2.5
Quality3.3
Difficulty36%
Would Retake95
Reviews36%
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
9
4
18
3
19
2
20
1
29
What Students Say
“goes off topic about everything and expects students to remember where he left off after a 45 minute lecture on tennis or airplanes”
MICROECON102 - 1.0 rating“All the powerpoints are online”
ECON101 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
7%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.75 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON201
4.5
(2)ECON102
4.0
(1)MACRO220
4.0
(1)MICRO120
4.0
(1)102
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
0122010207
5.0
MICROECONOMICS
4.3
09259
4.0
MACRO103
4.0
MICROECON101
4.0
Reviews (95)
no good
Attendance isn't mandatory. Overall didn't ever make much sense and spoke too quietly. Exams were decent but not a recommended professor.
Extremely boring and unclear. Going to lectures is pointless because he just rambles on. Take this class if you want to spend hours reading the textbook and teaching yourself the material. Tests were also pretty challenging.
every every every nice professor!!!!!! So kind and the exam is easy!!!!you can just read the book by yourself and got an A easily.
Bringing a pillow to his lectures is recommended
Could not sit through a whole lecture. The textbook does a better job of teaching the material. Exams were not too bad but studying is a must would no recommend this professor.
Frustrating class. Boring lectures, no study guide. Tests are fair if you read the textbook.
BORING & HARD
His lectures are really boring. His tests are okay if you read the textbook. Just read the textbook and don't bother going to class.
Do not take this professor. The lectures are torture and the book does a better job explaining the material. Just read and you can get a B
Skydel is a nice man, but I found myself learning all the information from the book, however its better this way because the exam questions seemed to come directly from it. Yet for all the concepts I was confused on he was there to help.
Skydel's homework policy is probably the best for intro to micro. You can take your time, and even if you're waay too late, you can get up to a 90% because of unlimited tries His lectures are boring, but the book has everything you need. Score as much as you can in the first 3 exams. Final has a LOT of material in it. No curve, 88+ is an A
Skydel's homework policy is probably the best for intro to micro. You can take your time, and even if you're waay too late, you can get up to a 90% because of unlimited tries His lectures are boring, but the book has everything you need. Score as much as you can in the first 3 exams. Final has a LOT of material in it. No curve 88+ is an A
Taught me how to take time out of every week to teach myself. It worked out great actually!! Just do the online home work and stop attending class. It's your best bet. Great guy, horrible teacher. Make sure you read the textbook. Good luck.
Very nice man, however, not a great professor. Long, boring lectures. You do not need to go to class, as he posts all the material he goes over online, or it is directly off of Myeconlab. He is, however, the only micro professor that posted exam answer keys and practice exams for help. If you are good at teaching yourself then he is your man.
Lecture is optional and a bit boring. That being said, if you read the textbook then you're guaranteed at least a B+. His tests are a bit hard but ok if you studied for them. His best feature is his homework policy, which is an automatic 100.
A bit hard if you don't read, but easy overall. 2 test which are all multiple choice. Homework policy is easy (free 15 points). Also he curves the class at beginning and at the end of the semester.
No need to show up, he just reads slides from the textbook. If you read the textbook and understand its a guaranteed B/B+. To get an A you must work hard.
easy class, just need to read.
study, read book, you will get at least a B
READ THE BOOK!!!!! can't stress this enough. If you read the book, do the easy HW, and study for the test you will get a B+ or A
WOW, what a guy. Imagine someone reading a car manual to you at night. This class will put you to sleep. That being said, the class is broken down to 2 tests, 1 final, and 15% homework. You automatically get the 15% for HW and the tests are easy if you read the textbook. He curves at the beginning and also at the end.
The man is monotone and extremely hard to listen to for long periods of time. The only thing you are graded on is the 2 or 3 exams which are difficult. Be willing to learn from the textbook and do the practice problems both there and the online homework. They'll help a lot. I didn't do too well in the class but it was my fault. Pull your weight.
if u have no prior knowledge of micro, please do not take this class!! i went to every lecture and took notes and everything but still struggled. I ended up taking the class with another professor and micro was ALOT easier. even tho the hw was the only easy points in this class bc/ he gives u unlimited tries, this class was not worth struggling for
Great guy, average lecturer. Easy A.
My first semester at Rutgers was ruined by this class. Skydel only offers 3 exams, 2 midterms worth 25% and a final worth 30%. Myecon lab on makes up 20%, and getting a 100 on that won't save your grade. He doesn't offer extra credit. Would not take again, and do not recommend for an intro class.
Jack is a nice person, he is always accessible out the classroom and always posts resources on Sakai. However, he is so BORING. He regurgitates everything from the textbook, and sitting in lecture is painful. I found myself skipping many times. Just read the chapters and do/understand MyEconlab assignments. Don't procrastinate on the readings-20CPS
I thought he was pretty good honestly. 75is a B. 20% of the grade is also homework which ends being pretty helpful at the end. I rated him as hard because the final was significantly easier than the other two exams so I am guessing he is more difficult than the other professors. I would take him again tho for sure
DO NOT GO TO CLASS!!! read the textbook, get 100s on the homeworks and aim for a B+ on the exams to end with an A. I thought micro made zero sense, but I read the textbook and took notes while reading. I also practiced with the exams my friends had from the class before but you can do the MC in the textbook also.
dont go to class it is unbearably boring but i would blame the subject in general. read the textbook and don't miss any homeworks. first two exams were kinda difficult, but the final wasnt bad. Got mid B's on all three exams just barely ended with an A (I got an 88% and the cutoff is 87%). I'm taking him for macro again.
Great guy, very boring lecturer who will put you to sleep in record times. He provides a lot of examples and goes somewhat in depth but tends to ramble on to the point where one would forget the original topic being discussed. Be prepared to read the textbook, use online videos/guides. A big + is the homework with unlimited tries, free 100 (20%)
If you really study the PowerPoints, you don't have to really read the book. Lectures can sometimes be long and drawn out, but professor is open to questions.
Read the book and do the online homework, easiest way to pass. Lectures are a little dry but he's not as bad as everyone says. Cool guy with interesting stuff to say.
Professor Skydel knows what he is talking about; he is a great professor if you really want to go farther with economics. His lectures can be bit boring and dry so I tended not to go to them, but as long as you keep up with the power points you will be fine.
Great guy who actually has interesting lectures. A lot of people say that his lectures just regurgitate the textbook but if you actually listen he has a lot to say about nuanced issues within economics. Class can get a bit dry but overall if you study reasonably, listen to lectures, and review the powerpoints you should do fine.
Great guy, really boring though. Lectures put you to sleep, but you don't really have to go. If you study the slides and book you should be fine. Watching some ACDC Econ videos with Mr. Clifford on YouTube helps a lot too.
AVOID HIM! His lectures are boring. He gives a lot of example but you'll end up forgetting what the topic was because he just keeps on talking without going over what's on the slides. His first exam was nothing we learned in class.
Barely went to class and did fine. He bumped me up from a B to a B+ when I was on the border.
Reads off the slides for lectures so lectures are unnecessary to attend. All the powerpoints are online. Exams are ridiculously hard for no reason. You can go to every class and study hard and still fail the exams.
Hardest intro level class I've taken. He rambles on at lectures to himself, so you better read the textbook. Tests are very difficult, this course felt more like an intermediate level class.
Not worth the effort of an intro class. He's a nice guy but too ambitious, especially since many of the students don't intend to major in business or economics. I consistently did above the class average but still got C's. I highly recommend taking micro economics with a different professor or not at all if you can help it
I like him. I never went to class. Read the textbook. Homework is basically a given 100. Watch ACDC econ on youtube!!!! I got an A in both micro and macro with him (thanks to the 87-100 class curve) If you're a semi above average student, getting an A isn't really hard. The final for both micro and macro were RELATIVELY easy.
Awful and boring lecturer but very approachable guy. Exams are extremely difficult and lectures are impossible to sit through. However he does give a decent curve at the end and his grading scale is better than most.
A very boring lecturer, makes it difficult to attend class. Going to class is pointless because you are bound to zone out anyways. Exams are decently difficult and if you are not good at self-teaching yourself the material, not worth taking unless you are fine with a C.
If you read the book this class should be an easy A. Lectures are hard to listen to because they're so boring, but there's nothing he talks about that isn't already in the book. Just read and email him any questions you have and you should be fine. Exams are kinda hard, but they're also completely fair. He's a great guy, just boring.
Lectures were really boring, but he's a great person! He curves exams, which helps in terms of your overall grade, but overall I wouldn't recommend taking your first econ class with him.
goes off topic about everything and expects students to remember where he left off after a 45 minute lecture on tennis or airplanes. Extremely boring
I took him for Micro and found that I was lost most of the time while he was giving his lectures. He reads off the slides but gets distracted and then talks about a different topic without finishing prior one. You have to read if you take this class and you have to do the homework. It will save your grade.
He seems like a nice guy but honestly this class did nothing to help me understand microeconomics. Don't take this prof for your first econ class because you will end up hating econ. Also, don't go to class, it is not worth your time, just study by yourself.
His lectures go off on tangents and are not helpful in learning anything beyond what is written on the slides. If you're not willing to learn the material on your own by reading the book, don't take him. Attendance is not mandatory, all 3 exams are MC, homework is a given 100, and an A is considered an 87. Exams resemble AP micro exams.
Like others have said, he rambles a lot a lot, and I slept in his class a lot a lot. He curves everything pretty well and his homework is very easy, but the exams weren't really my style. As long as you understand the material from the textbook and do practice problems, you should be prepared for the exams though.
Hes the worst professor Ive ever had. Ive always been a straight A student so I know how to work hard to get good grades, but its almost impossible to do well in this class. His lectures are useless and the tests are unfairly difficult. Even with a huge curve people just barely pass. This is a GPA breaker class for even the smartest students.
All of the other reviews are spot on. I went to every single class and it is unfortunate to say I did not get much out of lectures. Rambles relentlessly and often jumps around to other topics without full explanation of difficult concepts. Very boring and you must teach yourself the material. Exams are very difficult for an intro class.
Very hard class. Didn't take too much out of the lectures. Didn't explain difficult concepts. Basically I taught myself through the class and barely pass it.
I had him for Micro and Macro and I basically had to teach myself. I did not learn a single thing from his lectures. He uses powerpoints provided by the textbook company. He has no idea if anyone's there or not. Honestly, if you're the type of person who can teach yourself then great take this class. If not, the good luck its truly a struggle.
He's a great guy and respects his students. He's very passionate about economics but he's just not that good at teaching a big class.
3 exams worth 27% each and online Hw worth 12% of final grade (easiest 12 points ever bc you get multiple tries and you get to see the correct answers after each try). lectures were kind of confusing and boring so the textbook saved me. study a lot bc the terminology can get tricky. B on exam 1, C on exam 2 and 3, got a C+ in the class
Not a good professor at all. The class was made up of 3 exams all weighted the same and because of the exam heavy grading criteria whatever average you got on the exams is what you would get. No one went to lecture and it's a smart thing they didn't. Truly a waste of time sitting through the long lecture when you can do the work by yourself.
He is not a good lecturer, his lectures are boring and nothing from the textbook. Be ready to teach yourself everything. His exams are pretty hard for an intro class. I recommend you try to get away from taking his class if you can. He doesn't curve grades.
I am a junior at Rutgers. I am a straight A student who knows how to work hard to get grades but for his class it is almost impossible to get good grades the class average was always in the 50 range for all three exams which is terrible for an intro class. This course is a GPA breaker. Try to avoid it
Not good at lecturing, and thats all his class is. Tests are ridiculously hard. Don't take this class..
The grading criteria is very fair as the class is often curved by 2% which requires only 85s on the three exams which are non-cumulative. Although you don't really need to attend class, I would recommend it to help gain some perspective on the more difficult concepts as well as reading the given textbook and slide materials. Relatively an easy A.
DO NOT TAKE!!!! Entire class consists of him reading off the textbook slides and drawing graphs on the board that do not make sense. He does not explain anything well and will randomly yell at students during class. All the exam averages were extremely low and he blamed it on the students. Finished .5 points away from a C and refused to round me up
In class he goes off on a lot of tangents and gets distracted pretty easily. He is more helpful during the office hours and is a good person overall.
Pro:Few pros. 1. After class questions well explained but he takes a LONG time. 2. 12 Homework quizzes-3 tries and only final try counts Cons:MANY Looks down wen lecturing. Wont see raised hands in class. Confusing,complicated,boring lectures. HORRID teacher and small/no grade curves. U have to study textbook by yourself and difficult exams.
Need more words to describe how awful he was as a professor/lecturer and for the tuition I pay, if you won't teach and I have to do all the work at least curve the grade which he barely did and then acted like he was doing us a favor after the way he taught this class. Do yourself a favor and please don't take him, you'll end up teaching yourself.
Thank goodness that I took AP Micro in high school or I would be LOST! Attending lectures was basically pointless and the homework was a joke! My only advice would be to study from the textbook. The curve wasn't very helpful but you can't win them all. I believe that most people get C's but from my experience getting a B+ is indeed possible.
going to class is pointless, study from the textbook and do the homework /practice exam and you'll be fine if you're a good self-learner
I attended lecture in the beginning of the year, but didn't find it very useful to me personally. That being said, it can be useful to you if his teaching style suits you. I kept up with the Knewton Alta tests and assignments outside of class, didn't really study each chapter thoroughly throughout the course, studied hard for the exams, got an A!
His lectures are arent that helpful, but I still went. He tends to go on tangents a lot. When he explains a concept he tries to relate it to something but he goes too in depth with it. He tends to look down during lecture. BUT although he is stern he does not want to see students fail. He posts a lot of online lecture videos and tries his best.
Keeps blabbering in class. Will manage to offend you. It's not that hard to get an A in his class as long as you do most of the work and teach yourself. Big curve. Get on his good side and you'll be fine but if you really need to understand stuff he's not the man for it. His tests are application-based, nothing like you'll expect.
Not a good lecturer. I went to a few lectures (there were maybe 20 kids max) and self-studied my way to a B. Assignments are pretty easy and exams are fair. Don't take him if you are not ready to self-study.
His lectures were interesting although he went on a lot of tangents. From my memory, the first midterm average was an 88 and the second was a 78. 2 point final curve at the end. I did a few knewton assignments late without being penalized.
Doesn't take attendance. There are online assignments that are a big portion of the grade but you get multiple tries to complete them. As long as you do the assignments on time you get a 100%. Online assessments are a little harder but just read the textbook beforehand. There is a curve, got an 85% in the class but still got an A.
Learned all the material out of class, lectures are empty and mostly slow and rambling.
Terrible lecturer, prepare to teach yourself everything if you're able. Not here to teach you, just to spit information in your face. During the COVID-19 situation he was not lenient with students and made them take tests during regularly scheduled class time which meant early mornings or late nights for some people and he didn't care
He understands economics really well; he just does a really bad job passing on the knowledge onto other people.
Professor Skydel is very knowledgeable, but not good at teaching. I tried so hard to listen to him so many times but it just didn't work. Lectures aren't mandatory. His tests are extremely hard.
I'm here to review him specifically on his performance during the COVID-19 outbreak. He was already a bad professor, but after the pandemic, he became worse. He even managed to make every single assessment much harder, which is an amazing thing considering the fact that he doesn't teach well at all. Don't take him if you care about yourself.
Professor Skydel is an extremely kind man who cares about his students. Lectures do not help, but if you are able to teach yourself you will be fine. The exams are not terrible if you study. Just put in the effort and you'll do well.
lectures DO NOT help. can be pretty rude. homework is nothing like examples in lectures and the exams are nothing like the homework. homework is very time consuming too but it can definitely affect your grade
Good professor aside from his digressions. It is really the topic that is difficult to follow. If you read the textbook and follow the slides you will do well in his class. He is extremely helpful if you see him during office hours or after class. His exam questions are pretty easy as long as you study and stay on top of your work.
If you don't take your time to understand macro before class you're not going to do well. He's a really interesting professor if you enjoy econ. If you have no interest, do NOT take his class you'll hate it. He really cares about his students and everyone getting a chance to learn. His exams are based on your understanding of econ, not definitions
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I probably went to 10 lectures because lectures literally had 20 kids. The only time you would see more than 10 kids were on exam days. Homework was probably the easiest thing about him. Exam averages were always low. If he is the only available professor for Micro and no other sections are opening, wait it out a semester.
Professor Skydel was a good professor. He had review sessions and gave review questions which was helpful. for the hw he gives you 3 tries so it is easy to get an A and he does curve the class a little at the end. He also post the slides and additional videos online. The class wasn't too difficult but i recommend reading the textbook to stay ahead.
(REMOTE INSTRUCTION) Not a very interesting lecturer. But the subject is easy to understand, so I just read the textbook and took notes on my own. He uses Knewton Alta for homework and tests which make them super easy, so as long as you do your own studying, you'll be set for the semester. I only went to lectures for attendance.
Skydel isn't a great lecturer but you're damn right he actually tries to help us and wants us to do well in his class. While his lectures are really boring you can basically learn everything in the textbook. The only real downside is that 81% of your grade will be based off of 3 tests, though since it was remote the tests were open notes.
I took Intro to Micro with Skydel, and honestly, it's what you'd expect from an intro class. Not impossibly hard, but still required studying. Lectures were okay, but a bit boring. If you took an econ class in high school you should be fine.
If you want to a learning experience that's engaging, don't take Skydel's Microecon class. Most of the time he rambles on about the simplest concepts, and then we will spend class-time going over something we already learned. The only learning you do is from the textbook, and when he assigns the large amount of homework that he usually does. Avoid.
This was one of those courses where I was struggling through when it was in-person. After the switch to online, it is very manageable and an easy A, B+. You may not learn much, but exams are open notes so that may be helpful.
Boring professor but does seem passionate about economics. Always willing to answer questions. Never paid attention in class and just self-studied textbook. Exams all open-note and fair if you studied. He gets a lot of his questions from quizlet so use it to study. Online hw/quizzes frequent but multiple chances on them and they help study.
This class was okay at best. Lectures were a pain to sit through, but the textbook and homework was helpful. All exams are multiple choice. If you put in the work, youll get a B easily. No papers or anything, and if you took ap Econ in high school or something youll definitely be fine.
did his best to lecture class but it was obvious he wasn't SUPER knowledgable on the topic. nonetheless, the class itself was easy and wouldn't stress over it. just pay attention to the textbook and you should be able to get a high grade
He is really nice and passionate about his subject. While the lectures are boring, they are very helpful and easy to understand. The homework assignments are really easy and super beneficial. You are given the opportunity to retake quizzes for the higher grade. Only complaint is that the exams are relatively hard compared to everything else.
Skydel is a nice guy and an overall good professor. Homework and quizzes are easy and don't take much time but the exams (3, noncumulative) are tricky. Lectures are boring but his slides are really helpful. Textbook is free. He's not bad for micro!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
7%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.75 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON201
4.5
(2)ECON102
4.0
(1)MACRO220
4.0
(1)MICRO120
4.0
(1)102
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
0122010207
5.0
MICROECONOMICS
4.3
09259
4.0
MACRO103
4.0
MICROECON101
4.0