If you like family guy you should get along great with him. Takes the easier route down Calc...

funny and smart, 4.0

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Extremely fair grader. Funny, smartest guy i've met. Always willing to help students who struggle. Plenty of opportunities to get your grade up if you slip. Go to class and take notes! Tests are VERY VERY similar to the practice tests. Excellent professor.

An Awsome teacher, made learning math really easy

Prolly the best math teacher i've ever had!! you'll do go as long as you show up to class and due most of the HW. He'll give review sheets for tests and just like he says they are very similar to the actuall test. The book we had sucked!!!(Advanced Engineering Mathematics 3ed.) Lots of errors so don't look in the back. And go by your notes in class

He is an excellent teacher who knows what he is talking about. He made the class easier and he is funny so it made the time fly by faster. I would recommend him for anyone!

Great Teacher really nice guy. Very good teaching style.

This guy is a great teacher and very smart guy. makes the class fun by telling jokes and is easy to follow his way of teaching and as long as you ask questions he won't move on till you do get it. eeeeasy a test just like review handouts...

i passed his cal 2 with an A. i didn't have a book. i have never done even one exercise at home. just show up to class and pay attention. a sure A

He has to be one of the best math teachers I have ever had. I wouldnt take the time to reccomend any other teacher as well. He doent beleive in H/w although its in your best interest to do it for practice. Just show up to class, pay attention, and take notes along with doing examply problems. easy A! Very high Quality teacher!

If you want an easy calc. class take it from him. I actually learned calculus too! No HW! The review sheet is an old test. So do the sheet and youll get an A.

best professor ever

Best Prof. EVER.. seriously.. this guy is down to earth. he knows what he's talking about... and will HELP you.. he knows the ridiculous God like math, but he still sees the little mistakes... he is funny.. and really teaches your brain.. he doesn't just say go home and read.. he's like.. come to class and LEARN. GREAT PROF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Though he seems at times to be a part of my generation, Dr. Raines has had a career in Mathematics for longer than I have been alive. His continued interest in, and passion for, the beauty of mathematics is refreshing. He is clearly a genius (in the literal sense), but is never condescending or aloof.

Good professor. I had him for 4 classes, and he managed to keep it interesting despite the classes being 2.5 hours long.

You'll learn more in his class than you thought possible, and the best part is that it'll be easy and stress free. He is the god of math

Awesome Professor. Took him for Summer 1 and he made it so easy. Study Guides are very similar to tests plus he lets you use a Note Card for each Test! What made this class even better was if you have a 90% test average you don't have to take the final! This class was an easy A and I learned a lot! Mr. Raines is very helpful and a great teacher!

Dr. Raines is one if the best professors I have ever had. As a person he is very nice, forgiving, caring, easy going, and genuine. As an instructor he is clear in his delivery, excellent at breaking down concepts, consistent in style,well spoken and easy to understand, encourages people to ask questions, never puts you down. Just a hell of a guy.

Amazing Teacher, best i have ever had. Please take him you will not regret it.

Best teacher I have had in my whole life! I will take him again for next year! I would TAKE HIM FOR ALL MATH LEVELS! His teaching ability is amazing and can tell he actually knows his stuff and does not rely on the notes he writes and can justify any question! TAKE HIM!

Dr. Raines is AWESOME. He is the smartest math prof. I know. He doesn't blindly BS problems and copy the book. He explains things extremely clearly. The exams are very straight forward. Just Study the practice exams and you will get an A. I took Calc 1-4 with him. I learned a ton and got all A's!!!

Not just a great teacher, but a genuinely nice man. Showed me the elegance of math and ALMOST inadvertently convinced me to switch my major from Physics to Math. There is no possible way you could regret taking him for any class, unless you're crazy. Teaches in a style that holds your attention AND educates. And you thought that couldn't happen...

Dr. Raines is awesome. He literally makes calculus fun and interesting. Whenever he can tell the lecture is getting a bit boring or heavy, he'll stop and tell a story or a funny anecdote or something. Definitely the most brilliant mind I've encountered so far in college. He has an amazing grasp of all math and he teaches it very well.

Best math instructor ever, do whatever you can to take one of Dr. Raines' classes

Dr. Raines is a mathematical tyrannosaurus. He eats differential equations for breakfast. He's the best math prof. I ever had the privilege of learning from.

Dr. Raines is BY FAR the best math professor I have ever had. He makes the material so easy to understand, he will also give plenty of examples in class and makes sure he is ready to move on when the class is ready. Exams are straightforward. He gives out practice sheets which mirrors what the format of the upcoming test will contain. Dr. Raines!!!

Best math professor ever!!! He is a great instructor. Makes class fun and is always willing to help students.

If you need a math class, get Dr Raines. That simple. Very knowledgeable, extremely helpful. Explains in a way anybody will grasp. Optional homework, short tests. He's not above "taking a 15 minute break" if he's losing the class. I don't know anyone else who could take a dry South Park joke to help explain logarithms, but he can. Take his class.

Dr. Raines is a fantastic instructor. Passionate about math, with dry wit to boot, and the ability to make calculus concepts as easy as basic arithmetic. He gives clear examples in class; the practice sheet prior to exams is extraordinarily helpful, and you can bring a notecard in for the exam. One of the best profs I've ever had.

Mike is one of the best professors I've ever had. He explains the material in detail and shows step by step examples to make sure you understand what he is teaching. He is easygoing and easy to talk to. If you have choice, choose Mike.

Best Professor of all time. Makes difficult concepts clear. If it's an option, always take the class that Raines is teaching.

My favorite math professor. Great guy with a passion for teaching and doing it in a way that his students will understand. He is a incredibly talented and helpful teacher. Definitely recommend.

Professor Raines is absolutely amazing. Math is not an easy course but Dr. Raines makes it easy and enjoyable. You can tell he takes a lot of interest in his students and their success. I have no regrets and neither will you if you take him.

Everyone else said it, Dr. Raines is an amazing teacher. He's a really cool person as well. I wish I could have him for every math class in the future, too bad I'm in differential equations!!!

Dr. Raines is a great teacher. He could probably teach a monkey algebra if he had to. The homework is not mandatory, but it is helpful to do. Your grade is based off several tests and quizzes that resemble the homework. He provides a study guide for tests and it looks a lot like the test. Fun class, I'll take him for my future math classes.

Dr. Raines is an awesome instructor. He really cares about his students. He makes sure that you understand all the material. If you ask a million questions he will answer a million questions, and doesn't make you feel stupid for it. He is available during office hours. SO SO HELPFUL!!! I would take another class with him.

The best math and calculus professor out here in the Kalamazoo area. If you need a math class, take it with Dr. Raines.

I wish he taught all the classes I need to take to graduate! Best teacher I've ever had!!!!

The best professor at KVCC, hands down. I wish he could teach all of my classes. He is consistent from class to class. I have had several math classes with him. He is funny and down to earth, too. Chapelle Show quotes, character voices, crazy math facts, and stories keep the class from being overly boring. If only we could clone him...

The best professor at KVCC, hands down. He is consistent from class to class. I have had several math classes with him. He is funny which helps keep the class from being too boring.

Excellent math teacher who deserves a chili pepper but it is mostly guys who take his harder classes.

A rare intersection of casual and professional classroom manner, at the appropriate times. Lectures include underlying theory as well as practical applications and useful shortcuts. Demanding material, handled in the best possible way. Prof. Raines is the best math professor I've had at either KVCC or WMU.

He is a great teacher. He made all students to understand the problem step by step. He is very helpful and I got 4.0 all his Claculus classes and Differential Equation class as well. AWESOME TEACHER!!

Plan your class schedule, your work schedule, and indeed your whole life schedule around taking Dr Raines' classes. Simply the best teacher I've ever had, across all levels. Need I say more.

If only he taught every math class. One of the best professors known to mankind.

He is the best teacher I have ever had in college without a doubt. He is such a down to earth guy that is very very very intelligent, approachable, and clear. I had class with him MTWR from 1:30-3:15 was never bored in the class. He makes the class exciting and fun. Most of all, he NEVER puts you down for asking questions. He encourages you to ask.

Awesome teacher makes hard material understandable and easy to learn. Great review sheets before tests. Overall great teaching style.

What makes a good educator? One who consistently gives you challenges that you can accomplish. This is how you learn, and nobody is better at it than Dr Raines. And he does it with humor and modesty. Never once do I dread his class, even four days a week in the Summer. I was challenged, and I succeeded confidently. There is no higher praise to give

Just took his class, and he's a great teacher! He makes difficult concepts pretty easy to understand. He's one of the best math professors I've had!

I've run out of math classes to take with Dr. Raines, and that makes me pretty sad. Seriously, just take his classes. He's that good.

He's easily the best Math teacher at the school. He knows his stuff very well and he teaches it so clearly. Anybody who takes him actually learns the subject. If you have a choice to take him, DO IT! Even if you have to plan your semester around his class. I promise you will not regret it!

I will miss the lectures. Excellent teacher as many have said. I had him for a few math classes and I greatly benefited. I was well prepared for my engineering classes at Western.

Raines has a clear way of teaching combined with fun delivery. I usually have to shut up when I start telling family how fun his classes are because I'm silenced by their adherence to the belief that "math isn't supposed to be fun." Raines proves otherwise.

Best math professor I've ever had. Dr. Raines truly knows he's math. He explains things in an easier, which makes things easy to understand. You will learn so much in his class. He is funny too, so it helps with the lectures. I would recommend him to anyone!

BEST PROFESSOR EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Dr. Raines has a quirky sense of humor and is one of the best math professors I have had certainly one of the top professors at KVCC.

Dr. Raines' class was good. He doesn't grade homework or give out quizzes, so your grade solely depends on five tests and the final if you have to take it. If your five tests average out to a 90%, then you are exempt from the final and get an A. He makes many jokes to lighten the mood, but he got a bit salty when people asked too many questions.

Honestly the best teacher I've ever had. I could not imagine taking another math class if it wasn't Dr Raines. He is hilarious and tells many stories that will have you laughing your ass off. The material is difficult but if you work for it you can succeed. If you're not going to do the HW don't buy the book, you won't use it otherwise.

Pretty laid back environment. At the end of class, he assigns suggested exercises from the book, but he doesn't collect it or grade it or give a grade for it. All the grades come from the tests and the final exam. Dr. Raines is a good teacher that has had time during his career to learn how to teach clearly and well. Would take again.

Super nice guy. Always is willing to answer any questions for homework. Has 5 or 6 tests. That average on those tests is your grade. Homework he assigns is optional. Before each test, he hands out a practice test. If you know the practice test, you know the test! Simple! He also has funny stories and jokes to tell to not make the class boring.

Michael Raines is an excellent professor. He tries to make his lectures light hearted, which is nice for a 2.5 hour calc 2 class. He is very fair on grading, and assigns 4 test in the semester with an optional final. DO NOT CHEAT IN HIS CLASS, HE WILL CATCH YOU! He will give you a warning if you are cheating.. take heed!

Dr. Raines is one of the very best teachers you'll ever have. I've planned my schedule entirely around his classes before and I've told others to do the same (which they have). He really makes sure you understand what you're doing and it's so much fun when you can learn it so well and so quickly. Plus he's really funny so that's a plus.

Dr. Raines is the best, period. His lectures are entertaining, clear, and direct. He assigns "homework" which are problems you are expected to do on your own and then ask questions next class. Very well respected. If you are willing to do the work, attend class, and give your best, you will pass! Avaliable during office hours.

Absolutely brilliant. Tailors his lecture style to to the class's level of knowledge. Takes time to ensure all students understand the concepts. Develops problems that apply the fundamentals, but instill confidence in the student. Doesn't teach to the book or with a calculator. Makes great use of class time.

Dr. Raines is the best math teacher I have ever had! He teaches in a way that makes you care more about the why rather than the how in mathematics. After taking a couple classes with Dr. Raines, I have developed a love for mathematics and plan to take additional courses even though it isn't required for my degree.

Do not take math with anyone else. This guy is the best math teacher I've ever had, and probably ever will. You won't be sorry.

Show up to class and use the study guides and you should have no problem passing.

I would highly recommend Michael Raines. Organized, slow lectures, easy homework, allows students to bring a notecard to tests, final test required only for those with average grades under 90%, makes jokes occasionally, goes over material thoroughly, and gives direct answers to questions. You cannot go wrong taking his class.

Let me just start by saying I am HORRIBLE at math, to the point I've been freaking out about taking this class for months! Dr. Raines made the material easy to understand, and easy to apply to real life. I have never liked math until I took this class and I've never seen a math professor care more about his students.

His grading is clear to the point, he gives optional homework but test might come from the homework and to understand the material its best to do the home work. The main grade comes from test. His lecture are clear and also to the point. Probably one of the best if not the best teacher to get for any and all math classes.

Dr. Raines is the best math professor at KVCC. He gives clear notes that correspond with study guides and tests. Homework in optional but a good tool to gauge where you are at for the tests. 4 Exams and a final exam.

Dr. Raines is easily the best professor I've ever had, and that's across every subject I've taken. If you can, I would highly recommend taking every Mathematics class you can with Dr. Raines - not only will you likely enjoy the class, but you will get an IMMENSE feeling of gratification with the content you actually retain. This guy is fantastic!

Raines is fricken awesome. He is so enthusiastic about what he talks about. I want to be a math teacher someday and I am so inspired by the amount of knowledge he has about mathematics and how he makes you want to learn. He is one of the best math teachers I have ever had! I finally get things that I had a hard time understanding before.

By far the BEST math professor I have ever had, in high school and out. Dr. Raines is hilarious, and never boring, while also explaining every concept throughly and thoughtfully with plenty of examples. Easy to talk to and get extra help from. Overall great guy.

This professor has my undying respect and gratitude. I'm working through my second B.S. (First in biology, now Mech. Eng.); as a professor Dr. Raines is the most dedicated to teaching material that i have encountered to date. Simply the best at conveying the material concisely, accurately and in way that can be applied mathematics at large.

Dr. Raines is simply put, amazing. I've never before had a professor who communicated what we needed to learn so clearly and efficiently. I would highly recommend taking calc. with him.

Michael Raines is a great math teacher! His study guides are pretty similar to the test. The assigned homework is optional, so it's really up to you if you want to buy the textbook or not. I highly recommend attending class and taking notes! He has 5 tests and you can be exempt from the final if you have an A after taking the 5 tests.

Great teacher! I never paid attention, but he gives very in-depth information and everything is very clear cut. He gives test reviews that are just like the exams. I put the test reviews on my notecard (given for each test, 4/5 on the final) and extra formulas, and could pull off the tests. Studying would've helped. I enjoyed going.

Dr. Raines is easily the best math teacher I've ever had. If you need to take a math course, and his class is available, sign up immediately. His detailed lectures are amazing, he cracks funny jokes almost every class and keeps the mood in the classroom pretty light. The exam practice sheets are super helpful and you get to use a notecard on tests.

Very funny guy and really knows his stuff. Tells the student what they need to know, it's never a surprise what's gonna be on the exam - very direct. Cares about his students and uses humor to break the dread and bore of a math class - he's hilarious. Very special talent in the profession of teaching. Definitely take him.

Took calc 3&4 with this man. Best teacher I have ever had in my life for complex subjects. Essentially a math god. Clear lectures, very precise in explanations, takes pride in his work. I would gladly pay WMU tuition to KVCC if this guy could teach all of my WMU ME classes. Success of failure is ALL ON YOU, high lvl calc cannot be taught better.

As far as I know there are only 2 people who can divide by zero, and that's Chuck Norris and Dr. Michael Raines. A truly gifted educator.

Literally the best professor I've ever had. Also the reason I ended up majoring in math. Even though I finished my degree I would honestly still pay to go take classes from him if KVCC offered more. I had him for calc 2, 3, diffeq, and stats.

The lectures are decent, presents that math theory and explains it. Then does multiple examples. He does get sidetracked very easily. The only grades are the four test you take and the final, however, you can get exempt from the final if you get an avg of 90+. You are allowed a 3x5 notecard for tests and a full sheet of paper for the final

Dr. Raines made Calc 1 interesting and accessible. Hes great at breaking down tough concepts and hes principled without taking himself too seriously. Really knows his stuff. For me, reading the textbook wasnt necessary, but the non-graded HW exercises in the book really helped, so getting the book is probably necessary. GREAT prof!

Professor Raines is an amazing teacher. He makes calculus understandable and enjoyable. He gives out a study guide with practice problems before each test, which is very helpful in preparing for the test, even if you didn't do the homework. The lectures are content-heavy, but he keeps them interesting by adding in remarks to make it interesting.

Dr. Raines is a great teacher. Advice: take good lecture notes, do the optional homework problems (these problems are essential to doing well on the tests), and ask questions, and you'll do well. Your grade is only based on your test scores - and if you're ave. test is above a 90%, you don't have to take the final. He's also really funny!

Best math teacher I've ever had!

Dr. Raines is a great guy. Don't worry about getting a bad grade in his class, as he doesn't make things harder than they need to be... however his lectures are really advanced. If you are in the lectures going wtf... look up Professor Leonard on youtube and watch his lectures instead. Calc 3 is a big step above calc 2 at kvcc.

His online lectures aren't as funny and full of pop culture references as his in-person classes, but they still are very high quality. This is my third semester with him, so I was taking him during the COVID transition. I was very impressed with how responsible he was. His online lectures were posted very quickly and he graded quickly. Great dude!

Professor Raines is definitely the best math teacher I've ever had. His lectures are very helpful and thorough. The quizzes and tests are very similar to the homework, so as long as you do well on the homework, the class is pretty easy.

I had the honor of taking the calc sequence with Dr. Raines and I am truly thankful. I am currently at WMU now in statistics and whenever I need to use calculus I can do so confidently thanks to him. Besides the great teaching, he is an awesome guy that makes jokes frequently during his lectures. He makes calculus fun, which is hard to do.

I absolutely love Mr. Raines. He did an exceptionally great job of teaching calc 2 to me. Gives great feedback and what you did wrong. Quizzes/exams are easier than I thought. Multiple choice is on them which is super nice. He explains this course in a language that makes sense to me. If you struggle in calc 2, take Mr. Rains, you will not regret.

~knows the tendency to err in complex subjects; gives as many points deserved w/o discounting all work for a simple err ~his careful & concisely selected exercises= BEST way to test & be confident w content even for those cautious ~room to err ~shows all work ~long lectures, but max info = assured ~replies quick & thorough despite his busy courses

I had Dr. Raines for both Math 120 and 098. Raines was an excellent teacher, I never hesitated to ask if I had questions and was very easy to approach. Raines does an excellent job with providing a practice test which is VERY similar to the real test. Only complaint is he can move a little quick during lectures. Dr. Raines is an excellent option.

I hate math, but he made it so easy!

Best. Take him at any chance you can. I will be taking my third math class with him. A lifesaver. Makes math easy and not a burden. He literally makes it impossible to fail. Best professor I have ever taken.

Raines is a good professor and he would be my go-to for online calculus courses. He never knocks off points without leaving feedback, and he does not make exams or quizzes too hard. I would not recommend buying the textbook though, it was expensive and I never used it.

I had Dr. Raines online for calc 2-4 and he is the best professor I have ever had. Homework is based off the lectures, if you are knocked points he always provides an explanation, and the tests can be challenging but manageable. The lecture videos have been the same since 2020 but they are great. Would recommend him to anybody taking math classes.

Absolute best math professor I've ever had. Had him for Calc 2 and 3 and it still sticks with me years later! He makes lectures fun and explains the concepts in depth, loves to help students too. Wish I could take again.

I love Dr. Raines SO much, had for both summer semester and fall semester Calc 1-3 online; minimal work, only a homework and quiz/discussion each week, and tests about every 4 weeks, with optional final exam. Cannot express enough how great he is. Extremely caring, grades quickly, gives good feedback. Cannot recommend him more, absolutely amazing!!

Super Great

Raines is a phenomenal instructor in almost every aspect. He's very knowledgeable and the course expectations and feedback are good throughout the course. The only downside is that 100% of your grade is from exams, but they're easy to prepare for so long as you complete the suggested homeworks.

He teaches the online course in an amazing and very accessible way. He provides detailed videos to help you learn the material, and does optional practice problems so that you can make sure you are confident with the material before tests and quizzes. Graded assignments and homework are a regular difficulty, and he responds quickly to emails

His lectures were good, and he was a very fair grader. He didn't mandate any work aside from the tests, but he suggested practice problems after every lesson if we wanted to practice more. He didn't expect you to participate in class if you didn't want to, but he was eager to answer questions.

Really good teacher. Gives the student all of the resources they need to succeed.

Extremely knowledgable

I highly recommend taking Raines for any math class. He makes math really easy to learn and understand. I was nervous going into calc 2, but he made it easy to learn and understand. There are hw's, quizzes, and exams, but they are fair and you are well prepared going into it.