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Great prof.

Wow. This guy makes econ cool. He wrote the book for his class so its really clear. He gives so much extra credit and curves generously. Dont take any other econ 10 prof at UNC.

Best teacher I've ever had, makes 185 necessary for all Econ majors, in my opinion.

LOTS of extra credit opportunity. he's just a fun guy overall, uses amusing examples, and the fact that he wrote the text book is very helpful bc he explains the exact material you read. HIGHLY recommend him.

Best prof for the worst class. hard tests, but curves them generously and gives extra credit opportunities.

He makes Econ fun during lectures and relates a lot of things to basic everyday situations. He uses overhead for graphs and formulas, but lectures. He wrote the textbook, and lectures are near identical, so the book is a good supplement. More than enough recources to get an easy A. TAKE HIM!

the most interesting prof available for this class.

Sure he's easy, and he wrote the book....which costs a million dollar btw. And he's interesting. But I didn't learn a damn thing.

good class. You definitely learn a LOT but it's not as structured, but whe makes it interesting and there are many chances for extra credit. Quiz and problem set every week.

Class isn't very helpful, what he does say about econ in class is right from the book (that he wrote). But you need to go on Fridays for the weekly quiz, which is pretty hard. Lots of resources for help outside of class and lots of online assignments (which you have to pay for). "Does that sound right?" Worst class at UNC though so....

Ok, so the class is a little hard, but he makes it as easy as possible to get a good grade. He curves everything, you can exempt the first 2 exams, and he allows you to get 10% of your grade back through extra credit. Economics is boring but he makes it fun with his own special examples. It's also helpful that he uses his own book.

Easiest Econ professor out there. If you read the book, you don't need to go to class. Enough he drops about half the assignments and quizzes. Great review sessions before exams where he gives you all of answers. Many extra credit opportunities. Easy to get a B and not too hard to get an A.

Very good professor, goes off on tangents but he explains econ in a real life perspective. fun class, especially for the subject. TAKE HIM!! quizzes every week, hard exams, but MASSIVE curves and extra credits. should be an easy A if you try.

Don't go to lectures expecting to learn anything that will be on the test specifically. Study all the old quizes and exams, do all the homework, read the book, try to do as much extra credit as possible, and you'll be guaranteed atleast an A or B. Weekly quizes, midterms, and final are challenging - when in doubt, just use common sense(it works!)

Take Byrns. Its a lot of material, but he gives a lot of extra credit opportunity and makes it fairly easy to get an A. You don't have to go to recitation, or lecture either except on quiz day. I seriously never went to class and got an easy A. A nice guy, and very helpful website with a lot of study aids and practice quizzes.

You'll learn the subject and his class is hard so study...LOTS.

His exams and such are difficult and it is definitely a lot of work, but it is sooo worth it in the end. DO THE EXTRA CREDIT and you will def. get an A. recitation is useless, I'd recommend spending your time elsewhere. amusing teacher, definitely take him!

Very smart and quick witted. Seems like a college student still himself except he really knows his Econ. Gives lots of extra credit and curves all tests. Loved the class.

Byrns is the only reason to get up early in the morning for ECON. The way he desings the class is great. Your grade is directly correlated to the effort that you put in. I put in a B effort and I got a B. I know for a fact that if you put in an A effort, even though you are not amazing at ECON, you will get an A.

His lectures are not helpful unless you already know what he's talking about, which is difficult considering the pace of the course. You're expected to read A LOT each week and are quizzed every week, sometimes more than once. Economics comes easily to some students, but not everyone, and if it doesn't come easily to you...GOOD LUCK.

Only go to class if you want to hear some entertaining stories or see someone look stupid. Only go to recitations if they are giving out EC. You do not have to read the book at all, only the 1 page summaries at the end of the book before quizzes, but do know this material. Do all quizzes on his site and remember them and you will make an A, mayb

he is hilarious, loves the subject and cares about the students...work hard and you will be rewarded!

There are weekly quizzes and a ton of online assignments, but he drops about half of your grades. Almost all of his test and quiz questions can be found in the practice section on his website. He is entertaining and loves to get to know students. I highly recommend the class. An A is completely possible, but you have to put some time in.

He makes class interesting and it isn't really boring, but it's still pretty hard. He wrote the book he uses, so most of his material is from it and the website. USE THE PRACTICE QUIZZES ON HIS SITE!

Incredibly funny and entertaining, but serious when necessary. Byrns is a great professor - be sure to talk to him outside of class. Friday quizzes, just make sure you've read and done PRACTICE QUESTIONS off the website.

Not the most organized professor, but incredibly easy to make a good grade. Didn't open the book 5 times, used the practice tests online, and made an A. Keeps lectures interesting with his stories.

Byrns = entertaining. Lecture is a waste of time. The lectures & textbook didn't correspond (but next semester, I noticed he's using a different textbook). To get an A, just study the practice quizzes and study guides that are posted online. Be prepared for quizzes every Friday, & he drops half of your grades so don't stress about your grade.

awesome

Byrns is a great guy. In a class of over 400 students, he takes the time to get to know people, and cares greatly for his students (he lent me a textbook). Byrns makes Economics interesting. I wouldn't have enjoyed, or went, to class otherwise. Material is hard, but I highly reccomend his class!

The lectures were interesting and entertaining, but disorganized and hard to follow. He really made economics interesting and relevant. Exams are really hard, but there are recitations, study sessions, and he posts practice questions.

Highly entertaining lectures that include discussion of relevant current events and plenty of extra credit opportunities. I would recommend this course and professor to anyone.

The class was awesome. You have to go to class, and do the work to get a good grade, but it is more than worth it. Byrns is great.

Byrns class is interesting. The material is not the easiest to grasp but by curving and dropping half the grades it makes it easy to get a good grade. DO YOUR BEST ON THE QUIZZES EVERY FRIDAY...I was exempt from the 2nd exam by passing all of my quizzes. As a teacher Byrns is the best, but the class I hate with a passion

Whoa this class was great. He is a very entertaining lecturer. This class is A LOT of work but if you are willing to do it, you will be fine. If you have common sense, it will be even easier because most of economics is common sense.

While Byrns is a really fun and interesting person to talk to during his informal office hours, I found that his lectures didn't help too much, however entertaining they were, and my TA was useless. But even with a terrible understanding of economics and almost never reading, I managed to pass with a high C.

His course it very easy to get an A considering all the extra credits he's awarding.

EASY! I only went to class on friday to take the quizes, many of which i still failed. I never attended a single recitation and got a 57 and a 55 on my first two exams. Passed the final with a 87 and got a C+ for the year haha. He gives a survey at the end for a lot of extra credit. I didnt do a lot of the aplia assignments either. EASY!!!

Byrns is interesting and I recommend him for econ101. Great extra credit and decent curve. teaches straight from textbook (since he wrote it), but textbook is good for an intro-level class. Attendence is not necessarily important, but it definitely helps towards better quiz/test grades. Quizs every friday. Aside from grades, hes very entertaining

Simply put, this guy made me major in Econ. No longer teaching but I just wanted to put my 2 cents in. Tests came from the textbook but class was the best part - instead of spouting off abstract economic concepts he talked about real world stuff that really clicked with me. Funny guy, loves the material, def. a great prof.

I had a great time in the class and learned a lot. Byrns challenged our understanding of Econ constantly, and presented the world in a complex and interesting way. He is the reason I have pursued economics.

Dr. Byrns is an excellent professor. Many students who are writing on here mis-understand his class. He teaches an excellent intro to economics class. He doesn't focus on the technical and mathematical details but rather on helping students understand the broad applicability of economics to ones life.

I consider Professor Byrns to be one of the most interesting people that I've met in my entire life. He did teach the history of economics (which can be dull), but he kept the class engaged with life skills and small tidbits that you'd never find elsewhere. I was so sad to see him leave UNC, but I know he loves to teach, regardless of the audience.

I took 434 with Byrns on a whim, and I'm glad I did; because of him I decided to major in economics. He is an enthusiastic teacher, who is easily accessible whenever you need help. He also makes a large bank of practice test questions available before each exam, which were very helpful.

Very, very engaged and self-aware as an instructor. A professor who affects the future ambitions of students for the better.

Dr. Byrns is one of the best professors I had a UNC. I knew next to nothing about economics/finance before taking this class, but gained a strong foundation and passion for the material afterward. He's zany...but I've never come across a professor more passionate about teaching and helping his students. He's kind and always accessible to students.

Great Professor, really kept the class engaged even though it was a huge lecture. Gave me a reason to come to class every day. Highly recommend.

Dr. Byrns was one of my favorite professors at UNC. I had him for ECON 101 as a freshman and enjoyed him as a professor so much that I took ECON 434 with him as an elective (I was a Biology major).

Dr. Bryns is inspirational thoughtful and the highest quality lecturer. I left his class's thinking not just about economics but on how to be better at life.

Dr. Byrns' class was not easy, but it wasn't hard either. He provided great knowledge of a subject and expanded the knowledge of his students. As a teacher, he is a wonderful man. As a person, he is even better.

Clear and Easy to follow. There was quite a bit of work, but with the weekly TA session everything is manageable. I took the class and became a Econ major. enough said.

I took several Econ classes with Byrns and enjoyed all of them. He presented material in an inspiring and intellectual way. He'a a great lecturer.

Professor Byrns was a great 101 teacher. both helpful and informative. Was quite impressed that he got John Edwards to speak to our class.

Going into my first year at UNC I didn't know what to expect for ECON101. Byrns clarified that on the first day. His lesson plan encouraged participation, gave multiple sources for grade improvement (online assignments, & weekly quizzes), and was a great learning environment due to his enthusiasm and wit. There was never a dull moment in class!

Professor Byrns is the reason I became and Economics major. His classes are engaging and more intellectually stimulating than any other econ course I took. He also highly values student input in courses, which makes even 101 courses especially vibrant. I took two of his courses and recommend that all students take his course.

Prof. Byrns is one of the best professors I have had. He made me understand economics and apply it to my daily life.

Dr. Byrns was the most entertaining professor that I had at Carolina! A great teacher with an open door.

I love Ralph Byrns. He is an outstanding professor with a talent for explaining abstract concepts or ideas in ways that are accessible and intuitive. Dr. Byrns' passion for his craft and his students inspired me as I developed my own vision for this "brief, glorious dance" and I think back to lessons and conversations with him often.

Raised my interest in economics to another level, could almost say he was the reason I majored in econ. Took first “history of econ” then “financial markets” with Dr. Byrns. He is the best professor I have ever had, wish he was still here.

I took Mr. Byrns' Econ 101 class at UNC, as well as his class of History of Economic Thought. Both were entertaining and informative. Regarding Econ 101, UNC-CH requires both Micro and Macro to be taught in one semester, which is unusual for college level economics. Given this constraint Mr. Byrns was not only a good instructor but exceptional.

Dr Byrns is an excellent professor. It is obvious that he enjoys spending time with students and he learns everyone's name, even in large classes. He is passionate about the subject matter and probably the most approachable professor I have had. He engages students by asking questions and encouraging participation.

Dr. Byrns is the all in one package. He was the heart of the Economics department during his tenure. He managed to serve as a mentor, teacher, and above all a life coach to every single student who spent the time to listen and speak with him. Without him, I'm sure I would not be where I am today. Passing him up would be a tremendous mistake.

Honestly, the only professor I had at UNC whose class I still tell stories about. Excellent professor who is always available to discuss economics (or anything else). Students loved him so much the newspaper ran a front page story when he left.

Great professor, he got me to major in economics. This class changed my perspectives and is easily one of the best classes I've taken, ever.

I never considered being an Econ major. I took Econ 101 because it was a requirement for the Journalism school and after Dr. Byrns’ class I was converted. professors is not his passion for the subject, but his innovative approach and his relatability and his genuine concern for his student’s performance.

Con't...He wants his students to do well and wants them to understand the fundamentals of economics, which is clear to anyone who sits in on his classes. His creative approach and the unique examples he provides truly demonstrate how economics is relevant for everyone, not just majors.

Con't...Even in a large lecture setting he challenges students and takes the effort to know his students individually and help them reach their fullest intellectual capacity. When he left UNC, the campus lost one of its most brilliant minds, and I am truly blessed to have gotten the chance to learn from him.

A really great professor who genuinely cared about his students.

Dr. Byrns's care for his students is deep and genuine, and his love for teaching economics is unmatched. When not lecturing, he could usually be found on the front steps of Gardner Hall, discussing economics, policy, philosophy, or life with interested students. Such commitment to teaching too often lacks among professors at large universities.

I consider Professor Byrns to be one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. He keeps classes engaged with stories about life and fun facts that you'd never hear elsewhere. He’s always happy to take time to talk to students after class because he genuinely enjoys teaching, something that's often missed on college campuses.

Professor Byrns is a brilliant man who makes learning economics easy. He's also fun to talk to and always has great advice.

Coming into Professor Byrns' class I had no desire or interest in economics. In fact, I was only taking the class so that I could apply to the Kenan-Flagler Business School. Upon arriving into Byrns class, I became interested in econ as a result of his genuine interest and his amazing teaching style! He's not only a teacher but also a great mentor!