2.8
Quality3.9
Difficulty58%
Would Retake90
Reviews58%
Would Retake
90
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
90 total ratings5
22
4
12
3
16
2
16
1
24
What Students Say
“Doesn't care for students math understanding”
MATH0421 - 2.0 rating“Avoid if possible, can be if only class/no work”
MATH2415 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
98%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.32 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH1324
5.0
(1)MATH1301
5.0
(1)MATH0370
5.0
(1)MATD370
5.0
(1)MATD1414
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MATH1301
5.0
MATH0370
5.0
ELEMALGE
5.0
ELEMSTATISTICS
5.0
STATS
5.0
Reviews (89)
Wonderful teacher! always there for office hours and will work as long and hard to get you to understand the material. he really cares for you as a person and wants to see you succeed. he feels that he is there for us and that without us he wouldn't have a job therefore he really tries to help you. All test questions come from the homework.
Nice guy, will help during his office hours, will not review in class. We had about 18 students drop out because its a very tough course. He is super intelligent and sometimes his lectures were simply above the understanding level of the class. You need to be able to spend 5-10 hours outside of class per week to keep up.
He is courteous. His office hours are of help if you can get him to put his paper down. He is wicked smart, but is pompous. Speaks highly of the students he likes till you just want him to shut up. He stared at me and said that one of us had snuck in without taking trig (I took it the sem before) but all power to me. You need toteach yourself math.
Get more for your money! On top of the math lesson, at no extra charge you'll get this man?s unsolicited opinions regarding the fallacy of historical facts and the naivete of the general public. Beware ever challenging his reason?he will take it personally and react defensively. He is a genius, but you will need to sidestep his personality quirks.
This man is a genuis. You will get everything you put into this class. If you need help go to office hours, he teaches very hard classes. Once you show him you are serious he will take you seriously.
He is possible the hardest teacher I have ever had. I had a passion for math and was going to major in it but after taking his calculus class I rethought that. All I have to say is do the little amount of homework he gives and go get help from the learning lab. Good luck if he's your only option!
I would highly recommend taking a different professor. In his classes you will absolutely have to teach yourself math, and if your textbook is as bad as mine was it's no easy task. Go to the learning lab.
This man is a ****ing idiot. Theres not one class period where he hasn't ****ed about the lawmakers. I'm not to good in math and so everything I have learned he contradicts with his bogus solutions. This man has absolutely no buisness teaching developmental math he doesn't have the patience DO NOT TAKE THIS MANS CLASS!!!!
If you are reading this before registering to any of his classes please TAKE A DIFFERENTE TEACHER!!! He's AWFUL.. I love math and I'm great at it, and I'm having a lot of trouble to keep up with this class because he is so unclear! I honestly don't have the words to describe how bad of a teacher he is. Registering for his class=waste of $$
Spends 30-50% of the class offering his opinions on life and why he feels most of his students are idiots. Demeaning and rude. Can't read his handwriting and he moves SUPER quick. Idiot Savant. Loves to hear himself talk about nothing. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! Or find lots of time for the learning lab!
Keep away from him....
If youre not a genius in mathematics dont take him.He's very rude and condescending when students ask questions, making it hard to ask questions for fear of being blatently ridiculed in front of the entire class. His teaching along with the terrible precal book is recipe for disaster. One positive thing is that his tests reflect the text problems.
Terrible teacher! He doesn't have the patience nor the motivation to be a teacher. Stay away from him at all cost or you will regret it. His handwriting is horrible and he moves super fast, if you ask him to slow down he will get mad and make you feel like an idiot.
Fantastic teacher for Elem Alg. You must be ready to throw out old ideas and what you "think" you know about Algebra basics. McCarthy teaches with a very simplified philosophy. He is not everyone's cup of tea, but those open to change and hard work will do well. I surprised myself with an A+ and was able to test straight into College Algebra!
he is funny, fair, & clear about his expectations. teaches basic important rules about math that are stumbling blocks for many.treats everyone the same. there is no room for cry babies who want special attention and who insist on being late, texting in class or those who don't pay attention. I learned a lot from him. do the work and you'll be ok
He doesn't actually teach anything. He shows you, very clearly, that he understands the material, and knows how to do it all, very quickly. What he doesn't do is explain how it's done, or take any time to teach the principles. I was stuck having to try and teach myself Calculus II. Avoid at all cost. A total waste of a professor.
Attending class was mandatory but a waste of time. He knows his stuff but won't help his students understand it and doesn't care if they learn or pass the class. It seemed like he wanted everyone to drop his class and about two thirds of my class did. Avoid his class.
Worst teacher I ever had. Goes through problems, and just rambles on, while no one knows what he is talking about. I went to his office hours to ask about a homework question, and he simply got out the answer key and showed it to me, didn't explain the problem at all. Then the exact problem was on the test. Do not take this teacher.
Most polarizing teacher ever; you either will hate him or lov, er... respect him. Pompous to a degree but I like that, personally. His teaching style is sink or swim. Thus, I had to personally challenge myself not to coast but to put in the work. I made an A. ...in the class, not just for effort :)
He grades homework and if he does not like the way you solved it, tough luck, its wrong. He teaches with a chip on his shoulder, as if is better because he knows the material. News flash, he is supposed to know it if he is teaching it. If you do not want to lose your 4.0 then avoid his class.
Not a bad teacher. He actually told the class not to invest in corporations because all they benefit are its shareholders... what a moron! If you invest in your 401k ..you become the shareholder! I wish these teachers would just teach their subject and check their ideology at the door and not talk about things they know nothing about!
To y'all who skip Calculus I, do not take his class! He's terrible. He didn't teach us very well. Plus, he's a strict teacher. If you want to make an A for Cal II, go find someone else
Disrespectful to students. Puts you done if he doesn't like your question. He is a severe grader. He marks entire problems wrong for small transcription errors. You need to very fast at math to finish his tests. Seems to want you to fail to inflate his own humongous ego.
He expects a lot of his students. He is a no B*** teacher which means that students who don't come to class, do homework or participate will quickly hit the road. It makes for a professional classroom environment. I like this! If you are a SERIOUS STUDENT I recommend him!! If not, take an easier teacher!
Talks way too fast. Teaches straight from the text book, so not very helpful. Not approachable at all!! He has so much attitude and it affects morale and student participation. Not enough time given for tests. Very harsh grader. I have had harder teachers before but at least they were nice unlike this guy.
Went into very the last test with an 96 average knowing the material very well. Ended up with a B in the class and a 52 on the test after the curve. I know he must having been marking off entire problems wrong for small math errors in long integrals. Don't take this class if you can help it!
Nightmare. Extremely pompous, egotistical and disrespectful. Gives 1 out of 6 points for "partial credit". Grades for precision, NOT understanding. You must do each problem perfectly for more than 1 point of credit on tests. Made a high C in his course after A's in Cal I and II. Avoid this professor at all costs.
ok.. Everyone who has complained about this professor didn't listen to what he said on the first day. To make an A in his class do the HOMEWORK. Then do it again. His tests are made up of problems directly from the HOMEWORK or problems he worked in class. If you don't want to work hard you won't make a good engineer. Quit complaining, do math
Horrible professor. His test are long and hard and ask for way to much work in a short period of time. He gives barely any partial credit. And on the final, he will kill your grade. never gotten below a 89 on a math test at acc and I ended up with a 70 on the final. got an 88.3. I loved math and started the class excited. He made me hate math.
I needed lots of help in this class and professor McCarthy really took the time to help me. He encouraged me to do better and told me that I could study in his office after class. I loved being in his class and will look for him again for my College Algebra class!!
Funny man and means well. If you're a sensitive person and don't like being told you're wrong might not be the class for you, but overall he is a great math teacher.
This class required serious work, but he was crystal clear about what the expectations were from day 1. You get out what you put in. Go to class, do the homework religiously and you'll succeed. If you're not willing to invest time and effort, then you won't. That simple is that. I'd take his class again.
Very condescending. Makes you feel unworthy with his remarks, body language, and even eye contact. He writes poorly and quickly, and flies through his instructing time. Sadly, you won't feel confident to ask for clarification if needed, because of his rude demeanor. Test are hard, and he covers a lot of material in a short amount of time.
Dr. McCarthy teaches from Mymathlabtutor which at first I thought I would like but gives little instructions if you don't understand the concept and moves on then in later concepts that require prior knowledge that you dont understand you are completely lost. Gives a lot of homework good if your young without responsibility.
He wasted most of the first day of a short session discussing how most of us will fail and should drop now and wasted the rest of it throwing up problems from the first three sections of the class. Maybe if he'd just taught the material instead so many people wouldn't be failing out of his class.
He is a bit quirky but is ready to help you out if you are willing to put in the work. Calc is hard, deal with it. Exams are long and tough but are entirely homework problems or examples from the board/book. DO ALL HOMEWORK, go to his office for help and you are set. If you can't handle hard work, good luck at a University or in the real world.
Dr. McCarthy doesn't understand how fake the funk, especially by way of social grace, and my classmates were constantly offended by his authenticity. He teaches math in a philosophical way and after his class I had a completely new perspective on math. I can now appreciate math's function in my daily life. In a big picture way, he is incredible.
Dr. McCarthy is the best math professor I have ever had. He gives you every opportunity to succeed in this class. Lots of hard work and the key thing is to do ALL the homework well and study hard. I feel I learned a great deal. I have taken two math classes so far under Dr. McCarthy and will look for more to take under him. Best math teacher ever.
Mr McCarthy is the best professor for people who are really passionate about the science and math, I took his both classes Differential Equations over the summer semester and Calculus 3 over spring semester, made both A+. McCarthy's classes are pretty hard and require a lot of homework and work, but if i could take him again I would with no doubt
This teacher assigns A LOT of homework, he is horrible at explaining things and helping students out, he makes you feel stupid when you ask questions, and he is very strict on grades. You have tons of homework due every class period and he does not accept late work even if you were sick or had a family emergency.
Excellent human being, but bad professor. Extremely heavy HW load, only grades 15 of it. Grades HW like a test. Expected students to answer HW in a manner that was not explained in lecture or by the book. An extreme advocate for Students with disabilities. I think he's hilarious. I dropped his class to make time for my others.
Terrible teacher, grades homework as if you are a stats major already, doesn't explain concepts, doesn't like questions will make you seem dumb for asking. terrible! actually tells you you need to learn on your own he is not a teacher.
Condescending. Taking a developmental math class that is essentially an online class. Required to show up and put in an unrealistic amount of hours every wk. If you have other options, explore them. McCarthy won't support, listen or inspire you by way of positive reinforcement. If reverse psychology and being told to give works for you, go for it
Doesn't care for students math understanding. He gave off the impression he just wanted students to do the hours required without any fundamental understanding of the math concepts and principles. Doesn't quiz or review, doesn't offer any feedback of any kind. Did I say incredibly rude and impatient especially for being a math professor.
WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD! He was awful very rude called people out in class. No manners. Very tough grader and a huge huge jerk. Should not even be aloud to teach anymore. I ended up moving campus and dropped the class. DO NOT TAKE HIM! Also was pretty much an online class
People who rate this professor as bad didn't do the work and expected to pass anyway. This is not high school - can't just "sit and get" here. If you show up for class, show up for office hours to get help when needed, and do the homework - you will get a good grade, understand the math, and be ready for you next math class.
Dr. McCarthy's class is a hard one, it is basically an online course but you get the benefit of lectures. Don't miss a class you will fall behind.
This class would have been very tough entirely on its own. The professor is not good at explaining the material and he assigns a ton of homework, on the order of 65 challenging problems per week. He doesn't seem to understand that many students have other responsibilities (a job and other classes). Avoid if possible, can be if only class/no work.
Gives lecture then 15-20 problems over what was went over in class due next time, could be 2 sections worth, must do 1 problem per sheet of paper. Has offices hours which he will give you answers to homework. Doesn't take time to explain topics clearly. Tests are homework/exampleproblems from book. Harsh grader, very picky about how things written
If u want to learn the concepts behind math, or have trouble memorizing entire homework sections to get good grades on the tests then do not take him. rude, makes snarky comments all the time about people who don't do well in this class. I was taking for Cal 2 and dropped him because I had little hope of passing after getting all A's in math.
McCarthy is a cool guy, and I would totally shoot the breeze with him in a different situation. His mannerisms serve to scare off those that aren't earnest, and his lectures tell you 'this is hard and you'll have to work for it'. So if you're just coasting, this guy will tear you apart. Do the homework, Know the homework. Real tough prof.
See a pattern here? In agreement with most posts... Fast lectures and bad hand writing on an overhead projector instead of chalkboard, so if you don't get it written down, too bad. Wastes time criticizing over while you and your peers will fail rather than teaching. He's short with people and their question's. Just a poor professor all around.
I took him for both Calc 1 and Calc 2, goth both high As. TESTS ARE MADE FROM HWS. Just do the homework, see him if you don't understand anything. Then read his solution manual. If you still don't understand, ask him for an explanation. I don't care how people hate him. I love him the most. I would definitely take him again if there was a chance.
Overall I like him as person and think he would be a very interesting person to know. At first he can be intimidating during class but just be persistent with your question and you will eventfully get the answer you need. Do not ask about HW assignments during class wont answer questions. Just be ready to do a lot of self teaching through the book.
Brilliant teacher, expects a lot out of his students. Will go quickly and is rather intimidating, but always willing to take any question.
Engaging, animated lectures. Puts the math in context rather than just writing a formula on the board and solving some problems. Relates back to previous coursework but doesn't waste time reteaching it. Lots of homework, yes, because math is learned by doing it. I'm pretty good at math; would be a lot better if I'd had McCarthy all along.
Prof. McCarthy was always helpful and answered all my questions. He gave a lot of homework, but it helped me prepare for his Exams, as all the tests came from the homework. His class was a lot of work, but he was a good teacher. He always let me know how well I was doing. Good professor, would take him again. I recommend him for Cal I.
McCarthy is a pretty straight forward professor. He expects a lot, and if you don't meet those expectations, expect him to be pretty rude and call you out on it (in front of your peers). He communicates pretty well over email, but expect to come to every class.
McCarthy is a great guy and a great professor (A little too rough around the edges for most). Most people who don't like him aren't very serious about the course, and do not get the grades they think they deserve. You have to practice/study a LOT for Calculus. Be prepared to work hard, and don't be afraid to come to office hours.
Spends way to much talking about other things than the subject we are supposed to be learning. Doesnt know when to stop talking and actually teach the class. Also he is rude to students making them feel bad about themselves.
McCarthy was an awesome professor! He teaches mathematics and prepares students as if they are going to study any sort of STEM degree at a university. He's a very pompous guy who loves talking about mathematics, but he's mallowing with age. Although he can sometimes go off topic, he lectures are engaging enough to anyone who wants to learn math.
Like all math classes, the amount of effort you put in reflects the grade you get. That said, I did not like the way his lectures were organized and his hand writing was a bit difficult to read. I basically learned from the textbook all semester. However, his tests are closely aligned with the HW and he is a fair grader.
He is not a bad professor but can be a tough grader because he doesnt give partial credit. If you mess up halfway through the problem, you lose all points. However, test questions come from homework and examples he does in class so do all of the homework problems and problems he did in class and you will do great. Nice professor and willing to help
I had fun taking his class. He is direct but very resourceful. His tests are not that bad if you keep with the lectures and he averages the test scores. Homework is mandatory and be prepared to do lots of homework but those homeworks are super helpful during your test prep. His office hours are very flexible too. Be prepared for the group projects.
Excellent professor. Provides lecture notes. If you do your homework, then you will have no problem with the tests. Test questions are taken from homework problems or are very similar. Entertaining, grades posted promptly and plenty of office hours. Highly recommend.
He is such a tough grader when it comes to homeworks and the tests. Everything should be in three decimals or you will lose half the points for the problem. His tests are difficult if you dont know the material completely since he picks up some hard questions to test your knowledge. If you study hard, the class is doable. Youll have projects too.
He's extremely picky about the hw and projects, it's almost impossible to get full credit for the projects. He cuts points off for things that you don't expect. He doesn't change the numbers on the test but since each test has 150 questions to practice, it's hard to remember all. Always puts the hardest questions on the test to test your knowledge
I got As on both Calc 1 and 2 but I got a C from McCarthy. He's not good at teaching and also he's such a tough grader. He never tells you what he expects for the projects but cuts points off for everything. I hated his class n wish I could go back to the time when I registered for him. He gets test questions from book so u better memorize them all
the difficulty of this class is artificial because of mccarthy, not the material. prepare to be encumbered with paper because he wants each homework problem done on a clean sheet and you will need them to study later. issues time consuming projects with an automatic 5 point deduction. twice told us to study things that ended up not being on test.
McCarthy is a big divider in the math department. He is brutal about grading, more than anyone I have ever met. I lost a full letter grade on an exam for not using a degree symbol in my answers. He is still my favorite math professor I have ever taken as I learned more through him than any other professor I have ever had.
McCarthy is really straightforward; for the college algebra course you only need the online access because it gives you access to the textbook online as well. If you do the homework, you should do well on his tests. He doesn't give an excessive amount of hw either, I usually finished within an hour. His class can be fast paced, just pay attention!
The only questions that will be on a test are the ones on the homework or the textbook ex. in class. Just study (memorize) those and you'll be fine. Pay attention in class and if you need clarification, just ask. He wants you to understand it. Also, if supplemental instruction is offered in your class, show up. The extra points are worth it.
Great guy, weird guy. Gets a bad rap bc he knows he can only teach so much before you need to just put in the hard work to really understand the material. Such a character, never boring in lectures. Genuinely cares that you understand the material, but won't take your crap. One of the best professors at ACC, no joke.
Probably the worst professor I have ever had. In an online class he wouldn't respond to emails, when you go to office hours he spends more time being mean than actually explaining what you did wrong. On the plus side, he will respond to your email in office hours, but be prepared to take some verbal abuse. Lectures aren't that helpful, honestly.
Prof. McCarthy will teach you math. If he struggles to explain something well (which isn't very often), he will point you to a specific place in the textbook to reference and tell you which examples to look at. His tests are very similar to HW questions. Calc III is a hard subject, but McCarthy makes it that much easier to learn.
McCarthy is rude and belittles his students. He does not explain the concepts just starts to write on his whiteboard after saying how he won't do things for the students that the other professors all do. He has tons of office hours that provide no help. He barely works out the problem and explaining it.
I never write reviews on rate my professor because I think it's a waste of time but I will say AVOID THIS PROFESSOR IF POSSIBLE. He assigns way too much homework and doesn't even look over it when he grades it. He gives zero real feedback on projects or tests. He is definitely the hardest grader I have ever had for a teacher. DONT TAKE HIS CLASS
Assigns 20-30 questions for hw, only grades 3-4 random ones for a grade. Doesn't proofread tests, sometimes there will be an actual unsolvable problem, wasting our time during the test. Project grading has NO clear criteria. Puts hw submission up on BB 20 minutes before hw is due. Easily aggravated. Doesnt put in the same effort as students, at all
He goes off on tangents and doesn't explain the material super clearly. He gives a ton of hw every single class that takes hours to complete. He assigns big projects with little guidance and grades harshly. Most of the class failed the projects. Takes off tons of points with no explanation and for little mistakes on tests. Avoid if you can.
McCarthy is such a cool and charismatic guy, not sure why everyone hates him. Yes, the homework is tedious and yes he doesn't really teach the material in class. But the exams are ONLY the homework problems. Put in the effort and you'll definitely pass. If you can't put in that effort then don't take Calc 3 period
Rushes through the math so he can talk about a bunch of random stuff in lectures then assigns a bunch of homework and only grades 1-2 problems. Doesn't respond to emails with more than 5 words and ignores questions like what homework was due tomorrow even when asked repeatedly.
Toughest professor out there. If you can survive his class- you will have learned this material
McCarthy's class is super straightforward: If you do ALL the homework and study for the tests, you will get an A. His tests consist of HW problems, so there are no surprises on exam days. Personally, I found it hard to follow along during his lectures. If you don't have a good foundation in Calc 1 and 2, good luck in passing.
Very easy going, clear and concise. He's super friendly but a bit old-school. He'll only grade 2-3 questions per chapter and the test question are word-for-word from the hw so as long as you read the hw and tackle the difficult problems and show up you'll ace it. He's a great professor to chose if you are trying to work while taking classes
He is the best.
Prof. McCarthy gives you every opportunity to succeed and is very up-front about what he expects. Homework problems are on the syllabus and are due the next class after the completion of a section. SI sessions give you one point per attended session on the next test. He answers questions in class with clarity. If you put in work, you'll be fine.
He is the BEST Professor I have ever had at ACC, but it was his last semester. I hope he is enjoying his retirement life.
Don't miss class! Lots of homework, find a study group. Gives points for trying on tests, extra credit points. Tests are almost exactly like the homework. Teaches by the book, don't be afraid to ask questions! Tough teacher as he believes every student is an adult. I ended up dropping cause i didn't study enough. Wish he was still teaching at ACC.
He retired
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
98%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.32 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH1324
5.0
(1)MATH1301
5.0
(1)MATH0370
5.0
(1)MATD370
5.0
(1)MATD1414
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MATH1301
5.0
MATH0370
5.0
ELEMALGE
5.0
ELEMSTATISTICS
5.0
STATS
5.0