 2008

Terrible terrible prof. Never take a course with him. You will pass with a good grade by staying home and reading the textbook. You will learn nothing from him

4.0
2.0
CSE2031
May 15, 2008

He is such a nice professor. I would say he is one of the best professor at York. I like his lectures. If you have his past test/exam papers, then you don't have to worry about your grade. If you don't have....mmm It must be killer!!! Overall, he is nice and kind!

5.0
1.0
CSE2031
May 17, 2008

I'm suggesting anyone to take CSE2031 with him. He knows the subject. I had taken a 1030 with him. I ended up having a bad grade fro 1030. But, this is his area. It's good chance to increase your GPA, as I did. :)

2.0
5.0
COSC3022
Aug 19, 2008

WORST PROFESSOR YOU WILL ENCOUNTER, can be nice one on one, but he really shouldnt be teaching. tests and final did not cover the book, or the notes, or the exercises.. only way to get a good grade is have the past papers, then you wont even need to go to class once. completely unfair

1.0
5.0
CSE1520
Mar 8, 2009

most useless teacher ever. i dont even know why he teaches!his tests do NOT have anything to do what is in the book! it's basically random nonsense! if you actually want to be taught, do not take this class.

3.0
1.0
CSE2011
Jun 22, 2009

looks like a homeless SANTA CLAUS.... BAD TEACHER... needs to get a life

3.0
2.0
CSE2011
Sep 14, 2009

Very enjoyable Prof. Always made sure you understood the topic. All you needed to do was ask and he was always very helpful. Tests were exactly what I thought they should be not difficult, they just covered the material. Will look for him form upper year courses.

3.0
2.0
CSE1520
Dec 17, 2009

A pretty good professor who teaches you what you need help in understanding although i must admit this is an easy enough course and you can get away with a good grade by using the textbook...but attending his lectures are boring but thats not because of the prof dats just how the course content is and attending them will quite helpful :)

5.0
2.0
CSE1520
Dec 27, 2009

I agree with the person below. He's a really nice guy and is the only prof who gave me the most detailed and quickest reply when I emailed him. He'd probably get higher ratings if his class wasn't so boring. If your taking CSE1520, the most important thing to do is understand your excel labs!!!

4.0
3.0
CSE1520
Aug 30, 2010

He's OK. Looks like Santa Clause with the round belly. He's neither great not horrible!

3.0
2.0
CSE2031
Dec 31, 2010

He's alright, once you've got his prior exams, you'll ace the course.

3.0
4.0
CSE2031
Feb 14, 2011

This professor made this course much harder than it should've been, simply because he did not follow a proper teaching schedule. He does not have a structured syllabus, which means that his lectures are all over the place. He knows the topic well, but is not great at teaching it to students who are just learning C. Try and avoid if you are new to C

4.0
3.0
CSE1520
Apr 15, 2011

1520 is such a stupid and extremely boring course but turpin provides a different way of understanding stuff thats different from the book so thats basically the only reason why lectures are useful. course is by the book basically. also hes willing to explain stuff in good detail so thats good. and lastly he has an awesome beard.

4.0
2.0
CSE1520
May 2, 2011

Good prof! He teaches this course in a different way, rather than just reading slides and copying from the textbook.

5.0
5.0
CSE1520
May 3, 2011

Good professor! Tougher course than I thought it would be, but with hard work an A was possible. The guy has an amazing memory. He posts slides, ends up giving numeric examples on the board (calc in binary) and the numbers he's using match the notes exactly! I wish I had his presentation memory skills! Nice guy - helpful too.

3.0
3.0
CSE2031
May 7, 2011

He's not a very good lecturer, and he admits that, but he does know his stuff. While he made the course challenging he was very fair in giving us a chance to succeed, such as letting us resubmit assignments. He is surprisingly nice, but you have to put in the work on your own.

3.0
2.0
CSE1030
May 15, 2011

memorizing and understanding all his class notes can make you an A students.

5.0
1.0
CSE1520
Jun 19, 2011

This prof is great for computers! Out of all the profs teaching computers, i'd say he is the best! He knows what he is talking about, helps you out after class, and his test are easy! If you read the textbook, come to class and listen to him explain, you should get an A no problem!

2.0
5.0
CSE2011
Jun 29, 2011

For CSE 2031, he is ok. But for CSE 2011, he is extremely horrible. His lectures are a very basic skim through the materials, then the mid-terms are insanely difficult. He gives question which he doesn't even cover in the class, and he expects students to know everything before class. Atleast for CSE 2011, AVOID HIM at all cost.

4.0
4.0
CSE3221
Aug 10, 2011

If you have any questions about Linux or about C he is a wealth of knowledge. Unfortunately, his lectures are very disjointed and he spends far too much time on certain topics. Assignments are not too bad, but the tests can be very ugly. Punitive marking can kill you.

4.0
2.0
CSE2001
Oct 5, 2011

I took CSE 2001 & 2011 with him; got A+ on them. His exams are difficult. Fair marker. For 2011, practice running time for midterm. His lectures can be very dry, but still ATTEND them (mark the chapters covered). Study the book hard & ensure your concepts are crisp clear. He is very helpful by email and bell curves overall mark.

3.0
3.0
CSE1520
Dec 19, 2011

This course is taught right out of the textbook so you don't need to go to class unless you need help with the labs. Get a hold of the previous tests and exams as they are almost identical every year and you'll easily get an A

3.0
3.0
CSE2011
Dec 21, 2011

Horrible class. Extremely challenging assignment. He teaches everything from the book. He responds to email quickly. His tests are very hard, but he bell curves mark. Our midterm was curved. If you do the assignment and read the book, you can get B.

1.0
5.0
CSE1030
Apr 10, 2012

One of the worst professor. The lab submitted few weeks before mid term exam was not marked until another few weeks after it. Students have no way to see if their works are correct. There is also no guideline for students how he is going to mark the lab test. Students do not use his way will receive zero even though they reach the same conclusion

2.0
3.0
CSE1030
Apr 30, 2012

Not too great. He was friendly but often unclear. He mentioned not having taught the course in a while - it showed. Teaches material from 2031 rather than 1030, you can tell that's where he's comfortable teaching. Labs and lab tests were frequently marked late. Left us going into midterms and exam blind - really no info about them.

5.0
1.0
CSE1520
Jun 26, 2012

I would definitely recommend coming to class as there are things he mentions in class that will appear on the test but are not necessarily mentioned in the text. As long as you study the slides and come to class you should be able to do really well with very little trouble. Make sure to study hard for the final exam as it's harder than the tests.

Class Info

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

68% confidence
Based on 6 grades
Most common grades:
B+ (2)
A (1)
B (1)
Grade Distribution
A(2)B(2)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(2)
Based on 6 reported grades
B+: 2
A: 1
B: 1
A+: 1
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.67 avg change
Jun
Aug
Oct
Dec
Apr
Jun
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

3221

5.0

(1)

COSC

5.0

(1)

CS2011

4.0

(1)

COSC2001COSC20

4.0

(1)

CSE3421

4.0

(1)
+35 more courses
Difficulty by Course

1030

5.0

3421

5.0

COSC2221

5.0

COSC10202

5.0

COSCANY

5.0

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