The class is probably the hardest you would have done so far, but Marius goes a long way in making it enjoyable (by not being Barrington). He is definitely better paced, and his smaller class size helps a lot. Pro tip: Have a friend in the other class to help you with clicker questions, cause Marius gives you like no time to think about them.

Honestly, I think the reviews given for Marius are not accurate. Sure the class is hard but Marius tries really hard to explain concepts and really cares that every student learns. I think he got feed up towards the end of the semester just because so many students stopped trying and caring. The tests are hard but the class is scaled.

Challenging but rewarding class. I had a hard time following the material, but to give him due credit I got a lot out of it at the end. Looks like he was very fair at the end with grades too, in spite of a tough semester. For all the tough material, he was very sincere and went out of his way to hold review sessions.

Marius is a very to the point professor. In my opinion, UMASS could use more professors like him. I've had professors who don't put in half as much effort as him. The course may be slightly challenging, but he will give a very fair curve in the end. If you're expecting to just do homework and do well, this course is not for you.

Before taking this course, I came into it being told that it was the hardest of the 200 series CS classes. I know understand why. The course has bi-weekly problem set homeworks. They are hard, start early, ask questions on piazza, and I would recommend doing them in a group. READ AND REREAD THE TEXTBOOK AND SLIDES TO UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL.

Tough class with the workload and the material itself, but he goes above and beyond in helping students understand topics. He answers each and every question and you can tell he wants his students to succeed as long as they put the work in.

Great professor, he puts in the work to help students reach his standards and scales the class well. 250 is tough with the workload and confusing concepts, but as long as you put the work, ask questions, and pay attention, you will do fine.

Definitely not the easiest class. Overall, it isn't too difficult in the class if you pay attention in the class and put in the work. Marius is pretty reasonable and really cares about how students are doing in the class.

I don't think Marius is as bad as people say. This class is definitely harder than most people expected this semester, but in all honesty the difficulty of course material is on par with CS 187. He responds extremely fast on Piazza, and puts in a lot more effort into his teaching than most professors I've had. Don't be deterred by the bad reviews.

You are able to get A, if you study hard and have some luck. You can learn a lot. He is always waiting online to response your questions.

If you really want to learn something, please take him CS250 and CS220.

A great teacher who is very generous to give hard-working student A. He is very happy to answer your questions on pizza. His CS220 and CS250 and CS311 are highly recommended. Study hard and get an A for yourself.

Marius is a super tough professor, but he really does care and want you to learn and apply yourself. He will respond in a matter of minutes even at late hours. While I do feel that this course itself was kind of stupid this semester in terms of exams not matching up with HW, I am confident that Marius will continue to improve the course.

Well meaning Professor even though he wildly miscalculated the difficulty to make 220 this semester. Although 220 is no longer a breeze, I think the takeaways from this class as compared to previous iterations are more valuable. As long as you work hard enough and put in enough of an effort, the class is doable. He responds to piazza questions fast

Man may look intimidating but don't let that fool you, he's got a heart of gold. He sneezes everytime someone makes a Piazza/Campuswire post and if he's not on there answering your once again pointless question for the n-th time, then I don't know who else will. Great guy, very helpful, passionate about teaching.

First sem sophmore CS major. CS250 is the hardest class I've ever taken. Difficult content, very long homework assignments, stressful exams. Marius often gives arcane answers when you ask him questions. If you're interested in the subject, excellent opportunity to learn, as marius goes in depth. Otherwise, god have mercy on your soul.

Marius is a brilliant Professor, but it might not be immediately apparent. He seems to be the type of guy who is too smart for us plebian students. It puts off some students initially, but that's good news since sometimes his explanation is too intelligent for us, but he always slows down when we ask :D

Marius is a solid Professor. CS 250 itself is a difficult course and no one can blame Marius for that. I have seen people talk bad about him, but he is a real gem. He is dedicated and will try to help you as much as possible. Sometimes he gives arcane answers, but that makes you think about the question in depth. Definitely recommend him!

Marius tries very hard, a bit too hard perhaps. The questions he comes up for homework and tests are intentionally very hard, but he knows that and will not expect you to answer everything perfectly. So no need to freak out if some questions seem too hard. The scale is usually more than generous if you can score above average consistently.

It's quite an enjoyable class so far. The projects are engaging and Marius does have nice sense of humor despite giving quite a scary first appearance for me. The midterms can be a bit too much work if you came in unprepared though. It might be too much work for just 2 hrs that you can barely finish on time

He's a good professor, he clearly cares about students understanding the material. He may often come off as condescending but be patient with him and he'll leave you with a solid understanding of the material. Midterms are absolutely terrible though, extremely hard and/or lengthy, but that doesn't discredit his ability to teach.

His tests are nearly impossible to finish even if you have many years of programming under your belt, and his wording is very hard to understand on the exams and just general responses. HOWEVER, with all this being said this has forced me to watch every lecture 100 times and practice problems over and over again making me much better at coding.

Marius cares. He might be a really caring person, but he WILL make you work for a good grade in his classes, unlike most professors at this college, but you will learn so much more. Homework and exams are definitely difficult, though whenever I was confused in class, he's been able to explain things to me in a way that makes sense.

Marius is a solid professor. You need to put in lot of effort to get a good grade. This semester he didn't curve any exam and I don't think he will even curve the final, which makes it really difficult to get a good grade. If you really wish to learn something and don't care about grades take this course with him otherwise donot.

Marius is a very intelligent and well-meaning professor that has a six sense for Campuswire, makes you work for a good grade, and wants you to learn. However, these intentions are often lost in translation because of the difficulty of his renditions of the courses, particularly in exams and homework, dubbed the "Marius Effect". Good guy, but stern.

I think Marius is being rated unfairly here. Yes, the tests make you think, but are very possible if you throughly understand material. 2nd midterm was a bit too long. The pre-recorded lectures were some of the best I've seen at Umass. Concise and clear, but most importantly this class is good training. It will make you a better coder.

One of the best classes ever. I'm way better at programming bc of this class. Many ppl just trynna collect a bunch of A's, but if you actually want to learn and grow, Prof Minea is the move. Exams are VERY difficult, but final grading is VERY fair. Also prof is ALWAYS on online to answer Qs. I've never seen such a dedicated Professor. Highst Respct

Marius is tough. His homework and exams are long and difficult. But if you understand the material cold, you will get an A. He is very very quick to respond to issues and provides all the materials you need to succeed. If you want to learn a lot, take this class. If you want an A, then don't.

Easily the hardest class I've taken at UMass. Also, the most I've learnt. 311 is a must with Marius if you want to learn CS.

Easily the best professor in CICS. His class is extremely difficult but you'll never find a professor like him that genuinely wants to see you succeed and actually cares that you learn the material

Marius really makes you learn the material to pass the class. Overall I really enjoyed his lectures even though he sometimes can struggle to explain hard-to-understand concepts in a simple way. He can also be very passive-aggressive which can rub people the wrong way, but I found it very entertaining. Always available on campuswide, would recommend

His classes go fast, in depth, and his tests/homeworks are hard. That's all true. But if you really want to learn, you will learn the most from his classes. The habits his courses hammered into my programming really had a positive impact at internships and interviews. The classes are insanely difficult for sure-- but you will learn so much.

Professor Minea changed in a solid way this semester. He is a strong lecturer that knows what he's talking about. He was very available always on CampusWire and office hours if you didn't understand the material. The tests for this class were VERY hard, but he scaled every one of them.

He is by far the best Professor Ive ever had. His exams are hard but his curves are overly generous frankly. Super accessible outside of class ( unmatched). Super easy to get a B but you have to work for an A.

Good Prof. Knowledgeable, will take time to explain concepts again if people actually ask questions. Exams are really difficult, but the curve is always generous, and unlike popular wisdom, I don't think "more people fail" in his courses. Recalibrate your expectations for exams, you'll learn a lot and your grade will be fine.

Marius expects a lot from his students because he thinks so highly of them. In our first class he was so happy for us to be in the classroom again eager to learn. I respect professors who make people work, it's kind of rewarding. He's always available through campuswire and though sometimes blunt, he will never not help you.

Marius isn't great at teaching but I don't think he's terrible either. Personally I found reliance on 220 peers to be more helpful than him, but I still went to his lectures to learn new knowledge. Marius's rendition of 220 taught me that the best tip to do well on the programming projects is to start them early and work with a peer for each one.

I was scared to take a class with Marius after hearing/reading the negative comments, but I was so pleasantly surprised. His classes are challenging, but lectures are engaging and he puts in a lot of effort to help his students thrive. He may seem severe, but Marius is the most compassionate prof I've had in the CS department at UMass.

Severely underrated professor. His classes are hard, but final grades are scaled, lectures are interesting, and he cares a lot and puts in a lot of effort to help his students learn. Marius may seem stern, but he is also one of the most organized CS professors I've had, which is very rare in the CS department at UMass.

Marius doesn’t deserve the review bombs anymore. Yes, his exams are hard, but he’s very receptive to criticism, which is rare in many CICS professors. He began his redemption arc after the switch to in-person learning. The way he explains stuff could improve, but he’s doing his best.

Marius makes his classes harder than they need to be, but he really cares and is always fast with communication. His classes will kill you, but in exchange you’ll boost your work ethic by being careful when asking questions.

Marius makes his classes harder than they need to be, but he really cares and is always fast with communication. His classes are extremely difficult, but in exchange you’ll boost your work ethic by being careful when asking questions. Plus, he scales everything to make up for the difficulty of the class.

The class is challenging but for the right reasons. Lectures are pretty interesting and lab exercises are good practice. The most useful CS class I have taken at UMass by far. The content is difficult and getting good at programming practices is difficult but the class is more than fair with dropped HWs, and quizzes. Great response time.

Marius is a tough guy whose classes are demanding and getting an A is no easy task. BUT he does care and wants you to succeed. Marius is very accessible as he has at least two shadow clones constantly monitoring and answering questions on Piazza, Campuswire, etc 24/7. There is a person who keeps spamming him with bad reviews, don't listen to them.

I've taken 3 classes with him, worked with him as an assistant for one, and will take another next semester. Some might find him mean, but he really does care about his students. His homeworks and exams are harder than when other professors teach it, but I find it the most challenging and made me want to learn more.

Marius doesn't deserve this bad of a reputation. Yes, his classes are hard, but that's how it's supposed to be in college. He is not supposed to spoonfeed you his wealth of knowledge and subject matter. You have to put in the effort.

Genuinely the best teacher I've ever had. Go to his office hours and you will understand everything. I have never had a better teacher.

He's not the best, but I think he still deserves a 5 because he's a good person, he's learning how to be a better professor after acknowledging genuine student feedback seriously, and has at least a decent level of empathy towards students. The 1-star ratings have an ulterior motive because Marius isn't that bad anymore.

He's a good professor who taught me the art of asking good questions. The people who say otherwise are the ones who expect to be spoonfed. Put in the effort, and you'll be ok. You cannot be spoonfed by your professor.

Ok this review is being left to address all of the 1-star reviews that convey the "waaah they didn't spoon-feed us" message. It's college, instructors aren't supposed to spoonfeed you their subject matters anymore. The nature of CS is that it's a difficult major. You have to work for your grade. His classes are tough, but a curve makes up for it.

Great professor, anyone saying that "Marius sucks" are just soft people who expect hand-holding. Put in the effort, and you'll do fine. Marius wants to pass his students. Don't be soft, and don't expect hand-holding.

really caring guy. works tirelessly to make sure that you learn. reach out to him and he will help

Good teacher. Only downside is he's way too hard on his students. His scales make up for it though.

Marius really, really cares about his students. He can be strict and is maybe not the best professor for everyone, but he is an EXCEPTIONAL person who will follow up with you and talk and listen. CS220 is a horrible horrible class that I hate with all my heart, but I don't think Marius really has much to do with it.

Everyone who writes negative reviews just got a bad grade and they are mad. His curves are ridiculously generous. Trust me. Super nice and very approachable.

Great professor who challenges his students. Most classes at umass are taught formulaically with the exams being close to the practice exams. Marius actually makes them different so the test is reflective of your knowledge instead of memorizing the practice exams.

He is amazing

Marius is POG

Negative reviews=bad grade before the curve. He is the best professor in all of UMass by far

Really difficult exams and quizzes. HWs are okay with lots of TAs and UCAs for extra help (+ campuswire). Lecture style is boring but the slides are good. Marius is a notoriously tough grader who will make sure you struggle but he's a really nice guy so don't be afraid to reach out for help. Also gives extensions for valid reasons.

TLDR: AMAZING TEACHER, TOUGH GRADER. I took him for CS 220 in fall 2022. The course was one of the best designed courses I've taken so far. However, the exams were almost designed to make you fail, so it did require a lot of reading. Even though it was a hard class, I can say I learned something real in this class.

Challenging homeworks and exams, but if you try to learn, he is extremely helpful with answering questions. He is very knowledgeable so asking him any sorts of doubts will teach you something new.

Always supportive when I came to talk about HW after class, praising good Qs and great response time on forum, advocating for my interests. Timed quizzes and lengthy exams took a yr off my life, but considering I'm not the only one who doesn't test well under pressure, all worked out with weighted grades. Liked his interactive lecs w/ code.

literally the best teacher ive ever had in my entire life

This man is accessible nearly 24/7 on campuswire. He may be a tough grader (the exams are deadly), but I really feel that I learned a lot more from this class than most others.

220 with Marius can definitely be considered a weed-out class. Although the contents covered are actually very interesting and useful in the field of computer science. However, some concepts are very abstract and you need to work your brain to understand it. Quizzes are difficult, exams are hard but mostly reasonable. Great officer hours however.

easiest class of my life. we watched movies.

Marius comes across as rude sometimes, but he does seem to care. He's extremely responsive to Campuswire questions. The projects are well-designed and doable within a week. The quizzes and in-class questions, on the other hand, are ridiculously difficult, poorly written, and not a good indicator of whether you'll do well on the projects or exams.

I've taken two classes with Marius. and I have to say that the classes I've taken with him are definitely the hardest I've taken, but I've also learned way more in them than any other class.

For those reading, yes, Marius's rating is probably terrible with 1 star reviews. But if you ever wanted to take a course and get something out of it, there's no prof who does it like Marius. Any of Marius' courses have difficult exams and homeworks and you will need to work extra. But also there's excellent communication and accommodation.

Prof. Minea is one of the best teachers I've ever had. His lectures are engaging, with great examples and applications from real world to help us better understand the abstract concepts. Exams are not too hard, as long as we have prepared.

Have taken 2 classes with Marius (220, 311). Marius is a very caring and intelligent man. He teaches infamously difficult classes, hence so many ratings. His exams and homework are a survival mission. But he gives a solid and reliable teaching performance. He will never let you fail if you put in the effort. Pros and cons ofc, but 150% worth it.

Nothing I can say that hasn't been said. If you take a Marius class, you will get out what you put in. Difficult exams, lots of homework, but you'll absolutely learn a lot of material. Isn't that why you're at college? He's a very nice guy, if not a little short in his Campuswire responses. But he genuinely wants students to succeed.

Every class you take with him will be very difficult, and you will get mad at both him and the content. Some people justifiably do not like how he talks, but he is a very caring person who wants his students to succeed. He requires thorough effort from students, but once you've taken multiple classes with him, you'll realize how great he is.

From a teaching standpoint professor Minea is a great professor with an unique teaching style which forces students to learn and improve. CS220 with him was an extremely difficult course with tough exams/quizzes and strict grading. The weekly projects were difficult but doable and took up a large amount of time.

Marius often responds to questions with vague answers, but he puts in a great amount of effort to always be available, while acknowledging that a question a student asked was good. The class is structured extremely well. Exam questions are challenging and often poorly worded, but not as difficult as project questions, and become enjoyable leetcode

Professor Marius is a great lecturer and a tough exam writer. He is very accessible in office hours and on CampusWire. The class goes through material at an incredible pace, so you need to be 120% focused in lectures and review. Exams are where this class is difficult: the questions are very challenging. Homework is not hard if you put in effort.

best professor in all of UMass

Clear your schedule for this class- 10hrs/week of outside work on average A lot will be expected of you, but you will learn a ton. Lectures are clear but packed with information. I re-watched more than half of the lectures. Work through the solutions to the practice exams to prep for exams Use office hours, Campuswire, and free CS tutoring. GL!

Marius' CS220 class has been one of the most defining parts of my time at CICS. I personally chalk the negative parts of CS220 up to the class material; ex. the topics tended to be uninteresting and lectures were very dense and fast-paced. Still, Marius displayed a great deal of care for his students and genuinely seemed invested in our learning.

HW is very doable, just start early and go to office hours. He cares deeply about the success of his students and will answer forum posts at very early hours/weekends, but please reread HW specs, other posts, and think before asking. However, his exams are out for blood, the best way to prepare is to do as many practice exams as possible, good luck

He is an extremely caring when it comes to student doing well. Never had a professor so accessible outside of class and makes it a point to answer questions in the middle of a lecture. Offers an abundance of resources as practice for exams. The content is not as bad as it is made out to be, but some effort is required.

Still better than 240 with Mark Wilson

Watched him yell at some kid for 5 minutes straight during office hours for being not knowing what to do in the coding assignment. 5/5

Start the projects early and you'll be fine.

Marius is a very challenging professor, but you will undoubtedly become a better programmer from CS220. He expects a lot out of his students which forces you to work harder, learn more, and find the most effective study strategies. My advice: Start projects early, practice old exams early (do mock exams all the way through), and go to SI sessions.

It's a hard course but he's a good prof

Honestly I think he's a great professor, but his classes are terribly hard and he makes them way more difficult than they need to be. But if you love learning hard concepts then you should totally take his classes.

Great lecturer, very accessible for office hours, responds very fast on Piazza, tough grader but curves fairly, difficult exams and projects but UCAs/TAs/Marius himself are very helpful. Learned the most in this class out of all my classes at UMass.

This is a professor who will force you to work, and you will benefit from it. Clearly puts a lot of thought into designing assignments. Happy to work with anyone who will show up and put in effort. Very active and accessible on the class forum. One of those professors people either really like, or really don't (because they don't want to work imo).

Marius is a pleasant man who seems to care about student learning, but let's not pretend he's always been charming and lovable. His exams not being anything like the practice exams wasn't really a 220 aspect many people thought were reasonable. Still, his CW response speed is impressive.

CS 311 with Marius was easily the most involved course I've taken at UMass in terms of coursework, but I learned a lot. Marius is always accessible outside of class and has a great deal of respect for those who try their best to engage with the course material.

Marius is a tough but rewarding professor. His class requires serious work, but he provides abundant resources and support. I found Unstuckstudy to be a helpful study tool alongside the practice exams.

He's the goat but if you're a bit slow you might not like him too much. Difficult exams but very fair grading and very knowledgeable guy in lecture

Marius is the best CS professor in the department. His class is difficult to make you better, that simple. He'll respond to you on Campuswire the night of a deadline within minutes, or stay late after class to answer your questions. Everything is designed to make you learn. The exams are difficult, but you'll get out what you put in.

Marius is tough. Going to office hours is a little scary at first, but he actually gives really good feedback and will help you where you are at.

Don't listen to anyone telling you to avoid Marius. You're at university to learn and be challenged right? Marius makes his class hard but he and his TA's do EVERYTHING to make sure students succeed. Amazing class.

I've had Marius for 220 and 311, and he genuinely wants you to be the best computer scientist you can be. His 220 exams are definitely unreasonably difficult and I don't even want to know what the 311 exams would have looked like without Sheldon, but it really seems like he wants to improve as a teacher, and he responds very quickly on campuswire.

I have had him for 220 and 311: Syllabus and course has been set up very well/clear. He is always available for questions on Campuswire. 220 exams were unreasonably difficult, but 311 was not bad at all. Makes students critically think about content by asking questions. Slides are too much. He genuinely cares about becoming a better teacher.

Marius clearly cares about making his students better programmers, and expects a high level of effort from us. His lectures are exhausting and confusing, slides are way too dense and inconsistent. I enjoyed the lectures from the TA (Max) more than his. However, homework is designed well and helped me learn. Tests are crazy difficult of course.

Very accessible outside of class, cares a lot about student success, but also blunt with high (but still reasonable) expectations. Reading slides BEFORE lecture helped immensely. Exams are hard but do lots of practice exams and recognize patterns in the questions and answers and you'll do fine. Curve is generous and extra credit is provided.

Let us indulge in a social experiment. Invite your friends and family to take CS220 with Marius. If anyone complains, they should be removed from your life. Marius is a pleasure, and it is disheartening to see others blame their own shortcomings on him. Name a more iconic duo than Marius and Max. Their 2024-2025 run was one for the history books!

...........