2.9
Quality4.1
Difficulty29%
Would Retake101
Reviews29%
Would Retake
101
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
30
4
12
3
14
2
13
1
32
What Students Say
“If you have hopes of passing your class, don't take this teacher, because he will make you feel like you've never taken a proper math class before and everything you learned prior to this class was adding 2+2”
M1A - 3.0 rating“Math takes up a lot of time so be ready”
MATH054 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
86%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.42 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH12
5.0
(1)MATH2A
5.0
(2)CALCULUS
5.0
(1)MATH5
5.0
(1)MATH070
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MATH1B
5.0
MATH002A
5.0
MATH10
5.0
M40
5.0
MATH40MATH12
5.0
Reviews (101)
Very Arrogant, egotistical, assumes all his students will become/already are mathmeticians. Makes you do useless proofs on equations and formulas already proven. Assumes everything is easy to understand and is all review. Criticizes for askin questions
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Goes too fast and does not clarify to students. Tell him he needs to slow down and this is more effective when you do so.
very hard exams, over half the class dropped before the end of the semester (started with 50..ended up with 10!!!).
Hes very rude to students he doesnt like. He sets expectations for people in his head and if you dont meet them he snaps even though those expectations werent made to you when class started. He moves way too fast also.
i totally disagree---he is the BEST math professor you will find at COD. Yes, its very hard, but as long as you to lecture and do the work, he is great. Take him, youll be better off.
fast hard tests and not at all clear
HE SUCKS!!!! NEVER TAKE HIM!!!!!
Very hard teacher who doesn't care if his students pass or not. The class started with 30 people and ended with 10. His tests are hard and he isn't very helpful when you go in for individual tutoring so it's hard to do well in his class.
He is nuts & thinks his Math 40 class is the one & only class you are taking & dumps way too much homework on you so you have to slam it or loose the pts so you end up learning very little. He makes you take online exams which are due on Sunday @ 12:01 or you loose those pts I am dropping him
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Piss poor teacher. I dropped him and feel good. Didn't learn anything from him and he doesn't permit calculators becasue he thinks you don't learn that way. Well that screwed me up in another class becasue I didn't know how to use the calculator for problems and this proves his opinion is incorrect
what can't i say about Mr. mathews i've taken him twice, i've dropped him twice. he expects you to know everything and that is not very helpfull, his test are hard, a big load of homework, very stresfull, just very hard. he is not a good teacher but if you pass him, you know math for the nx level.
Don't take his class!!!!! Tests are really tough and really tricky!!!!!
he's just a horrible professor, overall. save yourself the energy and dont ever take him
he is not a good teacher. and thinks you should have your homework perfect. he sucks
I don't understand why he's gotten so many bad reviews - yes this Math class is hard, but he had been very helpful and explained until I understood.
He was a very difficult teacher. I didn't like the way he would spend most of the time showing you how to do the problem the "wrong" way. Nice man, but not that great of a teacher.
He was never in the class. The only time we saw him was when all 120 of his students met for lecture once a week. Even then he discussed more of how perfectly your hw should be written. His 4 "assistants" did more hands on work with the students than he did.
Well yes we might seem like a jerk but he does know what he is doing and he wants people to understand. He does want your homework perfect which seems kinda dumb but overall if you do your homework you can pass with ease.
He's a very demanding professor, but he really knows how to explain things in the way you understand the problem, rather than just knowing how to figure out the answer. I'f you really want to understand math, he's the guy to do it.
I got 100% on like three of his tests. I loved his class! He is a great teacher! I had so much fun in that class. I would retake any lower-level math class just to take another class with him! :) But I've already graduated and I am no longer attending COD.
He's awesome! A great teacher! I highly recommend him to all my friends! He is my favorite math teacher I've ever had!
Gah, what's up with all these negative reviews? He's a really good teacher and explains everything so well that even a dunce like me can understand. He's a little picky about homework, but I still think he's pretty fair. His class isn't exactly a breeze, but it could be a LOT worse. ^_^
he is a great teacher, i hated math and he has taught me a lot. I now understand math.
I have Mr. Matthews right now and I don't regret my decision in taking his class. I heard all the rumors about how hard his tests are but they are not as bad as everyoone makes them out to be. He does give a lot of homework but by the time you're finally finished you're ready for the tests.
where's Johnny Appleseed?
he's a f'in good teacher
Mr. Matthews is one of the best teachers I ever had in my whole life. He is gifted in his ability to explain and impart knowledge and understanding. He is a selfless and giving teacher. He is fair in all his dealings. He maintains his integrity to what he believes. He is a gentleman and conducts himself appropriately at all times. He is a gem.
ONLY take him if you have at least 3 hours to dedicate to homework every day. He literally assigns 3 chapters worth of h.w. on Monday and expects it by Wednesday. Also, you must have complete sentences for EVERY answer, even simple equations such as 2x+3=6. (I.e "The solution to 2x+3=6 is 3/2"). He's a nice guy and all, but his class is DRAINING.
Already passed this class with an "A" in High School. He grades harshly a lot of the time. Follows the book for the most part(First 4 Chapters), but his lectures are boring and he goes off on random things when someone asks a question which takes up a lot of time. Tests are ridiculous you do your own thing and automatically get 0. Jim is OK at best
I just can't stand all these bad comments on this teacher! He is a great teacher, even though math it is a "difficult" thing on its own. People that feels that he is a bad teacher are wrong: this is my 4th semester that i am taking his classes and surely I will look for his name before picking a future math class. Remeber: to learn requires effort!
More than the teacher being bad, i think students are getting lazy. I am an International student, and I had him as a professor for some time now. Yes, lots of hand-qritten homework, but that's the most effective way to learn math, which is with your brain and not your claculator! also, he is the only teacher on campus that helps ANYTIME he can.
Great teacher! math is not easy to learn or teach, not everyone gets it, but Mr. Matthews makes you get it. sure allot of work is assigned, so if you just get math naturally, maybe you waste your time. But for the rest of us who don't, we need teachers like matthews.
I dreaded math before taking his class but after, I really understood the beauty behind it. If you do the work and study you will learn immensely! This class is invaluable if you require higher math courses. No offense to Prof. Jordan but Im regretting not taking Jim for Math 5. I Don't feel like I'm learning much. Well see when semester is over.
Avoid this professor like the plague! Too much homework!
Hes kind of a dork when it comes to entertainment. However, GREAT teacher. If available, take his classes. He explains math in ways that make you understand not only how to do it but how and why it works. Lectures will stick in your head. Wish i could take again.
very arrogant and gets off puting students down. this guy should not be a teacher at all. too much homework. really bad grader too. DO NOT TAKE THIS GUY.
He's an awful human being. He likes to put students down.
Bad Teacher! If you want to waist your time and hate math. Take Matthews
Great trig teacher, really! He challenges you just like any teacher. There is a lot of homework so if you want to be lazy, he is not recommended. But seriously, the homework helps. Take close notes during class. He tells you everything you need to know. If you need extra help, go see him during office hours. I definitely recommend this class!
He is a hard teacher. He was not helpful at all. He is quick and he doesn't answer question very well. It is highly recommended that you DO NOT take him.
At first he seems as if he will be a hard teacher,but he is not.Once you get past the sarcastic sense of humor,he is a very friendly and kind guy.He will help you if you ask and are serious about learning.He takes extra steps to get to the solution(no shortcuts here),but those extra steps have stuck with me up to now. Would enjoy having him again.
His lectures go on forever and never get to the point and makes you lose interest. He gives out too much work and his quizzes are ridiculous. He's a nice guy but this class is very difficult
Great professor, has a tendancy to ramble with regaurds to material. Sometimes oversimplified lectures actually confused me. Then I realized they were for the students who need hand holding. Would take again. Engaging and knowlegable. Hardest part of the course is learning to think for yourself.
Not help full at all. Really smart professor but was not clear when explaining problems. AVOID taking him.
Tests on material not covered yet. Very negative. Smart but condescending. Not helpful
Great teacher very helpful!!!!! take him you will not regret it!
Mathhews is actually pretty chill once you get to talking with him. He teaches you the subject using logic. He thinks that math should be about reasoning, not computing. So yes he's a bit difficult to understand, but he WILL help if you put your part and ask.
I got an "F" last semester in this class with another teacher! This teacher made it so easy to understand because he deals with reasoning! He is definitely worth taking. I am trying to get him for Math-40 but his class is already full. I don't want to take another teacher for this subject! If I have to I will wait till next semester!!!
This Professor gets you to think outside the box of mathematics. He uses logic and reason. Ton of even problem homework, but it gets you ready for his exams. They aren't easy. Study!!
He is great! the best math teacher in college of the desert. If you want to learn, take him!
Best math teacher around. Teaches you the right way, no short cuts. Uses logic to solve everything. Well organized class. His instructions are clear. His passion for the subject is second to none. Should probably be a math instructor at M.I.T. or something of that sort. Do all your assignments, and pay attention you will earn a well deserved A.
If you have hopes of passing your class, don't take this teacher, because he will make you feel like you've never taken a proper math class before and everything you learned prior to this class was adding 2+2. He needs to lay off stressing how bad every other teacher is and focus on trying to actually better his students learning.
great prof to take if you are a mathengineer student that has to KNOW math and how it works which will be a great preparation for your future classes; he goes in depth beyond what other profs require. in class shows one example which is like an intro to hw often has no relevance. nice guy though. funny. you have to really work to pass his class.
Mathews was hard. He was confusing, a lot of times you'd ask a question and his answers often left me even more lost nodding and agreeing just so he would stop. The class was comprised of daily homework (at least 2 assignment a week) but is practically insignificant because the tests determine your grade of which there are 3 and a final.
He's a good professor with patients and smart, but his exams are so hard, you need to have well math basic knowledge can get high grades.
Will make you feel like you din't take proper math before. Goes deep into math which is good for certain majors. A ton of homework. I asked question but didn't find his answer helpful, seemed like he just explained everything the same way. Retook with prof. Graff and she helped me so much more!!! He's a good guy but can't understand his style
You really need to read the book in order to get a grasp of the material, his lectures rarely help and he begins to dwell in the understanding of math while displaying his knowledge. Beginning of the class, he's just trying to mind-f**k you. Seems like a cool guy, but not great to teach this class. Exams are tough and you won't see hwk probs on it.
He spent the first few lessons talking about logic and problem solving. Some people didn't care for that but he's correct when he said it's essential to move to the more advanced math classes. Lectures are clear, he stayed on schedule and the homework was expected. Overall good experience.
His teaching style is very confusing the lectures are long and often don't help and left more confused, the homework was a ridiculous amount &could barely keep up!! The online lab I barely had time to finish it since it's timed and you have to email for more time! I personally wouldn't recommend taking this unless you are superb at math!!
I would avoid!!!!!!!!!
Matthews is one of the best teachers i have taken so far at COD. He helped me in lab whenever needed, gave good feedback, and always made sure i understood where i was messing up. his teaching style is more showing you WHY you do what we need to do, not HOW. if you pay attention you will pass.
people that didn't pass or didn't like him probably didn't do the work or pay attention. if you do the hw when its assigned and have it done when its due (& not wait till last minute when he actually collects it) then YOU WILL PASS. Math takes up a lot of time so be ready.
Prof. Matthews is the best Math professor Ive had at COD. He encourages students to solve problems logically instead of just following procedures. He lectures enthusiastically and explains the material in depth. Do the homework, show all your work on the exams, ask questions, pay attention in class and you should be able to pass!
Professor Matthews is a sample of what I imagine upper division math professors to be like. I really enjoyed his class, but I am a math major and abstract thinker. If you have a hard time grasping abstract concepts, he might not be the professor for you since he teaches a "pure" math approach. He is great at explaining concepts, fair, and generous.
He's fantastic
Not an easy class but his lecture was clear and amazing. He is so professional. He cared for his students and gave a lot of extra credit opportunities. He is a great professor. I do recommend everyone to take his class.
Prof. Matthews is a great choice if math is a easy subject. He does give a lot of homework and the book is necessary for class. If math is not your strong suit you should probably take another professor. His lectures can get pretty confusing at times, at least for me.
Professor Matthews is the difference between a teacher and an educator, his passion and expertise in mathematics is undeniable. Pay attention and ask questions. Do the homework!! Exams will ultimately determine your grade, so be prepared. Practicing by doing homework is the best way! He is a caring professor and a very fair grader.
James Matthews is the GOAT. Best Math Professor I've ever had. He really makes you use logic to solve and understand the problems. Super easy to talk to if you need help outside of class and when he does help you he'll take as much time as possible until you understand it. Super honest and I can't wait to take another Calculus class with him.
Professor Matthews is the best math teacher I've had yet! He gets down to the nitty-gritty and does a phenomenal job explaining the reasoning behind everything. This is a class that'll keep you up at night but will pay off tremendously because you'll know how to solve a problem 237 different ways and explain how you solved each one.
gives lots of hw and definitely uses a lot of logic! he is a very smart prof and can do math like no other but if you struggle with math and math is a hard subject for you DON'T DO IT. avoid him he will be way to advance for you he expects you to know everything and to understand it quickly, he moves fast. if you understand math you should be fine
He's fantastic, passionate, and ALWAYS down to talk about math.
I dont hate his class hes a good teacher, but i feel like he expects too much of his students. In the beginning his class was so good i understood everything learned a lot but he did give a lot of hw and i always tried my best but his tests felt impossible. If you want to challenge yourself then take it. If you want to pass do not take this class
Personally, I loved Prof Matthews and his class. He is very thorough and really takes his time teaching to ensure the material is actually being understood. He gives amazing feedback on homework and tests and never leaves you wondering what you did wrong. There are extra credit opportunities on almost all the tests if you just check your work.
The class was fine, the professor just doesn't know how to pace the class evenly. The first half was at a slow speed, and the next half was way to accelerated.
80% exams, 20% home assignments. Wildly unrealistic due dates. Says book is often wrong & must do it his way or no credit. Lecture is 1 example and explaining logic. Nice in class, but preloaded berating feedback online. Don't take w/o EXTREMELY developed math skills. If you don't test well, do not take. Overall awful experience, had to drop.
Worst math professor ever. I love math, but he made me HATE it. It's his way and no other; he states the book is wrong, doesn't believe in the formulas because "there's other ways to do a problem." It's literally his way or the highway. 10/10 DO NOT RECOMMEND. The hw and classwork are useless because he gives you a different thing on the test.
This professor assigns an extremely heavy amount of HW, I had no job and was barely a full-time student yet spent all my time doing his homework. He assigns a huge amount of work that you must teach yourself to do, then will do a lecture where he covers one small aspect of it. His tests are nothing like the homework but are based on the concepts.
Only five people took his final, out of those I do not know how many passed. This teacher is condescending, uses words "obvious" and "clearly" to describe every concept, gives out so much homework you have to ask for an extension every week and basically requires you to attend his office hours to pass since his lectures are usually on one problem.
This person acts as if you are lazy if you are a low-income person that has to work to survive and cannot dedicate all your time to a low-level pre-calc class. I am a math major working full time that plans on stopping my work once I get to calculus, and this man made my life a living hell of constant homework and studying while I worked everyday.
This class will test your mental stability as well as your ability to learn concepts as they come at a deep level. I am a math major so this class was a positive experience for me, but so many people got sniped by the difficulty that I would not recommend it unless you want to test yourself and grow as an individual. I learned a lot about math tho
If you aren't asleep by the end of his class I think you deserve a passing grade. He is condescending, boring, and his teaching style is: "Let's explain everything there is to explain about this simple concept and hopefully you'll be able to get the harder stuff on your own." I am convinced that any 5/5 reviews are written by his wife.
Worst teacher I've ever had. Spends 3 hrs doing two examples and expects you to know everything. Be prepared to teach yourself the material. His standards are extremely high. I cry doing his homework. His syllabus states that he expects his students to do 4-8 hours of work every day in order to pass. You'll need more though because he can't teach.
This is probably the worst class I've ever taken. He decided after the first month of class to teach us how to format his papers. The test are 90 percent of your grade and he expects 4-8 hours of calculus work per day.
Do yourself a favor and take another class. He treats this class like it is your only obligation, so unless you have an extra 6 hours a day to do calculus I would not recommend. I have taken a lot of math classes, but this is the first one where professor instruction made the subject more difficult to understand.
Don’t take!! Too much homework for little credit. Tests worth more than half the grade. No calculators. Makes math harder than it is. Hw graded on accuracy not just completion. You’ll 1000% need outside resources to understand material. Hw takes 6+ hours to complete. He’s a nice guy, but taking his class is my biggest academic regret.
This class was by far the hardest.This class is meant for people that want to major in math. He makes the subject a lot harder than it needs to be which is hard for people that struggle with math in the first place.I've never dropped a class and this class is my first. He is very condescending and it's very discouraging as a student trying to learn
Some quotes from the man himself. "You are clearly in way over your head". "Can't do basic trig, which is why could not finish". "Basic arithmetic issue. Should be obvious" (If it were obvious I would've gotten it right). "Very basic skills are clearly nonexistent". He blames his failure as a teacher on his students not being ready for this class.
This class is by far the hardest I have ever taken. The homework load is crazy. I spend about 5-6 hours on homework alone everyday. The study guides have no relevance to the test. He is also very demeaning and as a student that's trying to learn it is discouraging.
if you want to pass don't take this class. This class is by far the hardest I have ever taken. I should have listened to the other reviews and not waste my time. Very demeaning and very rude when students make mistakes. The tests are worth 90 percent of your grade which is way more than any other class I have ever taken. Good luck if you take him.
I really questioned my mental sanity during this class. I would stay up for hours doing math homework and since I have other classes so that isn't easy. If your a math major take him because he will treat you like one. This teacher is the bottom of the barrel.
If you want to cry doing homework and your a bio major just trying to meet the requirements then take another math class and save yourself time. This class is absolutely terrible.
For students majoring in computer science or any majors related to taking PreCalc as a req, pick a different professor. His lecture and his assignments are designed for those majoring in math and are not for those who aren't confident or understand proficient enough with math. Condescending and berating feedback, with exams CRB-based. Don't take!
Do not take this class if you aren't a math major. The professor spends the first half of class on one single problem. Tests are worth 80% of your overall grade, so if you fail one test your grade drops drastically. The study guides don't even apply to the questions that are on the test. Half of the class dropped out in the middle of the semester.
This teacher was terrible. He uses language in his homework instructions that all but call you an idiot if you can't understand them. The way he grades exams is plain old harsh criticism. Nothing constructive about it. Spends 75% of the class going over irrelevant things. You will be teaching yourself the entire semester you take his class.
This class is hard! It took much more time than my Chem but he wants you to understand the concepts. I highly recomend to not take this with other high unit courses. Tough, complicated, harsh feedback and almost like an AP class if you have taken one before (self taught). Expect to put A LOT of time into the class overall.
I learned so much from Jim about how to use logic to solve problems. He teaches not to follow steps for math, but to expand your knowledge of how to interact with math. I loved the lectures and going on tangents of future things I am going to learn and how what I am learning now will corelate down the road. Best teacher I have had so far.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
86%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.42 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH12
5.0
(1)MATH2A
5.0
(2)CALCULUS
5.0
(1)MATH5
5.0
(1)MATH070
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MATH1B
5.0
MATH002A
5.0
MATH10
5.0
M40
5.0
MATH40MATH12
5.0