2.6
Quality3.4
Difficulty38%
Would Retake103
Reviews38%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
103 total ratings5
11
4
21
3
16
2
25
1
30
What Students Say
“He has the most boring lectures known to man”
ECO182 - 1.0 rating“Lectures aren't the most captivating but they get the job done”
ECO181 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
77%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.52 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON182
4.0
(2)ECO405
3.4
(5)ECO201
3.0
(5)ECO181
2.6
(39)ECO467
2.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
ECO405
3.8
ECO181
3.5
ECO201
3.4
ECO182
3.3
ECON182
3.0
Reviews (102)
Makes us buy a book we didnt even need and just poor teaching skills. 0/10
The class has no exams, there are short answer quizzes, multiple choice homework's and two article assignments. The multiple choice hw's and article assignments aren't bad but the short answer quizzes can be hard. You don't need the textbook but getting mylab helps. Professor Downs talks a lot in his video lectures but overall not a bad class.
Justin is a fun/goofy professor with a lot of knowledge on the topics we studied in class. He makes himself available and is very responsive to emails/questions. My only criticism is that his explanations of certain subjects could almost be *too* complicated simply due to his understanding and excitement over the material.
He over explains and his tests dont match with his lectures. READ THE TEXTBOOK
He's obviously excited and knowledgeable, but he over explains at times (but he's also willing to slow down and answer questions if you're willing to speak up!). I didn't touch my textbook all year, so that was a waste. He gives few assignments and they're pretty easy aside from the multiple choice quiz ones
He over explains a lot but is very knowledgeable about what hes talking about. Found it very helpful to ask questions during his office hours as sometimes in lectures he can get a little off topic. His multiple choice assignments didnt match the lectures. Overall a pretty good teacher. Oh, and dont bother getting the textbook, you never use it.
Professor Downs is not a great teacher. He gives out quizzes that most students either failed or barely passes and I always left the lectures confused. However, the homework was always very fair and he gave you three chances. Also, from what I heard I had it better than students who had other economic teachers.
He is an alright professor, his class lecture hardly stands up to his difficulty of quizzes and tests. His lecture may seem easy but quizzes and tests are difficult; his exams make you question yourself if you studied or not because some of the questions hardly make any sense. Class average of his quizzes seems to be a failing grade! GL
Does not do a good job at explaining anything, and almost every example has some kind of mistake in it. Every homework I attempted there was always a typo and never made any sense, even to my TA. Do not take any classes with him. While the material is not tough, HIS material makes no sense.
The quizzes are difficult and you need to make sure you study. The homework is all due at the end of the semester but he will give you extra credit if you do them before the next upcoming quiz. He is pretty fair with his grading.
I had Professor Downs this semester and I'm gonna be honest, the class was difficult. The quizzes were hard and never matched his lectures so it was hard to study for them. He's overall pretty chill and knows what he's talking about but he explains his material to the point where it doesn't make sense. If you want to pass he makes you work for it.
I thought it was a tough class for non-majors. Also, Justin just drones on and on, not a great teacher. I am doing well in the class, but I haven't learned anything. Even though some stuff was negative, he gives 25% bonus on each homework if you do them early. That was great. Overall, I hate econ and I don't like him.
I took professor downs and felt my high school economics teacher was more capable of teaching than him. Downs will not give you feedback on exams, the textbook is useless, it does not match his lecture. I attended his office hours once and he was less than welcoming, considering a major change from economics if the department is run like this.
his lecture and textbook don't match at all, the quizzes don't match any of the material we went over in class. every quiz we've had, the average is always failing. gives no feedback on quizzes or homework. as someone who took this as an undecided student thinking of economics, this class defiantly opened my eyes to not choose this major!
He has the most boring lectures known to man. Just walls of texts on a screen as he goes on with one terrible joke after another while you spend 5 minutes trying to write down what is 80% pointless information. Acts surprised when the quiz averages are so low as if he isn't the reason why. If you even miss one lecture (You will want to) good luck!
The course is on the more difficult side, but it's definitely manageable. Attend the lectures; there is a lot of material covered and he randomly takes attendance. Do the homework; you can get up to 7.5 points of extra credit on them. Professor Downs is pretty good at explaining the material and has office hours daily. Overall, not hard to pass.
I took his class as pre requisite for my major and I ended up changing my major as a whole because of this class. I was extremely stressed about my grades the entire time. During his lectures he expects everyone to know all the technical terms by default and I didn't understand anything he was saying. Do not take his class if it's possible.
I took macro with Prof Downs, and it wasn't horrible but it certainly wasn't great either. I'm taking him again next semester, but not my first choice. Really strict about masks. Goes off on tangents that threw me off and made it hard to follow along with the material. But, you could get a 50 on every exam and still pass comfortably bc of homework.
I had him for the fall semester and to be honest, the way he talks in lectures is confusing. I don't think anyone ever knows what he's talking about half the time. Some key advice STUDY. His quizzes are very hard if you don't know the basics it'll be hard for you. Also, he offers extra credit which helps your grade significantly.
Professor Downs is a solid choice for this class. The lectures were long and could be a bit dry at times, but I found some of them to be interesting even though I'm not an economics major. He gives a lot of opportunity to earn bonus points and more than half of your grade is basically free points (online open book HW, attendance, etc.)
Easy class to get a good grade if you do the simple extra credit. Lot of note taking and graphs can get cluttered at times but he is very knowledgeable at the subject.
Nothing he says ever makes sense. Tests are hard.
The worst class I have ever taken, he gives lectures with different information than what is in the textbook then some test questions the answer is his and others are from the book. If you really enjoy taking lots of notes on information you may not need then you'll really enjoy this class. I will say he does know economics, just can't teach.
the lectures are so boring, he gets so mad if you pack up one minute early. he gets annoyed easily. the class and discussion don't match each other. he reads off his slides and relys on you reading the textbook. you need an i clickers subscription and attendence is graded.
Prof. Downs is relatively boring, but that might just be the material. He is mask-crazy and gets flustered super easily. He's not super approachable, and he requires you to download apps for attendance purposes, Also, recitations are totally useless.
I can't even lie; Professor Downs is a really nice guy. This class is just terrible. Every week there is a 30+ page paper to read and write discussion questions about, but they are the most uninteresting papers someone could possibly provide. I feel really bad when people don't respond to him in lectures, but no one even knows what he's asking.
Professor Downs is boring, to put it nicely. Not only are his lectures long & redundant, half the time it sounds like he genuinely does not know what hes saying. Not a fair professor. Today he emailed us bc he made a mistake on a quiz we took 4 days ago and penalized students for his mistake, making those who answered "right" grades go down.
Worst professor at UB by far, I've always been an honors student but this guy is ridiculous. Long boring lectures, can't use basic technology, and obsessed with making examples about microwavable foods. This guy probably dreams about hot pockets.
Although his class was the most difficult I took at UB so far, Justin Downs was a very smart professor whom I enjoyed. His assignments are difficult because there are many chances for improvement. All his tests are in-person whereas quizzes and homework is online. By the end of the the semester I went to his office hours like every week.
Nice professor but jeez this class is difficult. He explains things to the point it doesn't even make sense anymore. I go to every lecture, recitation, and office hour and I still struggle. He's not the worst option but would definitely recommend you take it with someone else that actually makes sense.
Prepare to do to a lot of outside preparation for class. Lectures are boring and he spends a lot of time explaining things to where they don't even make sense. He gives extra credit to make up for his poor teaching that reflects in poor grades. Use Jason Welker's YouTube videos if you wish to do well in the course. Quiz and test questions are hard.
Hardest professor by far that I have ever had. His lectures make no sense to the point that I physically cant pay attention anymore. Make sure to show up to class and take all notes because he refuses to post the notes anywhere. His homework's and quizzes are so hard and you always feel like you're going to fail the class. And AA are annoying.
This class completely dropped my GPA because of how ridiculously hard the quizzes are. The quizzes never match up with the notes, homework, or recitation sheets. The homework is hard but allows for many attempts. You'll never know what you did wrong on quizzes so I'd recommend forming a study group. Don't take him! You'll regret it
2nd time taking Downs. Micro was much worse. This guy is legit a Karen. Very petty towards students, but then proceeds to "teach" material that is already confusing- and then make it even more confusing. Lots of homework, but the extra credit helps a lot with keeping your grade in a good spot. Glad I'm done taking econ w Downs; take at ur own risk
Also, my second time taking Downs and I'm not exaggerating when I say DONT. TAKE. HIM. I had him for ECO 181 also and I thought taking him the second time would be a good idea since he offers extra credit but it barely helped me. Definitely get ready to teach yourself, I highly recommend forming a study group. Don't do it!!!!
I have never learned less in a class or under any professor. The structure of the class was ridiculous. We had extremely long and difficult readings every weekend and then talked about them during the week. the only grades were on weekly questions we had to make and written assignments that were super specific to the readings.
this man is scary. debating ki*ling myself during the quizzes
How does this man still have a job
This material of this class progressively gets more and more difficult, especially towards the end. The quizzes were open book but still pretty hard. The silver lining is that you get 3 attempts on all the homework assignments and you get 15% extra credit for completing it before the quizzes. Don't buy the textbook.
Do not take this class. I am taking it as a first year and I already am questioning my major choice. Talks about how he wants to "challenge you" on quizzes but then never gives any sort of help or review and then acts surprised when the class does terrible on them. Homework doesn't match the lectures or really even the textbooks.
He gets a lot of hate but I really don't understand why. I can't speak for his Macro students, but this Micro class right now has gotta be one of the easiest classes ever. The quiz that we took was easy, the homeworks are easy, learning curves are easy, and there's a ton of extra credit. The only bad thing is that he's kind of stale in lectures.
This is a hard class. You won't pass if you don't attend. He offers a lot of extra credit opportunities, so if you plan to take his class, do them. The class gets harder as the semester goes by and his lectures are unorganized and the information that is shown in his lectures doesn't really help when it comes to quizzes.
His teaching is disorganized and confusing; also the homework does not match up from what we learned in class. From this day, since the beginning of the semester; I still don't know what the heck is going on. He seems like a very sweet person, but he does not know how to teach. He does offer extra credit opportunities though.
He is a really nice guy, but I think it's the subject that makes students dislike him. He give lots of extra credit which is nice. Does not give midterm examinations, which is also nice. Software (Macmillan Learning) is what is used for homework assignments and quizzes. Overall, great professor who cares about his students' success.
He seems like a very nice guy, but he does not know how to teach. Economics is boring enough, and he made is even more boring with his monotoned lectures that lacked energy. I had no idea what was happening the whole semester. He is very disorganized with his time management. He gives a lot of extra credit though, which is nice
This is my first review.I recently had the pleasure of taking macro and micro with Dr.Downs.Great guy who's passion was contagious.Both courses offered relaxed deadlines, an optimal workload, and asynchronous office hours. He also constantly updates and reminds the class. What more could you ask? Stop with the hate and hold yourselves accountable.
Looking at his resume, it can be seen that he must be a person who can learn when he was a student, but in fact he is not good at teaching and managing classrooms, and it is not easy to have a clue when listening to lectures.
I have never came across someone that is so terrible at teaching. He gave us the worst notes and would often become very off topic in the middle of lectures. On the final exam he left all answers in bold and when he found his mistake made us restart the exam after being half way done already. Doesn't grade quickly, and gives no feedback at all.
This guy is the biggest Karen EVER!!! His lectures are very boring and he talks off topic throughout, which puts your class behind on schedule. Poor time management and takes forever to grade things. Not to mention, he messed the final exam up. He gave out exams with bolded answers! Lots of extra credit though, which helps your grade in the end!!
Downs is the kind of boy who thinks because he has a PHD, he is god. He is a very petty person and has the most demeaning style of teaching I've ever seen. Oh his teaching, he's terrible. He gives boring and vanilla lectures, he's a very disorganized person and does his absolute best to make his quizzes, homework and final as hard as he can
Decent professor. Nothing bad to say.
Professor Downs is very unprofessional. His lectures are impossible to follow. He does not answer any questions. His extra credit system makes no sense and he refuses to answer any questions about it. He is the most boring, unprofessional professor this school has to offer.
ECO201 is pretty hard in nature, but Professor Downs is a really good professor who knows his stuff and works hard to make sure you take something away from the class. The class is a lot of reading, which isn't bad for people who like to read. I would recommend this class if you are doing the Economics pathway.
Downs gave numerous extra credit opportunities throughout the semester. Homework, quizzes, and the final were all focused on what was specifically mentioned in class. He used popular examples to introduce economic concepts. Participation was like pulling teeth; the students clearly didn't want to participate. If work was put in, success was easy.
Extremely hard but with a lot of opportunities to improve your grade via the extra credit he hands out quite freely and homework (which there is, weekly). It's lot of information, attending AND engaging in lectures is the only way to succeed on quizzes or the final. Lectures aren't the most captivating but they get the job done.
I got 85+ on all of his homework, but only got 65 on his final exam. After the extra credit boost, my 65 went up to 85. DO ALL OF HIS EXTRA CREDIT OPPERTUNIY. They may seem optional, but a decent final exam grade depend on those extra credit. PRACTICE PRACTICE AND PRACTICE TO DO WELL ON TEST.
Very easy to get an A. Everything is due at the end of the semester and if you complete all assignments before the final, you can get 10 questions wrong and still get 100. Recitation marked attendance. Beware the textbook is $100.
Justin Downs hat Justin Downs hat
Really easy, go to class for the extra credit and you will be fine, only 1 test and that's the final, really easy pathway if you need one
He's clearly very smart, but he just can't convey subject matter in a "normal" or easy way. All materials are delivered through excessively complicated means, and a lack of solid deadlines promotes procrastination.
I'm required to take 181 for my major and it was pretty easy to understand and the amount of extra credit he offers is very helpful. I can understand how some might not like his method of extra credit but its very fair and easy to get. Being at the lectures is very important and there was only one test, the final.
To be honest he has a lot of extra credits, however, he is not good at teaching he never breaks things down to make it easier for us to understand him. I really do not recommend him.
The best thing about his class was extra credit. I attended every lecture but was still confused on the content because he doesn't teach it in a simple way at all, using abbreviations for every single thing in the course. Half of your course grade depends on the final.
Took this class as a pathway and was an extremely easy A. As long as you make sure to attend the lectures for the iClicker questions, do all the homework/learning curves/current events assignments on time, you will be fine because he gives a lot of extra credit. I didn't pay attention the entire semester and only studied the day before the final.
Lectures are kinda boring but the class isn't bad.There is only one final and almost all homework is due at the end of the semester. If you do all the extra credit you could get a 70 on the final and still get an A.
Does not post slides so make sure to go to class. Gives a bunch of extra credit opportunities, take them all!! Teaching style is questionable, sit in the front to focus and take in the info better. Easy homeworks for every chapter.
Professor Downs is one of the best professors at UB. I took ECO 181 with him. Yes, he never posts his lecture notes on UBlearn. As long as you attend ALL OF HIS LECTURE and DO ALL OF HIS EXTRA CREDIT, you will get a satisfying grade. He only had two quizzes and one final during my ECO 181 semester. He now only has one final for his ECO 182 class.
Assigns problem sets that do a good job of preparing you for his tests.
He understands that a lot of people take this class just to fill some requirement so an A is given with little effort, but you still leave the course having learned something. Weekly readings, but honestly you don't have to read all of them and just use some logic to reason your way through the weekly in class quiz. No midterm, easy final.
You are looking to take this class because you need an eco to become a SS teacher, pick another class. This class teaches you nothing you would ever use. Professor Downs' in class assignments are easy but the quizzes are hard and the final is pretty difficult if you are bad at recalling what you read. If you have other options take them instead.
this guy is actually the worst professor of all time. doesnt publicly give out notes to students who are sick or with recently deceased relatives, and requires some nonsense. dont take
Did worse in this than 181 and I don't really understand how. Readings every week and very lecture heavy he doesn't post anything at all. Homework's every week. I think less extra credit than 181. No quizzes or tests just midterm and final exam. Likes to talk about other things during lecture.
No tests just a final definitely study for the final
downs is a great professor for eco. homework load is very reasonable and minimal. he explains lectures clearly and relates to real life scenarios. he also has a positive attitude and great personality!
He assumes everyone is good at math and speeds through math portions leaving people lost. His skeleton notes help a lot. He gives homework prior to the exam attempting to prepare you and then will occasionally throw curve balls. Hes kinda moody
Justin Downs is easily the worst professor I've had at UB. his lectures DO NOT line up with what is on the homework, lectures feel almost unbearable to be in, and has so much attitude when asking a questions. If you can, avoid this class at all costs. DO NOT TAKE
Was very bland. Just read the slides off during lecture.
the material itself isn't rocket science but the way he teaches is awful, no grading checkpoints or quizzes or midterms, so it's really easy to fall behind. All attendance for recitations and iclicker is extra credit, not mandatory. its basically just a bunch of lectures with a final and all homework and assignments due at end of semester.
This guy gets a lot of hate for like no reason. If you put in the work and attend the lectures, the class will not be difficult. He taught well and made sure to help those who needed it. The only part I had issues with was getting the textbook but i'm pretty sure that was a problem with the bookstore
Overall, I found the course less effective than expected. The material was mainly delivered through slides, which lacked depth and explanation. The professor didn't engage or clarify concepts. Without quizzes or tests, it was hard to track progress. More active teaching, real-world examples, and regular assessments would improve the course.
Professor Downs really knows his stuff, however, sometimes when he teaches, it can be difficult to follow. Also attendance wasnt mandatory but he uses iclicker to take attendance and to engae with the class. If you join on the iclicker you get extra points. There is no mindterm or any exams besides a final at the end. Prepare to review alot
Show up to the lectures, do all the extra credit (there's a ton), do the homework on time, and the course should be easy. No tests except for the final which makes it hard to track progress. Slides are not posted and his explanations lack depth. He has a pretty positive attitude and is passionate about what he teaches, just not in a useful way?
Very nice guy and a solid professor. Course material/workload was not too bad for a 400-level class. At some points I even felt the class moved a little too slow. The practice sets he gives out helps a lot. The "hard parts" of the class everyone's complaining about are remembering some equations and doing partial differentiation. Good dude Go Bills
He's very knowledgeable, but doesn't really understand how to teach it. He doesn't take much time to explain things. There is iClicker which makes attendance basically mandatory. Instead of tests/quizzes, there's Current Event Assignments, which use recent events that can be explained by what was covered. There is also lots of extra credit.
Professor Downs really knows his stuff, however, sometimes when he teaches, it can be difficult to follow. The practice problems he gives are helpful for the quizzes and exams.
He only grades you based on the final and homework's. Would not recommend. Did not care about students.
His lectures may be boring, but he is very clear and good at explaining. The guy tries his to be engaging so I'm not going to fault him. Gives a lot of extra credit chances which should be easily maximized by turning in homework early, attending class, and going to recitation. Boring but easy class if you put in a bit of effort.
Justin Downs is a chill guy. If you show up, do in class questions, and all the extra credit you will be fine. Got a C on final but with extra credit still received an A. DO THE EXTRA CREDIT AND SHOW UP. Textbook was like $120 .
Justin Downs is a decent professor, he gives out a ton of extra credit to make up for the one exam which is the final exam. The lectures are very straightforward and to the point.
I genuinely have no idea why he has such low scores, it just perpetuates the stereotypes that business students recieve. GUYS its honestly HARDER to FAIL and EASIER to get that A+. Just show up, pay attention I promise he's funny unless you really don't want to laugh. He's lighthearted, and wholesome. Take the class.
This class was really tough, when he suggests you use the packet he gives, USE IT. Do not make the same mistake i did, it makes keeping up with the class way easier. Lectures are kinda boring but he doesn't post slides so pay attention. 4 quizzes (more like tests). Does Not allow calculator for some reason so get ready to relearn basic math.
Teaches extremely slowly however the class is ridiculously easy. All assignments are due at the end of the semester and you can get extra credit super easily if you are willing to spend an hour or two a week on the homework. Non-mandatory attendance.
I have no earthly idea why people dislike Justin Downs. He is a nice professor who truly cares about his job, and it shows in his lectures. The method of lecturing while working through a packet may be a hinderance to some, but if you show up to class regularly and put in a good effort, the class is not hard. Also no midterm tests, just 4 quizzes.
If you do everything on time and do the extra credit it is a super easy A! There is so much extra credit available, you are super foolish to not take advantage of it. He does not post his notes, so make sure you take your own notes. He teaches lectures at a slow pace, so its super easy to just copy exactly what he has on his slides for your notes.
Overall, the professor goes strictly by textbook and makes the lectures boring and makes me not want to pay attention. Homework every week, and the thing that saved me from failing was the extra credit offered.
He is overall an alright professor however it's hard to learn due to the fact that there was nothing in his slides that wasn't straight from the textbook. I failed the final but still got an A in the class so extra credit is heavily weighted in the end. I would not take a class with him again however.
You have to attend lecture to get iclicker credit which ends up being a big part of your grade, although I found I learned the material better from just teaching it to myself.
dont take him if you value your grade/life. this class alone made me graduate late. he is not helpful when you ask him for help and is quite condescending. the class is graded only on quizzes and the final (the hw isnt worth much). he makes easy content hard, plus puts no resources online. AVOID at all costs
Idk why his rating is so low, offers like 40 points of extracredit for a 200 point course meaning u can 1/4 of your points of extra credit p much... Super easy aswell, funny, engaging, idk how its so low
Make sure you're doing all of the extra credit and achieve assignments. If you don't, pretty much your entire grade depends on how you do on the final-- which is closed note and he doesn't provide much resources to study for it either. Lectures are also not posted online. I recommend taking Aisling Winston's course instead.
you can tell he is a good guy, but he is very unhelpful and makes the class difficult for no reason. you do not know your grade AT ALL during the semester, you have to wait until after the final exam to see how you've done. there is a lot of extra credit but overall the professor is very unhelpful.
Professor gives a lot of extra credit. You can get a high grade if you do it. Lectures can feel long at times.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
77%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.52 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON182
4.0
(2)ECO405
3.4
(5)ECO201
3.0
(5)ECO181
2.6
(39)ECO467
2.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
ECO405
3.8
ECO181
3.5
ECO201
3.4
ECO182
3.3
ECON182
3.0