4.5
Quality3.3
Difficulty100%
Would Retake95
Reviews100%
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
70
4
16
3
7
2
0
1
2
What Students Say
“After this class I made an art webpage for my friend”
CSE154 - 5.0 rating“He made most of Practice It”
CSE142 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
50%
Textbook Required
97%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.07 avg changeRatings by Course
TCSS142
5.0
(1)TCSS305
5.0
(1)CSB
5.0
(1)CSE154
5.0
(2)CSE373
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CSE154
4.5
TCSS305
4.0
CS106B
4.0
CSE143
3.4
CSE142
3.4
Reviews (95)
Although it is kind of weird having a prof who is younger than some of the students in the class, it is nice having one who is not yet jaded. He does a good job making the material very easy to understand and makes himself very accessible when a student needs assistance. Pretty funny to boot. :)
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay registered in his class, but from what I've seen thus far, he really cares about you as a student (probably because he was one himself only a few years back). When assigning homework, he will work on an in-class project very similar to what he had assigned, which makes it so much more easy and understandable.
I LOVED THIS CLASS & THE TEACHER!! If you have the opportunity to take this class with him as the teacher - take advantage of it! It is a lot of work but it makes it entertaining and worth while! Check out his facebook too!
Awesome teacher. FUNNY! Really explains things in great detail. Very flexible in grading. LATE DAYS for homework assignments. Professor asks you how to improve the course, and then actually does it!
He is an awesome guy and a funny teacher, but he is young an inexperienced (this being his first year teaching). I am not saying he is a poor teacher, he just needs a few more years under his belt to be considered good.
Great teacher. Very funny, great rapper. Knows what he is talking about and is very prepared. The assignments are challenging but not impossible.
Marty is very helpful whenver in class or in office hour. He's very friendly and his class is very interesting. It's funny that he almost said something that he shouldn't have said when he was still a guest lecturer in summer 2005. It was funny.. I've heard he raps well too, apparently I had to miss it due to class.. so sad :(
Nice guy, but unless you are going on to become a computer science major, expect to be in for a hard class. Definitely teaches towards those with prior computer programming experience.
No Comments
I loved this proffessor! I've always enjoyed coding, but I understand that most people find it very tedious. He tried really hard to make projects and lectures fun, and I always felt confident in my skills after a project. I highly recommend this professor to anyone with no previous coding experience.
An awesome teacher but the class is tons of work. definately reccomended if you have an interest in the subject he teaches eveything starting from the basics. loved the class!!!
Really funny!
Textbook is technically optional, but exams are open-book & it's helpful w/assignments so buy it anyway! It's only required on MyUW b/c Marty gets $ as an author when you buy it. Lecture notes online are INCREDIBLY helpful - my favorite class this quarter. Lectures are entertaining and helpful. Homework gets tough around week 4/5...
I definitely recommend this guy especially if this class is offered again. Even though he was learning the material a day before he taught, he did a very good job of structuring this class (new class and very experimental). He did a very good job at making the class fun and interesting the whole time. Very funny indeed.
This class was really hard for me, not having prior experience. However, Marty is so cool and ridiculously funny. Uses humor to make the class appealing. Best teacher I've ever had. Homework is tough so pay tons of attention in class.
Great at teaching the material and also pretty funny. Nonetheless, the class was one of the most difficult classes I've ever taken.
Good lectures. The one class I actually looked forward to going to each day. Homework was very hard, especially since I am not going to be a CSE major. Plan lots of time for hw, like 8-10 hours for each one. And don't miss class. I missed a week cuz I was sick and fell waay behind. But other than that, a very good lecturer and an interesting class.
Marty is awesome. He makes the content easy to understand, even for people with 0 prior experience. He has plenty of tips for class resources, assigns interesting homework (it takes a while to finish, beware) and is always funny. He's my #1 recommendation for anyone wanting to take CSE142.
he has an interesting teaching style. he just has a weird sense of humor. for me his humor is sort of sad. frankly this course is probably the hardest class and this is only my 3rd week starting CSE 142. i wish the TAs or someone would have some more clarity on expectations. the teaching style just doesn't work for me
i really don't see his humor like the rest of the majority do. quite frankly his teaching style just doesn't agree with me. it's only been 3 weeks and I am already struggling in the class. i just wished there would be some more clarity or guidelines that I could understand.
Great professor, explains concepts extremely well. Was always helpful. Assignments and tests are hard but fair. Loved his sense of humor! It added something that made me want to go to class every day.
I've never taken any programming class before, but just going to lecture and listening (no notes) worked fine for me. Everything that's required for homework/midterms are explained well in lecture. Though if you miss class, notes are on the website. This might be hard for some people, but I think of this class as my fun class for this quarter.
great teacher, fun class.
This dude rocks! His lectures are great and even if you don't get it, he has good notes so don't worry. The only con is that he doesn't seem very approachable. When asking questions, I kind of had the feeling that I needed to rush because he got annoyed by how trivial my question was. Other than that he's coo. 9/10 prof
His real name is Marty. He is awesome!! Really funny and dedicated to the subject. Fun class, lots of interesting assignments.
Marty seems nice and funny when he is giving lectures but when you ask him a direct question he makes you feel like an Idiot and is not respectful to his students. I thought he was a good teacher but I believe I was wrong.
Where do I start? Marty is a unique kind of guy. He is an expert programmer, writing text books for java, and it comes across in his teaching. I just loved his class, even though I struggled. He has an odd sense of humor, but he is very demanding and serious about programming. He teaches to the upper half of the class, so expect to work.
He's a pretty funny guy. Really knowledgeable. Because I never had any computer science experience before this class, it was a little rough at first. For me, class was mandatory in learning all the material. By the end I caught up though. Expect a lot of time invested in CSE142 if you haven't coded Java before.
VERY fun professor and made computer programming simple. The textbook and slides are not very helpful except for reference, but if you attend all lectures and QS's you will do great. TAKE HIM if you have the opportunity.
His CSE142 class was so great (even though I didn't do so great grade-wise) that I took his CSE190m class as well. His teaching style is to the point, VERY humorous (though this may depend on person), and he doesn't rely heavily on slides. He's a very down-to-earth guy; I have IM'd him for questions a few times and he has helped me a ton.
He's fantastic, period.
Marty Rules. Take his classes. Do it now.
Made class interesting each day and made you WANT to go to lecture because of how hilarious his teaching is.
Intelligent, compassionate, challenging instructor. Also an inventive programmer
Don't know what to say.
Marty makes it interesting
Hes funny and cool, he makes everything interesting and understandable, an ideal lecturer
If you have to take CSE, take Marty!!!!!!! He is the best teacher I have ever had and I don't even like CSE. He is really good at understanding the material through a student's point of view and he explains things in a way that makes so much sense. He is also very consistent in the way that he writes and teaches programs which is important for CSE!
He's a good lecturer. Keeps students involved by asking questions. Humorous and keeps it interesting. Only con is that he seemed a little arrogant in person but I guess that's pretty irrelevant. Recommended.
I liked this guy because he always tried to stay on a low level with the students. He teaches knowing that most people have seen coding before (even tho he is a master at it), so he never seems annoyed that people don't even get the simplest concepts. I had the first UW class he taught, and he had the confidence to rap in front of us. Pretty cool.
Marty is one of the best teachers I've ever had. He's very straight forward and chill when he teaches. I recommend this class to everyone, whether they're interested in the major or just want to learn a bit of Java.
Most entertaining teacher I've ever had, he's really funny! He always took time to answer questions in class and gave helpful answers. His grading system was fair, and his lectures really prepared me for the homework. He also gives out helpful tips for the midterm and final, so make sure you attend class.
Don't buy the textbook! But other than that, Marty is definitely the best teacher I've had so far. He is hilarious, his lectures are well setup and well developed, the homework is pretty clear, he had good office hours and good resources, he is the coolest teacher ever, and a geek at the same time so it's amazing. He is a funny genius.
For those who haven't programmed before, this class is extremely challenging. But Marty is a great teacher and his lectures are worth attending!
Awesome. Marty might be the best professor UW has ever seen.
Marty is a real funny guy and he would make fun of the TAs sometimes. This is my second quarter attending his lecture since CSE 142 and he's been great. I'm planning to sign up for CSE 190 next quarter which is also taught by him. Great guy. He did a good job teaching 143 for the first time
Marty does an amazing job of making his lectures accessible not only while he's teaching them but after as well. His teaching style is humorous and his metaphors are apt. His homework isn't nitpicky; if you understand the concepts, they're a breeze. And if you go to lecture, he pretty much tells you exactly how to do it.
I had Marty for both CSE142 and CSE143. Personally, I liked the content of CSE143 better. His lectures are always helpful for completing hw assignments. His midterm and final are challenging, but his practice exams let you know what you're in for. He's by far one of the best UW teachers.
Marty Stepp is a decent professor. He teaches the material well in lecture, and usually has a few jokes thrown in to lighten the mood. However, his assignment writeups often contain errors that make getting full points difficult, so check the class message boards for erratum before turning in your assignments and then cross your fingers.
Great teacher. Makes an effort to keep the class awake with some jokes. Really fast at responding to questions. Hard midterm and final but his practice tests help a lot.
Marty rocks! He's really funny and makes it easy to learn Java. Keeps lectures interesting.
really fun, very informative!
Basically, your life is not complete until you take one of his classes. He's a great teacher and his lectures are both interesting and hilarious!!
Awesome teacher; funny and interesting. Definitely take a class from him if you have a chance.
Marty makes lectures really interesting, and he's really good at teaching all the concepts necessary to succeed for the class. Yes, his tests can be tricky, but he gives out a lot of practice problems, so you really know what to expect on those tests. Help is very available, so no worries if java's new to you.
hard hard hard ....
Marty did his best to make the class interesting despite the dullness of his topic (procedural programming).
He's great at teaching java. If you're familiar with programming, this class is a joke. If not, pay attention and work hard and the resources available to you will get you the grade you desire. He's pretty funny too.
Marty's a really good teacher. Java is really hard but you have so many resources to learn the topic of the week: you can go to lecture, read the book, look at the slides, or watch the lecture online (what I did!). Also there are online practice problems. And an almost 24/7 computer lab dedicated to CSE students with TAs to help. Good, hard class.
Hilarious and a fantastic teacher. I looked forward to every lecture!!!
While Marty may be an awesome teacher, this is one of the hardest classes I have ever taken. Homework is highly challenging and takes forever to get it perfect. 50 minutes is way too short for the midterm. Not a well-designed class, IMHO. However, there is a lot of help if you need it. And it's hit or miss with the TA you get (they are undergrads).
Very nice and approachable professor. The class went really fast and the examples he gave during lecture were not similar to the homework at all. If you're stuck get help right away or you'll do bad in the class.
Took CSE 142 and 143 with him. Marty is the OG. I've never programmed before and got A's in both classes. He's not afraid to talk trash and makes fun of the annoying nerdy kids that always shout out the answers. Material is easy I just go to the lecture to see Marty. Looks and acts like Daniel Tosh. He knows his material and teaches it well.
Awesome teacher, his lectures have to be the most entertaining that I have ever had. He is pretty funny during lectures and isn't above making fun of himself or other, more obnoxious students in the class. The class is difficult but my TA was excellent and Marty is always answering questions on the message boards. Sometimes at 3 in the morning!
This class was very challenging for me. Marty made the class entertaining even if mildly inappropriate. Programming is often the bane of peoples academic career but he made it as painless as it could be. Recommend.
Great guy! I had Marty for both 142 and 143, no other way to do it! His lectures are very enjoyable, and no surprises on exams. HW and tests can be hard, but attend lectures/ sections/get help when you need it, and you'll do fine. He got me interested in CS!
Really easy, but his tests are getting old. Found like one or two questions that were either almost, or the same as one of the practice exams... Average is really high, so you can't slack off not even a day.
best. class. ever. I've never had a more interesting, informative, rolling-on-the-floor-laughing-humorous teacher. No, seriously, lectures are approaching stand-up-comic levels of hilarity. Yes, it's challenging, but it's so much fun I really didn't mind.Bottom line: this class made me become a computer science major. TAKE IT.
Rudest professor ever. Very mean. He tells us to write on the message board and then complains. Don't ask him for help EVER or he'll get aggressive.
Runs a 200 person lecture with the ease of a 30 person class. Very clear expectations, you'll know exactly what you're being graded on. Material is difficult and takes more than the hours would indicate. Don't get lulled into "I got this" and start slacking. It's easy to get behind, and with the workload, tough to catch up.
Very hard subject to learn. But Marty makes things really interesting, he's funny and keeps you awake with his jokes. It's highly recommended that you have prior programming experience before taking his 142 & 143 class cause they were two of the toughest classes I've taken. Overall he's a really good teacher.
Marty is a lot of fun. He can be a bit crud with jokes, but he means nothing bad by it. He knows what he's talking about and is easily approachable. His class is what made me switch from a Psych to an CS major. A lot of work, but there is a lot of help available!
Really fun professor and easy to understand.
Great professor, super funny guy
smoking hot. good prof. great class.
Great professor. Really clear on the subject matter and throws in jokes that are actually funny, not corny like a lot of profs/teachers. Highly recommend classes by him. Also, he wrote the textbook for 142/143 so he knows it well. Doesn't use it much though, so you can easily get away with sharing it with one or more people.
Extremely hard class, especially for people like me who had no prior programming experience. However, now that I've taken it there's no doubt that I want to be a CS major. I had to devote all academic energy into the class, but finishing the homework each week after ten hours of labor is possibly the most satisfying experience I've ever had.
Great class. Great teacher. He's hilarious one of the best profs at UW.
Marty is extremely organized and clear in his teaching. He is absolutely hilarious. He is very approachable and easy to talk to. This class is really easy if you have a knack for problem solving and even slight prior programming experience.
He's a tough teacher, but you really learn the material. He's also actually funny and I think that helps make the class less boring!
Amazing prof, very approachable and is very willing to answer questions. Super entertaining lectures
Marty's hilarious and great at what he does. He provides tons of resources to succeed and has more office hours than many of my other teachers. Of course this may be because he's so popular. I knew that I wanted to go into computers before taking this class, but now I'm even more sure.
Awesome teacher made it an extremely fun class and great at explaining things. Learned a lot without any use in the textbook.
He's a fun teacher but the way he tells his TA's to grade is harsh. Fun class but hard. If you aren't a CSE person, be very attentive in class and get help. He's very bias too.
Fun! And hilarious!!! He's a GREAT teacher and makes the material soooo easy to understand.
Funny and very smart. Gives good lectures and is willing to give help. Very tough on grading, a little too tough in my opinion, but overall a good teacher.
Great professor - I have had him for several classes, and his lectures are probably the only ones I do not fall asleep in. However, the material IS very difficult, and I believe he grades way too harshly. Also the tests on PAPER for a COMPUTER programming class are brutal. But I learned A LOT.
Marty is an awesome teacher, the lecture notes as well as screencasts are put online, so you don't have to go. Grading can be rough, lots of focus on efficiency and eliminating redundancy can cause you to lose point for little things. The final wasn't very easy,do the practice tests online with a timer for a good idea what you are up against.
A very very very hard and time consuming class for a non major, but you will learn some very important skills and this class will help build your resume. I enjoyed this class and I learned I like the web-dev stuff more than the software side. After this class I made an art webpage for my friend.
Awesome teacher.
Marty is easily one of the best teachers at UW. He is very enthusiastic about the material he is teaching and jokes around keeping his lectures upbeat. Like most programers however, Marty is less patient with people who ask stupid questions. If you get the chance definitely take one of his classes.
funny
He made most of Practice It! Amazing tool. Definitely changed the world for the better. Also responsible for the thousands of new students taking AP. Without PracticeIt those students would not be taking Computer Science. Wow.
Really good lecturer, great at teaching
He's at Stanford now as of July 2019. He made practice it, and another website called codestepbystep
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
50%
Textbook Required
97%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.07 avg changeRatings by Course
TCSS142
5.0
(1)TCSS305
5.0
(1)CSB
5.0
(1)CSE154
5.0
(2)CSE373
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CSE154
4.5
TCSS305
4.0
CS106B
4.0
CSE143
3.4
CSE142
3.4