2.4
Quality3.9
Difficulty26%
Would Retake91
Reviews26%
Would Retake
91
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
15
4
12
3
10
2
15
1
39
What Students Say
“Assigns a lot more homework compared to the other professors”
MATH20F - 1.0 rating“Avoid him at all cost”
MATH20F - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
37%
Textbook Required
41%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.44 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH
4.0
(1)MATH20A
3.8
(4)MATH20F
2.7
(22)MATH102
2.6
(14)MATH18
2.6
(29)Difficulty by Course
MAT20F
5.0
MATH95
4.5
20F
4.5
MATH18
4.3
MATH20C
4.2
Reviews (91)
Very Unclear Speech, but he tries to help you understand.
Omg, if you never had calculus before, take his class because he goes step by step with the problem then he summerize the problem in the end. He speaks perfectly fine. He encourage studetns to go to office hours and wants us to do good on the tests
heavy accent, but speaks articulately. Fair tests, willing to help. good professor
VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. HE GOES SLOWLY AND REPEATS THINGS IF NECESSARY. HIS SPEECH CAN BE UNCLEAR AT TIMES BUT OVERALL UNDERSTANDABLE. HE'S A BIT OF A TIME NAZI AND FREAKS OUT IF YOU TRY TO LEAVE 5 MIN. EARLY. SAYS**** LIKE, "OKAY, YOU'RE PAYING FOR THIS
Never taken calc before his class.He's very nice&helpful, but his teaching wasnt my kind of style.Did random problems that had to do with main ideas, but didnt show basics as much firs. If you are good at problem solving THEN figuring out concepts take hi
very nice professor. perhaps one of the best I've had in UCSD. very helpful and clear on his lectures. he goes at the pace of his students, not according to schedule. tests are very easy as long as u pay attention in class, as questions, and do your homework. cares about his students to really make sure we understand.
Professor Harel is the best teacher I've had at UCSD. His motto is to "uncover" the material rather than just "cover" it. He cares SO much about his students. ADVICE: use his office hours, ask questions in class, REVIEW YOUR NOTES BEFORE CLASS. Exams reflect homework problems. No study guide given for exams or cheat-sheet allowed, so be advised.
He will not move on to the next section until every single person understands the material (unless someone doesn't speak up). He doesn't care how behind he gets because of this--so you WILL learn the material
2nd class with this prof. Great prof, bad class. No text book so class and section are MANDATORY. He plays favorites Big Time! Very disorganized class. He's got allot of heart, but I still feel like this class was basically a waste of time. I was told it was more about getting to the "root" (so to speak) of mathematics but it was all about teaching
Math 95 is a class where students are given math problems that force students to really break down the problems. They are designed to ensure understanding of every mathematical step that goes into finding the solution. Professor Harel explains the material well, but he comes off as extremely intimidating. It is difficult to ask him questions.
I hate proofs, which is what he turned 20F into. I mean sure I'll do a few, but he assigns every damn one per section. The midterms are nothing but proofs, which sucks since there is no cheat-sheet and like a hundred different theorems. Take someone else, unless you love proofs.
He is a GREAT professor. He is absolutely LOVES the subject and wants his students to as well as he does, but that's the problem. Either way, he is great at teaching and doesn't like students not understanding the subject. My review might be a bit mixed but it's only because in the heat of studying for his final, i see how great he truly is. :D
Great professor, but this class felt more like a literature course than a math one; the closest we got to doing any sort of calculations were on the homework and MATLAB (which were pretty easy). Final and midterms were based on proofs. If it weren't for the TA (Katie Walsh), I probably would have failed the class.
Ugh..hate this class. Not very clear, concepts are not too difficult to grasp but at summer session pace, it becomes more challenging. Frequently quips, "Your attention. Please." Even if you are discussing math.
Avoid this class like the plague. DON'T - DO IT!
He writes extremely messy and illegible, it will be very hard for anyone beyond the second half of a lecture all to see what he's writing. He has a bit of an accent that takes some getting used to. I would recommend another 20F professor if possible.
Just don't take this class. He has his own system and not so many people can understand him. I am not sure but he probably write all the theorems by himself. He uses the textbook little. The real math for him is mostly proving the theorems. I'm not saying he is not a good professor, but for this class, his teaching style is hard to catch up with.
He is not teaching MATH!!
Harel is excellent at explaining the material and is extremely dedicated to making sure that every student understands during lecture. He went out of his way to help me many times, and my guess is that these unhappy raters did not reach out to him.
Honestly, he is so dedicated to teaching and really cares about his students' comprehension of the subject. Yes, he uses a lot of proofs but he also does everything in his power to make sure that everyone understands them, repeating himself a thousand times if asked to. He doesn't use the textbook, so attend lecture, take notes, and it's a breeze.
Nothing he says makes any sense. If I pass the class, I don't feel like I'm going to be prepared whatsoever if I need to apply any of this info again. Also the class is basically just all theorems with unclear proofs which is horrible. Avoid him.
If you just want to pass MATH 20F then take him. If you want to learn MATH 20F then do NOT take him. His class is easy if you go to lectures and follow his way of solving problems but when you look at problems in the book and real life you'll be lost. He does not follow the book. He makes many errors in lectures & HW very often. Horrible Professor!
Terrible. Makes up random proof and questions that make little sense. Didn't use the book or give answers to his own homework problems. Boring and usless class that wont help you. Just regurgitate what he says and does and you'll pass, but if you want to understand and apply the material take someone else.
A lot of homework. Midterm and Final are based on stupid proofs and they are hard. Final was nothing like the practice one or the homework. Avoid him at all cost.
Hard final. All proofs. Take him if you like proof.
Assigns a lot more homework compared to the other professors. He's not very good at explaining and it's hard to keep up in lecture. HE DOES NOT ALLOW A CHEAT SHEET (unlike the other math classes). Exams were quite hard and do not match the practice material. AVOID HIM!!!
The way he taught wasn't terrible. But the way he graded was absolutely brutal. The average on the midterm was a 73, and the average on the final was a 65, in what is supposed to be an easy class. Overall not a bad lecturer, but he isn't worth how difficult his class is.
Tough grader, lectures will not prepare you for the final, doesnt really care for students, take a more approachable professor instead
Harel is what is wrong with today's academia. He has no understanding of returning students, who are balancing full time jobs and school. He overloads the students with homework, that he doesn't cover in lecture. He blames the students for his failures at teaching. Avoid him.
He loves proofs... I mean it! His lectures are not that helpful, so I learn from reading the textbook instead
TOO MUCH HOMEWORK, CAN'T UNDERSTAND HIS LECTURE, HEAVY ACCENT, NEVER CHOOSE HIM!!!
his logic is too hard to be followed up.
Harel is a good person. He really is. But he's not as good a lecturer. He always asks if everyone is keeping up, even though his class was full of boring proof. His midterms and final are all proof questions, while he didn't emphasize on actual application of math. So unless you're a huge math fan, AVOID AT ANY COST!!!
He really cares if students understand, but his lecture style is not so good. The lectures put lots of emphasis on proofs, while the actual application is omitted. A lot of homework. Midterms and Finals contain a lot of proof questions, though they all appear on lectures so you'll easily pass. He doesn't prepare for lecture much.
Don't let the awful reviews many people have given you dissuade you - if you're lazy and want an easy A though, this class isn't for you. Prof Harel knows his material inside out, and can explain things hundreds of ways. He is very caring, and makes an effort to reach out to every student. His class is difficult, but it is incredibly interesting.
Don't let the awful reviews many people have given you dissuade you - if you're lazy and want an easy A though, this class isn't for you. Prof Harel knows his material inside out, and can explain things hundreds of ways. He is very caring, and makes an effort to reach out to every student. His class is difficult, but it is incredibly interesting.
I love this professor and get an incredible score. Homework is so useful to prepare his exams. Take him. All the exams answers are in the homework and lecture notes.
If you are good at self studying and are willing to read couple hundred pages of textbook before taking a test, take his class. His lectures have nothing to do with the test ,so if you are there for the grade, you don't need to go to lecture since it will be a waste of your time. Also, good luck with 10+ hours of homework every week.
I guess I liked him. His accent is really cute haha. His tests are proof based but some questions are taken straight from the hw. He goes over proofs in class too. I took math 18 along with 20c, though I find 18 to be more difficult, I got a higher grade in math 18. there's definitely a lot of hw but it really helps
He assigned tons of homework which is totally different thing from test. He is a hard grader. Avoid his classes.
The worst professor I have ever met. Each week he assigned more than 50 textbook exercises but he only counted 10 percent for all of the homework including MatlabDon't take his course or you will regret.
Professor Guershon is respected and his lecture is really good. I have to say he is good at maths but he is not a good teacher. His writing on the blackboard is too tiny to recognize. Besides, there is plenty of homework and exams are extremely hard. But if you work hard on homework and go to every lecture you can still get good grades.
Professor Harel is a great person! He is very caring and tries to explain things to everyone if you approach him for help. That said, he speaks in a thick accent and is hard to understand. The graders look for any chance to take points away in this class. TAs are helpful, but not necessarily always able to help. There is a ton of homework too!
So he's good at math. He knows what he teaches too well to teach (AKA he makes everything so difficult). He's really big on PROOF so get ready to write. He uses different approach than the text book so you won't pass if you don't show up for his class. Heavy homework but I really learned a lot.
Be ready to work! I really enjoyed his lectures and felt like I was actually learning math for a change instead of straight up computing answers. He wants you to under stand the inner workings of the concepts, BUT THATS THE POINT OF LINEAR ALGEBRA. I worked more for this class than any other but it was worth it!
I took 102 over the summer. Harel is a good teacher and loves math. Education is his focus and he tries to insert many educational techniques. He gives the most homework I've ever had assigned before. I spent 20+ hours a week on his homework. I enrolled in Math 153 with Harel for Fall 2017, and the homework amount was the same, so I dropped it.
He's a good professor and he'll do test and homework problems for you in class / during office hours if you ask him. Test problems are taken straight out of the textbook or homeworks. However, he makes attendance mandatory for lectures and discussions, and gives out way too much homework (on average twenty-four (24) textbook problems per week).
Very strict professor but teaches material well. Lots of homework but exams are taken straight from homeworks so it is very useful. Really difficult class but also intellectually stimulating.
he doesnt know how to teach and the things. all we do in the class is high school problem solving. we had almost 40 students enrolled in the class and now only 10 left. I have more homework than my 4 units class. we have 6 homework (4-5 hours work for each), 2 presentations , 2 midterms & one final. take it w/ other professor.
Sometimes he is not happy with students asking questions in appropriate times. He gives a lot of homework, like really a lot of homework. It takes me more than 10 hours on weekends to do his homework during Summer Session
Intimidating professor. I'm worried if I'll even pass his class and I'm an A/B student. EMPHASIZING THE LOTS OF HOMEWORK. Not a great lecturer. Just mediocre.
Okay lecturer but very unengaging. Tests are similar to homework, but expect the weirdest homework problems to come out. No cheat sheet for tests.
This professor is one of the worst I've had at UCSD, he failed a large portion of the class, making it so I could barely get by. Not accessible after class. If you can, take another professor.
Run the hell away. Class average was a D while the same quarter other Math 18 courses had B averages. Literally the worst professor I have ever had the displeasure of taking. I once got into a car wreck and was sent to the hospital. I would rather go through that again than ever have to deal with this diminutive angry troll ever again.
Does nothing to distinguish himself from the textbook. Unreasonably harsh in grading -- one minor mistake can cost you all the points of a problem on homework, midterms, or tests. Homework load is way too heavy that makes you retain even less of it and makes you less focused on the concepts. Far too many proofs. Unrealistic standards. Avoid him.
He gives good lectures and a stupid load of homework. Those homework definetly prepare you for midterms so they are kind of a plus if you are ok to work hard. The final was just difficult, many failed the class because they didn't pass the final.
Amazing professor. There's definitely a lot of work involved but it'll be for the best since exam questions are taken straight off it.
People always blame on his large amount of homework and hard tests, but it is these work that lead you to a deep study process. His exams and lectures could test how well you understand the course. I took MATH 18 and would take MATH 102 just because I want to continue listening to him. If you want to study math seriously, take his classes.
The professor has a slight European accent so he is a little hard to understand at times. His first midterm was very hard, but the second one made up for it by being slightly easier. I wouldn't recommend him because there is a lot of homework and the tests are hard and his lectures are kind of confusing because I didn't understand his teaching styl
So much homework. He doesn't explain that well in lectures tbh. Most homework is based on textbook and exams are based on homework but its proof based so it almost didn't feel like a math class. He had to curve the first midterm by 25 points... I also know someone who literally got a 6/100. I personally feel like he doesn't explain well.
Class average for the first midterm was 48% so he curved it and allowed lowest midterm to be dropped to add that 15% to the final to have it be 65% instead of 50%. But final is expected to be worse/harder than midterm 1. Must pass the final to pass the class. Hard grader/nit-picky. Proof heavy. NO CHEATSHEETS (other math 18 classes have them)! Run.
He never explained the concept in a way that made sense. I went to all lectures, discussions, and read every chapter before class and still couldn't understand his methods. There's a lot of homework which is no big deal, it is college. But it's annoying when you don't know how to do homework. I truly feel that I didn't learn anything from his class
I don't
Professor Harel has a distinct humor. He assigned EVERY homework problems on the textbook. He would expect us to ask questions in class, and he would go over the answer. Overall, Harel has master the material of the class, but he would expect student to master the material after his explanations to create proofs. His TA graded all assignments.
He assigns a ridiculous amount of homework. I guess he's an okay person but not as a professor. I don't like his teaching style. I personally feel that he complicates the material when it isn't even that deep. His "study guides" consists of him emailing the class to review homework problems. He expects too much from his students :(
The structure of the Pre-Calculus class was 20% Homework, 15% Midterm 1, 15% Midterm 2, and 50% Final Exam. I did really well in all of the fields except the final. Just like that, I failed. You have to study and understand homework problems as well as the examples he does in class, which is what I didnt study for the final. Take another 3c prof!!
An extremely poor professor. Ironic, since his webpage states that most of his research is on teaching and the ways in which students learn. Lectures are difficult to follow, boring, and cover only a tiny fraction of the long and tedious homework assignments. The organization of the class is also terrible
One of the worst math classes I've taken. Hours and hours of lectures and sometimes 7-8 long homework assignments each week. Would never take this professor again. Why am I paying tens of thousands of dollars for this crappy school when I can learn immensely better with 5 minute youtube tutorials. Don't take this professor.
Professor Harel derives pleasure from our pain. class average for midterm this time was 50 percent. The only help we get is **maybe a curve and some extra credit for the midterm on the final exam (but this is during same time as final and takes away our time to complete the final exam qs). And, We are in the middle of a global pandemic, dude.
Professor Harel is the most amazing mathematics professor I have ever met. He devotes a lot to teach and his lectures are very inspiring. Although he has a lot of homework, they help in understanding linear algebra concepts. His homework should be considered as gifts but not punishments, just as he said. I want to take a math major because of him.
Very Proof based exams. Tons of homework and very harsh gradings.
Terrible professor, gave the class an average grade of D+ with a lower div math course. Horrible teaching, barely knows his stuff, nobody should ever take his class.
I took a summer class where his lectures were 3 hours of torture. He made it impossible to study in class, and I LOVE MATH.
The rudest professor. In spite of making the efforts to email him your concerns, his replies never answer your questions, and additionally he is least bothered to genuinely make you feel comfortable to talk to him- on every level, academic or otherwise. Doesn't accommodate flexibility in exams. Adamant to make sure my friends never take his class.
His lectures are extremely tough to follow, I mean its linear algebra but this guy makes it feel so much more difficult than it has to be. His exams are graded very tough, he expected us to write full proofs for every problem even though it was never mentioned once in class. Doesn't record lectures either, just a pretty bad professor overall.
His lectures were the textbook problems, but somehow that didn't stop him from making computational errors on at least 50% of the questions! Since the syllabus didn't include a calendar, I went to lecture just to figure out what chapter we would be learning, and taught myself. He was both arrogant and perpetually unprepared for class. AVOID him.
Made too many mistakes during class.
He's disorganized while lecturing and makes so many mistakes that it makes the topics more confusing than they need to be. He assigns SO MANY hw problems and only actually grades a couple of them. He gets irritated with questions and is not sympathetic towards students. Also doesn't post lectures online or allow cheatsheets on exams...
avoid at all costs. he doesn't have any structure while lecturing and doesn't post anything online to refer to later, which sort of makes attending the lecture mandatory. not lenient with grading, and he assigns sooo much homework to complete in such a short time span.
Harel makes frequent computational and conceptual mistakes during class despite pulling all of his examples and theorems directly from the textbook, highlighting his unpreparedness as a professor. His homework schedule is also frustratingly inconsistent and he does not post a course schedule or notes on his canvas. Avoid this professor at all costs
this man was my biggest opp. He doesn't record/post lectures. He doesn't post lecture notes. he lectures aren't reflective of the homework. Doesn't allow notes on exams. doesn't curve. the content of this course is already hard and he made it a bajillion times worse. don't recommend
Honestly, this professors isn't as bad as everyone here is depicting him. Yes, he doesn't post any lecture notes after class, but his exams are literally derived from homework problems (same wording and steps) and his problems aren't even as tough compared to other calculus professors. For reference, I took him for SS2 and it was fine.
Absolutely awful professor
Lots of homework but that homework is worth a lot in overall grades. Exams are difficult and often based on homework and textbook.
I cannot speak for other class yet Harel is decent for MATH 102. He did not follow chapters strictly, yet you will understand material inside and out along follow his class. HW are a lot.
I would say he changed a lot recently with teaching. He start to put material related to class onto canvas. Solutions to exams are also provided as well as solutions to HW through grading criteria. HW are indeed not light, however exams are reflective of it. responsive through email and helpful through OH. However class move too slow I think.
He doesn't podcast lectures. Attendance isn't mandatory, but you'll miss out on important info if you're not there. No lecture notes are uploaded. Some homeworks are straightforward, while others are extremely difficult and feel like trick questions.
He was very kind and would take time to stop lecture and make sure everyone was following along. He doesn't podcast or post notes, but I think if you ask he will post certain days. Lots of homework, but the TAs go over it with you in discussion. Very theorem and proof heavy.
easy A, has a small ego/hard to talk to at times, a lot of hw, difficult to understand lecture at times but just go over ur notes like a normal person, hw can be VERY difficult but nothing like the test lmao i feel like a math 18 student can take that final and pass if i were to teach them for a hour. prof very passionate n good at teaching. good
Super passionate about linear algebra. He really knows his stuff and it shows. Lots of homework, and he doesn't upload lectures but show up to class and you'll be fine. He cares about his students, he paces his lectures at the speed of the classes understanding. So ask questions, he really wants you to succeed. Great Professor!
Attendance not mandatory but no recording or notes(barely) posted. His teaching was.. okay, but the homework load was crazy. To turn in ~30 complex, proof-based problems every week and then get only 3 random q's graded 2 mnths later is wild. Study guide said to memorize the proofs for a list of theorems, but the test asked about other proofs.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
37%
Textbook Required
41%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.44 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH
4.0
(1)MATH20A
3.8
(4)MATH20F
2.7
(22)MATH102
2.6
(14)MATH18
2.6
(29)Difficulty by Course
MAT20F
5.0
MATH95
4.5
20F
4.5
MATH18
4.3
MATH20C
4.2