While his instruction is clear, he doesn't try very hard to engage the class, so it's easy to fall asleep or whatever.

Awesome teacher for Data Structures. Used visuals to explain many topics. His props like cereal boxes (sortables) and rice(unit of cpu time) helped students understand sorting and time complexity of algorithms. Tests/homework were a healthy challenge.

Sometimes class can get boring, but he is a good professor who is helpful and seems to enjoy teaching.

rough lecture, clear but very dry. hard tests. stand up guy though, really cares about his students. wants you to succeed and always seems willing to help out

Clear and articulate almost to a fault. Lectures are very boring, but the guy does a good job teaching the material if you can stay awake.

Pretty easy class. Sometimes lectures are a little boring, but they guy tries very hard to help his students. Very helpful during office hours. Sometimes assignments a little long, but exams were pretty easy.

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Skrentny is an excellent teacher with enjoyable and focused lectures. Do not miss his class -- I think the non-honors got more out of this class than the honors section. Do the assignments and make sure to get a buddy for the projects if you do not have a lot of programming experience. The online material was usually very good. Highly recommended.

Good class. Very laid back environment, and no textbook required. Does a good job of going over data structures, but lectures can be a bit dry. Power lecture definitely got to be long. There is ALOT of coding, but prof. and TAs are helpful in understanding and working through it.

Definitly one of the best teachers ive had at uw. Not a teacher to be afraid of at all.

Very good professor! Power lectures can run a little long and dry, but does an EXCELLENT job and is very helpful. BONUS: easy exams and helpful TA's!!!!

Great teacher. Uses visual aids which help students better understand course material. Great sense of humor and is able to make learning what is very dry material very interesting. Photocopies student's IDs during the first midterm, a week later he seems to know just about everyone's name. He tries to keep the course feeling personal. Great prof.

Great professor. Class is very laid back and fairly enjoyable. He does a good job keeping students engaged.

Fantastic professor. He personally cleaned up the CS367 curriculum of unnecessary books, handouts, etc., and it shows. Everything is covered in lecture, which is clear and well-organized, and even (mostly) available online. He is also very helpful and supportive.

Very clear teacher, very helpful and nice. No textbook. All exams are 10%, and he gives extra time at all exams for everyone to finish. Highly Recommended.

Somehow he made an hour and a half lecture in programming interesting.

Seriously, I'd say Skrentny is the best professor I've had. He's very clear and helpful. He gets the class to interact and you do exercises in class and he walks around to make sure everyone is understanding the material. Programming assignments are fairly difficult, but nothing you can't handle if you go to class. Makes his own readings too.

Manages to make a 9:30am power lecture bearable. Engages the class with interactive examples and problems. His exams are fairly easy, and the programming projects aren't bad either. Definitely a good choice.

His first semester teaching this class, so definitely was trying out some things and trying to find his footing. Overall, conveyed his enthusiasm for the (somewhat boring) topic well and made it seem more interesting than it (perhaps) actually is. Very kind person and very willing to help you out during office hours. Recommended.

The best professor I have had to date. He explains the topics in lecture very clearly, is more than eager to help with anything you don't get, and is a genuinely nice guy. He is going to be in CS302 for the next couple years. very recommended

Good teacher, he has lots of energy. Programming assignments are HARD, exams are a bit easier. HW is only to read the textbook (not always necessary,) and there is extra credit (that I had to pay $25 to use the online program.)

The programming assignments were hard, but both the teacher and the TAs were very helpful. Tests were a bit easier than assignments. Extra credit cost $25, but helped with understanding assignments and was generally easy.

Overall, Jim is an awesome teacher. He isn't boring to listen to and he knows what he is talking about. If you understand programming, then you'll easily understand him.

He genuinely seems to like teaching and knows the material very well. His activities and slide shows are great tools for explaining that subject matter.

Lectures are crucial to understanding material, as are labs and programs. He is very passionate about the subject, and a great lecturer. If you're unsure about how you will do in the class, use CodeLab from the start as it will give you plenty of practice to test your progress.

good prof .. explains things very well so i never used the textbook .. exams are tricky though! 2nd and 3rd programming assignments are tough .. prepare to start them like a week ahead!!!!

Having no prior experience with CS, I found the class quite tough. But, if you read the book and do CodeLab, you should be fine. The programming assignments take ALOT of time, so start early. Should definitely be worth more than 3 credits for the amount of time this class takes up.

The class itself is quite interesting and I would highly recommend. Programming assignments manage to be fun although laborious. For instance program 3 was a Pokemon Battle program. Great class

Very good at explaining the material for exams. His lectures are very helpful, especially the reviews before the exams. This course is a ton of work and the directions for the programs are often unclear. If you need help, go in early because a lot of students will be there right before a program is due.

Jim is an awesome professor - he makes you want to actually come to class. Having never programmed in my life before this class, I have found I actually highly enjoy it. Yes the class is hard, but it's very possible to receive an A; especially with a professor like Jim. Disregard the haters.

definitely recommend him. he finds a way to make cs bearable, and he knows what hes talking about. programs are hard and the 2nd exam was pretty hard but other than that not bad

He's not always the most interesting lecturer but I learned a lot in his class. I had no prior programming experience and I did pretty well in the class overall. Programs are hard but doable. Labs are boring but helpful. Exams are fairly easy. My only advice is GO TO LECTURE!! He doesn't post powerpoints online and lecture is very helpful!

He is a good professor, but the class was difficult for me, as I had no prior programming experience and the program assignments were beyond my capabilities. Go to lecture and study hard for the exams. The second exam was all written, and I found it very difficult, but the first midterm and final were okay. Labs were okay. Overall a hard class.

He is decent guy. Going to lectures is the only way to suceed in the class. Also most of the class has programming experience....so this class might be a little bit challenging for those with no programming experience. Programing assignment require thinking out of the box. Also for programming assignments get a partner as soon as you can.

I had only taken one CS class in high school but I really like math and science so this class was really easy. He's definitely helpful and his office hours are quite busy. Very friendly and very good powerpoints. Better go to class though. If you have the chance I really recommend WES-CS too.

As a very math-inclined person with no programming experience, I found his lectures pretty slow and not that helpful, considering the material he covered was almost exactly what was in the book. Going to lecture is important, though, because he will go over exam-type questions. The program assignments were difficult, but graded generously.

Jim's teaching style is well-measured and conversational so that often-confusing programming jargon almost always makes perfect sense after his lectures. The second great CS professor I've had in as many semesters. Java, like foreign languages, comes with practice. Use CodeLab if you have the time.

Great teacher. Clear, dependable, and reasonable. Programs are surprisingly easy but he says he's making them harder next year so don't count on it. Workload is pretty light. As long as you keep up with your reading before class, you should do fine in the class.

Jim is, quite simply, an excellent teacher. Unlike some CS classes where the instructor is more interested in their research than imparting knowledge to you, Jim ensures that you'll walk away from his class knowing more about data structures and programming.

He is a great instructor and the structure of his class was great. He explains things very well, shows helpful example problems, and demonstrates the more abstract concepts clearly (which is important for a CS teacher). There was quite a bit of work, but it was mostly graded generously (except the tests). Take a class with him if you can!

Very good professor. Explains concepts clearly and completely.

Awesome professor, structured the class very well and explained topics very well.

Skrentny! What a great professor for those of us who are truly passionate about programming. Genuinely cares about his students and what he is teaching. Has a great set up to his lectures, and makes sure that the things he are teaching are clear. Best professor I've had for any class.

Excellent professor that uses both textual and visual methods to teach which helps everyone learn the material. Class was very easy since his lectures and reading materials help the students learn the material needed for the programs, homeworks, and exams.

He's a great professor for 367. Crystal clear explanations; I still go back to my notes from this course. Print off his lecture note pages before class so you don't have to re-write anything. Practice coding by hand if you want to do well on tests.

What a goofy guy. His bird seed analogies are really helpful. I could see him really making it big on Broadway. Ask him about his dice collection.

Nothing to see here. Just another kid praising how effective this professor is at teaching the material while caring about your future in CS

He's a pretty funny and laid back guy and is very clear in explaining concepts. He provides printable hand-outs on the class site which are very helpful when following along in lecture. Sometimes he draws out the concepts which also helps a lot. Exams were fair. Thought a couple of the programming assignments had really weird specs.

This man does respect students. He cares students. Lectures are very clear and notes explain material wonderfully. It is not hard to get a good grade if you put effort to class. Homework is important and I think it is not very easy, definitely very good practice for understand of the material.

Hes a great professor. You definitely want to print his handouts for lecture. Programs (5) I found pretty easy but homeworks (10) were tough. Exams ranged from easy to moderately difficult.

Skrentny has been teaching CS 367 for years and he's god it down to a science. Lectures are very clear and straightforward as a result. You are expected to work for your grade, however. This semester, his TA's made the class a bit annoying. Program specifications were often unclear, and grading on the homework was inconsistent.

He's the best computer science teacher I've ever had, hands down. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone for CS367 Data Structures.

Great professor! This isn't a class where you can really miss lecture. if you go, though, he will be super in-depth and clear. Do the readings, and do them on time, and try to do the homework asap so he can help you with it. Just keep up and challenge yourself, and you'll get an A. HARD exams.

Excellent professor. The course is very well developed and it is clear the professor knows the material and has done this before. There is a fair bit of homework and projects can be tough/time consuming, but it is a highly valuable course. Highly recommend.

I've seen my fair share of professors... some incredible (Jennifer Beichman) and some not so great (Melanie Wood). Let me tell you, Jim Skrentney is among the best teachers that I have ever had in my career. I actually WANTED to go to class. I wouldn't change a single detail when it comes to how this course was taught or structured. He's fantastic!

Jim knows what he is doing in CS367. Lectures are very clear and everything follows logically. The tests were hard just because there isn't that much practice material. He teaches you exactly what you need to know, however.

He clearly knows what he's doing. The projects can be painful, but that's not the fault of the professor. Go to class because he handwrites the notes using an overhead projector.

Great professor. Knows what he's talking about. Projects can be tough though.

Class is well organized and straightforward. Programming projects take 7-20 hours depending on how fast you type and how good of a debugger you are as well as the program. This is really not a class you can skip, as the exams are based solely around what he covers in lectures, and not everything is in the readings. Exams are easy if you go to class

hes great

Puts in a lot of effort into the classes. Very enthusiastic. Very clear. Answers questions very well.

A bit scary in person, but a great lecturer. No textbook, just shortish online readings, which is nice.

Class was challenging, definitely need to work very hard to get an A unless you're naturally amazing at nitpicky test questions and doing perfectly on all programs/homework assignments. Professor Skrentny is a good lecturer and a nice guy, a bit intimidating one-on-one. Enjoyed his outline format of lecturing. Study hard, hard, hard for tests!

Skrentny is by far my favorite professor at UW. His lectures were engaging and he has 367 down to a science. It's a shame the class has been given to Deppler. I learned so much from him and considering what an important class this is for a CS major, I am glad that he was my professor. If you have the chance, TAKE SKRENTNY.

He has very good lectures that include a notesheet outline we can use during the lecture. His lectures help a lot, and the outlines for each lectures actually help you learn much better than traditional lectures.

I really enjoyed 367 with Jim Skrentny. I was a little lost at first, but quickly got used to his teaching style and learned a ton. Probably learned more in 367 than in any other class I've taken here. He is extremely organized and explains tough concepts very thoroughly. I would highly recommend getting him as an instructor for this course.

He has you take notes by having you print out a skeleton of the lecture notes every day and having you follow him through it, filling stuff in. I liked it a lot, but if you didn't show up then you would have to ask someone who was there for their notes. Is really thorough with examples. Pretty quirky, keeps lectures from getting too boring.

This is his first semester teaching 354 for some time, and he has been a part of revamping the course. Tests are multiple choice + dual choice now and you learn the material in a different order than usual, but it's the same stuff by and large. Great professor, projects were 6-10 hours each (6 projects total), exam questions were what I expected

Mixed feelings: He is a great prof but still only enjoyed 50% of 354. Constantly found myself saying "What the f%!K Jim" while doing homework because they were so detailed that it was infuriating. Learned a ton, but he is so knowledgeable in the material that he teaches so much and expects you to master everything, so it can be un-enjoyable.

Very good teacher, explains concepts well. He is very detail oriented so you have to put in some work to figure out exactly how everything works but he does a good job of getting you there. Genuinely cares about teaching as effectively as possible

Jim is one of my favorite professors at UW - Madison. He cares about the material and wants you to succeed.

Jim is a really great guy. He's humble (which is rare for a prof) and takes feedback very seriously. This is his second semester teaching 354 and he has gotten a lot better from what I can tell. Go to lecture, everything on the exams can be found in the notes that he takes. If English is your second language, it will be hard to read his writing.

I wish all his notes were on lecture slides, so I could pay attention during class instead of taking notes, and I didn't have to figure out his hand writings.

Favorite prof in this University! He's explaining things well as long as you pay attention to his words.

As a professor, Jim expects a lot out of his students, and the course can seem very demanding at times with you just utterly unsure of how to start a program. However, Jim is exceptionally knowledgeable and does a good job of explaining course material. In the end, CS354 is a basic C course. It only gets exponentially harder from here on out. GL!

Hard class, homeworks are hard but if you attend lecture and go through the readings it is definitely manageable. Great professor, tries to make lecture interesting by throwing funny comp sci jokes and puns. 10/10 would recommend

Skrentny is extremely knowledgeable about what he teaches and does a very good job of explaining the intricacies of C and how it works under the hood. He does expect a lot and challenge students by giving quite tricky homework problems and tricky programs. I think all the exercises have meaning though, and help reinforce the concepts.

There's a lot of content in this course. Need to make study groups in order to succeed in this class. Lectures are outline based and hard to digest at first. Skrentny expects everyone to be caught up on class material, don't freak out if you're not. Exams are worth a lot, so lots of studying is needed.

A very structured class. There is a lot of information, but it all makes sense as long as you don't fall behind.

I wish I could take upper level Cs classes with Jim. He really knew his material and it helped me significantly with interviews. I even went into his office hours for advice on career direction and it was better than any advisor could ever be. Overall, smart dude and teaches in an effective way

Those comments are too harsh. He is a good lecturer and his lectures clearly explain the concepts in low-level computer language and organization. What I don't satisfy is that this course is too concept heavy which makes it unlike a CS course. Homework and exams are more concept based, projects are not heavy enough. Despite this, it's a good course

Jim knows the intricacies of C programming and Computer Systems like the back of his hand. To get an A, attend every lecture and fill out his note templates, start programs very early (because they can often be challenging), stay on top of weekly homework quizzes, and study from both the online textbooks and lecture notes for tests. Cheers!

Jim is well-organized and well-prepared for each class. He takes good control of the class and answers questions in an efficient way. CS354 is a theory-heavy course. So, projects are relatively easy. Making sure to attend every lecture, review notes before exams, and refer to the free digital textbook when doing weekly HW, you will get an A.

Jim is a very good professor who explains everything in detail but his notes would be short so writing some extra explanation in your notes would help. The exams have reasonable questions whose answers can be found in the notes but you need to read closely. The quizzes are hard but the projects are rather easy.

Very structured learning experience. Became a much better systems programmer. WIsh more professors taught like this.

He expects a lot out of his students as his lectures are fast and concise. If you fall behind in class don't expect to catch up later on. He makes it very clear what he expects of students and if you put in the work you will be fine. One of the best CS lecturers I have had on a course.

just because a lot of what Jim teaches is automated now doesn't mean it's useless. He gets down into the low level organization of a processor, and a good computer scientist must be confident in that area. Jim organizes the class excellently and his notes are perfect. As long as you CLOSELY study those, hw, and programs you will be gold.

Jim is a great teacher. His lectures are concise and he tells you what you need to know in a very straightforward fashion. If you come to lecture prepared, you'll get good things out of this class. Worth noting, however, that if you skip lectures or zone out for a bit it will be hard to catch up. So paying attention is important

Jim is a great guy and is knowledgeable; But the course he ran had a number of hiccups, largely due to the TAs or canvas issues or course writeups. It is also a weedout class, but that's beside the point. Quizzes can have discrepancies from lectures and programs will lose points for things not specified in the writeup. Not easy, but learn a lot.

Skrentnys course is tough, but he sure knows his stuff. Youll be successful if you go to lecture, follow his note guides, do the homework, and ask questions.

He knows what he's talking about and is very clear and easy to understand. The material is chosen well and interesting. He uses pre-made outlines for you to fill in as he fills them in, which simplifies the note-taking process a lot. The main issue I had with the class is that it was poorly organized for time: long lulls followed by lots of work.

Jim is an engaging lecturer and clearly knowledgable about his material. His programming assignments and homeworks can be exceptionally difficult and require detailed knowledge of concepts that are not always fully clarified in lecture, so the class involves a substantial amount of independent studying. However, exams are comparatively easy.

Jim is a clear and consistently good lecturer. His lectures are easy to follow and very straightforward, and his class is organized and sensible. He breaks down difficult topics in a much more approachable way than CS teachers. Despite having literally no experience in C, Jim made 354 easy to pick up as long as I was willing to put in the work.

Skrentny is one of the best lecturers I have had for CS, albeit his pace is a bit slow. If you follow the note-taking structure it is very easy to understand everything lectured on. The difficult part is the "homework"/quizzes and exams, where the concepts get stepped up, and require work to understand. Ultimately he is a good teacher.

Don't buy the haters, Jim is not that bad. Important to attend lectures and fill out the lecture notes. Pretty reasonable handling of Covid-19, students just won't give the guy a break!

My favorite prof in CS so far, teaches important material. If you want to succeed in this course, just do EXACTLY what he says to do in terms of reading, lectures, outlines and projects. A lot of people are bombing this because he changed the exam policy but he kept it fair while trying to weed out cheaters. Don't listen to sorry victim types

The lectures were pretty slow (they were like Deb's lectures), but you will learn as long as you can stay focused. Tbh, you don't need any of the textbooks as the lectures are packed. The homework was tricky and the projects took some time. The only thing I have bad to say is the communication and time it takes to grade the six projects.

Lecture outlines are given before class, and Jim goes through them in class. Filled out outlines are not posted online. The content Jim covers is really thorough and I personally liked his lecture style quite a bit. Jim also selected textbooks that are old enough to be found online for free, while still being very good. Definitely go to class.

A lot of these ratings are pretty melodramatic. Lectures can be pretty dry but he does a good job of explaining the content. Grade calculations/scale is still not finalized in late November. A lot of the people complaining about the homework are either doing it last minute or not bothering to see one of the 6 very available teaching assistants.

His lectures are very dry but if you can pay attention well enough, you get exactly what you need out of class. Homework aligns a lot with the lectures and exams look almost exactly like the homework. We're only graded on homework and exams but keep in mind that it is a 2 credit course; The workload shouldn't be ridiculous (and its not).

ECE 252 fall 2020, only homework is quizzes. Exams are pretty much the same as HW. HW is quite different from the lectures. All knowledge you need is covered in lectures but you need to think a bit harder to apply what you have learned to HW. Lectures, deleted 2 weeks after published, are fantastic and you will learn a lot of good stuff.

Pay no attention to these CS252 ratings that bash Prof. Skrentny. This semester was his first time teaching the class, and during COVID, so moving forward it will only be better. His lecture outlines are great, and he covers basically everything in his lectures. Exams are almost identical to the homework assignments, and he even gave extra credit.

Please put some respect on his name Yes, the lectures can be dry but honestly who has amazing lectures? Anyway, the point is that the lectures ARE VERY CLEAR. They correlate directly with the hw. Pay attention in lecture, DONT START THE HOMEWORK LAST MINUTE, and GET HELP FROM THE TA's WITH ANYTHING when you need it. Do this and you'll be fine.

CS 354 with Prof. Skrentny was the most well-organized class I've ever taken. "Binary bombs" project was incredible. Provided note-taking templates are filled out during lectures, listen to the context given because this guy knows his stuff. Quizzes were really hard. Don't get behind. Study the quizzes when preparing for the final exam.

When I see a lot of negative comments, I can't help but want to say a word for him. Taking ECE252 with Jim Skrentny was the best learn experience since I came to UWM. Jim's lecture covers everything you need to know in great detail. His exam was basically the same as assignment. He also offered extra credit in his assignments. highly recommended.

You are only graded by homework and exams. Exams are basically the same as assignments and they are pretty easy as long as you watch the lectures. Lectures are not enjoyable but they are ok if you watch in x2. You should definitely pass this class and it is pretty easy to get an A.

It is a bit more work than I'd want for a 2 credit class, but it went well overall. Skrentny's lectures weren't super engaging, but they got the job done. What was nice was that the homeworks were extremely similar to the exams, and on each exams you could retake and have the average of two scores. Homework was very challenging though.

I rarely come do a review. I was getting low C at the beginning due to adjustment, but quickly began getting As on exams and such. Skrentny is extremely well structured. His notes are very useful and interactive, his homework PREPARES you for the exams extremely well, and he is a friendly guy. My favorite teacher I have had at UW so far.

Makes taking notes so easy by giving you the outline and you pretty much just fill in the blanks. His tests are almost identical in structure to the homeworks so you know exactly what you need to study.

Gives fill-in-the-blank outlines to use for notes, which is super helpful. Lectures were pretty boring, but he seems like a nice guy. The exams are just like the homeworks, and as long as you review the outlines before, you should be good. Not the worst CS prof I've had by far.

Teaches the content well, lectures are a bit dry but he is rather comprehensive regarding the material. He also cares a lot about his students' understanding and success, and his passion for the content makes the class more enjoyable.

Skrentny makes you learn the material in the most CS/ECE fashion: as efficient as possible but as boring as possible. You learn everything from him going over guided notes which is incredibly conducive to learning and makes it easy to study before tests. However, guided notes for an hour and fifteen is quite torturous ngl.

Impossibly slow lectures where he writes on a note sheet (which is kinda helpful when doing assignments). Skrentny uses up every possible minute of his lectures. Majority of class stopped showing up after the first week, choosing to watch class recordings. 4 Exams taken on Honorlock, 4 OK projects, and a homework assignment each week.

Jim gets a lot of slack from students for no reason. While his lectures can be boring, he's a very kind person. 252 is a very fair class: as long as you watch lectures, do the homework/projects, and study for exams you're almost guaranteed an A.

Very in-depth for both 252 and 354 course works, great for getting ready for systems.

Jim is overall a swell professor. His lectures can be kinda slow but he fills in a note sheet that is helpful for homework and exams. Exams are formated exacly like the HW so they are overall not difficult. Jim does need to improve on his handwriting though. He writes in all caps, with a GREEN pen and it is very hard to read unless you hear it.

Exceptional ability to explain complex topics. Lectures made it incredibly easy to learn tough material. Never felt behind in the class, & always had options to choose whichever method of learning best allows me to succeed. Skrentny is a very charming & personable man, and I hope to encounter him in my future courses.

This class was solid. Jim is a great teacher, explains concepts well and really does seem to care about his students. Outside of that, he is a very nice guy and carries himself well in lecture. Although Jim is great, his lectures are incredibly boring. You will learn a lot, but definitely bring some type of caffeine or you may just fall asleep.

Jim is an awesome teacher. Although the lecture may be a little bit boring, student can success in his course if they follow the lectures.

Jim Skrentny is a staple of the CS department and provides a clear and tested curriculum. He integrates student feedback and adjusts and improves his lectures year-by-year. Thank you so much, Professor!

This course is harder than math starting with 5 and 6 i'm doing rn I'm not joking

This is the easiest course I take at UW-Madison. Jim is a very kind and caring instructor. However, he needs to improve his hand-writing skills. I also think honor lock is annoying because I always spend much time to scan the room carrying my heavy gaming laptop. Although the course is easy, we are almost not allowed to make mistakes because of hw!

This class was not hard, lectures were easy to understand but can get boring. Although lectures were clear I found it hard to stay focused. Exams are almost exact copies of homework and not hard, so getting an A is easy.

3 100s on the first 3 exams, one 25% on the 4th exam, permanent AB.

Jim is a pretty dull lecturer, but he is very clear and carefully defines all terms before using them. If you miss a lecture, it's a pain to get the notes, so make friends early on. The homework, tests, and projects are mostly Canvas quizzes, but it is very easy to make small mistakes that tank your grade heavily, so be careful in this class.

Normally I'd be very put off by the antiquated method of lecturing (using a projection of papers) but he explains things well and the outlines (papers) are structured well. Not posting slides forces you to go to class and write it down which taught me the material really well and prepared me for exams. Just make sure to make up misses lectures asap