2.8
Quality3.5
Difficulty21%
Would Retake174
Reviews21%
Would Retake
174
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
37
3
38
2
44
1
31
What Students Say
“Dyer is a genuinely nice person, but not an effective teacher”
FIN221 - 2.0 rating“Sitting in lecture right now thinking about how terrible of a teacher this man is”
FIN221 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
80%
Textbook Required
54%
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A-
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3.0
(1)FIN221
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Reviews (174)
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what a bundle of joy
What a Troll
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i will never encounter a more painful way to learn. it simply isn't possible.
He's a nice guy, good at explaining topics.
Very Hard to reach in an incredibly over sized class.
be over prepared for tests as he goes very in depth and its hard to know what to expect....and hes not fun!
The lectures are easy - the test is NOT. The TA's are evil and I began loving this class and hate it now. Avoid if possible!!!
Ok, if you aren't into simpsons, its gonna be somewhat painful...every lecture incorporates mr. burns and homer simpsons into it at least 3-4 times. Other than that, I think that reading the book is very helpful and a smart thing to do before the exam
good professor
crazy, somewhat different professor. watch out for the exams they take work.
Dyer laughs at his own jokes, but is overall a good guy. The tests were hard, but TA section helps...if you get a good TA.
I was expecting this class to be a breeze, but the tests proved to be harder than necessary for the topic at hand. Overall though, if you step up and keep on top of your work, there's plenty of opportunity to get an "A"
the guy's like a big teddy bear and funny, in a weird way. didn't find the lectures too helpful...the discussion sections and reading the book help.
He seems like a nice guy, but the tests suck. He goes over problems, but not conceptual questions(which are ahlf the test). Definetely one of the worst classes at U of I.
you can get a B wothout even going to his class, just dont miss TA's meetings. and also, be ready for the dumest jokes you've ever heard from Michael Dyer.
I didn't pay attention at all in lecture and LITERALLY guessed on tests, and still got a C. Pretty easy class, make sure to go to TA sections to get full credit (it comes in handy later to get that C). Nice guy, jokes pretty lame. Good time to catch up on Daily Illini.
It was an easy class and Dyer is a really likable guy.
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The exams are hard! It's a little shocking once you're done with the exam. I don't think you really know what to expect. His sense of humor is very interesting (not in a good way).
What was I doing at his lectures? Well, reading newspapers, occasionally taking the notes he was scribbling in his slides, catching up on other homework, sleeping, thinking if I gonna ever pass this class and wondering what the heck he's talking about. Guess, that says a lot about the class.
Lectures are pointless because his notes do not give examples that help for the tests. Exams are near impossible and I guessed a LOT...hopefully this guy stops teaching soon....oh and his humor SUCKS.
Prof. Dyer is hilarious! His jokes are great - they really keep class interesting. The Simpsons have a special place in my heart now. The assignments are difficult though so you should go to your TA for help. Definitely get a head start on the assignments. Prof Dyer is approachable and funny.
OK, for the entire semester i went to the lecture less than 5 times(and still get an A), his humor is the worst you've ever heard and his head can't stop shaking.
Dyer was a good teacher...he has a really weird sense of humor but he knew his stuff, his slides were straight-foward, and his exams were difficult but not impossible, plus he only takes the best 3/4 tests. And he's also really good about answering questions, esp. considering he teaches a class of like 1000 people.
Wow! What a hard class, but interesting content. Prof. Dyer tries to be funny, but really it can get old. ALWAYS goes the full 50 minutes so don't plan to get out early. Fair in giving days off though (post-exam etc). Get a good TA and things will be okay. Exams NOT related to stuff in lecture - just do the challenge problems in the book!
This may be the hardest class I've taken so far at U of I. Be prepared for the tests to be nothing like the lectures. Lectures are easy. The tests are not. Make sure you get a good TA because it will make your life much easier. Dyer is a good guy and really tries to make class interesting, but you'll be sick of the Simpsons by the end of class.
For one, Dyer is a really nice guy. If you need help, he is there. The only bad thing are the exams. When going to lecture, I felt that I understood everything going on. When exam time comes, I am shocked by the types of questions asked. Where does he come up with this stuff? Studying non stop will not help you there. Only take this class if needed
Dyer changed the class this semester, now 4 midterms and an optional final. The class has a decent curve. Homework is now done online. Not a bad class, not as hard as it sounds like it used to be.
Funny when he's not trying to be. Gets excited and voice goes real high. Lecture only worth it to watch how hilarious he is. Exams are comprehensive but easy, each online homework is 20 minutes tops, the book is all you need. You'll still learn a great deal, but in the end you'll be amazed how little effort you needed to pull off the A.
Difficult tests.
I find this class to be amazingly hard, especially if you don't read. The curve is VERY generous because people do horrible on the test. If you've taken Fin in the past, it probably won't be anything new, but if you have not, it blows major.
Great class. It can be tricky and you'll probably be frustrated at times but you'll learn and hopefully like it. Dyer is a great professor. He makes class fun and the best part is watching him laugh at himself.
alot of work
Need about an 87% for an A. You need a week to study for his tests. Conceptual questions are the hardest part of his tests since there is no way to predict them. The second project takes FOREVER.
Interesting class, his tests were satanic at times though...
One thing to say... "Ahhhhhhhhmmmmm"
This guy's jokes cant be any more stupid and pathetic. He spends about half the class laughing to himself about some dumb joke about South Park. The class is easy though. By the way, turn your mic down. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Mike Dyer is a gift to mankind that too many people take for granted. He is an excellent teacher and makes the material interesting. The class is hard if you are lazy and never study, and easy if you put in some time. The tests are straight forward and easy if you know what you're doing.
never went to discussion. Attended lecture for the i-Clicker points. Easy class if you read the book and do the homework. Easy tests. Optional Final exam. Somewhat entertaining lecture.
Tests were easy - he gives out all old exams to study from, and they're all MC. Optional final. Have to go to lecture for I-clicker questions (which never work), but never discussion. Genuine, good guy.
He may know his stuff but can't explain it at all. Class is boring and exams are hard! The previous exams are easy and the ones for this semester would be totally different....no comparison! TA's (and discussion) aren't much help either. If it wasn't a mandatory class I wouldn't even think of taking it!!
the tests are ok actually if you spend enough time to study.I spent three days to study each time.The calculation is easy if you can do the problems from the bk,the difficult part is the conceptual questions.Make sure if dun only read the bk,but also his powerpoints then you should be fine.Many concepts are similar to the previous exam so do it.
Very personable, funny, easy-to-talk-to professor. Tests are decent as long as you read the book, go to lecture, and do all the practice problems he gives. HW's are online and easy, project is easy. Overall, a great class!
He's absolutely enthusiastic of teaching his class. He knows his stuff and were able to use vivid example to apply his concepts. Exams take about 80% of your grade. Just go over his previous exam questions and read textbook twice then you should do well. Highly recommend.
Pretty good teacher. He makes class interesting. He has a pretty weird laugh. His tests can be tricky, but as long as you study you will do fine. The final is optional if you do good on all 4 tests during the year.
A pretty good teacher. He really makes things interesting. His laugh gets annoying from time to time. You HAVE to go to class because he gives you "clicker" questions that count for a part of your grade. There are 4 tests, but makes the 4 tests that we have not over as much material. final is optional if you did alright on the 4 previous tests.
Really fun class, you don't have to go every day because towards the end he starts doing lots of I-clickers so you can catch up if you miss a couple.
Structure of the class was a little unorganized and the tests didn't reflect the material from class very well.
He loves the Simpsons and constantly talks about it.
The WORST professor I've had in 3 years, so far. Took FIN221 in spring 07, got a C, had to work butt off for it. Exams are insanely hard, definitely harder than previous semesters. IClicker is stupid, pointless. Homework takes 6 hours every week to do; most out of any bus class I've ever taken, useless for exam.
He knows what he's talking about but uses the worst analogies. always puts the simpsons or something into his examples which make them sound stupid i.e. duff bond. I got an 88 on a midterm that everyone else averaged a 70 on, but I actually like the class so it probably just depends on how interested you are in finance. kind of annoying. i-clicker
Really really nice guy so it's hard for me to rate him badly bc he's so willing to help. He's answered every email I've sent him asking content questions and even gave everyone a point back on this online assignment bc 1 question was vague. Some tests are tricky, be prepared to work hard (projects, 4 exams, weekly hws) but u can get an A like I did
exams are very hard. ESPECIALLY in the fall semester. Discussion section easy and so are iclickers & aplia HW. Focus on exam study because his exams need good comprehension of material. Also, do the practice exams.
Go to class for clickers. The calculation questions on the exams are really easy, but the conceptual questions are out of nowhere. Read the book if you want to have a shot at those. Hard to pay attention in lecture. Aplia is a waste of time, but you have to do it. Don't go top discussion, do the problems in the book instead. He laughs for no reason
This class is mandatory for all business students. The tests are very hard. If you study the book, do the practice and real aplia assignments, you should be okay. Do the practice tests. It's a hard class but I learned a lot and got an A.
This is a hard class...The exams are tricky and require a lot of comprehension of the material that he goes over class. He's a very quirky teacher..last semester he got mad at the NPV or MRR (I forgot) formula on excel and it was quite.....weird...but he is a nice teacher. I clicker is needed in this class and can help out your grade a lot.
Tests are not too bad if you study the tests from previous semesters. Should be an enjoyable class if you enjoy business.
Hilarious guy - makes the class interesting with cool examples. To study, do the practice exams as many times as possible and read the chapters as many times as possible! You think you know everything but you learn more each time - pulled off an easy A.
Thought he was great. PowerPoints could use a little work.
Tests are very straight forward and cover material on old tests which he provides. Only one lecture now and the other is through online clips which take way way too long.
Each exam has 33 problems. U must not miss more than 6 problsms per exam to be in the Safe A Zone (assuming U do well on HW & Extra Credit)! GO TO THE TA sessions. If you think they don't help, then study before you GO TO THE TA sessions :) Personally, I wish Prof. Dyer had taught FIN concepts more indepth.
I don't like the new online video lecture system for this class, but overall Dyer is a good teacher. He's helpful during office hours and explains the material clearly. Out of three midterms and a final, you can drop one. However, the final was much harder than the midterms, so plan on dropping it.
I took the final bc of a mix up with my exam schedule. Big mistake! The online book and videos are a nuisance. I'd rather go to a class than deal w that. Overall it took too long to learn the material. Find a tutor. They will show you in 10 min what will take you a couple hrs to figure out from the reading and videos.
seems like a cool/nice guy, but thats about it. he doesn't teach you anything. class shouldn't be too hard to get an A if you have good study habits, but if not, you could be in trouble. the video part of the class was just stupid and was a waste of time. im a finance major, and this class had me question that, especially b/c i didnt learn much
Easy Class. A few of the practice exam questions are on the actual exam. Go to T.A. classes for sure. If you have questions, go to Dyer directly. He is the best at explaining basic corporate finance. He will also share good stories with you.
The class is pretty hard and the stupid "blended learning" format doesn't really help. If you keep up with the videos and do the assigned problems, you should do alright. Lecture is kind of pointless. Dyer does explain concepts pretty well though.
Fairly easy class. You don't need to ever watch the videos. The professor is a very nice guy, explains thing well.
The videos and the lecture are pointless. Discussion is the place to learn everything. The best bet is to skim through the chapters, understand the graphs and bold words, do the practice problems, a couple practice quizzes and the practice test for sure. A few questions are just copied from the previous exam.
Dyer is fun, makes lectures much more enjoyable then other foreign business professors who barely speak english. Tests are challenging, but can be twerked, Positive Review or Dyer!!!!
He's allright. He doesn't lecture but posts videos online. Quiz questions are from question bank easily found from googling. Exams are same as quiz questions so if you take many practice quizes you'll be fine.
He's a really nice guy and helps if you ask directly but his blended learning is HORRIBLE! The videos are pointless, you learn little to nothing at the "town meetings" and depending on your TA you are screwed. He's your only option however. Read the chapters, ignore the videos, and take the practice quizzes he gives you to do well in the class.
His lazy ways outside the classroom have led to lazy ways in the classroom. He basically puts it on the students to teach themselves everything. His video notes are very easy compared to the tests he gives. Your best bet is to review through the video notes carefully, go through the post-quizzes, and then take the previous exams. He is worthless.
Town Meetings are useless. Just watch the videos posted online to do the Preflights and the Post Quizzes. As long as you take notes on them, those should be fairly easy. Do all of the practice/past exams before a test. If you go to his office hr or review he is actual really helpful.
Favorite Professor at U of I! Great teacher who enjoys teaching, sad I will not have him anymore!
His lectures and all the videos are highly useless. Pay attention to three the following three things and you will do well: do the suggested problems from the book, the practice tests, and the post quizzes. Don't go to class, his voice is highly irritating.
This is the worst teacher. I ask him one thing and he answers the other. Makes things more complicated than it is.. And his voice is utterly annoyinggggg...>"<
I disliked this course a lot.Dyer is a lazy professor. You will learn everything taught from aplia and dyer reiterates the basics. The exams are sometimes off tangent from the material he is teaching because he took questions from a quiz bank (not written by him).
This class is tough, but an A is very manageable if you work at it. You have to teach yourself everything, because the hybrid style of this class is horrendous. My best advice: Take every practice test and know how to do every single question, in and out. His real exams are really similar, so understanding the practice exams is critical.
The reason we pay these professors is so they can teach us face to face. Nowhere did I sign up for online videos that requires a tall glass of water to get through, but that's how the class is structured. Every point counts so get 100% on Aplia and Pre-flights, and do well on the projects because you're going to mess up at least 2 tests. FACT
Ok professor but I ended up teaching myself. The videos were not helpful to me. Lecture was pretty much a repeat of the videos I suggest choose one or the other. Keep up w/ Aplia! It may take longer than expected. Also read the book (get a hard copy), it really does help. If u have questions don't wait til exam time
He is absolutely awful. You "learn" from his online videos and do way too much online homework. The group projects are very time-consuming, and you will never be prepared for the tests. You have to teach yourself everything from the book and hope you get a good TA.
He was pretty good. Knows his stuff. I didnt even have to take the final for an A
This is a university professor who teaches a pretty useless class once a week (that is optional to go to so no one ever shows up) and expects us to complete hours upon hours of homework and learning on our own. When he could make class mandatory or even extra-credit based possibly three times a week and actually TEACH us the material. ridiculous
You teach yourself in his class. Plain and simple. Don't expect a teacher.
Self taught class. Material learned is basic stuff compared to the twisted, convoluted form on the exam. Projects are long and tedious. Homework is unnecessarily long (and many times, the book doesn't explain how to do the problem at all). Exams are immensely difficult compared to what is learned. More frustrating than anything.
The class is pretty hard, as most of it is self-taught. I did not go to lecture ever, but went to the discussions. The class does suck but Dyer is willing to help if you put in the time. Go to his office hours, watch his videos online, do the practice quizzes and the old exams and you will be good. Just takes a lot of time
GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS! He's the man at office hours. VERY good at explaining, always happy and willing to help. The course structure is pretty good, you don't have to go to lecture. He really wants to see students succeed. The examples he uses are hilarious and riddled with Seinfeld, South Park, and The Simpsons. Doh Doh Donuts is all I gotta say.
You shouldn't have any problem getting an A in this class if you read the textbook, do the Aplia assignment, and perform moderately well on tests.
This class is not as hard as everyone says. You will have to study for tests but there are 3 practice tests in the course packet. If you know how to do all the problems from the practice tests then you will be fine on tests.
Easy A. Read the book, do the practice tests and suggested problems, you are good to go.
While I hate how this class is set up, Dyer knows his material. If you follow the weekly outline, you'll be fine. I never read the entire book, just used it for Aplia assignments. Exams were not too complicated, I suggest doing well on the first ones to make up for ones down the road.
The class itself is really easy and straightforward. I never went to class even though I lost some iclicker points, since the lectures are pointless. I agree that the professor is bad, but hey, the material is really easy. Just read the textbook, do the practice exams and A guaranteed.
Dyer seems like a nice man, but he is not an effective professor. You will need to teach yourself as his town meetings are mostly review. I did terribly on exam 1, but after figuring out how to approach the class, I picked my grade up to an A and didn't have to take the final.
If you apply yourself and study the material and concepts, you will do fine in this basic finance course
SAVE YOURSELF! Dyer may be nice but he doesn't teach well. Lectures are once a week which first of all isn't enough for this class. TA section was useless because he offered no helpoften times didn't even understand what we were asking and you still had to go to get the attendance points. Exams were too difficult given what was taught in lecture.
His tests are very similar to past exams. Took the class and learned how to solve his specific problems to pass exams, not really anything about FIN. Homework is mandatory and iClickers are extra credit (helps with borderline grades).
This class is just a pain in the neck. The homework is fairly easy but the tests are way harder. You'll need to study a good deal if you want to do well. I thought I was going to fail the class up until the last two exams. Try to keep up with the reading and make sure you really understand the material.
best 3 out of 4 exams are taken and there is a ton of extra credit just for showing up.
This is the WORST class I've ever taken. He might be a good person but he is just not qualify for a good professor for not teaching at all. Only one lecture a week and use old past videos online to teach yourself. I can't believe I paid so much tuition for this class. He won't even make up for an important lecture he couldn't show up.
Make sure you do all the extra credits. I regret that I miss the competition at the beginning and I was only few points away from A. One lecture per week and you will need to watch the online video on your own. I basically go to discussion session an office hour to learn all the material. Past exams are helpful.
Get ready to spend time learning on your own. He's a nice person, but when it comes to teaching his lectures were not quite relevant (yet you still have to go for iclickers). Exams are multiple choice, drops one. Use past exams and your book to study. Overall, really did not like the class.
Dyer is an okay professor for FIN221. Since he has so many students and there is one lecture a week, you have to learn most of the material by yourself. For me, this was easy, since I enjoy finance. This class was tough for people not majoring in finance. TONS of extra credit if you go to class, 3 group project, 4 tests, optional final, drop 1 exam
Dyer doesn't teach in lecture. He makes you watch videos he made 8 years ago. The videos much like lecture are rarely on topic and can be over 20 minutes long. He talks more about the Simpsons than stocks and bonds. The iclicker questions are difficult if you have not watched his videos. The material isn't hard but you will have to teach yourself.
For Fin 221 you just have to teach yourself everything because this guy just shows old videos that he says you have to watch but they're just a waste of time. If you want to get an A just do all of the previous exams and you should be fine. Go to lecture not to learn but to get easy i clicker points which can be extra credit. The final optional.
Maybe his lessons were changed for this semester, but he didn't use any old videos and actually, well, taught. There are still iclicker questions in lecture (which is twice a week) and two group projects, but overall I think he has improved a lot comparing to the other reviews. He's also humorous and makes the lectures interesting.
Lectures are very hard to understand because there is very little explanation about what you are actually learning. He tries to explain the material with jokes that make it more confusing. Also, he writes solutions in the worst handwriting I have ever seen. If you have him I would recommend doing the practice tests.
Really jolly guy, but can't teach. Lectures only go over very basic concepts and the exams are far more challenging than the material he teaches. Homework & online quizzes take a long time too. Hope you get a good TA because they're the only one that'll teach you. People that do really well in the class usually read the textbook.
Super nice guy and lectures are relatively entertaining. Though entertaining, he does not cover hardly anything that is tested on. The weekly homework is fairly challenging and a much better representation of what will be on the tests. To learn, I had to read the textbook.
I may have an unpopular opinion about Dyer, but I thought he did a great job explaining things in class. As long as you come to class actually ready to learn and pay attention every single time, the material is not difficult. However he has a ton of material to get through in this class, so he can't spoon feed every problem to you. Great guy.
the extra credit was easy. the course was set up in a very forgiving way. he did not explain very much of the material and you had to read a lot. he made simpsons jokes more than he taught
Fin 221 was a mostly self taught class for me. Classes weren't very helpful and are self driven. The midterms are also challenging. Would take another professor if you can.
Very jolly guy. He doesn't teach during lecture, lecture basically exists to test i clicker questions, not to explain anything. If you learn how to use the calculator you can answer any test question by clicking a few buttons. Its a doable A for anyone, just look at his old exams, 80 percent or more of the questions will be from old exams.
His class was... not great. I mean, I was able to succeed, but still hated every single part of it. I stopped watching his videos since it did not help. Just do as many past exams as possible to succeed in the class. (especially if you do not read, conception is mostly drawn from couple of previous exams)
Dyer is the champ, if you normally get good grades you'll be fine. Just don't expect to learn anything from the lectures.
Lectures and videos are somewhat helpful, but they go over the same material, leaving them pretty redundant. Also, exams are way more difficult than the lecture/homework material.
Definitely not a good professor. Pre Lecture videos are fine but you really need to learn on your own. In class he just makes jokes and doesn't really teach.
Dyer as a professor is fine. His tests and assignments are straightforward, though you don't learn much in lecture. The pre-flight videos and previous exams are the way to learn in this class. He's a very nice guy though. You can get an A as long as you do those things, though I didn't learn how to study until after the first exam.
His homework is a freaking nightmare. You will lose points easily, and once you lose points, you will never have the chance to get full score in your homework. The home work counts on average, and it is really time consuming. The class is useless, and the professor is hilarious.
Dyer is a genuinely nice person, but not an effective teacher. You will see when doing the homework how much he leaves out of lecture. And because the homework doesn't take the highest attempt, grades suffer. Much of the material is self-taught from the textbook, and the general consensus is that the TA's for this course are consistently unhelpful.
Sitting in lecture right now thinking about how terrible of a teacher this man is.
Took this online & this class was hard. No extra credit for the online class, but it is easier because you don't have to go to class. Homework assignments due Fri., lecture "quizzes" due Tues., 2 online quizzes, 2 group projects (not bad if you get a smart group), & 2 midterms (not cumulative). If you can do well on the exams, no final. Good luck.
I think the biggest problem is that the professor does not pace the course very well. The first few weeks classes were canceled a lot and we have 50 or 0min lecture+50min discussion per week and we only went through 1-2 chapters, but still we had a major test and a group project. Now we'r going 2 chapters a week. I hope he could balance it out.
This class is SO hard. Do not take it on campus if you are not going to be a finance major. We have pre-lecture videos that Dyer makes and they ultimately never make sense as someone who has never taken a finance class before. Exams arent curved and are decently difficult. UIUC needs to re-evaluate having this as a business core requirement.
BAD PROFESSOR.... TEST DIFFICULTY VARIES A LOT EACH SEMESTER
Nice guy but terrible professor. His lectures are often just him repeating what is covered in his online pre-lectures videos. The online homework is just awful because it doesn't take the best score and the problems often ask about things that aren't covered in class. Tests are very difficult and you will probably need to teach yourself everything.
Some tips to be successful in this course: 1. Using Chegg while doing your homework 2. Make sure you understand the exam of previous semesters 3. Just ignore the professor and learn by yourself, it will be easy if you follow his lecture videos online 4. This course is not very tough as long as you are smart.
The class was outlined at the beginning as to what was expected. Dyer provided videos before each week which clarified everything that he went over in lecture. A lot of this class is teaching yourself outside of class so find a group of friends and it's an easy A.
One of the tougher classes I have taken. Dyer is a fine professor and is really like your average college professor. The tests are pretty tough but that was the worst part about the class everything else is pretty manageable.
Love Dyer. Not very great at teaching but he's hilarious in class. He is very reasonable with his tests and makes sure that they are very similar to the practice tests. He is also super understanding with curves and curved the class multiple times when people did worse than expected.
Prof. Dyer is quite a character... be prepared to get bombarded with Simpson references all semester long. Lectures are useless- he always goes on tangents and doesn't explain much of the content. It was super frustrating that the class required iClickers because you'd be forced to sit through 80 minutes of rambling to get the participation points
The quizzes are extremely hard. You can take detailed notes on every chapter and still miss out on a few questions. They're an hour long, so 2 minutes per question, and there's a lot of reading involved for many of the problems too, so that just adds to the stress. The material itself isn't that bad, it's just the time constraints that really hurt.
Dyer is the man. He is quite an interesting character but usually makes me chuckle and makes the lectures interesting. I personally think lectures are useful because he walks through example problems. The class overall is challenging if you dont have any background in stocks and other financial knowledge. You have to invest your time for a A.
Dyer's 221 class is very content heavy. I wouldn't say that he's the best at teaching the information, but between his lectures and some hefty studying of the material on your own, you will do well in his class.
Lectures are not useful. Have to learn everything on your own.
Pretty average professor. He did a good job teaching. The Exams were hard but fair. If you go to class do the homework and study you will do fine in this course. The guy is a little quirky but. He is great but isn't bad.
Dyer was easily my worst professor this semester. His lectures are not helpful, and you end up having to teach yourself a lot of the material. The excel projects are long and graded harshly. I was 2 points away from a B, and he refused to round my grade up.
Very bad at explaining things. I have gotten almost all a's my life and I worked my butt off in this class to get a b. He is too focused on the Simpsons and Futurama to actually explain the topics. Not sure if he is the only professor for the course, but avoid him if possible.
Awful prof. Not responding emails and ignoring you in office hours. Very lazy.
So much homework and lecture and reading and there will still be things on the tests that you haven't heard of
Prof. Dyer is a good professor. I enjoyed his humor and I thought the coursework was reasonable. You should read the textbook and do the practice problems to succeed. Some course topics were a bit dull, but it's Finance so that is to be expected. Overall, I would recommend Prof. Dyer and FIN 221.
Fin 221 isn't an easy class and Prof Dyer just makes it worse. It's difficult to understand what he says in his lectures since he mixes sentences together and doesn't really explain why he's doing something. He makes mistakes during his lectures which makes them even more confusing. Wouldn't recommend taking his class.
Professor was very passionate about the subject but I felt as though lots of material featured on exams was not covered in lecture.
Avoid this professor if possible. Heavy quantities of reading and videos are assigned every, but content in lectures and homework continue to not be mentioned at all before being introduced to students. Emails are answered lazily as well.
Genuinely the worst class I have ever taken during my time at UIUC. Professor Dyer simply cannot teach. Unsure why he is a senior lecturer of finance when he just simply is unable to teach. Plain and simple. He forces you to read the textbook (which is hours on hours a week) and literally teaches nothing in lecture. Worst professor on this campus.
Live lectures were rough, with Icliker questions and his consistent Futurama and Simpsons references, but I very thankful for the lecture videos he provided that were easier to break down the content. Exams are pretty long but you get any equations you need. Helpful professor, but the TAs would often just drone over a powerpoint.
Lots of people complain about Dyer but I don't think he's too bad. The class is pretty tough, but overall I think he's a solid teacher and gives plenty of in-class and online content so you can understand material. He does tend to go on tangents about the Simpsons and Futurama a lot, but hey it could be worse.
The lectures are easy to get lost in but required to go to for iClicker points. The discussions were zero help and not required. You really need to put in the work to do well in the class, otherwise, you'll seriously struggle and get help early on if you need it.
Very good professor. Knows what he is teaching.
He’s not awful but I honestly couldn’t stand his lectures. FIN221 is not too bad but definitely easy to get overwhelmed if you slack too much at the beginning since concepts build on each other.
Professor is very passionate about the subject but he is simply just very ineffective in carrying out the concepts and helping students understand them. Along with that, many of the exams have questions that are completely unrelated to content learned which overall makes the class difficult to perform well in.
Professor Dyer is passionate about what he teaches but it really doesn't translate over in lectures. Attendance is mandatory for iClicker questions but lectures are pretty much just him droning. The tests are much harder than the examples gone over in class. Group projects affect your grade a lot and are lengthy & harshly graded by TAs.
Dyer clearly is very knowledgable and passionate about finance, but the course structure is absolutely awful and the lectures are not helpful. There is too much to learn in too little time and he does not do a good job of effectively delivering the material to students.
Prof. Dyer is a cool dude. He's pretty funny in his lectures and will help you out whenever you need him to. The textbook is necessary bc it gives you access to the HW. There is a lot of HW in this class, but just remember to space it all out and you'll be fine. If you need a TA, try to get Chris Liu, he is A+++++++
Horribly taught class. Dyer is an incredibly lazy professor. Lectures were frequently canceled. The material taught in class was poorly explained and the textbook was no better. The content on tests were completely unrelated to what we did in class and 10x harder. The 4 excel projects were also very challenging and there was no guidance provided.
The worst professor I have had at UIUC in all of my time here. The lectures are useless, and we are tested on material that is not covered at all in our textbooks or lectures. The tests have so many questions and very little time to complete. He is the only Fin 221 teacher as far as I am aware, but if there are any other options, CHOOSE THEM.
Class itself was pretty average did not give enough time on tests & quizzes
Ineffective lecturer and gives A LOT of homework Mindtap is expensive and doesn't teach you anything while Excel projects are done without any help from him or the TAs Late and very unhelpful during office hours Quizzes are hard
Uses mindtap which is crazy expensive for no reason, and gives boring lectures. Only reason I gave an OK score is that EVERYTHING (yes everything) is on Chegg.
Positivity brings moral and excitement to his students. Always look forward to going to his class. Always makes a way to make FIN221 interesting. Workload is manageable. Highly recommend.
Be mentally prepared. You have to buy expensive book, reading hours of materials and study alone through watching online videos and using chegg to understand what's the problem's meaning. be careful
He is a pretty ineffective lecturer. During lectures we only do a few practice problems and he talks about what's on the textbook already instead of going in depth and explaining or extending the textbook knowledge to make sure we understand the material. get a buddy (or Chegg/homeworkify) to do work with you is my advice
Awful. Lectures and discussions have nothing to do with hw problems which are much harder and complicated. Only gives 50 minutes for exams with a lot of problem solving questions which is not enough. Expensive textbook and iClicker and almost no extra credit is given
Clear lecturer, funny guy, decent amount of work but these concepts are not hard if you spend a minute trying to learn them.
no guidance for excel projects (luckily the TAs are really nice), does not teach during lectures. it feels like you're expected to self learn the entire class on your own. does not prepare ppl for fin300 or a finance major. I'm a fin major and this class is making me think of switching majors...
Absolutely terrible, just terrible. From the course material, lectures, and quizzes. Just terrible.
This class is so poorly taught its actually funny. Im surprised this class doesn't turn away every finance major at Gies. Lectures are useless but mandatory for attendance. Test questions are lengthy and with only 50 minutes its not enough. I have a feeling most people chegg their way through this class. Also the materials are expensive, $200+
He's a nice guy, he cracks a few jokes and tries his best to make lectures enjoyable but the truth is that he's not the best at teaching the concepts for what I considered to be a pretty tough class. Workload was a lot and the exams are not only difficult but also timed. Theres also 2 group projects but overall, prepare to put in a lot of work.
no good
Whatever you do, do not take FIN221 online with Dyer. His lectures are pointless, and his MindTap assignments are excessive without any purpose. Pick another professor.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
80%
Textbook Required
54%
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