2.9
Quality3.2
Difficulty46%
Would Retake111
Reviews46%
Would Retake
111
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
21
4
20
3
24
2
21
1
25
What Students Say
“"It's so obvious, don't you see it”
MATH1210 - 2.0 rating“Ken is a very arrogant guy”
MATH2210 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
11%
Textbook Required
45%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
CALCALC
5.0
(1)MATH2400
4.0
(1)CALCULUSI
3.5
(2)CALC1220
3.4
(5)CALC1
3.3
(4)Difficulty by Course
1210
4.0
CALCULUS1
4.0
CALCALC
4.0
MATH1225
4.0
CALC1210
3.6
Reviews (111)
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I took Cal I/II under Professor Golden. He is an excellent teacher!! if you are interested in Sea Ice, you must take his course!!
should spend less time talking about him and more about calculus :) he's a good teacher
Golden is too smart to be teaching Calc III. He doesn't stick to the syllabus, most of what he teaches doesn't come from the book, and he has favorites that he likes and he's rude to everyone else.
don't ask any homework questions in class whatever you do. This man is to smart to be teaching this class. It moves to fast and don't bother buying the book he never uses it in his class.
This guy is brilliant. He loves to 'vigorously' prove things. However, he lacks the examples to actually understand what you want. Nice guy and kinda funny. I would only take this class if you have a pretty decent background of calc in high school.
that class was awful. i was not liked & he was completely inaccessable. his homework was hard beyond reason 7 & the tests. a rather large fraction of my class felt the same way. in fact, it should come w/ a label saying only to take the class if you've already taken calc before and are good @ math!
almost once a week he goes off on something too deep and nobody can follow for the whole lecture time.
He is def rude if you ask questions. Didn't learn much from him although he is brilliant. I got an A though, just learn the practice test and you're good.
Ken is the best math teacher i have ever had. He runs around the room and he speaks loudly and his curves are ridiculous. I would change my schedule to be in his class.
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ken rocks!
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He has probably gone through 3 boxes of chalk because he is forever throwing it around the classroom. Easy class tho...
Way fun teacher! I love that class even though it's Calculus so it's expected to be difficult...
Golden is a amazing smart guy....usually too smart to be teaching Calc 1. When asked questions he is usually rude in response. He goes off on these tangents about his achievements and sometimes loses focus of the class. One huge plus is that he is very passonate about math. I would highly suggest a backround in calculus before taking this class.
WOWOWOWOW he is amazing truely
Good job teaching and working with a tough subject. His enthusiasm is evident and he does a good job explaining difficult concepts.
The class wsa tough. Enthusiasm wa apparent, but he was not helpful to you if math was not your strong subject, I had to study 10 hours a week only to get a C. So, I do not recommend him if you are weaker at math because he will not bother with you.
It's obvious that he's smart and knows what he teaches (if you didn't infer that from his class, he's sure to tell you). It's is very difficult to find the patience to listen in class sometimes, mostly because he uses the same words (about 20, including: basically, "in other words", and discombobulated). Despite this, it is an easy class to pass
Hard class. Teacher is not very clear and goes over subjects quite quickly. Suggest taking it from someone else.
This guy was awesome as a teacher. My memories of taking calculus in college will forever be remembered because of the three classes I took from Golden. He made going to class an adventure. I learned a lot and was no longer in fear of using Calculus. Great job Mr. Golden
Goes off in random tangents in class all the time- that are not helpful to the course- also some of the question asked are not fair as even graduate level students in the math tutoring center could not answer them correctly- highly unfair to students such as me that would like an 'A' out of this class.
He's a very interesting guy, who teaches calculus in a very abstract way. Sometimes you come out of lecture not knowing what the point was, but when it comes to tests, they are no problem because he goes through everything you need to know the day before. The homework is tough, but can be done. Very nice guy who has a sense of humor which helps!
He is crazy, really interested in what he does. Pretty easy class, go to lecture 50 percent and you can easily get at least a B. Gets pretty annoyed when stupid people ask stupid questions.
He is really full of himself. Never listens to students ideas. Rejects questions.
Golden is a very interesting teacher. He is very bright, and has interesting lectures. I was intrigued by his personality. From a class standpoint, I felt like it was more challenging than it needed to be... and some things were a little vague.
This teacher goes very fast, expects you to remember every single math concept you've learned since kindergarten and his assignments have very little to do with the tests. Golden focuses too much on abstract topics and focuses very little on the practical application (how to solve the problems) of calculus problem.
Prof. Golden was surprisingly available for extra help and tried to explain abstract ideas in several different concrete ways that didn't make sense then but I've discovered his lessons have stuck with me and are applicable in practical life.
Not an easy class unless you're skilled at math, but a very effective teacher.
I would not recommend this teacher, unless you want rambling tangents and a lot of irrelevant information. He is extremely arrogant. He always talks about how busy he is and how often he travels. The lectures are not very helpful, and he does not go over many examples that are similar to the homework. One positive: he speaks English (QUICKLY)
He is very passionate about math and often mentions the ways math can be applied toward physics, biology, etc. The beginning of the class was a little wonky since the homework was not quite in sync with the lectures, though he had to use a different textbook than before so I don't entirely blame him. The class has gotten better anyway. Recommended!
The class is really easy and I don't think I learned a whole lot. He spends more time talking about sea ice than about Calculus. Take from him if you want an easy A but if you need to take higher level math I would take from someone else.
Terrible. Arrogant, unhelpful and rambling. His egotistical rants make up 70% of class time. Doesn't know how to explain calculus, rendering him a useless teacher.
He was arrogant and loved to talk about himself and his research instead of teaching math. This is a class to take for an easy A but not if you want to learn anything.
This class is a joke. You don't have to learn anything just copy from your cheat sheets during the exam. Which is helpful if you are taking other hard classes and don't have the time to put in the work. Ken can be very funny but he is extremely egotistical and doesn't like stupid questions. If you have a sense of humor then you will be fine.
No argument from anyone that this man is a genius. But he isn't very good at teaching non-math majors.I think his grad students taught it better because Ken's math is so far beyond what he is teaching that he assumes it's easy for everyone. Easy A but the grade is a bad reflection of what you really learn.
Interesting lectures but he does not teach you any math!
Professor Golden is bright, gives interesting and informative lectures, and makes a class that would otherwise be frighteningly difficult much more accessible. His lectures do become convoluted, and sometimes don't seem very relevant homework material. If you work hard, you will learn in his class.
Ken is definitely a genius and an interesting person. I feel like sometimes he doesn't realize that it's possible for someone to not understand a concept. His grading is extremely lenient and he is very straightforward with what will be on the exams. He'll often give exact exam problems in his lectures. GO TO THE EXAM REVIEWS!Do some work, get an A
He is a very smart guy, but his class can be challenging to learn. The best way to achieve a high grade is to go to his exam reviews. They will outline exactly what will be on the test.
He is incredibly smart and definitely has certain things that he cares about, and it's pretty easy to figure out what will be on the exams (he outlines it very clearly in the exam reviews). Fair grading, and willing to help if you come to him personally. In class, he has a tendency to shoot down stupid questions.
He very smart and I really learned the concepts from his lectures. As a heads up he pretty much doesn't change his test from year to year so if you can find someone who had him before you will have a good understanding of what he will test. He also clearly states what he will test in class so just cover those things on your note sheet you are set.
Ken is a very arrogant guy. That being said, he has a pretty easy grading system so it's pretty tough to get less than a B in this course. You won't learn a ton, but you'll get a decent grade as long as you do the homework
He can be a bit intimidating if you happen to need to talk to him. His teaching style of just straight lecturing and assuming you'll get it worked for me, but not for others in the class; 2210 is also just a hard class. The textbook is suggested but I never used it.
Dr. Golden is a really good guy and he loves math. However, it is really easy to get him to go off on a tangent which just confuses almost everyone in class. On the other hand he is really entertaining in lectures, so if you can follow him, you'll have a great time. Make sure you use his office hours to get help.
Brilliant man, terrible professor. Expect to be challenged, even if you are good at math. Expects you to know everything he taught in his Calc I class. If you had him before, and like him, go ahead. Otherwise, steer clear!
Ken Golden is a great professor. If you attend every lecture and write down some of his "favorite" problems, you should breeze through the exam. The key to this class is going to the Math Lab. If you can comfortably get through the homework and the practice exam, you should receive an A on the exam. 1220 is much harder than 1210 so study harder.
Professor Golden was a fairly good teacher, but a lot of class time was not spent on what we needed to know for the test. A lot of what we learned was either not on the test or could be learned in a different class.
His lecture is really bad. He will not teach you anything in the class.
Brilliant but has no business teaching lower level math classes because he spends the majority of lecture time showing the class how much he knows while not connecting it to the class or teaching in an organized fashion. He spends his time talking VAGUELY about a ton of upper division maths and the class is a waste of time where not much is learned
Ken is a little too smart to effectively teach calc 3. Most of the class is spent showing proofs rather than relevant examples. However, he really does care about student success. He is really nice and generous with partial credit. He also gives out a lot of the test questions at review sessions before the tests which is nice.
Ken is brilliant, no doubt, and somewhat entertaining. I thought that he did a solid job breaking down the calculations. Conceptually, however, he overestimates his students every once in a while. Homework is really not bad in this class. He's passionate about teaching and often ties the material to real-world scenarios.
Ken is a very knowledgable professor and has taught many advanced courses which means he will often go over ideas that are a little more complicated than an entry level class should have. He also goes over material extremely fast, our class was way ahead of other classes and it would have been nice if he would have slowed down.
yeah, he's a genius, but he shouldn't be teaching calc 1. I think he would be suited for more advanced classes. He assumes we know what he is teaching already or we can just pick it up really fast. I some times couldn't keep up with his lectures because he would move on to one topic, do one example and move on. but he's a nice guy and willing 2help
/Teaching is obviously isn't his main focus. He only teaches with single long examples that are always physics focused, it made the class impossible to follow along without a physics background. He also is an incredibly harsh grader, I got 70% on a test when I had 19/20 questions right. He just looks to take away points. Poor experience.
Golden assumes the class already has a understanding of calculus and this makes it a little difficult. He connects his lectures to the real world and this is helpful. While some of his examples are confusing, he is an amazing teacher. He does everything to give hints for exams and will give as many points back on missed questions.
Fantastic professor, but sometimes goes a little too quickly, which makes it hard for people who aren't as talented with math to digest the material. Never required to use the textbook; I wouldn't waste my money on it if I took Calc 1 again. Super nice and helpful during office hours, but he's pretty busy. He curved the exams and class too!
"It's so obvious, don't you see it!"
An extremely smart guy who's passionate about math. However, he is too intelligent to be teaching this level of math, and his lectures are dense and difficult to understand. He goes off topic and fails to clearly present what's needed to know. The review sessions he holds for the tests are a must!
Go to exam reviews or get notes from someone if you can't go. He doesn't post lecture notes online, so you need to go to class. You'll do well if you go to lecture and watch the calc 1 videos on the U's math website. Don't buy textbook. He really loves math, but I think he'd be better teaching calc 2 or higher. It's hard for him to go down to calc1
I was surprised to see the low reviews, I loved Ken. But I did take calc in high school so this class was basically review for me. His tests were basically the same as his review but easier, and he got them graded and in canvas like an hour after we took them which is crazy. This guy is a gem and he loves showing videos of penguins
He's a good teacher if you already know the material. I don't think he realizes its not a physics or engineering class. Will go on rants that only kind of have to do with the topic. He will also talk for the first 20 minutes, then go 5-10 minuets over because he didn't get everything done. I have no retention from his class.
I suggest starting with Calc I to judge if his teaching style works for you, because he has a very intuitive understanding of mathematics and can only explain it using physics. If you haven't taken physics/don't understand physics, I would steer clear. He also rants and starts late and ends late, which is very disrespectful.
Take this class if you're good at math and is a self-learner. Go to his lectures if you love physics, chemistry, and rocket science. Otherwise, take it at your own risk.
Golden has a different approach vs other professors in math but he is great. He uses many examples that apply to various different fields too. Golden is lecture HEAVY, so every little thing you learn in lecture will be on the exam. Take good notes and know your math well.
how you pass ken's class: go to his test review sessions since he basically tells you the contents of the exam, be prepared to find lots of help online for the tough stuff, read the book. His lectures are 60 % him rambling about examples that 90 % of the class won't understand due to lack of experience, I respect the man, but never again..
He is not a good choice if math is not your strong suit. That being said, if you find STEM fields interesting and don't mind having concepts explained in more abstract ways he is an excellent teacher that is able to build an intuitive understanding into students that are naturally good at math. In short, take only if you truly like math.
Awful professor. I get that he's a genius but it doesn't seem to translate into his teaching. He zooms through the content and then makes a HW set that is the accumulation of weeks of material, and the problems on the homework set are very hard. He doesn't make sure students learn the basics before ramping up problems.
Pros: Ken is a good guy, you get a cheat sheet on exams, the exams are generally pretty easy. Cons: Unless you know some engineering/physics you will learn close to nothing from lecture. He is very smart and will overcomplicate new material to no end. Shout out to Khan Academy, NancyPi, and OC Tutor for literally teaching me this entire course.
Ken is nice he will help you if you ask for help but, his teaching makes no sense. Half the time he is telling a story or talking about calc 2 or 3 not teaching calc 1. overall he's a nice person but not a very good teacher. if you take this class I suggest you watch the universities calc videos. just look up u of u math videos.
He is a really nice guy and he is very entertaining. He will explain things if you ask, but you will likely have to do it a lot. He is a genius mathematician, but I think this has caused him to forget what is was like to learn calculus for the first time. It seems like he assumes everyone understands because it is so easy for him.
The practice exams are very similar to the actual exams and there is not too much homework.
He goes fast in the lectures so you have to pay attention or get help from Khan Academy. He is funny though and the TAs are very helpful.
Ken is a ridiculously smart mathematician and sometimes seems to forget that not everyone is as good at math as him so it can be a little difficult to keep up. That being said, he is super understanding and helpful if you have any questions or concerns. He also curves everything very fairly. Midterms, finals and the class as a whole.
Professor Golden is SO enjoyable and very kind. The exams are extremely fair and are nearly exact mirrors of the practice exams. Exam questions are very simple and cover fundamentals. The lectures are a little less organized, though, and Ken is a bit enthusiastic and gets carried away on less relevant examples. The homework is actually enjoyable.
Professor Golden is a friendly guy, but he's not very good at explaining things in a way that makes sense. He uses little to no visuals and expects his students to have taken college physics before which I hadn't. His TA gave a couple lectures when he was out of town and she was significantly better at teaching than him.
Professor Golden teaches in a very captivating manner, although some of his lectures are somewhat hard to follow and he moves through course material quickly. When I was enrolled, there were only 10 somewhat-light assignments. Your grade depends on 3 total exams but prepares you very well for each exam. I recommend this professor and course!
Golden is very passionate but to his detriment. His lectures are very scattered and confusing and he seems to have forgotten how it feels to learn calculus for the first time. He thinks a lot of things are obvious that aren't and wastes class on irrelevant subjects. I had to teach myself most the class but he's light on homework so that's a plus.
Professor Golden's lectures often did not completely cover the material since he usually goes off on tangents. But, the few examples he does cover are the ones that appear on tests. His study guides almost exactly mirror the test so it is easy to be prepared for a test. But, tests are worth 80% of your grade. The homework were harder than examples.
Kens class focuses on generalized examples instead of tedious integrals. I would take his class if you're looking for an easier class with less work or if you're looking to understand the fundamental ideas more than the nitty gritty details. Exams are very easy because of how conceptual they are -especially with the 8.5x11 cheat sheet you can bring
Absolute waste of money and time, you have to teach yourself the whole class and then he gives you a study guide for each test that has all the test questions on it. Good class if you just want to get a degree/learn nothing, bad class if you have to pay/take out loans for school and actually care somewhat about learning.
The material itself, while not exactly easy, would be manageable if taught better. Most of the learning is done on your own either through the TA or through reading, because he goes off on random tangents during his lectures and never ends up teaching something useful for our tests, and when he does he moves so fast that you never catch anything.
Ok, do not listen to the other review. Golden cannot teach for his life. He spews so much nonsense and goes off on topics that are tough to understand. He doesn't give thorough explanations or give many office hours (only weekly 30-minute sessions). The tests are vague and he doesn't explain the material enough. Stay away from this class.
DO NOT ATTEND LECTURES. IT IS USELESS. If you come into his class expecting to self teach, you will do well. His reviews mirror his tests almost exactly. Watch the math department videos and read the textbook instead. Please do not waste your time going to his lectures where he does nothing but talk about himself and go on useless tangents.
He is very passionate about what he teaches, but this passion causes him to become distracted. A good portion of each lecture is wasted on teaching topics in related fields. Due to this, he will rush through what actually needs to be taught. When he is teaching something necessary, he will teach like he forgets that we are new to the topics.
Ken is a terrible professor. His lectures make zero sense, and he goes off on tangents for the majority of class and then speeds through the actual content. And if people ask questions that he doesn't like, he'll completely ignore the question and get upset with them for asking a "dumb" question, which made me afraid to speak up in class.
To anyone on the fence about taking this guy next spring, absolutely do not. The worst class i've taken at the U. This guy doesn't care about the class at all, and is so far up his own ass he can't see other humans in front of him. He will make your blood boil taking this class. These types of professors are what give a bad name to college.
I'm not good at calc but on top of that I found it difficult to keep up with his lectures. He is very passionate about calc but I felt he taught a little bit too fast for my liking, hard to follow.
Words cannot explain how shit of a professor golden is. His lectures are useless due to the all the tangents he goes off on and how no visuals are used in his lectures. You are going to have to self study the concepts and watch numerous youtube tutorials. His tests have no similarities to his practice tests and dont build off of his lectures.
He goes on tangents every chance he gets, never stops talking about his trip to antartica. Put questions on the exam that were barely discussed in class. I learned more from the TA than from him. I do not recommend, if given the option take the class from a different professor. Golden is terrible.
He is a great teacher. He relates what he teaches to stuff that actually matters in real life. His practice exams are great for the exams plus anything not on them is mentioned in class as hints where he winks and goes 'I really like this.' Other Perks: Allowed cheat sheet for exams, drops lowest exam, grades exams on a curve.
Professor Golden is ok. He is a nice guy and has pretty interesting lectures. It's pretty hard to learn from his lecture style. I stopped attending his class and only went for exams. Pros: 1 page of notes for each exam, very explicit with what is on the exams in his review sessions, tests are not very difficult Cons: Teach yourself the course
Professor Golden really loves math. He is just really bad at teaching it. The only reason I was able to do decent was the exams they are like 80% of your grade but he drops your lowest, gives you a whole sheet of notes for the exam, and gives a practice exam pretty similar to the real one. Don't take unless you can learn on your own!
Overall, this class was relatively easy. He makes it quite easy to do well in the class, as there are cheat sheets allowed on tests, and he will often hint at what is on the test. I didn't completely understand the content from the lectures, but I also made very little effort to learn the content outside of the class.
The class is very easy. Exams are almost identical to the practice exams and you get a cheat sheet. They make up most of your grade, but you're given the resources to do well. As a professor, he's very passionate about math (and his research,) he's just not great at teaching it. Take the class for an easy A, but not if you genuinely want to learn.
Would definitely crank 90s in Fortnite with the guy, wouldn't want to take a class from him tho
Exams=practice exam+impt examples of lecture Exam percentage- high but quite easy if u are OKAY w/ practice exam&exs in class Hand writing=tough to read-record/listen careful Lecture= fun&easy i never read textbook-dont buy Assignment=bit hard-lecture does not cover a lot of examples I remember nothing from Cal2 but it was okay. KEY:{easy/fun/exam}
Golden clearly cares about his students and is passionate about the content to a fault - he often felt very chaotic. I really enjoyed his lectures for the connections to other fields, but they are hit or miss in terms of covering what's tested. If you can study on your own and appreciate interdisciplinary connections, I'd recommend this course.
Overall great lectures, but not very good at taking student questions, he gets somewhat impatient. Exams were either a breeze or ridiculously difficult, hard to gauge the amount of effort you need to put into the class.
He is everywhere with his lectures. I stopped going to class because his lectures made no sense and didn't teach the material. He does the examples one way and then you go and get help and find out it was the wrong way. The upside is he does do a review session before each test and his tests are very similar to his practice exams/review sessions.
His lectures are hard to follow, he expects you to know how to solve problems in 'negative 2 seconds'. It is hard to ask questions, he can come off as condescending at times. I only learned in lecture when his TAs taught. He knows his stuff and cares about math, but he's bad at teaching it. DONT take his class unless YouTube is your friend.
Golden is an incredibly supportive professor when you meet with him one on one. He helped get my grade from a C+ to an A- when I was struggling. WORD OF ADVICE: Attend the zoom meetings for the assignments and exams!!! They do the homework problems for you and go over the actual exam questions! Easy A if you use this strategy! Hope this helps :)
I would not recommend this professor, he knew what he was talking about, but was insanely arrogant. I used to make jokes to my classmates how I was surprised how his head could fit through the door. He makes tests pretty easy and will tell you what to look for. But learning the material was a nightmare, his lectures were confusing.
An absolutely polarizing figure, he's a successful mathematician and physicist before he is a teacher. Lectures quickly feature advanced examples. There are "stupid questions" in class. But above all, he facilitates practice tests and review sessions that WILL prepare you for the test. The textbook is not necessary, don't waste your time buying it.
Good teacher, did a good job teaching the material he was going to test you on. Was he a little condescending? Sure, but he definitely knows what he's doing. There's a free version of the textbook online btw, don't pay for it.
He tends to simplify equations a lot while demonstrating in class. He kind of rushes and if you aren't paying 100% attention it can just seem as if you're copying everything down. When students ask questions, he often criticizes them for not understanding. His tests often contain very specific examples that he does in class or during the review.
Exams are quite straightforward if you nail the practice materials, but the lectures can be hit-or-miss. Leverage Unstuckstudy and other study tools to stay on top of the content.
I actually really hated his class and the way he taught. He was very condescending and would often shame students answering questions. He made Calc3 really easy allowing note sheets on exams that were very similar do his review guides and lecture notes. He Curves grades which helped a lot and had a couple drops of HWs and exams. Stressful but easy
In my opinion Professor Golden gets a lot of hate from people who don't show up to class. Although his tests can be challenging, if you pay attention in class he strongly hints at what questions will be on all of the tests. Overall he was one of my favorite professors I've had at the U and I would definitely recommend him
He wasn't only the worst math teacher I've ever had but he also got offended when people asked questions. His tests are similar to his practice tests, which is nice, but he doesn't know how to explain to save his life. I was excited for calc 3, because I heard it would be easier than calc 2, but not with this professor. Avoid taking this professor.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
11%
Textbook Required
45%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
CALCALC
5.0
(1)MATH2400
4.0
(1)CALCULUSI
3.5
(2)CALC1220
3.4
(5)CALC1
3.3
(4)Difficulty by Course
1210
4.0
CALCULUS1
4.0
CALCALC
4.0
MATH1225
4.0
CALC1210
3.6