Very good at explaining things in a way that's easy to comprehend for those who have no experience in programming. Although already familiar with java and oop his teaching methods clarified some things for me that i wasn't taught. He's always calm and cool and sometimes has weird yet funny jokes.

I was surprised at how easy Greg explained Java, and being my first programming class, it was very helpful and boasted my confidence in learning programming. He gives out assignments practically for every unit, due within atleast a week. Midterms and finals are based on everything we cover, so you cannot slack off. Great teacher, great class.

great teacher, presents Java fundamentals and important parts very consisely and pads his lessons with a lot of jokes. A great teacher and for a scatterbrain like me was able to present a difficult subject very easily. The projects are fun, I recommend him. Biscayne Bay Campus

His class is very easy. Just pay attention in class and you'll be okay.

Cool teacher. Funny guy too. Class wasn't that hard as long as you attend class and keep up with the work.

Made java learning a pleasure

Great instructor!!!!!!!Definitely worth the driving. He's very helpful and make programming easy and interesting specially if you never programmed before. He postes handouts on his website every week and curves grade in the end. If u can, take this class with him :)

A great Teacher, didn't know anything about Java now I could write any program you could do @ its level, recommend @ must. Want to learn programming don't look no further. Excellent, incredidbe, that's what I call a TEACHER.

Great teacher, easy to learn as long as you apply yourself.

He has a goofy sense of humor, but he's cool, he goes over assignments in class so you can do the same thing at home. Easy to get an A if you go to class and do the assignments.

EXCELLENT TEACHER!!! If you do this you will succeed in this class: go to class even though its not mandatory, print out the notes and bring them to class (super important), do the assignments, go to the lab. Thats all you have to do to get a good grade. Tests are easy if you can do the assignments. Really good teacher. Highly recommended.

I took him for programming I and II and it was worth the drive. He makes the class interesting by telling jokes and posts notes online. His tests are difficult but as long as you study the questions in the book, you'll be fine. Gives 6 assignments which he post similar programs online. This is class is very difficult but he gives a big curve.

Shaw is crystal-clear on his explanations and he is able to make you understand a very hard topic. If you follow the instructions you can get a B. Just try not to procrastinate on the assignments, complete the labs, and read the online notes: you will do fine on the midterm and final.

Great instructor! Funny, easy to understand, crystal clear expectations. Lectures are good, hw was from the book, 2 tests. He even has his own website with all the lecture notes and assignments. Gives reviews before tests. Generally a very easy class with minimal effort.

he is clear but very boring, wont let u out a minute before class is over. tries to be funny and sometimes is but it is useless to go to class because its sooo boring. just study all the tutorials before the midterm and the final and youll be fine.

Pretty cool guy, easy stuff. He basically baby proofs it for you at the beginning and slowly lets you start hitting the ground. He has been teaching for 20+ years. He knows what he is doing undermining him is dumb.

He is the shiz nick. That means PERFECT! He gives you all the notes. You dont even need to buy the book. His exams come straignt from the notes and assignments. He's too funny.

Best professor I've had in a long while. His jokes are ridiculously corny, but that's my style. He teaches the class exhaustively, repeating concepts over and over, repeatedly playing computer to detail even the simplest concepts to be sure that it sinks in. But programming is NOT easy. You may have trouble if you're new to the field. Take him.

He is a great teacher very funny and engaging but the material does drag but that's just the class. If you're not logically inclined (i.e. math concepts and therefore programming doesn't flow into you) you might have a problem but this class is good for beginners like me who like math and science. Most of the grade is based on the test be wary

This dude is seriously helpful; just make time for this hardcore subject! He's been teaching for like 20+ years, but you have to write stuff down repeatedly to learn something. Avoid the computer since you can get distracted easily. If you do have the HW done, great! Just know his tests are not online! I never used the textbook; it's just optional.

Instructor Shaw is very good at teaching Java. He explains the material thoroughly and "plays computer" on the board. Tests are difficult; assignments are not too bad. He is helpful and answers emails, jokes in class often...Overall, a great guy, but get ready... programming is NOT easy. Study the notes and practice a lot you'll be OK. I got an A.

I did poorly on the midterm but by the end of the semester I improved my grade. He lectures really well. I am taking him again for the spring term. I recommend him if you want to learn Java. Also his lab assistants are helpful if you need help in the lab.

You do not require prior knowledge in the topic. What you do require is something ephemeral. You may get it in one go, and you may not. The class may be easy for some and incredibly difficult for others. But Shaw will do his absolute best to help you pass. If you have trouble, see him in his office. If he can't help you, he won't punish you.

Explains everything extremely well and I have enjoyed every single one of the assignments and lobs, which you need to do if you want to pass the test. Test is not hard as people here are claiming, it just goes over everything you did on the labs and assignments. Point is, if you enjoy programming you will love him as his class.

Very good professor. He thoroughly explains all the concepts and lessons. Class is very enjoyable. Tests are a little challenging. The assignments are fun and challenging. You'll definitely be good at Java afterwards.

Shaw goes through the material ad naseum to the point that if you carefully listen you'll get it. He has notes online as well as programs you can review, overall easy, tests are somewhat difficult but straightforward

Very nice

Class/Programming is HARD!! But hes very clear and thorough. His notes are awesome and he's pretty funny. Great professor. Again..Programming is NOT for everyone. I never programmed in my life and bc of him I love it now. Exams are as he specifies. Good luck.

Amazing guy! I have never had such a helpful instructor EVER in my college experience. Go to his office confused, and leave with a complete understanding of it all. It's programming- you either get it, or you don't.. Greg tries his best to help you 'get it.' Exams are pretty tough, but doable. The assignments are crucial, do them and you'll be set!

I went into this class knowing C++ so picking up Java was a breeze. I don't see what was so difficult for everyone. Everyone complained, wined and moaned, but programming simply just isn't for some people. I'd take this guy again.

He is a good professor but the class material is hard. You must pass the midterm and final to pass the class. The test are hard and confusing. You must do all the hw in order to understand the material

DO all the homework, ALWAYS come to class, LEARN PLAY COMPUTER pgs. 249 to 252 and 203 to 204, he does not talk about it much, but believe me it will catch you by surprise. LEARN TO PLAY COMPUTER! Class is full of jokes and the professor teaches well. Questions are welcome.

Class is great. If you don't understand a concept, you will after he goes over it step by step a million times. Everyone complains about the test but just be confident and read carefully. Fortunately, I find him hilarious. So although class is boring most of the time I always enjoyed attending.

This class isn't hard, you just need to show a little bit of dedication and understand the progamming language..programming isn't for everyone! If you do and understand all of the assignments and labs, you will do well in the class! Practice writing code on paper for the exams! Greg is a good guy and has a lot of patience in office hours. take him!

First off, the man is hilarious. I think he might've been a stand-up comic in a past life, so going to class was never a chore. I aced the class and here is what I did: 1)Start assignments as soon as he makes them available. 2)Start labs as soon as they're online, don't wait till lab time. 3) Ask for help if you don't understand something. GL!

I have been programming for 5 years with about 10-13 languages in my belt so taking the class was a breeze. The class is SO easy. Even though I knew programming well, I still attended every class, got 100% on every assignment, and did every lab. Sometimes, lectures can be repetitive, so I used that time to work on my assignment. GREAT PROFESSOR!

I don't know why so many of my classmates failed the class. To be honest I thought it was pretty easy all the way until the end. His assignments and labs are helpful. And the midterm was fairly simple. The final was hard though, make sure you listen to him when he talks about playing computer, you will be doing that a lot.

I took Greg first for programming I and then for programming II. Programming I is super easy if you have previous programming knowledge; however, programming II was a little more of a challenge. I feel like his teaching skills diminished. He mostly just reads his notes from the board (something you can do at home).

Greg is a very competent lecturer. Pay attention to each lecture, READ THE BOOK, practice a little and you'll be fine. Only problem with Greg are his tests in that they're very unfairly weighted for something like programming. Missed one question? Your grade just went from an A to a C. If you can put up with that kind of pressure, go right ahead.

He's definitely one of the top professors for Programming I. His lectures are very clear and concise, and the homeworks have very detailed information. The exams require you to write code, so make sure you start practicing ahead of time.

This class is not easy. He just reads off of a powerpoint in class which to me did not help at all. You need to know some java because after about 2 weeks it gets kind of intense and he just assumes you understand everything he talks about. Assignments aren't easy either. If you go in being familiar with Java you should be able to pass.

If you have previous programming experience, you should be able to do well. The lectures can be a bit dry, but it's hard to make this stuff exciting. Very helpful. Corny Jokes, but entertaining. 2 Exams (Paper, not on a Computer) & Weekly Assignments. Practices to understand what you're doing and you should be fine

Great guy and great teacher. The only thing that really bothered me is that his TA's are very anal while checking the exams. I went to him to see my midterm and got an extra 6 points which the TA took off and another 6 points in the final. If you take his tests go later to his office hours to see what you did, or more like what his TA did.

When it comes to good programming professors, this guy's the real deal. Behind his endless stream of dry jokes is a serious understanding of programming and an amazing ability to relay tough information in the best way possible. He tests hard; one wrong answer and you're going down a whole letter grade. But he's the best programming lecturer at FIU

greg was my inspiration for getting into this field - I still have the homework from his class 17 yrs later..

He's really funny and that will make somewhat abstract programming principles much less boring. If you've seen programming before coming to this class the you'll probably be set - he is very very clear. Otherwise, you have to be really into the material and like it in order to pass. Programming requires lots of practice- long hours on end.

Greg is a cool, funny guy. He was very clear about the assignments that usually were similar to the lab work outs. The midterm and the final are not that difficult just need to pay attention to detail.

This is my second time taking Shaw (A in Programming I; now B in Programming II). If you have more of a programming background, it helps tremendously, assignments difficultly depend on that. Only 2 exams, so practice a lot for those. He grades assignments in Programming II but I think TAs grade exams so see your exams and try to salvage points

Shaw is a master at teaching. This man has been teaching the same courses since the beginning of time. His TA's are tough graders, and his tests aren't too easy, but he is great at explaining the material. He shows a passion for teaching, adds puns every chance he gets, and keeps the students entertained. If you want to learn, this is it.

His lectures come straight from the notes on his website. The exams are completely open-ended requiring you to write your own code. Definitely requires practicing on your own hand writing. The exams are tough, and it seems like it is easy to lose points, but he does curve at the end.

I didn't have the chance to take him for Prog 1 and I wish I did. You WILL truly learn the necessary programming skills in this class with HIM. Don't get scared by people telling you he's boring or that the tests are hard. The only way that you will learn and succeed is by struggling and learning from your mistakes. He gives great feedback.

Great and funny guy, he makes a very technical subject as fun as it could get. He is very slow when teaching programming, almost too slow, but that's great for anyone who's is having trouble with the concepts.

Funny teacher, lecture heavy but its not too bad and he puts the notes online. Only a midterm and a final but they are pretty hard.

During the beginning of the semester, I loved the man. He was funny and he knew everything he was saying... very smart guy. But be warned! This class is very hard if you've never programmed Java in your life! Of course, he offers tutoring and what not but once you fall behind its very difficult to get back to where you're supposed to be. Good luck!

Greg Shaw was a great professor. His lectures were very informative and he would go over code line by line describing what was going on. His jokes are pretty funny and he gives the class a happy vibe. But don't be fooled, his midterm and final are very hard, you must study all the code he goes over along with the programming assignments.

He makes the lectures fun with jokes, although what he does is read off of word documents, and go over already written code. Gives a lot of homework which is good practice (probably every other week) . can't say whether people new to the material would actually learn since all the material he covered I already knew long ago.

He is hilarious! I took him for COP2210 too and he is great. Has very detailed notes that he gives to you, no book needed. Goes over sample code that is helpful to learn the concepts. Must read the online notes for the final/midt because its both playing computer and knowing concepts. Pay attention in class and you will understand better!

Love him! Great dad jokes! Tests are killer! Goodbye GPA

Makes the difficult classes and bad schedules at least bearable with his corny jokes during class. The hw's are difficult but nothing too bad that a week and a lot of concentration won't manage. There's only a midterm and the final for tests so make sure to study for those a lot and you're fine.

Lectures are pretty good and straightforward, and he has great notes on his website, that's all you need. All his assignments may seem challenging at first but are doable as long as you spend time and effort on them, and exam questions aren't too hard. However, there is very little room for error, he takes off so many points for just little errors.

If you're taking Shaw for COP 3337, STUDY UP ON JAVA. His assignments can be VERY hard if you haven't had much experience with Java or general programming. He is very knowledgeable and can guide you on how to do them during office hours. The resources on his website are very helpful too. His course is challenging but rewarding, I would take again.

honestly not as bad as i heard. Lectures are bit boring and slow, says funny jokes once in awhile atleast. Assignments are challenging but doable if you start right away and not last minute, FOLLOW the specs. Use his website,the examples and notes help a lot. Had not quarantine let me not have to take his exams, this review would be different lol.

Class was switched to zoom lectures and homework assignments only. Grades were based solely on homework because school closed the day of the midterm and continued to be closed for the final (COVID-19). Greg really cares about his students and what they get out of the class. If you don't do the work and pay attention the class is much harder.

Best Programming Professor! But don't get fool, his class is hard. He really teaches you the right way of coding and he is strict with the documentation. Programming is a difficult class by itself but Shaw explains everything clear and easy so you can understand. Despite I'm good programming in Java his assigments took me longer than expected.

This class is no an easy one, you need to study but if you do, you will love it. I learned a lot in this class!!! I ended up with an A, put all your efforts into the assignments and labs. One of my best professors!

There are 7 coding assignments, midterm, and final It may seem like a lot, but it isn't As long as you have a little background on java you'll be fine AMAZING lectures, he explains everything in a visual way and it's super easy to understand the concepts As long as you go to class it'll be easy to do everything He also curves the midterm and final.

His lectures are old school styled - all the documents are posted early on. Grades are based on assignments and exams. Assignments can be pretty difficult, but it's not impossible. Exams on the other hard, are incredibly hard. He answers his emails and office hours are welcoming to any student. He's also available to chat after class if time allows

Amazing professor. He has since retired. To all CS students who actually cared, this was one of their favorite professors. People who complained about him were typically the lower 10% of FIU's student body. Phenomenal class.