Very straightforward. No trickiness

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Great prof, really helps you out when you need it!

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i think he takls too much. if you are smart you will find him really repetitive and he talks too fast sometimes so it's like a merry-go-round. but he'd help you if you needed it.

He was a great teacher and very helpful. Learned a lot.

A great professor, and incredibly smart. Despite the difficulty of the subject matter, he speaks in a very clear and concise manner that helps you get a grip on it. Strongly recommended.

Very intelligent, and explains things in a way that makes sense. Great professor.

Professor Petry is a great guy. He really knows his stuff and transmits it to you in a very easy to understand manner. Highly reccomend taking him if you have the opportunity for 203.

Very motivating. However, very challanging. Lots of work, but all finance classes are. Overall, a I would recomend taking this class with Prof. Petry.

He was extremely helpful and really seemed to care about students. Everything was taught very clearly. Nice dresser, too!

This class is far from easy. Study your ass off!!! Petry is a nice guy and he is willing to help you out take advantage of it.

Very nice guy. Hard class, but he explains clearly. You can be well prepared for tests if you study.

econ203

Econ 203 is by no means an easy class, but Petry is a great professor who makes the material easy to learn. He is very motivating and helpful; he made the class much more enjoyable.

If you have to take Econ 203, take prof. PETRY! He explains the material as every professor should in a very understandable and clear manner. Statistics is one of the hardest classes I've taken so far but the most enjoyable of all of them cause Petry is a very engaging speaker and lecturer. Never zz

Petry is a very helpful guy that seems to care about students. But the tests get harder every time. Study your butt off and get 100s on all mallards and you should be fine.

Prof. Petry is one of the easiest people to tune out during class. The material is dry, very dry. (However, there are some hot TAs for this class) If you do all of the online homework you should have no problem in this class. It is a breeze. The tests mirror previous exams and they're not hard.

The exans are exactly like the practice exams in the course packet. Math classes typically go like this: either you're good at math or you're not. So you might need to study if you're the latter.

Hard class material, but it's math - you have to study. Kind of sucks because there's not formal textbook to follow, only a suggested textbook. Does his own class notes, but they are pretty good. Mallard is unrelated to exams, but do the practice exams!!!! Great prof. hard class. Would take another course with him.

one of the best professors I ever had!

Awesome professor...really great guy, cares about the students and loves teaching. Take his class if you can!

The material is not that bad, but the exams are not straightforward. The "math" problems are pretty easy but the theoritical stuff is hard. Take petry over everyone else. Just make sure you go to the class for lecture or take the course with a group of friends. Then your at least garunteed a "B". Study early than 3 day for the exam or your screwed.

Petry is easily one of the smartest and best teacher's I've had. He knows his stuff and knows how to explain it well. If you do the homeworks and show up to class it shouldn't be too hard to pull of a B/B+. The class average get curved up to 82-84%. The math part of the tests are easy but the conceptual stuff is pretty hard. Do the practice tests!

His class was ok, but the exams were tough because the conceptual stuff was hard. Just make sure you do the practice exams atleast 2 times each before the exams. Do all the hw too.

Good teacher

His tests are kind of hard. The practice tests are just like the tests so preparing for them isn't too hard. He is into his lectures so that makes them interesting.

Great teacher! Homework are good practice for exams. Work hard and you should be getting an A!

What a badass. Just do the Practice Exams and go to class, and you should do fine. This guy knows his stuff, and throws a couple jokes in once in a while.

How can you not like Prof. Petry? He is such a cool teacher and he makes economics statistics fun to learn.

agreed with poster below. fantastic teacher, despite the difficulty of the class, and you will learn a lot about statistics. everything you learn is really interesting and useful. the tests are kind of difficult, but the questions on them are hysterical ("Say you wanted to start a cat rental business...").

If this were an optional class, I'd say don't do it. He's interesting and handles the class well, but the tests are hard. The TAs are all foreign and you can't understand them; so not point in going to discussions. Webboard is a joke. He doesn't use a book. You either get it, or you really don't get it and there's no way you're going to get it

He really knows his stuff and explains it very well (something many professors lack!). No need to buy the textbook, you'll never use it. Exams are tricky but look over the practice ones because they help a lot.

He is a great teacher!! If you have to take ECON 203, try as hard as you can to get it with Petry!!! The material in itself are difficult, but if you go to class everyday he will explain everything. This stuff will be impossible if you don't take it with Petry. Be prepared to work but it is worth it!

I would pick Petry over any other professor for Econ 203. If you want to do well, going to his lectures is high recommended. Make sure to do your homeworks and do well on your projects. His exams are kind of difficult, especially the conceptual questions. The answers to the conceptual questions are all very similar and only differ by a few words.

Seriously, dont buy the textbook, just the course guide. Hes pretty easy to understand I think. The tests can be hard but I think they are fair, just difficult. If you go to lecture, do the hw and study for the tests youll get at least a B.

He's criticized for being boring, but only by people who aren't interested in econ to begin with. Solid, solid teacher and a really fair grader.

Great professor, really knew what he was talking about. Go to class, buy the course guide, and pay attention in lecture. You shouldn't have much trouble.

"Thanks everyone, have a great day." Joseph Petry

Class has some difficult concepts but nothing ridiculously hard. Going to lecture isn't mandatory but helps clarify a lot of material. Nice guy.

Awesome instructor. Very clear in his explanations. Tests are difficult, but reflect the material. Witty if you actually pay attention in class.

He's pretty good. He tries to make sure everyone understands the concepts. Go to class because he'll make things clearer. The homeowrks can be very time-consuming. There are "projects" that are just longer homeworks. They are pretty easy. The exams can be really hard. Go over the practice ones and try to earn all the other avaiable points.

Great Guy. Great Teacher. Very Clear and Funny. Hes a very tough grader and the tests are pretty difficult but hes great to have for the class. he actually has real world experience and uses good examples.

(4/5) ECON 203 is significantly more difficult than 202! The math isn't that difficult, but it's easy to make a stupid mistake and to be tricked up on a test question. Be Careful. I rarely went discussion session. Do not buy the book. It's nice to take a STATs class that acknowledges the existence of Excel.

I Never went to class and got a solid grade. But if you do go to class im guessing u will get an A. The exams are alright..a lil tricky...first midterm is alright.. second midterm is easy...the final is ridiculously hard. Watch out!!! I guess he made it hard because people stopped going to class. "Thanks everybody..have a great day!"

Not a blow-off professor. Have to come to class to get an A. Tests and homework are tricky.

Competent, good lecturer. I understood almost everything in the class straight from his explanations, did not buy the textbook or anything. Sometimes the tests and homework have questions on topics he didn't have time to cover in class though... so you have to buy the course packet.

Good professor, very straightforward. The course packet is pretty much the entire class-don't buy the textbook. Take as many of the practice tests as you can, because he often pulls questions verbatim from them

I highly enjoyed both the class and Professor Petry. The class is somewhat difficult, and requires some work, but it is not unnecessary, it is simply the way you need to learn statistics.

Very intelligent proffessor. Must work for an A, but if you're the slightest bit interested in econ this will not be difficult. He is very accessible if you need extra help.

Will make you work in this class - but it is the only way to learn what he is teaching. Go to class, do the homeworks, take the practice tests MULTIPLE times before exams, and you'll be fine. This is just one of those classes you have to take even though it sucks. Great Professor.

ECON 203 is harder than ECON 202 so go to class. I couldn't focus in his lectures all the time. But he does a good job explaining the material and the TAs are there to help. It's easy to make a stupid mistake on his tests, so be careful

Going to lecture is a good idea, especially for i-clicker points. Book can be helpful when studying for exams. Study a couple days ahead of time and you shouldn't have a problem. Nice guy, generous curve.

Wow, this class is definitely not easy, and very boring. Homework weekly can often be frustrating. His exams are pretty difficult with the class average around a C- on each one. Don't take this unless it's required.

Petry does a great job of explaining the material, and the class's course notes are very thorough. Homework was ridiculously hard, and the class exam average was around a 70%. Study past exams and you might do alright.

Not a bad professor. He was usually clear and concise and tried to make the class fun. Did a good job encouraging students to seek extra help from him. Make sure you go to class to answer iclicker questions.

Although the material in ECON 203 can be kind of bland, Petry does a good job of explaining. Homework is very worthwhile and should be an automatic 100%. The tests are kind of tricky but if you know your stuff you can get an A in the class.

Excellent professor; his explanations are extremely helpful; ask questions because he is very understanding and good at explaining; if you go to class you should get a good grade;also make sure to practice the homeworks and study the practice exams because they help a lot

I dont' know what these other people are saying but this class is definitely one of those "plug and chug" classes. If you're not an idiot business major, and you actually have some kind brain for numbers, then you should be able to ace this class without attending lectures, like i did.

Great professor! Don't buy the textbook, the course guide is all you need. Do all the past exam questions and you'll be fine.

He was a great teacher...but very cut and dry. Really didn't get too involved in what he was teaching but made sure you learned it. You don't HAVE to go to lectures, but you have in class assignments (I-clicker) and quite a few of the questions are on the exam. The questions are easy and straightforward. As long as you study you'll do fine.

Petry is a good teacher. The material is generally pretty easy and a little dilligency and completely make up for total absences in lecture. Tests are difficult for a lower level statistics course, but still pretty reasonable. Final is difficult though. His main TA, Josh Brown however, is an arrogant prick. I would recommend not taking Petry if yo

great profeesor! helpful

For some reason, I just did not get this class, I didn't get higher than a C on any test. When I went to Petry, he was very helpful and very willing to work with me. Unfortunately I really just didn't get it for some reason. He's a really nice guy, only problem with this class is all the homework is on excel, but tests are on paper....

He is a great prof. Exams are similar to past exams. If you come to class and discussions, you'll do fine.

He is a great professor. He is pretty clear in his examples and he gives the slides ahead of time. The test are never too hard. overall he is a pretty fair professor

If you are very interested into economics, this is an interesting class. All his multiple choice questions are tricky although some are easy. Multiple choice didnt work for me and I got so frustrated with the entire material we covered. The TAs are very good and they are very helpful. In general, I didn't enjoy this class because I'm not into Econ.

Petry isn't a bad lecturer. It feels like he's talking down to you though. Although going to lecture is helpful if you want to learn the material. He gives Iclicker questions in class to make sure you attend. Discussion isn't important to go to. Homework and test are really easy to do. Just pay attention and read the book, and it's an easy A.

His lectures and exams are pretty straightforward. He uses a lot of old exam questions so study those religiously. Lectures are really boring though, give someone your iclicker or bring something to do.

He reuses a lot of exam questions, but the ones that don't come from old exams seem to be completely unrelated to the course material. Sometimes I wonder if he ran out of stuff to actually test on, since he has written so many exams, that he just starts making stuff up.

Great teacher, really wants to help out the students. Only complaint is the very heavy amount of homework and the level of difficulty of the tests. Otherwise a decent class.

Go to class for the notes (the lecture notes he posts online are incomplete) and for the mandatory I-clicker points. Tests are based on the notes/textbook. Purchase the e-book/aplia package, it's much more efficient in finding answers for homework. 3 exams, 1 term paper on country of choice.

Go to class for notes (the lecture notes he posts online are incomplete) and for the mandatory I-clicker points. Tests are based on the notes/textbook. Purchase the e-book/aplia package, it's much more efficient in finding answers for homework. 3 exams, 1 term paper on country of choice.

He is a very good professor that explains everything very clearly. He has iClicker questions everyday requiring students to go to class. The only bad thing is that he requires a random term paper that he says almost nothing about. Exams are very easy, I recommend him highly!

I had Joe for Econ 103 and 203. His courses are pretty tough and I couldn't pull out an A in either. However, he is a very nice guy who's always willing to help. Decent professor.

His lecture is boring, but if you don't go to lecture you will understand nothing. His exams often have bunch of tricky questions. However his course packet always does great help before exams.

Absolute fantastic professor. He is extremely easy to approach and is genuinely concerned with how his students do in the course. 203 isn't a walk in the park but it wasn't terribly hard either. Go to lecture for this, he will really help you get a good grade and understand statistical economics.

Great Prof and nice guy. The tests are really not too bad. He equips you with multiple past exams that are similar to the ones you will take and curves the grade. Attending lecture and section doesn't seem to be mandatory. Basically you could get by without going to either, ever. But, you would probably not keep up with the material. HW online

Great professor for Intermediate Macro. Class material is tied to current events...it's not as easy as other sections, but you will definitely learn a ton.

Pretty easy to understand, but tests are very difficult. Attendance isn't mandatory for lecture or discussion, but you should go to at least the lectures. Make sure you actually know how to do the homework because the tests are pretty similar.

The course packet is used extensively. It also has many previous exams. On top of this, he also boosts everyone's test grade by upwards of 10%.

Petry really loves Economics. And he wants you to be as enthusiastic as he is about it, sometimes that makes class very enjoyable, sometimes it makes you almost exhausted. The class is fairly straightforward, everything is done from his Powerpoints/ class packet which includes previous midterms that are helpful for studying.

Prof. Petry is very clear in his explanation of things. However, the problems that are given in the notes packet are much less complex than the problems that appear on the test.

Professor Petry keeps the class interesting and does a great job of explaining. Go to class to get credit for iClickr and really understand the course. I listened most of the lecture and only reviewed the material before exams.I ended up with an A thanks to generous curving. Also, I wouldn't buy the textbook, only the course packet. Great class.

Had Petry for 103 and 303 which is basically 103 on steroids. He teaches it like history and exams have less math than other professors who teach it. Attendance not mandatory but you need to go to do well. Petry is passionate about econ and was the person who sparked my interest in the subject. All in all, great professor. Highly recommend.

Enthusiastic professor, but the class is poorly structured. The intense homework load trains you to become an Excel/StatPlus pro, but none of the functions learned are useful come exam time.

Had him for 103, he is a very dry lecturer but class is basically mandatory due to i clickers. He uses a lot of questions from old exams so study those, however, the essay questions are 20% of each test and is where most of the test points are lost.

Petry made class as interesting as possible, and was an incredibly funny guy. The tests were difficult, though there was a healthy curve on the second one. I got an A- without touching the textbook and studying for a couple hours the night before exams. I would definitely recommend him for macro.

Very organized. Practice exams super helpful. Interesting material.

Easy class, good professor. I learned a medium amount, he could have been a little better at explaining but in total still explained things pretty well. The tests are pretty simple and he has a positive attitude and is willing to help.

Difficult class but good instructer

the greatest professor ever

He is really friendly to anyone. But overall, the materials in class was very logical arranged. So, it will be very easy if you follow his course pack step by step.

Great professor, cares about students.

It is an easy class. Slightly more difficult than ECON 202 but still way below engineering class level. Just do the practice exams and you'll be fine. Homeworks are useless

He's a great professor and teaches really well, but if you're someone like me who isn't interested in statistics and rarely goes to class, the exams will be super hard. Go to class and you will be fine. Do the homework YOURSELF and you will do really well. It can be tricky, but it's not impossible.

Stats is not an easy course to teach, but Petry does it the best by far. Attendance is not mandatory, and if you dont go you will fail guaranteed. He curves every test 6-10% and the overall course. If you go to class and do the homework it is a manageable A. Everyone ripping on Petry for his teaching style for this course is wrong.

We all know ECON 203 is a difficult class but Petry makes everything very clear and makes use of lecture time. Gives curves on the exam but you still need to study well in advance to succeed in this class

Perry's a really nice guy and the class is pretty straightforward. If you just do all your homework and do the practice exams provided for each exam you'll be fine. Also, he's really generous with the curve; on one of our midterms, everyone got +17.5% added to their grade.

Thumbs up! He's a good guy.

Econ 203 is going to be difficult regardless, but if you put in the work it's not impossible. I would highly recommend taking this class online over the summer. Petry's 103 lectures weren't fun, but there are minimal video lectures on the online course. You can also go at your own pace, and if you need help it is available. Project is not bad.

Pay attention in lectures and you should be fine. Don't get lazy as the semester goes on, because the final will be tougher than the midterms. He may be a little dry sometimes in lecture, but he's a good professor.

If you go to lecture and discussion and do the practice tests in the course packet (3 per test) you'll be just fine. He is a solid lecturer and slides are good, but discussion really helps clarify tougher concepts. Beware that the second-half material requires much more effort to understand than the first-half, so don't coast after midterm 1.

Overall, Petry is a great professor and I imagine this class would be way worse if anyone but him was teaching it. He makes the lectures interesting and provides a fair curve for test and quizzes. Go Illini!

Joe Petry is genuinely a great professor, that is able to explain economics in an engaging and energetic manner. He also displays a strong willingness to working with students and is a fair grader. Overall, great professor, that genuinely wants every student to succeed."Thumbs Up!"

The course itself is difficult. My brain still hurts thinking about all the information I had to learn in that course, but if you do all the required course work you will be fine. Petry is an amazing professor and will help you in any possible way. Also, he curves exam grades and the class which is what saved me.

Petry is one of the best professor's I've ever had. He is amazing, but ECON203 is one of the toughest classes you will ever take. He is super laid back, he would often have his dog run around the room during lecture. There are 2 midterms and a final, which are so tough, but he will give VERY GENEROUS curves. There is 1 group project, HW every week.

Very enthusiastic professor who is pretty good at explaining things, and the material really shouldn't be difficult if you are at all comfortable at statistics. Always curves if median isn't in the low 80s, so that's pretty nice.

This is not a class where putting forth the bare minimum will cut it. Petry is straight-forward and has a lot of resources available (plus a generous curve on most exams), but he has high expectations of everyone in the class and demands that everyone LEARN the material, not just memorize. Makes you work for your grade, but an overall solid choice.

Thumbs up!!!

Thumbs up!!! Lots of Extra Credit!!!

Petry is awesome and loves interacting with his class. He is ALWAYS trying to improve the course and constantly seeks feedback from the students about what him and his TAs could be doing better. Class act

Easy A. Show up for the iClicker-heavy lectures and make time for the tedious weekly homework assignments and you'll breeze through the course. The exams are simply variations of the practice exams in the course packet, so make sure to do those. Petry isn't a great lecturer by any means but his enthusiasm is contagious. He certainly knows his stuff

By far my favorite Economics professor at the University. He's so funny and actually cares about the success of his students. He WANTS you to do well. Lectures went by so quickly because I was always learning something instead of spacing out. Exams were tough but grades were saved with a generous curve. 25% curve on Exam 2 my semester!

I don't know how anyone can give this guy anything below 4.5. One of the best professors I've had on campus. Clear. Engaging. Friendly. Funny. BUY THE COURSE PACKET!

ECON 203 has interesting materials, I really enjoyed the class in general. Besides, he gives a lot of extra credits, making the median to be like 82%. I never had those kinds of classes in my life where the median is 82%. His homework and pre-lectures just help you prepare for all the exams. All the exams are pretty much similar to practice exams.

Petry is a great professor and I have learned a lot from him. While his lectures may begin to bore you near the end of the semester, he is great at explaining and knows what he is talking about. The term paper is easy just follow the guidelines and the homework is easy as long as you read the book. Attendance matters because there are iclicker q's.

He gave big curves to every exam, and the project is pretty easy.

great class!

Straightforward professor and a great explainer of things. He's very caring and approachable.

Chris Matthews would not be proud...

He is a great professor and is great at explaining material. The exams are very tough but the homework and quizzes balance it out. Unfortunately, he was not a great person as he was fired shortly after I took his class due to a sexual assault against a student. Good teacher, not a great guy