2.5
Quality4.2
Difficulty33%
Would Retake232
Reviews33%
Would Retake
232
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
232 total ratings5
47
4
32
3
26
2
13
1
114
What Students Say
“Taking Joe's class was the greatest decision of my life”
ENGR2010 - 5.0 rating“whatever you get the point”
MECH2220 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
77%
Textbook Required
20%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.90 avg changeRatings by Course
MECH3230
5.0
(1)CAE
3.5
(8)3220
3.4
(5)ENGR2010
3.3
(49)MECH3220
2.4
(7)Difficulty by Course
CADCAD
5.0
COMPUTERAIDED
4.9
COMPAIDEDENG
4.7
3220
4.4
MECH3220
4.3
Reviews (231)
Matlab portion gets kinda confusing
Great guy, wants you to pass and will help you all he can. Only trouble is that the ME dept doesnt give him all the help he really needs. The class should really be split into two separate classes.
Is a great guy. Do anything he can to help. Runs out of time in MATLAB but it should be separate classes anyway.
Loves to use double negatives like they are going out of style. Probably recieved his undergrad from Alabama.
The class requires so much work because it is 2 classes in one(Matlab,Solid Edge). He is a good teacher and very helpful. Go to every study session he sets up and you will do ok. Don't get behind in Matlab. Start on the project ASAP. 80+ hours needed.
Incredibly helpful. Expect to spend extra time outside class every week for this one. Go ahead and block in your schedule. Try to work on the labs earlier than later. Do NOT fall behind.
This guy stinks as a professor........ the test come out of nowhere and he quizes the class if you dont have any questions. This class is probably hard but he makes it a hell of a lot harder than it ought to be.
MOST TIME CONSUMING CLASS TAKEN.
The material is easy, but a lot of it is busy work. Ragan is a very nice guy, but very stubborn when trying to reason with him. This class requires a lot of work to make an A. Study a lot for the quizes and have a good project you should do fine.
A lot of work. Should be two seperate classes. Not a very good teacher. All I can say is ask tons of questions into order to advoid a daily quiz. He teaches the class as if you are already suppose to be a master/expert at the material. If you take him you will what I am talking about. Enough said.......
This should definitely either be two separate classes,or the Solid Edge project should be simplified a lot.Ragan tries to teach the stuff,but does not give you any useful info on drafting until a few days before the project is due.Solid Edge was not taught at all in class.Unfortunately,you have no choice but to take him.Very unfair on quiz grading.
The only class I have ever taken where you have no idea what day he will give a test. I had no idea what greade I would come out with. Get ready to spend your semester doing work for this class.
this class should be like 8 credit hours
first time teaching thermo 1 so at times questions were posed to him that he hadn't thought about from our level of thinking, he will get better now that he knows how to drop down a few notches, VERY helpful if you go to him outside of class, be ready to THINK like an experienced engr and do the hw to do well on the quizes, do LOTS of hw to do well
1st time teaching thermo I so i give him a bit of a break. still hard as crap. thermo isnt easy and his tests made it worse. do ALL the homework to prepare for random quizzes. very helpful outside of class though. will meet with you and work problems you have trouble with. f.y.i. test averages: test1 - 35% test2 - 46%.
Joe Ragan has got to be the most "out to get you" teacher at auburn. His final consisted of the option to write one of three super challenging matlab programs with basically no partial credit... either a F or an A. He tries his best to punish the people who do not pick up automatically on matlab. For each quiz in the class, at least half failed!!!
tries to be helpful, but overall fails completely at it. gives no partial credit a lot of the time. didn't communicate with the lab ta's so most of the time we had no idea what lab we were supposed to be doing. i could go on for awhile on all the things wrong with him-in all, the most frustrating teacher ive ever had (but not the hardest)
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Dont take him for thermo. He does everything in english units and most of the homework problems are in metric. His test are extremely hard. I did every homework problem and worked through extra homework problems and still struggled through his test. I would choose Dr Knight over Ragan any day.
He is thus far the worst teacher I have ever had
He sucks. Avoid if ever possible. Without a doubt the worst teacher I've ever had. The material isn't all that hard, but he makes it hard by the amount of work he assigns.
Oh my god, I hated this class. Worst ever. Ragan sucks. That's all I can say
CAE. Ragan has difficulty getting his point across. His tests are TERRIBLE, probably the worst structured tests I've ever seen. Comprehensive means whatever chapter he liked the most. Homework takes forever to do.Entire class fails a test you get a 10 point scale.This class should be numerical methods, not CAE because that's what you are tested on.
The class is basically numerical methods using MATLAB and Solid Edge in the lab and project. There is usually weekly homework due. Mr. Ragan's quizzes are a little tricky just because they have one question and you have to write the MATLAB code on paper. You'll do fine as long as you don't wait until the last moment to do the homeworks or study.
Ragan makes a strong effort to make the class applicable to the real world. he gives help sessions once a week, and will meet you in office hours if you need it. he's clear and too the point. the tests are hard because the material is VERY hard. study and go to class and you'll be fine. made a B
Class sucks if you don't like MATLAB. Start the final project early or you'll regret it.
Computer aided is not a hard class as long as you stay on top of your matlab assignments and start the solid edge project immediately after you recieve instructions. Mr. Ragan is always willing to help as long as you ask. Also quizzes are somewhat random but if you understand the methods he teaches they will be trivial. B+ with reasonable effort
If you don't like MATLAB or struggle with MATLAB then you won't like the class. He presents some problems that are much easier to solve without using MATLAB but the SolidEdge part of the course is useful.
What can I say? Thermo is a weed-out class meant to separate the business majors from the engineers. Ragan's a nice guy who's willing to help outside of class. Hardly any partial credit. Multiple-choice tests. Dropped the lowest test and quiz grade.
best Thermo teacher at Auburn. The class is difficult, not the teacher. Go to class, do the hw, don't just copy it, go to the study sessions, and you'll do fine. But he isn't lying when he says you should spend 3+ hours studying for every hour in class. Very helpful if you come to him
Joe Ragan is a great teacher. He really works hard to help students any way he can. The material for Thermo is hard, but he does a good job teaching it. His tests and pop quizzes are very hard.
Ragan is one of my favorite teachers at Auburn. He tries to be practical in what he teaches, He is a fair grader on quizzes, and he is an engaging lecturer. If you pay attention in class and Labs you should do pretty well.
Ragan is not a bad dude (very helpful), but he makes this class harder than it needs to be. Grading is tough. Quizzes are difficult. If you don't understand MATLAB, you will struggle. Best advice is to find someone with old homework and test files bc he doesn't change hw. He gives very little partial credit. Tests are writing code on paper
Focus on learning MATLAB-practice, practice, practice. You'll never have to code on paper ever again, but you will have to be proficient at thinking like a computer to get through this class. SolidWorks is a nice change of pace, make sure to start the project as soon as possible so you're not up all night before its due. Valuable thinking methods
This man is THE MAN. He's a good teacher, and is also really chill. You should look forward to this class.
Quizzes are touch and only gives 1 test - the final exam worth 25% of grade. Labs are easy and so is the homework if you get help from your TA
30% quizzes 30% final 20% Labs 20% project. Lecture quizzes were tough, but you get better at them. This class is where I really learned how to use matlab(NOT in COMP1200). If you struggle with MATLAB this class will be very hard. Use Solidworks in lab and you get a big SW project halfway thru the semester. Thanks to lab and project grade I got a B
Great teacher! He is very knowledgeable about the subject matter and teaches in a very clear and concise way. He is almost always in his office for drop in visits and has study sessions too. Material is hard no matter who you take but Ragan is always willing to help. Would definitely take a class with him again.
Had him for thermo 1 and nearly failed. Somehow I managed to get a C. Then I got a 96 in thermo 2. Joe, bless his heart, is not my kind of teacher. He likes to explain everything, but thermo 1 is a class where everything needs to be clearly and CONCISELY laid out, or you'll confuse the heck out of the students. CAD was his teaching strength.
The Raganator is a tough cookie to handle. I would compare him to a five layer burrito. The first layer(cheese), is more of a spicy blend of kick you in the butt. The second layer(the beef), is some pretty tough content. The third layer... whatever you get the point. You have to take him, so why are you reading this?
You have no other choice for this class, so prepare yourself. The MATLAB homework assignments are very time consuming. Quizzes are very difficult and graded harshly, but the class is very passable if you do well on the labs and homework. The group project can also save your grade, but it is very time consuming.
Joe can be condescending, and sometimes will chastise you for asking questions. He's disorganized, and a challenge to get a hold of outside of class, so any questions you have ask as soon as class ends. He knows his stuff though, and he gives an opportunity for bonus at the end of the semester.
Joe goes above and beyond to make sure his students understand the most fundamental concepts of thermo. That being said, you will still need to put in many, many hours into this class if you want an A. If you are in the mechanical engineering program than I would highly recommend Joe. You will definitely be prepared for thermo 2.
Dr Ragan is fantastic. With that being said, he's not going to to GIVE you anything. He expects you to put in work. If you have a weak work ethic, you WILL struggle in his class. He's always available in his office. He will ALWAYS sit with you until you understand what you came in for. He gives you his personal cell / email contact. Great teacher.
Dr. Ragan treats his thermo class as a true weed out class. With that being said it definitely is do-able but you will have to put in the work for the grade you want. As a chemE, I expected more phase and reaction concepts but he's a mechE guy so he avoided them. His lectures are laid out in a way that anyone can understand them so make sure you go
Joe is as hard as they come, and his class isn't much different. You'll be working long hours on his coursework, but he'll make up for it. Go to his office hours, that's where he'll make a man out of you. On his tests, he says to "grab the low hanging fruit," but we know it's not all academic. Taking Joe's class was the greatest decision of my life
3 tests, all on which I received minimal to no partial credit. Emails back after 1-2 days and is hard to find on campus. Completely forgot that I'm in the class even though I sit in the front row. Hard to get points back on tests. Written homework often hard to read and usually messy. I learned more from going to a review session than a lecture.
Doesn't bother to read the work on a test and only looks at the final answer. Tough you argue points back. Teaches better at review sessions than in lecture. Assumes you completely understand the material from just reading the textbook, and 2/3 of the semester was him creating scenarios about thermo. Doesn't care if you fail the class.
Very condescending tone when asked a question. After each test he always said that if you didn't score high enough then you are not worthy to move on in his eyes. On tests if you get a beginning question wrong you will automatically lose points for the rest of the problem, even if your method was correct. Would never take again.
He's your only choice for Computer-Aided. However he's not a bad teacher. If you have little to no experience with coding, it's gonna be a long semester. Group project and Labs can help your grade in the end, but the final is an unforgiving one question. Overall tough class, but good teacher.
I would like to say that all of those here who are complaining about joe simply did not give the time or effort needed in his class. The father made it very clear that this class is not little chem 1 or physics 1, but that it was big thermodynamics. I got an A in joe's class because he taught me virtue. Joe is the greatest man I have ever known.
this definitely was the weed out class for engineering majors, but I think he took it too far. He was sometimes borderline rude to students, and said that he would rather let them fail even though they knew the information. I realize that it's important to know what you're doing but he just took it to another level.
there were rumors going around that he cares more for students in his own major than for all students, and this was definitely held true from personal experiences. At the end, even if you got a good final letter grade, he still changed them based on what he thinks you deserve, and I know so many people that lost scholarships because of this.
Ragan knows his stuff. Really smart guy who expects a lot. He can be a bit intimidating the way he calls students out in class but he truly cares. He will prepare you for tougher classes by making you buckle down a s understand the material.
Homework is long, but stops when the project starts at the end. I heard his thermo is hard but the Comp aided class was fine for me. might be hard if you can't code. I found him to be funny and he cares. Grading isn't really consistent. has random quizzes. His examples are usually comical. Just pay close attention near the end of the course.
The class was hard, but he was an amazing professor. He can be intimidating, and the random quizzes were stressful at times. But it made you really understand the material. Go to his office hours, and he will help you. The homeworks took days to do, so do not wait until the last minute. Study, actually do the work, and you will be fine.
Dr. Ragan is a tough professor, he tells you off the bat, you are in training to become a professional. He gives plenty of tasks and expects a lot. However, if you truly attempt the material and try to understand, but still can't, he will help as much as he can. Largest downfall: unpredictability. May have a quiz, may not, may be graded, maybe not.
Ragan is a terrible professor, he doesn't care for his students or their success. I believe he truly finds pleasure in failing students. If you are in Mechanical Engineering you have to take him, but otherwise avoid him at all costs.
His class is definitely one of the more difficult at Auburn, but if you do your work, study, and apply yourself you will survive.
Professor Ragan is definitely not a professor for everyone. I was one of very few students that enjoyed Ragan's class, but if you don't study, you wont pass. His tests are just too hard to pass without studying and doing the homework. But outside of class, he is very willing to answer questions and go over homework when needed. Overall great Prof.
Ragan does a great job teaching the material and forcing you to apply it practically. I imagine this class would be very difficult if you can't pick up Matlab quickly. Quizzes and assignments were directly from the lecture, however the final was a very poor representation of the course material and was drastically different in format for no reason.
Dr. Ragan is known to be "unfair" or "uncaring" but truly he is a great teacher. He gives pop quizzes throughout the semester which are really his tests so always be caught up in class. He teaches as if nobody knows how to code so if MATLAB wasn't your thing now's your chance to really learn it
Unless you are a genius in the subject you are taking him in I would not take his class. He is a very rude instructor and feeds off his own self glorification of being a hard instructor. His lectures are tenantively pointless, and lacks any personal depth to the subject. He teaching methods are poor and misaligned with the needs of his students
Lectures are kinda scary tbh cuz Dr. Ragan will randomly call people out for things. Lab/hw grades are pretty laid-back tho so that'll boost your grade. Lots of pop quizzes, can be cake or awful depending on how much you've paid attention lately.
Dr. Ragan is a different kind of professor. He is great in class, his lectures were very informative but don't expect it to be as easy as he makes it seem. Be ready for tough pop quizzes and even harder exams. I suggest taking this course with a different prof if you can't consistently put in 10+ hours per week. Good luck if you take him.
Dr. Ragan is very reasonable one-on-one in office hours, but in class--not so much. Prepare to be called out at least once and be ready for pop quizzes. No exams in lecture, but 50% of your grade is determined in the last week with the project and final. The labs are a joke though, which is a nice grade-boost.
The material itself for thermo isn't too bad but his tests are very difficult. He doesn't write the problems well so they are very unclear and for thermo the given information defines how you work the problem. He doesn't give much partial credit either. He curves but will give stronger curve to students he likes.
I had Ragan for Thermo and Comp-Aided in the same semester. Comp-Aided wasn't overly difficult but I've not worked for a grade harder than I worked for my B in Thermo. He says 15+ hours a week to get a good grade and that's probably not far off. The tests are tough and he's not a light grader or easy on giving back points. Still, enjoyed his class.
Poor use of technology for classes that heavily involve it. Testing methods are ridiculous, seems to have little self-awareness or grasp on how coding classes should work. Looks like he wears cargo shorts on the weekend.
He lock the door if u are late , the lecture is boring and the hw isn't cover in the lecture.
Doesn't care much for fairness. Created online assignments at 7am to at 10:30am the same day. Made us write code on paper for tests. Cannot use technology, based assignments around numbers he said in lecture to make it impossible if you missed it. Overall attitude towards students was hostile.
A lot of students do not like him but in my opinion its just because they do not like actually having to work to get a good grade. As long as you really pay attention in class and put in a good effort to understand the material, the class is easy enough. But if you skip or don't pay attention it will be close to impossible to do well in his class.
Ragan does his best to give you the information the first time but if you miss something oh boy, dont even both asking cause hed rather berate you for not understanding his perfect lecture.
The people that complain about Dr. Ragan are the people that want everything handed to them. You have to work for your grade, but he is only doing you a favor in the long run. I had him for COMP-1200 during the same semester and he was great for both. Listen, ask reasonable questions, and have a half way decent work ethic, and you will be fine.
One of the most arrogant men I have ever met. He is extremely critical and sarcastic and conveys in both words and actions that he is better than his students.
just to sum it up the average after a curve on our last test was a 35.8
I would strongly recommend you avoid Ragan. Ragan has assigned homework due for a grade after the class period has ended, resulting in many students being unaware of the assingment. The worst was him telling the class to lookup instruction on YouTube, with him saying he would not guide us on our final project. What are we paying for again?
I dropped out of mechanical engineering because this class made me not want to continue living.
If you have the chance, avoid Ragan at all costs. Unfortunately, if you're a Mechanical Engineer, you will be FORCED to take him. MECH 2220 is required curriculum, and he is the ONLY professor that teaches it. It is absolutely miserable. Even if you have a 100 in the class, 50% of the course grade comes in the last week. Stay away (if possible).
Avoid Dr. Ragan if you can. He doesn't listen to student opinions and acts like his course is the only one you have (he has assigned 4 things due on the last day of class like we don't have finals next week).He also is rude to students he calls on that don't get the answer exactly right as he would do it. He also goes overtime basically every class
If you can, take anyone else. Ragan doesn't take any responsibility for poor exam grades even though it is class-wide (one test average was in the 20s and he blamed students). If I can make it through this class, I am sure I can survive any other professors.
Genuinely the worst professor I've ever had. Talks out of his butt and expects you to execute perfectly or your grade will suffer. Entertaining because no one knows what's going on-but you will get told you shouldn't be an engineer if you don't understand exactly what he's doing so that's sweet.
He picks on students and often contradicts himself. If you're not good at Matlab or Solidworks, he probably won't help you. Luckily, I am and did well in his class. His projects are unreasonable and unclear. They require the use of skills we haven't been taught such as Solidworks Electrical. It's never clear how our assignments are being graded.
Simply put, Dr. Ragan makes you work for your grade. Many things that students expect handed to them, he makes you do yourself. He lectures, gives examples, gives quizzes, and calls on students to answer questions. He is very accessible outside of class and is willing to help, although he can be unclear in his grading criteria. He's good enough.
I went to every lecture and did all the homework, but still struggled immensely on the tests. He has an abrasive personality. His canvas was not weighted properly, so I went into the final thinking I was passing the class and I wasnt. He did end up scaling the class so I was able to pass.
I had him for computer-aided and did not appreciate his arrogance. I thought maybe I would give him a second chance for thermo. Same god complex, different class.
This dude sucks. His attitude is annoying, acts like you should know everything. Random quizzes which are technically your exams. You will never know your grade in the class because the syllabus doesn't include all the assignments you do. Unless you already are good at matlab it is difficult because the basics are hardly taught.
Bought online access (WileyPlus) as stated in syllabus but it's not even available to use. Assigns 2-4 hw a week usually due on the same class day. He locks overall grade on Canvas so you don't actually know how good/bad you are doing in the class. Office hours are 8pm on zoom but he wonders why barely anyone shows up for help. Try not to take him.
I think whether you enjoy this professor or not depends on the student. I can see how his personality and teaching style is not for everyone, but it worked well for me. He does hide your total grade and that's a bit annoying. If you're prepared to go the office hours, ask questions, and do the homework, you'll be fine.
Sometimes we had too much homework assigned at one time, but overall, a good teacher and good class. He's a very nice person who will help anybody that contacts him, via office hours or email.
Dr. Ragan's class definitely forces you to work for your grade. As someone who didn't have a great Matlab teacher in COMP 1200, it took me a while to feel caught up enough to follow along with his code. Lab assignments are basically free points if you do them. Half of the points come from the final and final project.
This man has the biggest ego on the face of the planet. He is somewhat enjoyable in lecture, but I swear he makes things up as he goes and then blames you for not understanding. He changed his entire grading system last minute. He assigns quizzed (which are your exams) randomly and without warning. He rarely communicated with the TAs.
Dr. Ragan has an older style of teaching so he is lecture heavy and you have to pay attention to what is said in lecture. Quizzes are announced a week or more ahead but only verbally. Your grade reflects the work you put in this class and the hard thing about this class is from the poor teaching of COMP 1200. In my opinion, Ragan should teach both.
Dr. Ragan will put you to work. This class is not easy. Attendance is mandatory and the quizzes are hard. I spent several hours trying to figure out the homework/lab assignments. The class was so random and unorganized, but I am a lot better at SolidWorks and Matlab now. He clutched up at the end with an optional final that saved my grade.
I put more than 10 hours per week to study thermo to get a good grade, but this class kept disappointing me. His classes are not fun, he only cares about those who answer his questions and go to his office hours. If you unfortunately get in his class, then you should drop it and take it with other professors:)
He will make you work for your grade, but he has been teaching for a long time and understands the things that you need to learn in order to be successful as an engineer. He is good about extending homeworks and quizzes if needed. He is very helpful after class and at office hours and even gives out his personal phone number if you need more help.
I had him my second time taking the course and he really helped me grasp thermo. In order to be successful you have to put in the time. The people that rate him low are usually the ones who just sit in the back of the class and are looking for an easy A. He understands what you need to know and his quizzes are pretty reasonable.
He has a very engaging personality and lecture style. He has really helped me with how to approach and study for a lot of these mech Engineering classes.
Fantastic lectures, super helpful with any questions
Lectures filled with information, always accessible for questions outside of class
i hated this man and this class. do not take.
Joe Ragan is the goat. Always offers a fresh and intuitive perspective on the topics of Mech 2220 with his unique and charismatic teaching style. He is a bit of a harsh grader, just fyi, but it's because he expects you to ask him for help and he gives ample time on the final project.
Had him for Thermo 1 and Comp Aided. Both are hard classes that will take a lot of work but Ragan is very accessible for help. Posts his number on the syllabus and usually get a response in 20 min from 7am-10pm. Be ready to work and do the homework before class and you'll be fine.
This professor is not that hard. People are just stupid.
My main gripe with Ragan is his clarity on the group project at the end of the semester. Our group had to ask multiple questions just on what he wanted turned in, becuase it was not stated clearly in the rubric of the project. Ragan does multiple quizzes rather than test, and will have attendance quizzes as well.
6 quizzes instead of tests, & homework/labs take a lot of time. Dr. Ragan is great in office hours & gives his phone # out for quick questions. His lectures were very informative and entertaining. Genuinely cares about the students. He is not the easiest professor, but he is always reasonable. Learned more matlab than I ever did in the intro class.
Dr. Ragan gives several "quizzes" instead of tests. Labs take a lot of time but are doable. Group project takes a lot of time so start early and ask him questions. Very helpful in office hours. I thought he was an excellent professor and I would take him for every class if I could.
Professor Ragan was definitely a tough teacher for Thermo, but that's also partially because the course itself is really hard. Mr. Ragan was quite accessible outside of class and could clear up questions. He is tough but fair. I personally really liked him, and I would personally recommend him for Thermo 1.
Take it with him
Ragan is a great professor who gives fair tests and projects. The project did change a bit but not too much. You really get out what you put into this class. I significantly improved my Matlab, Solidworks, and fabrication skills over the semester. Show up to lecture and pay attention and youll do fine. "now jacob lets take a look in our toolbox"
This man is terrible. He claims that he is going to be your MATLAB savior at the beginning of the class and then proceeds to test on things he only touched on in class once. I frequently cried because of this man. When you go to his office hours he makes you feel like it is your lack of preparation but really it is his lack of teaching.
Misleading. Hard exams.
For the average engineer forced to suffer through one of his classes, I'll be praying for you. His lectures are full of random material that isn't very useful when learning to apply the subject effectively. He rants when the class doesn't perform well, doesn't give enough time to complete his assignments, and believes engineering should be harder.
Discouraged creativity, showed up late to the first exam, 48 average, one of my most disappointing engineering classes.
Easily the worst professor in the Engineering department, do not let the previous ratings fool you! He changed his whole course structure this past semester making it incredibly difficult and misleading. Basically no partial credit on any exam problems. Incredibly arrogant and self-centered toward his students. Take it somewhere else!!
Can seem very scary at first but ends up being pretty cool. His tests are highly conceptual so if you don't know the topics inside and out it can be hard to do well. A 75 gets you a B and he gives some bonus points to lift your grade in the end of the class.
Dr. Ragan wants to help people learn. Sometimes that means making things difficult to challenge his students. If you do the homework and review the lectures you will actually learn Matlab and be successful. The exams do not have much partial credit but drops lowest of 3. Project is long but graded lightly and almost everyone got bonus points.
Dr. Ragan is genuinely the most caring professor I have met in college. I had his class over the summer, and I looked forward to it every day. His #1 goal is to see you master the concepts, and he does it in an engaging and interactive way. He does have high standards, but he does it to prepare you for the professional world. 10/10 would take again
Ragan really does care about you and your learning. He wants you to learn the material, so expect pop quizzes every once in a while. However, he only goes over most things ONCE, so watch out for that.
DO NOT TAKE!!!
Sporadically teaches material and doesn't follow a clear plan, making it hard to prepare for pop quizzes and exams. Exams are extremely difficult and partial credit is rarely given, and you would need to be an expert at the topics by the time the exam comes to even pass them.
Blames it on the students when the exam average is low, barely any partial credit on exams, believes his class is easy and should be harder, teaches material with random problems to solve in matlab rather than introducing topics conceptually which makes exams hard to study for.
Ragan is a really tough test maker, no partial credit on tests and only 10 questions makes it very hard to recover from a few small mistakes. He cares and gives help but he makes tests unnecessarily hard. Take someone else if possible, otherwise get ready for a long semester of hell.
Dr Ragan is a very tough professor. That being said, he often gets a bad rep for being mean. But he really wants to help you succeed. He hates equation hunters and wants to make sure you understand it. His tests will have "trick questions" where the answer will just be 0 because of a term he snuck in there. study hard
He does really care for his students and is very accessible and responsive outside of class hours. However, in class, he is not my favorite lecturer. He lessons on the material the day after the homework was due, which makes it very hard to learn. Plus his lectures are very hard to follow with no clear notes and him going on multiple tangents.
Ragan definitely has high standards, but he genuinely cares about his students' learning. The class is challenging, but engaging lectures and helpful study tools like unstuck study can make it manageable. Stay on top of the material and you'll come out a better engineer.
Dont take this guy
Buddy is teaching computer aided engineering and cannot figure out how to use the projector.
If you enjoy wasting an entire lecture Ragan is your guy! He does practically nothing during lectures and is upset when nobody knows what the answers to his questions are. Class isn't that hard but, you need to learn EVERYTHING outside of class if you want to do well.
I cannot stand this man as a person. He would quiz you on his mother's maiden name if he brought it up in lecture.
HATE THIS GUY!
you don't have another option but prepare yourself. Dude has the personality of a cactus.
If I use the words I would like to describe this man with it would get taken down (rhymes with mick). Tests are only vaguely what he lectures. Self righteous and has a humongous ego. He claims he is teaching you how to be successful in the workplace yet tells you youll never use what you learn in his class.
Your fault for choosing Mech E.
If you're the type of engineer that enjoys pain this class is for you! Lectures are physically painful, dude has ADHD worse than a squirrel and cannot keep a train of thought to save his life. Oh, and don't forget, he is God and is never wrong. Don't DARE ask if he might have made a typo on a quiz. He didn't. He put it there on purpose.
They should get someone who wasn't born before computers were invented to teach the computer aided engineering class. Also gives quizzes on week old, barely covered material the class after a major test.
He is the most boring and rude professors ive ever had. His lectures are incredibly hard to sit through but to make you come to the lectures he has pop quizzes that are decently hard. You have to take him for this course but just be ready to actually wish that you were terminally ill so you wouldnt have to sit through his mind numbing class.
Never met an ego so large.
I say Inspirational, because this man inspired me to hate like Kendrick Lamar, but at the same time inspired me to clear;clc; my existence
Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! The lecture after an exam! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes! Yay!
absolute dog professor, has the most boring lectures known to man. He just yaps and wastes everyones time. He gives out random and useless pop quizzes. The labs are easy but that's about it, everything else about this class is aids and I can only pray for everyone else that has to take this class.
Ragan is absolutely the worst professor they could've possibly found to teach this class, I'd let any student that passed basic MATLAB with an A teach me this course over ragan. Massive ego for no reason
Considering you have no better option, may the odds be ever in your favor.
Bad bad bad very bad.
Thinks hes the second coming of Jesus. Mistakes on the quiz questions, NEVER. Were the notes he quized you incorrect. YES, but thats your fault because surely he said the right thing and just wrote it incorrectly. Questions about anything in the course? No Answer, rewatch the lecture video. OH WAIT, he forgot to record it and thats also your fault.
Can he use a computer? No. Does he teach a coding class? Officially yes but actually no. He teaches a useless "can you remember the tiniest detail I said two weeks ago, on a quiz the lecture after an exam" class. No partial credit, no help answering emails, literally the worse.
Don't trust anyone who says he's "not that bad." He's worse.
just no...
His assignments are overly complicated. He doesn't teach that well and his pop quizzes and tests are just absolutely ridiculous. He also changes the grading policy a little bit through the semester. Personally all these things aren't too bad but it is the fact that he doesn't teach stuff well that really makes it bad.
Screaming crying throwing up!
Teaches matlab using resources from the stone age.
"I learned everything the hard way and still lived so I'm going to force you to suffer like I did" type of guy
Too big of an ego, and swears his lectures are super important but I could get a week's worth of his lecture info in one chat gpt prompt. You can learn how to do half the Matlab homework assignment by paying attention to three lectures straight, or u can just chat gpt the hw and get it to explain how and why to do stuff and you'll learn more.
Given the choice would I take this professor. Absolutely in no uncertain terms HECK NO! Too bad hes the only one who teaches is. Makes you want to DIE. Have fun x(
Praying to God I pass this class. Taking this class again would push me into the college of Business.
Hate hate hate hate hate hate LOATHE ENTIRELY
TA has said ~3 words and has been more helpful that Ragan.
The only option for this class, but he is in no position to teach it as his computer skills are subpar. Rambler, scatterbrained, quizzes you on super specific details only mentioned once in lecture. Tests have trick questions, are designed for you to do bad. He hides behind the lie of "trying to help us" as an excuse to be outrageously tough on us.
I feel bad for this guys kids
He loves to talk down to people and blames most everything on the students. If he forgot to record a lecture or made an error in the notes he'll claim it's our fault because we didn't remind him. Makes you write code by hand on exams. Grades super harshly, and gives pop quizzes on the most minor details from lectures we had weeks prior. Avoid
NO lube! get ready to be bent over!
Ragan thinks he is a god. Unbelievable that a university like Auburn actually keeps this guy around. I would not accept his salary to sit through his lectures. He is incredibly rude, terrible at teaching, and honestly im not sure if he even got a degree with how many mistakes he makes. Although he makes the mistake, its clearly my fault.
Dude wasnt smart enough not to have to learn things the hard way but doesnt know that. Since the all powerful lord Ragan (At least thats what he thinks he is) is omnipitent and all knowing, you must also suffer through this as well as it is the only way to learn. Also kiss your GPA goodbye.
Quizzes you on your notes, not if you understand the material. Massive ego.
He reminds me of AM from "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream." Mechanical engineers are the humans he takes pleasure in torturing. The only difference is AM was actually familiar with technology and could probably run Matlab correctly if he tried. Ask ChatGPT if you need help, it's more empathetic.
In his own words "the purpose of this class is to scare you into trying harder." Translation, because he wasnt smart enough when he was in school, no one deserve above a 3.0 GPA no matter what. Screw you, your GPA, and any scholarships you might have.
Would rather run through a cactus patch naked than take any of his classes again.
just don't
According to Ragan, coming to lecture and listening to him ramble while writing notes illegibly is the most important thing that you will ever do in your academic career.
If you value your sanity and gpa avoid this monster at all costs
Worst professor at auburn. Disgrace to the auburn creed
idk how this old mf is supposed to teach computer aided if he needs aide to work a computer
Ragan is a great guy teaching a tough class. I would much rather have Ragan teaching me Computer Aided instead of Hugh Kwon. The class is boring and the lectures can be difficult to stay on track with, but I don't think anyone could teach this class "Great."
The rating under this one is joe ragan rating himself.
Ragan is a chill guy just trying to teach some young bucks how to matlab correctly. Don't see all the hate dude is just vibing with codes. He is lowkey really good a lecturing us and teaching the course correctly. I would take him for any class. His quizzes are cool and make me feel really smart 😎. He talks about his family (I am one with family).
Those hating on Ragan are lazy. His exams are 100% fair and just a collection of examples he does in class. If you think the exams are hard then you are not doing the bare minimum He gives out free points just for attending class, and the pop quizzes he gives are the easiest questions he could ask about the previous lecture without them being free.
Don't get me wrong I hate matlab and I suck at using it, but everyone is hating on him for no reason. He is a good teacher but he expects you to put in work if you want to get a good grade. All of the bad reviews are just students who are lazy. I had him for Thermo I and it was my favorite class I've ever taken.
Tough class got a 13 on the first test
Need Ragan to retire or to stop teaching this course, he does not know how to teach MATLAB effectively.
He refuses to admit when he's wrong and his test are insanely hard.
Anyone saying Ragan is not a bad professor, may be true, however he is literally horrible at teaching Computer aided. He may be a decent thermo professor but he is not a good computer aided professor. The bad reviews are not lying or just rating him bad because they are lazy (some may be idk). Hopefully someone else teaches the class soon.
*** WARNING *** This class does not include lube needed to assist with the pain of taking this class. This self-righteous sorry excuse of a "professor" really grinds my Mechanical Engineering gears and every lectures lowers my respect for his existence.
Heard he had a meltdown over his bad ratings. First of all why does he care as a 50 something y/o man about what a bunch of 19 year olds have to say about him, and second of all maybe thats a sign to change how you behave in class. This "man" has a huge and fragile ego, so be prepared to deal with a professor that acts like a middle school bully.
This dude's ego has an ego. Find another professor or lube up and hope for the best....
He kinda scares me not gonna lie… don't know why he's teaching
In a class of 200+ students, the average grade on the first exam was a 55 with a high of a 93. If out of 200 students, not one can make above a 93, that's not on the students, that's on poor teaching. He does provide some extra points, but the class is set up to make you struggle and it seems like he lovesss to see his students struggle. Good luck!
Great teacher overall, just a hard class. He expects the best from us and most of these ratings are from people who just want an easy grade. Coding is hard and he is doing a good job. just gotta put in the work to understand the material. If you complain about the work, don't pay to go to school.
He's a teachers teacher, and doesn't have the patience to teach a large lecture, gets in ego matches with students, work isn't excessive but will use his mood when it comes to quizes and test difficulty and timing, even hard workers will struggle due to the distraction of him competing with 200 students to see who has the biggest Ruler
This man complained to his 300 person lecture about how people are rating him on here. Just some food for thought, if you're unhappy with the reviews on rate my professor, maybe reflect and be a better professor. Taking away opportunities to improve grades won't make people rate you better and I do hope you read this Dr.Ragan.
Dr Ragan definitely seems difficult at times, but he clearly cares about his students and wants them to learn well rather than giving out easy points. Study the material, listen well in class, take good notes, and ask good questions and you will do well in this course.
Bad, very very, bad
Just hopping on the trend. Had him last year. Still hate the guy. Laughing at at
Bring your own lube for this guy. Unless you want to be bent over no warning
Bring your own lube for this guy. Unless you like getting bent over no warning!
Great podcast
If you are getting ready to take Computer Aided, please don't consider the review bombing that Dr. Ragan is receiving. Yes the material is hard, but if you approach this class the same way you should future classes in major, you'll do fine and leave with a great understanding in MATLAB. He is a great professor, just work hard and DON'T CHEAT (GPT).
Genuinely just a horrendous professor. He refuses to take responsibility for essentially bullying students. I truly cannot stand this man, he will make you feel small just to inflate his ego. I hope you read this ragan, I hope you can grow as a person
Took Dr Ragan in both Thermo and Comp Aided. Only was able to pass Comp Aided under him. He's going to make you work. Homework, practice, and showing up to class is your best bet to do decent on the exams and final. Also if you can, its best to take the class over the summer, imo.
actually so ridiculous. gives tests 10x harder than the lecture material and homework and gives you minimal time to finish. also mean tbh
Ode to King Ragan, the Test Tyrant Oh mighty King Ragan, ruler of code, Whose tests descend like a heavy load. No scroll no hint no guiding hand Just trembling minds and hearts unplanned. He spoke of Test One grim in its lore, “Too hard,” he declared, “you deserve more!” But lo! Test Two came riding in fast A fiercer storm than the trials past.
I'm so lost, Dr. Ragan... You said to study the homework... but your test—your test was forged in the depths of MATLAB hell... None of this was in your lectures... I coded, I plotted... but now? Now I'm just a number in your gradebook... and I'm so lonely, Dr. Ragan..
I am Steve Ragan. I build knowledge, block by block. My lectures are planks—sturdy. But my tests? They're obsidian, forged in fire. No mercy, no shortcuts. You thought homework was the path? Think again. I create the challenge. You mine for answers. And in my world, there's no respawn.
O cruel fate, Dr. Ragan's test doth mock my toil. His lectures, like whispers, lead me astray, His homework, a riddle, none to convey. I studied with MATLAB, yet fail to stand, Like a cuck, betrayed, I am left in the sand. His test, a cruel jest, leaves my efforts spoiled.
I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it. I'm marking it.
He is neither the best nor the worst professor at Auburn. He has boring lectures, but records them on Zoom allowing you to rewatch if you zone out. Some lectures felt pointless exposition that could have been shortened but worked out the code. First exam was similar to practice, but we got behind so exam two did not have a published study guide.
Joe Ragans the Diddy at the test filled bash The beats bump loud, but we're caught in a crash With MATLAB in hand he mixes the flow While his exams leave us trapped in the snow The party's alive but the test is a beast We dance through the chaos, but find no peace At his Diddy party no mercy no grace We vibe but his tests are a relentless chase.
At first Dr. Ragan will seem like a very tough teacher but in reality he just wants his students to really know and understand the material. His tests are difficult but he gives credit where it's deserved! Would recommend taking him if you're in college to learn if not then maybe think about another career path.
Ragan is not equipped or good at teaching this class. The lab and the lectures are completely different and both require significant time investment. He is the only teacher for CAE, but it is a mess. A lot of the other people giving bad reviews are people who cheated and got caught but he didn't even punish them, just something to think about
Slow talker
Terrible Prog. No other option for this but be ready for a rough one, he gets nicer towards the end but it is rough, the TAs are nice though. Get the project done sooner rather than later and youll be fine.
On the final day of this dreadful class, I spend my morning at the edge preparing for the final and reflecting on the semester behind me. I'm truly happy that it will all be over at 12:30 today, and I will never have to listen to this man attempt to lecture ever again. Prayers to the future of Auburn Engineers, may the odds be ever in your favor.
I walked out of the final an hour ago and man I have never experienced a better feeling. His submission "technique" gave me a panic attack because I couldn't get the pdf to submit on Canvas and he said he would give us a zero if we couldn't get it submitted, no questions asked. Truly a horrible experience.
People don't like him but his tests are on things he teaches and makes it very clear what will be tested. Yea, some of his test questions are questionable sometimes (like his trick questions) but if you pay attention and put in minimal effort, you will do well.
After his crash out lecture he wanted to clarify to the class that he "is not the biggest A-hole in mechanical engineering". If your professor ever has to clarify this you are cooked. On top of that the semester long project is worth less than a test.
Not as terrible as some people make him out to be, but hes also not the best. He did give us opportunities for extra credit and was very gracious when half the class decided to cheat. But im not good at coding and i feel like his lectures didnt really help. I understood the theories but i could never apply it to the code
Ragan is not terrible but I'd rather be fishing. Lectures are in Foy so that doesn't help. He crashed out and threatened us all for cheating at one point. Start your project sooner rather than later and bonus points are useless once you get a B in the class so they can't move you up to an A. First test is easy but the 2nd is rough.
Dr. Ragan gets a lot of hate, but his class isn't that bad. Yes, the exams are difficult, but if you actually go to class and pay attention to what he's saying, go to his office hours, and honestly attempt the HW, you'll be fine. Many bonus points are rewarded, so getting at least a B is very doable.
The Raganator might be the laziest professor at this university. His lectures are pretty useless and he lectures on the HW material the day it is due, so you're better off just using the book (which is quite good) to learn the entire material. Exams are multiple choice, but you do get a freebie and you can earn some points back after.
Professor Ragan gets a lot of undeserved hate. He is not nearly as bad as these other reviews might lead you to believe. The class is structured weirdly in that he lectures and tests/quizzes on Matlab, but a large portion of your grade is an unrelated group project. The project isn't horrible, and if you try in his class you'll get a B easily.
I honestly didn't put much effort into this class so idk if the lectures actually weren't helpful like everyone says or if we were all just lazy. Either way, I can't hate because I literally did the bare minimum and got a B. There is extremely generous grading in this class. He wants you to learn and pass but doesn't want you to slack off, just try
Ragan thinks he's good professor who's preparing you to be an engineer but he ends up being a bad professor. He expects you to come to class 100% prepared when he himself is never prepared. He gives mostly unfair pop quizzes. He also gives coding exams on paper with no partial credit or computer access, which in my opinion is very unrealistic.
He gets a lot of hate. He wasn't terrible, but his class had no real structure which made it difficult at times. He replaces your lowest test grade with your final exam grade, which carried my grade. Be ready to use a ton of MATLAB. The lab and class do not match, so it is like two different classes in one class. Make friends, it helps.
Most people hate on Ragan but what he does is to combat procrastination and laziness most of us have developed. You have to want a good grade to get it. He has pickup points which doesn't add a whole lot but the points count. Theres pop quizzes and the exams count for a majority of the grade but his overall grading scale is made to help you pass.
Dr. Ragan gets a bad rap, but he is actually very caring towards his students. He does expect you to put in effort towards his class, but if you show up to lecture and actually engage he is very willing to help and clear up confusion. The class itself is not too bad either. Lectures are all MATLAB and lab is a group project using SolidWorks.
He is a completely new professor this year. He offers so many bonuses, the homework is all free, gives like so many free points. I honestly had this class on the back burner all semester and all I need on the final is a 50% to keep my B. He's funny and caring now. His lectures go by fast. He knows you didn't actually learn MATLAB freshman year now.
Dr. Ragan has high expectations for his students including being prepared for class and have a complete understanding of lectures before returning to class. Although he is sometimes hard to follow because he in not organized when giving lectures, he gives plenty of opportunities to show the effort you have put into his class.
I can't believe how poorly Dr. Ragan is rated. He's one of the best professors in MECH. His lectures are good at helping you actually learn something, instead of memorizing problems. All he wants is participation in class and he practically guarantees an A or B. Gave 6% in bonus assignments. Project is fun. He doesn't expect prior coding knowledge
All of the negative reviews are completely misleading. Some lectures may seem a bit unorganized and not as structured as a typical lecture, but he teaches how to solve problems based on actual understanding rather than memorization. Overall, a great professor who also helped out a ton with grades at the end of the semester.
Very tough course don't get me wrong but Ragan does a great job of teaching it. Yall are just complaining because its not the type of class that the study guide looks the same as the exam with different numbers. Get ready to know the material 100% or you will fail, but Ragan will do a good job walking you though it in class and one on one.
Not as bad as everyone says. I had zero knowledge of Matlab or solidworks before this class and ended with a B+. He teaches a vast amount of material and who knows which part of it you'll ever be tested on, but it's not impossible or the hardest class you'll ever take. Beware of pop quizzes ever lecture with zero study guide
Super great and funny professor! I knew nothing about matlab and was nervous abt that but was able to do great on the tests. Talk to him during lecture, you could get bonus points!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
77%
Textbook Required
20%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
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B
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MECH3230
5.0
(1)CAE
3.5
(8)3220
3.4
(5)ENGR2010
3.3
(49)MECH3220
2.4
(7)Difficulty by Course
CADCAD
5.0
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4.9
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4.7
3220
4.4
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4.3