Hard class, but he's a real good professor. He's also helpful.

I have never learned so much important information before! It is a hard class, but if you want to consider yourself a smart person, take it with curtis.

A great teacher, but God help you if you fall asleep in lecture or your cell phone goes off. He will eat you alive.

This man is brilliant! He memorizes every students name out of a 250 person lecture.

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Good class but he treats everyone there like high school students. Or maybe it's just the students

Best finance class ever!

best business class... he's a great teacher and makes the material really easy to understand

Curtis is da man! He is a magician!

If you tend to fall asleep in class don't take finance with him....there is no place in the whole auditorium he does not walk though. you can sneeze all the way across the room and he will say bless you..meaning..he is always watching you..but he is smart

Best Prof. I have ever had. The most interesting course I have ever taken. It's a pretty tough course overall.

VERY impressive memory, knows every single student in a pool of hundreds. very clear lectures. a very good class to take

he's a great guy, but finance is a miserable class. he didn't make it any less interesting, but he tried hard to be funny. very hard. never fall asleep or let your phone ring in that class, and do well or he hunts you down with at least 2 ta's by his side to force you to get help. but a nice guy

He knows his stuff. He is very helpful and up to date on the market.

Insanely smart lecturer. It was one of the best courses i've ever taken at cornell. Definitely up there with gov 181 with katzenstein. You can tell he really enjoys subject matter and communicates it effectively. Great prof overall!

He is definitely one of the few prof I will miss a lot. His class is not terrible as long as you don't study at the last min. Great Lecturer. A nice and hardworking prof who cares about students a lot. My friends say he replies students' e-mails AT 3:00AM. Can't really ask for more from a teacher. Highly recommended for all students.

He is incredibly intelligent and an unbelievable lecturer. If you pay attention in class, then you will leave every lecture with a surprising comprehension of complex ideas. You definitely get the bang for your buck with this class. As a senior, he is the best professor I have had at Cornell yet! He may be scary, but you can't help not love him

A great professor,probably my favorite at Cornell.The class is a challenge, but he cares about every single one of his students and is really rooting for everyone to do well.At the beginning he tries to intimidate you but as long as you study you'll be fine.By the end you will love him and be happy you took the class. I will definetely miss him!

Very good teacher. Wants all his students to do well. He tries to intimidate you at first, but all you need to do is go to section and lecture. Read all the assignments and buy the course packet. Great guy once you get to know him and really knows his stuff.

I dont know what all this talk is about the class being easy it is by far the hardest class required in the AEM major, I guess say what you will about AEM. With that said, if you do enough work, this class is manageable for almost anyone. Curtis is a great professor, he is unbelievably passionate about finance, great guy too. One of my best classes

Very thorough teacher. He makes all the notes, teaches the sections. Very clear, and can sometimes seem scary, but great guy. Course is tough, but he prepares you very well for exams. In the end its a great course. Dont talk in class, and don't think you'll ever get out of section early, even if the pink pages are finished.

Rich is one of those teachers. He's an absolute nut and you'll love every second that you're in his class. I'm not going to lie, his 'cold calls' will keep you terrified and on your feet, but thats the best way I learn. Don't fall asleep in his class and get to know him because he's a great teacher in his own specific way.

Quizzes everyday, but good class!

Great professor/great class.

The best professor I have had at Cornell. Tests are tough but if you study and read the text book no reason you cant do well. Always available to talk or answer questions (even though he gets back to you at 3 or 4 AM). Great class highly recommended to anyone who wants to go into finance.

Great class! Material covered really helps with finance interviews. Some material is difficult but he provides enough study guides in order for students to do well on exams. Highly recommend.

notes are useful but his lectures are verry fast-paced and he expects too much from his students

If Cornell ever wants a top notch program, they had better hire a Finance professor with real experience-- be it research or wall street. I personally did not pay to hear a finance professor deprecate himself by telling his students how horrible he is at investing. With that said, he is a strong teacher... but does not belong in a top program.

Curtis is the man. He tries to intimidate the class at first, and at times, it can be scary. However, he softens up to you. Be prepared for a lot of work in this class. HE TESTS ON EVERYTHING. Great teacher, He's really passionate about his class.

He's a really good guy, honestly. He truly cares about the students. Truly gifted at explaining (I dislike math, but in class if I pay attention hard, I can almost predict what he's going to say). Do not fall behind on studying. Definitely take this class, even if you're not into finance, since everyone should know how to invest.

Great professor with an innate ability to translate complicated finance concepts into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. Can be very strict in giving instructions and very tough on students, but he does it because he cares so much about his students. He takes the time to get to know every student and truly wants to best for everyone.

Best teacher I've ever had. Cares for students, and is willing to do whatever it takes to help students learn the material.

One of the hardest classes I have ever taken and also one of the best. If you put in the time, you will learn a ton. Tests are tough but with a lot of studying I was able to get good grades. YMMV. Curtis is excellent at explaining very abstract concepts. My only complaint is that I was often afraid to ask questions because he's pretty intimidating

Easily the best class I've taken at Cornell. Pay attention, turn off your phone, and you will end up alright. Fantastic in office hours. Exams are very difficult, but that is the point. Get the supplemental review book, it is essential.

He's a very good teacher, but the workload is heavy and some of the concepts are tricky. His class is also definitely easier for people who like finance; and not so much to people who don't.

Best teacher and class I have ever had. You will become an expert in finance. You should definitely take this course. Go to class, pay attention and take good notes - don't read textbook - and its not hard since he teaches it so well. My grade was curved from an A- to an A and I skipped a prelim.

I flunked his exam and had to drop, but he's an amazing professor whose super smart, but teaches at an extremely fast pace, so you better prepare cause he expects A LOT!! Great teacher + a much nicer person than I thought in general and definitely compared to people at Cornell. The textbook is excellent as well.

Great class! If you ever want to make it big in finance, take this class. He covers all the bases of finance in a intuitive way. This is one of the best classes I have taken. YOu might see comments saying class is hard. Honestly, no AEM class can ever be super-hard. Nevertheless, this is a class worth taking

Great professor, really care about the students, lots of work

One of most adorable professors I haver had at Cornell. Really clear, caring, and sweet in a fairly unique way. Exams are fair and manageable. Just one thing. a 115-minute session is really too long and sometimes it gets really hard to stay awake no matter how interesting the lecture is.

Curtis is by far and without any question the best professor I've had at Cornell so far. His class is far from easy, but his assessments are fair given his excellent pedagogical merit. Because of him, Finance is an extremely engaging course.

By far one of the absolute best professors I've had. He is incredibly tough and demands a lot on the exams. However, his material is laid out in a very clear and straightforward format. You know exactly what is expected of you, most student simply dislike the fact that it is A LOT. Grade is the class is directly proportional to effort put in

Honestly the best professor I've had at Cornell. I'm an engineer doing the business minor and this is the first class in which I have found lectures to be enjoyable. There is definitely a lot of material but if you put the effort in you will do great.

go to the review sessions, Curtis re-do all of it. the longest I've been to was 7 hrs, from 7pm to 2am. That's dedication

Tough class, large amount of material and exams are challenging. Multiple choice but trickyreally have to know it wording. Curtis is very thorough and clear in lecture, but they are long (esp the 2hr "discussion") and his course packet is similarly comprehensive. Snippy and strict discourages participation, but very nice when you approach him.

Hard class. But Curtis is the most dedicated professor I've ever had. Take finance with him and it's guaranteed that you have a solid foundation in finance. He's strict - Don't skip class or use your phone during - but he instills a sense of discipline that is needed in college students. Very approachable outside of class. All around great guy.

took AEM 2241 and while definitely among the most difficult courses I've ever taken, Curtis is by far the BEST professor I've ever had. His lectures might be long and he might seem mean (esp if you have your phone out in lecture), but I learned so much. Curtis also gives candy during exams. Study the course packet and textbook.

Curtis is an OK teacher and goes all out in OH if he likes you. The problem is that he's extremely terrifying and vindictive in lectures, not hesitating to stop it to scream at somebody for having a water bottle in the auditorium. I got a good grade, but it felt like an abusive spouse - mean enough to scare, but nice enough that you won't leave.

If you're doing the business minor, take this over Hotel finance - we covered the whole textbook but Hotel only goes up to around ch. 12. You will not believe this on the first day but he is an amazing professor. I think he acts unapproachable in the beginning so people take him seriously, but he cares a lot about teaching and you'll learn so much

Professor Curtis is the best professor I've had over 8 years of academia. He inspired me to follow a career in Finance and now in teaching. There is no one like him. His classes were difficult but enjoyable. He set high expectations and helped you reach them. He knew all of his students by name because he cares for each student.

Prof Curtis is challenging and expects a lot from his students. however, his class is worthwhile especially if you are thinking about going into finance. the class is time consuming but Prof Curtis is very clear with how he assigns work and provides helpful review sessions before exams. would recommend this course to someone interested in finance

This was by far the best and most comprehensive finance course at Cornell. What I learned in his course have helped me so much in getting a job at a very respected investment bank. Yes he is tough and sometimes not pleasant in class, but it is not personal. If you take the course seriously, Rich will go above and beyond. He is extremely caring.

Definitely a tough class and professor has humor that not everyone loves... That being said, I LOVED the class. Great material and I feel 10000% more prepared for my internship in finance this summer. Hat off to you, Rich Curtis!!!!!!!!

Easily my favorite professor at Cornell. If you want to learn finance well, take this class - it was helpful for my interviews. He is very nice outside of class and passionate about the material. Tough but fair

Put in the work and you will do well. Curtis is a great professor when you get to know him and his teaching style. If youre willing to work hard and seek out help if youre struggling, Curtis will help you succeed; no other professor holds extra office hours late into the night (around midnight) the week before the exam. Highly recommend

Class is tough, but you can learn a lot from it. Professor has strict rules, but if you talk to him, his personality is very very nice! If you want to learn well in Finance, recommend this class. But if you're doing it just for fun or interest, consider the one in hotel school. Overall, I like this class very much. Almost cry in the last class lol

If u need to take this class for a requirement, do it now while it's online. He's super knowledgeable, genuinely caring, & is pretty engaging considering finance is dry af, but is VERY strict during in-person lectures. No phones/no coming a second late (which is difficult bc the class is @ the dairy bar). exams aren't bad, pay attention to lectures

This was one of the best classes that I have taken at Cornell. Prof. Curtis catches a LOT of flack for having VERY strict phone and tardiness policies and will call you out if you don't follow his lecture rules. However, by the end of the semester you will learn that he is kindhearted, caring, and an EXCELLENT teacher of the subject matter.

He may come across as a tough at first but he's an incredibly caring man with a wealth of knowledge. Make the extra effort to get to know him and you're experience in the class will change drastically.

Some people might be put off by his unfiltered lectures, but if you read the textbook, actually study a little bit, and attend office hours if you have questions, the class is very easy. Any other stuff is just people being annoyed because he doesn't allow phones in class.

Professor Curtis can come across as tough, but engage with his teaching style and you'll find he's a caring instructor who knows his stuff. unstuck AI was a big help for exam prep.