3.5
Quality3.0
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake116
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
116
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
37
4
35
3
20
2
16
1
8
What Students Say
“He is the voice of experience”
ECON1021 - 4.0 rating“Really terrible having to listen to his biased lectures”
ECON1021 - 3.0 ratingGrade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.07 avg changeRatings by Course
MICRO1021
5.0
(1)ECON2
5.0
(1)ECON20
4.3
(4)ECO020
4.0
(26)ECO20
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
ECONOMICS
5.0
ECONOMICS20
5.0
PARKONOMICS
5.0
EC20
5.0
ECON1220
5.0
Reviews (116)
Good teacher, but alway braggin about his textbook, website and luxury car
excellent prof...very helpful and clear
very good prof; nice accent
Most arrogant man alive...we don't care about your textbooks!! Very fair though
excellent prof..made me love economics...text was great also!
I love his online quiz and study guide; very useful!
A real tooper! Keep on truckin Primetime!
If he can't put you to sleep; his textbook will.
he is an amazing teacher
Easy exams, decent text book, interactive CD really good,mentions CD & pop a lot
Usually late nights of drinking make you miss class,this one just sucks
Arrogant ****. Textbook is garbage
Decent guy, seems to care about students. Highly recommended
An interesting, well-rounded prof, but quite arrogant.
Excellent, amazing teacher and economist? Yes! Arrogant? Yes!
best eco teachers
well organized lectures, clear, nice text, nice website
Lousy prof and he's a true capitalist - new book every year
Very good at interacting with students. Dont need to go to class though.
his online quizzes are useless, don't waste your time with them.
Interesting guy, the course content is very boring, but he knows his stuff. You're gonna have to work hard for this credit though.
No Comments
He is in it for the money and not the students. He only teaches to sell his book which he changes every 3 years.
Best prof I had this year. Yes, the stuff he goes over in class is all available online, no, you don't need to go to class per se, but if you do this will be the easiest class you ever take.
great teacher, takes personal interest in his students. funny guy (well as funny as economics can be). awesome prof.
Dont believe any of this crap. If you print off the notes from teh website you'l have about 600 pages to go thru for the final. I got an 85% in HS econ, and this was the saem thing, but the exams as so vague then specific that you get killed. AVOID!!!
He knows everything there is to know about economics, and is very organized. It is not hard to do well in his class if you keep up and do the online quizzes
He is great prof. But exam is tough.
The guy's classroom examples are exactly the same as the book examples, which are exactly the same as the study guide examples...He loves himself and his book that he wrote, and there's no need to go to class. He's a nice guy, just frustrating.
He is a nice guy. Seems to care how students do. Lectures however are like re-reading the text book and dont provide much help for the exams
ORGANIZED, extremely well-organized class. Good conbination of text, ppt, and lecture. It makes us easy to remember the econ theory!!
No Comments
Really knowledgable but sorta boring.
Parkin's a great prof. Having the book the same as the lectures means missing a lecture (or two, or more), has minimal effect on your grade! Great idea!
If you read the text thoroughly then there's no need to go to class. Very repititive at times. He's humble, even though he's a rich millionaire from his worldwide textbook sales.
he really enjoys this stuff, more than I can say. Engaged the class and I found it interesting but like always I learn itfrom a study guide and then forget it 10 minutes after the exam. Too bad he only does 1st half, gilmore is awful in the 2nd
Reads the lecture slides, really no reason to come to class. But he can be funny/entertaining at times.
Wow... extremely boring class. I'd either sleep in and not go, or sleep thru it in lecture. My advice: read the slides and teach yourself... then get some sleep.
Going to class is utterly pointless.he shows his own slides from his own textbook and makes things utterly repetitive.just read the book yourself and download the slides off the internet.enjoy... pfffff.(and his pants are up way too high up.above his bell
Very inspirational and naturally smart.Two engaging bonus assignments.Can always give deep insights to any advanced questions(unlike Gillmore,who doesn't know anything out of ordinary).Not evil like Gillmore,not boring if you pay attention and like econ.
I was waiting for Robin Bade to come in and save us from the boredom known as Parkinson's!
don't take econ020. you will get owned by parkins. extremely hard tests (the prof told us that he does the test in 15 mins which means its a fair test). read the textbook, don't just memorize, make sure you understand the concepts and can apply them. go to class if you want to sleep. priont off lecs
No Comments
WOW, what a joke, he dances around and gets unbelievably excited about economics. Uses stupid examples (guns and butta) and can't even speak english properly. Exam are unbelievably hard and I agree, his belt is WAY TOO HIGH - theo
Well, he is a good guy though; just needs a way to improve the lecture, to engage us students. I tried with the questions but didn't help out enough...and who knows my name(Theo) by the way...?
he's very smart
Very smart... and not a bad teacher, although we used to make fun of him quite a bit. Kanadr = Canada. Watch out if you're in the front rows you may get wet! (he gets excited at times)
Excellent and amazing professor!
Very nice guy, though quite old fashioned. He is EXTREMELY enthusiastic about economics, yet this doesn't pass on to his students. He picks favourites, and directs all questions to them. But he does want students to do well, so if you're having trouble, talk to him.
what a shmuck
Kids, if you are dumb + lazy, don't take this course. Or maybe you should, so you can develop low self-esteem and drop out of university. Memorizing does not help, try understanding the material inside out. Other than that, Parkins loves econ more than you.
His lectures are useless as they are a recital of the textbook. He definetly loves economics but gives no reason to go to class. Taking econ in HS gives you a major advantage but you can still do well if you are able to understand all the concepts. Do the diagnostic quizzes.
While Parking is clearly the most eccentric professor at Western, he is undoubtedly the most passionate. If you love economics you will love his style of teaching. That being said, you do not need to go to class to pass. Just read the book and do every single diagnostic quiz and practice exam before the actual midterms and finals. Easy to get an A!
Though he is famous for his publications, it does not compensate for his lax way of teaching. The way he structures his class lectures just invites students to skip class. The tougher concepts of econ should be reinforced in students. Unfortunately, Gillmore does a better job at teaching this intro class. Parkin should be reserved for upper years.
considering all the con profs aren't really that good i would say stay away from parkins. he was the hardest of the three 1st yr teachers. hammon 2nd harrest and pauler was the easiest however you learn the least in paulers
Aaa! I LOVE this guy! He loves economics and he loves his sudents. If you have him for econ...that's awesome! He's NOT a hard prof! PUHLEASE! On average, people sleep through 80% of his lectures and many still get good marks.
a nice and good prof.....it's easy to get A in his class... since last year... I got my highest mark with five courses that I took... he offered me a A+....ahahaha... I really like him.... a fun and nice guy.......
Aww, he's so adorable. I've only had him for a week and I already like him a lot! He's so nice and just an adorable old guy!
If you ask me why I get into graduate study in economics,it's becasue of the inspiration from him;If you ask me why I can succeed in economics, it's because of his motivation and lots of persistent hard-work! His Econ 20 is a lifetime experience for me, and I promise for you all too!
His exam is definetly the hardest of the three teachers. He is a good lecturer, but if you go and talk to him after class or something he seems really distant. I think he is more concerned with his research than with his students.
Horrible teacher. You must purchase access to his website to get the lecture notes. He wrote the textbook, so he seems more concerned with that than teaching. Research is his #1 priority, teaching #2.
I did not like Parkin. I do not like Parkin. I believe that he likes the money from his textbooks the most. Probably one of the hardest first year courses to do well in. Still hurt when i think of him, and his dirty exams.
Oh man, where to start? He's a fun guy, loves economics. But his exams blow your mind. For the 2nd midterm, our class average was 50. 50! I get the feeling he prefers his money more than students. If he's so successful, WHY is he still teaching at Western? That's what I want to know!
Not only does he use too many examples in his lectures (which more than half doesn't show up), his textbook is confusing! He ASSUMES you know what he's talking about. He may be the most successful guy in the world but his teaching abilities would still amount to the negatives. Hey man, isn't it time to like... RETIRE?!
No Comments
Wrote the text, and that is clearly evident. Examples are confusing. Particular with his choice in communicating, using complex and elaborate terms. Difficult first year class. Also, TWENTY PERECENT OF THE CLASS FAILED FIRST SEMESTER. Very few do well. I found the study guide semi useful. Lectures are drab. Deterred me from economics...forever.
Great teacher!!!
Incredible, world-renowned prof! Very old-school. He really presents his love for economics and makes you understand it. His lectures are useless though, because he just ends up repeating the textbook, but it's best to go to them. Tip: Understand the material, don't just memorize the textbook!
This man is a good teacher but his class is ridiculously hard
Parkin's a jolly-good clown. Listening to people imitating his accent was sadly one of my few highlights of his lecture. His lectures are meaningless, and it's funny because as the course went on, less and less people showed up. Parkin, that's a sign that you shouldn't just present what your own textbook says.
"Ok...class, let's talk about Guns and Butter!" lol. Decent class, but complete jerk though...
Great Prof, knows his stuff. A bit tough on his exams but if you go to class and study you shouldn't have a problem.
Teaches from his own textbook, but it IS the premier introductory econ textbook used in Canada. Class is well-coordinated and well-taught with many different ways to learn (class, powerpoint, textbook, interactive CD, website). Clear and recommended.
No Comments
Average
Great prof, amazing economic understanding. Learn what you can while you've got the chance. When he talks about meeting famous economists HE'S NOT LYING. He's one of the top economists in the world. Take advantage of your opportunity.
He is a great economist, he knows what he's saying. There is a rumor that he's the prof with the highest salary in the campus. He makes the concepts interesting and jokes once in awhile to draw attention from people.
inspirational
Aside from being a world-class economist, Parkin knows how to explain his concepts clearly and in a manner which most students can understand. His exams and marking scheme (i.e. clicker questions, MyEconLab) were relatively easy. Only bummer about his teaching was that his lectures were identical to the textbook.
Teaches exactly what the textbook says. No real need to listen in class as long as you read the textbook. My econ lab online is an extremely useful tool that helped me ace the class
Nice guy, a little boring with his "six-pack of pop" anaolgies though
Patient and intelligent. Much better than the second term teacher.
A World Class Economist and Great Teacher. Very helpful and interested in his students and their future. His lecture is similar to the textbook but he wrote the textbook so that can be expected.
Great professor. Nice old man. If you have questions he replies to e-mails quickly and is very helpful. My EconLab is a great study tool. He loves economics and is funny when he tells people to shutup. Premeir textbook that he wrote is exactly what he teaches, but he talks about other current issues in economics too.
Great guy, always there to help you, or just talk about current events. He used to be an adviser for Paul Martin, knows a lot of important people!
Extremely smart but still makes things easy to understand for everyone in the class. Cutest little old guy ever :) If you just go to class and listen you will learn so much.
he's like a name brand prof, but seriously he just reads through the slides when teaching.
It was quite evident that teaching was not a significant part of his career by the Fall semester of 2001. That is a little sad considering that he collaborates on one of the most popular 1st Year econ texts in academia. I think that he had lost the interest to connect with students and was ready to concentrate exclusively on publishing.
Parkin is ballin, best economics teacher @ western. His random stories are great
Brilliant Man. So brilliant in fact, he wrote the text book, and makes it blatantly clear. He essentially stands up in the class and quotes his text book word-for-word, but you still must go, because he uses clicker s to check attendance. Exams are not that bad, use the study guide and old exams with OFFICIAL answer keys if you can get them. Boring
Sooo smart. Goto class, listen to what he has to say, regardless of your grade, because this course is probably the most important one your are going to take. Be thankful you have such a qualified individual for a teacher. Go and chat with him to, he loves it.
parkin knows what hes talking about, and is easy to understand. only teaches for half the year though. good guy tho, makes economics barable to go to with his random stories
Prof Parkin is by far the best teacher I had during my first year. Basically, he created economics. If you have the chance to experience his class, you will come away with a profound love of economics....until the second semester teacher gets there. Flat out, Parkin rules and his Brilliance shines
a great scholar, effective enough to be a prof. His exams are quit easy, since we all got past papers from various of sources
To interested with his own success, students are not put first in his mind. Cant instruct a class. Would be helpful to next years students if Parkin would just stay in Australia. Overpaid piece of junk
Good prof, sometimes enthusiastic, knows his stuff. HOWEVER, his lectures are the exact same thing as the textbook, he should try use more examples other than the ones on the textbook. Since the class is too big there's no time for questions and we never talked about current economic issues. Overall he is an OK prof.
Parkin for prez! Really smart guy. Helped spearhead European monetary policy. Class is easy if you read the text and practice online problems.
He is nice, cute lol.. but what he says in class is ALL in the book. I really hated the clicker quizzes!! But he knows alot and personally i like him tho
AVOID HIM IF U CAN along with the other witch GILLMORE. They will FAIL you. Exams are unnecessarily hard. POOR teachers. SShameeee!
He's a good prof, explains stuff. But what I didn't like was how he made students buy a textbook they don't need since it's all available online on my econ lab. Liar. But then a lot of profs are like that, so what can I say...oh watch out for the clicker quizzes btw
A great man.
Great Professor, Easy Course. The clicker quizzes motivates class attendance, and paying attention results in success. Parkin is a great guy, and the exams are very straight-forward.
Prof. Parkin is pretty funny at times. Seems like he is enthusiastic about what he teaches but sometimes he goes over the lectures too fast, making his lectures a bit hard to comprehend
Love him. He makes econ very interesting and I love his challenging questions.
Personally I like this prof. His exams are fair, and his lectures are very much a summarization of the textbook. Because he teaches from the book he co-wrote with his wife, he deliver the course content in a clear manner. He's terrible with clicker questions, the questions he sets up usually ends up crashing in class.
Guys let's be honest. i know he is cool but compare to gilmore, he is not that great. He is great professor but he doesn't go straight forward. Gilmore goes straight forward but not this prof. Time to retire old man
Alright teacher. He is the voice of experience. He is very biased however, and rushes lectures.
Absolute genious. Exams are beyond fair. Online quizzes you can get 8/10 questions right from just the study plan answers. Do your study plan once for quiz, and redo before exam = guaranteed 90% or more. He knows his stuff, try and get this class.
Definitely knows his stuff, really have to pay attention in class to fully understand his examples and explanations. Makes great use of My Econ Lab, really good quizzes and practice qs.
Really terrible having to listen to his biased lectures. I was excited to take econ, but considering how he warps what he presents to suit his own ideologies, I spend a lot of time being disgusted. You can do well in his courses if you can regurgitate, but a lot of the information presented is counter-intuitive to how the world actually works.
he sounds like David Attenborough! go to class, some of the pop quiz questions are on the exam.
He is a good writer but nit a very good teacher for first year economics because he is capable for higher and deeper studies. Anyways, he is really good and his accent is pretty nice, I like the way he always connects textbooks materials to his lecture.
My econlab was very helpful. Attend his classes and he will tell you at least 10 questions on each exam. He is funny and his exams are fair. He puts some challenge questions though
Best prof I've had. Very very credible and very intelligent. Excellent examples given, he knows his stuff
Knows his stuff really well but his lectures are just reading of his slides which is from the textbook which is also on myeconlab. Basically if you read the textbook you will do well. The exams are easy to moderate except for the last 6-10 challenge questions which are cumulative and all based on one question building on each other.
His lectures are almost exactly like the textbook. He is very intelligent, but I did not find his way of teaching engaging. I found it hard to learn anything from the lectures as they went quite fast, had to read the text afterwards. His exams were quite difficult for me, and his TUT quizzes had a strange marking scheme. I struggled in this class.
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.07 avg changeRatings by Course
MICRO1021
5.0
(1)ECON2
5.0
(1)ECON20
4.3
(4)ECO020
4.0
(26)ECO20
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
ECONOMICS
5.0
ECONOMICS20
5.0
PARKONOMICS
5.0
EC20
5.0
ECON1220
5.0