2.7
Quality3.6
Difficulty29%
Would Retake115
Reviews29%
Would Retake
115
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
115 total ratings5
24
4
21
3
20
2
10
1
40
What Students Say
“The worst teacher i have ever had”
MATH120 - 1.0 rating“Going to to have to retake in the summer”
MATH335TRIG - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.85 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH15
5.0
(1)ALG34
5.0
(1)MATH400
4.3
(3)MATH350
4.2
(5)MATH34
3.5
(8)Difficulty by Course
MATH124
5.0
MATHMATH
5.0
MATH401
4.5
MATH335
4.5
MATH335TRIG
4.5
Reviews (114)
Really great teacher...I learned a lot!!!
This teacher would help you every time you need some help. also he explains the subject well and he is funny.
Best math teacher I have ever had. I actually UNDERSTAND Algebra because of him. Very clear, helpful and funny. His lame jokes made my entire semester better.
No Comments
You can't go wrong by taking this instructor.
No Comments
Not that great of a teacher. I had one percentage point away from a C and he failed me. Thats not nice!!
I guess it differs. Sometimes he's very helpful then other times he's hard to understand. in my class he didn't teach, we just did homework on the internet. Every once in a while he would have a class session where he actually teaches but I hardly liked his class. But I love his lame sense of humor
He is not a good teacher at all!He tries to make up for it by telling jokes instead of covering the material.He doesn't explain the concepts at all, and then moves on to the next topic before you understand the last one!Very flaky and loses a lot of papers.Most frustrating teacher I've had so far!
not recommended, unless you know the material already that he attempts to teach. Very difficult tests and final exam. If you are excellent in math take him, otherwise i'd look else where.
more than 2/3 of the students in that class either dropped out or failed and for the students that did pass, most of them already took that class before.
i thought the teacher was pretty cool before most of the class starting failing except for like 8 people out of 40 somthing that tried to get in that class.
i can't belive that most of the class failed algebra 1. if more than 80% of the class fails or drops out wouldn't you think its the teachers fault? mr. mcdonald is nice and all but when it comes to teaching he doesn't have what it takes.
In my opinion, Prof McDonald is an awesome teacher for teaching Calculus. He teaches at a slow pace and explains the concepts very well. Also, he's very witty and humorous. His tests are not too difficult as long as you study his lecture notes and homework.
He's the BEST math teacher I've ever had. He's very funny and makes the time in class go by very fast. He does seem to forget things at times though. Just do the homework, study the notes and you'll get an A.
mr. mcdonald should be fired for not being able to teach a class well. he can't teach math very well.
he didn't teach very much, just told jokes and he expected us to already know the material without him teaching it.
i thought the teacher was pretty cool before he started failing most of the class because he can't teach.
i failed his class and about two-thirds of the class also did too.
failed me and i went to class everyday.
He was the most terrible teacher i have ever had. Not only will i have to agree that he cannot teach and expects you to learn the material on your own, he also is the most unfunny person you will meet. He should have picked another career.
Algebra was exteremly difficult for me, but Prof.M helped out alot. He's not unapproachable so if you don't understand all you have to do is ask. Plus he expands the tests per chapter and gives lots of points for homework and quizes. If you take notes, do your work and ask if you're not sure you'll
Great teacher as long as you do your work!
I suck at math, especially Algebra. Mr. M. jokes a lot, but he also makes sure that everything is very clear for the entire class before moving to far ahead. Great teacher. Taking him for Math 100 (If I can get in)
Subject matter taught in class rarely covers homework assignments. Students are expected to learn from the book, which is near impossible at best.
No Comments
He explains the material thoroughly and makes sure that everyone understands it. He provides grade printouts thoughout the term so you always know where you stand. If you study for the tests and do the homework you should do fine.
Best math teacher I've had. Funny guy, cracks jokes during class, and makes it a little more enjoyable. He does his best to make sure that everyone understands the material. It is easy to ask him questions.
Hard if its a hybrid class. Tests are given after three chapters from what you are tested on. Very hard tests. Fast paced but clear.
Very cool teacher. Tries his best to keep everyone interested. Cracks SOME corny jokes every now and then to revitalize the class...does his best to make sure everyone understands what he's teaching. always open for questions! =]
McDonald is an awesome professor! He's very friendly and has a cool sense of humor. This is not meant to be a fun class, but, he makes the best of it. He remembers his students and even offers help to students with other math classes. He's committed to helping his students. DO ALL THE HOMEWORK!
He is the best math teacher I have ever had! He explains new material really good, so everyone can understand it. In order to get a good grade, all you need to do is just to attend all class meetings and to do ALL your homework!!! Quizzes and tests are really easy!
Well , i can tell you that the person who failed in this class is mostly the one who hates math or try no effort to pass it. He gave extra credit ,he gave 1 make up test .He doesn't use textbook a lot ,but by listen to his lecture, you can understand a big part of the chapter and work out the rest by your own. He is funny and helpful.
My first college teacher, hes very reasonable and answers your questions thoroughly. best of all this dude is crazy funny (if you appreciate very corny jokes like i do). I found his quizzes harder than his tests, but thats just me.
Prof McDonald seems like a nice guy, but his tests were difficult. You will probably pass the class if you miss no homework and/or are a math wiz. The tests felt as if they were designed to give the smart (scary smart) kids a good challenge, rather than a test of the understanding of the material. Calculators may or may not be allowed on exams.
this teacher is probably the most scatter brained ive ever seen. hes a real nice guy but a really horrible teacher. he tells these stories that are pointless and it seems that we got no work done. he never gave us a schedule or something to keep track of where were at and we went as his pase which was horrificly fast....i dont recommend him at all.
THIS TEACHER IS FROM ANOTHER PLANET HE IS UNORGANIZED AND UNCLEAR GIVES HOMWEORK ON MATERIAL HE IDNT GO OVER BECAUSE HE WAS TLKING ABOUT CRAZY CATS ON UTUBE THE WHOLE TIME I DROPPED AFTER TWO WEEKS I COULDNT TAKE IT HIS BRAIN HIS SO FRIED I WOULDNT TELL ANYONE TO TAKE HIS CLASS
What a great professor!!! He's funny and is very excited about Math. It's a hard subject to teach but go to his office hours & he will help you to understand the subject so much more. This class isn't easy & I put a lot of work in to it but Mr. McDonald helped walk me through every step of the way.
McDonald is funny--in a deliberately cheesy sort of way--and really tries to forge a connection with his students. It definitely helps. Read the textbook thoroughly, it WILL help get you through his somewhat disconnected lectures. I'm getting an A in his class, and math is my worst subject. He's brilliant, ahead of his time.
This is a very funny and entertiaing instructor if you can handle scater-brainism. Unlike most math teachers he was able to be stopped in the mist of his sentence if you don't understand. One HAS to speek out if you wanna do good in his class. I've got an A currently, but because I'm not a math person I've got a tutor--they help!!
NICE TEACHER. I LIKE HIM.
He's a nice guy, however,very unorginized, he's never clear when there will be a test or quiz. You think you no when the tests and quizes are but there never on those days. His tests are extremely hard his methods are the hardest ways to do any math problems. He makes simple multiplication seem like calculus. I wouldn't reccomend him to anyone.
Number one, he rewrites the tests at the end of the semester and lets you choose one to retake. All my friends and acquaintances signed up for everything he teaches when they heard that. Write your questions on a list when you visit his office, he will distract you from what you came for so keep him on task and your question may be answered.
First of all taking D.E. and Calc 3 at the same time is NOT recommended. Disadvantage. He is a nice guy and always willing to help but his lectures are useless. The exams encompass the book so rely on the book and you will be fine. oh get extra resources because the book assumes you remember everything. Just needs more experience teaching D.E.
Cares FAR more about whether or not students laugh at stupid jokes than anything else. Chip on his shoulder and doesn't hide it well. Gets mad when students correct his mistakes, then tells a story of correcting a former prof & being UNABLE to understand why his grade suffered. REALLY? I'm only doing well bc I read the book & tune out in class.
Mr. Mcdonald has a great sense of humor; however, his class wasn't quite easy. He is one of those teachers who requires you to understand math pretty well in order to get a decent grade because the problems put on tests and quizzes have a certain twist to it. Take him only if you need to be prepared for the next math class.
Differential equations wasn't that hard coming in...yet I failed in the end, however when I took DE again with another professor the material made full sense. Overall he sometimes loses his train of thought for a while, but he keeps the class entertained with his dorkyiness.
Does not give clear examples cannot stay focused on what he is teaching
He will pull every trick in the book on his tests and quizzes. You'll need to MEMORIZE stuff completely unnecessary, like interest rate formulas. (he won't write it on the test, either) Teaches in a way that his language is far above what the students know. Prob won't pass unless you do all HW...you'll never work so hard for a C in your life!
He was a great teacher. He was happy to answer questions, and explained things thoroughly. He didn't always go by the book, but a lot of times he gave us easier ways to do problems than the textbook did. He does crack a lot of corny jokes, but it's fun to laugh when he gets exasperated when no one laughs. I highly recommend him.
Mr. McDonald is an okay guy, pretty even tempered, but his tests and quizes are so twisted and warped that it's hard to tell that he's testing you on what he presented in his lectures. As a person I like him. As a professor, he demands entirely too much and not only that but he is relatively unhelpful outside of class..
Makes 4 or 5 mistakes/class period and often misses them, so it's hard to take notes in class. Made a mistake on a TEST and made everyone redo it half way through. Makes test and quiz problems as difficult and confusing as he can make it. Sometimes doesn't input your grade properly into gradebook! Graded HW,quiz after every chapter. Scatterbrained
Two Words...YOU TUBE! Mr McDonald has a good personality, but often loses everyone in his teaching methods since he tends to over-complicate. Book teaches in a "do it just because" way, explains subjects as if it were explaining to someone who already knows how to do it. McDonald twists and confuses his test questions. HW, Quizzes, make-up test.
Form a study group EARLY ON, but don't tell him who's in the group. This way you can compare how he graded quizes and tests. Read all the possitive reviews on this page, those are the people he liked and graded easier. Then read the negative reviews, those are the majority, and probably you! Will never take again, neither should you.
He can be very confusing especially if it's your first time taking intermediate algebra. He's funny but sometimes goes off of the subject. HW mandatory, makes the test questions confusing, and explains things in a very confusing way too.
Second time taking a class from him. Really good teacher but this is college so you have to study and do the work if you want to do well. Very helpful during office hours.
Really cares about weather you understand the material. A bit goofy, but makes up for it my giving homework that is doable and not just all the odd problems in the section.
He can be really funny. He also reviews information from previous class in the first 20 mins. or so. Only confusing thing is he uses a lot of examples that really don't relate directly to what he's teaching so if you're already lost you 'll be even more so after one of his real world examples. Other than that he is a great teacher. Very laid back.
Hes helpful if you ask questions or go to his office hours. His tests on the other hand are super hard. Four people that had calc before droped the class after one of them. You better know everything in the book and somethings that arent, because hell put things he doesnt teach on the test. I like the teacher but not his class take at your own risk
HE is **** hard but only for his test though. For his homework though is not that very hard. Beware that if you do take him do study note because most of the times his test is base on the note... i study the book = me getting a c on his class so i rate him a c... he check your homework and he grade very fairly.
Mr. Mcdonlad is an awesome teacher. Yes hard but he is fair and wants his students to pass. Learn the defintion he assigns, study your quizzes and go into his office he is very helpful and funny. His Homework is worth more than quizzes so do your homework. He drops one quiz and lets you retake one major test at the end of the semster.GREAT TEACHER
This guy is impossible. His lectures are confusing and his test are hard. The test are different from what he teaches, he take his test to a whole different level. It's ridiculous. He expect you to know math while teaching it! He needs to retire, he seems to get tired of teaching and grading HW. Take him at your own risk!!
Would take more classes from this professor.He will go over and over a topic if the class isnt understanding. He answers your questions about homework everyday. Attend class and keep up with your homework. Quizes are helpful to study for the test with. You can turn in 3 late homeworks and still get credit. He also allows 1 make up test.
He is great. If you keep up with homework and attend class, you will get a good grade. He goes over homework questions daily. Lets you drop 1 quiz and retake 1 test. He explains things as many times as it takes for the class to understand. I recommend taking him.
Mr. McDonald is a very down to earth and really nice professor. Maybe it was just me, but I found his teaching method harder then normal for me. I took his STATS300 course and his style of teaching is like this: passing out worksheets and going over them all class period. Its just not my cup of tea and I did not pass the class
I had to withdraw from this class. He's all over the place with his lectures. Doesn't stick to any kind of schedule. No kind of test/exam preparation. Moves on with lecture even if the class doesn't understand. He's a cool person but, not a very good math professor. He knows his stuff but, has a hard time reiterating it in lamans terms to the class
Not a good teacher !! Goes too fast just worried about completing the course....if you are working and have a busy schedule then its not a good option !! And he makes a really hard test !!
McDonald is a nice guy but I wouldn't take his class again. He makes math more complicated then it needs to be! If you take him, you'll understand what I mean. If you do take him you'll need to be in the math lab all day.
He bogs you down with unnecessary explanation. He focuses on definitions more than the actual application. He confuses you with the extra "math trivia" that isn't needed. You have to keep a high grade in all areas of his class or you will fail no matter how hard you try.
When I fist started his class I had a C and then I started going to his office hours with a few other students and we have all approved. I now have a B and could get an A. He is very nice and helpful and I am going to take Math 120 with him next semester.
Prof. McDonald is very helpful. HW is a must.
am taking this class on fall and is easy class thought, all you have to do is do all the h.w if you good on h.w the quiz and test may be easy as well and don't forgot to go his office :)
Professor McDonald is a great teacher! I do not like math but he explains things very well and is willing to help if you ask.
He's a really nice, cool, funny guy. However, when teaching trigonometry, he confuses himself, which then confuses the students. He may be a really good teacher at Math 120, but if you need to take 335, I think you should take another professor.
Worst professor ive ever had. Im a pretty reasonable person, and I worked way too hard for the C I got. Im grateful for that much. I WOULD NOT recommend him to ANYONE. he's a fair grader on homework, but exams are way more difficult than anything he gives. office hours are a social club, and if you dont go, youll struggle. Explains material poorly.
He is a nice guy but is one of the worst "teachers" I have had. He only gives examples and he makes them so confusing that going back and looking at them doesn't do much good. He is sloppy and doesn't remember what he writes and has to be constantly corrected by the class
If you pay for this class it will have been a waste. He does not teach anything clearly, he makes up example that don't make sense, he constantly can't remember what he is doing and writes the wrong things on the board. The worst teacher i have ever had!! DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!!!!!
If you want the A then you have to work for it. He is not the best teacher however he is a great guy! The class however is just confusing, math lab will definitely help. He can make mistakes but he is human and usually will get corrected. If you do not understand something just say it in class and he will clarify.
This guy shouldn't be an instructor but a student so he can learn how to treat his students with respect, have patience and explain the lessons thoroughly. He's a clown in every sense of the word! I would advice students who are looking to learn and get a good grasp of Math to STAY AWAY from this "instructor". He's the worst teacher I've ever had
Do not take this professor. I have never struggled with math more than I did in this class. He moves extremely fast through the material without making sure his students understand it. He is a nice guy but I do not consider him a good professor at all. Over 3/4 the class, myself included, had dropped by the drop date. I repeat, do not take him.
I've never had a professor tell the class directly that they try to make their tests as trricky as possible until I took this class! he grades so harshly and gives weekly quizzes on homework. He's really funny and can be a nice guy but he's a BAD teacher and would frequently tell us that he resents having to teach such a low level class :( avoid!
I have a 3.7 GPA and this is the is the only class I've had to drop because of the prof. Awful, I don't understand how anyone can be successful with him. He's all over the place and literally does not explain things, which I'm pretty sure is his one job as a PROFESSOR.
He is an excellent teacher. He breaks down his lecture to make sure his students understand and gives little homework. His jokes are pretty funny too.
Math 120 was Absolutely the hardest class Ive ever taken. I learned the same material in high school and got As all throughout and Ive failed everything in this class. He tests on multiple chapters a month after he began teaching the chapters. He doesnt review for any test/ Quiz. His teaching skills are extremely weird and impossible to grasp.
Worst teacher Ive ever had dating back to preschool. If you would like to feel like you dont even know what math is, take this prof. He doesnt even know the content himself, Im currently in class learning nothing from him and thats why Im writing this for you now. You may lose brain cells taking this class. STAY AWAY.
He's a great Professor anytime you have a question in class hes really kind to address it. He makes you feel comfortable when you want to ask a question and is open to explanations.
Had him Fall 2017. He does move through the material pretty fast and there is homework given everyday, but hes a nice enough albeit awkward guy who cares about his students and will slow down and let you ask any questions you want if you speak up. GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS! He will answer all questions and spend time walking through everything.
Really really nice and cares about his students, but be prepared to do a lot of work. Theres homework assigned every class period but GO TO OFFICE HOURS! He will work with you through hard problems and is really understanding about students struggling with the work or outside problems. Tells bad dad jokes and explains his grading on tests
IF YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK THAN YOU ARE GOOD WITH HOMEWORK QUIZZES. HE GIVES QUIZZES ON EACH CHAPTER COVERED. HIS METHOD OF TEACHING IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SLOW LEARNERS. HE DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM STEP BY STEP. LOTS OF SHORTCUTS. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU TAKE MATH 120 WITH ANOTHER PROFESSOR.
He was a great professor took him for two of my math classes. He makes a lot of jokes and there are homework quizzes. Make sure you do the homework and there is about 4 test and a couple quizzes. I recommend to take good notes.
Terrible. Absolutely terrible. His lectures make no sense, his grade scale is very subjective, he skips important steps, he assumes everyone is reading his mind, and the only feedback you get is a damn sad or happy face. Honestly, he is a better mathematician than a professor. Save your money and add professor Phillips.
His lectures are hard to follow as he makes many mistakes and corrects them after he finishes most of the problems and isnt a quality teacher. Homework every class and sometimes double the homework, tests are graded subjectively and no partial credit
I feel bad giving this prof a bad review because he's very, very nice. But he makes way more mistakes than any other math prof I've had before. He even gave us a key to a quiz that had a mistake on it... He's not organized at all. He does use an online book which is cool but I wouldn't recommend him especially if you aren't good at math.
The way he teaches makes it seem as if the students are all mathematicians and have taken trig before. He messes up a lot and the students have to correct him. His tests are difficult. Lots of homework and weekly, hard quizzes. Many students in his class were failing terribly along with I. I use to love math until this class. Do not take his class
Do Not take class!!! Most useless class ever I am so upset and I am putting myself down that I did not drop this class in the beginning. Homework everyday and sometimes double homework what you study for is useless because he puts new material on test and grades harshly as well. Going to to have to retake in the summer. Please do not take!
He's a goofy guy that tells a lot of dad jokes, gives a decent amount of homework, and is really helpful if you go to his office hours. I was struggling in the beginning so I started going to his office hours and it helped me a lot, I went from a D to a B. I haven't taken Math in 2+ years but I was still able to follow him
Not showing up to class is almost like missing a month. It is a bit hard to catch on if you do so.
Professor McDonald is one of the nicest professors I have ever met and I truly believe he cares about his students. That being said, I think he makes a difficult subject more difficult than necessary. Hes not always great at explaining concepts and makes a lot of mistakes on the board. The textbook he uses is free but is not ideal for beginners.
I honestly really like him as a person. Hes very sweet! He lets you know when theres going to be a quiz and is available during office hours. The tests are kind of hard you just have to make sure you go over your notes and know how to do it. He gives you points for trying. I almost didnt think I was going to pass but you just gotta hang in there
Professor McDonald is nice enough but sometimes nice doesn't cut it. He moves quickly during lectures, his teaching is outdated and he makes a subject that should be medium difficulty very hard to understand. The book he gives is free but not very helpful for extra learning. He only uses the book for homework questions.
Professor McDonald is really nice but his lessons are sometimes hard to follow and he seems to be very unorganized throughout teaching his lesson, as he often forgets what he's supposed to be teaching that day.
This man is literally the worst professor I've ever taken. Doesn't matter if he's nice. Whoever told him he was a good teacher, they lied. He does not have the ability to explain simple concepts. His analogies are atrocious, and it's really just a waste of your time if your not inherently good at math. You can not learn from this man.
While Professor McDonald wasn't the clearest/best teacher ever, he is VERY CARING and accommodating, if you are struggling he will help. I took his class twice, and the first time I dropped out because life stuff went south. I retook it a year later and he helped me pass, still says hello to me in the hallways. Really appreciate this professor.
Unclear instructions and isn't very clear in how he teaches.
Took stats 300 which was not hard, but when choosing this professor, I thought I could push through the bad rating, but no. Patrick is very disorganized and the way he teaches the class does not teach you stats. He is not helpful at all and does not want students to pass. If you think you can get through the bad rating like I did, think twice.
DO NOT TAKE!!! If you think you can get past the bad reviews and muscle through any class of his, you're wrong. Even if you pass a class, it will be the worst experience of your college career. He is so unorganized and unprepared. He does not care about the student at all and will not make accommodations for anything.
Professor Macdonald isnt a bad guy. He is extraordinarily difficult to understand as he gets off topic very easily. He is very flakey and doesnt follow up on emails, extra credit and has a tough time reading his confused students. Id compare his stats class to riding a mad bull, it is NOT a fun experience, and if you let go youll fail horribly.
So I took this class because I am not the best at math and I do not recommend it. Professor McDonald went way too fast, is vague, and does not explain the concepts. Almost half of the class had their hands raised to ask him questions and everyone ended up being more confused. He also made us get the book with the access code and did not use it.
Oh god where do i start... has no idea how to use canvas, fails to contact students in a way other than emails that only get sent out to 7/40 students, gets angry at technology when he clearly has no idea how to use it, fails to respond to emails that are even remotely negative. Dear god. I hated this class
Oh god. His online class was impossible to navigate. Someone else said it but he can't even contact his students. I happened to be one of the lucky people he emailed. It took him 2 months to give due dates for anything and he literally wrote to us that he gave up grading hw making the class 90% test/quiz. Please don't take this class.
The worst professor Ive ever had, worst class ever taken at SCC. Hes lazy and unconcerned with his students. Doesnt communicate well, the class is confusing, he refuses to learn how to use Canvas. His lectures are awful, most of the quiz and test time is spent figuring out his vague questions. Horrible teacher! Do not take this class!
This teacher is awful, super lazy, careless, and he doesn't teach at all. He wants you to learn everything by watching a 30 min video that is not even related to the topic we learn. If you do not care about your grades, take it, if you do care about your grades, good luck, because he doesn't care. F in this class normal, D is good, C is impossble.
I thought Prof. Mcdonald was a good teacher. He is always available and willing to help even if you feel like your questions are repetitive lol. He does, however, seem like he doesn't quite know how to use Canvas though. I was unable to complete a quiz because I couldn't find the actual assignment: It had been posted twice. No hard feelings :)
This was the worst class I have ever taken. It was an online asynchronous class, which he didn't figure out until halfway through the semester. He initially requested us to mail in our homework. He was incredibly hard to contact; when ALL of our class messaged him about the last-minute quizzes, he would turn the blame around on us somehow.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.85 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH15
5.0
(1)ALG34
5.0
(1)MATH400
4.3
(3)MATH350
4.2
(5)MATH34
3.5
(8)Difficulty by Course
MATH124
5.0
MATHMATH
5.0
MATH401
4.5
MATH335
4.5
MATH335TRIG
4.5