Jim is an OK teacher. He gets the point across. You gotta understand what you are doing on the assignments and put effort into them or you will get murdered on the tests. People who didnt do their assignments got killed in Jim's class. Jim is a fair teacher, and I enjoyed the class.

Jims a great guy. and a wiz with a laser pointer. classes get a little rough at eight in the morning, but the dude knows his junk. and had i actually shown up to class i would have done great.

ok teacher like the powerpoints, subject is a little borring almost never needed to go to lecture to get a decent grade

Class is well set up. You don't necessarily need to go to lecture; everything is available online. I would recommend going anyway though, has he does a decent job of explaining. A lot of people whine in this class, but it's really not that difficult if you pay attention. I guess that's asking too much of most people. Tests are fairly difficult.

He is a fine teacher. All the stuff in the lectures are avalible online which is nice. I still recommend going to class though. He is pretty clear - the TA's suck though. If you wanna skip something - skip those.

Allert is a good professor. It's tough going to lectures at 8 in the morning, but Allert did a good job. I didn't like the book, but his website material was helpful and there are several great references available online to help you out- I highly recomend the tutorial at cplusplus.com- it's quick and to the point. My TA NK did a great job, too.

Jallert is one of the best professors ever, and he is an expert with the laser pointer. Seriously, he can point it somewhere before turning it on and then when he turns it on, it's right where he wants it to be. He has truly mastered both laser pointing and computer science.

Jim Allert...aka "Jimbo" is a tough but fair professor. Jimbo's tests are hard, but he tells you what to expect on them. His lectures seem thrown together sometimes, and he repeats things over and over again, but that might be a good thing because it helps you learn the material. Know what you're doing on the projects and study hard for the tests!

Clear and lucid explanation.Excellent choice for someone without a programming experience

Whoa! IF you don't like computers dont take this.Good for CS majors... There is this guy hu is amazing and can do all kindsa freaky stuff... I can't do much though

this class wasn't too hard except for the final. lecture is boring and striaght from the book and the projects are mostly just copied from the book also. Allert isn't that bad of a professor just a little boring. I ended up with a B.

A very good teacher that happens to be teaching a boring subject. He genuinely tries to teach in the most effective ways, and is very articulate and good at explaining things. Is also pretty clear about assignment/test expectations. I would definitely recommend Allert.

This class was fairly easy. The textbook is very helpful compared to other CS books I've seen. The test aren't too bad if you actually study. The final was very hard but that's the way it goes. I never actually talked to Allert but he seems helpful.

Easy class just a nice guy pay attention in the lecture and you will do totally fine a recommend allert for sure at least CS1 i never took CS2

Lectures were boring but the assignments were all easy. TAs are foreign and very hard to understand.

One of the better professors I have had at UMD. If you go to every class and do the projects your golden in this class. MISSING CLASSES WILL COME BACK TO BITE YOU CS1511. Overall highly recommended professor.

Jim definitely knows his computer science and he is extremely helpful because he wrote the textbook that we used. I recommend him to any student needing to take a programming class.

His class periods are almost worthless and rather dry. This said, he does know the topic well.

He needs to do something about his enthusiasm level in class but overall the class is easy.I have read other raters saying the final is hard and i concur, be prepared for the final.

He knows what he's talking about. He literally wrote the book. Nice enough guy too.

He is a little boring but everything is straight from the book besides a few projects. Tests are a little hard so know the codee!

He lays out the material well in class. Don't miss the in-class exercises by skipping class, those can make or break your grade (5pts x 15-16 exercises). If you only do the bare minimum and 12-13 projects, expect a C. You have to read online tutorials and use other material to really understand Visual Basic. Tests are very hard, especially final

I never talked to him myself but he answers a lot of good questions in class. He seems very helpful, but his TA's were terrible. Not helpful at all and just overall didn't seem very nice. (I'm sure I got the worst one) You don't learn very much from his projects, most of it can just be copied out of the book. The tests and final exam were very hard

Very good teacher. Would recommend. He knows what hes talking about. He wrote the book. Just read the book and go to class and youll be fine. Weekly quizzes are kinda weirdly worded and can be tough. Also weekly projects can be interesting, others are just very time consuming.

The class is insanely hard, for non-CS majors anyway. I've never had a class that built on previous material so much, I stopped doing work ~ week 5 and I was lost for the rest of the course, no matter how much I tried to read the previous material. Allert reads powerpoints, so you don't need to show up, but I've heard he's ok as far as CS teachers

Lecture was not helpful one bit, he reads power points that were made by the book. Only show up on days where there are exercises or tests. The programs were extremely easy. Tests were fair, he really tested you on the coding aspect. He knows his stuff, but read the book and take notes on the book. It really helps. Nice guy.

A great professor, he's extremely helpful - out of class. His lectures are somewhat meandering and usually don't require attendance, but aside from that the course is very easy for anyone with a technological background. If you're going into this class from, say, a B.A in English, then you'll have trouble, but that's about it.

Allert is a good professor overall. He presents the information clearly in lecture and is good at making everything understandable. Tests were quite challenging but if you show up to the lectures, they aren't too bad.

Class was a lot easier then expected. Never really read out of the book, if you goto lecture and do the weekly programs you should be fine. Exam 3 and Final sucked. Always seemed willing to help. Powerpoints are all posted on Moodle. I did 90% of my studying from those and ended the semester with a B+

Allert is a nice guy, but his lectures are dry and nearly verbatim from the book. Once you get the hang of programming, the class shouldn't be too difficult. Find him in office hours if you have trouble, he's very helpful.

I've been in a few of Allert's classes and he's most helpful outside of class. His T/A's are useless and talk to fast to give any advice that you can understand so just go to Allert if you're stuck on a project. Start projects early, don't miss the exercises by skipping class and sit up front in class. Coding even on the big screen

Wonderful teacher, very clear and concise about what is expected and is extremely helpful. He's my favorite.

I took CS1 with him and really liked him. Paints a clear picture in your head of what is really happening with the code. Tests aren't easy, but most of the bad reviews on here are probably from idiots who are just introduced to coding and aren't smart enough to figure it out. 3121 was a good class

I took CS1 with him (my first time learning anything about coding). He gave the class a survey to see how much we knew at beginning of semester and based the class off of it which worked out perfect. Taught clearly and repeated the topics that were most difficult to understand. Very friendly and also has a sense of humor which was nice at times.

Great teacher, he made this my favorite class. I learned everything I needed to know about Visual Basic because of this professor. He is extremely helpful and wants to help. I would recommend this professor to anyone. His teaching assistants are not good, but he pulls their slack.

Learned a lot by going through the class. I found the tests difficult, but studying really helped. His classes have gotten more difficult since fall 2011/spring 2012 when I took the classes, but I do believe this class is very achievable.

As someone who never programmed before, I enjoyed this class a lot. Allert has everything laid out and organized. His first exam is easy, second is hard. Always talk to him and get points back, TA's don't grade exams well. Explains concepts very well in class and office hours are useful. Projects/programs were decent. It was a regular intro class.

Good professor

Helpful with assignments and projects. Clearly understands how to use the class knowledge in the real world. Exams require you to understand all of the material.

The tests are basically memorization and he tells you everything that will be on it. The projects are doable, he goes over them in class like a day or two before they are do. He is awesome with being available and helping out. I really enjoyed this class, all those people that say it's hard must not have even tried at all, you have to try 2not pass

He's an okay professor. His lectures are kind of boring and long. Tests are a little hard but shouldn't really be a problem. The weekly assignments in this class were a joke (easy). Overall just an okay class.

I'm taking Computer Science I with him now and he is an awesome teacher. If you don't study and understand the material (spending hours and hours out of class working on the stuff) don't expect a good grade. You will do good if you try, but if you don't try or care, forget it.

great teacher great class. he is very specific and explains things well.

Great professor. First exposure to a coding language of any kind.

Only uses the book for assignments.

Jim Allert (More affectionately known as Jallert) is a straight up, clear-cut Computer Science Professor. He is respectful, he is attentive to questions at EVERY lecture, and everything you put into this class you will get back. Show up EVERY time, sit down in front, take notes and ask questions. Follow these instructions and you will do very well.

Go to class, pay attention, and take notes. You'll do fine. I took CS1 with no previous knowledge and did great. Allert is a great professor and explains things clearly. If you don't get it, he is always available during office hours and really cares how you are doing. I recommend him.

Was not a lot of reading in this course, only time I looked through the book was for programming projects. Overall not a difficult class. He was very helpful and typically stayed after class for a few minutes in case anyone had questions. Clear expectations on what he wanted from everyone.

You have to really take in the factor that this is a programming class. It's a repetitive topic if you have to take this course just to get into other ones. James is a helpful professor but sometimes can be very not thorough in explaining his topics. You will need the textbook and other sources to help you out. DO NOT DOZE OFF IN CLASS.

Prof. Allert is a great professor. He is knowledgeable in computer science, and can explain it well to someone who is unfamiliar with the subject. I highly recommend that you take it with him!!

Mr. Allert gave a very smooth introduction to Computer Science (CS1). He's a funny guy and always does his best to make every lecture interesting, and most importantly, RELEVANT and IMPORTANT to the current project you are working on. Attend them. Warning: Projects & Tests vary in difficultly. If you are taking CS2, do not slack off in this class.

Love this Jallert dude. I didn't know anything about code going into CS1, and he explained it pretty well in lectures. Some things are a bit confusing, but if you go to his office hours he's the nicest guy and always willing to help you out.

Jim Allert is a great professor. The class can be difficult for people new to the concept of computer programming. Each week you make a program based on a written guide, doing these is great practice for tests. His tests aren't too bad and if you use him and the TA's as resources, things will go just fine.

If he could teach CS1521 that would be great.

He is very good at teaching people how to run Visual Basic. You can come into that class knowing nothing about Visual Basic and be a master by the time you come out. He is good at turning abstract concepts like computer memory and making them understandable to the average person.

Don't miss lectures and you'll do fine. He goes over tests a few days before you take them so you'll pretty much always know what to expect. He's really nice, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

He's great

Great Prof

Good speaker, likes what he does. Explains things a little slow sometimes.

Jallert is honestly the greatest professor at UMD. His voice his golden, he explains everything so well, and every CS major thoroughly enjoyed their time with him. The only negative comments you will see about him are from noobs who suck at computer science. His videos are so helpful even a 12 year old could understand the concepts. Jallert is dank

A great professor and introduction to the CS major. Lectures incorporate many different elements, from in class exercises, to visual demonstrations of concepts. Allert's lectures really cater towards every type of learner. The material in class is difficult, but the best way to pass is to show up every day, participate, and join a study group.

I had no programming experience before this class but I ended up enjoying it. He walks you through the material slowly and covers the important material multiple times. The exams will either make you or break you but if you study really hard for all 3 of them, you can get an A. He is helpful at office hours and a nice guy.

I wish I could take CS2 with him. He explains complex CS concepts in ways that even non-majors can understand. His youtube videos and corresponding quizzes are BO$$. He has a very dry sense of humor, which pairs well with this subject. TAKE CS1 WITH HIM.

Explains the important things in lecture, but make sure to keep up with the readings. They actually do help.

I came into CS1 knowing nothing about computers or coding. He goes through the basics smoothly. I really enjoyed learning in this class!

I have a decent background in computers, so this class was a breeze. Jallert is a caring guy and will give you excellent feedback if you ask him good questions. The class does move a bit slowly, but he has a fantastic voice, so lectures aren't that bad.

Allert is a very solid choice for CS 1511. He spends his lectures making sure everyone understands the concepts entirely. People who have previous CS experience should do plenty fine in his course (It can be slow at times). Those who are new to CS will be greeted with a caring professor who is extremely accessible via email or out of class.

He is really good at explaining to people who don't know anything about computer science. He also is very reasonable and an overall great professor.

I'm super upset that I can't take CS 2 with him as I believe he was a great teacher for CS 1. He explain everything in a simple way while making sure everyone understood it. I went to his office hours on multiple occasions, and got the help I needed to succeed. Honestly a great teacher to start a CS degree with

Professor Allert's Lectures are very clear and information. Even if you aren't a Computer Science major, If you go to class and put in effort to pay attention, all assignments and test will be easy enough.

He has a soothing voice. I had no programming experience coming in, but surprisingly its the only class I have a grade above 90 in this semester. You have to write code on the exams, but the questions were basic. If spend time learning the syntax as you go along the class, youll be just fine on the exams.

Jallert is not a bad teacher if you put in the effort: do video quizzes, READ the textbook before class, TAKE NOTES (it really will help). His TAs are more helpful for projects as they grade them. Recommend finding a good study group and learning together weekly. Be prepared for a hard final that combines topics. His website has a helpful calendar.

Dr. Allert teaches a challenging class but will give you all the tools needed to pass. He leaves time for questions in class and makes sure the material is understood before moving on. He wants everyone to do well, but he is going to make you work for it.

Allert is a pretty solid professor. He explains everything in pretty great detail and does lots of coding examples in class. That being said, if you don't have coding background, the class is ridiculously hard, especially during the second part of the semester. This was probably one of the most difficult classes I've ever taken as a non-CS major.

Allert is a really good professor. His lectures complement the book really well, so if you read and go to lecture, you are in really good shape. Although attendance isn't mandatory he gives away tips and tricks for the projects sometimes, so it is beneficial to go. He really knows the content and answers questions really well.

He does have condensed videos on what he teaches, and he ties it in with the textbook nicely

Online. Good explaining, easy for beginr to understand. Test heavy, miss exam u screwed. 8 projects, given about 2 weeksish each, very nice. Makes past exam available, very helpful, questions usually similarish. By studyin past exams, it became very easy. Class not mandatory, but most times he goes over how to do projects so helpful. Watch videos!

Same person but wanted to add: Its probs cause its suddenly online and he doesnt want u to be able to google, but on exams the multi choice questions were extremely difficult, at least for me. Sometimes, I knew what it was and knew the terminology yet still couldnt answer it because it was worded so weird. Oh and only had two labs whole semester.

I really enjoyed Dr. Allert. I was very worried about CS 1511 because I had no coding experience at all. But if you are in the same boat that shouldn't be a problem. he starts out very slow and with the basics. he is super kind and does an excellent job of presenting C++ to someone who doesn't know how to code. I left the class wanting to learnMore

Teaches the class well and always keeps you updated deadlines he gives you all of the tools help and knowledge you will need to pass

Allert is really nice and even though lectures aren't mandatory (They're also posted online and there's videos on how to do certain things) they're good to go to because sometimes he adds useful tips here and there about things on assessments and exams. You get plenty of time to work on projects too. The class weighs heavily on exam and assessment

Dr. Allert was overall a really great professor. Coming into the class I had no prior programming experience, he understood that and taught the class accordingly. There are eight projects throughout the semester. They are not hard and there is lots of time to complete them. The exams can be kind of tricky, but no reason to not take the class.

Jimmy really knows his stuff. If you show up to lectures and follow along, the projects practically write themselves.

Allert was a great professor. I think he did a great job teaching online. His exams in this class were very tricky, and the weekly assessments were on many things he did not cover in class. He posted all of the class meetings online, so don't worry about missing one class.

I really liked the class! Has really good pacing on learning code and how things work. He really explains what each thing does and how it works which is super helpful. I thought the occasional assessments were tricky, especially the coding ones. I recommend getting the textbook, it helped a lot.