Martin is very funny and very passionate about economics. He is very caring and respectful in office hours and would keep trying to help you understand the material. Exams were rather easy and based on his notes. Participate in class, and you'll get along with him easily.

Very easy to follow and his practice exams will be nearly identical to the midterm and final.

NICE PROF EVER, U MUST TAKE THIS COURSE.

Great prof. Super easy to understand. Interesting lectures. Exams are not hard. They follow the textbook and class lectures well

Martin is the best professor I have ever had the pleasure of being taught by. He not only cares about his students, but administers exams almost identical in difficulty and style to his homework. Not to mention I actually absorbed all of the information he taught in lecture. I highly recommend enrolling in as many of his classes as possible.

Took Econ 103 and passed with flying colours (got an A+)! Showed up and just took notes on what he was writing. After the first midterm I started to skip on classes too and I still nailed the final exam. He posts all his notes online so you can catch up need be, and classes aren't mandatory! The course is curved and only has a midyear and final.

One of the best prof at SFU. His lectures are simple, straightforward, and funny. Gives great materials to prepare for exams so the curve can be relatively high. Definitely should take.

Great professor overall. Very easy to follow, explains things very well. Even when material is dry he finds a way to make it interesting. His exams are very straight forward, if you study and attend lectures you will get a good grade.

the best econ professor in sfu

Econ355W is upper writing course but it comes easy if you take this profs class. 5 essays no more than 500 words each in entire term. Super easy exam, no formula derivation, no essay on exams, Just some simple math and model theory.

He is one of the most caring professors in SFU. He explains the material really well and the exams are fair. 3 exams in total, 2 midterms (worth 25%) and cumulative final (worth 50%).

Martin is an excellent professor. He consistently teaches with passion, kindness and clarity. If you pay attention in class, studying outside of lecture feels more like review due to Martin's thorough overview of the material. I highly recommend taking as many courses with him as possible, as I will be doing the same!

Dr. Santamaria is one of the most all-rounded professors I have had. Made a very dull topic very interesting and enjoyable. Dr. Santamaria is very knowledgeable and loves interacting with his students - unlike many other profs at SFU - he enjoys what he teaches and makes his classes a pleasure to attend. Ask him about the Argentina soccer team :P

Dr. Santamaria is honestly, simply put, awesome. He cares about his students and almost always will set up individual office hours with you if you shoot him a email. His exams are fair, and his lecture notes line up almost perfectly with his exams. Overall, great professor. Oh, he's also hilarious.

Very good prof. Knows first year econ courses can get dry and lots of people don't really care but he tries to make it as engaging as possible. Tests are fairly easy, except that sometimes there are mistakes on the tests which can throw people off. Just go to class and review the lecture notes!

Best professor Ive had up until now. Every lecture was enjoyable and captivating. Made me actually want to go to class. Would recommend!

has a thick accent but not hard tp understand once you get used to it. he assigns practice questions from the textbook but not for marks. doing his practice questions and reading through the slides is enough to get a solid mark on the exams. has a great personality and customizes stories for the examples to fit the material. great prof.

Martin cares a lot about his students and is always there to address concerns or answer questions. His lectures can be a bit boring to follow because he tends to get sidetracked sometimes. Lectures aren't that useful because you can just read his lecture slides which he posts. tests are fair but MC is out of 2 or 3 so one wrong has quite an effect.

Very friendly and passionate! Must read the textbook and do all practice questions in order to do well on the exams.

Professor Santamaria is quite good! The material was dry at parts, but he trys to make it more interesting. If you have a solid econ background I think you'll find Econ355W quite easy, but I got tripped up with some of the models. Good mix of assignments and he gives you practice midterms/finals that are accurate. Attending class makes it easier!

Martin sanataria is by far the sweetest professor ever he really cares about his students and is super passionate about economics! he does have an accent but you will be able to understand him fine. lectures and tutorials are not mandatory, and your mark is accumulated by 2 midterms 25% each and 1 final 50%.

This prof is one of the best "econ" profs in SFU. He tries to make the lectures more engaging and I respect his efforts. His lectures were quite important and be sure to copy down his notes as he will be testing on those on the exams. The TA's of this course are tough graders (there are a few essays you need to write for this course). #Recommended!

Absolutely my fav prof at sfu!!! Have taken 2 courses with him and both were great! He is just so chill and always delays the deadlines. Overall not hard for a 4-unit course. Just have to write a few papers and 2 exams. Talk to the TAs for revision for your paper and study the lecture notes for the exams and you will be good.

I say this after many Econ courses, this man knows how to teach. If you love Econ or interested in understanding how the markets/forex work this is your guy.

If you're interested in the know how of forex and how it all interconnects. Martin is your guy.

Fantastic professor. Highly recommend taking either 103/105 with him. Very kind and knowledgeable. Just listen to his lectures, study a bit, and you should be good.

I think Martin is such a gem. He is hands down the best prof I ever had at SFU. In the pandemic I think it really shows which profs are good and which profs are bad and he is so considerate during this pandemic. His exams are 110% fair, everything he tested was something he went through in his lectures and the textbook is just extra. I love him!!

MUST TAKE ECON 103 WITH DR. SANTAMARIA!! He's the most sweetest, caring professor I've met and I'm truly saddened that the semester is ending. He supported and encouraged me to continue working hard when I was at my lowest point due to receiving the grades I didn't expect to receive. DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND TAKE A CLASS WITH HIM!!! ON MY LIFE

I took 103/105 with him and his teaching style is the best. He doesn't overwhelm students with a strict courseload. This semester he had all long answer questions and took out mc. In the spring, he had difficult mc and essay type questions during the transition online.

BEST ECON 103 PROF EVER!!! He's so kind and sweet, which made the end of the semester so sad. His 3rd exam lol was the hardest exam, but that was a attempt to bring down the average so yeah. He's a good man. TAKE a class with him before you graduate sfu. If if you don't need econ, JUST TAKE IT WITH SANTAMARIA!!!! I miss him so much already. NO CAP

You should definitely take a class with this prof!! HE IS AMAZING. He is funny, caring, and takes the time to answer each students questions during lectures. You will learn a lot from him. There were 4 exams and as long as you listen to his lectures, do the practice problems, and read the textbook (optional), you should do fine

REALLY SWEET!! Take a class with him before you graduate from SFU!! I cant explain how much he cares about his students. MAN IS A GOD

Best prof in the econ department for lower division courses. While he does have a bit of an accent, he explains things well and is very clear on what to expect on the exams ahead of time. If you do the practice questions he provides, you are sure to do good! He also covers far less chapters compared to other profs teaching the same class.

If you did econ in high school you should be fine. His lectures were great informative but never boring. This class never made me stress out at all. Overall, a great prof for my first semester at SFU.

Really funny. Easy grader.

Super cool prof. He's really good at explaining concepts and I found the class SUPER easy. I never showed up to any lectures live as they're all recorded and I still ended with an A. He's also really funny. I would for sure recommend you take his class.

Honestly, I had this amazing professor two years ago. Now I am thinking back on how good I had it in his class. He is just the perfect prof, I don't know how to explain it. If you have the chance, please take his class. Sincerely, Jaskaran Sandhu.

He tries his best to crack jokes and cares about what he's teaching. Unless you are really passionate about economics, his lecture can get really dry. Was not really organized for his midterms this sem. ( had a lot of mistakes) He was the goat tho because he recorded his in-person lectures.

Martin is a great prof. He makes the topic look easy and tries hard to make the class fun. He is also very knowledgeable

Martin is a great professor for Econ students who excel more in their writing than their quantitative skills. His tests and assignments are more writing focused. While his lectures can feel a bit dry, he will gladly answer questions, and values student engagement. Textbook is not necessary, but can help for pre-reading for lectures.

Very passionate about what he teaches, and is a pretty funny guy. Tests are challenging, make sure you're listening in lectures because it helps a lot. Test questions are more similar to the book than what he goes over in class.

He includes a lot of lecture-specific topics in his exams, not so much that you HAVE to show up to lecture, but it's a very good idea that you do. He basically gives out answers to his exams during the lecture, just pay attention! If you ask a question, be prepared to stand there with him for 10 whole minutes as he explains EVERYTHING to you.

I enjoy his lecture and honestly he is very nice. He actually gives midterm examples before midterms (same with the finals). If you study hard you can get an A in his class.

He is a really caring professor, and a fantastic lecturer. Practice exams were similar to midterm content, and tutorial questions were also helpful. If you go to class / tutorial and pay attention you will be ok. If you study a moderate amount, read the book, and do lots of practice you should be able to get an A range. Would recommend to anyone

Martin is an awesome prof. He is funny and really cares about his students. The exams were very similar to the practice exams so make sure you understand those. There were 2 midterms and 1 final. Overall, take Econ with Martin!

Martin is friendly and clearly cares about his students. His exams are very fair and very similar to practice tests, so midterms and finals were a breeze for me. One thing to note is that TAs can sometimes make mistakes in marking, I had to grade appeal both of my midterms. Would 100% love to take any Econ class with Martin again.

He is really laid back for the most part, but he doesn't mess around when it comes to cheaters. If you show up to lecture and pay attention, you will do well on the exams. Expectations are fair for written assignments. Really easy to follow his content and he is available if you need extra help. Definitely one of the best lecturers at SFU.

Martin's class was pretty straightforward, I think he's a solid choice for ECON 105. Just go through lecture slides to understand main concepts, and go over the practice questions he provides over and over again. Exams are very similar to all practice questions and practice exams. Overall, Martin is a great prof and adds humor to his lectures.

Good prof!

His class is not bad but his 3 hour lectures can be soooo boring especially if you have a short attention span.

Best economics professor in the department! Although the 3 hour lectures can feel long, he makes them very engaging. His exams are very fair and I believe that if you study all the practice problems and past exams he gives you, you will do well. If you see his name, take ECON 105 with this prof!

he is one of the best prof for econ. he gives a lot of practice problems and practice exams that help you with the real exam. highly recommended! he is very nice and engaging. take econ 105 with him.

Pretty good prof, gives lots of practice. Nothing on the exam is unexpected. I found that lots of the material on exams was based off class discussions, so its important to go to class, but still not mandatory if u can figure it out yourself

My mark is about 75% for the exams but still got A-. Best prof you'll ever take in his class.

Amazing professor, definitely the best choice for ECON 105 as his lectures are engaging and his exams are fair. Study all the practice materials he gives you, especially past exams and additional practice problems. I got my first A+!

Class is entirely test based which could be good or bad. Martin is a great lecturer who actually keeps you engaged with real life examples and jokes. Overall material wasn't too challenging, most things on the exam were straight out of his lecture slides. Class averages were very high leading to a tough grading curve.

Martin has interesting lectures where he often makes jokes and relates topics to real world events. Sometimes he can run out of time during lecture but anything he doesn't cover is left out of exams. During my semester there were 3 exams which determines the entire grade so keep that in mind!

Good professor. We also had recorded lectures so could always refer back to them. Clear slides and explanation. Lots of written assignments to do, similar to Econ 220W.

Martin is one of the funniest cool profs I have ever had. He really cares about his students and the subject matter and does everything he can to make lectures enjoyable. The class is extremely test-heavy. You need to ask questions during lecture and pay attention. Economics was hard for me but Martin made it enjoyable.

Martin is super engaging and funny and only tests on concepts he goes over in lectures. He made econ so enjoyable and made me eager to go to the class despite it being 3h long. He loves soccer too, which is a bonus! Explains concepts clearly and motivated me to be a better student.

Had a great time in his ECON115 course. Lectures (not mandatory) felt long but he tried to make them as engaging as he could. All the exams were almost identical to previous practice exams (which he posted on Canvas). Just do all the practice questions and attend tutorials, it's easy to get a good mark. Just beware that the curve is quite high!

Although he is funny, his lessons are somewhat challenging to understand. I benefited from reading the textbook, but that isn't necessary. The whole course is graded by 3 non-cumulative exams. He gives many sample exams from previous semesters to help study; these are extremely similar to the actual exam.

I took this class and had an amazing time with Martin. Lectures felt really long but Martin knows how to keep you engaged. The curve is high and I also had an amazing TA. One of my favourite classes by far as well. Study off the practice exams they really help !

Great Prof Overall. Pro: Interesting lectures, lots of practice exams, easy to follow materials. Cons: Heavy Argentinian Accent (hard for International like me), VERY HEAVY WORKLOAD, lots of readings.

Martin is amazing! He talks a lot but it's all good vibes. I never showed up to class..maybe like three times.. but whenever I did, it was always a blast! Take ECON105 with Martin, my Argentinian king

I barley went to any lectures and mostly just self-learned from the slides however when i did go i loved his lectures, they were very engaging. He has three midterm type tests and no final. Each midterm is based on different chapters. Since this is a content heavy class, i loved that he didn't have a cumulative final at the end. Tests were easy.

Santamaria is a good prof and wants his students to do well. Lectures aren't really engaging, but that's the nature of a big class size. Content is manageable, and your grade is entirely test-based. To do well on tests I recommend you study all the practice problems repeatedly, more than textbook.

Don't look at the other reviews about students complaining about this teacher. He does a great job teaching the content and all the lectures are recorded. All of his exams are incredibly fair, they are either complete copy and paste from past exams or they are straight from the textbook questions he assigns. If you at least try, its not that hard.

He is the easiest, most relaxed professor in all of ECON 105. All the exams are individual and not cumulative (all the questions are basically similar to the exams examples he gives), highly recommended!

prof is nice and entertaining. make sure to practice midterms and some of the questions are really similar. I lowkey found this class harder than Econ 113 which is opposite than others. But the average is really high and this class is curved. Make sure you do better than the class or close to class average.

His exams are incredibly fair, very similar to practice questions. His past exams are your best friend as his tests are heavily based off of them. This class is not hard if you remotely put effort into it. He is a fair and great teacher.

Took Econ 105 and 355w with him. Very straightforward. His lecture slides and previous midterm/finals will help you a lot. Make sure you practice those and he does give hints if you attend lecture. Nicest dude. Tries to make jokes and it is even funnier when no one laughs!

out of all the lower level econ teachers he is the best. lectures were ok (not boring but not super interesting) - maybe because it was 3 hrs. tests were relatively fair and make sure you look at the sample tests. questions are mostly marked 5-10 so if you mess up it can cost you a lot. way easier than econ 105 but you have to remember more.

He's a great guy. He sometimes adds a few jokes in his lectures. The 3 hour lectures could be a lot because of how content-heavy this course is. There was also a lot at stake with your entire grade being determined by only 3 exams. Otherwise, he is a good lecturer and explains the concepts pretty well. Just go to lectures and tutorials.

Ez class, practice exams are the same as the real ones.

The professor makes the class easy - practice exams are similar to the real ones. Using Unstuck study alongside the provided resources can really help with exam prep.

Good prof, exams are exactly like the ones on the practice exams so make sure to do them. He does 3 tests (not cumulative) and has no final so ez class. lectures very long up to 3 hours and can be boring but he cracks some good jokes. lots of work so be on top of ur homework and be passionate about econ and youll do good.

No assignments, mark is based only on 3 exams. Lectures are honestly optional as you can learn the material yourself without sitting in lecture for 2 hours. Exams are same as practice questions, marked out of 100 points, him and his TAs genuinely want you to do well and very easy to get good mark.

Great professor and great group of TAs that genuinely want you to succeed. Sometimes lectures can get boring but the tutorial sections help you understand material better. No mandatory attendance or assignment, just 3 exams that determine your grade. Exams are similar to practice problems. DO ALL PRACTICE PROBLEMS! He loves his tacos and ice cream!

Honestly, this was a great class for a GPA boost. The professor has a partially monotone voice, but explains concepts well. Overall, the class is easy with a minimal effort required- just do all the assigned work and attend lectures.

Martin is the reason I would get up every morning on the day of this class with a smile from cheek to cheek. He is passionate, inspirational, and shows heavy desire to share his economic knowledge. Expect 3 tests, all very similar to practice tests. I wish he could teach all ECON courses... I miss him already.

Great proof, minimal work load if you understand concepts only 3 tests, no assignment, projects etc. Perfect course if you are somewhat okay at exams and lazy/ don't want to do projects & assignments.

I had him for both 113 and 115 this sem. He's super nice and funny during the lectures, and his exams are exactly like the practice questions that he gives. TA was alright but lowkey kinda awkward because no one came to his tutorials and he always waited for us to answer all the questions instead of teaching it to us. But def recommend!

Tends to ramble sometimes but overall great prof. If you study the slides and do his practise questions you'll be fine!

Since it's a 3 hour lecture, you have to make sure you are focused. Prof Santamaria is really funny and he tries to make the lectures digestable which is nice. I think they recently changed how the course is because because everything pre summer 2023 practice exams is unreliable. other than that, 2nd and 3rd exam was not that bad!

Martin is a witty, chill professor with unparalleled quality of news commentary that lets us understand economic concepts in a pinch. I took ECON 115 and 113, both great! He gave a break mid-lectures, welcomed questions, and made every lecture useful. Always question why things are done a certain way in practice problems for better understanding.

I love his class, even though his lectures were 3 hours long he would always them make them somewhat bearable with his dry witted jokes. Hes a funny guy and his practice exams are very similar to his actual ones. Grind the practice exams if you want to do well. The only downside of this course was that your entire grade was based on 3 exams.

Martin is Awesome and a great prof. Your grade is 100% exams, 3 non-cumulative midterms, all written, and no final. Exams are straightforward. Generally they are exactly like the questions he assigns, so do them! Don't let the 100% exams scare you, their not hard. Also martin assigns grades on relative performance, so you'll likely get curved up.

I only took this course as a prerequisite for graduate school as a non-econ or business major. But I feel that Martin is good at explaining concepts and theories to keep students on track. The exams are based on practice questions and 100% course materials. If you spend time on the practice questions and participate in class, it is easy to excel.

Martin is a very well organized and coordinated professor. I am not an econ major but I really enjoyed his class by far the best prof I've ever had. Just summerise the powerpoints and read those. Also do the practice queestions. I literally put very little effort and still got an A.

I this to be a solid class. He said it was his first time teaching this course so the lectures could have been better but as long as you do the readings you should be good. Grade is three tests: 2 exams worth 40% each and one exam worth 20%. THE PRACTICE TESTS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO ACTUAL EXAM. He's also really funny!

He's pretty good

Took both 113 and 115 and got A+ in both. Grades are based of 3 in-class exams only, but all are very similar to practice ones. He uploads lecture recordings and some videos on YouTube so you can review anytime. Put in a reasonable amount of effort and you will certainly be rewarded with a high grade. TA for 113 was nice but 115 was mid.

Nice guy, all the course content is in the lectures. 3 exams each covering 4, 4, 2 lectures each making up 40%, 40%, 20% of your grade. Definitely knows his stuff and appreciates questions during the lectures. Lectures are straightforward and easy to follow. Do the practice exams they're similar to the actual exams.

Martin is a great prof. His grading scheme is apparent, with just three exams, and he puts a great deal of effort into supporting his students through his lecture slides and extra materials. He posts summary videos of important topics alongside the lecture recordings and slides, which were very helpful for studying for the exams. He is also funny.

In terms of course setup and content, Martin was great. Exams were fair, based on class materials, and he provided many resources to help with studying. However, he could sometimes be condescending or disrespectful to students during lecture. Otherwise, he was a nice guy.