Prof. Gibbons does a good job of making introductory programming (Java) easy to understand. If you have any prior programming experience this class should be a breeze. Most of your grade comes from labs, though there are a few written tests. We never used the textbook at all, don't bother wasting the money on it.

Best professor I've ever had in college

Great class

Excellent professor. Attendance is not taken for lecture and he still speaks to a packed room almost every time.

Professor Gibbons makes the course engaging and enjoyable to attend. Lectures are very casual and very interactive. Not afraid to take class time to explain stuff if people don't understand. Cares about students' success. As long as you do the work and study enough, an A or B should be attainable with him.

Professor Gibbons is great. I had never written Java code in my life before, but he made me love writing code. I highly recommend him.

One of the best professors I've had. Tests are exactly what you'd expect them to be. Got an A without having to study at all. On top of that he's really good at giving examples and explaining things. I have him for 268 right now, it's harder but still manageable. I would highly recommend him over any other professor in the department.

Best teacher I've ever had. He manages to make one of the most boring subjects on earth (code) fun and engaging. Takes time for every student who needs it and really seems to care about the students success. If you something explained, he will spend as much time as you need to make sure you get it.

This teacher always finds a way to make you understand any given concept. Of all my professors, this one is the most student-friendly.

Great instructor. He really takes the time to walk you through the concepts, there is no tech snobbery here (though your classmates might be a different story). Not that you have any choice but to take the course with him, but still. Show up and pay attention, and you will learn a lot. Textbook helpful, but entirely optional.

professor Gibbons is a literal angel. he's excited about the material and seems to genuinely enjoy teaching. his presence is laid back yet encouraging, which translates well to the overall classroom environment the only kinda bad part is board work. it adds some unnecessary social pressures to the class, and the same students volunteer every time

This class is an absolute breeze if you have any programming experience. He will spend days covering topics as simple if statements and for loops.

Amazing

In my opinion, He is absolutely THE BEST PROFESSOR in the EECS Department at KU. He makes lectures entertaining by making jokes. Attendance was not mandatory, however you don't want to miss lectures because his lectures are better than any resource found online.

Professor Gibbons is probably the best there is to teach this class. He explains programming the easiest way possible, and makes sure that students know what to expect and understand the topic. If you need help, go to his office hours and he will most certainly take however much time to explain something that is misunderstood. Overall a great teach

likes to use anaologies that make the lessons clearer

Wonderful class. Gibbons is a very lively and engaging speaker. He clearly loves this topic and loves teaching. He takes a very intimidating subject programming and makes it easy to understand. I cannot recommend him more highly.

I actually looked forward to coming to this class! I had never done any programming before in my life, but it was no problem thanks to John. He uses a lot of analogies to explain abstract stuff, and ALWAYS asks if everyone really gets it before moving on. I wouldn't skip class tho because each lecture is important! Easy A if you take good notes.

An excellent teacher - he's funny and knows what he's talking about. He took things a bit slow at times but was still engaging.

Quite harder than 168. The labs are very long winded and complicated. The worst part is, even if you work with friends on the lab and do well in lab, because of the "entitlement" grading policy of the course, if you don't do well on the exam, you will fail the class, even if you get an A in lab. I got an A in 168 easily. C in 268.

He's a great teacher. Lectures are funny and very helpful with labs, and I made the mistake of skipping some of the classes. He's way better than the textbook. No real homework, unless you count the really long lab assignments. Tests are hard though

This class is not that difficult if you focus more on learning how to think about programming instead of trying to brute force your way through the material and lectures. Labs can be really long and time-consuming, but if you spend the time analyzing each problem, it'll become second nature. Read the book and seek outside sources when stuck.

Prof Gibbons is a great faculty member! I didn't feel like he was just showing up. He always made us engaged in the lecture by spicing up boring and complicated material by being lively and funny. He's pretty nerdy and makes a lot of otherwise stale references but hey - it's programming. Taken two classes with him and I wish there were more!

This is not an easy course if you've never seen C++ before. The first three labs will be incredibly hard if you haven't. But not to worry, Gibbons will have your back. Email him at anytime or come see him in office hours and he'll be more than happy to help. While catching on to c++ I emailed him many times and he got back to me very quickly.

He's the best professor I have had at KU.

Two of my EECS classes have been with Gibbons. It's hard to emphasize how well he's able to explain complex subjects. He's also very helpful during office hours, can be contacted by email during the weekend, and is never condescending. If he's teaching a required course, sign up immediately. You won't regret it.

lectures don't tie in much with lab. The projects are good and really expand your programming skillset. he does his best to prepare students for future classes, such as Design I & II

Dr. Gibbons is one of the best professors at KU. He is very good at explaining tough concepts and very helpful if you don't understand them.

loveeee

As long as you pay attention in lectures you'll be fine, and he's always happy to explain concepts you don't get on the first pass.

Funny guy, but drags out lectures too much at times and doesn't explain difficult material thoroughly. I've tried going to his office hours and each time he had a UTA help me. Other than these small issues, he's fine. Get to know people in your class and be prepared to think outside the box in lab.

Dr. Gibbons is amazing!

Great at getting the concepts across, his lectures are cool. Make sure to apply yourself to the boardworks he has you do in classssssss.

268 is a major step up from 168. Be ready to spend 10 hours or more at Eaton working on labs. 268 also has one of the highest fail rates because of the amount of material and it showed in lecture. Gibbons will explain most of everything. Rely on the UGTAs, the Lab TAs, Gibbons in Office Hours, and stackoverflow to make it through the semester!

One of the best at KU. He really cares about helping students pass the class. I only passed because i put in the time required to get good grades on all the labs. If you can do well on the labs, then the exams are a walk in the park.

Time spent in class Is divided between lecture and doing board works in which either code or concepts are drawn in small groups on the white boards. It seems redundant but it really drives home the concepts. No homework, only labs and tests but the labs are week long affairs. He writes his tests so that only those who attend class will pass.

Awesome teacher who clearly has experience teaching programming. You'll do boardworks during lecture where you write code on whiteboards in small groups. These really help to reinforce the concepts and are great practice for physically writing code from scratch on his tests. Tests are written so that you'll do fine if you participate in lecture.

great instructor but one of the hardest classes at KU

Truly and honestly an incredible professor. He shows a remarkable ability to organize content and relate it to students at the same time. My only warning is not to be fooled by his laidback attitude. His class is INCREDIBLY hard. All you can do is go to every lecture/lab, use your textbook, and ask for help, because there's no forgiveness.

Gibbons is an excellent professor. He takes time to ensure you do well. EECS 168 can be a challenging class (if you have never programmed before), but he makes it as smooth as possible. No homework, test heavy. Grade is based on tests and labs. The UGTAs are excellent. TALK to Gibbons, use the UGTAs, the SI instructors, and the GTAs for help..

If you can, take Gibbons' class for 268, it is by far the best thing you can do. When I took Dr. Miller's 268, I failed miserably, but Gibbons takes the time to make sure things are understood. In class you will be able to use whiteboards to practice code, and his lectures are always a fun time. Wish I could rate him higher!

Great way to start of your CS or Comp-Eng degree

Dr. Gibbons does a wonderful job of explaining programming concepts to ensure the students understand. He clearly wants us to succeed and is always ensuring we receive feedback through practice in class and accessibility outside of class.

I'm so glad I was able to take this course with Dr. Gibbons. He not only empowers students to pursue internships but also provides them with the proper knowledge and talking points to ace interviews. This class builds important team skills in a fun environment and helps to start building that pesky GitHub portfolio that employers love so much.

Phenomenal. He explains programming to you like you know nothing, which is extremely helpful. He is brilliant, which is sometimes easy to forget since he's so skilled at explaining things in laymens' terms. Be forewarned, he grades with an iron fist. But I'd say it's justified, since he does so well at making sure his students understand.

Best teacher I've had at the engineering school so far. Breaks down the material really well. He understands how difficult some of this is to learn so he takes his time teaching. Amazing lectures they aren't mandatory but if you want to understand the class I would recommend going! 10/10, five stars, would love to have him again!

I will be blunt. Unlike other "intro" courses, you will not thrive in EECS268 unless you treat it seriously as an integral part of your life. It's not that hard, but you either do it or you don't. Spend the time. But Gibbons is a phenomenal teacher and I really can't think of anyone else I'd rather learn it all from. I highly recommend his course.

Gibbons is a great professor, as long as you stay on his good side. He teaches in a very concise and intuitive way. Would highly recommend.

Great professor. Explains concepts well.

This class, Programming 1, is required and only taught by Gibbons. This class has 3 large tests and lab grades that determine all of your grade. Keep in mind this is a 4.0, 3.0, 2.0... class so if you get an 89% you will get a 3.0 GPA. Going to class is crucial as the tests come directly from the "board works" we do during class and notes we take.

Dr. Gibbons is by far the best teacher I've ever had. This class is extremeley difficult but Dr. Gibbions lectures explain the topics so well that even kindergardeners can understand it. Also he's a pretty funny guy, so it makes the lectures more entertaining. I'm so excited to have him again as my professor because I learned so much from him.

An amazing teacher. Honestly, he really inspired me to pursue computer science. His class is really enjoyable as he is able to keep every student fully engaged in the material.

Great professor, I have had him for both EECS 168 & 268. Received A's in both classes and learned a ton with him as a teacher. Do the board works and TAKE A PICTURE of THEM. For both EECS 168 & 268, many questions came directly from the board works we did in class. Always go for 100% in the labs and go to ACM tutoring. LABS take FOREVER, heads up.

I took professor Gibbons EECS168 , EECS268 and EECS448 and never had a problem with him. Board writing is important to get used to early and its nice not having bland labs.

Gibbon's is the only teacher in my life that I feel genuinely cares for the students and their growth. His class (268) wasn't the easiest, but was still very enjoyable. I wish he taught other classes so I could have him again. Respect him, don't cheat, attend lectures, engage with others. 268 has more difficult labs, definitely do in advance.

His online lectures are very solid that you could watch them in advanced and be incredibly prepared for his tests. Write the notes with him and compile them as you go and you'll know everything about the class. It's unfortunate that it couldn't be in person but it was still great!

I used to take this course in spring 2020. For people who are new to programming, this course is difficult. But you have to take this class, because as far as I know, this class is only taught by this professor, and it is what you have to take as a CS student. This course will open up a new world for you. Trust me, you will learn a lot.

He is one of the best professors and has really well-done lectures. Most people have a problem in this class because they think they already know how to program and blame their failure to him. If you pay attention and do the work, the class is a breeze!

He is a such a great professor. And yes as some mentioned, he is very strict about cheating or so, so be aware of that. but he explains pretty well just in general. I would like to take his class if I could find another class with him.

My favorite professor so far. He is very good at explaining concepts and does so at a very manageable pace. However, the midterm and final are 70% of your grade so you NEED to do well on those. Fortunately, he does prepare you well. The other 30 is determined by labs, which are graded by TAs. Just pray you get a lenient one. He also loves dad jokes

I really do love Gibbons he is an overall great professor and I think you will like him. But a big warning his test are no joke, and his grading system is honestly bad I along side many others have failed his class in the past because your grade is determined by labs and tests if one of those sections is less than a b . YOU GET THAT GRADE.

One of the most talented teachers. Engaging and explains stuff well. I took 168/268 C++ so I don't know how he is for Python; I think a different style (using Jupyter) would work better for that. Also, a bit stressful to do group problems before the material sinks in -- they should be from previous lecture after I had time to think it over.

Best prof in the EECS department that I've had by far. If you pay attention to the lectures and save your board works you will have no issues doing the labs or exams. The lectures are genuinely interesting and entertaining and got me excited to drive to campus.

One of the best teacher's in all of KU, his lectures are so entertaining to sit through. I find myself wanting to go to his class because how entertaining he is teaching. The only downside being his tests, tests are just about 3/4 your grade so be ready to study.

Dr. John Gibbons is one of if not the most caring, understanding, and thoughtful professors. He was incredibly understanding and sympathetic to my personal struggles this semester and very caring and checked in with me to see how I was doing. He's hilarious in his lectures and his lessons are very in-depth and knowledgeable. 10/10

No complaints for this professor. He's a fun guy who feels very down-to-earth and understandable. The class is designed for people without programming experience so it may be slow if you have some but it picks up after a few weeks and is still somewhat entertaining.

Super nice guy, very informative, interesting lectures. Go to class or you will not do well - labs are also very helpful. Only negative is the grade weight is very aggressive (1 midterm, 1 final, 1 lab grade).

Gibbons is a top tier teacher. The way the grades are weighted can throw some people off, tests are worth a lot, labs every week. 168 and 268 are by far the two classes I've learned the most directly from the Prof. His lab instructions are 95% of the time written very clearly and have additional notes to help. He genuinely cares! Get Gibbons!

Possibly my new favorite teacher of all time. Amazing and engaging lectures, very good at explaining the material. I came into the class with no python experience and had zero troubles completing any of the labs or tests. It's a very fun and easy class if you pay attention and put at least a little effort into learning the material.

He's a really great professor that makes sure to not make lectures boring even if you're on a boring topic. As far as course work it's all pretty easy as long as you understand the fundamentals of programming and his tests weren't too hard (Specifically for 268).

CS Profs 3 bow to the Gibb God

Professor Gibbons is a wonderful professor and a caring guy. As long as you pay attention every once and a while during the lectures and turn in the labs, you will pass. The midterm and final combined are worth 70% of your final grade, so do not slack on studying for those!

One of my favorite teachers! Have a google doc filled with funny things he's said. A lot of the grade comes from the midterm and final which is a little scary but his lectures are amazing and it's easy to know what's going on.

If you have no experience with coding, it will be very difficult. You REALLY have to go to every lecture and use utilize outside resources like tutoring and SI sessions. It's especially hard for newbies since your final grade only consists of your midterm, final, and lab grade. Find a good group to study with, pay attention, and you should be good.

Gibbons is an amazing professor, he explains things well and won't hesitate to explain it again or a different way if you didn't understand. He is really funny and often cracks jokes. The class its self can be challenging if you don't know programming.

Easy if you have any prior programming knowledge. He treats class like his stand-up routine. Lectures are slow-paced but funny. The only difficult aspect of his classes are the tests: you get no study guide, and the 2 tests make up 70% of your grade.

What else needs to be said about Professor Gibbons. A perfect running start for aspiring engineering majors and a all around delight to be around. Pay attention in class though because his tests are worth 70% of the semester grade.

Lots of the grade depends on exams, the midterm was easy and final was okay but Ive heard it varies by year. Hes super caring and humorous, like him as a person. I know in his EECS 168 the exams are detail heavy which you could lose points on.

If you find this class difficult, you may want to consider a different major. Pretty simple and easy to follow along. Explains things in-depth, at times TOO in-depth to the point you just want him to move on. Will probably require some studying if you have no Python knowledge. Not a fan of the tests being worth so much.

As someone who's never used python before, 168 is a great introduction to the world of programming, and gibbons is THE person you should choose for programming. Only issues are his exams, which is basically just a blind go around, (however, exams are usually not difficult) and labs can be obnoxious at times. One of the best EECS teachers. Ever.

Awesome chiller who was amazing in 168 and 268. Class is very doable if you pay attention and dont cheat on the labs with ChatGPT or Chegg.

Great professor, would definitely recommend.

Always a pleasure to have class with gibbons, helps you understand python extremely well, and gives you lots of resources to succeed. Labs were a fun challenge, and help prepare you for the real world. However, he desperately needs to re do the grading structure. Needs to have more things to be graded on

Professor Gibbons gives an awesome introduction to the world of CS. His lectures are well paced and easy to understand, and he also emphasizes on using group work during lectures as well. He's also hilarious. Tests are also pretty easy if you find a good group to study with, as tests are worth 70% of your grade.

Professor Gibbons is a gem - engaging lectures and clear explanations make this intro programming class manageable, even for newbies. The labs are doable, but midterm/final make up 70%, so use unstuck ai and practice tests to ace those.

Prof Gibbons is an excellent professor, but EECS268 should not have the 2nd highest fail rate in all of KU engineering. The first midterm is only 4 concepts, 3 of which are basically the same thing. The final is harder but still doable. The fails can likely be attributed to his horrible grading structure that fails you of you do poorly on 1 test.

Gibbons is an amazing teacher; he's funny, engaging, and knowledgeable in Python. His grading structure is a bit rough, with two tests being 70% of your grade, but if you attend lecture, review your work, and seek help from Gibbons or the TAs to guide you through issues in your code rather than searching up the answer, you will do just fine.

Professor Gibbons is one of the best teachers I have ever had. He teaches each class with a lot of passion and always makes sure to add his hilarious sense of humor whenever possible. I would highly recommend taking his class.

Gibbons is a great professor and if you actually show up to class, you'll do fine. Don't cheat on the labs if you want to pass the exams. And don't expect to be able to just read the notes on GitHub because without context they're almost useless. Grading structure is terrible which is why the review is 4/5. Any worse a professor and it'd be lower.

He is very entertaining during his lectures, pinball obsessed, and teaches slow so you have plenty of time to absorb the material. However, he needs to rethink his grading structure.

He is a really good professor and his teaching style is really fun. Be careful if you are new to the whole programming scene or are just taking his classes for credits, I have seen many people dropped out because they thought the classes were easy at first. Enjoy your time with professor Gibbons :)))

Fun to be around, and a good lecturer! Taking your own notes as he lectures is best. Very approachable, would take more classes from him.

A funny professor who obviously cares about his students. He explains programming wonderfully with his MS paint diagrams.

Literally all his material and lectures are accessible online so you definitely don't need to go to class to pass. All the pop quizzes in class were for extra credit, and were random questions about yourself like "what's your favorite candy" and stuff like that.

While exams are worth 60% of your grade, ALL the questions come from previous years so befriend someone that has already taken the class. Gibbons is an AMAZING professor and all of his lectures are easy to understand, he uploads all of them online. He has notes on his github (jwgibbo) that are helpful! The labs are the hardest part of the class.

One of the few professors who makes for a great teacher and a goofy person in a good way. Pacing of lectures is very slow so its easy for you to catch-up if you miss a day or two. Random pop quizzes might sound scary at first, but they are only there to track attendance so its easy to get 100 in that category.